Appleback Mountain

On the far side of the horizon, beyond the rolling hills of Ponyville and past the farmland of Sweet Apple Acres, there's a place untouched by Ponykind. A place where the mountains scrape the sky and the lakes that dot the terrain are as smooth and clear as glass. A contented stillness and silence blankets the vast landscape, as if though animals live among the scattered rocks and trees, none have reason to bring an end to its tranquility.

The sun rose over the landscape one day in late summer, turning the peaks of the mountains a burnt shade of orange. As the sun moved through the sky the orange light spread downward, illuminating sloping forests of evergreens and mist that hung over the lakes like dust on the surface of a mirror.

Also lit by the rising sun were two ponies, dwarfed by the immense landscape and towering mountains. Long shadows stretching before them, they trekked upward over rocky slopes and babbling brooks. A farmhand and a flyer, both ponies were strangers to the land. Neither knew what was to come. Both traveled onward, unaware that the trip on which they were embarking would have repercussions that would last the rest of their lives.

It started with a bet.

“So what’s the big deal with this Mare Grylls?” Applejack asked. She, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were gathered at Fluttershy’s house, about to watch a marathon of the popular show Pony vs. Wild.

“‘What’s the big deal with Mare Grylls?’” Rainbow Dash repeated in disbelief. “She’s a born survivor! Mare Grylls thrives on adventure like Pinkie Pie on cupcakes! She could survive in the wilderness for months on end armed with nothing but her bare hooves! For an earth pony, that’s pretty impressive!”

“Now hold on there,” Applejack interrupted Rainbow Dash. “Whaddya mean, ‘fer an earth pony’? Some reason earth ponies can’t survive in the wild?”

“Well, compared to pegasi, earth ponies just aren’t as prepared to live in the wild,” Rainbow Dash said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Pegasi are built to endure all kinds of weather. Earth ponies just don’t have those capabilities.”

“I’m sorry Rainbow, but yer talkin’ nonsense,” Applejack argued. “There’s more to survivin’ in the wilderness than just enduring the weather. Ya gotta have a special connection to the land. And only earth ponies have that.”

“Girls, must we have this discussion now?” Rarity interrupted. “The show’s about to begin.”

“Sorry ‘bout that, Rar’,” Applejack said. “We’ll keep it down.”

“Oh please,” Rainbow continued in a derisive whisper, “A ‘special connection to the land’? You see food, you eat it. That’s all there is to it.”

At that moment, Fluttershy entered the room and asked, “Is anypony hungry? Pinkie and I made—“

“POPCORN!” Pinkie Pie squealed, bursting into the room with a humongous bowl of popcorn. Kernels of popcorn flew everywhere as she came abrubtly to a stop.

“You know, girls,” Twilight Sparkle joined the conversation, “There’s more to surviving in the wild than that. You’ve got to have knowledge and a wide range of skills. Why, I could recommend several books—“

“Twilight, dear, please don’t encourage them,” Rarity said. “I’m having enough trouble concentrating on this show as it is.”

Twilight shrugged and turned back to the television.

“Mare Grylls is the exception, not the rule,” Rainbow Dash insisted. “That’s why she’s so impressive. Because pegasi are so much better equipped for survival.”

“I’d like to see you try t’ survive in the wild,” Applejack scoffed.

“Oh yeah?” Rainbow Dash replied. “Bet I could last longer than you could!”

“Yer on!” Applejack proclaimed. “It’s a campin’ trip then! Jus’ you an’ me. First one t’ go home loses!”

“Could you two please try to get along?” Fluttershy begged. “Have some popcorn and watch the show with us.”

“Where will we go?” Rainbow Dash asked, ignoring Fluttershy’s pleas.

“I know the perfect place,” Applejack declared. “Appleback Mountain.”

“How’d you hear about this place?” Rainbow Dash asked.

She and Applejack had begun to set up camp in a clearing on the edge of a copse of evergreens. Behind them the trees rose up toward rocky lavender peaks far above, and in front of them a babbling creek wove its way down between green hills to the base of the mountain.

“Couple centuries ago my ancestors discovered this land,” Applejack said. “Been Apple family property ever since.” She began arranging stones in the shape of a circle for a fire pit. “Once yer done pitchin’ yer tent, ya wanna find us some firewood?”

“Sure thing,” Rainbow Dash replied, and bounded off into the copse of trees. The tent she had just pitched wobbled and then collapsed into a pile of tentpoles and fabric.

Late that night, Rainbow Dash awoke to the sound of rustling outside her tent. Peeking out she saw a very large, dark shape rummaging through the pile of food she had set just outside her tent.

“Hey!” she yelled. “Get away from my food!”

The silhouette turned to face her and by the moonlight she was able to discern the shape of a bear. Rainbow Dash gulped.

