Chapters The Yellow Apple Blossom of New Texas
Applejack woke feeling like an Ursa Minor had just sat on her, and the hard bed underneath her - harder than the one she'd laid down on - wasn't helping. Shifting uncomfortably, she reached out blindly for sheets that didn't seem to be there as her mind foggily took in just that fact.
A moment later her nose twitched as the smell in the room, an odd mix of mint and alcohol, hit her nostrils. Had Dash snuck in at sometime during the night and pulled some kind of prank? Groaning in annoyance at the thought, she wiped a foreleg across her face to help shove away the sleep still hanging heavy on her. Suddenly her eyes opened in shock.
When she'd brushed her hoof across her eyelids, it felt like warm metal. Sitting up, she looked down at her forearm. It looked like bronze coloured armour, the hoof replaced by a paw like Spike's, though with longer digits. She could feel them; flex them, as if they were a part of her, but they were the same bronze metal as her fore-leg.
That prompted a frantic self-examination. Her legs were articulated bronze with the hind ones ending in normal shaped hooves of the same metal, but her body seemed to still be flesh and blood, covered by her normal orange pelt. She could feel her tail, and her face had a muzzle, though the shape felt different.
"Heavens to Betsy! What happened to me?" she breathed. She didn't feel ill, in fact she felt fine, at least physically, but her mind was in a whirl. She started to feel panic, but horse sense quickly came to her aid. However strange the situation was, freaking out wasn't going to do anything to find the answers, and neither would lying there like a windfall apple.
She slid off the bed, which was more like a gurney in the Ponyville clinic… that was the smell, antiseptic! Then she looked around for a mirror, or any shiny surface, desperate to find out what she looked like. The reflection from her fore-hoof gave her some idea, but the curved surface distorted it so much it was pretty much useless.
The room was made of metal and ceramics, no wood or stone, and looked across between an examining room and some mad scientist's laboratory. Instrumentation and machinery to rival Twilight's underground lab lined the walls, festooned with winking and glowing lights. A long window showed part of a metal corridor, and there was what must be a door, though there wasn't a handle.
"How did I get here, and where is 'here'? What in the name of all that's sweet and made with apples is going on?"
It took Applejack a few seconds to realise she was standing on her hind legs. All ponies did it on occasion especially earth ponies, to look over something high, or hold something in their fore-hooves, or even to sing songs about evil enchantresses and cupcakes, but it was an unstable position. Not for her, it seemed as natural as standing on four legs.
It was another shock, but after all the other ones she'd been faced with, she was a bit numb At least this was a useful one. The room wasn't that big, and if she could have gotten down on all fours, she wouldn't have that much room to move about. Walking on her hind legs had somehow become easy too, and she strode over to the nearest mirrored metal surface.
Examining her reflection, she saw her mane and tail were still in their regular golden ponytails, tipped with red ribbons, but the rest of her face and body had changed. Her eyes were too small and her muzzle too big, though she still had white freckles on her cheeks. Her legs were longer in proportion to her body, and fused seamlessly into the flesh at shoulder and hip, with her triple apple cutie-mark enamelled on them.
It was as if some-pony had tried to turn her into a human knight from the old filly tales, but stopped half way. Why was still a mystery, but one she'd have to leave until she knew more. She turned her attention back to her surroundings. The place was some sort of hospital, but that was about all she could figure out. Memories of some of the more gruesome filly tales surfaced, had whoever lived here changed her?
Looking around for answers, or at least another way out, she noticed a small table by the gurney that had her hat resting on it, complete with every last scuff and stain. She picked it up, glad of one familiar thing in this unfamiliar place, and set it on her head. Only then did she realise she'd grasped it with her paw rather than picking it up with a hoof or her mouth. Like walking on her hind legs, it seemed to be reflex, as natural as trotting.
There were other items under the hat, and she examined them for some clue as to what was going on. There was a halter top with a leather 'saddle' back panel, a green tassel fringed skirt and bracers for her fore-legs. No, if her form was like a human's, then that should be 'arms', and her paws were 'hands'. All the clothing seemed to be modelled on her Gala outfit, and clearly fitted her new form.
There was also a pair of crossed belts with pouches hanging off them, adorned with her cutie-mark. That puzzled her for a moment until she realised they went over her shoulders, allowing the bags to hang down at her waist, like saddlebags. An examination of the contents was no more enlightening, a few small nuggets of glowing orange crystal, her Element of Honesty pendant, a full canteen of apple juice and some neatly wrapped individual apple pies, as well as a couple of fresh apples.
There was also her new lasso, the one Rarity and Twilight had given her as a birthday present. Both of them had contributed hairs from their manes to weave into the hemp. They'd both infused it with unicorn magic, and as a result it was strong enough to bind an Ursa Minor (Twilight's contribution), and would shrug off dirt and never tangle (Rarity's speciality).
The pies were her own make, wrapped in muslin the way she would for carrying around, and the apples were fresh picked from Sweet Apple Acres' own trees. A quick swig from the canteen confirmed it was also her home farm's brew. She had no idea how any of it had gotten there.
She slipped on the clothes and her pendant, finding unsurprisingly that the fastenings were all made for hands, not mouth and hoof, and clipped the lasso to a fitting on one of the belts that looked made for it. She might not understand what was going on, but these had to be her things, and wherever she was going, she wasn't going without them.
Kitted up and ready to go places, she tried to figure out just how she was going to get there. She checked the door but it was sealed, with no visible way of opening it, or a keyhole for that matter. She was about to test the picture window to see just how resistant it was to her new set of metal hooves, when someone appeared in the corridor.
He fitted the description of a human, though his skin in the few places it was visible was blacker than in most of the stories, and what she could see of his beard and mane was white. He was also wearing clothing, a blue bowler hat with a lot of yellow metal decoration, and a matching cloak and white string tie shirt. He also had odd blue leggings and what must be human-shoes on, and what could be either a waistcoat or body armour.
He stopped dead, clearly surprised, then moved to the other side of the door and did something that made it slide aside. Applejack's first impulse was to charge past and make a break for freedom, but he seemed pleased if anything rather than hostile. Besides, she was half a head taller and built like Big Macintosh in comparison to him and he also had answers, if a human could speak Equestrian.
"It seems our Sleeping Beauty is finally awake." he said, proving he did. "I'm Doctor Clayton, but most folks just call me Doc, and you're probably feeling a bit confused."
Granny Smith had taught her proper manners, so she reined in her thousand and one questions, took a couple of steps back so she loomed less, and replied, "The name's Applejack, and I'd like to say it were a pleasure to make yer acquaintance, but I ain't no good at lying. Not that it's your fault, I'm sure you're a very nice… human? But right now 'a bit confused' don't even begin to describe how I'm feelin', and I ain't able to find any pleasure in the circumstances. Bein' kept in this room didn't help none."
"Kept?" Doc Clayton looked surprised. "The door was closed, not locked!"
"Then how'd ya open the apple-picking thing?"
Doc stepped through, turned and tapped a lit hoof sized panel on the door frame. The door slid back. "Just press the pad. You haven't seen a powered door before? Odd, Thirty Thirty didn't have a problem with them."
"Magically powered doors? Nope, I'm sure some artificer in Canterlot could make 'em, but then that's why we have door handles." She shook her head at the waste. "And who's this Thirty Thirty character?"
"He's the only other Equestroid on New Texas, or anywhere else as far as we know. Haven't heard of a planet called Canterlot though." He started looking oddly at her, stroking his beard. "The door runs on electricity… Your cybernetics run on it too. How could you not know that?"
"Right now I don't know where I am, how I got here, or how I got to be this way, what did you call it, an Equestroid? I know about electricity, Ponyville has it's own dam for lighting and stuff, but I never heard of any-pony using it to open doors, let alone for any kinda fleas. How would that even work?"
The orange mare shook her head, her pony-tail swinging like a pendulum. "Anyhow, I don't have none. I may not be Rarity, but I clean my fur regular-like. Now I want some answers! So are you gonna give 'em to me, or do I walk out that door and find 'em myself?"
She hadn't meant to be so aggressive, but the stress was getting to her. The doctor stepped back, and pulled out a chair from the side of the room, pressing a button on the gurney that shifted it into a seat for her. He motioned her to take it and spoke calmingly.
"Now calm down, I'll do my best, but then I hope you'll answer some of mine. You're a regular mystery, something New Texas seems to have more of than Kerium. Where did you get the idea you had fleas?"
"You said I had cyberneticks. If they aren't some kinda bug, what the hay are they?"
"I guess I've got more explaining to do than I thought. Not parasites, you're healthy, as far as I'm able to tell."
He went over to one of the machines on the wall and pressed some buttons, and two cups appeared in a slot at the bottom. "Your bio-scan shows you're able to drink this apple juice, as if the stuff in your canteen wasn't a clue. Though I suggest you wait a spell before eating, you were in suspended animation a long time…"
He handed her the cup, forestalling the multiple questions he's just raised, and sat down in front of her. He started talking, explaining terms where he saw her about to ask what he was talking about.
"This is the infirmary in the town of Fort Kerium, where I work when I'm not out making house calls, and this is the world of New Texas… I should have asked Thirty Thirty what he called it. Some miners were prospecting for Kerium, a valuable mineral, but came across a sealed underground vault. All that was in it was you, lying on a slab, with your clothes and those bags."
"At first they figured you were dead, though perfectly preserved, but they called me and Marshall Bravestarr out there, and a basic bio-scan, a way of examining someone's health, showed you were alive, though in a suspended animation, a deep sleep where you age very slowly, sustained by your cybernetic systems…"
Applejack took a sip of the juice, not a patch on her home made brand, but it was cold and wet and took the edge off of a thirst she hadn't realised she had. "You still ain't explain what these cybernetick things are!"
He broke off his original sentence and changed tack. "Cybernetics are machine components built onto or implanted in a living organism, and usually tied directly into the nerves, so they can be controlled like as if they were regular flesh and blood."
"Machine components? What in Equestria are you talking about? I'm a pony, not a… steam engine or a food mixer, even if someone's gone and transformed me, and stuck enchanted armour on my legs." Applejack gulped down more apple juice, talking was making her throat sore.
"I can prove it, if you'll permit me." He picked up a tool from a tray under the small table. Seeing her eye it nervously, he said, "Molecular de-bonder. I'm going to remove the cover plate on your upper arm. It won't hurt."
She still hesitated for a moment, but it didn't have any sharp edges or anything, so she let him have her arm. If he could get the armour off, it was all to the good. It buzzed as he ran it along an almost invisible seam on the outside of her upper arm, and pulled away the bronze cover, which was attached underneath by a bunch of wires to the interior. Inside she could see pistons, metal 'bones', tubes and ribbons of coloured wiring, as well as other metal components.
Worse, she reflexively pulled her arm away and saw the pistons move. She could feel the panel strike against her arm, and the even stranger sensation from the metal panel as it struck. Applejack touched the ribbon that still connected it to a box inside her arm, using her other hand to trace it back. When she reached the junction, a spark leapt from the bare connections, and she felt a slight stinging sensation.
"What…" She slumped back in shock. "Who did this! Why?"
"No-one knows anything about Equestroid culture except Thirty Thirty." Doc Clayton shrugged. "…and he doesn't talk about it."
She brought her free hand up, feeling her muzzle "Is the rest of me…"
"Flesh and blood, mostly, though you have reinforcement in your skeletal structure, organ and nerve enhancements and a micro-kerium power unit that hooks into your digestive tract. Just shave a few slivers off of one of the nuggets into your food every few months, and you'll be set."
"Your body can recycle pretty much everything, and repair almost any kind of internal damage. About the only thing you need to do is keep hydrated when you're out and about, your body still sweats to lose heat, though you didn't need to down in that vault."
He took advantage of her lack of movement to put the panel back in place and re-seal it. "I know this is a lot to take in, but remember, you're still yourself, and you're among friends."
Applejack was still suffering from the shock of finding out her limbs really were some kind of machinery, and there was supposed to be other kinds of machinery inside her. However, once again her horse sense helped her to cope, and one question came to mind ahead of everything else.
"What happens if one of those contraptions breaks, or wears out? This one time I rode a steam train, it broke down half way to Appleloosa, and the engineers had to tow it the rest of the way. Metal don't fix itself."
Doc Clayton was intrigued, this was all coming as a complete surprise to her, that much was obvious. He wondered how that could have happened, but right now she needed help and support, not questions. Fortunately he had good news.
"Equestroid cybernetics are, quite frankly, the best in the known galaxy. I've learned a lot just trying to keep an eye on Thirty-Thirty's health. The internal systems only augment what your body does naturally. So even a full systems failure wouldn't hurt you, just weaken you a bit.
"The only parts which don't self-repair are your limbs. But they're even more robust than the rest of you. An internal power reserve in each leg means even if the main system goes down you could still walk for miles. Thirty Thirty abuses his hardware on a daily basis, and he's only ever needed to go to Iron-arms' repair shop once, when he pretty much rammed his foot down in a pothole at a full gallop and busted a knee joint."
Applejack shuddered, that was the kind of permanently crippling injury that was any pony's nightmare. Doc Clayton noticed this and reassured her.
"It's alright, a couple of days in the shop and he was back up and better than ever. Of course, if he kept his regular check-ups with me and Iron-arms, he probably wouldn't have had a problem in the first place."
Applejack looked a little dubious, but finally sighed. "I guess you're the doc… Doc. So why aren't I still sleeping or whatever I was doing?"
"Breaking the seal on the chamber had started some sort of revival cycle, so we brought you back to Fort Kerium, where we could care for you if something went wrong. Lucky for you, what with Thirty Thirty, I'm about the only doctor in the galaxy who has any experience with Equestroid physiology.
"I gave you a full examination when we got here, and as I said, you were in perfect health. Messing about with the revival cycle would have done more harm than good, so I figured the best thing was to let you wake up normally. I had to go check on another patient, but I came right back. I was just on my way to transfer you to one of the after-care beds, more comfy than a gurney, but you were already up."
"You were the one who removed my clothes… wait, if you knew about the apples you must have gone through my saddlebags!"
"Only to see if you had any identification, or anything to explain why you were there. Nothing's missing, is it? As for removing your clothes, if you were all organic, I could have done the scans without taking anything off, but clothing would have interfered with scanning your cybernetics. I'm very sorry if I violated some sort of nudity taboo."
"What's a nudity taboo?" She parsed the phrase. "Some sort of rule about not wearin' clothes? That sounds about as crazy as the rest of the stuff I've heard since I woke up. I just don't like the fact I was helpless."
Doc shook his head. "Maybe it's best if you tell me in your own words what you last remember."
That made Applejack pause for a moment, what did she remember? "Last thing I recollect, I went to bed as usual, okay, maybe a bit later than usual. That was at my home, a farm called Sweet Apple Acres. It's in a town called Ponyville which is in the land of Equestria. And Canterlot isn't a planet, it's the capital of Equestria.
"I know enough from hearing Twilight rattle on that planets are things in the sky, like the moon but so far away that the Princesses don't have to bother with them. Haven't heard of one called Texas, much less New Texas. For that matter, until I see something more than a set of metal walls, you can expect me to take that whole tale with a lick of salt."
Actually, as far as she could tell, he was being straight with her. While she'd always been terrible at lying of any sort, even harmless things like acting, she could almost always tell when some-pony else was doing it, one of the benefits of her Element. Apparently it worked on non-ponies as well. She finished off the last of her apple juice, and found she was still thirsty. She looked herself up and down.
"As for how I looked, from how I move, I figure I was less than half as big as this, went around on all fours, and these…" she held up the hand with the empty cup. "… were proper hooves, and not made of metal."
"You called yourself a pony?" The Doc pulled out a clip-board sized device from under the side table, and manipulated the glowing images that appeared on the surface. He held it out in front of him, face up, and a Terran pony appeared, a projected hologram. "Like this?"
Applejack examined the illusion spell, impressively solid, but not quite right. "Pretty close Doc, but the proportions are a mite off, the eyes are too small, the muzzle's too big, and it don't have a cutie mark."
"Cutie mark?"
It felt good to be the one telling the human something. She hitched up her skirt, and tapped the enamelled pattern on her flank with a metallic clink. "Like this. Every pony gets one when they figure out what makes them special, usually around when they start growing out of foal-hood. As you can probably figure, I'm real good at growing apples, and baking apple products. Of course, they're normally on the coat, not metal."
"You tattoo every child? Or do you use an indelible dye?" The doctor seemed a bit shocked.
"Whatever gives you that idea? It just turns up when they realise what makes them special, part of the magic every pony has. Pegasi fly and walk on clouds, unicorns make things float with their horns and do magic, and we Earth ponies are strong and tough and can keep on going. And all of us have cutie marks."
"Unicorns? Pegasi? Magic?" Doc Clayton sounded even more surprised. "This world sounds more like a fairy tale than anywhere I've ever heard about."
That made Applejack chuckle for the first time. "You mean filly tale, which is good coming from a human. Hate to break it to you Doc, but where I come from _humans_ are the filly tales. Don't you have magic around here?"
"Well, yes, but it's something only a very few can do. It sounds like it's common-place there."
"I wouldn't exactly say that, but somewhat. Though we earth-ponies mostly get by on hard work and horse-sense."
The doctor kept asking her about her home, and Applejack didn't need asking twice. Chatting about Sweet Apple Acres and her regular life almost made her forget where she was and that she was telling her life story to a human.
"… things have been quiet since the Crystal Empire, except for my birthday party last night. Pinkie out-did herself. I guess she wanted to make for the barn raising. I went to bed, full of cake and some nicely aged cider, and woke up here. I just knew I shouldn't have had that last piece of strawberry cheese-cake…"
"You're thinking this is some sort of nightmare?"
Applejack gave a lopsided grin. "Figuring on this being a dream is helpin' me to not go completely outta my apple tree. I bet you're gonna to tell me that Equestria was the dream I was having while I was kept in suspense… that deep sleep thing, and it's somehow made me forget what happened before I was asleep."
"I might, if it weren't for those apples in your bags. Apples don't grow on New Texas. We import most of our fresh produce from a local sector world called Missouri Prime. But those aren't Missouri hybrids, they're closest to Earth stock apples. And I know for a fact that no Terran produce has arrived on New Texas for years. So something is going on beyond an Equestroid with some false memories."
"So you believe me?" Applejack asked, relieved. "What's Terran mean anyway?"
"From Earth, the world humans originally came from. Apples and ponies too. Except our ponies aren't any smarter than… a dog." he told her. "I'd be a lot more sceptical if I'd just gotten off a ship. But seeing some of the things the Marshall and the Shaman, for that matter what Tex Hex and Stampede can do has made me a bit more accepting of stuff I can't explain."
"You think one of them could help me figure out what the hey's happening? Return me to Equestria and the body I'm supposed to have?" The pony turned horse asked, excited.
"Now hold your horses… sorry…" He realised what he'd said, but she didn't seem to take offence. "You don't want to go near Tex Hex, much less Stampede. Tex Hex runs the biggest band of outlaws and no-good thieves on New Texas. From what I've heard, Stampede is the one that gave him magic powers, and is really the one in charge, though I've never heard exactly what kind of creature he is."
"If you're going to approach anyone it'll be the Shaman. He was Bravestarr's mentor, and Stampede's enemy. If anyone can figure out what's going on with you, it'll be him."
"Then let's go!" Applejack stood up, and almost hit her head on the overhanging examination lamp. "Goldarnit!"
"You'll need the Marshall to take you to Star Peak. From what I hear, the Shaman doesn't normally let anyone else come there." Doc Clayton stood. "However, he's out on a mission right now, some dingoes attacked the outpost at Drifting Sands, half way around the planet. But you could go have a look around if you're still hankering to go outside. While I can't give you your old body back, that one you're in can transform to a four hooved one which might be a bit more familiar… and less likely to run into things."
He walked out through the door and Applejack followed him, protesting as she ducked under the lintel. "I'm not a unicorn. I don't know the first thing about transformation magic!"
"Think of it as innate, like a pegasus flying… I can't quite believe I said that. From what Thirty Thirty's said during his check-ups you just will it, and it happens."
Applejack decided to try it, and thought furiously about being back to normal. Sparks started crackling over her, and Doc Clayton turned, exclaiming, "Not now, we don't know if those clothes will…"
But it had already happened. She was down on four hooves, metal ones, but still a big improvement, and her clothing had made the change with her, reverting to her Gala costume, though fitted to her larger frame. The bags and straps that held them on had changed into a proper pair of saddlebags, and the back panel of her jacket was a carrying saddle. Her lasso was even in easy reach of her mouth.
