It was a clear, sunny noon in Sweet Apple Acres. Sunlight was seeping in between the tree leaves and the smell of freshly cut grass blended in with the happy buzzing of the bumblebees to create the pleasant, idyllic picture this humble patch of land was known for. Among the trees stood a young woman with a wide brimmed hat adorning her blond hair. She delivered a swift kick to a tree, causing all of the apples to fall off neatly into some big wicker baskets. She picked two baskets full of red and green fruit on her shoulders, and dropped them in a nearby cart. She wiped the sweat off her brow, sighed and grabbed a thermos full of cold water. That was the tenth apple tree she harvested that day, with several more left to go. A long, arduous day of work. She wouldn't have it any other way.
She turned around to pick up the rest of the baskets when she saw a small, older man walking toward her. He was wearing a fedora hat, sunglasses, a bushy beard and a long coat.
“Good evening” the stranger greeted, in a posh voice. “Pardon me if I am interrupting something important, but am I speaking to the one known as “Applejack”?
“Umm, sure thing” Applejack answered after taking a sip from her thermos. “Don´t know anyone else who's named the same, at least. Is there anything Ah can help you with?
“Why yes, yes there is. “He takes off his hat. “I'm a reporter, you see? I work for an important Newspaper in Canterlot. The Hoofington Post? I'm sure you´ve heard of it.
“Can´t say ah have. But if it's from Canterlot, then ah'm sure it's important.
“It is. It has thousands of readers and an excellent reputation.
“Well then, ah don't really get how ah can help you. “She replied, screwing the lid of her thermos shut and putting it back in the cart” Ah´m just a humble apple farmer. Ah´ve been workin´ through these orchards since the day Ah first learned how to walk. Nothin´ newsworthy has happened here in all those years. If you want some sorta exctitin´ tale, Ah recommend going back to town. Ah heard Sugarcube Corner is about to unveil a never before seen donut flavour. As for me, I got a million chores to do today, so... Good day, Mister” She tipped her hat and with that, turned her back to him and back to her baskets.
“Wait!” The Reporter yelped, trailing behind. “You don't seem to get exactly why I´m here. I´m not here to write a puff piece about some random town bumpkin who claims to have The Best Carrot Cake in all of Equestria or something like that! The readers are interested in more specific and recent events.
“If you´re talkin´about the…
”The Nightmare Moon Incident” The Reporter finished, finally catching up with Applejack, and planting his feet right in front of her” Yes, that is what I'm after. I´m looking for accounts of the events that transpired that night and, word is, you and five other young women were directly involved in turning the dreaded Nightmare Moon back into our long lost Princess Luna. As I'm sure you understand, the readers are eager to hear how that happened straight from the Horse's Mouth, so to speak. Now, will you cooperate?
Applejack took a good look at the older gentleman breathing heavily in front of her. She was not amused by the commanding tone in his voice, and to make that clear, she took a step closer toward him, hands in her hips, standing completely straight. To make the picture clearer, you got to understand one thing: Applejack was an exceptionally tall, broad shouldered woman, built properly for someone who worked on a farm ten hours a day. When she did this then, she casted a shadow over the now feeble looking Reporter, who only reached her chin with the top of his head.
“Listen here, mister” She spoke in a harsh tone that barely resembled her usually friendly, country girl mannerisms” Ah want to be perfectly clear on a matter or two: Firstly, Ah don't much appreciate that tone you just used on me. Not least because you are using it on my property. Secondly, Ah don´t know if you´ve heard of us Apples, but we generally don't like to have unwanted attention around these parts. We´d much rather have the quality of our work and our own hospitality to speak for ourselves. So, when Ah got mahself involved in that whole “Nightmare Moon” debacle, ah was afraid some nosy people would come in here askin´ questions and raisin´ a ruckus over somethin´ that is none of their business. So Ah gotta ask you: What reason do Ah have to trust you?
Once finished, she crossed her arms over her chest and stood there, waiting for an answer. The Reporter was rigid like a statue. He had been warned that Applejack, already famous in town for her stubborn attitude and inflexible nature, would be one of the hardest subjects to talk into an interview. Thus, he was ready for a battle to get what he wanted. He already had worked with difficult people before, after all, so surely a small town farmgirl couldn´t be that much harder. But even he was a bit taken aback by the “Humble Apple Farmer’s” ability to go from Sunny Hospitality to Threatening and Confrontational in the blink of an eye. Especially because she seemed equally sincere (And fully capable of delivering) in both fronts. Nevertheless, he didn't come all the way from Canterlot to be dismissed so easily. He put his hat back on, looked up into Applejack's eyes, and with barely a slight shake in his voice, he answered her question:
“Because, Miss Applejack, I´ve been made aware, before I even crossed the main Gate of Sweet Apple Acres that you and I both hold one thing in very high value: The Truth. Pure, unadulterated, uncompromising truth! You believe that lies are the way of the cowardly and the crooked, and that honesty is the only way to live. Well, I believe in the same. I don´t work for some dull, vapid tabloid. My readership wishes to know what happened that night. They deserve to know what truly happened that night! Do you wish to deprive them of that? Fine then! Just tell me and I'll be on my way. Be quick though, I have places to be!