The bear turned and started lumbering away, just as Applejack sleepily poked her head out of her tent to see what all the commotion was about. Upon noticing the bear heading straight for her, Applejack scrambled to get out of the way, tripped, and faceplanted in the dirt.

“Applejack!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed and rushed over to Applejack as the bear disappeared into the darkness. “You okay?”

Applejack sat up and Rainbow Dash caught sight of a dark liquid dripping from her forehead.

“You’re bleeding!” she exclaimed. “Here…” She found a rag and pressed it against Applejack’s forehead.

“Thanks,” Applejack mumbled, taking the rag and holding it against her head. She looked up at Rainbow Dash. “What were you thinkin’, by the way, leavin’ yer food out for the bears to get it? Ya have to suspend it, like I did. Keep it outta reach. What’d ya think this here contraption was for, anyway?” She gestured toward what to Rainbow Dash looked like a teepee skeleton made of three long sticks bound together at the top with a sack hanging down from their intersection.

Blank-faced, Rainbow Dash looked at the structure and then said, “I did not even notice that.”

Even in the darkness she thought she could make out Applejack rolling her eyes.

“We’re gonna have to do somethin’ about food,” Applejack said the next morning, looking at what remained of their rations. “That bear went off with a week’s worth o’ vittles.”

That afternoon found the two ponies crouched in a bed of pine needles by the stream, trying to catch any fish that swam through the crystal clear water. After what felt like hours and hundreds of fruitless attempts, Rainbow Dash collapsed onto her back in exasperation.

“This is impossible!” she pronounced.

“Dash, it’s only been a half-hour,” Applejack replied. “Ya ain’t gonna make me do this all on my lonesome, are ya?”

“We’re just gonna scare ‘em off with all this splashing,” Rainbow Dash said. “Maybe we should take it in turns.”

“Ya know, that ain’t a bad idea,” Applejack admitted. “I’ll give it a few more tries an’ then yer up.”

Rainbow Dash lay in the pine needles watching the clouds cross the sky for another interminable period of time until Applejack finally announced, “Yeehaw! I got one!”

Rainbow Dash sprang up and gave Applejack a playful shove in jubilation, causing her to lose hold of her catch. The fish slipped through her hooves and dove back into the water. Applejack gazed forlornly after it.

“All right, Dash,” she said, “Yer turn.”

“Let’s go to the top of the mountain!” Rainbow suggested one morning, bouncing slightly with excitement.

“Couldn’t ya just fly to the top?” Applejack asked.

“Of course I could,” Rainbow Dash said. “But where’s the fun in that? I want you to come with me!”

Applejack tried but failed to hold back a smile.

“All righty then,” she said. “But we’ll need to bring snacks and water. It’s a lot farther than it looks.”

Together they gathered some food and water and headed upward into the woods.

After several hours of hiking, the trees began to thin until they found themselves scrambling over a field of scattered rocks and scraggly shrubs.

“Well that view just gets better an’ better,” Applejack remarked, gazing out over the valley. “Ya think we’re higher than that mountain over there?”

Rainbow Dash squinted at where Applejack was pointing. “Maybe,” she said. “We’re above the treeline.”

“Let’s keep going!” Applejack said eagerly. “Looks like we’re getting close!”

The two ponies climbed higher and higher, but Applejack’s earlier warning proved to be true. For every ridge they ascended, another ridge would appear just beyond it. Soon the shrubs and mosses disappeared, until all that they could see was rocks and—

“Snow!” Applejack exclaimed in wonderment. “In summer! Well I’ll be.”

At first the snow appeared in small mounds that hadn’t quite melted during the spring, but as the ponies climbed higher, the snow appeared in larger and larger quantities until finally they came upon a smooth expanse of white that sparkled in the sunlight as it continued to slope upward toward the peak of the mountain.

“Come on!” Applejack said as with a newfound energy she leaped into the previously unblemished field of white. Rainbow Dash grinned at Applejack’s excitement and bounded after her. Finally the two ponies fell onto their backs in the soft powder.

“This is amazing,” Applejack murmured, gazing up at the pale blue sky. “I feel like the sky’s just inches away. Like I could reach out an’ touch it. Is this what it’s like for you all the time?”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Pretty much.”

Applejack sat up and looked out over the mountainous landscape. “Boy howdy, you can see everything from up here.” Far in the distance she could make out dark clouds that were lit up every so often with a flash of lightning. Both ponies were quiet for a long time. “We’re about as far from civilization as a pony can get,” Applejack said finally.

She shivered. “It’s a might chilly up here. Ya wanna head on back? We’ve got a long way to go.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash returned to their campsite that evening to find it littered with sticks and twigs.

“Must’ve missed a storm while we were up there,” Rainbow Dash mused. “Looks like some pretty strong winds came through here.”

“Oh no,” Applejack said. “Your tent…”

Rainbow Dash raised her head to look at her tent only to find that a large tree branch had broken off and flattened it.