She looked back along her length, realising she was longer bodied in her proportions and size than her human or even pony forms. Closer to Princess Celestia than any-pony she was familiar with, though she made Celestia look positively skinny. Still, she liked it. This was a working pony's or rather horse's body.
She reared up a little, testing her balance. Her bronze hooves made the tough synthetic flooring ring when they came down. She might prefer her real legs, but at least these metal ones seemed strong. For now she could put up with them, especially as there was now a hope it was only temporary.
"Hooee! Now I feel equine again!"
The corridor had other rooms with sliding doors and frameless windows, all lit by recessed lighting in the ceiling. It opened out at the end into a reception area, just a space with a couple of cheap chairs and a desk with a computer terminal, currently unoccupied. Health posters were tacked to the walls.
But Applejack was more interested in the view through the front windows. Her first impression was Appleloosa township, but done in metal rather than planks, and with humans, and even weirder bipeds replacing the regular pony-folk, though the costumes were human shaped versions of regular Appleloosan clothing. A couple of the people even seemed to be made of metal, or have metal parts like hers.
Some other metal things that didn't make much sense were things sort of like metal bulls or buffalo, but rather than standing on legs, they had magnet-like attachments on either side, and hovered. They were floating outside various buildings, including what looked like a saloon. A human came out and got astride one, then flew off on it. That made sense, with only two legs they probably couldn't run hardly at all, so they rode those things like a chariot.
The door slid open automatically as she approached, and she stepped out into the sun-light, and the heat, it was as hot as Appleloosa too. The clinic was clearly on the town square, such as it was. It was only after she'd taken a few steps beyond the verandah that she noticed her shadow was odd, or rather shadows, three of them, with colour in each one, only truly black where all three overlapped.
She looked up carefully, three suns were in the sky, red, blue and yellow. The purple sky seen over the rooftops was cloudless, but interrupted on one side by a tall mesa, with some sort of tower built up the side, leading to a platform that extended out, more like an entire building. It seemed a lot of trouble for a look-out post.
Then a shadow fell across her and the town square, and she saw a huge spiky metal object flying overhead to dock at the top of the tower. It was smaller than Cloudsdale, but not by that much, and bigger than any air-ship that she'd ever seen, even when she visited Manehatten as a filly. Doc Clayton came up alongside her, and she tore her gaze away from the thing.
"Now ain't that a sight! I gotta agree Doc, this ain't Equestria. What is that thing?"
"A star-ship, a Kerium freighter to be precise. That's how we travel between worlds." He pointed over to the bank where people were bringing out several carts full of bags, the tell-tale orange glow of Kerium. "They've come to pick up the Kerium we've mined, and bring everything we can't make on planet."
"Whoever raises the suns must be some kind of juggler. Not only do they have three of 'em to keep track of, they've gotta avoid hitting those things."
Doc would have been sceptical about Applejack's assertion that in Equestria the sun and moon were run by executive decree, if Stampede hadn't once made two of the suns vanish with his powers to try and force an evacuation of the planet. Only Bravestarr figuring out how to reverse it had stopped Fort Kerium from becoming a ghost town.
"Around here, the suns and moons generally run by themselves. For that matter, we don't control the weather. If we did, there'd be more cloud cover."
"That don't sound safe at all!" Applejack shook her head. "But I guess there's not much I can do about it."
"Let's get you over to the Marshall's office, you can wait for Bravestarr there. Though I don't know if he'll be back in time to take you to the Shaman's place today. If it looks like he's going to be late, I can put you up at the clinic for the night. Or you can get a room at the inn."
"I don't know what you folks use for money around here, but I don't have any of it, or even Equestrian bits."
"I wouldn't worry, any of those nuggets of Kerium you're carrying is worth a month's food and lodging." The Doctor looked over at the bank, where carts were being brought out. They were piled high with sacks, and a few were open for sampling, showing the chunks of Kerium inside. "I just hope Tex Hex doesn't know the Marshall's away, this'd be the perfect time for him to strike."
A siren started to sound, and Doc Clayton sighed. "I hate it when I'm right."
Author's Note
This is a bonus for all my loyal readers, something I've had on my fanfiction dot net account for ages. I've done five parts which tell a full story, though I always intended to continue it beyond that. I'll be publishing them over the next week.
As for Bravestarr, for those people who don't remember it...
Edit: Edited to start the story during early Season 3, Between Too many Pinkie Pies and One Bad Apple.
The Yellow Apple Blossom of New Texas
People started getting off the streets, and getting inside the main square.
"Come on, the Sheriff's office is nearest." Doc motioned to Applejack. "We've got to get inside before they activate defence mode. The whole central part of the town reconfigures into a fortress."
They dashed over, to find a red headed human in a dark grey outfit outside, hanging stuff on one of the hovering steeds.
"Judge McBride?" Doc Clayton asked. "What are you doing out here?"
"Getting ready to ride out! The defence mode system's been sabotaged, Fuzz thinks Scuzz burrowed in last night, we found one of those stogies he smokes." She shook her head. "We should have figured that attack on Drifting Sands was a diversion, it's about as far away from Fort Kerium as you can get and still be on New Texas."
"Tex Hex is coming?" Doc asked.
"That'd be my guess. We got a report from a prospecter up on the High Tops, saw a big group heading out from the Badlands, before he ducked for safety. Considering the size of the haul Tex will make if he raids us, he'll likely have all of his henchmen, maybe some dingoes too. I've got to go out, buy some time for Bravestarr and Thirty Thirty to get back, and for Fuzz to fix the defence system."
"That's crazy!" Doc exclaimed. "By yourself? Can't the Kerium freighter provide cover?"
"They're coming round the long way, via Drywater gulch. It's over the other side of the mesa, where the freighter's guns can't reach. Is Handlebar back on his feet?" she asked in a tone which showed she knew the answer.
Doc sighed, and shook his head. "Still recovering from the Denebian flu. He's in no fit state to tend bar, let alone go off on a jaunt like this."
"Then I'm all we've got. But I can get round there first, set up an ambush."
"Maybe I can help out?" asked Applejack. "Name's Applejack."
The judge turned and noticed her for the first time. "Judge McBride…"
Applejack put out a hoof and she took it. "Pleased to meet-cha, judge."
"You're the Equestroid they found. Can you handle a Neutra-laser?"
"Ain't even heard of 'em, but I reckon if I can kick a rock the size of my head into the chest-plate of one of those contraptions, it's gonna break down."
"It's called a turbo-mule, and I think it would." Judge McBride thought for a moment. "I don't like taking someone just out of hospital into something like this. It's going to be dangerous."
"The Doc says I'm fit as a fiddle. Besides, you folks took the best care of me you could. Figure I'm repaying the favour. I ain't one to stand around when people need help."
"I'm a Galactic Judge. What if I tell you to stay here?"
Applejack flicked her ponytail back. "Then I aim to misbehave."
Judge McBride saddled up, shaking her head and chuckling. "Well it's not like I can't use the help. Alright, you're with me. Doc, if they get past us, you'll be needed at the clinic."
She powered up her turbo-mule and backed up, coming round to face the main gate. "My friends call me J.B. Follow me!"
"Right beside you!" Applejack called out. The pair raced out of the still open gates, and out of Fort Kerium. Applejack noticed the turbo-mule was trailing a jet of flame, but it didn't seem to worry anybody. Then she realised it must be like a rocket, except it wasn't burning out.
It was certainly pushing the turbo-mule along at a clip she'd have been hard pressed to match with her old body, but this new one seemed to take it in it's stride, so to speak. She wasn't even breathing hard, or feeling any strain in her legs or shoulders. She still wanted her old body back, but she was beginning to appreciate the uses of this new one.
They travelled up a dirt trail, past old mine workings, and upwards over a saddle onto a tableland that the main mesa jutted up from. The barren, hard-packed dirt was as good for running as a paved road, and her metal hooves were better than the best sports horse-shoes. She gave a practice leap, and found she could bound a dozen pony-lengths without much effort.
A second leap, giving it all her effort, had her being pushed ahead even after she left the ground. Ducking her head briefly, she saw flames coming from under her rear hooves. They must have some sort of rocket system like the turbo-mule. Her hooves seemed to automatically orient themselves so she balanced on the thrust rather than tumbling. She felt covers snap back as the jets died and she landed ahead and to the side of J.B.
"What're you doing?" she called out.
"Figuring out what I'm capable of." Despite her speed, and the jump she'd just made, she still wasn't breathing hard. All the power must be coming from the machinery. "I'm still getting used to this body."
"I guess you must have been in that vault a long time." The J.B replied. "Look, there's the canyon!"
They slowed up alongside it, and looked out over the depressing depression . About sixty feet wide and almost as deep, it curved around towards them as it passed. The ruddy orange rock was squared off, steep cliffs with a bit of an overhang at the tops. Fallen scree softened the edges at the bottom, and scrub plants somehow found occasional purchase on the cliffs and along the tops. The very edge of the tops sloped down slightly, overlooking the canyon proper.
The judge dropped lightly off her turbo-mule, short of the slope, and started pulling some sort of blocks from a compartment under the saddle. "Tex Hex and his gang should be along in about ten minutes if the report was right. We're going to set mining charges along the top here, and trigger a landslide in front of them.
"It won't block off the canyon completely, but it'll create a bottle-neck, especially if they've got a flat-bed wagon to carry the Kerium. Then the two of us fire down on them. You sure you don't want a neutra-laser?" The judge displayed a gun with a squared barrel and twin grips that had a second block underneath, which she held in one hand. "It fires an electric charge along the energy beam, knocks out people and electronics."
Applejack picked out a suitable sized rock on the ground beside her, and a light patch on the opposite cliff wall. She reared with the rock between her front hooves, flinging it up, then wheeled and ducked her head to sight under the line of her body. It wasn't much different to bucking apples or pillows.
As the stone reached the right point, she kicked out with both rear hooves, and there was a whip-crack double report. The first was her hooves hitting the rock, and the second was the rock raising a patch of yellow dust as it rebounded off the centre of the light patch. "Much obliged, but I'll stick with what I know."
J.B pursed her lips appreciatively. "I never saw Thirty Thirty do that! He usually uses Sarah Jane."
"Who's the what's now?" Applejack asked, looking over the charges.
"Not a who, a what. It's his pet name for his customised positron cannon. It would come in handy right now, we could bring down the cliff on the other side too in a few seconds. I could split the charges, but there's no way to get across."
Applejack ignored asking what in Celestia's name a positron cannon was in favour of helping out. Remembering her test jump, she mused. "I reckon I could get across, if you can show me what to do when I get there."
"You're sure?" J.B asked, moving along the edge to place the first charge. "They aren't exactly complicated. Just set them up about 20 feet… this far away from the edge, arrow pointing towards it." She pointed to an arrow marked quickly on it with white paint. "It's a pre-programmed shaped Kerium charge… anyway, just flip the cover and press the switch to arm it. The light on top will turn red. Then don't be anywhere near it when it goes off."
Applejack picked up three of the six blocks one by one, using her mouth as her forehooves didn't seem to grip, and put them in her saddlebags. Then she ran back from the edge a ways. She galloped forward at full pace, leaping as she reached the edge. The rocket boost kicked in and she soared across the gap, landing neatly on the other side and running out the rest of the way.
She circled until she was opposite the Judge, and started laying out the charges opposite her, following the instructions exactly. She might not know what a shaped Kerium charge was, but anything that could cause a landslide she'd handle with great care. She didn't bother shifting to humanoid form for this task either, the flip cover and push switch were raised, and she was quite adept enough at handling things with her mouth to do something that simple.
With the last charge in place, she did another running leap across the canyon to where J.B was. This was well up-canyon of the first charge, where she lay prone, neutra-laser to hand, looking out through some of the scrubby brush that clung to the edge of the cliff. She had a pair of binoculars, and was examining the trail up-canyon.
Applejack pushed a dozen or so rocks up beside her, easy enough as this place had more then Pinkie Pie's rock farm. She was checking she had a good line of sight when the judge hissed. "Get down! They're coming!"
Applejack dropped down on her belly, legs folded under her, and looked out through the brush. She heard the sound of dozens of turbo-mules, and the occasional whoops and hollers of the riders before she saw them fly into view around the curve of the canyon.
Most of the turbo-mule riders reminded her of Diamond Dogs, dressed up Appleloosan style, though if anything, they were even scruffier than the diamond miners. In the centre was a buckboard style wagon, with a flat-bed behind the drivers seat. It was drawn by a heavier-constructed turbo-mule. The wagon's wheels were folded up under it, and spinning, with spokes looked more like the propeller blades on Pinkie's flying contraption.
Riding the drivers seat was an unpleasant looking human with a straggly white mane and moustache. Alongside him was a short, furry creature in a short long coat, a big cigar in his mouth. Applejack wasn't sure, but she was betting the first one was this Tex Hex, and the second was the Scuzz, who'd sabotaged the town.
"Tex Hex isn't on his Skull Walker?" muttered her companion. "I guess he doesn't trust anyone else to carry the Kerium. Cover your ears, I'm going to blow the charges."
She picked up a small box with a blinking red light on it, flipped a cover and pressed a button. Even with Applejack's fore-hooves covering her ears, the noise was impressive, though there wasn't any big spray or billow of debris. All the force of the explosions was thrust down in a fan shape into the dirt and rock, which cracked, reminding Applejack of the landslide they'd encountered on their quest to stop Nightmare Moon.
In fact it reminded her more of that than she wanted, either the explosions had been more powerful than they'd intended, or the rock underneath them was already weakened. The ground under her started to shift, and she pushed herself up on all fours, scrambling back as the scrub and the first five feet of the edge broke away.
While she made the safety of relatively solid ground, J.B wasn't so lucky. She was pitched forward with a yell as the edge collapsed, and flung out into open air, beyond Applejack's reach. But not the reach of her lasso. The Equestrian turned Equestroid ducked her head and grabbed the lasso, launching it outwards with a long practised skill which seemed to have carried over into this body.
She snagged the falling human neatly, and hauled back, but either her own movements or the added weight caused more crumbling, and her own fore-hoofs went over the edge. She had no purchase to back away, and to try and stop herself would just make her tumble forwards, so she did the only thing she could, let herself run forwards, keeping her feet under her as she galloped down the steep incline. It wasn't quite vertical, more like 60 degrees, and it looked like it might ease off at the bottom.
She adjusted the tension of the lasso almost automatically, and the snared human neatly dropped into the carrying saddle on her back. Designed to be practical as well as decorative, the leather saddle on her Gala costume was designed to distribute heavy loads across her back, such as apple baskets. However it worked just as well as a regular saddle. J.B automatically grabbed onto it, there being no reins or stirrups.
Another flick of the lasso, and it neatly released J.B, and flew forward. A lot of skill, and a little bit of unicorn magic meant it dropped in neat coils across Applejack's muzzle. She let it slide down and shifted her bite to grab the loops as they dropped off the end. All this was done on an almost automatic level, as she focussed her attention on the big problem ahead.
The judge's scheme had been even more successful than she'd hoped. The canyon ahead of the outlaws had narrowed down to a vee shaped notch in a wall of loose boulders and scree. The turbo-mules might be able to inch through in single file, the flying buckboard would have no chance. Clearing the fall would be a major task.
Unfortunately, that meant that the entire gang was pulling up short of the obstruction, and Applejack and her rider were galloping right into the middle of them. They'd only just started to notice the secondary slide, but any second, bad things would start to happen. Especially as the weapon J.B had laid out was currently somewhere under a ton of rock. Their only hope was to keep moving.
Applejack leaped, just as the ground underfoot started to level, and landed her fore-hooves on a turbo-mule, knocking the rider flying. Using it as a stepping stone, she made another jump to the empty flat-bed. It was a good enough surface that she could change direction a bit, and made a third jump, via another turbo-mule onto the ground on the other side of the canyon floor, forward of the flat-bed.
She circled, leaping over a tumbled turbo-mule who's dingo rider had stopped too enthusiastically, heading for the notch, but just before she arrived there, a wall of green flame flared up in front of her, blocking off the gap. The two of them were trapped, between the fames and the full force of Tex Hex's goon squad.
The flying wagon had come to a halt, and air-jets hissed as the wheels spun down and folded vertically, to rest like regular wheels on the canyon floor. The out-riding turbo-mules formed a nearly solid wall blocking off any escape that way.
Applejack wheeled and dropped the lasso, turning to face the thugs. "I'm awful sorry J.B, I did mah best…"
"I know, it's my fault for getting you into this. Thanks for saving me." J.B patted her neck.
"Looks like I didn't save you enough…"
"Well lookie what we have here!" Tex Hex sneered. "Seems we have ourselves a judge. Pity there ain't a trial."
"Heh heh!" The cigar smoking furry at his side wheezed. "You said it boss!"
"Give it up, Tex Hex.!" J.B called out bravely. "You'll never get past this before Fort Kerium goes to defence mode and Bravestarr arrives. He's on guard now. You've failed!"
"Now why should I need to get past, when I've got two hostages? I wonder how many tons of Kerium you're worth to the good people of New Texas? And the horse you rode in on has got to be worth a couple of kilos, if only for the spare parts."
Applejack glared at him. "The name's Applejack, but you can call me ma'am. Or better yet say nothing and high-tail it out of here before I plant these here hooves on your noggin!"
"You ain't in a position to tell anyone to do anything, hobby-horse!" Tex Hex waved a hand, and green smoke welled up in front of them, coalescing into a pair of green snakes, twice as long as Applejack. They were already reared up and hissing, their head level with hers. "You're both going to do what I say, or my pets get a meal."
Now Applejack didn't have Twilight's fear of snakes. She could take them or leave them, and mostly she left them to Fluttershy to deal with. But these things were clearly some sort of hocus pocus, and mighty unfriendly hocus pocus at that.
"Hold on!" she whispered to her rider.
Then she reared up and lashed out with her front hooves, the metal front edge of each hoof striking a snake just below the head. They struck in return, but couldn't do anything to the bronze coloured metal of her fore-legs. Her strikes were more successful, the pair dropped, spines broken, and evaporated as fast as they'd appeared.
Before Tex Hex could do more then yell in anger, Applejack followed up by ducking and retrieving her lasso, snaking it out to capture the head outlaw. Her plan, such as it was, was to capture the bandits' leader and fling him around, hopefully knocking some of his goons off their mounts, and disorienting him enough that he wouldn't be able to command, or do magic. Besides, it looked like he needed to move his hands for that, and if they were bound to his sides, the odds would get a lot better.
Tex Hex was just standing up and going for the gun that had appeared at his belt when the lasso looped over him. It pulled tight, and something unexpected happened. He screamed in agony. Applejack could actually see black smoke rising from where the rope bound him.
She started to flip him into the air, when he disintegrated into a puff of black smoke which rushed away the direction the bad guys had came from. While this was a good thing, as she could feel the wall of flames behind her die, it meant she had nothing to bludgeon the remaining outlaws with.
Fortunately she had a few seconds to work with, as the group of dingoes were as surprised as she was at the turn of events. She, however had a goal, and was quite a bit faster to react. She dropped the lasso again and called out, "J.B! Get to cover and head for the gap! I'll distract 'em!"
Outlying boulders from the landslides provided plenty of places for someone the size of a human to hide behind, an Equestroid, even in humanoid form, not so much. Standing in the open was a sure-fire invitation to see what those weapons J.B had been on about could do, but Applejack was pretty sure if she was in among the dingoes, they'd be less likely to shoot.
When J.B didn't jump off immediately, Applejack shifted to humanoid, sidestepping and reaching behind her to catch the lady judge and put her down by a suitable rock. Then she jumped forward, picking up the fallen turbo-mule she'd jumped earlier in both hands and hurling it at the turbo-mules on one side of the wagon.
It was close enough to the wagon for Scuzz to spit out his cigar in panic and dive away over the opposite side, hitting the ground head first and tunnelling into it at a furious rate. "Ahh! The crazy horse 'vaporated the boss! Me's getting' outta here!"
