The sun rose as it always did. Shaded away from silvery clouds, but it was still there nonetheless. Tiny snowflakes filled the air, riding the wind as they fell quietly to the earth below. The trees after having shed their leaves now stood there bare and lifeless. The once flowing rivers were still, crystallized by the numbing frost. Winter's chill hushed the world around it, silencing all life it contacted.
A small cabin resided in the noiseless forest. The cabin was worn down from the natural elements that it had encountered over its many years. The wooden planks that held it together were weak and molding. The windows were broken and had been replaced by boards. The door hung crooked, the failing hinges squeaked whenever they rotated.
Most who passed the dwindling structure never gave it a second chance. Usually those that did see it assumed it had been abandoned long ago. Occasionally, however, someone did approach it. When the intruder neared the door, feelings of fear would wash over them, and they would soon retreat. So the cabin remained undisturbed.
The wind blew violently, pounding at the rotting wooden walls. A dense snow began to fall, covering the decrepit roof, weighing it down heavily. The building began to creak as the external forces beat down upon it. A sharp crack rang through the air, and the noises ceased. After decades of abuse, the cabin gave in, and collapsed.
A nearby traveler heard the sound, and turned back to investigate. The wanderer located the source of the noise, and examined the wreckage for a few minutes. She detected slight movement beneath the rubble. Approaching it cautiously, she pushed aside the debris.
A golden unicorn lay there protecting something beneath her. Her breathing labored, a stray piece of bark impaled her back. When the debris had been moved, she rotated herself, and her breathing stopped. In the spot the unicorn had given her life to protect, held an unconscious blue baby Pegasus with a rainbow mane.
The drifter held the baby Pegasus as she knocked on the door of a small orphanage. She wasn't able to care for a filly, so in her mind, this was the best option. It was small for an orphanage, but given the location, it was adequate. Gently placing the bundled up Pegasus on the steps, she crossed the street and observed, making sure the pony was found. The door opened, and the squirming ball was taken inside, with that, she took her leave.
Two years had gone by since she was first dropped off at the orphanage. The Pegasus was too young to remember the incident at the cabin, so she knew nothing about the event. Everypony at the orphanage came to call her Rainbow Dash because of her multicolored mane, and her love to run. She was the only pony at the residence that had wings. All the foals here were earth ponies; they often took pleasure in watching their winged friend glide around the room.
Rainbow Dash couldn't fly yet, at least not for more than a few seconds. She practiced hard every day, her best friend Ice Comet kept her company outside as she trained. The two ponies were always together.
One day a couple came to the orphanage, they were unable to have children of their own so they decided to adopt. The two decided on the small filly with the fiery blue mane. She cried as her best friend was being taken away from her, pleading with the caretaker not to let them have Ice Comet. The caretaker said nothing, and finally her companion was gone.
Day after day passed slowly, Rainbow's wings grew stronger as time progressed. After Ice Comet had been stolen from her, she distanced herself from the other foals, training by herself. As she suspected, the ponies she knew disappeared one by one.
She felt abandoned, all the ponies she had originally befriended here at the orphanage were now gone. There were new arrivals, but it wasn't the same, she ignored them, unwilling to be hurt again. The place felt so lonely, she wanted to leave. Anywhere was better than here amongst the memories of lost friends she had once considered family.
The lonely blue Pegasus could no longer stand it. She hugged the caretaker that had sheltered her and fed her for as long as she could remember. That night, she silently crept outside. The front door was locked, and only a key could open it. However, the back door which leads to the yard was not.
A tall wooden fence surrounded the yard; it was designed to contain earth ponies, not a Pegasus. She ran quickly towards the fence, flapping her wings as hard and fast as she could. Her hooves lifted off the ground for a moment, then touched back down. Out of runway, she headed back and tried again, still with no luck.
Hours passed, the sun's light was drifting into view. Her coat glimmered with perspiration. Her breathing was loud and heavy, but she was determined to leave this place she would not give up. After a short rest, she tried again. She dashed towards the fence once more, her wings beating quickly, slamming into her sides. She felt her hooves were going to lift off once more, she continued flapping her wings, and this time she leaped just before the ground slipped away.
The Pegasus was slowly rising further off the ground. The fence was drawing closer and closer, she was about to crash into it. Her instincts took over; she leaned her body one direction, and directed her feathers with her. She turned just in time to avoid colliding with all that stood between her and freedom.
Soon she was high enough to cross over the fence. As she did, tears began to form. She didn't want to be at this place any longer, but it was still painful leaving it behind. The orphanage had been the only thing she had ever known. It was the only place she had ever called home.
The rainbow Pegasus soared through the sky, the hot sun sapping away her energy. She didn't know where she was, but she couldn't fly much longer. Gazing down at the earth, she looked for a shaded place to land, and spotted an apple orchard not far from her.
A sharp pain had been growing in her stomach while she flew. At first she ignored the hunger, but it was becoming unbearable. The shining red fruit called to her, and she couldn't resist. She flew down towards the ground, unsure of how to land. She tried slowing her wings, a little too slow, and she plummeted down, and crashed hard into the ground.
Rainbow Dash tried to stand up, a burning sensation filled her left hind leg as she placed put weight on it. The burning soon throbbed throughout her whole leg, causing her to collapse back onto the ground. Her dark pink eyes began to water; both from the searing agony from her leg, and fear she would be unable to leave this spot.
She flailed her helplessly at the tree, hoping to knock down a loose apple. Her stomach now felt as if it were being torn apart inside her from having gone so long without any food. Her arms grew tired and sore from smashing them into the tree, and she soon gave up this feat as well.