And with that, he did like Applejack and firmly crossed his arms over his heaving chest. They were both engaged in a silent, staring contest through which the only thing that could be heard was the singing of the birds and the air shaking the tree leaves. The Reporter was sure that sooner or later, one of them would give into the other´s demands, and he was going to make sure that someone would be himself. He didn't take into account how it felt being under Applejack´s gaze, however. There was something about her vivid green eyes that made it seem like she had some sort of unnatural way of telling when someone was hiding something. Like she had some sort of X-ray vision that penetrated through his dark Aviator glasses, through his eyes and deep into his soul; detecting any trace of incenserity. It certainly felt that way, and coupled with the very notable height difference, The Reporter´s poker face started to give up. His composure was just about done, when:
“You know, you really hit the nail in the head with that whole spiel about “The Truth”.
The tension all throughout The Reporter´s body was released, like a jolt of electricity, when his blonde opponent smiled at him. It was a very warm smile that radiated trust, which after that brief moment of tension felt really comforting.
“So… so you are saying you are agreeing to the interview?
“Sure thing!” laughed Applejack, who found his previously foppish demeanor coming down exceedingly amusing “Most folks who've come here to snoop just crumble away when Ah do mah whole “Bad Cowboy” thing. The fact that you didn't shows me you actually believe in what you're sayin´. Besides, you won´t get what you want if you only go with the others. Ah reckon Rarity´ll just add a bunch of useless little details. And Dash´ll just talk about herself.
“Oh, thank you so much!” Cheered The Reporter, now in a more relaxed mood “When can we start?
“Ah say right now! If you give me a minute, that is. First, Ah´ve got to finish takin´these baskets into that cart. Then Ah´ll take you to our cabin where you can wait and cozy up until Ah´ve seen that mah chores are taken care of. That sound good to you?
“I see no problem with that.” He conceded. Thus, Applejack finished packing up the cart and, as promised, led The Reporter to her house. Through all of this, the older gentleman was actually relieved that his first subject didn't put that much of a resistance. Maybe the rest wouldn't be that hard?
…
The Reporter found himself in a cozy, warm living room. Applejack had left him there about ten minutes ago, told him to make himself comfortable. And, admittedly, it wasn't that hard. A small scent of cinnamon, wood and (Of course) Apples permeated the place. The only sound he could hear was the clucking of the chickens outside and the ticking of the grandfather clock inside. Family pictures covered every piece of wall that wasn't covered in tacky wallpaper. In front of him there was a small table covered in a handmade mantelpiece. On top of it there were some books, a family album, some childlike drawings and yet another picture depicting four people smiling at the camera. One of them was AppleJack herself. The others were a big, burly mountain of a man with a kindly smile, a small, wrinkly old woman and, in front of them all was a young girl with red hair, a big pink bow and a smile that occupied most of her face. It didn't take a genius to notice that these people put significant value on family.
The place was nice and cozy, alright? But The Reporter was getting a bit antsy. He had other people to see that day and he honestly didn't know how long Applejack would take. He was taking another look at his watch when he heard a door opening in the other room.
“Ah´m so sorry.” Said Applejack´s voice from the kitchen. “Ah had to look for Big Macintosh all across the farm. My chores should be taken care of now. Hope all the waitin´ didn't get to you.
“It's alright. There´s no problem. “The Reporter reassured her, not wanting to take his chances and be a bad guest.. He just barely talked her into this, after all, and telling her that he had, in fact, several more important things to do than to sit and wait would probably get him kicked out. The statuesque farmgirl finally entered the living room. She held a glass of water in one hand and a big bottle of apple juice in the other.
“Is there anythin´ else ah can offer you? “She asked as her host accepted the glass of water “We have apple pies, caramel apples, apple fritters, apple cake, apple juice, apple cider, zap apple jam, appletini, Apple smoothies, apple crisps and a bit of leftover birthday cheesecake. “She took a long swing of apple juice. “Anything interests ya?
“Um, no. I'm quite alright as is. Thank you.
“Ok then. "She sat, her fingers twitching with mild anxiety.” A´m sorry. Ah don't often get guests here. Much less ones that are here to ask me questions for a newspaper.
“I promise it´ll be a quick affair. Just pretend I'm an old family friend looking for a small, casual chat. “He takes a small notebook and a quill from his jacket. “Now, it is my understanding that you had been tasked with catering the Summer Sun Celebration. The same day the “Nightmare Moon Incident” happened.
“That is correct.
“Let's begin there. What can you tell me about that particular day, before the incident.