The projectile also broke up the line of turbo-mules and caused a lot of confusion and panic. A few zig-zag bolts of brilliant white energy flashed past Applejack's head, but they were from across the other side, and more importantly aimed at where she'd been. She landed in her natural form, reckoning she'd fare better with four hooves than just using her fore-hooves.
She body slammed a couple of dismounted dingoes into the ground as she landed, and kicked out behind her at one of the few remaining upright turbo-mules, which took out two more. Then it was down to her hooves and her bite, much as she disliked the idea of these fellows anywhere near her mouth.
Still, grabbing one by the scruff of his neck and giving him a good shake before flinging him away seemed to take the starch out of them and generally caused collateral knock-down damage. Now if only she could find something to take the taste of unwashed dingo out of her mouth, bleah!
If the dingos had worked as a team, coordinated their attacks, they'd have found her easier to take down, but without orders, it was every dingo for himself. Besides, trying to move around or aim a weapon on an increasingly debris-laden battlefield while dodging involuntarily ballistic comrades was mostly beyond their capacities. A few didn't even try, grabbing any relatively intact turbo-mule and heading for the hills.
However, as she put down or ran off more of the goons, she destroyed her own cover, and there was still a relatively intact group on the other side of the flat-bed wagon. One of them, a dingo with a fancy hat, shifted into a moustachioed human. He led a group over the back of the flat-bed, and aimed his pistol at the still battling Applejack, along with the rest of his group.
"If we bring down the filly, Tex Hex will give us as much kerium as we can carry!"
Applejack realised her position too late, and tried to turn and face her new attackers… only to have something fly across between them, and knock the pistols out of their hands. It retracted on a cable, and became the head of a mechanical gavel, wielded by J.B. She also carried a salvaged pistol of her own and fired it in the air.
"Drop your weapons and surrender!" she yelled out.
"We can still take them both!" Dingo Dan yelled, diving for cover behind the seat back of the flat-bed .
Before he could complete the movement, a massive yellow energy blast blew a chunk out of the canyon wall above them.
"I don't think so!" called the voice from above. "But do you want to take on the two of us as well? Strength of the Bear!"
The figure leaped off the edge of the cliff, and dropped the full distance to land lightly, a neutra-laser of his own in his hand. Applejack figured he was this Marshall Bravestarr everyone had been on about.
"Mmpphh! And if ya still have any bright ideas, me and Sarah Jane are ready to dispute 'em!"
A humanoid form Equestroid landed more heavily beside him, a much bigger weapon held in his hands, Thirty Thirty. All the fight went out of the dingos at this point.
Applejack shifted up to bi-pedal form, to get a proper look at the pair. The Marshall had a dark coat… skin and a black mane. He was dressed up in a yellow costume with a white Stetson and some sort of white body armour. Obviously he wore the same sheriff's star she'd seen at the Sheriff's office.
Thirty Thirty had a grey coat and white mane and tail that was even wilder as Rainbow Dash's, which was saying something, as Applejack privately believed the powerful pegasus styled her hair with a hurricane. He was wearing some sort of red harness, and possibly a body suit that matched his coat. His limbs were plain polished steel, and there was no cutie-mark visible.
He strode over, and she moved around the front of the flat-bed toward him. She'd been interested in meeting him, according to the Doc he was the only other member of her new species anywhere.
"Ya crazy filly! What do 'think you were doin'?" he thundered.
The Yellow Apple Blossom of New Texas
Applejack was taken aback, but she'd never been one to back down from an argument. "I figured I was helping the Judge over there distract these critters while you folks got back here!"
She decided getting into an argument wasn't going to help, and decided to change tactics. Remembering something Rarity had said during a conversation last night about how easily she wrapped most stallions around the tip of her horn, she leaned forward slightly, eyes half lidded.
He was a bit taller than her, but not enough that she had to look up much from under her Stetson to look him in the eyes. Her hands unconsciously went to her hips. "What's the matter, don't think I'm distracting enough?"
"Mmpphh!" Thirty Thirty looked surprised, and a little abashed. "Yes… No… I mean… Looked more like you'd taken on the whole gang by yourself! I thought you were laid up at the Doc's."
"Ah got better." Pleased at what appeared to be a success at defusing the situation, she backed up, moving around to where her lasso lay. Okay, he'd just been worried about her, which was sweet of him, but had less tact than Rainbow Dash, which might get annoying.
Thirty Thirty was still trying to get a handle on what just happened himself. This filly may have stolen his thunder by taking down Tex Hex's gang before he got there, but she was still a lady, and he really should have been more polite. He hadn't been much more than a colt when… he shied mentally away from taking that thought further.
Until Bravestarr had found him, he'd patrolled the Hall of the Equestroids, when he wasn't in suspension. Not the best way to learn etiquette, especially when you never expected to see another of your kind again. And this filly was _plenty_ distracting, which made it no easier.
"I apologise miss." Not something he did often, but it was a start. "The name's Thirty Thirty, and I'm a deputy around here. We heard the Judge was just going to delay them. Didn't even know you'd be here." He held out a hand.
"I'm Applejack." She took it and shook it vigorously. His hand didn't look armoured, but she could feel the steel under the coat. "That was the plan, but things got a little out of hoof. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
She picked up her own lasso, and flicked it to make it coil into her hand, then put it back on her harness. The two humans had rounded up the remaining canid crooks and were putting them up on the flat-bed The two Equestroids came up to help. Applejack pulled out her canteen, and took the opportunity to wash away the taste of dingo. She wiped the mouth and passed it to Thirty Thirty.
He looked at it a bit oddly. "Apple juice. Made it myself."
He took it, and tried a sip. Then a bigger swallow. "Mmpphh! That's mighty good! But when did you have time?"
"It's kinda complicated." She accepted the canteen, and looked down at herself as she put it away. "Despite what it looks like, I ain't from around here."
There was a sudden hope in his eyes, that faded almost immediately. "But the only other place you could have come from is New Equestron, and that don't figure what with you being laid up in that vault since whenever."
"Sorry, I ain't never heard of New Equestron, and this isn't even what I usually look like, despite the fact my clothes still somehow fit. I come from a place called Equestria, and I'm not too sure how I ended up here, or looking like this."
"Are you sure that hat ain't on too tight?" Thirty Thirty asked. "I never heard of a planet called Equestria."
"Well I'd never heard of New Texas until I woke up here in a body that isn't my own. Tain't a planet anyway, just a country, our planet's called... well shoots, I don't rightly remember. It's not something I ever think about."
Further conversation was stalled by the need to get the prisoners bound up. When they were secured, the Marshall turned to her.
"Sorry miss, I should have introduced myself. I'm Marshall Bravestarr. J.B has been telling me just how much you helped out, saved her too. Not many folks would jump in and risk their lives to protect a bunch of people they only just met."
"It ain't no big heap of apples. I ain't the sort to stand by when folks are hurtin'. J.B came to my rescue just as much. I guess you know my name's Applejack." They shook hands.
"Is it true your lasso hurt Tex Hex? According to J.B. just touching it burned him."
"Can't rightly say." Applejack shrugged. ""Surprised me as much as any-pony. I was just looking to pick him up, fling him about a bit. It's just a regular old lasso."
"If it can make Tex Hex cry uncle, it ain't just a regular lasso!" Thirty Thirty exclaimed.
"It did more than that." J.B interjected. "He pulled that 'turn into smoke' stunt and flew off like a run-away strato-coach! Where did you get it and what's it made of?"
"My friends Twilight Sparkle and Rarity are unicorns, and they made it for me as a birthday present."
"Unicorn?" Thirty Thirty took a step back, and his eyes narrowed.
"Yep… What's got your apples in a press? In Equestria there are three breeds of pony, which is what I really am, present appearance to the contrary. You've got unicorns, who've got spiral horns on their head, and can use them to lift stuff and cast magic spells. There are pegasi, who've got wings. They fly and can move clouds around like they were solid.
"Finally you've got Earth-ponies like me. Not that planet Doc said you came from, but earth." She stomped a hoof. "Our magic ain't flashy, but it's just as useful. We're connected to the land, and it gives us strength, toughness and endurance, not to mention a talent for things like farming and working with stone, wood and metal. Doc seemed to know what I was talking about, even if he figured it was a filly tale. So what's your problem with unicorns, deputy?"
Thirty Thirty wouldn't look at her. He grimaced. "Not unicorns, Unicorn. I don't want to talk about it. Just be glad you'll never have to find out."
Applejack gave him a puzzled look but continued. "As for this lasso, mostly it's just sissal and hemp, but they both donated some hairs from their manes to weave into it. Twilight's a scary powerful mage, and Rarity's a fashion designer, and no slouch in the magic department neither.
"The way I understand it, to enchant the rope they couldn't inscribe runes, like you would for a light fitting or flying chariot, so they had use something else. Surprised me though, Rarity's mighty fussy about her mane and tail, but she's also the most generous soul I know, so maybe it ain't so surprising after all."
"Twilight enchanted the rope to be pretty much unbreakable, and Rarity fixed it so it coils neatly and doesn't get dirty. I guess using their own mane and tail hairs means the magic would go on easier or something, but magic ain't my dish of apples. I don't remember them saying anything about makin' bad folks go up in smoke."
"Speaking of my home and friends, I'd sure like to know why I'm here rather than there. I'm hoping this Shaman fellow the Doc told me about can figure out what the hey's going on!" She looked over at Bravestarr. "And I was told you could take me to see him."
"Well, he doesn't usually allow visitors, but I'm sure I can get him to make an exception. First we've go to get these characters back to Fort Kerium." Marshall Bravestarr hiked a thumb at the tied up dingoes on the flat-bed. "It's the least I can do after the way you helped out J.B. I reckon we can talk some more on the way."
"Mind if I change into something more comfortable for the journey?" Applejack took another swig of her canteen, and put it away, then, shifted back into quadrupedal mode. "Havin' those hands is useful, but I prefer to have all four feet on the ground. Ponies in Equestria can't transform like that. I've seen Twilight transform stuff with her magic though."
"I still say this Equestria place sounds like something you'd dream up after you were out in the sun too long." Thirty Thirty sounded incredulous. He shifted down to quadruped for Bravestarr to saddle up. Applejack started to bridle, then realised he wasn't being mean about it, just honest. He must have noticed her reaction because he quickly added, "Not that I'm disputin' ya, it's just kinda out there."
"C'mon, big pard, it's no stranger than some of the things Stampede's thrown at us." Bravestarr replied as he swung himself up onto Thirty Thirty. J.B climbed up on the buckboard of the hoverwagon and started up the fan-wheels, lifting the flatbed full of crooks and swinging it round with an expert touch. Fortunately the heavy duty turbo-mules that towed it hadn't been wrtecked in the fight.
In moments they were heading back the way the outlaws had come to get out of the canyon, cruising at a gallop along the ravine floor. Thirty Thirty had been silent for some time, but he finally spoke up. "Hmmmph! I guess your right about that, Marshall. Considering some of the crazy stuff that crazy critter has thrown at us, I reckon I shouldn't be surprised by anything."
Applejack glanced sideways at him. "Yeah, if today's anything like normal, you folks seem to have had a whole passel of adventures. Well, if my lasso isn't proof enough, I've got some of my home made apple pies in my saddlebags. Apples, flour, milk, eggs, we've even started growing our own sugar beets, so everything in 'em comes from Sweet Apple Acres. Try one."
She ducked her head back, and pulled out a cloth bundle by the knot, then moved around between the wagon and Thirty Thirty. She motioned with her head for the Marshall to reach in. He picked out two of the muslin wrapped bundles, and passed one forward to Thirty Thirty. The reins the Equestroid wore were a hackamore style, so there was no bit to get in the way, though it pretty much meant he took the apple pie in one mouthful.
He took his time over it. and whinnied his appreciation. "Mmmhhhh! That's some mighty fine eating."
For some reason Applejack felt very pleased. She couldn't get in too close to the hover-wagon due to the front fans, but near enough that she could motion with her head that she was going to toss the bundle to the judge. She threw it sideways and J.B managed to snag it out of the air with a free hand. She put it down on the buckboard and took a pie for herself.
Mouth free, Applejack could reply. "Why thank you kindly! You should try 'em right out of the oven. I don't claim to be the best baker in Equestria, but I'll back mah apple pies against any from the Everfree forest to Appleoosa!"
"You really made this without any hands?" Bravestarr asked.
"Yup… but I used a muzzle glove and mane-net, like any baker would, if that's what you're worried about." Applejack responded. Well Pinkie Pie didn't, but somehow she still made cakes without getting mane-hair in them.
Bravestarr bit into his. "Thirty Thirty's right, I travelled around a lot of planets with the Shaman as I was growing up, and I don't remember a pie this good on any of them."
Dingo Dan called from the back. "Hey, don't we get anything to eat?"
"You'll be getting jail rations soon enough when we get back!" called J.B over her shoulder. She shook her head as she turned back. "I haven't had an apple pie like this since I was doing my law degree back on Earth. You're right, this is as good or better than anything I've tasted. I'd swear those were Terran apples in the filling. But I know there isn't any Terran produce within three sectors of here."
"That's what Doc told me, and I could taste it in that apple juice he gave me when I woke up. That stuff were close, but not a patch on my own pressing. It's in my cutie-mark, when it comes to growing apples and making things from 'em, I'm the best there is… well one of 'em, some of my kith and kin can match me in their own ways, but they tend to specialise."
She shook her head. "The point being, Doc can confirm those pies were with me before I woke up, and they're made from apples that you don't have here anyway. So how did I come by them if I'd really been in that vault all the time? I hope to find out what's really going on, and to get home."
"Mmmm…" J.B wiped her mouth with the cloth had wrapped her pie. "We'll do what we can to help, though I'll be sorry to see you go. You must miss your family and friends."
"I sure as sugar do! Not that I didn't enjoy helping you folks out, but I've got responsibilities. My brother Big Macintosh may be one of the strongest Earth ponies in Ponyville, but even he can't handle the farm by himself. And if they ever need the Elements of Harmony again… I have to get back. "
"Elements of Harmony? What're they?" Thirty Thirty asked.
"I am, at least one of them. The Element of Honesty, to be precise. Twilight could explain it all better, but they're some kind of magical super-rainbow type whammy." Her voice took on a reciting tone. " When brought together by the spark of friendship, they form the most powerful magic in Equestria, even more powerful than the Princesses."
She ducked her head slightly, indicating her necklace. "Each of my friends embodies one of the Elements. Honesty, that's me, Loyalty is a pegasus named Rainbow Dash, Kindness is Fluttershy, another pegasus, Laughter is Pinkie Pie, an Earth pony, and Generosity is Rarity. Of course, Twilight Sparkle is the Element of Magic, and brings the rest of us together."
She sighed. "Goldarn it, I miss 'em all, and it hasn't even been a day!"
J.B responded. "Don't worry, if anyone can fix this, it's the Shaman. Sounds like you're much more than an apple farmer. But I'm still wondering how you got to be so good with a lasso?"
"Practice." Applejack said, grinning. "I know, you're thinking apples don't need rounding up. I buck the tree with my hind legs and knock the apples down, but it's a lot easier to reach a left over apple on the top of the tree with a lasso than go fetch a ladder. Plus we got animals on the farm, so I need to be able to herd 'em."
Thirty Thirty looked confused. "Whoa there, you said ponies couldn't go biped. How'd you handle a lasso without any hands?"
"Very well, if ah do say so myself."
"Huh, I'd like to see that for myself." the grey Equestroid stated. "I don't figure anyone could control a lasso without hands."
"She used her mouth to hold the lasso when she was rescuing me." J.B said.
"Better than shootin' it off, like some folks." Applejack exclaimed. She suddenly felt a need to prove herself to this stallion. "I reckon some-pony here thinks I'm all hat and no cattle. J.B, would you kindly get another apple pie out of my bundle, and when I give you the nod, toss it out about five pony-lengths in front of me."
"Pony-lengths?" J.B asked. "What's that in metres?"
"Dunno, but I figure you're about a third taller than a pony-length." Applejack replied, moving up just ahead of the flying wagon and the galloping Equestroid stallion. They were out of the canyon now, and had circled around to head across the flat plains towards Fort Kerium.
J.B looked surprised. "My, little ponies!"
"The way I figure, we're regular size, it's you folks who are too big." Applejack grinned. "You just get ready with that pie."
She ducked her head as she gave a little jump, drawing her lasso. The ground ahead looked like hard packed earth, flat as a pavement, and perfect for a little demonstration. She flung it out, getting it spinning and ran along, pulling a few stunts of the sort she'd done when Trixie had challenged her, but with a few new wrinkles she'd practiced.
She widened the loop until it was wider than her, and dropped it down and up, then shortened it, bringing it forward and vertical before jumping through it like a hoop. She didn't try the reverse, or taking it with her tail, just brought it back up in a high horizontal loop overhead, all at a gallop. She gave a nod, and J.B threw out the pie.
Her lasso flicked out ahead of her, the loop shortening and neatly snagging the falling pastry. Even as she caught it, she tossed her head, sending a sine wave shape along the rope, which flicked the pie back up into the air. Snapping the lasso back, it coiled in her mouth, and she dropped it onto her harness. The ballistic pie dropped down in front of her, and she gave a small jump to snatch the confection out of the air with her mouth.
She savoured the sweet flaky pastry, the juicy apple filling as she chewed it, pleased that the manoeuvre had worked. Finally swallowing it, she looked back over her shoulder and called out, "So how do you like them apples?"
"I done seen it, and I still don't believe it!" Thirty Thirty responded, wide eyed and open mouthed. This filly really was something else. She didn't back down from a challenge either, and he realised he liked that. "You really are pretty handy with that there rope, even if you ain't using your hands!"
Applejack gave a little grin and a pleased toss of her mane. The big galoot was kind of hunky for a hunk of hardware, and it wasn't as if she often got a chance to show off her talents or many appreciative comments back home, at least from the stallions in Ponyville.
They were coming up on Fort Kerium, and the central part of town was a single metal walled fortress, bristling with big guns, and bravely flying a flag. Bravestarr was speaking into something that had folded down from his hat, and the town started to unfold, slots opening in the walls, and whole houses sliding out on rails. By the time they reached the gates, it was as she'd left it.
"Home sweet home!" Judge McBride said as they rode under the gate. "And thanks to you, it's going to stay that way. Looks like the Kerium freighter loaded up and left."
"Which means there isn't enough Kerium left in town to make it worth Tex bothering us again, if he's even finished explaining to Stampede why he failed." Bravestarr was shading his eyes and looking up at the suns. "I figure we can drop these crooks off, and still make it to Star Peak and back before nightfall."
Thirty Thirty shook his head. "Maybe we should wait for morning? If we don't get back before nightfall... Some of the things that come out at night ain't fun at all. Sand eels are the least of it!"
"Don't worry. We've got plenty of time, big pard. If worse comes to worse, we can stay over at Star Peak. Shaman can put us up for the night."
"I ain't worried, just careful." The male Equestroid looked over at Applejack. If Shaman could send her back to where she came from... well, he'd like to talk to one of his own kind a bit more, even if she claimed she wasn't. She was certainly the closest thing he'd met since he was a foal.
"That's sweet of you Sugar-cube. But I can take care of myself." Applejack felt that the big horse wasn't telling the whole truth, but she didn't press him on it. For that matter a part of her had enjoyed her little adventure, and wouldn't minded staying longer, but she had the farm and her family to take care of. "I can be ready to head out again in two shakes of a pony tail."
"If you all can get those varmints in the lock-up, I gotta stop by the Doc's place." she added. "I weren't too polite when I woke up, and I figure he deserves my last apple pie and an apology."
&&&
Applejack had been impressed by Star Peak, a massive vertical pillar of rock with a top that bore a resemblance to a buffalo totem pole. She was even more impressed by the Shaman, an old leather skinned human with a long white mane. He projected the same mystic vibe she got from Zecora, combined with the sort of serenity and power she felt in the presence of Princess Celestia.
They were in a chamber at the top of the pillar, which looked out over the New Texas plains. She lay on her belly in front of the mystic fire, bronze legs folded up under her. Shaman sat on the far side, and J.B, Bravestarr, and a bipedal Thirty Thirty stood further back behind her.
"Hmmm..." the old man made some passes over the fire, and sweet smelling smoke swirled out and around her. "Truly, while your body is of this world, your spirit is not. Powerful magic, powerful magic indeed. I have never seen its like, not in all my travels around the galaxy."
"You mean someone in Equestria sent me here?" asked Applejack.
