There's always something to do at Sweet Apple Acres. There's the applebuck'n that my big sister Applejack and big brother Big Macintosh do, the cook'n that Granny Smith does, and the clean'n which I do. When we ain't work'n with apples, there's all sorts of other things to be do'n. So when somepony ain't around to do her share, work starts pile'n up! Now Applejack went on an apple delivery to Manehattan this morning and she hasn't returned. Thing is, she should have been back hours ago. So I guess it's kinda understandable that Big Macintosh is a bit... upset.
"You seen Applejack, Apple Bloom?" he asks me firmly.
I stop rake'n the leaves before I look up at him and shake my head no. "I ain't seen her since she went to deliver them apples. She ain't back yet?"
He shakes his head. "Nope. An' with all the deliveries we got come'n up, we can't have delays like this." He turns and looks towards Ponyville. Princess Twilight's Castle of Friendship is visible in the light of sunset. "I'm go'n to see if she went to visit with her friends."
I drop the rake and eagerly ask, "Can I come?"
"Nope," he replies simply, but then adds, "We need these leaves away from the trees so we don't trip when we buck. We don't have time for a twisted leg."
He turns and starts walk'n towards Ponyville, and I pick up the rake and keep collect'n leaves. It's after nightfall when he returns home. It's hard to tell with Big Mac, but I can tell he is get'n worried about Applejack. And that means I should be worried too.
"Now don't you two go worry'n about your sister," Granny Smith says calmly. "Applejack can take care of herself. Why, she's been going to Manehattan since she were a filly. About Apple Bloom's age. That was before she got her cutie mark. Nothing on that trail will keep her for long. I reck'n she'll be back tomorra, so y'all go on to sleep now. Plenty to do when she gets back."
I don't feel right about just go'n to sleep when Applejack ain't home. But Granny's right. Applejack can take care of herself, and she won't get into no trouble. At least, I hope. I kiss Granny good night and hug Big Mac before go'n to bed. It's hard to fall asleep not know'n where Applejack is, but I just keep repeat'n what Granny said. I finally convince myself she's right and drift off to sleep.
The next morn'n, the three of us are eating breakfast in the kitchen. There still ain't been no sign of Applejack, and nopony wants to say a word. All of a sudden, there's a pound'n on the door!
"Big Mac! Big Mac wake up!" We all recognize the voice. It belongs to Spike!
Me and Big Mac jump out our chairs and throw open the door so fast it nearly comes off the hinges. The baby dragon is so scared he's nearly in tears. Before we can say a thing he yells, "Twilight just found Applejack! She's covered in some slime. Twilight said to bring the garden hose." I hear Granny's chair scoot across the floor, but I don't look back. Instead, I let Spike jump on my back and let him lead me out into our apple orchard.
As I race forward, I hear Big Mac mumble something. He can't talk with that garden hose in his mouth, so I translate best I can. "Where'd you find her?"
"Right next to the Everfree Forest, passed out. Weird thing is, Pinkie is right beside her. But she doesn't have a bit of slime on her," Spike throws his arms up, confused. "I don't know what is going on." Lucky us, we don't have to wait long to find out. A few seconds later the trees part to reveal Twilight. And beside her is Applejack and Pinkie Pie, as promised. And just like Spike said, my sister is covered in slime, along with her hat and a bit of the rope she always carries.
Big Mac turns the hose nozzle and water shoots out and washes away the slime. Twilight grabs Applejack and starts trying to shake her awake. It works, and the moment Applejack is awake she yelps and jumps to her hooves so hard it throws Twilight into the air. Nopony even notices Rainbow Dash until Twilight crashes into her and they both tumble to the ground with a thud.
Applejack spins round an' round, scared as a rabbit. "Wha?! Where?! How?!" She sees Twilight and runs over and grabs her. "Twilight! Where'd ya find me? How'd I get here? Why am I soak'n wet!? What's go'n on!!"