“That all? Phew, got an easy one to start with. “She said to herself. She took another swing at her bottle and began her story:
“To tell ya the truth, ah was quite overwhelmed when ah got the letter tellin´ me that Sweet Apple Acres was gonna be in charge for catering at the Summer Sun Celebration. Ah mean, we had already done it plenty of times here in ponyville. Weddings, birthdays, Hearth's Warming Eve parties, and so on. But this was different. Folks from all across Equestria were comin´ here to get a taste of our products. That included very fancy places like Manehattan and worse of all, Canterlot. And to top it all off, Queen Celestia was also gonna be there. Never in mah wildest dreams had ah thougtht ah would live to meet royalty. And yet, there ah was, tasked with preparin´ food for Equestia´s head honcho herself. But ah´ve never been one to back off from a challenge, and sure as heck Ah wasn't startin´ now.
“Ah´m not one to take center stage usually. Mah Granny Smith takes care of the administrative side of things and mah big brother takes care of the heavy liftin´. Me on the other hand? Ah do a lil´ bit of everythin´ around here. Guess it's part of bein´ the middle child and all “She chuckled.” Ah don´t look for praise, ah just want to help out anyway ah can. But with this here catering business, ah figures “Well, Mah Granny and Big Brother are busy with their own stuff. Might as well try and handle this.”. So Ah spend three days straight, with barely any sleep, tryin´ ta perfect old family recipes and looking for new stuff to present. By the end of it all, Ah was a jittery mess. Eventually, mah Granny, bless her heart, sends a distress call for members of the Apple family all across Equestria. And answer they did. Nearly every single member of our family got here in no time. “As she said that, her lips pursed a little and her eyes stared at a side, in an expression of slight bitterness. “Gotta tell ya, as grateful as ah was, ah was also kind of embarrassed. The one time ah try to do somethin´ mahself and ah blew it. Ah guess Ah couldn't complain, though. We Apples can do with a couple of golden delicious what not even the best chefs in Canterlot could with a fridge full of ingredients. And the more Apples, the better, right? So we get workin´ and a day before the big event, ah get a message sayin´ that they were sendin´ someone from Canterlot to look after the caterin´. Now, before, ah was worried. But at this point, with mah whole family at mah side, ah new we had nothin´ to fear. Not even a stuffy, hoity toity judge from prissy ol´Canterlot. Uh, no offense.
“None taken. But they didn't send a typical judge or food critic to look after the catering, didn't they? It is my understanding that that's when you met one Twilight Sparkle?
-Yessir ah did. There ah was, pacin in front of Sweet Apple Acres, waitin´ for the supervisor. Ah almost laughed when ah saw that, instead of some geezer in a monkey suit, there was this little thing, no older than I, accompanied by a little boy (For some reason). What was there to be afraid of?. She had this stuffy, uptight look to her, though, with her bow tie, her sweater vest and skirt, so ah guess she still means business. We Apples are known for our hospitality and warmth, and ah wasn´t gonna let that reputation go, so ah go and get mahself and mah family acquainted with this Twilight Sparkle and begin to offer some food to her and her… Little brother? Ah guess? Ah don´t know what's the deal there, but anyways. Gotta say, lookin´ back “She scratched the back of her head as a sheepish smile crossed her face. “Ah may have been a bit on the forceful side with her. But ah had it in mah mind that in order to make the best impression possible, ah had to treat her like one of the family. And treat her like family we did.
“A while later she's looking mighty tired and stuffed to the brim with food. And just as well, she looked like she could use some meat in her bones, if you catch mah drift. Once she gives her approval and leaves with her kid, we begin to pack up and set shop at city hall. It's already getting dark, and the place begins to get filled with people whom ah´ve never met or seen in mah life, and ah know everyone in town to a degree. Among them there were some dressed in some sorta suit of armor. Ah´m told those were Royal Guards, and that's when it hits me. Little ol´ Applejack and her humble family were about to meet Queen Celestia. It was as overwhelming as it was excitin´.
“We are just about finished setting up, when a friend of mine, who goes by the name of Pinkie Pie, approaches me. She says in her squeaky li´l voice that ah´m looking stressed and tired. At first ah try to pretend ah don't know what she's talking about. Wouldn't be the first time this one´s talking nonsense. But then again, ah´ve never been one to tell lies. So she sees right through me with her freaky sixth sense powers and then tells me ah need to wind down and go to a special party she's throwing for a newcomer to the town.
“Ah don´t wanna go at first, but mah Granny had been overhearing our conversation and accepts her invitation on mah behalf. She tells me ah need to relax and that they all have it covered here. Reluctantly, ah decide to go. Ah´m not one for parties mahself. Much prefer small social gatherings or big family reunions. But ah´ve known Pinkie Pie for a while now, and although she may be loud and a few chickens short of a coop, she does know how to make a good time all around. So ah says to mahself “What the hay!” and go to this party to shoot the breeze for a while. Ah spent some time speaking with some family members who tagged along and at a certain point, Pinkie Pie announced that “She's coming. Everyone get ready”: As if this were some birthday party, everybody hides and they turn off the lights. They get back on again and, as it turns out, it's that Twilight Sparkle gal. And ah might add, she's looking a fair bit more frazzled than the last time ah´ve seen her. Ah´m told she´s had to supervise the rest of the celebration by herself, which means she's had to look after the likes of Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie herself. “She raised a finger for each name she mentioned.” Now, ah hate gettin´ all judgy, but all of them can be quite a handful. Ah personally haven't interacted that much with Rainbow Dash, and much less Rarity, but from what ah can gather from the few times we´ve talked, as well as from what ah´ve heard in town, they aren't exactly the kind you seek out when you want your blood pressure down. Same applies to Pinkie Pie. Ah´ve dealt with her for a while and she´s mostly a nice gal, but she's also a tad inconsiderate and, again, tuck bucking crazy.