"I can not say, but it could well be so."
"But apart from the Princesses, the only one I know of with that much power is Twilight, and while that gal's crazy for new knowledge and trying out spells, I can't believe she'd pull a stunt like this without asking." Applejack shook her head. "And the sixty four thousand bit question, can you send me back?"
Shaman added some powders to the fire and it flared up in odd colours."I see a bond that stretches out beyond this dimension. You are still linked to your original body. But as to sending you along that link, I can not."
Applejack slumped down, head practically resting on the stone floor. Her voice was almost cracking. "So I'm... stuck here?"
"By no means." was the surprising reply. "If I read the patterns of energy aright, you will travel back to your own body without help when this body falls asleep."
"WHAT?" Applejack sprung up. "So I'll go back... but what happens to this body? Will it go 'poof' or something, like one of Twilight's summonings?"
"It seems to be stable, while it may have been magically created, it is as real as anything here. It may well be that your spirit will travel back and forth between bodies, alternating as each one wakes."
"Whoa there nelly!" Applejack looked worried. "I tried the no rest thing last apple bucking season, and went just about out of my mind from fatigue! How long is this going to go on?"
The Shaman shook his head. "Each body will receive the rest it needs. Your spirit needs no sleep, so it should not suffer. It is the body and mind that rests, not the soul."
The techno-mare looked back over her shoulder at the trio who'd accompanied her there. "Well, it looks like you're stuck with me, part time at least. I guess I'm going to have to find something to do. Maybe I can germinate some seedlings from these apples I have in my saddlebags..."
Bravestarr stepped forward. "That sounds like a fine idea, though you might have trouble growing them here. But in the mean time... I talked it over with J.B, and we both agree you deserved it whether you stayed or not."
He pulled out a shining six pointed star of the same pattern as the one over his office. "For your work today, I'd like to make you a deputy for New Texas,same as Thirty Thirty and Fuzz. The pay isn't great, but it'll keep you going while you fix up your apple trees."
"I couldn't... I mean, I didn't help out for a reward, I did it because like helping folk." Applejack blushed.
"Which is why you're perfect for the job." J.B replied.
Thirty Thirty had perked up at the mention that she'd be staying, though to his credit, he'd done his best to keep it under wraps until it was clear she'd be able to go home too. "C'mon Applejack! If you need any pointers, I reckon I can show you the ropes!"
That made the mare grin. "Ropes I can handle, it's figuring out this crazy place I'm worried about! But I guess you can help me with that too, and I'm mighty glad of the offer. Sure, I accept!"
The Yellow Apple Blossom of New Texas
Bravestarr stepped up, and pinned the new badge to her jacket. Applejack breathed on it, then polished it with her chin. She looked over at Thirty Thirty. "Where's yours, if you don't mind me askin'?"
He grinned and reached up to his chest harness, flipping a piece of red leather to reveal a patch with a star on. "Mmpphh! I don't like to keep it out all the time, what with all the travelling we do."
"Maybe I should put it in my saddlebag for now..." She turned back to the Shaman. "Thanks for setting my mind at ease, though I never felt less like sleeping in all my born days. I'd sure like to know how it happened."
"I may be able to trace the spell to it's source, if you wish." the wise man said.
"As long as it takes less than an hour." Bravestarr interjected, looking out at the sinking suns. "We have get on back to Fort Kerium soon."
"That will be more than enough time, my son." Shaman sat back, cross-legged, and motioned Applejack back to her place.
He threw other powders into the fire, and a solid silvery cloud of smoke formed over the fire, staying there and rippling slightly. Shaman gripped his staff, and pointed it at the smoke, which started to clear to show a scene, like a window, or video-screen.
The viewpoint was flying over lush and well tended countryside, towards a mountain range. Built into the side of one of the peaks, overlooking a wide pass was a city of white stone, surmounted by a fairy-tale castle with waterfalls flowing off into space, surrounding the city in rainbows.
Beyond it was more farmlands and orchards, and beyond that, on the horizon was another, lower mountain range. The land was all lit up with the first light of dawn, though the sun was not yet up. The skyline of the far mountains was golden, while the bases of the clouds above them shone as if they were on fire.
"Equestria!" the longing in Applejack's voice was clear to all who heard it. "That's Canterlot, the capital."
The viewpoint moved closer to the city, overflying it closely, and on one of the highest spires of the castle, you could just see balcony where a white alicorn stood watching the eastern horizon. A smaller, midnight blue alicorn was facing the west, her horn glowing as brightly. They rose of the platform, wings outstretched, horns glowing more brightly than the sun-light.
"Great baskets of apples! It's the Princesses! They're raising the sun and lowering the moon! I ain't never seen it actually happen. Sure is impressive."
Princess Celestia seemed to glance up as the viewpoint passed her, but went back to her task without interruption.
They were past Canterlot now, flying over fields and dales, following the path of a winding river across a wide plain. It reached a bridge, and beyond it nestled in the foothills of the mountain range that rose up behind it was a much smaller town. It was far less grand than the spires and domes of Canterlot, thatched roofed houses and shops lined paved roads with flowerbeds planted along their centres. Outside the town to their left, there were broad orchards of apple trees, and carefully tended fields to the right.
"And that's my home sweet home, Ponyville." Applejack stated. "Sweet Apple Acres is over on the north side, and I guess that's where I'm sleeping, the original me."
As if prompted, the view swung to her left and over the orchards to a broadly spread set of farm buildings. It flew in an upstairs window of the farm house, and came to rest over a bed with a little orange Earth pony snuggled up in wrapped over blankets, fore-legs and tied up blonde mane on top of the sheets. Despite the difference in shapes, no-one could mistake the resemblance.
"Now if that don't beat all!" Applejack exclaimed. "I've heard of folks being beside themselves, but this is ridiculous!"
"That's you?" asked Thirty Thirty with a surprised snort.
J.B shook her head grinning. "You're so... cute!"
"I'll take that as a complement. I'm guessing you had to find me before you could find whoever did the hocus pocus, Mr Shaman?"
"Just Shaman, my young friend. You guess correctly."
The viewpoint drew back, and turned to face the town. They were travelling more slowly, at roof height, and the group got their first good look at Ponyville, and the early morning activities of it's inhabitants. A grey pegasus with wall eyes and a saddlebag with a letter emblem on was flying about, delivering mail.
Another pegasus was pushing a cloud along over the main street by riding on it and flapping his wings. At intervals he jumped up and down on the cloud and a shower of rain came out. Trailing him were two Earth ponies and a unicorn, one Earth pony towing a cart full of brushes and cleaning supplies, while the other pony swept the street with a wide brush, and the unicorn levitated a rag that polished the windows along the route.
Further on, an Earth pony was hauling out a display of fruit and vegetables from a shop door, while across the street, a unicorn was using her horn's magic to draw out an awning over a shop front. The viewpoint flew towards a literal tree house, with a sign showing a book hanging outside, and Applejack nodded. "Looks like Twilight..."
The viewpoint flew over it, and Applejack looked surprised. "... had nothing to do with it."
The viewpoint moved on to a house that looked more like it had been made out of cakes, by a confectioner of dubious sanity. Applejack looked confused. "Sugar-cube Corner?"
The viewpoint flew in through an upstairs window, and into a bedroom littered with party supplies and festive debris. It came to a stop over a bed, covers thrown back, where a pink Earth pony filly slept, hugging an alligator.
"Pinkie Pie?" Applejack had gone beyond confused, and was now exploring the wide new fields of astonishment.
"Yes Applejack?" A duplicate of the pink pony in the bed bounced from behind Thirty Thirty and Bravestarr, between them, and up to Applejack. Her shoulder just came to Bravestarr's belt buckle. She took a close look at her transformed friend, and exclaimed. "Wow! Your legs have gotten all big and shiny!" She started gazing at her reflection in Applejack's flank, bobbing in and out. "Whoo whoo whoo!"
Applejack got up, towering over her pink friend. She pushed her away from her flank gently, with a fore-hoof on the fore-head. "Pinkie, how did you get here? Besides aren't you there?"
"Well, it looks like I'm asleep over there, so I must be dreaming! Wow! All of you got big, though only your legs are shiny!"
Applejack sighed, and looked over at the Shaman. "No offence, but are you sure you didn't take a wrong turn at Altaiquerque?"
The Shaman shook his head. "No, your friend is most definitely the source of the magic that brought you here. Though I do not know how she came here as well."
"Well! Applejack called me, and when a friend calls you it's rude not to answer so I answered and here I am! So who are your friends, and why are they up on their hind legs... Oh! They're humans! Except for the one who's more like a horse. Cool! I've been transported to a mythical land of humans and horses!" She paused looking puzzled. "Where everyone dresses like an Appleloosan."
Applejack cut of the stream of consciousness. "Folks, this is my friend Pinkie Pie. Maker of cakes and parties, Element of Laughter and frequent breaker of the laws of physics and magic, at least according to Twilight. Suddenly this all starts to make a lot more sense."
Pinkie Pie suddenly gasped, and looked down at herself. "Oh! If you're going to introduce me, I really should get changed into something for the occasion. Just a minute!"
She dashed off, and pulled a folding screen from behind her that unfolded to improbable size, then she scooted behind it.
"Wait...where did she..."
Applejack shook her head. "I don't know and I've stopped askin'. Pinkie does this sorta stuff all the time, appearing places she can't be, always having something you need on hand..."
The sound of sawing started up behind the screen, then hammering and drilling noises were added. A flickering light appeared as the crackle of a welding arc was heard. A party blower added it's contribution, and a set of streamers flew up over the top of the screen as a party popper went off.
"Though she ain't this obvious most of the time. Twilight figures it's to do with her Element. I'm Honesty, which it means I can usually tell if folks are telling an untruth. But Pinkie Pie is Laughter, and Twilight reckons that means she can do whatever she needs to, as long as it's funny. Which would be scary as all get out if'n it weren't that she's got no more meanness in her than a basket of sleeping puppies.
"Once this griffon, a friend of Rainbow Dash's from Young Flier's Camp, was being really mean to folks, stealing off carts, and generally being a big grouch. She even shouted at Fluttershy, who's about as inoffensive as they come. Pinkie's idea of taking extreme measures to stop her was to throw her a party and cheer her up so she'd stop being mean." The orange Equestroid shrugged.
There was a crackling of lightning, and a flash showed a Pinkie silhouette, standing on her hind hooves with fore hooves up to the sky. "It's alive! Mwahahahehe!" Her mad scientist laugh was ruined by it turning into a giggle. Another lightning flash showed a larger figure sitting up in the classic, arms outstretched, monster position. There was another giggle. "Heh! Lightning tickles!"
Pinkie emerged from behind the screen transformed. She gave it a kick with a hind-leg, and it collapsed, folding back in on itself. She'd now grown to almost Applejack's size, and her proportions had altered to match Applejack's. Her legs were cybernetic, and painted hot pink to match her coat, with three balloon cutie-mark lovingly enamelled on her flanks.
But where Applejack and Thirty Thirty's legs were unadorned, hers were decorated. Her hooves were chromed, and every joint had chrome trim dripping off it. Her upper fore-legs had a rounded off square grill and hooded circular head-light on the front, and her hocks extended out into a short tail-fin with a domed red tail-light. If Applejack was part knight, Pinkie Pie was part 1950's Cadillac.
"Much better!" Pinkie Pie looked herself over, pleased as she trotted over. When she came to a stop, the little tail-lights came on. "Maybe I should have gone with white-wall hooves..."
"Just don't ask..." Applejack forestalled the other's questions. "It's Pinkie Pie."
"Well it certainly isn't Queen Snooty!" The pink pony replied with a giggle.
To be honest even Shaman was a bit too stunned by Pinkie Pie's transformation to ask many questions. The pink pony on the other hand was in full Pinkie Pie mode. Somehow she managed to bounce, even on cyber-legs.
"So now that I look the part, aren't you going to introduce me to your new friends? Because then they can be my friends too!"
Applejack brought her around. "Pinkie, this is Marshall Bravestarr, the law around these parts..."
"Oh, that's like a sheriff with knobs on! Awesome!"
Bravestarr had decided to just accept the weirdness. He touched his hat brim. "Howdy Miss Pie. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Call me Pinkie. Miss pie is what I do when I've eaten it all."
Applejack continued. "And this here is J.B. I mean Judge McBride."
"It's okay Applejack, any friend of yours can call me J.B too."
Pinkie looked around eagerly. "Oh oh, where's J.B one then? Doesn't matter, I'm glad to meet you J.B."
Applejack shook her head. "Pinkie, you're being even more random than usual."
"I'm dreaming, I don't have to make sense." The pink pony opined.
Applejack chuckled. "Not like it's too much of a stretch from your usual state. Anyhow, this here's Deputy Thirty Thirty."
The big Equestroid was still recovering from having met up with one of his kind, and the revelation that there was an entire world of sentient equines other than New Equestron (if it did still exist) but he didn't show it. "Charmed, missy."
"Me too. I love making new friends... should I call you Deputy Thirty? or just Thirty? I'd call you Thirty, but it might be rude to use your first name without permission."
"Just Thirty Thirty miss, both barrels." The others were smiling, you couldn't really help it with Pinkie Pie acting the way she was. She held out a fore-hoof, and he shifted down to quadrupedal to meet her on her own level.
It still meant she had to look up, wide eyed. "Myohmy, you're not just a pony, you're a transformer! You're bigger than Big Mac, and he's about the biggest pony I know."
"Y'know, we can do that upright thing too." Applejack shifted up into bi-pedal mode, and Thirty Thirty followed.
"Ooh!" Pinkie Pie seemed to catch on immediately, and shifted up as well, standing on her hind legs. "Wowie! It's so high up!"
She looked over her shoulder at the still present image. "I can see my house from here!"
She turned back and shook Thirty Thirty's hand. "Hey, I have fingers, like Spike! Wow, this is neat! I'm sure I could make a lot of cakes this way!"
J.B looked back and forth between them. "You make cakes and Applejack makes pies. Does every-one in Equestria bake?"
Pinkie shook her mane. "Of course not! Most of us use sun-block!"
Applejack got things back on track. "The fellow behind you is Shaman, he's sorta like the Twilight Sparkle of this world, he can do some really powerful magic."
Pinkie turned to face the old man, who gave her a smile and a dignified nod. "It is a pleasure to meet someone so full of life and laughter."
"It's who I am." Pinkie bounced on the spot, beaming. "I just want everyone to have fun and feel happy. Maybe I should organise a party..."
"Whoa there!" Applejack interrupted before Pinkie started pulling party supplies from nowhere. "We can party later sugar-cube! First I need some answers. Shaman figured out the spell that sent me here, and traced it back to you."
Pinkie stopped bouncing for a moment, then her face brightened even more than usual. "Oooooooh! Maybe my birthday wish worked! Did you have an adventure, and get to help ponies?"
The apple farmer looked at her with furrowed brow. "I guess so, good people who needed help, anyhow. What in the name of apple pies has that got to do with your birthday wish? Your birthday was months ago."
"Oh, I didn't use it then. I didn't need to as I had my good friends, and parties, and everything I wanted! No, I used it on your birthday. You were saying how things had been slow the last few weeks, what with the last of the harvest in, and no-pony needing help with anything. You missed having an adventure, like saving the Crystal Empire, and I felt bad about how my clones wrecked your barn raising. So I wished that you'd have a chance to do just that, go see new places, and help out some-ponies who needed it."
"Uh... Pinkie, I don't reckon birthday wishes work like that."
Pinkie waved a hand around. "It looks like this one did."
J.B had a look of concentration. "Hmm... Applejack, you did say that Pinkie was the Element of Laughter, and that these Elements were pretty powerful. She was doing it to make you happy, maybe her Element helped."
"Y'know, I reckon it could be..." She yawned, and put a hand to her mouth. "Pardon me, I guess things are finally catching up with this body."
The Marshall looked out over the plains of New Texas. "Then I reckon we ought to be heading on back, if we want to get to Fort Kerium before night fall."
Applejack rubbed the back of her head with a hand. "I ain't exactly got somewhere to sleep."
"Y'can use my room." Thirty Thirty offered. "I'll sleep at the Marshall's office. If that's okay with you Marshall?"
"I was figuring she could get one of the rooms at the saloon, but it can get a mite rowdy downstairs." The Marshall nodded. "Of course, we're gonna have to make some more permanent arrangements, but we can do that tomorrow."
"I don't want to impose on no-one..." Applejack started, but Thirty Thirty waved her quiet.
"Mmpphh! Ain't no imposition. I can rustle up something to eat before I head off. It may not be as fancy as your apple pies, but it's hot and there'll be plenty of it."
Pinkie drooped slightly. "You're going? But I wanted to hear all about your adventure. And why would you need a place to stay anyway? Aren't you coming back home?"
"Tain't that simple sugar-cube. This place is as real as Equestria, and so's this body you wished up for me. My original body is still asleep in my room at Sweet Apple Acres, I done see it through that fancy viewing spell.
"The way Shaman figures it, I'm gonna be shuttling back and forth. When I'm asleep here, I'll be back home in Ponyville. When Luna brings up the moon, I'll be asleep there and awake here. So I got to figure on being in both places. Fortunately, I already got a job."
Pinkie perked up. "Oh? What?"
Applejack pulled her star out of her saddlebag. "I'm gonna be helping out some more. These folks reckon I can do some good here, and I'm sure glad to oblige them."
"Wow! Two Pie Applejack, scourge of scoundrels across all of Space Appleoosa and the Western territories! Bushwhackers, hornswagglers, train robbers and pony-nappers beware!"
"This place is called New Texas, but as my big bro would say, Eyup!" She yawned again. "But first I gotta get me some shut eye. I'll tell you and the others all about it when I'm up and done with my morning chores."
"Okie dokie lokie! Come by to Sugarcube Corner and I'll make cupcakes."
Pinkie Pie shifted down to equine mode, and bounded towards the smoke rimmed image. There was a fwoop sound as the mists reached out and engulfed her, and then she was gone, though the Pinkie in the image suddenly bounced and fell out of bed. She pulled herself out of her blankets, yawned and scratched the back of her mane vigorously with a fore-hoof as the viewing portal shrunk and the mists floated away.
"Hmm." The Shaman spoke first. "You have some remarkable friends, Applejack."
"Plumb crazy, if y'ask me." Thirty Thirty said, then backtracked, looking at Applejack. "In a nice way of course!"
Applejack just grinned. "It's okay, you ain't the first one to suspect Pinkie is a few cup-cakes short of a full tray. A good friend accepts their friend's quirks, but that don't mean you havta ignore them. It's just part of who they are."
"Well I'll tell you what I am." J.B said. "Ready to head off home."
"Then let's saddle up!" Bravestarr called out.
"Or whatever." he added, looking at the two remaining cybernetic equines.
Applejack down-shifted to equine and turned to face Shaman. "Thank you kindly, Mr Shaman sir. You surely helped set my mind at ease."
"I was only too glad to help, my young filly." The wise man bestowed a wise smile on her. When they'd gone down to the lower levels, he moved over to the wide gap in the stone wall that was the interior of the hawk's mouth on the outside of the totem-pole styled spire.
As he watched them head away from Star Peak, into the setting three suns, he mused. Was it just a wish by a friend, or did Applejack have some greater purpose to fulfil in this land? It would be interesting to watch as things developed, not just her unfolding story, but her interactions with Thirty Thirty.
He knew of the fate of the stallion's home-world, and sorrowed that he couldn't help the good equine reconnect with his own kind, or even find out if there were any of his kind left. At least now he had Applejack to be-friend him, and maybe more, if Thirty Thirty's reaction was anything other than hospitality.
Both were independent, and strong, but both could be even stronger with someone else in their life. The constant threat of a life as long as is was boredom, and this was the most interesting thing to happen in some time. Yes, he would definitely keep an eye on those two.
Author's Note
I have some ideas as to what Applejack's greater purpose will be, and a pretty firm idea of Thirty Thirty's expanded back story. Let's just say, it's inspired by a couple of other classic 80's cartoons.
Other ponies on New Texas? Maybe. I admit I'd like to see what Rainbow Dash could do with a pair of heavy duty thrusters in her rear hooves and a field effect pressure suit (a space suit that keeps a bubble of air around you using a force field. It contains gases but allows solid objects to pass). I generally rig it so the field polarises to reduce incident solar radiation to safe levels, and have a life support module on a belt or harness that recycles and temperature conditions the air.