I've never seen Applejack so scared. And as the mare I've looked up to my whole life rushes around in a panic, I feel her fear catch in me. I back up and tuck myself between all four of Big Mac's legs before I even know what I'm do'n. The only thing I know is that I'm scared because she's so scared, and I just want to hide.
Twilight puts her hooves up, half holding Applejack up and half defending herself. "I found you right here on the farm! You were covered in slime so Big Mac hosed you down! I don't know anything else!" This seems to calm my sister down a little. In a less defensive tone and posture, Twilight asks, "What's the last thing you remember?"
In a trembling voice, Applejack starts, "The last thing..." but she trails off. I can't see her eyes, but from the amount of tremble'n she's do'n, they gotta be pretty wide. Her tremble'n gets so bad her legs collapse and she falls on Twilight again. This seems to come as a surprise to her, as if she just woke up again. "I... I just can't talk about that right now, Twilight. It's terrible. I..." she seems to go into another daze. After a moment she suddenly jumps to her hooves again, which makes Twilight cringe a little. "I gotta do somethin'! Anything! Tah keep my mind off it!" She cries out frantically. She sees a bunch of apple trees with buckets under them and starts buck'n like you wouldn't believe.
Normally I'd be impressed to see her work'n so hard. But with the strange behavior, the nod'n off, the blind panic, it just makes me more scared. I start crying and try to hide behind Big Mac's leg, hold'n to it for any bit of relief. I peek out to watch as Spike runs up to my sister.
"But you were away all yesterday!" He protests. "And this morning you were covered in that slime." He points to the little slime that didn't dissolve in the hose water. The sight of it brings Applejack to a sudden stop as she utters a fear-soaked gasp. It seems to take a lot of effort for her to close her eyes and turn her head away from the slime.
"Please Spike," Applejack says in a tense voice. "I don't wanna talk about it. I just wanna forget about it and get over it."
Finally Rainbow speaks. "But..."
But she's cut off instantly by my sister's explosive response. "I said no!
There's a peep beside Big Mac and me, and we both jump with a start and see Pinkie has sat up finally.
Applejack's voice grows more tense as she keeps speak'n, "Please, I just had the most terrify'n experience of my life. I don't want to talk about it right now, and I ain't even sure what happened myself. I just wanna crawl in my bed, where it's safe. Around my family, where I feel safe..." She sounds like she is about to break down and cry. "I'll talk about it later. I promise. Just not now."
Everypony seems to silently agree. Applejack takes a bunch of deep breaths and starts walk'n back to the house. Big Mac falls in step next to her, leave'n me to watch everypony else walk back to Ponyville. I turn to head home when I notice the wagon Applejack was supposed to deliver. It's still full of apples.
...
The rest of the day, Big Mac and I work outside while Applejack stays in her room. Every now and then, one of us goes to check on her. Each time, she's laying in her bed, facing the door. Her eyes are wide as saucers, but she don't seem to see us. She's lost in some memory.
Every so often, she'll scream in her room. The first time it happened, both Big Mac and I ran in from outside. She was hide'n under her covers and tremble'n worse than when Zecora came to town. The second we opened the door, she ran up and grabbed us and held on for dear life. Granny came and pried her off, then led her back to bed and talked real nice to her.
I don't tell Big Mac or Granny that see'n Applejack scared like this is scare'n me bad. Because it's more than that. Applejack has always been the pony to stand up to anyth'n. I could always rely on her to make the scary things go away. But after today, I'm not sure I can rely on her the same way. I keep hope'n that tomorrow she'll be back to the ole' reliable Applejack I've looked up to all my life. But every time I hear her scream, that hope fades a little more.
...
The next morning, all four of us are eating breakfast. Applejack seems a lot better. The fear ain't in her eyes anymore. She's got her appetite back, gulp'n down applesauce and juice and take'n large bites of her waffles. And when Granny asks about some bad dreams, my sister talks like regular instead of freezing up and getting lost in her memories.
"Well a hard day's work'll help you forget about them," Granny says confidently.
