Living in a time of Autumn

Chapter 3.

They quickly left the edge of the backyard and entered the forest. Apple Bloom was surprisingly quiet, and Applejack quickly got lost into whatever direction they were going. Coming into a clearing, Apple Bloom wordless sat down in. Confused, Applejack joined her.

“Do you trust me, Applejack?” Asked Apple Bloom. Caught off guard, Applejack had to ponder the question.

“Yes. Everything seems so different, but I know you won’t lead me astray.” Replied Applejack.

“Good, now I want you to close your eyes.” Said Apple Bloom. Still confused, but trusting her sister, Applejack closed her eyes, but tensed for something to happen.

“I’m not going to slap you silly, relax. I want you to experience something.” Not opening her eyes, Applejack relaxed, and found that it was actually really nice. She could hear the leaves being blown around her. The trees swaying with the wind.

“Can you hear that? It’s the trees. They are singing in the wind. Dancing with their Autumn dresses. Hear how they chatter, and the way they creak.” Whispered Apple Bloom. Straining her ears, Applejack could hear it. The trees, they were alive! Not as some magical entity, but as old living things. It was amazing!

“Now listen, hear how they dance in the wind, how they love sharing their secrets with one another. The older you get, the easier it is to hear them. Nowadays people are so quick to go day to day with their lives. Hoping that tomorrow was better than today. They don’t stop and enjoy the here and now. That’s why I brought you here. You have an appreciation for nature. I want you to continue in that Applejack.” Said Apple Bloom.

“Thanks, Apple Bloom. This is all really cool.” Said Applejack, without opening her eyes.

“You are very welcome. Today I get to spend all day with my favorite sister of all time. Who would pass up this wonderful time? Now then. I want you to open your eyes and look at the world at the perspective of just enjoying it. Experience it in a way that you can be a part of it.” Said Apple Bloom.

Opening her eyes, Applejack looked upon the world she was in with a new appreciation. She could feel the dirt with her fingers. She could smell the air, filled with dampness and hints of pine. She could see the sun, getting close to being past noon. She could hear the wind howling in her ear, the trees bending and dancing. It was all so beautiful! The only thing that was missing was the final sense she hadn’t experienced yet.

Apple Bloom laid a had on her shoulder, and with the other, she held a leaf that looked like a regular leaf you could find on the ground. Looking expectantly, Apple Bloom gave the leaf to Applejack. “I want you to taste it. It’s Sassafras. It tastes like root beer but is a little spicy.” She said.

Eager to try, Applejack munched the leaf in two bites. Immediately the flavor exploded in her mouth, being cold from the weather, the taste was even better. It was spicy, that was for sure. She could also taste the hint of root beer that it created too. Tears came to her eyes as she experienced all the wonderful senses of the forest. When she got back to her old body, she would thank Twilight for how wonderful this whole experience was.

“Thanks Apple Bloom, this was amazing.” Said Applejack.

“Your very welcome. But don’t think we aren’t done yet. We still have more things that I want to show you. However, tell me about this drawing of yours. It’s pretty good.” Said Apple Bloom.

“Drawing? Oh yeah, the one of the pumpkins. What do you think of it?” Said Applejack.

“It’s pretty impressive, you have the same appreciation I have for art. What does CMC stand for again? You had told me earlier and I forgot.” Asked Apple Bloom.

“It stands for Cuti-” But Applejack couldn’t finish, because Apple Bloom had an exclamation.

“Oh yeah, now I remember. You and your friends formed the Crayon and Marker Creations’ group, right?” Said Apple Bloom.

“Yeah, the Crayon and Marker Creations. Boy Twilight, you sure are funny sometimes.” Said Applejack.

“Twilight is one of your friends, right? You all are so creative, you plan on entering into a drawing competition pretty soon, correct?” Said Apple Bloom.

“Yeah, I really like drawing.” Said Applejack.

“Anyway, that’s enough chatting for now. We need to head back and get some lunch before we make our way to the waterfall. That sound good to you?” Said Apple Bloom.

As they made their way back to the house, Apple Bloom stopped by the stream that was running by. Laying down, she fished around and caught an interesting creature in her hand. Showing Applejack, Apple Bloom explained what it was.

“This is a crawdad; these funny little creatures move quickly. They swim backwards whenever they encounter an enemy. The way to catch them is to guess where they will go next, and you will be able to get them.” Said Apple Bloom.

“But why catch them at all? What do they do?” Asked Applejack.

“Oh, all sorts of things, they are bottom feeders, mainly live in freshwater environments. Normally if the water isn’t super polluted, then you can have a pretty good guess that the water is healthy enough to somewhat drink. They look cool and are super fun to catch. The older you get, the more you can experience the life that is around you.” Said Apple Bloom.

“Wow, I didn’t know that, that’s pretty cool.” Said Applejack, all these things were new to her.

“Too bad you can’t stick with me forever. I could show you all the wonderful things I know about nature. Yet sadly, we all have our own lives. Now then, I think we really should head back. I’m hungry.” Said Apple Bloom. Applejacks stomach rumbled in agreement, and she couldn’t help but let out a laugh. They both giggled as they made their way back to their house.