Already pretty stressed, Twilight goes to take a swing of what seems to be fruit punch. Imagine her face when she finds out it's actually hot sauce! And Pinkie Pie knew it! She put that in there! Can you even imagine getting into that frame of mind!? “After saying this, she takes yet another sip from her bottle while looking at a side, as if her last statement was a big insult she regretted inmediatly.
“After scorching her mouth, Twilight goes runnin´ upstairs. Can't blame her honestly. Me and the other girls, plus another pink haired one whom Ah´ve never even met are feeling kinda bad. Well, Rainbow Dash thought the whole situation was kinda funny, until it´s pointed out that we haven't exactly made Twilight's first day in Ponyville a breeze. In order to make up for this, we take a vow: We´ll each do our darndest to make the rest of Twilight´s stay at Ponyville as pleasant as we can, startin´as soon as we next see her. She never comes down for the rest of the party, however, and we don't see her until it's time to head back to Town Hall and meet the Queen.
“We´re all waiting with bated breath to at last meet Celestia herself. Kids are at the edge of their seats, the adults are practically jumping with excitement. Even ah find mahself getting´antsy. The Mayor's introduction finally ends and then… Nuthin’. There´s nothing but this bit of silence, which is eventually broken only by people whispering “Where´s the Queen?” . Finally, someone shows up, alright? But it's most definitely not Queen Celestia.
Applejack's face turned somber. Her eyes stared at the distance and her mouth was slightly ajar, showing her teeth. The overall effect wasn't so much that of shellshock. It was more the face of someone remembering a particularly unpleasant experience in high detail.
“Miss?” The Reporter asked, concerned. “Are you alright? Do you need a moment?
Applejack blinked a couple of times, like she had been suddenly woken up.
“N… No. Ah´m fine, thank you. It's just that, what happened there was so sudden and so unexpected. One moment you're bracin´ yourself to meet royalty and the next, you get this all encompassing chill, like being covered by an ice blanket. Then everything goes dark and this blue fog starts creepin’ around. It then reaches the spot where Celestia was meant to appear in and from out of it comes… her. “She shudders. “This really imposing looking lady with big black wings. She's a sickly blue color and dressed in old timey duds. She has this cold, reptilian looking eyes and sharp fangs, like one of them bat folk from those old wives tales. She speaks in a very loud, very deep voice, about how she's the new royalty and how this night will last forever. Ah´know that telling it it sorta sounds like an old cartoon villain. But if you had been there, well, you'd know why ah´m shaking with the jeebies right now.
“And afterward you just decided to go after her?
Applejack opened her mouth to speak but was immediately interrupted by someone coming into the living room.
“AJ! Big Mac told me you´d be here. Ah need yer help, it's something really important!
The newcomer stopped in her tracks. It was the same redheaded girl as in the picture on the mantelpiece. She was holding a pink backpack in one hand and a notebook in the other, looking a bit puzzled at the scene in front of her.
“Apple Bloom, where are your manners? “Applejack calmly berated her little sister. “This man here is mah guest, mister… Um…
“Oh, my name is not important. “He dismissively waved his hand. Then he turned to Apple Bloom. “I´m just here to interview your older sister.
Apple Bloom looked at the stranger for a moment, with no expression. She then tilted her head and asked “Are ye some sorta pervert?
“APPLE BLOOM!!
“Ah´m sorry!. “The young girl excused herself quickly at both her angry sister and the perplexed man. “It's just that one day we were talking about creepers at school and a classmate of mine said they always dress like… Well, like that.
“But that's not the case here! “The angry older sibling replies. She then immediately turns to The Reporter and very seriously asks. “That's not the case right?
“NO! NO IT ISN'T! This is just… this is just the way I dress!
“IT'S JUST THE WAY HE DRESSES, APPLE BLOOM! What do you need anyways?
“Ah just had this math homework to do and ah was wonderin’ if you could maybe help me out with it. “She answered, not really in an apologetic way, but more like trying to draw attention away from her flub.
“Ah will, okay?! But right now ah´m busy. “Applejack´s tone had softened up somewhat. “Go upstairs, and wait. I´ll go help you when I'm done here, got it?
“Yessir! Thank you very much sis! “The little tyke then enthusiastically headed upstairs.
“And after that we´ll have a talk about yer manners, missy!. “Applejack shouted at the ceiling before turning back to her guest. “Sorry about that. Anyways, where were we?
“Um… “The Reporter was still a bit flabbergasted at that little episode and took a second to regain his bearings. “We were… Oh, Nightmare Moon had shown up.