Big Mac chimes in, "Eyup. I'll let you work the farm today. I'll take that delivery over to Manehattan and be back by..."
"Oh no you won't!" Applejack has jumped up and stuck her nose into my brother's face. We all stare at her, and after a moment, she seems to realize what she's do'n. She sits down slowly before continue'n. "I took on the delivery of that shipment of apples, I'll do it just like I said I would. I don't need no help, thank you very much Big Mac. I'll get it done lickety-split and be back on the farm in no time." She finishes off the rest of her breakfast and puts her dishes into the sink. There is only a quick detour to Granny before heading out the door. "Thanks for breakfast, Granny."
I head off to school and meet Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. I don't dare tell them what happened. Sweetie Belle, for one, can't keep a secret, and Scootaloo would race on over to Sweet Apple Acres and start want'n to see whatever caused such a ruckus. I promise myself to tell them what happened after Applejack tells us what happened. After school, we go to our Crusader Hideout for an official meet'n. It's all confidential, so I can't talk about it here.
But after that, I head back to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack should have returned from the delivery by now, so it ain't no surprise that she is there. But it is a surprise to see the same apples from yesterday sitting in the wagon.
I see her hooked up to the wagon and stare'n into the forest. After a few minutes, she suddenly starts run'n, like she wants to hurry through the forest. She picks up speed quick, gallop'n hard. But long before she reaches the first row of trees, she skids to a stop. All around her, I see gouges in the dirt like the ones she just made.
In a fury like I've only seen her express to pests, she tears herself away from the wagon and bucks at the air. I can hear her as she spits fire. "Gosh darn it, Applejack! Just run on through. Ya can't let Big Mac and Apple Bloom down no more!" She hitches herself on once more and backs up for a good run'n start. "Yeehaw!" she starts strong, head bowed towards the forest. She goes past where she stopped, but just before she reaches the forest she slams her hooves down.
I don't believe the next thing I see. Instead of a tantrum, I see her give up. She lowers her ears and drops her head as she slowly pulls the wagon around to the farm. I see her sad mouth move'n, but she's mumble'n too low for me to hear.
But I don't want to hear what she's say'n. I wanna run over there and tell her to go. I wanna tell her she can't give up! But I know what'll happen. All she'll do is say she's my big sister and send me home to my room. Instead, I need somepony to help me. Somepony that she'll see as an equal. And that somepony knows the Everfree Forest better than anypony else. That somepony lives in the Everfree Forest.
I check to make sure Applejack ain't watch'n before I dash into the forest. I hear her bellow out behind me, "Twilight'll know what to do!" I spin around and hide just in time to watch her run'n towards Twilight's castle. I don't know if she saw me or not, but I ain't stick'n around to find out. I hike to the path and find myself at Zecora's hut faster than you can say applesauce.
I knock on the door urgently and it opens quickly. Zecora immediately sees the worry on my face. "Apple Bloom you look stressed. Have you come here to rest?"
I shake my head as I walk in. "No, I'm look'n for help. Applejack has been act'n real strange lately. She came through the Everfree and went miss'n for a whole day. Then yesterday morn'n she shows up on the farm covered in slime and fast asleep. Then she's scared of her own shadow. I'm hope'n maybe you can help since you live in the Everfree."
Zecora smiles at me warmly. "I can see you are frightened. It is good you sought out a friend. While I live in the Everfree, there are many things here unknown to me. And with so little it is not wise to infer. Instead, we'll go ask your sister."
I prance forward and hug her tight. "Thank you Zecora! I knew you'd help! Applejack said someth'n about ask'n Twilight for help. We should check if she is still there."
We quickly make our way into Ponyville. As we close in on the castle, we see Rainbow, Pinkie and Spike in the distance head'n there too. We gallop to catch up and find that our haste has brought Rarity and Fluttershy to investigate. The four of us arrive at the castle door at the same time. Inside, we hear the other ponies talking inside.