The Bravestarr universe must have that tech, since in at least one episode, Bravestarr climbs out onto the exterior of a space ship in an asteroid belt to pry an asteroid out of the ship's hull. I'd love to see RD doing a Han Solo impression. Especially as the asteroid belt around New Texas is a movie asteroid belt.
Twilight Sparkle: "The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3720 to 1!"
Rainbow Dash, pulling down her goggles: "Never tell me the odds!"
Edit: I've also added some internal timeline stuff to put events between Too many Pinkie Pies and One Bad Apple.
The Yellow Apple Blossom of New Texas
Applejack gave a yawn as she rolled over in bed. Then her eyes snapped open and she blinked a few times, trying to focus on the brightly lit surroundings. She brought her foreleg up instinctively to wipe across her eyes, and found it to be familiar flesh and bone, under an appropriate cover of skin and fur. The brighness resolved itself into the familiar surroundings of her bedroom back at Sweet Apple Acres, lit by the morning sun. It was not the room she'd gone to sleep in.
She pushed herself up and yawned again. "Hoo-ee! That was the darnedest dream I ever had!" It was remarkable. Compared to regular dreams, which faded when you woke up, this one remained as clear as a real memory.
She realised she hoped that was exactly what it was. While things had been scary at first, those mechanical legs had been mighty useful once she'd gotten used to them. Now that she knew that she would only be visiting rather than trapped away from her family forever, she was looking forward to going back there if she could.
It certainly felt good to have helped people, and good people they were, no matter how funny they looked. She didn't want them to be just figments of her imagination, though she wouldn't have thought her imagination could have come up with something like that anyhow. She slid out of bed, feeling as if she'd shrunk, and looked around for some sign that something had happened.
At first glance everything seemed exactly as she'd left it when she'd staggered to bed after the party. Her hat was on its peg, so was her lasso, and a quick check confirmed her gala dress was still hung up in the closet. Then she realised her saddle-bags were sitting on her dresser, not on their regular hanger. A quick look inside gave her the proof she sought; an empty canteen, and more importantly, the Kerium nuggets and a shiny, star shaped badge.
"Sweet sugared apples! It all really happened!" She found herself pleased to say it. J.B. had been a good friend, and it looked like Marshall Bravestarr and the others she'd met could become ones as well, especially Thirty Thirty... She blushed, now where had that thought come from? It wasn't as if they'd gotten off to the most spectacular start.
He wasn't exactly the most diplomatic of ponies, but then she wasn't exactly winner of the All Equestria Tactfulness Competition herself (last year's winner was Fluttershy). In fact, she was the last pony to cast nasturtiums about somepony being plain spoken (well second to last, after Rainbow Dash). He was clearly passionate about protecting people, which gave them another thing in common.
He'd also been impressed with her skills without being intimidated. A lot of the stallions around Ponyville _were_ intimidated, if not by her reputation, then by her big brother. It was kind of pleasant to have some-pony look at her and not see all the baggage that came with being an Apple of Sweet Apple Acres.
She shook her head, enough wool-gathering. She had a whole passel of chores to get done once she'd completed her morning ablutions, and the sooner she got them over and done with, the sooner she could drift on over to Sugarcube Corner. She wanted to talk it over with Pinkie before telling any-pony else, even her family, as Pinkie had been there. In fact telling any-pony else might have to wait until she got a proper handle on it herself.
With that decided, she set off for the bathroom.
&&&
Scents of extreme deliciousness wafted from the doors of Ponyville's premier provider of perfect pies, pastries and pakes... cakes. Applejack didn't often go there to shop, as she did a lot of her own baking, but although she'd never admit it to any-pony else, even she occasionally liked something other than apple themed desserts.
However, today she was mainly there for Pinkie Pie. The pink pony of laughter usually worked the morning shift, and right now they were in the lull between ponies picking up a breakfast pastry and the lunch rush, so they'd have time to talk. That was assuming Pinkie Pie remembered last night's dream excursion.
"Hi Applejack! Did you enjoy your trip?"
Well that answered that question. "Yep, I've gotta admit, that was one crazy birthday wish, but I'm sure glad I went. I don't know if J.B would have made out as well as she did if I hadn't been there to back her play."
"Who's J.B? I hadn't realised you were going anywhere after the party."
Twilight's voice came from behind Applejack. The scholarly unicorn was just on the threshold of Sugarcube Corner, and had clearly heard their exchange. This made things a bit more complicated. Applejack hesitated for a moment and then sighed. It wasn't like she hadn't intended to tell her friend eventually, and if anypony would be interested in what had happened it would be Twilight Sparkle.
"Did Pinkie get you some sort of trip as a birthday present? You did say things were quiet around the farm at your birthday... But where did you get the time? Where could you go in a single night? What..."
Applejack just put a hoof up to Twilight's lips. "If you'll slow down to my speed for a moment sugarcube, I'll explain. I still haven't told Pinkie everything that happened."
She then proceeded to retell the tale of her adventure on New Texas, right up to the point of waking up back in her own bed.
"Oooh! Sounds like you had a real adventure!" As often happened around Pinkie Pie, who would throw together a party on the back of a rampaging dragon given half the chance, cakes and drinks had appeared. As was also common around Pinkie Pie, they disappeared just as quickly. However, she still found space between mouthfuls to comment. "Space Appleoosans and magic wielding bandits! I liked the bit where you made him turn into smoke and run away, just like Nightmare Moon or that mean old King Sombra."
"It all sounds really far-fetched. A whole different world that you visited in your sleep? Caused by Pinkie wishing you there?" Twilight looked more sceptical. As Applejack started to bristle, the purple unicorn waved a hoof. "I'm not saying you're not telling the truth, I know you better than that, but I have to wonder if it really was just a dream."
"Pinkie was there for part of it." Applejack pulled the badge and the chunks of Kerium from her saddlebags. "And it ain't like I didn't bring back a couple of souvenirs."
"I was, and it was fun!" Pinkie added. "I liked Applejack's new friends. I've never met a human before, but they were really nice, and so was the robot pony guy."
Twilight had lifted the badge first, and examined it closely as it floated in front of her. "Even that in itself isn't conclusive. Princess Luna dream-walks as part of her duties, guarding the ponies of Equestria against nightmares. So a shared dream is possible, and considering her imagination, Pinkie might be supplying some of the ideas you weren't.
"But I wouldn't have picked either of you to read science fiction, especially the sort that describes some of the things you mentioned. This badge is interesting though, there are some lines in the back that have electricity running through them, quite powerful, and I don't see where you could fit a big enough battery."
Applejack gave her a puzzled look. "How do you know that?"
"It's a spell I found in '1001 Household Charms and Cantrips', to find buried electrical wires. Spike and I were putting up some extra shelves in the basement, and he didn't want to get zapped. What is it supposed to do?"
"Uh, Thirty Thirty told me it was something called a 'locator beacon', a way for folks to find me if I was out somewhere and got lost." She and the big grey cyborg had talked quite a bit over dinner, which as he'd promised wasn't fancy, but was hot and plentiful. He wasn't a bad cook, but she intended tonight to take some ingredients with her to show him she was a better one.
"Fascinating, it must be like an arcane mark for a locator spell, but how could electricity do that? To send a signal you'd need a wire..." The purple unicorn started to get a glazed, distant look until Applejack stopped her.
"I didn't ask, but maybe I can find out for you. They probably have a book or something..." Applejack realised her mistake even as she'd said it, but it was too late.
"A book, of course they'd have books, I bet that illusion generator was some kind of book, oooh, this is so exciting!" For once the pony bouncing up and down inside Sugarcube Corner wasn't pink and poofy-haired. "Please can you get me one when you get there? A book on how this works, oh, and some sort of encyclopedia, and a book on their history..."
"Twi... Twi!... TWILIGHT!"
"Yes Applejack?" Once again, Applejack had to check twice to realise it wasn't the pink pony saying it.
The farm mare sighed. "Tell you what Twi, make a list. But it looks like I can only carry what goes in my saddle-bags. I don't know how many I can fit in there, or how I'm gonna get them, but I'll do my best."
"Thanks Applejack!" Twilight seemed to have calmed down at least a bit. "You're the greatest!"
She noticed Pinkie Pie's mane droop just a little at this and added, "And you're the greatest too for using your birthday wish so unselfishly, Pinkie."
That perked the pink pony right up. "I'm just happy to see my friends smile! I made Applejack happy, and now I've made you happy too. A double whammy! The only thing better is double cream, or double layer chocolate cake with double cream, or a double helping of double layer chocolate cake with a double helping of double cream..."
While Pinkie kept doubling up, Twilight placed the star down gently and picked up a nugget of Kerium. "I've never seen this kind of crystal before. It seems to glow with an inner light, but I can't feel any magic coming from it. Do you think I could have one of them to experiment on?"
"I guess so, but you best be careful." Applejack placed the other items back in her saddle bags. "According to Thirty Thirty, there's big medicine packed in that little rock. Y'know, I'd have reckoned you'd take a lot more convincing than you did."
"Dreams generally don't leave real items behind, and besides, I may not understand how this whole thing worked yet, but I don't have to understand it to believe it's true, especially when all the evidence points to it. I learned that lesson after that business with the Hydra."
She smiled at her friend, and glanced over at Pinkie, who was still babbling about doubling. "Besides I think that this J.B. person was on to something. That business also taught me that Pinkie could do things other earth ponies couldn't. If anypony could make this happen, apart from the princesses, it would be Pinkie."
"... in a double bed filled with doubloons!" gasped out Pinkie, then took a deep breath, which ruffled the other two ponies' manes and tails. "Okay, I'm done."
"Well I reckon I'd best be getting back to Sweet Apple Acres. Got to get the cart together to bring into town for market tomorrow." Applejack got up from the table and wiped some crumbs from her muzzle.
"And I'd better get back to Golden Oaks library and start to study this chunk of... Kerium, wasn't it? Ohh! This will make for a fascinating report for the Journal of Magic, Science and Technology."
"Uh sugarcube, I'd rather you didn't go spreading all this around. I guess you can tell Princess Celestia, I think she knew we were there when the Shaman was doing his viewing spell, but I'd rather not have folks coming around looking at me funny. You too Pinkie."
"But I don't come around and look at you funny anyway! I may sometimes come round with a funny look, especially when I'm trying out new party ideas, or even looking to have fun..."
Applejack put a hoof to Pinkie's lips and gave her a meaningful look. "I'm meaning, keep this whole business a secret?"
"I swear on my Grandmother's name it shall be done." Pinkie realised the other two ponies were looking at her oddly and giggled, "Oops! I mean Okie Dokie Loki!"
Twilight looked like some-pony had told her books had been banned. Her lower lip trembled and she teared up. "But the amazing things we could learn, the new ideas that could benefit pony-kind... "
"Twi, I know this ain't easy for ya, but if this gets around, things are gonna be a lot harder for me. Most ponies will figure I'm plumb loco, but the ones that believe me will be even worse! I ain't even told mah family yet, and I don't know if I will. Big Mac can keep a secret, but Granny gets a mite forgetful, and Apple Bloom, well, she's a good kid and all, but if you were her age, and your big sister was leading a double life as a space sheriff, would you be able to keep quiet about it?"
Twilight sniffed, and gave a weak smile. "I promise. I hadn't really thought of it like that, but no advance in knowledge is worth it if it hurts a friend, not even something as amazing as this."
Applejack leaned over and gave her a one armed hug. "You're a good friend, Twilight. I tell you what, if there's stuff you can tell people without them finding out it's me bringing it, then go ahead! Say you figured it out yourself, or that you managed to cast some kind of spell that let you look into other dimensions in your dreams. It's kinda what happened anyway."
"But then people would want me to show my spell-work... Y'know, if I can take some readings of you while you're asleep, maybe I could do exactly that, reverse engineer the spell Pinkie cast." She was getting excited again. "Oh my gosh! This is so fascinating!"
"Well I guess that won't hurt any." Applejack considered. "I can come over to your place for a night, we could say it was another sleep-over."
"Oh! Oh! We could make it a party too!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing.
"I guess. Though if Rarity and the others hear about it, they might want to know why they weren't invited."
"We can cross that bridge when we come to it." Twilight already had a quill and paper out and was making a list. "It'll take me some time to figure out exactly what to test for, and I've got that Kerium... I'll tell Spike you found it at Sweet Apple Acres and imply it was a meteorite which you brought to me since, let's face it, glowing rocks aren't exactly common."
"Oh! All this secret stuff is super amazing fun!" Pinkie squeed, just as Heartstrings came in. "Not that we're doing anything secret, no, uh uh, just three good friends having a conversation..."
Applejack cut in. "While I'm here, I'd like a dozen assorted cupcakes, you know the kind I like."
Pinkie Pie disappeared from the table and reappeared behind the counter, ready to serve ponies, or rather to serve cakes to ponies. "Okay!"
"That's a lot of cupcakes," Twilight said as her magic rolled up the scroll of paper.
"I figure on taking some with me when I go to see my new friends."
"New... ohhh, riiiight." Twilight tapped the side of her muzzle with a hoof.
The two collected their respective orders, and headed off.
The rest of the day could best be described as same old, same old. However it wasn't a _bad_ same old, same old. In fact having temporarily thought she'd never see them again made Applejack appreciate her family all the more. However, the events of the day were no different from most. Of course, for a farm that was a good thing, but it made the prospect of finding something new and exciting on New Texas all the sweeter.
She made her preparations, and her food carefully. A big serving dish was filled with everything she needed to make a savoury vegetable crumble, and a separate bowl was filled with fresh salad, mostly picked straight from their kitchen garden. That, and the left over cupcakes would pretty much completely fill her saddlebags, but it would be everything she needed to bring a bit of Equestrian hospitality to New Texas.
Thirty Thirty's place had an electric refrigerator, though it had been filled with the sort of things you'd expect a bachelor stallion to have, things that were cheap, easy to cook and kept well. Fruit and vegetables being imported by starship were apparently expensive, and didn't keep well, so he hadn't had much along those lines. She reckoned a fresh salad with lettuce, tomatoes, spicy radishes and dandelions would go down a treat.
She'd considered making the crumble ahead of time, but he did have some sort of fancy electric cooker (she had no idea how a 'microwave induction oven' worked, but as long as it made food hot, she wasn't fussed) so should be able to cook it up on the spot, and vegetable crumble hot from the oven should taste mighty fine.
Of course, this was in addition to her regular cooking, and got a few questions from the rest of her family, but she brushed it off as getting ready to make something for a friend.
Twilight came around in the late afternoon with a tightly rolled parchment containing a list of books and a brass bound box about the size of her hoof. The box had dials and a ticker tape device built into it that emerged from between two rollers, passed along the surface and then disappeared back into the depths of the device.
Of course she didn't show this to Applejack until she'd gotten her away from the rest of her family. They went out to the barn where they could talk privately and the farm mare looked at the device quizzically.
"What the hay is that contraption when it's at home?"
"It's called a thaumometer, and it measures magical fields. I'd like you to take it with you in your saddlebags so I can get background magic readings from when you leave to when you return. Just flick this lever before you go to sleep and it'll start recording automatically."
"Well, if it's important to you..."
"Absolutely vital!" Twilight exclaimed, brimming with excitement. "With this information, I should be able to optimise my test gear for when you come over. I can tune the thaumic spectral distribution to much narrower phasic bands allowing increased sensitivity and lower chaotic variation."
Applejack's expression of confusion mirrored her understanding perfectly. "Well I hope that works out for you. Me, I figure I'll just go to sleep."
In fact, she was starting to worry. Shaman had said that she should automatically travel back and forth, but what if he was wrong and she didn't tonight? She was surprised to find out how much that idea hurt her.
"That's all you need to do. Thanks again for letting me in on the secret, I promise you won't regret it."
"What secret?" Apple Bloom was standing at the barn door, which was with metaphorical accuracy standing open. "And what's that funny looking doohickey?"
"Uh, it's just something between Twilight and me, nothing to worry yourself about." Applejack was poor at telling a convincing lie at the best of times, and convincing her own sister was far from a best-case scenario. "What are you even doing out here?"
"Granny Smith sent me to get a bundle of hay. She's feeling peckish."
"Well you just get it and skedaddle!"
"Okay, I'm going." Apple Bloom collected a bundle from the back of the barn, and flipped it onto her back. "That gadget looks like a thaumometer I saw in Mechanical Mares Monthly."
Twilight's eyes widened in surprise. "No, it's... an alarm clock, a new alarm clock I wanted Applejack to test."
The little filly's brow furrowed. "But Applejack doesn't need an alarm clock! She's always up before every-pony else, regular as clockwork."
"Well, of course!" Twilight threw out, then had a burst of inspiration. "That means she'll be awake to see that it is working correctly."
"Really?" The filly didn't look convinced. "I still think it looks a lot like a thaumometer, but okay..."
The pair of them heaved a sigh of relief after she'd left. Twilight asked, "Mechanical Mares Monthly?"
"Yep. She and the other Crusaders are looking to put together a float for the festival that's coming up. After the fine job she did on the club house I figure she might be getting onto her talent." Applejack smiled proudly, her unease forgotten. "From what she said, Scootaloo's getting into it too, she's even going to see if she can get parts from Boxxy."
"I suppose a pegasus cargo company would be the right place to start. Her dad can probably find her some hardware that isn't flight rated any more, but is fine for a float."
"That's the plan. And speaking of plans, I'd better get this stuff in my saddlebags and up to my room."
"Great! Ohh! I can't wait!" With that, Twilight left, and Applejack headed back inside. She got some queries about Twilight's 'alarm clock', but just shrugged and repeated Twilight's story. At least it made it easy to explain why she was taking it up to her bedroom.
The rest of the day passed without event, other than those warm familiar events that occur when a family is living together happily. However, time passed, as time does, and eventually Applejack made ready to head up to bed, tingling with equal parts nerves and excitement.
She slung her saddlebags and stopped off in the kitchen, collecting her ingredients and getting them secured away in the bags. Some careful juggling allowed her to get everything in, and just barely leave enough room for Twilight's doohickey to go in. She was just starting up the stairs when Big Macintosh saw her.
"What are you doin'? It looks like you've got half the kitchen in those there saddlebags!"
"Uh..." Applejack had to think fast again. "Just a couple of snacks in case I get a mite peckish in the night."
"More like a meal for two ponies, big ones!" Some ponies mistook the laconic stallion's lack of loquacity as an indication that he wasn't quite bright. Applejack knew better, under that quiet exterior was a pony who saw a lot more than ponies gave him credit for, and could figure out things better than most. He just didn't see the need to chatter about it all the time.
"I... I figure I might have some really energetic dreams?" It was sort of the truth. "If I have food to hoof, I won't end up sleep walking downstairs in the middle of the night and do myself a mischief."
She could tell her big brother pony was not convinced, but he wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. "Very well sis, I guess you know your own mind best. Have a good night."
She smiled back at him, and there was nothing fake about that. "You too big brother, goodnight!"
When she was finally safe in her room, she switched on Twilight's gadget, and put it in with the book list and everything else. She double-checked the stuff in her saddlebags at the same time. Everything was ready, so she got herself ready for bed, but had great difficulty getting to sleep with all the thoughts racing in her brain.
Would things work? What would she find herself doing? Would there be another attack by Tex Hex? Would she be able to get Twilight's books? Would she and Thirty Thirty be working together? What kind of mare did he like?
That made her blush. She wasn't that kind of mare! Still, a little harmless speculation never hurt any-pony, if you didn't talk to anyone about it... Wrapped in warm and comfortable bedclothes, and warm and comfortable thoughts, her mind calmed down, and she drifted off to sleep.
Author's Note
About the tech level. I figure Equestria has electricity but not electronics, despite the one appearance of supposed video games in 'Hearts and Hooves Day'. I'm assuming they're either magical, or mechanical like some of the early 20th century board-walk games. If they were video games, even the early 1970's sort there would be other artefacts like televisions, or at least radios, which use simpler principles.
The headsets worn by the goats in 'Putting your Hoof Down' are another anachronism. Those are easier to explain, magical headsets enchanted to be parts of the whole. Anything one hears, they all hear. A lot of tech otherwise is 1930's, colour film cinemas, dirigibles, steam engines, hydro-electric dams. Refrigeration is a mix of new electric fridges and old fashioned ice boxes, with pegasi supplied ice being the cheaper option. I've seen some people say 1950's for things like Twilight's lab, but I say that's more 1930's mad science than general use.
