For the Heart of an Earth Pony

I didn't have much time to think when Uncle Orange ran into the small room in the back of the salt flock in the middle of downtown Manehattan. My mind had to process everything so quickly; my anxiety levels were through the roof, I was nervous, I was scared, I was incredibly worried about Applejack, and I didn't know why he was here.

The light from the hallway formed a ray down the part of the room in front of the door, but the rest of the room was still in shadow. I had my back to the wall still, and for just a second, I looked at Uncle Orange without any movement - frozen where I was - as he looked around seemingly for me with great urgency and fear.

I was at first frozen with shock at his entry, but as he flipped his head around and saw me standing in the shadows, the dragon inside me woke up. The ferocious, protective side of me that is fueled entirely by love of Applejack. It didn't matter to me that he betrayed me. He betrayed Applejack. His own niece, who was deserving of all of his love and care to the fullest extent. The sweetest, strongest, most admirable niece there ever was, and he betrayed her. He sold her to a showmare's brother who neither loved nor respected her, a showmare who wants to see her as low as possible out of her own selfishness, simply because he didn't  approve of his niece having a human as a husband. He took her away from me. And now I didn't know if she would be ok or not.

I screamed in fury and jumped forward at him. He didn't move or fight back at all. He just stood there and waited for me to hit him, looking at me with great fear and sadness in his eyes, as though he completely accepted what I was about to do. I jumped upward and wrapped my arms around his neck and put him in a headlock. I had never really realized it until that point, but working at Sweet Apple Acres had made me strong. Strong but lean. I dragged him down the ground head and neck first, with the rest of his body toppling down after me. All of which took no more than a few seconds.

I swung around on top of him and put my hands on his throat, not so hard that he couldn't breathe, but so he couldn't move. I lowered my head so it was right above his, looking right into his eyes with hatred and wrath. I was breathing heavily, and maybe even growling. Kind, gentle, fun-loving AJ was nowhere to be seen. I don't like being this way. No, I hate being this way. But given the circumstances of what had happened, this state of rage and anger was inevitable for me.

After a few moments of continued heavy breathing and growling on my part as I half choked Uncle Orange, who was gasping for breath, I spoke.

"Just tell me one thing," I uttered. "Why? Why Applejack?" My voice was cracking and choking with anger. Those were some of the first words I'd ever said to him directly. Uncle Orange, his head turned in a way so that the side of his head was on the ground, gasped for another breath before responding, speaking intervals between breaths.

"I-I made the biggest... mistake... of my l-life... and I am so... sorry." I shook my head in disgust and tears fell from eyes. My heart so longed to see her, safely in my arms (and much more I in hers), but what if it was too late? I didn't know if there was still time to save her from Trixie's evil will or not. Applejack's family or not, I swear...

"Why are you here?" I snarled. He gasped again, and I could still see what seemed to be great sadness in his eyes only intensifying.

"There's... still... t-time... she hasn't... t-taken... the p-potion... y-yet..." I lowered my head even closer to his so I was yelling right in his ear.

"You left her alone with Trixie! Your own niece! HOW DARE YOU!" I said, pressing down even harder with my hands so he stopped breathing entirely. I softened my grip again as he continued to fight for breaths.

"S-she's n-no friend of Trixie's... I-I know that now. I-I t-tried to call it off, but T-Trixie wouldn't have it. She threatened to...  end m-my marriage." He took another long set of gasps as I softened my grip again to let him speak. "W-we have to save her w-while there's still time."

"Why should I trust you?" I said, though looking at his eyes my heart was beginning to tell me he was telling the truth.

"She's trying... d-desperately to get out... The guards won't let anyone leave until they stop letting people in... I paid them off to let me out... t-to come find you, and save my- " My grip on his throat loosened, and my rage towards him was finally dying down. My mind was still going every which way as I was still trying to wrap my mind fully around what was happening.

"Why Applejack??" I whispered again, one final time. I missed her so much that I could barely speak. I took my hands off him completely and fell on my back on the floor alongside him. With rears in his eyes, he ooked at me with a look that was desperately begging for pity and forgiveness.