Alone, scared, and injured, she tried to comfort herself; someone must have heard her cries and would help her soon. The blue skies were now a flurry of oranges, pinks, and yellows as the sun crept away, taking the warmth with it. She began to shiver as the air cooled around her. Now, on top of being immobilized by her injured leg, and the dull aching pain in her stomach, she was going to be freezing as the night went on.
"What in the hay are yah doin?" A voice called out from behind her. An orange pony wearing a light brown cowboy hat atop her blonde mane walked from behind the tree that Rainbow was resting on. The Pegasus whimpered, she pointed helplessly at her leg, to afraid to speak.
"Aw, there there sweetie. Lemme get yah inside, don't yah fret none, ah'll take care of yah" the orange mare leaned down and lifted one of the fragile hooves over her back. She lifted herself up, picking up the extra weight. Despite appearing not much older than Rainbow, her legs were powerful and handled the extra weight with ease.
The two ponies walked slowly towards a dimly lit farmhouse. The house appeared quite old, but well managed. A fresh layer of dark green paint covered the wooden boards. The smell of baked apples and dough filled the air, making the night feel warmer.
The orange pony opened the door. A low creaking noise escaped the hinges as it moved. A small brown sofa rested near the center of the main room. A lantern hung on a rusty nail posted on the wall by the door. She gently placed the injured blue Pegasus on the couch, and left the room.
The stranger returned quickly, holding white cloth bandages in her mouth. "Ah'm sorry, this is gonna hurt a bit, but ah need to set yer leg, ah reckon it's been dislocated." Her words were muffled from the bandages, but her patient understood. The Pegasus nodded, and the mare walked closer, kneeled down and examined the leg.
A few minutes passed, and then the pony placed one hoof on Rainbow Dash's knee, and the other on the back of her shin. She signaled for the Pegasus to brace herself. The two took in a deep breath, and the orange mare thrust the knee downward, and the lower leg upward. A loud popping sound echoed through the house. It was soon drowned out by a deafening scream of agony that escaped the blue pony's mouth.
After the initial surge of pain had dwindled away, Rainbow Dash lay there whimpering quietly. "There, there, everything will be okay." The orange filly whispered soothingly, gently stroking the rainbow mane. "It's gonna be okay sugarcube" The Pegasus relaxed and drifted to sleep as the voice continued to comfort her.
The sound of birds chirping awoke the sleeping lump that lay on the brown sofa. She looked around; many of the events that occurred last night were blurred in her memory. A wooden chair placed only a few feet away from the couch held another pony.
"Oh, yer awake! How are yah feeling this mornin'?" the orange foal said loudly in her thick southern accent.
"Better, thank you"
"FANTASTIC! Now why don't ah make you something ta eat, ah bet yer a mite hungry!" She sprung off the chair, and skipped happily to a different room.
"Um." Rainbow Dash spoke softly, "Thank you, ya know, for… helping me out, and everything." Being helped had always made her feel uneasy, as if she would later have to repay the favor, and wouldn't be able to.
The orange pony popped her head around the corner "Well yer most welcome! By the way, ah never did get the chance to ask yah yer name last night"
"I'm Rainbow Dash" her cheeks flushed red, she had been here the whole night, and didn't even know the name of the pony who helped her.
The orange mare smiled broadly, her forest green eyes sparkled brightly. She tipped her brown cowboy hat down as if to greet the Pegasus for the first time."Well nice to meet yah Rainbow Dash, Mah names Applejack!"
"Let's see how yer legs doin'" Applejack prodded Rainbow Dash's side, "Go on now!"
The bandage on the Pegasus's leg was tight, she could feel the blood struggling to pulse through the veins. Gently she lifted her leg, and placed a hoof down on the floor, bracing herself in case of any pain, but there was none. Feeling more confident she put a little more pressure on it, and the burning sensation returned.
Rainbow Dash flinched and pulled her leg away from the floor. Applejack frowned at the immobilized pony. "Aw, that's okay, ah'm sure you'll be up and running around in no time!" She ruffled the rainbow mane, chuckling as she did.
"So, ah was wonderin', why were yah outside all by yerself. Aren't yer parents worried?" Applejack's asked delicately, trying not to offend her injured guest.
"I seriously doubt they are worried about me." Rainbow Dash laughed a little, trying to act as if it didn't bother her. She tried not to give much thought about where her parents were, she felt they had abandoned her. That no one wanted her.
"An' why wouldn't they be worried? If mah parents couldn't find me, well ah reckon they'd tear down the entire farm lookin' fer me."
"Well, I don't think they are concerned about me because I never met them." Rainbow Dash paused, pushing any emotions back that may have attempted to surface. "Really, it's no big deal."
Applejack was frowning again, "Ah'm sorry, ah can't imagine what'd it'd be like if ah never knew mah parents."
"What about your parents? How come they aren't here right now?" Rainbow Dash said, trying to move the topic off of her.
"Oh, mah parents went to Manehatten. Momma is havin' another foal soon!" Applejack's voice lifted up as she went on. "Ah can't wait, it's gonna be great havin' a new baby brother or sister! Pops said they'd be back in about a week, an' they left yesterday."
Rainbow Dash smiled as the orange pony talked for what felt like hours about everything she would do with the foal. The Pegasus tried to pay attention, but a question started to eat away at her. "What happened to my parents? Did they not want me?" she asked herself.
"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack was practically shouting. "Yer head fly up the clouds fer a minute there RD?"