What they're missing is Maxwell's laws and all the technologies that derive from that. X rays were discovered empirically first, and fitted into electromagnetic theory later. However I figure Rainbow Dash's X-ray was done using a specialised light spell. We've seen things that look like valves (tubes to Americans), but none of them were triodes, so we have no evidence of valve based amplifiers, let alone transistors.
As for why they presumably have laser security systems ('Mmmystery on the Friendsship Express') but use phonographs rather than CDs, I'd say that was another type of light spell, a coherent light spell enchanted into an emitter. Easy enough to create a detector that will trigger a contingent ghost sound spell when the beam is broken, but modulating it and deciphering a modulated beam is far more difficult. Trust me, in the dim and distant past I did a Masters degree in Electronics. There's a reason it took 40 years from the creation of the first laser to the CD.
Magic and pegasi cargo carts reduce the need to develop other forms of communication, which when combined with a lack of theory gives a reason that they don't have radio, even spark gap transmitters and crystal sets or valve based recievers, which are well within their tech capabilities. This explains why Twilight wouldn't understand the principles of the locator beacon. Of course, when she gets her horn on the data from New Texas, things will get... interesting.
Thanks to Ringcaat for pre-reading this chapter and coming up with a lot of great corrections and suggestions, and Cylon One for proof-reading the finished work.
The Yellow Apple Blossom of New Texas
Applejack awoke to darkness and the smell of old metal. She was back on New Texas, in Thirty Thirty's bed, and her limbs were once again made of bronze metal. Said limbs included hands, as she'd found sleeping on her back in biped form was so much more comfortable for her Equestroid body. She got up and stretched as she brushed her unbound mane back out of her eyes as she remembered seeing the place for the first time last night.
The Equestroid deputy's home wasn't exactly Sweet Apple Acres. According to Thirty Thirty, it had been a cargo container left by a Kerium freighter, and from the outside it looked like a metal box. External cables, tubing and boxes of various mysterious purposes had been added on as an afterthought. Like all of Fort Kerium's housing, it fitted into it's place in the walls when the town went to Fortress mode. There were no windows and a door with a bank vault style wheel that opened it, as well as a pad with numbers on built into the door that apparently acted as a lock.
Now she glanced around, taking in the unfamiliar shapes of the interior. A cool breeze and a low hum came from a grate in a box that had obviously been welded in to fit a hole in the metal. The room was dimly lit by a few small lights built into various pieces of equipment. After a moment of thought, she pressed a pad on the wall, and the main ceiling lights lit up. Fortunately, light switches were one thing common to both Equestria and New Texas, if not the Apple household.
The interior furnishings had a haphazard, salvaged look, not helped by the fact that items like the seats had clearly been adapted from their original size to fit someone larger. Equestroids, even in bipedal form, were larger than most of other bipeds the furniture was designed for. Between that and a deputy's less than munificent salary, he'd had to take what he could get, and make do where he couldn't. It did feel more like a place someone slept and ate rather than a home. It was a single big open space, except for what Thirty Thirty had referred to as a refresher, which was a single, integrated module that had clearly been taken from somewhere else.
The tangle of exposed plumbing and dohickeys mounted in casings on the exterior of the gave it a distinctly industrial look. It apparently contained a toilet, a basin and a stand up 'shower' and was clearly designed for someone of regular human size. Faded signs with ominous red hatching around them warned about using a face mask in zero gravity and other unfamiliar hazards. Though that did provide her with one useful fact that she hadn't really been aware of before, she could read the lettering despite it not being written in Equestrian script or words.
She got out of bed and checked the saddlebags by the bedside table. Despite not having moved since she put them down, they were now full of her provisions and Twilight's device, which appeared to have shrunk, though she quickly realised it was because she had grown. It was still clicking and whirring away merrily, the ticker-tape spooling through, covered with arcane symbols. She stashed the fixings for the salad and vegetable crumble in the ice box, actually an electrical refrigerator like they had in Manehatten, and started to get herself ready for the day.
Thirty Thirty had taken her through the workings of the referesher before he left, plus there were instructions that explained the things he'd glossed over in disturbingly frank detail. The shower, while cramped, proved to be surprisingly refreshing. A button infused the water spray with a pleasant scent and did something that made her coat tingle. When the water spray stopped, she could feel rather than hear humming vibrations running over her body, massaging her muscles and lifting the water off. Finally a wave of hot air washed over her and swept the freed droplets down into the drain.
She couldn't do anything about her metal limbs beyond giving therm a quick wipe over with a rag, but she determined to get a tin of metal polish or whatever it was you did with the darned things. She'd managed to fit a spare toothbrush and hair brush in with the rest of her stuff, so fixing that up was the work of a moment. She found having hands made putting her mane and tail in their regular braids a lot easier. A mug of something called Hotstim - a hot drink that tasted almost but not quite entirely unlike coffee - and one of her cupcakes, and she was ready for whatever came.
There was a clock on the wall, though it was odd to see the time as glowing numbers rather than on a dial, which showed it was almost time to go to the Marshall's office for her first day as an official New Texas deputy. It was early by this world's standards, but a farm mare like Applejack was no stranger to early starts. Setting her clothing in place, she went out to see what the day had for her. It was still cool outside, the suns just starting to burn off the chill of the desert night, and the streets were almost empty, except for a couple of townsfolk out on various erands.
Applejack went to quadruped as soon as she was outside, it felt more natural then bipedal mode even if she was able to balance just as well on two legs. She gave a smile and a friendly greeting as she passed folks, and got a couple of smiles and nods in return. Nobody seemed to give her a second glance despite the fact that she was the only quadruped out there. Either they'd heard all about yesterday, or they were used to folks with different shapes around here, either was good as far as she was concerned.
The strange triple shadow made her look up at the sky, shading her eyes with one fore-hoof. Two of the suns were fully up and the third was on the horizon. A large moon was just setting on the opposite side of the sky, and a smaller one was moving into eclipse behind it, the mix of light giving the sky a plum coloured hue, shading into deep blue. Say what you would about this place's climate, the sky scenery around here was pretty spectacular. Though it would probably give the princesses fits trying to manage it all.
Her tourist phase didn't last long, as Fort Kerium wasn't a big place and the layout made it easy enough to find the central area where the Marshall's office was. It was easily identified by the big star shaped sign sticking out from above the door, and was already open. She wandered in to find an office pretty similar to Sheriff Silver Star's in Appleoosa, a desk, notice board with pieces of paper pinned to it and some reward posters. There were a few chairs and storage lockers around the walls, and doorways that lead through to a cell area and some stairs.
The only real decoration was on the wall behind the desk, a pair of crosssed flags. One was white with three pairs of red stripes meeting in the centre where there was a a blue circle with a five pointed yellow star in it. The other flag was a deep blue with a star field and a number of larger coloured circles spread across it. in the centre was a symbol of a set of scales, surrounded by a laurel wreath.
Thirty Thirty, Bravestarr and J.B were all there, along with a new person, who was about half the height of a human. All that was visible were his beaver-like face, hands, and bare, clawed foot paws. Everything else was hidden under a full length brown greatcoat, and a tall stetson with a deputy's star on it. He also had a puzzled look on his face.
"Howdy every-p... everyone! Good to see you all again."
"Good to see you too, Applejack." J.B replied. "Did everything work out the way the Shaman said?"
"Yep!" Applejack had a broad smile. "Woke up in Equestria, back to normal. And please, mah friends call me A.J, if they like. I hope ya'll will too."
"Sure we will." Thirty Thirty said. "I hope you were okay at my place. Ain't exactly a hotel or nothing."
"It was fine." Applejack reached back into one saddlebag and pulled out a box with her teeth, putting it on the desk. "I brought y'all a little thank you for bein' so hospitable. There's some assorted cupcakes for everyone, fresh today from Sugarcube Corner, and I've got the fixings for a salad and a vegetable crumble back at Thirty Thirty's place. With what you said about fresh food being imported, I figured you might appreciate some fresh picked, home cooked ingredients. I reckon on making it for this evening."
"That's right kindly of you, A.J, but first we've got to get you fixed up." Bravestarr said. "You're the first new full time deputy we've had since I came here, so we've got to do the datawork. The judge is a notary so she's here to make it all legal."
"New deputy?" the little guy asked in a worried tone.
"It's okay, little pard, this ain't any kind of replacement for you, any more than Long Arm John was. Applejack, meet Fuzz, my other deputy. He's prarie people, one of the locals here, and a dab hand at fixing or building any kind of technology. He was the one that fixed the defence grid. Helps out with patrols too, he's pretty good with a lasso. Fuzz, this is Applejack, the one who helped out J.B yesterday."
Applejack held a fore-hoof out and down to shake. "Pleased to meetcha. I hope we can be friends."
The little guy took her hoof with a grin. "Fuzz like new friends. Pleased to meet A.J. too. Glad you not here to take over from Fuzz."
Bravestarr spoke. "Lil pard, this is something I've been thinking on ever since the Mayor hired Long Arm John, and yesterday made me decide. A marshall and two deputies just ain't enough to cover New Texas properly and handle the office too. Sure, we've got folks like J.B. and Handlebar to help out, but they've got their own jobs, and expecting them to do more just ain't right. I was half thinking of calling Long Arm John back, but he's settled in well at Deep Plains.
"Look at yesterday, we were off the other side of the planet, you were rebuilding the defence grid and Handlebar was out of it. That left J.B to have to deal with Tex Hex, and if Applejack hadn't been there, things could have gone real bad real fast. I figure if Mayor Derringer squawks about the payroll, I can use him hiring Long Arm John to show we can afford it. Now Applejack comes from a world that's pre gal-tech level, so she'll need help understanding how to work all the things here. Will you help her out?"
Fuzz nodded eagerly. "Fuzz can do that. Fuzz good at that."
"Marshall, I was expecting to help A.J here." Thirty Thirty interjected.
"No reason you can't. I figure there's going to be enough to go around." Bravestarr motioned to a large seat by the desk. "Apple... A.J, sit yourself down a spell and we'll get you sorted. Doc Clayton gave me his files on you, so this shouldn't take long. He's already set things up with the judge so you're a citizen of New Texas."
Applejack shifted to biped form and sat down as Bravestarr pulled another of the book devices from the drawer under his desk, a flat mirror-like plate with bunch of buttons at the bottom. He started tapping buttons and images of various forms appeared on the blank surface. True to his word, it didn't take long for him to fill in the details.
"Right, now all we've got to do is swear you in and issue you your gear. Stand up, please, and hand me back your badge for a moment." She did, and took off her hat, holding it to her chest. He handed her the device, which now showed a short paragraph of text.
"You have any problems with the oath?" He suddenly frowned. "Can you read galactic standard?"
"If that's what all the writing is, then it appears so, though I don't rightly know how I'm readin' it." She read through the oath, it didn't seem to be a problem. She put the device back on his desk. "Looks fine to me."
"Then repeat after me. I, Applejack Jacqueline Apple...." "... do swear by that which I hold most dear..." "... and do take this oath without reservation or attempt of evasion..." "... to become a Deputy of the Galactic Marshall's Office of New Texas..." "... To uphold the principles of the Planetary Union..." "... To protect the innocent..." "... bring the guilty to justice..." "... and uphold the law."
She completed the last line, and Bravetarr smiled broadly and handed her back her badge, following up by shaking her by the hand. "Congratulations Deputy Applejack. it's now official."
"Man, that takes me back." Thirty Thirty said, taking his hand off his own badge.
"Not quite." J.B walked over to the desk and took up the device, putting a stamp of some sort into a recess on the casing and tapping a button. There was a bleep and the screen flashed green for a moment. "Now it's official."
Applejack was surprised about how the ceremony had moved her. It brought home to her that she was now a citizen of two worlds, both Equestria and New Texas, this wasn't just some one off adventure any more. All the others were clapping, and she blushed slightly, pulling down the brim of her hat to hide her face.
Bravestarr pulled some other objects from his desk and laid them out on it. "Okay, as an official deputy, you get the following equipment. One secure comm-link, pre-set to official frequency bands. One pair of electro-binoculars with thermo and infra-scan. A standard issue data slate, pre-loaded with the basics, Galactic Penal code, Encyclopedia Galactica, AV recording function and text/speech interface. Also a couple of other useful functions. Not fancy but it's rugged and does the job."
He pushed the gear over to her. "A type 23 neutralazer is also part if your kit, but I can't hand that over until you've tested out and proven you can handle it. Of course, you can always use your own weapons, I don't think Thirty thirty or Fuzz have ever used theirs."
Fuzz answered first. "Fuzz happy with lasso!"
Thirty Thirty reached over his shouler and the big weapon he'd been using yesterday appeared in his hands. "Don't need it, besides, it'll make Sara Jane here jealous."
Applejack nodded and patted the lasso at her belt. "I figure I'll stick to old Bessie here. I've always got Bucky McGillicudy and Kicks Macgee for back up if I need more of a hooves on approach."
She tapped her rear hooves on the floor in turn as she named them.
"I'm beginning to think I should come up with a pet name for my gavel." quipped J.B.
Bravestarr grinned at the byplay. "Likewise you have access to the Marshall's office vehicle pool, which I don't think you're going to get any use out of right away. Unless you know how to pilot a pusher prop aerodyne flier, or ride a turbomule."
"Not even sure how to spell it. The only vehicle licence I have is a commercial haulers licence, for carts up to fifty ponyweights."
Thirty Thirty snorted. "Mmmph! Around here we let the turbo-mules do the hauling. Though you're saying that little version of you we saw can pull fifty times your own weight?"
"Nope, that's the cargo load. Add another ten for a cart big enough to carry that much."
"Woohee! Maybe Bravestarr here should be calling on Strength of the Pony when he does his spirit animal thing."
That got a chuckle from most of the room, apart from Applejack, who decided to ask about it later.
Bravestarr spoke up as they quieted down. "With Applejack sworn in, let's go through our workload today. First, we've got to keep a close eye on the dingoes we have in the cells. I've sent a comm message to the sector HQ for a prison barge to take them to trial, but it's going to take a couple of days to get here. Faster than waiting for the next freighter though.
"Tex Hex shouldn't poke his mustachioed mug out of the Hexagon for a couple of days at least after the beating J.B and A.J gave him, so we should have some down time. Fuzz and I will stay here. We'll watch the dingoes and the scanners for any trouble. Big pard, you'll take A.J and patrol Fort Kerium. Show her around town and introduce her to folks. While you're out you can take her to Ironarm's Repair Station. I know Doc Clayton's given her a clean bill of health, but he can double check her cybernetics are operating correctly. After all, that's a brand new set of gear she's got."
"So this Ironarm fixes stuff like my legs?" Applejack asked.
"Yep, he's the best cyber-tech on New Texas, and he fixed up Thirty Thirty's leg good as new when it got busted."
"Better than new." Thirty Thirty admitted grudgingly. "Don't mean I enjoy being strapped into that Rigelian Torture Frame he calls a patient's chair."
"Well, as long as he can sell me a can of oil and some metal polish, or whatever I need to keep these babies trotting, I'll be fine." Applejack said, then looked worried. "But I don't have any bits yet. How do I pay him?"
"Credits are the standard galactic currency. You'll have your first two weeks pay in an account at the bank by the end of the day." Bravestarr replied. "I'll give you the details. But you're okay for Ironarm's, and Doc Clayton's, the Marshall's Office will pick up the tab. Free medical is part of the job package."
"That's good to know." Applejack said wryly. "Let's hope that's one perk I don't need to use any time soon."
Bravestarr nodded then continued. "When you get back big pard, you and Fuzz can show A.J how to use her comm-link and gear."
"You got it, Marshal!" Thirty Thirty exclaimed.
Applejack spoke up. "I guess I also need to find a place to stay more permanent-like. While I'm mighty grateful, it don't feel right, depriving you of your bed."
"I can ask my father, or you could if you see him first." J.B replied. "He runs the local newspaper. If anyone's advertising a place to rent, they'll probably put in an ad."
"That's mighty decent of ya!" Applejack gave her a grateful smile.
"It's the least I can do after yesterday."
"Okay, everybody knows what they're doing?" Bravestarr looked around at the group. "Then let's get to it."
&&&
Thirty Thirty led Applejack around the 'square' at the heart of Fort Kerium, both of them remaining in biped form. Unfortunately, the bartender and owner of the local saloon, the oft-mentioned Handlebar, was still on the sick list, though Applejack had a chance to meet the robot bartender, Mix-up, who was substituting for him. Thirty Thirty introduced her to a drink by the name of sweetwater, a non-alcoholic but mildly euphoric beverage that was the biggest seller.
When they reached the offices of the New Texas Star, Angus McBride, J.B's father, was there to welcome them. He was a older male human with grey hair and a matching moustache, who rode around in a hover-chair. He moved out into the front office to meet them, pushing back the green visor that sat on his forehead.
"So you'd be Applejack, the new deputy my daughter was telling me about?" His voice had a burr from the Highlands of the Griffish Isles. "I'm Angus McBride. I can'ne thank ya enough for your helping her out."
"Shucks, it weren't nothing." Applejack blushed, grinding a hoof into the floor. "I just figured J.B needed some-pony to back her up."
"Well I hope you'll let me interview you for the paper, both about beating Tex Hex and where you come from. I understand there's some mystery? Thirty Thirty over there won't tell me anything about where he comes from or Equestroids in general."
"And it's stayin' that way." Thirty Thirty exclaimed with a snort.
Applejack shook her head. "Ain't no mystery, I come from a land called Equestria, but I'm guessing it ain't where Thirty Thirty comes from. I was a hankering for some adventure and a good friend used magic to send me here, and fit me out with a new body. I shuttle back and forth between it and my original body, when I'm asleep there, I'm awake here and vice versa. I'm a pony there too, but we don't have any fancy spaceships or cybernetics; steam engines, airships and electric lighting is where we're at."
Angus had touched a control on a panel at the front of his hover chair when she'd started speaking. "Ye dinna mind if I record? Any idea where it is in relation to New Texas?"
"Nope, go right ahead. According to Shaman and Twilight Sparkle, she's a unicorn friend of mine and a magic researcher, they ain't even in the same dimension."
McBride's eyebrows rose. "That sounds like a bonny story that'll need more than a five minute interview. I'm guessing you need to get on with your rounds, but one more question. How do you like New Texas so far?"
"Well the folks around here are friendly, and there's certainly been plenty of adventure. I'm lookin' forward to findin' out more... Say, while I'm here, you wouldn't happen to know if there are any places for rent or such? Thirty Thirty let me use his home last night, but I need to find a place of my own. J.B said y'all might have some adverts and such."
The newspaperman scratched his chin. "I dinna remember any in the latest edition, but I'll check. Come back later, say around 4 o' clock? We can do the full interview then, get some pictures, and I can let you know about any places going free."
"Ah reckon I will. Thanks Mr McBride!"
"Och, you're welcome lass."
Outside, all three suns were well up, and the temperature was too, but Applejack barely noticed it. She'd just made another friend, and she felt she was getting used to the strange sights and sounds around her. Folks here seemed to be just as friendly as an Appleoosan, as both she and Thirty Thirty exchanged greetings with them as they walked.
The mayor's office was next, another two story building like the newspaper office. Thirty Thirty stopped outside, looking up with a sour expression. "Well, I figure we'd better introduce you to the Mayor, and get it over with."
"You don't sound to happy about that." Applejack prodded, getting a negative vibe from her new partner.
"Yeah... It ain't like he's a bad man, he's just kinda... he get's all bent out of shape over anything out of the ordinary. Around here, that means most of the time. However, since he leaves dealing with it up to the Marshall, I guess it works out."
"You reckon he's going to get mad that I was hired?"
"Maybe. Still, he ain't going to be any happier if we leave him out, so I guess we better, go say howdy."
They had to cool their hooves for a quarter of an hour in the front office, but soon after the robo-secretary sent them through to the mayor's office on the top floor. Mayor Derringer was well dressed, well fed and wore a natty bowler hat with a band of gold circuitry around it. He got up from his seat and came round to meet them, holding out his hand.
"So, you're the young lady who helped Judge McBride see off Tex Hex and his gang yesterday? I'm Mayor Derringer, and it's a pleasure to meet such a public spirited person. Let me officially welcome you to New Texas."
