Chapter One: Three Are Not Better Than One

Applejack sat watching the landscape pass by. Off in the distance, she could clearly see mountains and farmhouses as they slowly moved from the right side of the window to the left. The closer the objects were, the faster they passed by until those just outside the window became mere blurs that flashed into existence and then vanished just as quickly.

The train chugged down the tracks towards its destination. Up in the locomotive, the engineer shoveled black coal into the fiery hell of the furnace. The coal burned intensely, releasing vast amounts of scorching heat that rose upwards into the boiler, increasing the temperature of the water to a scalding boil. Steam flowed from the boiler down into the cylinder, pushing the piston with all its might. When spent, a valve opened venting the steam out. The piston moved back and forth in the cylinder. Back and forth in a rhythm that was somehow both monotonous and hypnotic. The piston moved the connecting rod back and forth, which turned the driving wheels of the locomotive.

Applejack looked down at the magazine poking out of her saddlebag. She pulled it out and instinctively the magazine opened to its familiar page. “Small Town Charm” read the title, with the author noted as “Trenderhoof.” Applejack couldn’t count the number of times she had read the article. Trenderhoof had travelled all over Equestria, yet somehow this little town had captured his heart….

Applejack snapped out of her thoughts as she noticed the train slowing down. They must be getting close. She quickly rolled up the magazine and slid it back into her saddlebags. She turned back to the window to see the town of Ponyville in the distance. She could see the timber-framed buildings with their thatched roofs that made up most of the structures of town. Above she noticed pegasi working the weather. She turned her attention back to town and spotted the cupola of Town Hall, which sat in the center of Ponyville. Off in the distance, Applejack could see the vast castle of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Like a giant crystal tree, its roots sank deep into the ground while its branches reached towards the heavens, lifting the palace high into the air.

The train slowed down and Applejack saw the train station ahead. Nothing fancy, it was a simple one-story building with a thatched roof that sat next to the single pair of tracks of the rail line that serviced Ponyville. Applejack wasn’t sure if the universe was playing some cruel joke, teasing her with a destination that approached more and more slowly. Every second the train decelerated, and Applejack wondered if they would ever arrive. Finally, the train stopped right in front of the station. The conductor yelled, “This stop Ponyville!”

Applejack donned her saddlebags and made her way down the aisle. She noticed several other passengers getting off at this stop. She pondered if they lived here or were just passing through. Applejack stepped from the passenger car onto the small platform. Finally she had arrived at her destination.

Smiling slightly, Applejack walked to the end of the platform and down the stairs. She trotted along the path that led to the main part of town. Celestia’s golden sun shone overhead, and a cool breeze blew from the west. She saw the friendly townsfolk walking about. Her smile widening, she realized she was home….

Applejack continued walking down the street, taking in all of her surroundings. Catching the sweet smell of fresh flowers, she walked by a small shop overflowing with flowers of every kind and color. Half a block down the scent of fresh bread wafted from the bakery. She turned a corner and reached the Town Square. In the center stood the Town Hall. Though dominating the square, Town Hall seemed graceful and inviting. It featured a wrap-around portico and a large second-story balcony. A third floor overhung the second, while a cupola topped the structure. She continued walking through the square, when she noticed a pink pony, mane wildly curly, bouncing down the street. Spying Applejack, she immediately turned and bounced over to her.

“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie, who are you?” said the pink mare with a big smile across her face.

“Hello, I’m Applejack.”

“You’re not Applejack!” said Pinkie with a giggle.

Taken aback, she replied, “Of course I’m Applejack.”

“No you’re not silly!”

“Yes I am!”

“Hmm.” She began examining the mare in front of her. “You don’t look like Applejack. Did you get your coat and mane dyed?”

“No!” said Applejack, growing increasingly frustrated.

“And you don’t sound like Applejack. Where’s your countryisms?”

“My what?”

“You know: ‘Cornsarnit’; ‘What in tarnation?’; ‘Buck like a five-bit snake herder in an Appleloosa ranch house’. You know – countryisms.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“And your cutie mark is different.”

“My cutie mark!” She turned to look at her flank.

“Oh no! Did Twilight cast that spell that switches our cutie marks!?” Pinkie spun around and saw three balloons on her flank. “Whew, that was a close one!”

By this time Applejack was fairly convinced she was talking with an escapee from an asylum. Maybe she had made the wrong decision to move to Ponyville? “I don’t know what your going on about, but I AM APPLEJACK!”

Pinkie’s face lit up. “Ooo. I get it. It’s a game! I’ll play along. I’M APPLEJACK!”