"I know you do love her. I thought I did... but clearly I don't. and I took away the best thing s-she has because I was jealous and blind. She's crying her eyes out right now, son... because you're not beside her. You try telling this story to your sister's little girl... that you were so jealous and so judgmental that you took away her sunshine... see how she looks at you then. I can't apologize to her. Not until you're back with her where you belong."

I gave him a long, helpless stare. His words about Applejack crying because I was not beside her were enough to make my heart explode a thousand times. They were happy and comforting, yet unbearably saddening at the same time. I looked into his eyes and saw true regret, and maybe even love, if not for me, for Applejack. I looked away into space. My mind was swirling. Applejack (and probably with help from Princess Cadence's magic) saved me from a terrible fate of a corrupt, dishonest heart. But I didn't see how it would be any better if I failed to save Applejack from Trixie.

It was crunch time, but I was so overwhelmed at that particular moment, and so desperate for Applejack, and so upset with myself, that I continued laying on the ground, frozen in anxiety and fear. I stared out the window yet again at the endless sea of stars. I don't think I could do anything until I somehow found a way to focus on what I needed to do. It  was a lot for me to bite off all at once, knowing what had happened with Uncle Orange, my state of corruption, and Applejack's current state of danger that I just... I could hardly think straight. It was the most dramatic moment of my life, and my heart rate was actually slowing down.

The country mare. Not the country human that I was in a romance with, the country mare. My whole life with her was flashing before me. I was the human who went to Equestria, not wanting to ever get married or experience a myth known as romance. But the more time I spent with her, the more my feelings changed. I started blushing in a manner that I never have whenever she rubbed my hair with her mane in a friendly manner. Her laugh and smile, which was so sweet and kind to begin with, only became more wonderful. Every minute of work she completed for her family and every bit she sold only for the same cause became more and more admirable and respectful. Her country accent and manners only became more adorable. And every time we were together, I suddenly felt like I was in heaven itself.

Whenever she played with me and learned more about me and seemed to admire me, and how warm and fuzzy I felt. I felt when she let me rest my head on her. The mare with the heart that came to comfort me in all my troubles. The mare that worked the work no one else would, and never once complained. The mare that loved her family and friends more than herself. The mare that I longed to spend the rest of my life with, and would do anything for. A familiar thought came over me at that moment, as some of the deepest feelings of love for her came over to me, thinking about all her days as a farmer, a sister, and a wife. Oh Applejack, you're heart is so beautiful! You can't be with someone who will not love you, care for you, and respect you every day!

I couldn't let it happen. I couldn't let this evil fate take my wife. What have I done? Not my Applejack! Trixie's cruel smile appeared in my head yet again, and I began to cry out in fear again. Trixie, who would make her a slave. Applejack was my one true love, pony or human. I had to believe we could return to Sweet Apple Acres, and once again find myself lying in a field or against a tree with her, resting my head against her, my hero, and feeling her tender love for me, the human. All I wanted to do was love her and care for her, like I promised since we got married, and long before in my own heart.

"We've got to go back," I whispered.

I reached down and helped a recovering Uncle Orange off the floor. He got up and placed his hoof on my shoulder, and gave me a hopeful look. For the first time that night I felt bad for what I'd done to him, despite everything he had done.

"Will you take me to her?" I asked. At first he smiled, but then hardened back into the expression that I was used to, except this time, there was determination in him that I've only seen as strongly in one other pony, and that was in Applejack.

"We've got a party to crash."

Without wasting anytime, I jumped onto my uncle's back. I didn't know what to expect from him. Was he a soft, slow runner? I was about to find out. He raised his front legs as I scrambled to grab his mane and took off. His legs hit the ground with a thud, and he galloped incredibly fast out the door and down the hallway. Before I knew it, I was holding onto him for dear life as he weaved his way through the tables of ponies in the Prancing Pony. He headbutted his way out the front door and galloped right out into the streets of Manehattan, and once again I was surrounded by all of the things that come with the city, except now the wind was in my face and the ponies were like blurs as they stared at the human riding the pony to the Manehattan Castle.