"Huh, oh sorry, I'm just a little tired still, and my legs still a little sore. I'm just gonna take a nap if you don't mind." Rainbow Dash put on a smile, and let out a fake yawn to verify her story.
"Well okay then, Ah got to go do some work out in the field anyhow. Ah'll check up on yah later" The orange mare skipped away gleefully.
The Pegasus returned back to her thoughts. The same questions rushing through her mind. The thoughts made her feel as lonely as the first night after Ice Comet had been taken away from her. She had watched dozens of ponies come and go, but no pony had paid attention to her. It made her feel even more unwanted when she watched every pony she knew going to a family of their own.
"Does no pony want me?" the Pegasus whispered to herself. Her mind soon wandered back to the questions of what happened to her real family. She knew nothing about her family, and when she had asked the caretaker at the orphanage a year ago, all she received was a frown, and a shrug.
The questions bothered her more than it used to on the occasions she thought about it at the orphanage. Her friend's eyes had livened and lit up with joy when she had talked about her family, and it had made her envious. She wished she could have that. The feeling that someone would always be there, they would always take care of her, and would always love her.
"Well, ah'm done with all the chores for the day, whatcha wanna do? Applejack shouted from across the house.
"I dunno, you decide" Rainbow said disinterestedly. The orange pony entered the living room, in deep thought of what to do. As an idea ran through her head, a smile spread across her face.
"Ya wanna see mah room RD?" Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash didn't really like the nickname too much, "Sure, why not, AJ." She answered, the hint that she disliked being called RD was to subtle, and the orange earth pony didn't catch on.
Applejack stood up and began to walk towards the stairs. The Pegasus cleared her throat, and pointed to her leg with a frown. "Oh, right" she chuckled and came back to the couch, and leaned down. Rainbow Dash threw a hoof over her friend, and the two trudged to the stairs.
The orange pony set her friend down on her bed, then raced to the other side of the room. She rummaged through a small box in the corner and pulled something out. Rainbow Dash had never seen anything like it. "Uh, what is it?"
Applejack was shocked. "It's a camera, ain't yah ever seen a camera before? It lets yah take pictures."
The Pegasus looked a little embarrassed, "I know WHAT a camera is, I've just never seen one before. I'm not stupid you know."
"Alright, alright, no need to get testy!" Applejack pushed a few buttons on the camera with her hooves. She set it down on the dresser pointing it at Rainbow Dash, then quickly joined her friend on the bed.
Applejack threw a hoof around her friends shoulder, and let out a big smile. "SAY CHEESE!" she shouted. Rainbow Dash let out a smile. A bright flash shot through the room, and there was a loud popping sound. "Great! The picture'll be ready soon" she stated. A noise caught the attention of the orange pony. It was the sound of the front door opening.
A large red stallion walked through the front door of the house, his eyes filled with sorrow. He walked slowly into the living room, and fell to the soft brown couch. He let out a tired sigh, and called out. "Applejack, come downstairs, we need to talk!" his powerful voice boomed across the house.
Applejack ran down the stairs excitedly leaving her friend behind in her bedroom. She hadn't expected her family to return for a few more days. "How come y'all are home so early?" she called out before she reached the base of the stairs. She stopped in her tracks with a confused look on her face when she saw only her brother in the room.
Rainbow Dash got up off the bed and cautiously walked across the room, making sure she didn't put to much strain on her bad hoof. She wanted to know what was going on, and curiosity had gotten the best of her, but she didn't want to impose. She placed her head against the wall, trying to listen in, but it was no good. She gave up and sat down in the corner of the room.
Applejack trotted closer to her brother, "Hey Mac, um, where's mom and pop, and Granny Smith. Hey, where is the new foal?" her voice grew in excitement as she remembered she had been promised a new baby brother or sister when they returned.
"Applejack, sit down" his voice was soft but commanding. The filly did as she was told and joined her brother on the sofa. "Applejack, Granny is still in Manehatten with the newborn filly." Applejack's face lit up, she had a new sister. "Pops, well, he isn't coming home AJ."
"What, well why the hay not?"
Big Macintosh rested a hoof on his little sister, and let out another sigh. "Mom… mom isn't coming home either."
Applejack was even more confused, and her brother was starting to scare her. "Ah don't understand big brother, why aren't they comin' home?"
"There was a complication… and mom" his voice choked, and he pushed back the tears that swelled in his eyes, trying to be strong for his little sister. "Mom has passed away, so she isn't coming home"
The orange pony's emerald eyes watered heavily, rolling out in small droplets, trickling down her cheeks. Everything seemed to slow down as everything processed through her. Her heart began to ache heavily, a dull pain that pulsed with each beat. She didn't understand, couldn't understand. "No…" her voice sounded almost broken, "you're wrong, it can't be… momma is coming back, she has too"
Applejack shook the hoof off her angrily. She rose quickly and fled from her brother. She rushed up the stairs, running into her room, slamming the door behind her. Not noticing the Pegasus that stood quietly in the corner. She curled up onto her bed, the tears coming down in heavy streams.
Rainbow Dash limped over to her silently, "AJ, what's wrong?" The sobbing pony looked at her "Nothing, just go away" she snapped, and then she retreated her head back into her hooves. The Pegasus ignored her command, and curled up on the bed with her friend. She wrapped her wing around the pony, and spoke softly, "I'll be here as long as you need me, I won't go anywhere."