Zecora wastes no time listening at the door. She knocks and the speaking ceases. The door is opened by Spike, and in the back, the others can be seen. "Zecora?" Spike says confused. "And Fluttershy and Rarity? What are you all doing here?"
I come up front. "I brought Zecora."
"And we saw them running over," Rarity said.
"We came to see why everypony was running over here," Fluttershy concluded.
"Apple Bloom!" Applejack is on her hooves in the living area, staring straight at me. "What are you do'n here? And why are you bother'n Zecora?"
Her questions make me angry, and I push past Spike rougher than I mean to. "Because you've been act'n weird! Scared whiter than Rarity, not be'n able to enter the forest! And snap'n at all of us! I wanna know why!"
"That's my business. Not your's and not Zecora's," Applejack shoots back, angrily. "Why are you pry'n?"
My anger breaks, and with it so does my voice. "Because I look up to you! I always come to you when I need help or when I'm scared. But with you so scared... who do I go too? Big Mac? He ain't comfort'n and reassure'n like you are. And Granny Smith wouldn't be able to protect me against a bee much less anything else." I sit hard on the floor, tears in my eyes. "I'm scared, Applejack. I'm scared of what you're scared of. But there ain't no pony to run to."
I lower my head and endure a long moment of silence. After what seems like an hour, I hear Applejack say in a sad and frustrated tone, "Dagnabbit." Then she walks over to me look'n sad, even sympathetic, and wraps her arms around me. "I'm so sorry, Sugarcube! I've been scared white these past few days, but I never meant to scare you." I smile as tears begin to flow down my face. This hug, it's just like the ones I'm used to get'n when I'm sad or scared. "I've been try'n to ignore my fear and just forget about it. And I've been run'n from tell'n everypony about what happened because it was so terrify'n. But I'm gonna stop run'n from this fear right now!"
I smile broadly. "You are?"
My sister nods, wear'n a confident smile just as she wears her hat. "Yup. That's why I'm here. But, truth be told, this feels a lot easier with you here, Apple Bloom." We share a strong, tight hug, and then she takes a deep breath. "It all started with that delivery..."
In my mind, her story plays out:
Applejack is on a rickety bridge in the Everfree Forest. With each step it seems to creak louder and louder, and her expression grows more worried with each creak. About halfway across a plank snaps under the wagon and the wheels get stuck in the gap. “Oh dagnabbit." The bridge strains audibly. After much strain'n of her own, Applejack manages to pull the wheels out of the gap and get the wagon across the bridge. But when she looks back, she finds the biggest hydra she has ever seen stare'n down at her hungrily. With a gasp, she lunges forward into a gallop.
The hydra roars and gives chase. Applejack tries to outrun it, but the overloaded wagon is slow'n her down too much. She ditches it near a rock and dashes away. To lose the beast, she tries every sort of cover she can. She squeezes and zigzags between trees, dodges into a cave, and hides in the deep shadows and camouflage of orange and yellow bushes. But it is no use. The hydra easily bursts through the trees, lifts the cave's roof to expose her and nail-shaped stalactites, and smells her through the bush's flowers. Each time, she is forced to run.
“Leave me alone!!” she yells, more frustrated than afraid. She bucks a tree to drop a giant bee hive on the hydra, but it simply bats the swarm away. As they pass some steep cliffs, she yells to cause a rockslide, but it's too small and the hydra brushes off the falling rocks.
Now desperate, Applejack splashes down into Froggy Bottom Bogg. She breaks off a reed and dives underwater, breathe'n through her new straw. The hydra stops, puzzled. After a moment of think'n, it grins at the reeds and begins pull'n them up one by one. Finally, it pulls Applejack’s breathe'n reed and plucks her out of the water. She gulps loudly, and her eyes search frantically all around for anyth'n that will help her escape. And that’s when the water explodes to reveal a huge beak surge'n at her.
