It was a sunny morning, the sky was clear as usual, birds were singing, and each of the ponies in Ponyville was starting their day. A little on the outskirts was a farm, whose main structure looked like a barn, though it also served as the home of a family.

Inside the house, there was a cowgirl pony wearing an orange jacket that matched her blonde hair. She was eating an apple, as usual, alongside her older brother and grandmother.

The blonde pony chewed her breakfast while staring off into space, thinking about her schedule for the day, as she often did. But a voice pulled her out of her usual routine it was her grandmother.

"Applejack, have you seen your sister?" she asked kindly. The blonde pony just shook her head while chewing. "Maybe she overslept..." the elderly pony muttered to herself. That was odd, considering her grandmother was always the first to wake up; it was hard to do anything without her noticing.

Applejack turned her head toward her brother, who was just watching the scene. Although from the context, there might have been an unspoken question lingering between them, the stallion simply shook his head.

“I’ll go wake her up. Maybe… that affected her a little” Applejack finished her apple quickly and trotted lightly toward her younger sister Applebloom’s room. Once there, she didn’t hesitate to be polite and knocked on the door. "Sugarcube?"

...

...

nothing

"Sugarcube, you’re fixin’ to be late for school," she said, her worry slowly showing on her face. "I know it’s tough as a boot seeing your friends already have their cutie marks, but that don’t mean you’re gonna be ridin’ solo... Please, open the door."

Nothing.

Applejack sighed and started to walk in, expecting to be met by a pillow flying at her face at high speed or something like that, but... the bed was empty, messy, and missing its usual blanket.

With tunnel vision, she rushed to the bed and started searching the rest of the room. “Applebloom? This is NOT funny. Where are you?” she called out to the air, moving through the house.

With empty hooves, the orange-jacketed pony went to her brother and grandmother. Almost as if she had telepathy with her brother, they both dropped their plans and began searching for their little sister all over the farm.

The barn? Empty.

The vast apple fields? Not a trace. Worry was slowly turning into desperation. Her heart was pounding with genuine fear. Maybe a creature had swallowed her up, she was kidnapped, or maybe…

She sighed. She needed to think clearly if she didn’t want to miss something important and find her too late. She regrouped with her brother. “Anything?”

“Nope.”

"She must’ve hightailed it to school, or maybe one of her friends’ places… I’ll head to the school, you go check her friends’ houses" she said, trying to keep it together, but the worry was still there.

...

...

“Applebloom? No, I haven’t seen her. She should be here in about ten minutes with the others,” suggested the dark purple mare at the school entrance, which was sadly as empty as it should have been.

“For the love of Celestia” Applejack muttered, trying to stay strong and not break down, rubbing her forehead. “And you haven’t heard of... I don’t know, any plan to get her cutie mark or something?” she asked, trying to grasp at anything that might shed some light.

But the teacher’s negative response only made the middle Apple sibling more anxious. “But if I hear anything, I’ll do everything I can to help” she promised, as Applejack noticed a herd of colts and fillies arriving in the distance—but none of them was her sister.

Maybe she’s with her friends... she thought, but that sliver of hope was shattered when she saw a small-winged pegasus and a white unicorn walking toward her with concern. “She’s not here, is she?” asked the latter. Their teacher had to shake her head.

“Maybe... maybe she’s at our clubhouse,” the orange pegasus suggested.

“Alright, I’ll excuse this absence” the teacher quickly declared, looking at the two students before raising her gaze to the missing filly’s sister. “If you find her, don’t worry about bringing her back here.”

“Thank you” Applejack murmured before heading off with the two fillies, using them as guides to their ‘base of operations.’

Meanwhile, far from Applejack, farther than she could imagine, a train moved steadily along the tracks. Its metallic, rhythmic sound blended with the soft whisper of the wind that caressed the fields. On both sides of the tracks, grassy plains stretched like a green blanket, rippling in the breeze as birds flew in flocks. The dark smoke emerging from the locomotive dissipated into the air, leaving a fleeting trail that quickly vanished. Occasionally, the train crossed small iron bridges over silver streams, and in the distance, a mountain range loomed like a distant shadow, promising changes in the landscape. Everything was in motion, yet the surroundings seemed to remain in eternal calm.