Applejack wrapped her hooves around the concerned Pegasus. She squeezed her tightly, her tears splashing on the enveloped friend. Rainbow Dash said nothing; she just sat there, holding her friends shaking body. The emotions that surged through the earth pony made her breathing erratic, and her body trembled. After an hour passed, she had no tears left to shed. Her exhausted body relaxed, and she closed her eyes, drifting to sleep. The Pegasus stayed perfectly still, eventually joining her slumbering friend.
Applejack woke up early the next morning. The sight of the orchards, the barn, her room, they all made her feel sick. She strapped on her green saddlebag, and placed a few of her belongings inside. Looking around to see if there was anything else she might need, she spotted Rainbow Dash still asleep on the bed. The sight of her friend made her smile, but it was quickly erased. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and began to write.
The orange pony finished writing and put her utensils away, then headed over to her camera. She carefully removed it from the self developer built into it, and found that it was finished. Taking the picture out and the note in hoof, she pinned them on her bedroom door. She left her room leaving the sleeping Pegasus, proceeded down the stairs, and out the front door.
The sun was warm, and there were no clouds in sight. Waking birds were chirping away happily to each other. The air was sweet and fresh, the morning dew still clinging to the translucent green leaves. Applejack approached the gate, and turned around to look at the farm once more. Waving, she silently said her farewells, and travelled down the dirt road leading her away from this place.
Rainbow Dash still sleeping, rearranged herself, and gently bonked her bad leg against the bed post. The sensation wasn't too severe, but it was still enough to wake her up. The Pegasus looked around, Applejack was nowhere in sight. Cautiously she lowered herself off the bed, and grazed her leg against an unknown object.
Applejack's brown cowboy hat rested on the floor. Rainbow Dash was confused, she knew it was AJ's favorite possession and she never went anywhere without it. "AJ, you there?" the Pegasus called out loudly, receiving no answer. Another quick gander through the room, and she spotted something hanging from the door.
Rainbow Dash removed the pin that held up the papers. The smaller of the two was the paper they had taken last night. She studied it for a moment, and then set it aside. The larger paper was a letter that Applejack had written earlier.
Dear Rainbow Dash,
I'm sorry to leave without saying a word, but I didn't think I could handle saying goodbye face to face. I can't stay here at the farm a minute longer so I'm leaving. I've decided to go and stay with some relatives away from the farm. Please assure my big brother Big Macintosh that I'm alright, and he has nothing to worry about. With how late you sleep in, he'll probably already be awake, harvesting the apples. I'm positive he will let you stay until your leg has fully healed, if you do some work on the farm I'm sure he'll even pay you a few bits to help you with whatever plans you may have. I wish the best of luck to you Rainbow Dash, and I hope maybe one day I'll see you again.
Your friend, Applejack
P.S. I hope you will always keep the picture to remember me by.
The feelings of abandonment and betrayal returned; the same emotions she had experienced when Ice Comet had been taken away from the orphanage. At first Rainbow Dash wanted to cry, but her anger stopped her. "Never again" she thought.
Rainbow Dash stormed outside the house, ignoring the stabbing pain that shot through her leg with every step. Her heart had taken this abuse for the last time. She had no reason to stay here now. Angry at herself for letting her guard down when she knew this would happen. Furious at Applejack for leaving her, just like every pony else had.
The Pegasus's mouth changed from a frown, to a vacant expression. Her eyes no longer seemed sad, instead appeared empty. Her heart beat steadied itself to its regular pace. Rainbow Dash pushed all emotion out of her and flapped her wings as powerfully as she could. Her legs lifted off, and she pushed towards the sky away from the orchard, and she didn't look back.
A glimmering sun sparkled down through the crystal blue skies. The breeze was soft and pleasantly warm, as it passed by. Crisp dark green leaves filled the lively trees. The river twinkled as the sunlight reflected on its gently flowing water. Spring's warmth awoke the world around it, everything bursting with life as it swept across.
Rainbow Dash flew above the forest, trying to silence her thoughts. The wreckage of a cabin in the midst of the forest came into view. It seemed to comfort her, and beckon her to come toward it. The sight lured her close, she accepted the calls, and landed slowly, and carefully.
The Pegasus walked around the perimeter, carefully examining her surroundings. In spite of the fallen structure, everything here felt so alive. This place, she didn't know why, but it felt so familiar to her. The more she investigated, the more it confused her.
She came across a shining slab of carved rock near one of the fallen walls. Writing was visible from where she stood, she walked closer. Her breath slowed, sadness seeped into her, and she didn't know why.
The rock she had discovered was a gravestone. Only two words were written on it, "Beloved Starflash" An engraving of a unicorn running was depicted below the words. Rainbow Dash ran a hoof over the picture; a small shiver ran through her as she felt the ridges on the smooth stone.
The Pegasus turned around, and walked in towards the heap of rotting wood. She pushed aside large chunks of wood; she was looking for something, but didn't know what. After having cleared most of the debris away, she spotted a dull blue ribbon crunched beneath two planks.
The ribbon was encompassed with small frills, and in the center, a one was embroidered in yellow letters. On the other side "Starflash, Canterlot Derby" was written on it, at this she smiled. "A racing unicorn, huh?" she said quietly.
Rainbow Dash weaved her way out of the wreckage, when she heard a crinkling sound under her hoof when she stepped. She stopped immediately, and backed up, light reflecting off the corner of a dirt covered object. She dusted it off, and picked it up.
The object was a faded picture of a bright golden unicorn, a tired smile covering her face as she lay in a hospital bed. A blanketed object was cradled in her arms, all that was revealed was a rainbow colored mane, and a pudgy light blue face.