The beak closes firmly around Applejack’s body and then tosses her up into the air, cause'n all the hydra’s heads to jerk back in shock. She catches a Pegasus’ eye view of the gigantic turtle that tossed her and its wide open mouth directly underneath her. As she starts to fall towards it, she whips out her rope and sends the biggest lasso she’s ever made down at the open mouth.
Instead of close'n on the beak, the turtle's tongue flicks and gets grabbed by the lasso. “NOOO!” Applejack cries as she falls right into the open maw. She watches the beak rise up like mountain peaks around her. The light begins to fade as the back of the turtle’s mouth comes racing up to her. But she stops short with a sudden twang. There is still a chance for escape!
She starts climbing at a feverous pace, but it ain’t meant to be. The tongue flicks gently and a small length of rope drapes over the lower beak.
“NOOO! PLEASE NO!” Applejack cries out again. But the beak snaps shut, engulfing her in darkness. The rope goes slack, and for a moment she is weightless. Then she smacks into the moist bottom of the turtle’s mouth. Immediately, it swallows and she can feel herself being pulled down the throat of the beast. She thrashes violently, but finds it does no good. She tries to scream but there is no air. Suddenly she feels herself jerked down another tube in the turtle’s digestive track. She drops into a thick slime that she inhales as she gulps for air that ain’t there. A wave of drowsiness envelops her and she is taken by a sleep deeper than the slime around her.
After Applejack's story, I look around to find everypony has the same expression as me; mouths hanging open in shock at what we've just heard. Nopony says anyth'n until Spike drops his popcorn bucket, spilling the contents across the floor.
This spurs Rainbow to speak. "You got eaten?"
"And she survived!" Pinkie adds.
Twilight gulps audibly. "Okay, I can see why that'd be hard to talk about."
"I feel better," Applejack says, "now that I've told y'all about it. But every time I think about that forest, I just see that turtle's mouth wait'n to take me in again. I donno when I'll be able to enter the Everfree, if ever. I sure as hay don't wanna let y'all down, but I just don't see a way around it."
"Oh there's a way around it, alright. I for one will get you into that forest and all the way through it. Even if I have to walk with you along the whole path," Twilight says confidently.
"And me, and me!" Pinkie says, hop'n.
"And if that turtle shows up," Rainbow Dash chimes in, shadow box'n while hover'n, "We'll take it on together." Rarity and Fluttershy walk up to add their support.
Applejack takes a deep breath and looks relieved. "Oh thank ya kindly. Everypony! I was so scared of let'n everypony down that I tried to hide how afraid I was of go'n into that forest."
Twilight walks up close to Applejack. "You can always count on us to help you when things are too much to handle."
Zecora finally moves, walk'n up next to my sister. "To fight the turtle is unnecessary. I assure you, you are not its quarry."
"What!?" Rainbow exclaims immediately. "Didn't you hear her? She was eaten. Of course she's its quarry."
"Now wait a minute, Rainbow," Twilight says quickly. "Zecora knows the Everfree better than anypony. Plus, if what she says is true, it may lead to an explanation of how Applejack ended up at Sweet Apple Acres." Everypony turned expectantly to the zebra, wait'n for the explanation.
Zecora looked around as she spoke, address'n every pony present. "Nopony needs to fear, for I will tell you what lives out there. His name is River Glen, and Froggy Bottom Bogg is his den. He is an intellectual from a different dimension, and research is his intention.
"But that doesn't keep him from being kind. He will help anypony out of a bind. Because your situation was so dire, he swallowed you so you would not expire. As for knowing where you live, he says his research is exhaustive. With his identity preserved, every town he has observed. He must have seen you working there, so he deposited you somewhere near."
"You talk like you know River personally, Zecora," Twilight said, and the zebra nodded in response.
My sister seemed stunned by the revelation. "You say'n he saved me?"
"It seems like it," I say. "But why did he eat you to save you? It makes no sense."
"Well, if River has been in the Bogg for a while, maybe he knew something we don't," Twilight proposed. "Maybe the hydra attacked after he showed up. If Applejack wasn't protected somehow, she might have gotten hurt during their fight."