"Well, that's right neighbourly of you, yer honour. I'm Applejack, but my friends call me A.J. I'm just glad I could help out." She shook hands and he retreated back behind his desk.
"So, are you staying here in Fort Kerium?"
"I reckon so, Marshall Bravestarr figured y'all could use another deputy, so he offered me the job."
The genial expression vanished off the Mayor's face, replaced with shock. "He did? Without consulting me? This is most irregular."
"Hmmph! Marshall Bravestarr knows what he's doing." Thirty Thirty snorted.
"That's as may be, but the town pays for it. He might be assigned by the Galactic Marshall's Office, but Fort Kerium pays for the additional staff and equipment."
"You hired Long Arm John without the Marshall's say so."
"For a posse, not as a permanent employee!"
Applejack decided to see if she could pour some oil on troubled waters. She kicked Thirty Thirty's fetlock, getting a clang in response. "Mayor Derringer, I don't know about any of this, but I do know that if you're like the mayor back in my hometown, Mayor Mare, you have the welfare of this town and the folks in it at heart, that right?"
"Well, yes, of course." The Mayor was somewhat molified.
"And from what I hear, you trust Marshall Bravestarr with protecting them. Has he done a good job so far?"
"Yes, he has."
"He's the one who decided that to properly do the job of protecting the people of Fort Kerium and New Texas, he needed another deputy. He decided I could do the job, and I don't intend to prove him a liar. In fact, he said himself that your hiring of this Long Arm John fella is what inspired him to think about it. He's just following your lead."
The Mayor preened. "Well, yes, I suppose that makes sense. I'm sure we'll find room in the budget somewhere. After all, Fort Kerium is a prosperous town, and it's the fact that we feel safe here that allows it to prosper. You know I think I'll put that in my next speech."
"I was right, you are a lot like Mayor Mare, and that's a high complement."
They left on a wave of good feeling and an invite to come back anytime if Applejack needed help settling in.
It wasn't until they'd left the office and were well out of earshot that a mildly stunned Thirty Thirty turned to Applejack and said. "I seen it but I don't believe it! How'd you do that? I expected him to blow higher than a geyser in the badlands!"
"Didn't say nothing but the plain honest truth." Applejack grinned. "I just figured he needed to hear that he's doing a good job. He does do a good job, right?"
Thirty Thirty shrugged.
"I do most of the paperwork for Sweet Apple Acres, Big Mac does the money side of things. It means I do quite a piece of business with Mayor Mare, and letting her know that her efforts are appreciated never hurts."
"I guess that makes sense." Thirty Thirty admitted. "I never thought of it that way."
They continued on their rounds, heading out of the central square and fetching up an angular metal building with a metal awning over an entrance that looked large enough to drive a carriage through. A metal sign over it spelled out 'Ironarm's Repair Station' in gold letters. The interior was a maze of bays and alcoves, a Tatooine junk dealer aesthetic tying the whole place together, filled with various robots and pieces of machinery in various states of repair. A large humanoid was neck deep in an access panel of one of them, occasionally reaching out to grasp tools from a battered toolbox.
"Huh! These power relays should have been replaced years ago... maybe I can jigger something from the parts in that synthematic I got in last week..."
"Ironarm! Got someone I want you to meet." The response to Thirty Thirthy's hail was a thump and a muffled exclamation that sounded like a curse, even if Applejack couldn't tell what it was. Ironarm extracted himself from the machine and stood up, turning to look at them. He was green and bulky, with an almost diamond dog-like face. He wore a worn waistcoat and pants, and a red bandanna round his neck. His right arm was a cybernetic limb that presumably gave him his name.
"Thirty Thirty! And this must be the new Equestroid everyone's been talking about."
"I guess so, Mister Ironarm. The name's Applejack, but you can call me A.J." She offered her right hand and recieved a hearty handshake. If she'd come straight here from Equestria, she's have been somewhat leary of him, as he looked a lot like the stories described the trolls of the Macintosh Mountains, but she'd seen sufficiently varied types of people on her walk about that his appearance barely registered.
"You can just call me Ironarm, everyone does." He grinned, showing a pair of upwards facing fangs. "I'm guessing you're here for a checkup."
"That's what they tell me." She replied.
Ironarm gestured to a medical looking chair, which had separate supports for arms and legs. "Take a seat."
Applejack got into the seat with some slight trepidation, mindful of her examination ysterday. Thirty Thirty leaned up against the wall. He asked, "So how long's this checkup going to take? Last time you had me in that chair, it took forever."
"That's because you don't come in for regular maintenance." Ironarm chided. "Huh! One of the toughest hombres on the planet, and he makes a big fuss over getting his hardware checked. One time he busted a knee-joint, and it's pure luck he hasn't damaged anything else, the scrapes he gets into."
"Mmmppph! I get by just fine, I don't need babying!"
While Ironarm was chatting, he hauled over several freestanding boxes that looked like gadgets from Twilight's lab. He used a similar tool to the one Doc Clayton had used to open up panels in her arms and legs and attached clips with wires leading into the gadgets to various places inside. Applejack felt jolts and twinges that were mildly uncomfortable, but said nothing. Ironarm started examining the readouts appearing on the display panels.
"Well, I can tell you right off, your hardware is practically factory new, like it was just built yesterday. High end cyberware too, the sort you see from the core systems. Your limbs all check out fine, power train, some seriously powerful actuators, backup accumulators, even the hoof thrusters. Keep them maintained and they'll last you a lifetime. Let's see what your internal systems are like."
One of the devices had a big translucent green plate on a metal arm, which he manoeuvred to sweep over her head and body. He looked at the outlines that appeared on the plate, along with lines and waterfalls of script.
"Yeah, this all checks out too. Your entire skeleton has duralloy reinforcement, and the limbs aren't just add-ons, they integrate right into it, just like Thirty Thirty's. Hardwired optronic neural overlay for the nervous system too, and a bunch of organ and digestive system nano-implants. It's a sweet system, you could survive just about anywhere for weeks using your body's recycling functions, even function in space for a short time."
He examined some more readouts on his device, and Applejack chuckled to herself at how she imagined Twilight would act in this situation.
"There's even a couple of gigaquads of multiprocessor memory hooked directly into your nervous system. Looks like it's mainly there for housekeeping and running your transformation program, also a pretty comprehensive translator program, but it looks like you should be able to consciously access the free storage space. That's something Thirty Thirty doesn't have, or rather the space is used for the additional control programs that allow him manipulate that dimensional pocket he stores that big gun of his in."
Applejack's expression showed her puzzlement. "I don't quite get what this 'multi-processor memory' is. I guess if it's a memory it can help you remember things, but ain't that what your regular brain does anyway?"
"Huh! You really don't know?" Now it was Ironarm who looked puzzled.
Thirty Thirty added his two bits. "She isn't a natural born Equestroid. Her hardware looks like it was created yesterday because it probably was. She's from another race of ponies, on another world, and a friend of hers used some hocus pocus to create a body that would fit in here. Her folks don't have computers, I reckon."
"Don't that beat all." Ironarm stood back and examined her. "Well, the main difference is you won't forget anything you store there. It's like having a data slate in your head. You still need to read something to understand it, but you could just glance at a page and store it, then recall it for reading later. You can recall it instantly too."
"That does sound mighty useful." Appejack said. "So, just how much stuff are we talking about, how many books?"
"You mean like antique paper and ink books? A couple of thousand. You should be able to do the same thing with sounds and sights too."
"Whooee! I got to try that out." She pulled the data slate from her saddle bags, and examined it. Thirty Thirty stepped forward and showed her how to turn it on and access the stored books. With coaching from Ironarm, she quickly skimmed the first hundred pages of the Galactic Penal code while willing herself to remember it. She found she could recall chapter and verse verbatim, though she didn't know what she had until she recalled it.
"Thanks a whole heap!" Applejack said to Ironarm as he sealed up her access panels. "For the checkup and everything. I just wondered, this memory thing is so useful, why doesn't everyone have it?"
"Some people do back in the core worlds, but out here... neural interfacing at that sort of level is way beyond my skill level, and practically anyone else out on the Frontier. Doc Clayton might be able to fix it, but I don't think even he'd risk trying to install some. Fortunately, it's like the rest of your cyberware, it's built well enough that it should never need fixing."
Ironarm unhooked the test machines and sealed her access panels back up. As she got up, Applejack remembered something from first thing that morning. "Oh yeah, do I need to do anything daily to maintain my legs? Rub 'em over with metal polish or oil them?"
"The bearings are self lubricating, but polishing your legs can't hurt. It'll prevent sand buildup in the joints." Ironarm rummaged around on a shelf unit and pulled out a metal can. "Here you go, I'll add it to the cost of the checkup. Wouldn't want New Texas's newest deputy to be unable to chase crooks because her joints were worn."
"Thank you kindly, again." Applejack put the tin away in her saddlebags and she and Thirty Thirty left. They circled the town and even went up in the cargo elevator to the top of the mesa where the starship dock jutted out over the town, providing a fantastic view. Thirty Thirty stepped up again, and showed her how to use the use the functions on her electro-binoculars to scan the town, and the dataslate's built in camera to record it.
Applejack looked in amazement at the playback. "Seems mighty strange that this little thing is a movie camera and a projection sceen too. I've seen pictures of the things they use in Applewood, great big things with huge reels of film. How much space does it have? I don't want to mess up the books on there already."
"It's a cheap one, so probably a teraquad. A hundred hours of video, maybe ten thousand of audio, music and stuff." He grinned. "So I don't figure on you filling it up any time soon. New stuff comes in on the freighters, I'll show you how to load stuff on it, when we get back to the Marshall's office."
Heading back into the town centre, they heard raised voices. Quickly moving towards the sound, they found a canvas covered hovercart with a dray turbomule attached, and a pair of slender, greenskinned humanoids in dusty prospecting gear who were in the middle of a blazing row.
"Hey now!" Thirty Thirty exclaimed. "What's all the ruckus? You're blocking traffic with that thing, and disturbing the peace!"
"He's a thief!" "He's a crook!" "He's trying to steal my rightful share!" "Your rightful share? I deserve it more!"
"Hold up!" Thirty Thirty yelled, showing his badge. "Let's get this cart parked up and you can explain, one at a time."
He got the story out of them bit by bit, and Applejack stood back and watched how he did it. The two of them were brothers, Fitz and Zip, who'd been out working a claim the two of them had prospected together. They were bringing in their first haul of Kerium to the bank to be assayed, and that was the problem. Zip showed the two Equestroids inside the back of the cart, where there were two piles of Kerium crystals and one huge prism of Kerium that looked like it weighed more than both piles put together.
"That's what we were arguing over." Fitz said heatedly. "I was the one that put up most of the money to get us to New Texas and grub staked our operation. I mortgaged just about everything I had. Therefore I should get the big crystal."
"Huh!" Zip replied. "I'm the one who studied mining and geology back on our homeworld. I worked mines for years getting experience. Without me, he'd never have found anything, or been able to mine it if he had. I'm owed that big chunk of Kerium."
"Didn't you agree any kind of split before you started mining?" Thirty Thirty asked.
"Fifty fifty split." Fitz admitted. "But that was before we came across that crystal."
"I figure there's an easy way to settle that." Thirty Thirty said, picking up the big crystal in both hands. He was conscious of Applejack watching him intently and wanted to make sure she saw how he could handle a situation like this.
He stepped up to put one leg up inside the bed of the cart, and broke the huge crystal across his knee into two equal pieces, then put one on each pile. "There y'are, a fifty fifty spilt."
Both the prospectors were looking at him in blank shock. Fitz spoke first. "I... I can't believe you did that!"
"Relax, it's not like I hurt it's value none. The Assay office at the bank don't care how many pieces it's in, just the weight and purity."
He sniffed, then tasted his palm and the granules sticking to it. "I figure you both got enough high-grade there to set you up for several years. Now move along."
Molified, the two prospectors got on their cart and drove it off. Thirty Thirty turned to Applejack. "You see, our job ain't just about fighting Tex Hex and his gang, sometimes it's just sorting out a problem with regular folks, helping to solve their problems."
He felt pleased with himself. It wasn't often he got to deal with something on his own, and it felt good to be teaching Applejack the job.
"I get that." Applejack said, nodding her head. "I was just wondering, what happens at the bank?"
"They assay the Kerium, like I said, and the bank buys it at a fixed rate, not quite what you'd get shipping it out on your own, but certainly a lot safer and easier."
"Pays out in those credits, right?" Applejack scratched the back of her head with a hand.
"That's right." Thirty Thirty started walking towards the town centre again.
"So, wouldn't it have made just as much sense for them to take the Kerium to the bank, get it assayed all at once, and just split the credits?"
"I guess..." Thirty Thirty stopped and gave a groan. "Yeah, I could just have told them to do that."
Applejack didn't have to be Fluttershy to get that he felt embarrassed. She quickly added. "Of course your way worked just as well. Plus it made sure they paid attention."
That clearly made him feel a little better, but he asked, "Why didn't you say something?"
"I figure you know more about this place than I do. If we was on the farm I'd be telling you what to do, but I'm the rookie here, so I aim to learn, which means keeping my mouth shut and my ears and eyes open."
"Mmmmph! That sounds like a plan. C'mon, it's almost 4pm. Time to head back to the newspaper office."
Back at the office, Angus sat her down and got a proper interview with her on the fight with the dingo gang yesterday, on Equestria and how she ended up on New Texas. Thirty Thirty was there too, listening intently to the interview as it unfolded. Applejack even pulled out the thaumometer from her hip/saddle bags to show the newspaper editor a genuine Equestian piece of technology.
At the end he said, "On some planets you might have a hard time getting people to believe this story, but after some of the things we're seen here on New Texas, alternate dimensions sound pretty tame by comparison."
Applejack nodded. "I get ya, I'd have said the same thing, and my world's full of hocus pocus. So what's the word on a place to stay?"
McBride shook his head. "Sorry, lass, but there haven'e been any ads posted. Places are booked up every time a freighter comes in, carrying a whole mess o' new folk hopin' to make their fortune. However, I may have a solution. My daughter and I both live here, and we have several empty store rooms. I'm sure if you talked to Fuzz, he and some of his people could built you some furniture to outfit one."
"You'd do that, for me?" Applejack looked both shocked and gratified in equal measure. "But you only just met me today! I'm mighty grateful, but I don't want to take advantage of you."
"Dinna fash ye'self lass. I said I wanted to thank you for saving my daughter, and you need a place. If you want, you can pay rent, but it's yours either way."
"Oh, I'm paying rent alright, and I'll make sure to bring some home-cooked apple pie for you and your daughter tomorrow."
Applejack thought about inviting him to join them for dinner tonight, but the quantities she'd brought over from Equestria, while more than sufficient for a family of ponies, was barely going to stretch to two hungry Equestroids and two humans, plus a prarie person. She decided first thing in the morning she'd ask Twilight or Rarity if they could magic her saddlebags to hold more stuff.
Thirty Thirty stirred. "Well, I guess it's good you've found a place, but we've got to get a move on. I'll check in with the Marshall while we take one last looksee around town. I figure we can circle the edge of town before the suns go down."
The rest of the day was uneventful; the perimiter patrol showed everything was in place, and according to the brief conversation Thirty Thirty had with Bravestar over his comm, everything had stayed quiet back at the office. At the end of it, Applejack went back to Thirty Thirty's place and prepared the salad and vegetable crumble. The screwy oven cooked the crumble far faster than the regular one at Sweet Apple Acres, but the top refused to brown. She eventually managed it by going quadruped, and tweaking one of her forehoof jump thrusters to low power to act as a blow torch.
The effort was worth it though. Showing up at the Marshall's Office with the ready-made food in her saddlebags proved popular, as did the food itself, especially the salad. The office had extra synthetic plates and cutlery for serving prisoners food, so setting up a meal in the front office wasn't too hard.
"Mmmpph! You sure do know how to cook." Thirty Thirty had gone through his helping of crumble and salad in short order, and was now scraping up what was left with a spork. "I ain't never had anything like this crumb thing, and the few times I've had salad, it's been kind of bland."
J.B, who had been there to help process the prisoner's records for the transport, had eaten her food at a more sedate place, savouring each bite. "Probably because even the 'fresh' produce from Missouri Prime has been sitting in a cryo container on a starship for a couple of weeks. This tastes like it was freshly picked this morning, and from a top quality nature farm, not hydroponics, back on Old Earth. Even when I was a student there, getting my law degree I only ate this well a few times, this sort of quality comes at a premium price. It's delicious."
Applejack blushed. "Shucks, it's nothing special. It's from our kitchen garden at Sweet Apple Acres. I figured from what you said about importing food that y'all might like a taste of good old Equestrian home cooking. It's a thank you for being so hospitable."
"Fuzz like it! Nothing like this grow here." The little fuzzball had been uncertain of the fresh greens at first, but quickly warmed up to them.
"I figure it goes both ways." Bravestarr added. "We're sure glad you're here to help, A.J."
The rest of the meal passed quietly, except for the occasional whines from the dingos back in the cells, complaining that they didn't get any of the delicious food they could smell. Applejack told the others about Angus McBride's offer, and arranged with Fuzz for some Prarie people to build her some furniture and fittings to outfit the new room, in return for another load of vegetables. After dinner, as promised, Fuzz ran her through how to use the rest of the new equipment she'd been given.
Eventually, Thirty Thirty escorted her back to his house, both of them in quadruped mode, as Thirty Thirty had followed Applejack's lead when she shifted into four foot drive outside the office. At the door, Applejack turned to him, lit in several overlapping shades by the rising moons.
"I particularly wanted to say a special thanks to you, letting me sleep here until my new room's fixed up, not to mention showing me around."
The big Equestroid looked almost embarrassed. "It's okay, I spend the night on a cot at the Marshall's office often enough that it ain't no big thing."
"Still, I want you to know I appreciate it." She leaned forward, bringing up a foreleg to hug him and nuzzled the side of his cheek. She moved back and shifted up to biped to use the door lock. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah... tomorrow." As she stepped inside, Thirty Thirty was still standing there, a dazed expression on his face. When he finally came to his senses, and started to walk back to the Marshall's Office, a massive grin spread over his face as he brought a hoof up to where Applejack had nuzzled him. Then he gave a whoop and cantered the rest of the way.
Author's Note
I know this isn't a rip roaring adventure to make my return to this fic, but I need to get Applejack settled in before we can start throwing canon episodes at her, or the overarcing plot at Thirty Thirty.
Also... I'm actually writing again! At last!
The Yellow Apple Blossom of New Texas
Applejack went about her daily chores with a will. The harsh desert around Fort Kerium might have it's own stark beauty, but it certainly made her appreciate the lush farmland of Sweet Apple Acres all the more. The empty dishes had come back with her, and were currently sitting drying on the rack, while the thaumometer was still in her saddlebags, along with the com-link and dataslate, ready to take over to Twilight once her yardwork was done.
The rest of her family had noticed how chipper she was, and commented on it over breakfast.
"Land sakes, Applejack, you're perkier today than a two-tailed dog at a wagging contest!" Granny Smith exclaimed.
"Had some good dreams last night, granny." That was the truth, if not all of it.
Big Mackintosh was unusually chatty. "Reckoned you'd have nightmares after all that food you took upstairs with you."
"Did that fancy alarm clock Twilight gave you work?" Apple Bloom asked.
"As far as I can tell." Applejack replied, then realised that sounded odd. "It was certainly working when I woke up, I mean. Speakin' of which, I've gotta get it back to Twilight after I do my work outside."
She had worked through her chores with a will, taking a fresh pleasure in the familiarity of them. With her morning work done and her saddl;ebags in place, she set out for Ponyville and Golden Oaks library in mid-morning.
Arriving at the library, she barely had time to knock twice before the door slammed open and she was yanked inside by a purple aura. The door slammed shut behind her as she skidded to a halt, still dizzy from the unexpected trip.
"Did it work?! Did you take the thaumometer with you? Did you find any books? What did you see? I want to know everything!!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.
Applejack shook her head to clear it. "Ohhh! Land sakes Twi, warn a pony before you do that! Yep, your doohicky came along with me..." she scooped the device out of her saddlebags, and it was immediately swept out of her hoof by the purple pony's telekinesis.