“Ah! That's right!. “Applejack shuffled a bit in her seat for comfort and resumed her tale. “No, ah didn't instantly decide to go after that monster. Ah don´t think nobody had the slightest idea of what to do now either. There was this minute of silence after this Nightmare Moon character had vanished into the darkness and then, everyone panicked like a herd of sheep after hearing a gunshot. Ah just had one thing in mah mind at that moment, and that was locating mah little sister. You know, the mouthy one upstairs. Mah heart’s beating a mile a minute, hoping against the worst in the middle of a panicky crowd. Ah call as loud as ah can for her, when ah finally hear her little voice answering me from beneath a table. The poor thing was shaking, hiding with some classmates of hers. Ah tell her to calm down, ah´m here now, trying to hide the fact that ah have not an inkling of what´ll happen next. It takes some persuading, but ah finally get her and her other two friends to come out. Ah wasn't about to let two little girls go around without supervision.
“Ah carry Bloom in mah shoulders and take the other two in each hand to look for their parents. It doesn't take much for Rarity to show up, mascara running down her cheeks. She claims one of the girls is her sister, which the little one confirms, and ah let her go to be embraced by the hysterical one. As Rarity keeps thanking me in between sobs, ah look at the one still holding mah hand. The poor thing´s shaking like jelly, looking completely lost. She has this metal leg as well. What kind of person leaves a handicapped little girl to her own devices? Ah was just about to ask her who her parents are, when Rainbow Dash swoops in from above. Says something about our common acquaintance, Twilight Sparkle, hurrying away from the trouble looking very suspicious. She thinks it's more than just a coincidence that she shows up the same day Nightmare Moon does, and we need to follow her into the Golden Oaks library. Ah´m not sure if she´s right, but ah do think she likely knows something, and we all agree to meet at the library after we take care of some things. Ah need to first, leave mah sister back home to safety and leave the other one with a responsible adult. Dash says she´ll take care of her. Not necessarily what ah had in mind when ah thought “responsible adult”, but the short one says she´ll be alright, and in fact seems pretty enthusiastic at the prospect. So I leave her with Dash and head back to Sweet Apple Acres.
“Once at the Golden Oaks Library, where we had that party earlier that night, Ah met with both Rainbow Dash and Rarity as well as Pinkie Pie and the other one with Pink Hair. We all enter the Library. Ah have to keep Dash from going ham on Twilight so she can tell us what she thinks it's happening. She (Or rather, Pinkie Pie) points us to a dusty old book that speaks of some magical doohickies called “The Elements of Harmony”, of which there´s apparently six. “She began counting down, once again, raising her fingers as she spoke. “Honesty, Generosity, Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness and a sixth one nobody knows. A bunch of hooey in mah opinion.
“Wait, you think the legendary Elements of Harmony are “hooey”?
“Eeyup. Whole buncha hooey.”She finished off her drink and left the empty bottle on the table. “If you can pardon mah language.
“But magic is all around us constantly! “The Reporter insisted, rather baffled at the seeming ignorance of his interviewee. “The Pegasus People fly and control the weather! Wizards and Mages have actual magic! Your own people have a special connection with the land!
“Now hold your horses for a moment. “Applejack intervened. “Ah´m not actually sayin´ that ah don't believe in magic. Ah´d have to be pretty darn silly to not do so. But you gotta understand, we don't get much of the obvious magic stuff around here in Ponyville. Ah mostly keep away from the Pegasus´ business, and there aren't many of them… Whatcha call them? Wizards and what? Ah, just call them the “Unicorn Folk”. There aren't many of those here, and the ones that are don´t know a lot more than just making´ things float. And the Magic of us “Earthers” is pretty easy to ignore. So when you grow up with the so-called “Simple life” like ah have, you sorta associate those things with fairy tales and legends.
“And regardless of mah personal beliefs “She continued.” This Twilight Sparkle was planning on going by herself into the honking Everfree Forest! Ah don´t know if you´ve ever been there before, but that's like the last place you'd ever want to be. Nothing in it makes any sense. It's like entering a whole new reality where the earth takes care of itself and hates everything foreign. Besides, it's shock full of monsters and nasty critters. Ah pretty much say “Nuts to that” and offer to go along with her. We all do in fact. We did vow to look after Twilight on her stay in Ponyville.
“And now, there ah am. Going against everything mah Granny has taught me, walking into the Everfree Forest with a group of people ah barely know or trust. We go into it and as ah suspected, it was like entering into another world. The trees, the ground, the cold breeze, nothin’ was like it is down here. And yet, there´s just silence. Ah was expecting that we'd be attacked by timber wolves or Hydras the moment we set foot in there. But there was none of that. For the next few minutes (Though they really felt like hours) we remain mostly quiet. Mostly bein’ the keyword. Pinkie Pie was singing something to herself, as chipper as ever. Ah heard Rarity doin’ some complainin’ noises, likely because her boots were getting covered in mud, and every once in a while, Dash would begin whistling some sorta tune, like this was all just a pleasant stroll down the park.