"Or something else might have gotten her," Spike contributed, and then added, "Like, Timber Wolves."
"If that's true..." Applejack said. "I owe him my life. Nuts! Now I gotta at least give'm a proper thank you."
“What?” we all cry out together.
"Yup," Applejack says. "I donno how, but I just gotta show my gratitude." She pulls me into a hug. "If it weren't for River, Apple Bloom here'd have nopony to look up to anymore. And Big Mac would have to applebuck our whole orchard by himself. And then there's Granny and you girls. There's just too many ponies that rely on me to just take that for granted."
Pinkie hops forward. "Oh! Oh! We can invite him to your 'Hooray you're alive' party!"
"No..." Applejack says, and then adds, "I really don't wanna have that party."
“Well, if you are going to thank this noble amniote, you should do it properly. I’ll prepare a gift basket,” Rarity says and turns to leave.
“Rarity,” Applejack starts, sound'n annoyed. “He lives in the forest. I don’t think he has a home. Plus I have loads to catch up on already.”
“He may not have one here, but he does have a home somewhere. Perhaps he will like this gift, one he can take through his rift,” Zecora says pleasantly.
“See. And I have a lot to do as well, Applejack,” Rarity says in return. “If you want me to be swift, I invite you to prepare it with me.”
Applejack sighs. “Fine. I’ll help ya with this gift basket.” She smiles despite argue'n, probably glad that everypony has her back. It's why I'm smile'n so much.
We all step forward, most notably Zecora. “If I may help with this endeavor, I will show the things he does savor.”
“Oh thank you Zecora,” Rarity says sweetly.
"I ain't sure how I can help, but I wanna," I say eagerly.
Rarity pinches my cheek. "You can be our little helper." Everypony laughs but me.
"Hey wait a second," Rainbow says as we all begin walk'n to the door. "Why was Pinkie asleep on Sweet Apple Acres?"
“I wasn’t sleeping. I was put to sleep. By her!” she points an accuse'n hoof at my sister.
“What!” we all shout together.
“Well, by the slime that she was covered in,” Pinkie explains. “See, I had never seen it before, so I thought, ‘Hmm, maybe it would make a nice coating for my Super Slimy Sponge Cake.’ So I licked it. It was icky. I don’t recommend it.”
“And this led you to being asleep how?” Twilight asks.
“Oh well right after I tasted the icky slime, I got reeeeaaaaaaaally drowsy and fell asleep.” Pinkie folds her arms and pretends to snore.
We all head over to Sweet Apple Acres to get my wagon. Applejack lets me use it to haul everyth'n we need to make the basket, and under Zecora's guidance we prepare a nice one. Everypony makes a contribution to it. Turns out, Fluttershy’s beavers collect River’s favorite species of reed from Froggy Bottom Bogg. So we use them as the material. Rainbow fills each reed with some cloud to make the basket float, and then Rarity weaves some real fancy designs into the sides. Twilight puts in a few scientific instruments she says are common in field work. Of course Pinkie puts in cupcakes and seasonings. Applejack and I drop in a cider mug, and Spike puts in a few gems. When we're finished, we stand back and admire our work.
"All that remains is the delivery. When you're ready, I will take you into the Everfree," Zecora says.
"I don't wanna waste anymore time. Let's go meet River!" Applejack snatches the basket out of the air and runs to Sweet Apple Acres with me in tow. She ties her lasso around the basket to keep it from floating away and begins to follow Zecora into the forest.
"Applejack, can I come?" I ask, hop'n the answer is yes.
My sister looks back, and I can see the fear that she is try'n to hide glint'n in her eyes. "Sorry, Sugarcube. This here is my fear that I have to face."
"But you don't have to face it alone, do you?" I ask.
She looks relieved as she smiles and shakes her head. "I reckon I don't have to." I run over and the three of us venture into the forest together, follow'n the trail to Zecora's hut. Instead of stop'n there, we walk down an embankment and find ourselves on another trail. When Zecora finally stops, we're stand'n on the side of a huge open'n in the forest.