Twilight immediately started spooling through the paper tape, eagerly absorbing the mystic symbols imprinted on it.
"Yes! The thaumic resonance patterns are clear, and show a dimensional component, as well as multiple unfamiliar patterns! Whatever happened to you, it definitely happened, and now we have evidence! Oh, I can't wait to analyse this data, perform some Haymiltonian decompositions to tease out the arithmancy behind it and translate it into usable spell matricies..."
"Welp, if that's all you wanted, maybe I should mosey on out..." Applejack said, a bit annoyed at the way Twilight was ignoring her. Twilight must have been paying at least some attention, becuase she suddenly looked up, face flushed with embarrasment.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Applejack. It's just such a unique spell effect... But it shouldn't come before our friendship. Are you alright? Come on, sit down and I'll get us tea."
"Where's Spike?" asked Applejack, "Doesn't he usually do the tea around here?"
Twilight's ears lay flat. "He's in bed, sleeping off a bad case of indigestion... I'm sorry, Applejack, I thought it was secure in my lab, but he found that nugget of crystal you gave me and ate it. Apparently it smelled delicious, and tasted even better."
"He ate that whole piece of Kerium? I hope he's okay, I wasn't kidding when I told'ya that stuff was powerful. They use it to power starships! That nugget could probably power all the lights in Canterlot for a month!"
"Apart from burping large orange flames, and the indigestion of course, it didn't seem to do him any harm. I monitored him for hours, and whatever the long term effects, if any, the immediate effects have settled down. His bed is down in the lab, surrounded in fireproofing wards, and a monitoring ward in case he has any more erruptions, or other adverse effects, and I've been checking on him regularly. I'm sorry I lost your sample, I hope it won't be too hard for you to get more."
"Dunno about that, but I've got another one that will keep my other body running for now."
"Oh yes, you said, a partly automaton body, I wish I could see that!" Twilight brightened up.
Applejack grinned. "Funny you should ask..."
She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the data slate. In Equestroid form it had seemed about the size of a large hoof mirror, easily held one handed. Now it was closer to the size of a dinner tray, but she managed to place it on the table in the centre of the room, propped up against the pedestal of the horse head statue in it's middle.
"What is it?" Twilight asked, looking on curiously.
Applejack touched the power button on the edge. "It's called a dataslate, and it's kind of like a library, a camera and a movie theatre all at once. It can even do sums or take dictation like a secretary."
The dataslate lit up, it's screen showing the lock screen. It was easier to use with her humanoid version's fingers, but the larger scale meant that a hoof tip was sufficient to draw the unlocking pattern, and open up the main menu. Twilight looked on fascinated, and her horn glowed, a light washing over the device.
"Fascinating! That's a sophisticated illusion, an interactive one, but there's no magic involved. But I can detect a pattern of electricity, far more complex than the badge you showed me. Wait, you said it was a library? How many books does it hold?"
"Right now, just two, but according to Thirty Thirty, it could store thousands, maybe more. Anyhow, that wasn't what i was going to show you right away." She opened up an imaging program, and started calling up some of the pictures she'd taken.
"I figured you might want to see, so I had Thirty Thirty take pictures or me, this one's in my pony-like form, what they call Equestroid, and that's the bipedal form, or humanoid.... Twi, Twi, are you okay?"
Twilight's eyes were slightly glazed, and there was a slight trickle of drool on her lips. "Thousands of books... all in one book..."
"Snap out of it Twilight!" Applejack called out, giving her a tap on the shoulder. This seemed to bring her out of her biblophilic daze, and she focussed on the dataslate, wiping the drool from her mouth with a slighty embarrassed expression. She focusssed back on the screen.
"Definitely equinoid, but very different to ponies, closer to a Saddle Arabian..." Twilight mused, "... and the bipedal form, almost like a minotaur, but with equine rather than bovine features. And the articulation on those limbs, remarkable!"
Applejack ran some video footage of her transforming back and forth. "While I prefer walking around in pony-form, I've gotta say, those hands are a lot more convenient than hooves or a mouth for picking things up."
"Okay, you can stop recording. " The Applejack on screen said, loud enough for them both to hear.
"What did you just say?" Twilight asked, ears perking forward. "The you on the screen, I mean."
"Telling Thirty Thirty to stop the recording... wait, you didn't understand that?" Applejack asked, looking at her curiously.
"No, I couldn't understand the language at all, but it's definitely your voice. You can clearly understand it."
"Yup, sound like regular Equestrian to me." Applejack frowned, "Now ain't that odd."
"Possibly it's an effect of having travelled there, it wouldn't make much sense for you to go there as the result of a wish for you to enjoy yourself and not understand anything." Twilight pondered for a moment.
"Whatever the effect it seems to have stayed with you even after you returned. Clearly your mind is interpreting the sentences as their Equestrian equivalent so effectively, you don't even hear the original sounds, or rather your mind isn't consciously aware of them.
"That's some pretty high level translation magic, on top of the travel spell and creating a new body for you at the other end... I really want to study this now. I could try a translation spell of my own, but I'm not sure how it will interact with a recorded voice like that."
Applejack shut down the imaging program and pulled up the Encyclopedia from the reader index. "Well, I've got a bunch of things to show you first, though I don't know if one of them will work, now."
Tapping out the characters with a hoof tip was harder than with fingers, but she managed, and pulled up the entry for New Texas. Fuzz had shown her some of the functions, so she could expand the text and interactive images that made up the entry.
"I'm betting this don't make any sense to ya then?"
"The text, yes, but the images..." Twilight was taken with a view of New Texas from space, the rugged orange planet surrounded by a halo of asteroids with the three moons partly obscured by it's curvature. The triple shadow effect on the terminators of the moons, caused by the light of the three suns from behhind the camera viewpoint gave the whole scene an eerie beauty. A small, arrow shaped spacecraft flew into shot, shrinking to a dot as it flew down towards the planet, the glow of it's engines the last thing seen.
"It's just as pretty from ground level." Applejack stated. "Folks are friendly too, it's a lot like Appleoosa, only it's all about mining Kerium rather than growing apples. Here, let me show you..."
There followed a series of images pulled up from the one's she'd taken, a panoramic view of Fort Kerium from the top of the starship dock, moons just rising, and pictures of Fort Kerium itself, and the many beings who lived there. Finally there was a group shot of Marshall Bravestarr, J.B, Fuzz and Thirty Thirty.
"This is just amazing, it's like nothing I ever inagined. Like something out of Shiny's sci-fi pulps, but it's all real!" Twilight was thrilled. "I notice that they're all wearing clothes, is that because of the harsh climate?"
"According to Thirty Thirty, it's this whole modesty taboo thing, t'aint just when you're changing, it's all the time. I guess it's why the wish spell put me in my Gala dress when it sent me there, helps me fit in with the locals, I reckon, just like I know the language without learnin' it."
"I'll have to remember that... I don't know if my Gala dress would work, yours fits right in, but I may have to ask Rarity to come up with something."
"You're figuring on trying to visit yourself, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, shutting down the dataslate and putting it away.
"I'd like to, if that's okay, I know this is your dream. With the thaumometer readings you took, I may be able to work out how to tap into the connection when I sleep, and duplicate the effect. It would also mean I would learn that language, maybe even pick up one of those dataslates for myself. Would gold bits work as a medium of exchange? Of course this is all on your say so."
"Well shoot, I don't mind, the more the merrier!" Applejack answered, "So far the only other pony they've met is Pinkie Pie, and she was being very... Pinkie Pie at the time."
"So you'd like your new friends to meet another sane pony?" Twilight quipped.
"Yep, but in a pinch, you'll do, sugarcube." Applejack joked back, making them both chuckle.
They moved through to the kitchen area where Twilight made them both a cup of tea, and brought out some biscuits. They shared a few moments of companionable silence as they drank, sat around the kitchen table, until Applejack spoke up.
"I'll check on the gold situation when I'm there next. If you were going to get Rarity to make you a new getup to fit in with folks on New Texas, you may have to tell her why, maybe show her the pictures on my dataslate so she has something to work from. You know how Rarity gets about this kind of thing, I'm not casting nasturtiums, but she can gossip like no-pony else. I'd like to keep this on the down low, after all."
"I'm sure we can get her to make a Pinkie promise to keep quiet about what's going on. She may gossip, but she's not going to hurt a friend over it. Though I don't know exactly how she'll react when she finds out about where you've been."
"Knowing Rares, she'll either freak out and faint at the idea of so much dirt in one place from all the mining, or freak out over the costume designs and want to go with us, for inspiration!"
Twilight giggled, picturing Rarity in full drama mode. "If I can work out how to go, I should be able to work out how to take her with us. Though I've got a lot of research to do first, and I haven't even told Princess Celestia yet."
"Really? Sounded like that was top of your list, yesterday."
"I wanted to do some checking on dream and wish magic first so I'd have some idea what to report, and examine the... Kerium sample? Then Spike ate it, and I spent the rest of the day taking care of him. Even if I wrote a report, with Spike out of action, I had no fast way to send it, so I decided I might as well wait until I got back and analysed the readings from the thaumometer."
"I guess that makes sense, but can you ask the Princess not to spread it around?" Applejack gulped down the last of her tea, and toyed with the empty cup.
Twilight said with assurance, "I know Princess Celestia will be discrete, especially if I ask her to be. She will probably want to discuss it with Princess Luna, dream magic is more her area of expertise. Who knows, they may already have some knowledge or experience of dimensional magic too."
"Ya reckon? I guess they've probably seen pretty much everything." Applejack said. "Okay, if it will help you figure out the hocus pocus. When you do work it out, you're welcome to visit, Rarity too if she wants. Land sakes, I haven't even told my folks yet. I guess I have to, Big Mac at least, maybe Granny too.
"It's not like I want to leave Applebloom out, but like I said yesterday, I'm not sure she could keep it secret, from her two friends at least, and if they know about it, the whole town will find out in short order. It's not like I think she'd do it deliberately, not after what happened with Gabby Gums, but all it takes is a slip of the tongue."
Twilight sighed. "I've been talking to Cherilee about Gabby Gums, it seems that Diamond Tiara was the one pushing them to write embarrassing stories, even blackmailed them with equally embarrassing pictures."
"That filly! Ever since her cutie mark came in, she's been on Applebloom's case! I've been half minded to step in, but Applebloom's been handling it, so I've let her. But since this all happened, I've been thinking, should I be doing more to help her? I'm helping complete strangers in Fort Kerium, but letting my own kin shift for herself. I'm proud of the way she's handled it so far, but that don't mean I can't make sure she knows she doesn't have to.
"I swear though, if Tiara doesn't shape up soon, I'm going to be taking steps. I need to talk to Granny and Big Mac and decide exactly what we're going to do about it. The Apples and the Rich family have been business partners and friends since Ponyville was founded, but if Tiara isn't going to honour that, maybe they need a reminder that they aren't the only ponies we could sell to."
"I know Princess Celestia loves your Zap Apple jam." Twilight said. "The Palace would probably buy your entire stock the next time you have a harvest, and give you a better price than Filthy Rich. For that matter, Spike knows a number of important business ponies in Canterlot, you could probably sell your regular apples there too."
"It's a thought, though right now I wish I could sell some of our apples and some other fresh vegetables in Fort Kerium. From the way the Thirty Thirty and the others acted over my apple pies and salad, I'm pretty sure the stuff they get from that farming world... Missouri Prime, ain't the best quality, so I could get top bit for it over there. Hey, maybe that would work for giving you some money to work with when you get over there. But all I can carry is what's in my saddlebags."
"Hmm... I might be able to help there. Give me a few minutes... Help yourself to more tea." Twilight headed off, down into her basement laboratory with the thaumometer. Applejack get a second cup of tea, and pulled out the dataslate, deciding to read up on the Galactic Penal Code. She found she still remembered the pages she'd memorised in Equestroid form perfectly, despite the dry material, and found it easy to memorise more, as if she still had that artificial memory storage in her head.
She got so wrapped up in testing the discovery, she barely noticed the time. It was more than a few minutes, but Twilight eventually emerged, clutching something in her hornlight. "I've got an answer!"
"Huh! Wassat Twilight?" Applejack looked up.
"I examined the readings you took, reverse engineering the spell matricies will be a full project, but I could characterise the magic involved at least. At first I was considering applying a space expansion spell directly to your saddlebags, but the transfer also uses a form of dimensional magic, and mixing them might cause issues. However, this should get around that."
She placed the object, a miniature model of a crate no bigger than a jewellery box, on the table. "This is a self expanding crate, one of the ones I used to transport my personal books from Canterlot back when I moved to Ponyville permanently. It's based around a shrinking spell, rather than expanded internal space, so it shouldn't be affected by the dimensional transit. Try it out tonight, see if it works."
"That's mighty kind of you sugarcube!" Applejack said. "So how do you use it then?"
"You tap your horn..." Twilight frowned as she realised what she'd said, "One moment."
She grabbed the box and headed back down to her workshop, coming back several moments later. The only change was a gemstone embedded in the lid. "Okay, you tap the gemstone twice to expand and unlock it, then do the same with the lid closed to cause it to shrink again. I plugged a storage gem into the matrix to replace a horn, it will charge from ambient magic and obviously it discharges when you tap it in the correct pattern. It should be good for a dozen operations before needing to rest and charge up."
She placed it on the floor. "Try it."
Applejack tapped the gem twice, and the box expanded to a chest big enough to climb into. "Hooeee! That's right impressive, you fixed up that doohickey in just a few minutes?"
Twilight blushed. "I just added an on/off switch, using a storage gem I already had lying around. Building one from scratch would take days, and a lot of precision hornwork. Creating a permanent enchantment is not easy."
"Still impressive to me, no wonder you're Princess Celestia's student." She tapped the gem again, and picked up the shrunken chest with a hoof, placing it in one of her saddlebags, along with the dataslate. "I know you could probably spend the rest of the day looking at this thing, if I was here to tell you what it's saying... Huh, would that work?"
"What?" asked Twilight.
"Text to speech!" Applejack said, setting up the dataslate again. "Fuzz showed me how to set this gadget so it reads out the text on screen highlighting each word as it goes. I'm thinking maybe you could do a translation spell on that."
"It would still be casting an active spell on the device, rather than the detection spells I used earlier that only scanned it."
"Not if you rig up a paper cone as a speaker horn, and cast the spell on that." Applejack said.
"That... could work!" Twilight said, getting excited. "It would wear out pretty quickly, but I could recast it as needed, thanks Applejack, that's a really clever idea!"
"Shucks Twilight, I was just thinking about how you could use it without me telling you the words, then I remembered it was like a record player as well as a book, and could tell you itself. And like a record player, or a megaphone, you could pass the sound through the horn." Applejack activated the device and gave Twilight some quick instructions on how to access the encyclopedia, and navigate the pages and links.
"I'll leave it with you while I get on with my work at Sweet Apple Acres. I'll come by tonight to pick it up. Take care of it please, I don't want to have to tell the Marshall I lost a part of my kit the first day after I got it. And don't let Spike eat it, or other folks see it, please?"
Twilight nodded. "I'll take the greatest care with it, thank you Applejack, you don't know what this means to me!"
"I've got some idea, you were drooling more over the gadget than Pinkie Pie over an all-you-can-eat desert buffet."
That got another chuckle from the unicorn, though a slightly embarrassed one. "I wasn't that bad... was I?"
"Don't worry about it sugarcube, just have fun. I'll be back to collect it come sundown, okay?"
"Okay!" Twilight nodded. "I'll see you then."
Applejack made sure her saddlebags were secure, and left the kitechen heading for the main library, and the front door.
&&&
Applejack was still thinking about what Twilight had said, and about telling her folks when she headed back to Twilight's place later that afternoon. Trading fresh fruits and vegetables on New Texas would probably give her enough credits to outfit her new place at the McBrides, and buy Twilight some equipment, but she'd need good Equestrian gold bits to buy them, even if she could get some of what she needed from Sweet Apple Acres stores. Those apples were for selling after all.
She'd definitely need to talk to Granny Smith and Big Mac soon, if she was going to make it a semi-regular thing. For that matter, was it even right to be making money off of this, especially as she had a job enforcing the law. She had enough bits stowed away to buy some stuff for the test run, but she'd talk to J.B when she was back on New Texas, and if it turned out there was some kind of law against it, she'd just have to use the food herself to make more meals for everyone.
The library door was unlocked, and she could hear a voice in the back, '... has no seas, only polar marshlands and wetlands, which are vital to sustaining the planetary biosphere, and as such left untouched. A major secondary industry, centred around the northern settlement of New Cheyenne, is the cultivation of aqua-pods, a succulent-analogue that stores moisture very efficiently for long periods of time. These supply one of the major sources of fresh water to the settlers, with comet mining from the ice cloud of the Omega Trifecta star system as a supplementary source."
Twilight was in the kitchen where Applejack had left her, still working away at the dataslate. She had several scrolls and books open around her, and was writing on a scroll. "I wonder if an ever-full waterbottle would be a good idea..."
"Hey there Twi! I'm afraid I've got to pick up some stuff and then get back to the farm, so I've gotta collect that dataslate."
Twilight started at Applejack's voice and looked up, sighing, and reaching out to tap the dtatslate screen, halting the playback. "I understand... I've learned so much, but I've barely scratched the surface."
She her horn lit and a bag twice the size of a hoof was lifted up from under the table. "Also, I wanted you to have this..."
Applejack was deactivating the dataslate and putting it away; she heard the familiar clink of bits from the bag as it landed. "Sugarcube, I can't accept that! There must be a couple of hundred bits in there at least!"
"It's okay, I get a generous stipend from the Princess. This is from my book fund, it's to partly repay you for the Kerium I lost, even though based on the purchasing power of credits vs bits, it's probably only a fraction of the value. I thought it could help you buy the foodstuffs you wanted to take with you tonight."
"I'm havin' second thoughts about that. It seems like I'm taking advantage of Pinkie's gift, trying to sell stuff over there, not to mention I've got a job, and I'm worried this will interfere with it. Plus the money I get is only really good over there."
Twilight gave a nod of understanding. "That's between you and your conscience, but I don't think Pinkie would mind. But there's one thing you could bring back that you could get very cheaply in New Texas, that's worth a lot over here, and is fungible enough that you could sell it without raising a fuss, as long as you didn't flood the market."
"What's that?" Applejack asked, curiously, meaning both the material and what fungible meant.
"Aluminium. It's a rare metal, rarer than gold, even though ores contaIning it are relatively abundant. It is very reactive, and extracting it as a pure metal is a long and complex alchemical process requiring large amounts of magic. It's very light for a metal and strong, as well as polishing up brightly, so the elites of Canterlort and Manehatten use it for jewellery, set with gems and chased or partly plated with gold.
"According to the dataslate, societies over there worked out how to make it very cheaply using electrolysis and their abundant sources of electricity. And since from what I can see Fort Kerium and New Texas use metal rather than wood for pretty much everything, there's likely to be a lot of scrap aluminium around. You can probably fill the chest with it for a few dozen bits, which would sell over here for more than your farm makes in a year."
"Hooee! Now that is one heck of a temptation. The farm could use that kinda money for all sorts of things. But that would definitely be taking advantage of the situation."
"I see what you mean, but at least you know about it if you need it." Twilight gave her a comforting hoof on the shoulder. "I just wanted to pay you back for allowing me to participate in this amazing event. If there's anything further I can do to help, you only need to ask."
"Shucks, Twi, it weren't nothin'. I'm glad Pinkie's gift keeps on giving." Applejack tipped her hat to the purple unicorn, and started to move on out. "Well, I've got some groceries to get, and Celestia ain't gonna wait on lowering that sun on my behalf."
Twilight giggled. "Actually, you're one of the ponies she might do it for, given a good enough reason. But don't worry, when I write to her about all this, and my new observations, I will request in the strongest terms that she keeps this information between herself and Luna."
"Thankee kindly Twilight, and farewell!" With that Applejack left.
"Goodbye!" Twilight called out, and sat down at the kitchen table to go through her notes and start drafting a report for Celestia, which Spike would hopefully be well enough to send when she finished it. She'd add the thaumic analysis later once she'd made a proper checklist of what she needed to cover.
Author's Note
Okay, I know this isn't Luna's Return Trajectory, but I needed to test if my muse would still work on other stories. The rest has recharged my Lunar Module batteries, and I'm getting bakc to worjk on it next.