***

Rarity trotted down the street. She couldn’t wait to spend the whole afternoon relaxing at the spa. First would come a steam bath, cleansing the pores and relaxing the muscles. Next would be facials, exfoliating and refreshing the skin. Rarity looked forward to the soothing massages, removing all her tension and leaving her in a most blissful state. Then she would enjoy a mud bath before having her horn filed. Finally she would receive a hooficure, with the spa ponies trimming and filing her hoofs before polishing them to a reflective sheen.

Turning to her companion, she said, “I’m so happy that you decided to spend some of your new found free time with me.”

“Well shoot Rarity, Ah always like spendin’ time with you. Ah’m just glad we got the chores on the farm dun.”

“Nothing Twilight and I couldn’t sort out,” she said, giving a wink.

“Ah wonder if we’ll run into Rainbow Dash.”

“She’s not one for those froufrou spa treatments.” Both mares laughed at Rainbow Dash’s embarrassment.

Suddenly they began to hear a commotion from up ahead. They sped up and came across Pinkie Pie talking to an agitated mare. “Pinkie Pie, what in tarnation is goin’ on here?”

“I’m Applejack!”

“No, I’m Applejack!”

“Ah’m Applejack!”

Something reminded Rarity of a movie she saw a long time ago.

“You’re Applejack?”

“Ya darn straight Ah am. Who are you?”

“I’m Applejack!”

“Me too!”

Rarity decided to intervene. “Pinkie Pie –”

“Applejack!”

“What?”

“Not you, she’s a’talkin’ to me!”

“I thought she was talking to me!”

“Well, who are you then?”

“I’m Applejack!”

“Applejack…” Applejack motioned for her to say her last name.

“Applejack. And you?”

“Ah’m Applejack.”

Applejack waited for the mare to say her last name.

“All I did was walk down the street when this crazy mare –”

“Pinkie Pie,” corrected Applejack.

“Applejack!” cried ~~Pinkie Pie~~ Applejack.

“When this crazy mare starts telling me that I’m not Applejack.”

“But this is Applejack!” cried ~~Pinkie Pie~~ Applejack as she pointed at Applejack.

“And who says I’m not?”

“Well, dang it. Who’da thought in all of Equestria there’d be two ponies by the name of Applejack?”

“Three!” cried ~~Pinkie Pie~~ Applejack.

“Miss Pie, don’t be silly,” admonished Rarity.

“Aww, but I’m so good at it.”

Rarity turned to Applejack with a smirk. “So, has the Apple clan finally run out of Apple-related names and been forced to reuse them?”

Applejack returned a glare to her friend. “Ah don’t know if we’re family. Are you related to any of the Apples of Manehattan?”

“No.”

“Where ya from, partner?”

“Mane.”

“Mane?”

“Yes, it’s a province far to the north.”

“Well, we’re happy to have ya in Ponyville!”

“Yes, welcome Miss, uh, Applejack.”

“A Welcome to Ponyville Party for Applejack – the new Applejack!”

Rarity interjected. “Perhaps we should start with something simple. Applejack, have you had lunch?”

Applejack’s stomach started to growl. “I didn’t have anything on the train, so I could go for something to eat.”

Author's Note

So, I did a bunch of writing during my absence. I got a couple of chapters of Lost Pegasus done, did work on Dreams of the Heart, wrote some short comedic stories (more of those to come), and wrote this story. It hit me when I ran into somebody who shared my name. Not just my first name, or my last. But also my middle name. And he was born the same year as me. And he went to a college I very nearly attended. And he had the same job as me.

Da-da-Da-da. Da-da-Da-da. You've just crossed over to the Twilight Zone.

Yeah, it was a little bit creepy. But also kinda funny. Anyways, I wondered what it would be like if this happened in say, I don't know, Equestria. Originally I contemplated another character. But I chose Applejack. Why? Besides being fun to mess with (though she is my favorite character, so my teasing is out of affection), Applejack sounded common enough to have other ponies named that. Seriously, do you think another character would be named Twilight Sparkle? Or Rainbow Dash?

But anyways, let me say that this story is kinda an experiment for me. Every chapter of Dreams of the Heart is planned out in excruciating detail prior to editing and publication. Lost Pegasus has a defined plot in my head, but I fill out the story as I go along. This story has only a beginning. Much like how Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, I had the idea for the start, but have no idea of where it is going. I wanted to write something that just goes where the inspiration takes us. So, that being said, no set schedule for new chapters. Whenever I have a good idea of what comes next, and a little bit of time in my busy schedule, I'll write it and publish it.

Hope you enjoyed Chapter One!

Dreadnought