"Why are we stop'n here," I ask.
Zecora turns around. "We can meet River Glen in this glade. It is a safe place where friendship can be made. "
I notice Applejack start tremble'n at the name River. "I hate to say it, but I'm still scared. Meet'n the creature that ate me. I just don't know how I'm gonna face him."
Zecora nods. “That is understandable, to be helpless is undesirable. But when you're courage seems to have run its length, look to your family to give you strength.” She turns and lifts her hoof to the glade. “Release your fears into the air. And soon you'll find him here.”
My sister nods and closes her eyes. For a moment, she looks calm, but that goes away real quick. Her eyes dart faster and faster under her lids, and then she starts tremble'n again. She begins to lower herself to the ground, real slow. And when she's lay'n down, she covers her head with her hooves as if try'n to hide from something. She shakes her head like she is say'n no, and then it starts sound'n like she is mutter'n no to herself, real quiet. And then, all of a sudden, she jumps up and bellows, "Noooooooooo!"
I hear her cry echo through the forest again and again. Beside me, she's breathe'n hard and sweat'n. She jumps when I touch her, but then pulls me tight like she can't live without me. For a few minutes, things almost seem normal. Her breathe'n slows down and she almost looks relaxed beside me.
But that's all taken away when the thuds start. Every time we hear a thud, we feel it in the ground. As they get loud, the ground shakes more. Applejack and I slowly huddle closer the louder the thuds get. She's tremble'n worse than the ground since she knows what's come'n, but I aint' got a clue what to expect.
That's why when the turtle bursts into view, I nearly run for it. The only thing that stops me is the gasp my sister makes. I watch her back up slowly and then turn to run. Immediately, I latch onto her flank and pull her down into the grass. "I can't do it! I can't! I can't! Lemme go!!" she cries as she struggles to escape.
But I don't. I won't. I yell, "I ain't let'n go! I ain't! I ain't! You gotta face'm! You promised you would!" After that, she stops struggle'n. She looks me in the eyes, tremble'n, and nods. Her legs are shake'n so hard that I think I need to hold her up, but somehow she walks up next to Zecora. We all watch River walk up calmly, the ground shake'n every time he takes a step.
My sister and I hug tight. We both know that if we don't hold each other, we'll run from River. He is a true monster. For the most part he is a turtle, with a sharp beak and a thick shell. But he has a lot of things added on. His eyes look like they came from a chameleon. They don't even move together. It's so weird just watch'n him look over the entire glade. His back feet look like a turtle's, but his front feet look like a Minotaur's hands tipped with sharp eagle claws. And his skin, it looks like Spike's only thicker. And a lot stronger.
One of his eyes settles on the three of us and he stops walk'n. The other eye searches around before find'n us. The head turns to point the beak at each of us, as if to show which one he is look'n at. The beak points at Zecora and we hear a deep voice rumble out of him. “Zecora. It is a tleasure to see you again. Why have you sunnoned ne?”
Both my sister and I jump when he speaks. But Zecora just walks forward like there's noth'n to worry about. "My friend Applejack you swallowed whole. For a while, she was fearful! But your true intentions she has learned, and she has brought you a gift you have earned.” Zecora waves back towards us.
My sister gulps down her fear and steps forward with the basket in tow. “Uh, howdy there, uh, River Glen. Yesterday you saved me from the hydra in the forest. It took me and my friends some time to realize that that is what you had done. And we had a lot of help from Zecora here. But it ain’t like an Apple to leave a good deed unrewarded. This here is a little gift that we all made. To help say thank you for save'n me and all.” She tugs her lasso gently and the basket pulls out and begins to float towards River Glen. She tells him what we did to make it. And I swear I see his eyes curve back in a sort of smile.
“This is nost excellent. I give you thanks for the considerate gisft. Isf this geak were agle to forn a snile, I tell you it would.” He lightly sniffs the basket and then seems to pause.