“The only ones who were actually quiet were Twilight, leadin’ the way and givin’ light with her little wand, I, who was tryin´ to be tough for the sake of everyone, and the other one with the pink hair. Now, let me describe her for ya: She's this frail lookin’ dandelion of a woman who barely looked like she had any business being there. She was about as tall as ah am, and half the width, and she's clearly not shakin´because of the cold, seeing as how she's dressed in a wool cardigan. Once ah began walking beside her, ah heard her teeth chatterin’. It was crazy, like some sorta wind up toy
.
“Ah hate seein’ the poor thing shivering like that., so ah walk on her side and say:
<>. She looks at me with these big ol´ sad eyes almost in shock. Like she wasn't expecting someone to notice her. She nods a bit, and ah take it as a sign to keep going.
<>. Ah offer mah hand, but she doesn't take it. In fact, she stops looking at me altogether. Ah start thinking this one´s rather rude, when ah hear the slightest squeak comin´from her mouth.
<> Ah ask.
<>. She says in a barely audible squeak. Still, ah do understand what she´s sayin´.
<>
<> She asks in a slightly more audible voice << But you are Applejack! Everyone in town knows about you. Everyone knows how brave you are, or how strong or how dependable you are.>> It was as if the chill of the night vanished just like *that*. Ah was blushin´ harder than ah´ve ever done mah whole life. <>
“Ah truly didn't know what to say. Walkin´ besides me is a girl carrying a lot of baggage. Ah´m no longer sure if there's anything ah can do to actually help her. Ah realize then that without payin’ attention, Ah´ve taken out mah hat. This mothy lil´ thing “She took off her hat and looked at it. A melancholic, almost sad smile painted her face. “Silly as it may sound, it carries a lot of meaning. The person who gave it to me taught me to be who ah am today. To look after mah family and to forever remain true to mah beliefs. And while us six weren't exactly family, Ah think that waltzing into some dangerous woods forms a special type of kinship. So ah put mah hat back on, look at her and say:
<> “Her teeth are chatterin’ louder than ever and looking really pale about now, so ah reckon´ ah better skip to mah point. <> “She gives me a look like ah just told her it's rainin´chocolate rain at this point <>
“Ah give her a small pat on her shoulders, kinda afraid ah´ll break her, and to mah surprise, she smiles back at me. After that, even though the general atmosphere of dread never really leaves us, ah think there's now a bit more trust in our small group.
“There´s some other small conversations going around a bit later. Ah don´t get to hear all of them, but one in particular stands out: Twilight asks us if none of us have truly ever been there. We basically tell her that of course not, this here´s the devil's playhouse, though not exactly that because we are already plenty spooked out. Seemingly though, Rainbow Dash failed to get the memo, because she starts speaking about this place like it's some sort of endearing Nightmare Night attraction. Ah tell her to quit it, especially because ah hear Fluttershy´s shiverin’ again, but she wouldn't listen! Just as she's telling us that <> the ground beneath us gives in, almost on cue.
“We were, at the time, walking on the side of a mountain, so there's a considerable fall waiting for us. Ah act quicker than ah ever have, take hold of a ledge with one hand and the hand of whoever is closest to me with the other one. That hand happened to be Twilight´s. Ah look up and ah see Pinkie and Rarity falling off, with Rainbow and Fluttershy flying hot on their trails. Who knew Fluttershy could fly? Let alone that fast! The four of them vanish in between the treetops, leaving me and a panicky Twilight all alone in that cliffside.
<> She screams at me <>
<> Ah can't finish off that sentence, because the ledge I'm holding on to begins to crack. As it does, mah hat falls off mah head. The situation is looking mighty dire, and Ah´m no longer sure if the girls ́ll be back in time. Mah heart is beating so hard, ah almost feel it coming out of mah chest, as ah look into Twilight's face.
“Now, there are two faces I´ll never forget, both came from Twilight that same night. In the first one, tears of panic are running down her cheeks, her teeth are held together so tightly ah can almost hear them squeak, and her chest is going up and down extremely quickly. That is the face of someone who doesn't know if… “Applejack's voice cracked. She put the back of her hand in front of her mouth for a moment, as she looked up the ceiling” … If she´ll make it. And Ah´m very much aware the answer to that question is held by either mah hand or how long the ledge is gonna take both our weights. Then, ah have an idea. It is bonkers, but ah have to try it out.
<>
<> She stops looking panicked and now looks borderline offended <>
<>
<> She's back to tearin´up now.
<> “Ah start talkin´ in a more authoritative tone now <>
“She looks straight at me for a minute, then closes her eyes. She opens them, and she gives me the second look ah won't ever be able to forget: Her eyes have this determined look to them, as red as they are from cryin´, her lips are shut tight and her brow is furrowed as she nods. The look someone gives when they trust their lives in your hands. Ah return the nod, and a second before the ledge gives in, Ah let go.
“My word! “The Reporter exclaimed, and Applejack flinched. She was so into her own story, she almost forgot where she was or who she was talking to. “And just how did you know you'd make it?!