A memory flashed into her magenta eyes; a loud crackling noise, hooves rushing over toward her, and then blackness. She rubbed underneath her mane, feeling a small scar embedded into her skin. She backed out of the wreckage, back towards the gravestone.
Tears splashed onto the smooth-cut marble, but they weren't tears of sadness. The Pegasus was crying joyfully, a smile sprawled across her. Her mother hadn't abandoned her. Her mother had always loved her, and had died for her.
A sense of needing to honor the sacrifice that this pony had made for her overwhelmed her. Rainbow Dash knew exactly how she would satisfy this need. Earlier, at Applejack's farm she had seen a flier for a flight camp, she would enlist. She vowed to be the fastest Pegasus in all of Equestria. She smiled again, she would be a racer, just like Starflash. Just like her mother.
Applejack trotted hollowly down the black concrete roads that paved most of Manehatten. The streets were littered with a large quantity of garbage at every corner, and giant clouds of smog were being produced from the dozens of foundries established inside the city. The aroma of the rotting trash on the roads, and the pollution from the factories combined together filling the air with an almost toxic scent.
The orange filly continued down the streets, looking at a map every few minutes, each glance she grew more frustrated. The whole thing made her feel like she was trying to applebuck with her face; both ineffective and exhausting. Her cheeks began to fluster with anger as she found herself somehow back at the original street she had arrived at, she gave the map one last examination before ripping it apart with her teeth.
Having given up with the now unsalvageable map which blew away in the putrid air, she attempted to ask a pony for directions. She approached a gray pony with a silver mane who wore a black top hat, and a golden rimmed monocle, her nervous voice squeaked, "Uh, excuse me sir, ah was wondering if-"
"OUT OF THE WAY YOU RUBE!" he shouted at Applejack, shoving her aside and continuing on his way.
The filly felt ashamed for whatever mistake she had just made, so she kept quiet and didn't look back at the stallion. Just as she was ready to make another feeble attempt to ask for directions, she came to a familiar building she had seen in photos back at the farm. A large red brick house towered in front of her, an image of a pair of oranges stamped above its massive doorway.
Applejack walked inside slowly. The hallways were coated with a fresh layer of cream colored paint, and illuminated with twirling fluorescent bulb fixtures attached to the ceiling. Portraits of sophisticated and well-dressed ponies were aligned side by side, covering a good portion of the pale walls. Her hooves pattered quietly on soft orange wool that carpeted the floor beneath her, decorative green patterns sewn into its borders.
At the end of the long walkway stood a mahogany door sharing a similar color to that of the carpet, just in a lighter shade. On the center of the wood, the same picture of a pair of oranges had been imprinted into it as well. Applejack took in a deep breath, knocking lightly on the door which was soon answered by a yellow stallion with a lime green mane. A beige mare with a sandy blonde mane wearing a rather heavy looking golden choker, encrusted with emerald and hessonite gemstones soon accompanied him.
Applejack let out a wide smile, "Aunt Orange! Uncle Orange! Thank y'all so much fer lettin' me stay!" she said gleefully as she walked inside studying her surroundings.
"Y'all" Aunt Orange repeated before bursting into laughter, "Isn't she just the living end?"
Soon Uncle Orange chimed in, "Ha-ha how quaint!" he said making every effort to make himself sound far more educated then he really was.
Applejack looked down at the silver and black tiled floor of their main room, she suddenly felt embarrassed about her mannerisms.
"Don't worry; we'll have you acting like a true Manehattenite in no time." Aunt Orange said proudly as she bounced Applejack's golden mane.
The young orange mare blinked blankly at Aunt Orange, she couldn't help but think maybe the pony had been dropped on her head a few too many times as a filly. "Uh, that's great!" she replied, putting on a fake smile. "So, um, what room will ah be stayin' in?"
The cream colored pony nearly gasped, "You will be staying in the guest bedroom down the hall third door on the right. Furthermore, you will do well to remember it is pronounced eye… aye… I… not ah" she lectured the filly with a belittling tone of voice.
Applejack bit her tongue, holding back her irritation, she took another deep breath to calm herself before speaking again, still making no effort to cover up her southern accent. "Uh, thanks, ah'm gonna go unpack!" she said quickly, running down the hallway.
Aunt Orange nearly lost balance as her ears were tortured once again with such poor pronunciation. "I'm going to go unpack" she corrected, "and in this household you will walk, never run!"
Applejack slowed her pace down to a walk, "Sheesh!" she muttered under her breath "It is pronounced I, not ah." She mocked as she trotted through the hallway, "Ah'll pronounce it 'ah' until yer hooves fall off!" she said bitterly, pushing the white painted door open.
The room was small and rectangular in shape. The floor was covered with a burnt orange bordered navy blue carpet, an uncolored diamond shape in the middle. A tangerine shaded blanket covered a steel framed bed pressed against the peach tinted walls.
The bedroom did not share the same fancy lighting system as the rest of the household did; the only source of light was an inactive dark purple electric lantern that rested on the nightstand in the corner of the room, in between the small square window and the bed.
Applejack trotted over to the bed, unhinging her saddlebag, and placing it on the bed. She proceeded to the other side mattress towards the small lantern, and pressed the on switch. Its soft yellow glow brightened the dark room, revealing pictures of ponies or flowers pinned to the wall.
However, what captured the orange filly's eye was the light pink wooden dresser a few feet from the window. A small pin orange pin cushion sat on top of it, next to a tiny blue vase, but what she saw behind the two was what she was interested in. She scampered over to the object to get a better look.