“And tell us, young lady, where are you headed?” The voice was laced with age, belonging to one of two elderly ponies—specifically, the earth mare of the pair. Her coat was a soft lavender, which had begun to lose its youthful shine, streaked with silver strands that marked the passage of time. Her once deep blue mane was now almost entirely white, always tied up in an elegant bun. Her warm amber eyes still held a glimmer of kindness.

Next to her sat what appeared to be her life companion, a robust, elderly pegasus. His brown coat, once strong and vibrant, had faded to a more grayish tone, though his posture still reflected strength and discipline.

“Uhm… Calm Tides, ma’am,” the red-maned filly replied confidently as she glanced at the two elderly ponies who had become her travel companions on the train. Beside her, she carried a stick with a cloth tied around it, holding just the basics for a one- or two-day trip.

“Calm Tides?” her husband repeated, raising an eyebrow with a curious tone. “Never set hoof in that town, not even while I was in service. All I heard is that the fog there’s so thick, its residents have the best vision in all of Equestria. Pretty eerie, if you ask me.”

“I know… but I have to go there” she replied, faking confidence, though she avoided eye contact so they wouldn’t catch her small lie. She didn’t know why she felt drawn to that town.

“Is it for the fishing? I hear it’s fishing season and the griffons will be paying a good sum for the catch,” the elderly mare mentioned.

“Uh… yeah, that’s it. I need to... uhm…” She fidgeted with her hooves, laughing nervously. “I need to practice for a contest, I’ve got family there, and see if that’s my special talent,” she said, showing that she didn’t have a cutie mark yet, with a nervous smile.

“If you say” the elderly pegasus said, letting the filly’s excuse slide.

For her part, the little filly let out a big yawn, settling into her seat instinctively to sleep. Her eyes fixed on the moving landscape outside the train, slowly beginning to close...

"I didn’t find anything, Applejack" said a pegasus with a peculiar hair color as she landed from the air in the middle of town. Meanwhile, inside Applejack’s head, desperation was eating away at the farm pony. She wasn’t alone though, as her friend Rarity was by her side.

"Don’t worry, darling, we’ll find her," Rarity said with her elegant, feminine tone as she approached Applejack. Applejack weakly lifted her gaze to meet Rarity’s eyes, trying to keep her composure, but it was hard. Her heart was pounding constantly, and her mind couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened years ago with her beloved parents... one day, they simply vanished without a trace.

"Please, I don’t want to lose anyone else" she murmured as her vision blurred. She was barely standing, her legs trembling under the weight of her own body. The muscles along her flanks tensed with every attempt to stay upright, while her knees seemed to buckle slightly, threatening to give out at any moment. Her head hung low, and her eyes, clouded from the effort, betrayed a silent struggle to remain standing, as if a single gust of wind could knock her over.

"A.J. you’re not gonna lose anyone. She’s strong," Rainbow Dash said, trying to reassure her friend as she noticed Applejack’s strength fading fast. "We’ve been searching all morning for Applebloom. Get some rest, we’re not gonna lose her. While we think things through, we could ask Twilight for help. You know, she’s a ruler now, and her help would come in handy."

Without wasting any time, Dash hoisted her weak friend onto her back and started walking toward Sweet Apple Acres. Naturally, Applejack tried to squirm free, but her body betrayed her, leaving her staring at the ground, fighting back tears.

"Applejack" it was Rarity, following her two friends. "Don’t cry, darling, we’ll find her. It’s not going to happen again. And besides, you have us."

"Do you promise?" Applejack asked weakly, making eye contact without lifting her head much, sniffling a bit.

"Pinkie promise" Rarity said, offering a comforting smile to calm her friend.

The journey was weighed down by a heavy silence. When the three friends arrived at the Apple family farm, they entered the house and saw Big Mac with his girlfriend, who had arrived when only Granny Smith and Fluttershy were home. Fluttershy had accompanied the big red stallion into the woods to search for the youngest of the family.

"Applejack, are you okay?" her older brother asked as he approached her, concerned by her condition. But all he got in return was a sigh. After that, Big Mac gently guided her to a chair and sat her down.

The room fell silent, or at least it would have, if someone hadn’t spoken up.

“Where’s Granny Smith?”

Everyone started frantically looking around the room, fearing the worst... but before another alarm could be raised, Granny Smith slowly entered the room. But there was something interesting about her—she had a rolled-up piece of paper in her mouth.

All eyes in the room were fixed on Granny as she slowly placed the paper on the table. Big Mac was the first to pick it up, his eyes scanning the letter. As he read, surprise, relief, and understanding washed over his face.