“Ya think we can move it?” Applejack asked.

“It’s worth a try,” Rainbow Dash replied, but after straining to push and pull the branch off of her tent, she had to admit that it was no use.

“It’s no use,” she sighed. "Guess I’m sleeping under the stars tonight.”

“Ya sure?” Applejack asked. “It gets a tad brisk at night here.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Rainbow Dash said with more than a little bravado. “I don’t need a tent.”

“Well, all right,” Applejack conceded. “Let’s get a fire started then.”

By the time they started a fire for dinner, the sun was sinking behind the mountains and the sky was turning from pink and lavender to a deep indigo. Amidst the surrounding darkness the fire created an oasis of light and warmth.

“Ya ever had any o’ the Apple family hard cider?” Applejack asked Rainbow Dash. At the sound of the word “cider” Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up.

“You brought cider?” she asked. “You know how much I love cider!”

“Well, this ain’t what yer used to,” Applejack warned, tossing her a bottle, “but I think you’ll like it.”

Rainbow Dash twisted off the bottlecap and took a swig as Applejack watched expectantly. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened at the taste. She swallowed and said, “How could you wait so long to tell me your family makes hard cider? This is AWESOME!”

Applejack grinned. “I knew you’d like it.”

The two ponies sat leaning against a log, savoring the warmth of the fire as a cool evening breeze blew through the campsite.

“How come I’ve never heard you talk about yer family?” Applejack asked Rainbow Dash after a while.

Rainbow Dash was silent for a long moment.

“My old man was a flyer,” she said softly. “And good at it too. He was pretty well-known throughout Cloudsdale.” She took a sip of cider. “He kept his secrets to himself though. Never taught me a thing; never came to see me fly. Everything I can do I taught myself.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Applejack said.

“Don’t be,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m a better flyer because of it.”

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash, who took another swig of cider.

After a moment Rainbow Dash asked, “What about your parents?”

“What about ‘em?” Applejack replied.

“Did they treat you right?”

“Did as best they could, I reckon,” Applejack answered. “After they passed Granny an’ Big Macintosh did what they could to raise me an’ Apple Bloom.” She paused. “Ain’t much to tell, to be honest.”

She stared into the fire, then turned to Rainbow Dash and said, “Hand me another bottle, will you?”

The night grew later and at one point, the two ponies found themselves singing, or rather belting, forelegs around each other’s shoulders, swaying to either side with the music and the drink.

Finally Applejack decided to turn in. “Sure yer gonna be all righ’ out here?” she asked her friend.

“Sure am,” Rainbow Dash replied, wrapping herself in a blanket and trying to appear as cozy as possible in front of the fire.

“Well okie-dokie then,” Applejack said. “Goodnight!” With that, she retired to her tent.

Rainbow Dash was shivering, curled up under a thin blanket next to the dying embers of the fire. No matter which way she turned, however tightly she curled herself inward, she still found her teeth chattering and goosebumps rising all over her body.

Applejack poked her head out of her tent, the haze of the hard cider not quite worn off yet.

“Rainbow Dash,” she slurred, “you put aside yer pride and git in here. Yer gonna catch yer death out there.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, too cold to speak, and rose to her feet. Clutching the blanket tightly around herself, she stumbled on shaking legs over to Applejack’s tent and collapsed in a warm pile of blankets. Applejack threw another thick blanket over Rainbow Dash and pressed herself close to her body until her shivering died down.

Later that night, Rainbow Dash was curled up on her side when she was partially woken by the sound of slow breathing inches from her ear. Still mostly asleep, Rainbow Dash reached behind her and found Applejack’s front leg, and then pulled it around herself so that it was as if she was wrapped in an embrace from behind. Applejack drew closer and nuzzled her head against Rainbow Dash’s.

After a long moment, both ponies seemed to regain consciousness simultaneously, and when they realized exactly where they were in relation to each other, sprang apart. They stared at each other, hearts racing.

And then it all seemed to happen at once. The distance between them was nothing and Rainbow Dash was caressing Applejack’s perfect lips with her own. Her forelegs pulled their bodies together and grasped desperately for Applejack’s golden mane, the smooth curve of her back. Applejack fell back on her pillow and Rainbow Dash straddled her, her lips traveling to her neck, her forelegs moving down to her hindquarters. Legs entangled, pelvises pressed together, Rainbow Dash continued to match the undulations of Applejack’s body with her own until Applejack’s back arched and she let out a gasp of pleasure.

And then it was all over. Rainbow Dash could feel the heaving of Applejack’s chest begin to subdue as she gently kissed Applejack’s lips once more and then drew back to gaze into her wide green eyes. Her expression was unreadable.

Neither pony said a word.

After a moment Rainbow Dash slowly rolled off of Applejack’s body and as soon as she buried herself under the blankets, began to snore.