“Well to be perfectly straight with you, ah was banking in either Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy or both to swoop in at the last second. But they didn't, so midfall, ah had to execute plan B: Ah put one arm around Twilight´s waist “She mimed her actions as she was telling them” and ah hold her head with mah other arm. Ah then turn around so that mah back takes the whole brunt of the impact.
“Great, Sweet Celestia! “The Reporter stammered, completely baffled. If what he was told was true, the young lady in front of him wouldn't even be telling all of this, let alone in the relatively calm, almost casual tone she did. “How did you…!? I mean… How could you…!? That 's impossible!! No one should be able to take that fall!
To his further surprise and astonishment, his subject began to laugh. It wasn´t even a light chuckle like the ones she had made until now. It was a full on, hearty laughing fit.
“Oh my! “She cleared a tear off her eye. “Ah´m sorry! Ah´m sorry! It's just that, you sound just like her! There we were, in the middle of a small, me shaped crater. Ah ask her if she's alright, and she chooses to instead worry about me!
“Of course, you got to remember, Ah´m an Earther. We may not be able to fly or have fancy magic, but what we do have is strength and endurance. And among mah family we have a sayin’: “Earthers may be able to take on an avalanche, but us Apples can take on a whole hurricane”. That's just what ah told her then, and she asks
<> To which Ah replied with:
<>
<>
<>
<> “That was Rainbow Dash, who just now showed up. She was followed by Fluttershy, and some slightly ruffled up but unharmed looking Rarity and Pinkie Pie. <>
<> Ah stood up so quickly ah forgot about the pain in mah back. <>
<> Twilight chimed in <>
“And thus, as if nothing had happened, we moseyed along. Pinkie Pie resumed her humming, Rarity was complaining about how the fall messed up her hair and Rainbow was still gushing about me, much to mah embarassment. Ah start moving along, when Fluttershy walks by mah side.
<> She mumbles in her squeaky, barely audible voice.
<>
<> She has the most satisfied, innocent smile ah´ve seen from a woman her age. <>
<> Ah add <>
“Contrary to what ah wanted to get out of that comment, her smile slowly fades away. She doesn't look sad, or dejected, or anything like that. But it's clear her insecurities are still ingrained deep within her.
“Little did she know what she'd get to do afterwards. Shortly thereafter, we face down against this Manticore…
“Excuse me. “The Reporter interrupted. “But it won't be necessary that you tell me this.
“I.. ah… You mean the whole altercation with the Manticore?
“Yes, and anything that happened in between that and your finding the Elements of Harmony. I´m sorry if it seems abrupt, but I wish to get those details directly from your friends. It would be redundant if you tell me. Is that ok with you?
“I… Ah guess. “She took a moment to once again regain her bearings and said to herself. “Lets see here, there was the Manticore, the Sea Serpent, the Bridge and… Oh! Is it okay if ah pick back up at the Castle of the Two Sisters?
“Yes you may.
“Alrighty! So after a whole bunch of crazy stuff happens, we finally reach our destination: The Castle of the Two Sisters. Let me tell you, it looks like something straight out of a horror movie. It's this big black castle that looks like it's been crumbling away for centuries. We go in, and in the middle of it all, there's this crazy contraption. It's hard to describe. It looks like a mobile for a crib or something. It's holding some sorta stone balls. Dash and Fluttershy take them to the ground. Pinkie Pie starts counting, and we notice there's one missing. Twilight says something along the lines of a “Spark revealing the sixth element” once the five are gathered together. To which ah ask What in the hay is that supposed to mean!? At this point, we have been walking for several hours, with little to no rest and attacked by all sorts of things on this Celestia-forsaken Forest. Ah like to think mahself as bein’ pretty sturdy, but ah also took a fall that, the doctor would tell me later on, would take visits to the chiropractor for the better part of six months. What on earth even is a chiropractor anyways!? So as you may have guessed, Ah´m plum tuckered out just about now.
“Twilight takes out her wand and starts mumbling something below her breath. Ah´m looking at her as she does this, then ah look around the ruins of the castle and it hits me once again. This is way over mah head! We are dealing with some mystical artifacts ah thought were balloony just a few hours ago to vanquish a thousand year old evil! There's nothing a farm girl like me can do to help. Nothin´ but stand there and feel useless. Ah say to the others that it would be better if we leave her alone to concentrate, and they follow me outside to do just that.
“We stay outside for a bit, wonderin’ what the Elements might do once they get workin’, if they do anythin’ at all. Dash hopes it´ll invoque some kinda laser or something to rain down on Nightmare Moon. Pinkie Pie hopes it´ll turn her into a balloon animal. Rarity claims it´d be neat if she gets trapped in some kinda cristal, and Fluttershy just hopes that, whatever it does, it doesn't actually harm her.
“We keep on going for a short while, when we hear a commotion going around inside. There´s the same fog from earlier that night coming from inside the castle! We rush in, but when we arrive, Twilight and the Elements are gone!