What she spotted returned the emotions that she desperately wanted to escape. It was a brown wooden picture frame holding a photograph of a filly. The pony frozen in place on the image shared a striking resemblance to herself. A small dark orange mare grinning widely as a lassoed rope hovered above her brown cowboy hat covering a short honey-shaded mane.
Applejack had been so caught up with trying to find her way to the Orange's home, that it had provided the perfect distraction to keep her mind off what had caused her to come here in the first place. Now it was clear to her as to whose room this used to belong to, softly she placed her hoof on the glass of the picture frame and whispered sadly, "Ah miss you, momma."
She slumped herself away from the dresser, and onto her mother's old bed, hugging the white feather pillow tightly. She attempted to suppress her sorrows, as she did; small sniffles escaped her, picking up on something that helped comfort her. Despite the entirety of the house smelling of the citrus fruit, the bed's blanket and pillows emanated with scent of blooming apple tree flowers.
Applejack lay there quietly, squeezing the soft cushion, staring at the silver crescent moon hanging just above Ponyville outside the window. After a few minutes, the view was gone, covered by the thick cloud of chemicals and smoke.
Here in Manehatten everything was so industrial. Since Applejack had arrived, she heard no birds chirping their sweet songs, nor witnessed any naturally flowing sources of water. What bothered her most about the city so far was that she had yet to see a single tree, not even one sapling.
The familiar aroma of the apple flowers had helped to make this strange foreign place seem just a little more like home to her, but only for a few moments. Every last ounce of nature had been purged, replaced with machinery and pollution. She assured herself that these were things she simply needed to adjust to, and that she would grow to appreciate them, but deep down, she didn't believe it.
There was a light tapping on the bedroom door, "Yes?" Applejack called out.
The door crept open, and Aunt Orange walked inside shutting the door behind her, and then joined the filly on the bed. Gently, she picked up the weepy-eyed pony and hugged her, "Me and your mother weren't exactly the closest of ponies." She said, softly stroking Applejack's back. "She always spent her days out in the fields playing, whereas I spent mine studying in the library. The two of us rarely spent any time together, and when we did, it always ended with us arguing."
Applejack dried her eyes on her aunt's shoulder, listening silently as she continued to speak, "I couldn't wait to leave Ponyville, I had always dreamed of coming here to the big city. When the day finally came, I packed my bags, and I left without saying a word to her…"
The beige pony's sky blue eyes started to moisten, and her voice broke apart, "Ah loved mah sister, and ah never even told her, ah was always so angry at her, an' ah don't even know why… When ah was told the news..." Aunt Orange began to shed tears, and she was unable to continue the charade of her posh speech, "All ah could think about was every last cruel thing ah said tah her, and how sorry ah was. Ah wish ah had taken any chance ah had been given so ah could make things right with her, tah tell her how important tah me she really was."
Applejack put up a strong face; it had never even occurred to her what events she could be resurfacing, "Ah'm sorry, Aunt Orange."
The crying mare let out a laugh of embarrassment when she realized she was pouring her emotions onto a mere filly, "Oh heavens, she was your mother, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. I didn't mean to burden you with my troubles, I'm sure you have your hooves full trying to deal with your own emotions, and you don't need the extra weight." She said, recovering her sophisticated accent, and smiled. "Now, it's getting late, so time for bed!" she kissed Applejack on the cheek, switched off the purple lamp then stopped at the doorway.
"Good night, Aunt Orange." The filly called out from across the room.
The beige pony let out another smile, "Good night sweetie." She replied, and then walked back out into the bright hallway.
Applejack understood now that her Aunt Orange wanted to change her mannerisms not because she was intolerant or too high class, but because of how much alike she was of her mother. Everything she said, and everything she did must have brought up so many memories for her Aunt. Painful memories that would fill her with sorrow and regret for every cruel word she may have said, and all the lost opportunities to mend her mistakes with her sister.
"Good night, momma, ah love yah." Applejack whispered to the photograph across the room.
A strange noise awoke the sleeping filly sprawled across the bed beneath the orange sheets. The sound wrenched at her ears as it blared through the quiet room. Applejack covered her ears with her pillow as she looked around to find the origins of the hideous high pitched beeping that disrupted her dreams.
A clock bounced around from the force of a small metal pin bouncing back and forth between two bells welded to its top. Unsure of how to make it stop, she poked a small button on the back of the clock, which only made the ringing grow louder. She flinched, and prodded the other button, and it stopped.
Applejack let out a small sigh of relief when once again the room was filled with only the sound of clamoring ponies outside. She looked out the window to observe as the crowds made their way to carriage stops, or breakfast stands selling all kinds of steaming-hot foods she had never seen before.
Uncle Orange poked his head quietly through the doorway, "Oh excellent, you're awake. Fix your mane and come outside into the main room." He commanded, retreating back into the hallway once more.
Applejack hopped over to the mirror on the dresser, "Fix mah mane? What's wrong with mah hair?" a quizzical look covering her face while she examined herself, bits of her golden mane pointing in all directions. She shrugged and re-tied her mane and tale with her scarlet hair bands, then skipped over to the door.
Prior to opening it, she caught what her Aunt and Uncle would view as improper, and decided it was best she follow the house rule and maintain a steady walk instead. As she entered the living room, joining the Oranges' in the living room, Uncle Orange covered his face with a hoof when he set his gaze on the filly.
"What?" Applejack asked innocently, not understanding what she had done wrong this time.
He trotted over, grabbing a tuft of her mane, "I thought I told you to- oh never mind."