“What does it say, Big Mac?” Applejack finally broke the silence. Her brother barely reacted before handing her the letter to read aloud.

• Dear family,

I’ve been having some very strange dreams this week. I don’t know how to explain it, but there’s an island that seems to be calling to me. I feel a pull toward it, I can’t stop dreaming about this place. In my dreams, I’ve been shown how to get there, and I’ve decided I need to follow this call. First, I have to go to a place called Calm Tides.

Applejack, I love you so much. You’ve always been a great example for me, and though I know you’ll worry, I promise I’ll be fine.

Big Mac, thank you for always being there for us, silently but with a strength that says it all. I love you so much, brother.

Granny, thank you for taking care of me all this time. I know your bones aren’t what they used to be, but you never stop giving us your love and wisdom. I appreciate you more than I can say.

Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. I just need to follow this path that my dreams have shown me.

With all my love,
Applebloom

...

Applebloom stood at the bow of a ship sailing across a sea so calm it seemed like an infinite mirror, with nothing in sight on the horizon. The gentle waves rocked the boat from side to side, creating a strange, all-encompassing sense of tranquility. There was no land in view, no sky visible, just the vast ocean stretching out as far as the eye could see. Then, before her, a floating sphere appeared—a light red orb, glowing warmly, radiating with an inner light.

“How’s the journey going?” asked the sphere, its voice echoing in the air with a comforting familiarity. They’d had this conversation many times before.

Applebloom nodded, her eyes fixed on the sphere.

“It’s going well” she replied, her tone a mix of certainty and unease. “But I can’t shake this strange pull... like something out there is drawing me in, tugging at me. At the same time, I can’t help feeling excited. I want to get to that island.”

Applebloom furrowed her brow slightly, the sea breeze brushing her face as she thought about her next step.

“What should I do when I get to the town?” she asked, her eyes returning to the red orb, seeking a clearer answer.

The sphere floated silently for a moment, its light pulsing softly as if considering the question before responding.

“Go to the docks” it said at last, its voice as calm as the sea that surrounded them. “There, ask for a boat. A pony will ask you a very simple question: ‘For what purpose?’. You must tell the truth, Applebloom. Tell them you’ve been dreaming about the island.”

Applebloom felt a shiver run down her spine. Talking about her dreams with a stranger wasn’t something she’d ever considered before, but somehow she knew it was the only way.

“Is that all?” she asked, unsure.

“That’s all,” the sphere repeated, drifting a little farther away as its soft glow began to blend into the horizon. It floated in silence for a moment longer, its light flickering gently before it spoke again. “I don’t have much time” it said, its tone urgent, almost distant. “You must wake up.”

Before Applebloom could respond, the sea and the ship began to fade around her. A second later, she opened her eyes abruptly. She was no longer in the dream.

She blinked several times, disoriented. The rhythmic clatter of the wheels on the tracks reminded her that she was in a train car. She sat up slowly, noticing that the elderly pony couple who had been sitting across from her were no longer there. Only the echo of the empty seat remained in front of her. She looked around, but the car was empty, leaving her with a strange sense of loneliness.

With a sigh, she grabbed the stick with her belongings tied up in a bundle and stood up. The train was slowing down, announcing its arrival at her destination. Calm Tides.

Stepping off the train and onto the platform, the first thing she felt was the dense air. A thick fog blanketed everything, so heavy that the shapes of buildings in the distance were barely discernible. The coastal town had a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, loaded with moisture. The stone streets wound through old, run-down houses, their windows like watchful eyes peering through the mist. The lampposts, unlit, only cast warped shadows in the fog.

The place felt unsettling, almost as if the town itself wanted to remain hidden, far from prying eyes. The waves of the sea crashed against the nearby docks, though they could hardly be seen through the gray shroud that covered everything. Applebloom felt a chill run down her spine. There was something in that cold air that reminded her of the stories Granny Smith used to tell her as a filly, the ones where ghosts and sea creatures lurked in the darkest corners of Equestria.

She took a deep breath and began walking toward the docks the place where her search was supposed to begin.

Author's Note

Hi, this is my first fanfic here on fimfiction!

before you wonder, yes, English is not my native language, so forgive me if the Texan idioms of the apples don't appear often.

and yes, pinkie pie is going to show up, don't worry.