“The girls and ah are now running around the castle´s hall, hollerin´ Twilight´s name. All the while, there's the same thought beatin’ me in the head like a drum: Ah was the one who suggested we leave Twilight. This whole situation is all mah fault! The entire reason we even came into the Everfree Forest, riskin´ our lives, getting battered, bruised and frightened, was so we made sure Twilight would be okay! And now, because of one small bit of bad decision making on mah part, Twilight was likely taken by that awful Nightmare Moon!
“Ah spent like this for a few short seconds, just shy of tearin´ up, when we feel a slight tremor under our feet, which causes some debris to fall off the ceilin´. Rarity then points to a window looking at one of the castle´s towers. There´s some light coming from there. It didn't take a lot to guess that Twilight was most likely there, battling it out against Nightmare Moon. Without hesitatin´ we start running upstairs. No longer tired, ah spent the whole way through prayin´ and hoping that she's alright. We finally arrive at the top to find Twilight on the floor. She's looking a tad bruised, but otherwise alright. Such is our relief we don't even notice Nightmare Moon standin´ there, with the pieces of what were once the Elements of Harmony in front of her.
<> Ah remember sayin´ among the cries of the others <>
<> She´s tearin’ up again as she looks up to us <>
<> Ah tell her <>
“She stands up and gives all five of us the biggest hug we would expect from her. She then looks back at Nightmare Moon, standin´ there with her teeth grinding at us, and delivers this speech against her. Ah don´t remember all of it, mah memories from this point on get all fussy, but ah do remember that she talked about how, even though Nightmare Moon destroyed the Elements, they in fact lived inside us all along. Goes on to list off everythin’ that transpired that night, including how ah reassured her when she was in doubt during the whole cliff incident. Gotta say, the girl sure knows how to speechify. Then, the darndest thing in an already wild night happens: The fragments of the Elements of Harmony Circle around us and we start risin’ from the ground! We are covered by these circles of light, and all of the sudden, the fragments turn into these little necklace thingies around our necks. The light increases and… well, lets just say Rainbow Dash got the closest as to what the Elements would do: A big laser show with all the colors of the Rainbow (Appropriately enough) emerges and rains down on Nightmare Moon. She lets out a big “NOOOOOOOO!!!!” And once the dust settles, we´re all back into the ground, Nightmare Moon is gone and in her place, there´s the long lost Princess Luna.
“The rest you probably already know: Celestia finally shows up, we head back to town to celebrate the defeat of Nightmare Moon and the return of Princess Luna. Twilight decides to move to Ponyville permanently, and that's that.
She let out a big yawn and rubbed her neck. By now, her voice was notably more hoarse than when she began, clearly not used to talking this much. For a moment, all that´s heard is the ticking of the clock and The Reporter´s quill running down his pad. He finally breaks the silence.
“I see. And what are your thoughts on the whole episode? What do you think are the exact order of circumstances that would lead such different people to join in and tackle such a big threat head on?
Applejack clicked her tongue and pursed her lips, deep in introspection, thinking of the right answer. She then let out one last chuckle and answered:
“Shoot! I´d say it was pure neighborhood altruism! Ah don´t know if you´ve been to Ponyville before, or if you´ve taken your time before coming here. But folks here are always looking after one another. Whether it´d be young or old, big or small, guy or gal. Earth, Pegasus, Unicorn, it's all the same. And ah think, in the end, that's the whole reason why we joined in the first place: To help a common acquaintance, this girl who was new to town, in something, no matter how dangerous it seemed at the time. Before this whole ordeal, ah wouldn't have called most of them “Friends”. Ah always thought Rainbow Dash was a bullheaded jock, That Rarity was a superficial bimbo, that Pinkie Pie was a hyperactive loon and, heck, Ah hadn't even heard of Fluttershy or Twilight before. But all of them showed sides ah wouldn't have guessed they had. They showed compassion, solidarity, optimism and selflessness. They showed they were a lot more than ah originally thought they were, and now, though time will tell if it lasts, ah´m pretty happy to call them mah friends. Ya don't waltz into the Everfree Forest with a bunch of strangers and remain strangers after that, let me tell you!
“Alright. Thank you so much for your time, Miss Applejack! It's been a pleasure to hear your tale.
“Hold up! Ah´ve been wondering… well, mah family still isn't fond of unwanted attention. Ah trust you have good intentions, but you have to understand, Ah have to look after a little girl and mah frail Granny. So Ah was thinkin’…
“I will make sure to omit or downplay their involvement in this. Would that be okay to you?
“That would help indeed. Now… “She stood up and The Reporter flinched, as the size difference once again became notable. She straightened her shirt, and lent him a hand, her face illuminated by a friendly grin. “This here was a very pleasant chat! Ah´m really not used to yabberin’ mah mouth off, but it was nice to take all of this off mah chest.
“The pleasure was all mine. Thank you for your cooperation and I wish the best in your personal ventures, Miss Applejack.
“Likewise, Mister!
They shook hands, he put his hat back on and went on his way. The last thing he heard before closing the door on his back was Applejack calling for her little sister, to show her the math problems she had for her.