Aunt Orange approached with a look of disapproval "This simply won't do." She said, taking the same tuft from the stallion. "I suppose I will have to teach you how a proper pony does manetenance"
Applejack found herself getting annoyed again, "Ah don't get it, what's wrong with mah mane?"
The mare corrected her again, "I don't UNDERSTAND, what's wrong with MY mane, and what's wrong with it is that it appears as if it's been placed in a blender."
"It does not!" the orange filly shouted.
"A lady never shouts. I also think you'll find that everypony will agree with me on the matter. Now come with me, I'll show you how to properly brush and style your mane." Aunt Orange patted Applejack on the head and trotted away.
"But-" the filly began but stopped herself, she knew there would be no point in arguing, so she did as she was told and walked silently behind. Soon Applejack found herself sitting on a stool in front of a large mirror.
"Now, dear, it is quite simple, first you just…" Aunt Orange grabbed a brush with her teeth, then combed down Applejack's blonde mane, "and then you…" she grabbed a few transparent bands off the counter, then proceeded to layer the mid section of her mane on the upper section, "after that you just…" she picked up the base of her mane, placing it on the newly layered mid-section, adding a third layer.
Using the bands she secured the sections in place, forming what Applejack would describe as a mountain of mane. "And it's as simple as that, any questions?" Her manestyle was an exact replica of Aunt Oranges now
"Uh…" Applejack thought for a moment, she could tell her Aunt the truth that she didn't have the faintest idea of anything she had just done, or she could just lie and avoid the ordeal being repeated. "Nope, ah got it!" she wore the suspicious grin she always put on whenever she lied.
"Perfect, now we can move on to your speech. Remember, a true Manehattenite pronounces it I, not ah, and we never use slang such as got it you will instead say understand. Now you try." Aunt Orange nudged the filly's shoulder to provide motivation.
"Oh fer pete's sakes, really Aunt Orange?" Applejack protested.
"Yes, really, go on now." She said nudging her once again.
Not wanting to prolong this lesson any longer than necessary, Applejack once again, did as she was told, "I do believe the weather outside will be quite splendid today."
"Oh that's perfect! It appears this won't be as difficult as I thought, very well done!" Aunt Orange beamed.
Applejack stifled a laugh; she had actually been mocking her Aunt, and hadn't in the least bit even attempted to be genuine. "Does this mean we are through with the lessons for today Miss?" she continued, replicating the voice she had just used.
Aunt Orange grinned again, the perfect pronunciation of each word like music to her ears, "I should say so. Perhaps I'll even have you join us for tonight's dinner party."
"Oh that would be just lovely." Applejack replied even more sarcastically than before, not at all thrilled about the idea of spending an entire dinner with a group of upper class ponies who probably couldn't even tie their own bowties.
Applejack hopped off the seat, and walked away, "On second thought…" Aunt Orange examined the filly's stride, "your hoofing could use a little work."
"Oh do we have tah?" Applejack's voice being covered up by her Aunt clearing her throat, while making strange gestures, "Uh, I mean, do we have to?"
The beige pony nodded, "We most certainly do. We can't have you trotting around the house like you were raised on a farm."
Applejack tried to think of something to defend herself, "But ah was raised on a farm!" she argued weakly.
Aunt Orange placed her hoof over the filly's mouth to silence her, "That isn't important. Right now we need to focus on making you more lady-like. Now walk down the hallway and back."
Applejack groaned again, and began to trot down the hallway. As she turned around, the face her Aunt was made her feel as if she looked like a drunken mule wearing roller-blades on an ice skating rink. Her Aunt continued to watch, and when Applejack came to a halt, she covered her face with her hoof, just as Uncle Orange had earlier.
Aunt Orange let out a quiet, "Hmm…"
"Oh it can't be that bad!" Applejack cried out a little peeved.
The mare walked over to Applejack and circled her repeatedly, taking mental notes as she did "Now, keep your hooves close, take small steps, always move your front left hoof, and then the back left hoof, then do the same with your front right, and back right hooves." Aunt Orange quickly pushed and prodded the orange filly's hooves, manipulating them into the proper position. "Alright, now let's give this another try."
The filly took a small step with her front-right hoof, fighting the urge to move her back-left hoof. Carefully, she moved the proper leg forward, and repeated the step with the opposite side, moving incredibly slowly.
Once Applejack felt confident enough, she attempted to move a bit quicker, the result was her tripping on her hooves and planting her face into a black tile. She let out a laugh of embarrassment, and Aunt Orange, once again, covered her face.
The two practiced at this for hours, the result always the same. Applejack could keep her balance, but at the pace she moved she would lose a hundred yard dash to a snail. She eventually made some progress, and brought her record of taking five minutes to trot down the hall, down to a depressing four minutes instead.
As they continued working tirelessly, a knock on the front door interrupted them. "Well, it appears we've run out of time Applejack, be a dear and open the door for our guests." Applejack nodded and trotted off, forgetting her lessons. "Properly!" Aunt Orange called out.
The orange filly grumbled as she awkwardly approached the door, the banging growing louder as the ponies outside became impatient. She looked around to see if she was being watched, which she wasn't. Quickly, and silently, she bolted to the door in her normal manner, and opened it.
A familiar gray pony with a top hat and monocle walked inside. It had been the same pony she tried to get directions from the other day. The stallion kept moving, taking a spot at the end of the dinner table, making no effort to acknowledge Applejack.
As she was about to shut the door, an entire group of ponies arrived. All the stallions were wearing monocles and black dinner jackets. Applejack was curious as to why they did so, it in no way made them look intelligent, just old.