“Please forgive his accent, he cannot pronounce some consonants with a mouth so different,” Zecora says. “In case his words were not clear, your gift has filled him with cheer. If he could smile, he would for a while.”
My sister makes an awkward smile. “I, uh, am pleased as punch to hear that.” She backs up next to me, and I can see she is trembl'n a little, although she is try'n not to show it. She's still breathe'n hard when she says quietly, "You ready to go, Apple Bloom? I really wanna, huh, deliver those apples."
I look up at River and see his beak pointed at us. I almost jump back in fright. My sister spins around with a yelp. River asks her, " Why do you sfear me, Attlejack?”
The question seems to make my sister get lost in her memories again. She spaces out and begins tremble'n until she shakes her head hard and fast. “Because I can’t get the memory of you eat'n me out of my head!” She screams and collapses. Before I know what I'm do'n, I'm try'n to pull her up.
"Come on! We can go! We can go right now!" I say quiet and fast. I'm really tense and scared.
"Dear ne," River says thoughtfully. "I tried to desfend you, gut I only sfilled you with sfear. I wish I could have done things disfferently. Attlejack, you have ny nost sincere atologies. Can you ever gring yourselsf to sforgive ne?"
We both stare at him as he talks, and we see him drop his head like he is ashamed. For a moment, we both seem stunned, but my sister suddenly stands. She ain't tremble'n or shake'n or noth'n. She starts walk'n up to River, but every step seems to be so careful. Someth'n about how she's walk'n reminds me how she was before she met River, strong and fearless. Finally, she reaches up and pats his front claw.
“It’s alright, Sugarcube. I understand that you wanted to help. I forgive you. Eat’n ponies might not be tha best way to save’em, but I think it was the only one in my case. There was noth'n stop'n that hydra.” She glances at the basket. “Somehow now, that basket don’t seem thanks enough.”
River watches her intently for a moment and then lays on the ground. “Thank you, Attlejack. Your kind words go deet to ny heart and revives ny stirit.”
“I’m glad to hear that, River Glen. Friends?” Applejack smiles broadly.
He nodded and inched his closed beak forward a bit. “Sfriends.”
Applejack gave the beak a tight hug and then stepped back and sighed. “I’d love to stay and get to know you better, but I’ve got this delivery of apples that are almost overdue in Manehattan. Just, I don’t know how I’m gonna get past that bridge. Or that hydra.”
River Glen stood up tall. “A crew of tonies has sfixed the gridge. It is retaired and good sfor crossing. The hydra has geen desfeated. I assure you, it will not return. It ternanently lost one osf its heads to ny acid. The gogg will still have signs osf our gattle.”
As he speaks, I see his shell seem to move. That's when I realize that someth'n is wrapped around it, and that someth'n is his tail! It's thick and muscular. Along its side are what looks like saw blades, and the end looks like a spearhead.
Applejack jumps up and rears. “Yoohoo! Well there ain’t noth'n gonna stop this pony from making that delivery now!” She whips around to Zecora. “Thank ya kindly for helping us out Zecora. I don’t know what would have happened if I couldn’t get back into the forest.”
“Attlejack, I live in the Sfroggy Gotton Gogg. When I an hone, I will leave the gasket agove ne. Isf you see it, tlease call sfor ne. I will answer,” River Glen bows his head slightly and his eyes seem to smile again.
Applejack nods. “I sure will. Take care now, y’all!” She looks at me excited. "Let's go, Apple Bloom!" We both run at full gallop to Ponyville. When she gets back, she immediately straps into the wagon. As she passes into the forest, she shows no sign of stopp'n.
Author's Note
For River's accent, I tried to sound out words without using my lips. The "B" was changed to "B", "P" was changed to "T", and each "F" was preceded by an "S" or "Sh" sound. "M" isn't possible to pronounce without lips, so I substituted "N". He is a little hard to read, but I think it is much easier than what I had before, which was just leaving some sounds out. Even I had to ponder for many moments before remembering what I had intended to write!