The mares that entered were dressed in glittering pieces of jewelry, and absurdly large hats that were meant to be fancy, but all the hats seemed to accomplish was making them look absolutely ridiculous.
Applejack peered out the door, finding no other ponies about to enter she closed it, and slowly walked to the only empty spot remaining at the table, all eyes watching her as she made her sluggish journey. The staring eyes seemed to say to her, "Could you please just move a little slower?"
Finally the filly made it to her seat, her white dimples on her cheeks now bright red from the shame of her pitifully slow journey.
A brown stallion that happened to be the only male pony who wore a pair of glasses instead of a monocle eventually broke the silence. "And how are you finding good old Manehatten" he asked, staring directly at Applejack.
"Oh it's simply divine!" Applejack replied in her posh voice.
"Very well said my dear." Her aunt whispered into her ears.
The filly grinned, finding a new confidence in herself; she dared to continue on, "Although, I must admit, the city noise took some getting used to." Everypony at the table was watching her again, smiling with adoration as she kept on talking, "Where I'm from nights are so quiet you seldom here a peep until the roosters wake you." As she spoke parts of her mane came loose, flying out in random directions, and at the mention of the word roosters, the smiles around the room quickly faded.
Everypony at the table gawked at her, "The what-?" a white mare asked.
The same brown stallion spoke again, "I say my dear, what in the world is a rooster?" he sounded as if he were insulting her, and all the ponies were stifling laughs.
Applejack immediately regretted her decision to try herself at a conversation. She racked her mind trying to think of what to say, afraid of looking foolish. Two rings from a bell interrupted her thoughts, as well as the mocking gaze of the eyes surrounding her.
"Dinner is served" A unicorn called out.
Plates covered with round silver lids levitated in front of everypony. "Thank goodness, being a city pony is hard work, I'm so hungry I could eat a…" Applejack's thoughts were interrupted as the covers were removed. The miniscule amount of food that rested on her plate made it nearly impossible to identify, she couldn't guess whether she was looking at a carrot, or an orange slice. The only thing she could recognize in front of her was a small bit of parsley being used to garnish the plate.
The ponies around her cut down their food into even smaller sized bites. Applejack imagined shouting at them, explaining they could easily fit dozens of whatever this was in their mouths with no problems. She burst out into laughter as the mental image of how they would react if she had done this.
Silverware clattered down onto the plates, and once again all eyes fell on her again, "Would you feel like sharing whatever it is that you find so amusing?" asked the gray stallion who had called her a rube the previous day.
"Oh, it's nothing." She answered, picking up the single slice of orange colored food and placing it whole in her mouth. "Ah-ha! It's an orange." She thought to herself. Everypony stared wide-eyed at her as she devoured the tiny wedge of food in a single bite.
Uncle Orange elbowed her, "If you'll excuse my niece, I think she is rather tired." He said, motioning for her to leave. Applejack obeyed, quiet snickers escaping her as she trotted down the hall in her normal fashion. As she walked, she looked back at her Aunt, her face partially concealed behind a handkerchief to hide her grin at the filly's performance.
Unable to sleep the young orange filly paced back in forth in front of the window for what had most likely been hours now. She had spent most of the time listening in to the topics, most of which she was unable to follow, as they had continuously used words she had never even heard before. Eventually the conversations of the ponies in the dining room died away as the hours went by.
Applejack found herself again with no distraction to prevent her from thinking about Sweet Apple Acres. She waddled over to the window, finally giving up on trying to silence her thoughts. It was almost time for applebucking season to start, and this was the first year she would be old enough to participate, before she had just done simple tasks like placing the buckets by the trees, or sorting out the bad apples from the barrels.
Her mind wandered to her mother and how she would never hear from her again, and how much she would miss her. She started to reflect back to her Aunt's story she had been told last night. Aunt Orange's tale made her remember that she to now would have a sister living at Sweet Apple Acres, and she definitely didn't want to share a similar relationship that her mother and Aunt had.
Applejack hadn't realized how long she had been staring out the window, just thinking. As the sun rose, so did her want to go back to the farm. "Cock-a-doodle-doo…" she said sadly as the sun came over the horizon. Just as it did, a rainbow formed, ending just above Ponyville reminding her of Rainbow Dash, the new friend she had made, and then abandoned.
The beautiful arch of colors made her think of exactly how much she missed the outdoors, and the apple orchard. How much she missed her friends and her real family and how much she wanted to be there for her new baby sister. Most of all, it made her realize that even with her mother gone; she still belonged somewhere, and that place was not here in Manehatten.
Applejack gathered up her unopened saddlebag, and hitched back on herself, and rushed out the door. "Bye Aunt Orange! Bye Uncle Orange! Thanks again fer letting me stay!" she called out to the two ponies that were still asleep. Slamming the door behind her, she ran down the orange carpet and onto the black paved street heading towards the dirt road leading to Ponyville.
As she ran down the dirt road, she soon escaped the foul stench of the city, and breathed in the country air, enjoying its fresh, clean scent. Trees came into sight, their dark green leaves reflecting sunlight off the dew drops that covered them. Soon followed by the appearing trees, the sound of birds chirping beautiful melodies replaced the noise of hundreds of city ponies talking all at once.
Finally, Applejack came to the sight she had wanted to see most; a brown wooden sign dangling from a small vine covered archway connected to a short white painted fence that surrounded hundreds of acres of lush farmland. As she walked through the fence's opening, she took no notice in the image of three red apples forming on her flank. Applejack was just glad to be back. This was where she had belonged; this was her home, at Sweet Apple Acres.