Rotten Apples

Jonathan looked sadly onto the letter that was laid in front of him on the table, barely believing what was happening to him in less than a few hour’s notice. He turned his head slowly and looked sadly out of the train’s window to take one last glance at what he would leave behind.

He saw the yellow form of his brother Caramel as he grudgingly raised and waved his hoof again. He saw a group of not so familiar ponies waving goodbye to their friends and family, some for more happy reasons, other for similar. Jonathan searched through the crowd, his eyes digging for any kind of familiar faces and soon they came into view.

Jonathan gave off a weak smile as the tall and strong figure of Big Macintosh came into few, at the sides of the gentle giant was the small fragile frame of Applebloom whose face was now branded with a deep sadness but what really made Jonathan sit up in the trains seat was the emerald eyes of his beloved. Applejack’s hair was still not tamed and remained un-tied from the close encounter she and Jonathan had almost engaged in. Big Macintosh did not raise his hoof, he did not need to, his face did not show the familiar signs of deep sadness, and his face remained as neutral as it ever was, but it was his eyes that betrayed his true feelings, there were no tears but they looked hurt, longing and empty. Applejack’s mane was still un-tied and her hat rested carefully on her head, her emerald eyes and face were still stained with tears and even as she looked at her lover on the train tears were already being produced and began to leak onto her freckled cheeks.

Jonathan soon showed the same sadness and closed his blue eyes as a tear trickled down his cheek.

Suddenly Big Mac lowered his head and the two other members of the Apple family nodded, Applejack, her eyes still streaming tears took off her hat and with surprising strength chucked it into the air. With a huge amount of luck it did not fly away and instead went up and then landed again next to Applejack much like a ball does. Jonathan had no idea what this was supposed to mean until he heard it. After this signal the bells of Ponyville played a tune, the very tune the lovers had the bells play at their wedding. Jonathan’s ocean blue eyes soon began to stream tears as he looked at his Applejack; he slammed his hooves against the window, heavily frustrated at path being made for him. Applejack smiled weakly as her eyes streamed tears as if to reassure him things were going to be okay.

At this moment the train made a deafening roar as the engines were turned on and soon Jonathan was swept away. From everything and everyone he had ever loved.

It would take a full hour of the journey to Canterlot for him to calm down, luckily for him he was one of the only people on this journey and had the whole carriage to himself. He finally settled back into his seat, finally taking his hooves away from the window and instead closed his eyes tight running out of tears to cry.

He looked back at the table and placed on top of it were three items. First was a small bag with spare clothes and a sandwich that had been hastily made in the thirty minutes notice the letter gave them. He turned to the other object which was a small box and he smiled weakly at it. He opened the lid slowly with his magic and soon levitated slowly and carefully analyzed the contents. They were all scrolls but instead of words the scrolls bore pictures, pictures of the wedding that had taken place almost a year ago. He knew that when Spike had offered to take them that they would be of great value. He smiled at the picture of him and Applejack embracing after the ring had been placed over his horn and the other ring placed over Applejack’s tail. He chortled in pleasure at the next picture of all the wedding guests with him lying on his back, propped against Applejack nursing a bump on his head which he suffered when one of the bride maids had miss heard flowers as flower pots. Though it had been rather painful at the time, no one could stay angry at poor little Derpy. Jonathan quickly flicked through the rest of the pictures until he carefully placed them back in the box, fearing they might cause another sob.

He then looked at the letter and his blood nearly boiled, the envelope of the letter was extravagant for what it was, it was made of very fine paper and had the royal stamp of the two princesses on it, though Jonathan had doubted and could barely believe that Lunar and Celestia would agree to or approve and order of such barbarity. Jonathan was not careful as he used his magic to almost tear the letter from the envelope and soon re read it again in a futile hope that maybe the letter had re wrote itself from the last time he read it. Sadly for him it was not true and still bore the barbaric order.

By order of High Princesses Celestia and Luna and High Council of Equestria.

You Dr.J. Stable must go to the city of Canterlot and enlist for conscription of Medical help to assist the army in its recent struggles with the fascist forces of General Monkel. Refusal or resistance to obey this order is an act of treason and will be met with extreme force.

Sincerely Princess Celestia.

Had Jonathan not needed it to get into Canterlot he would ripped up, crumbled and then violently burnt the letter and then trampled on the ashes, he had to leave his love, family and life to play doctor in a conflict he knew nothing about. Who the hay was General Monkel anyway? This question frustrated and annoyed the doctor for the rest of the three hour journey, making him fidget and slam the table every so often in anger.

After what seemed to be forever the train finally reached Canterlot, of course going through the guard post first to expel any changelings that could of got onto the train, apon reaching the Canterlotian train station Jonathan was shocked by the sheer number of guards, he had heard stories of how many had been at the Royal Wedding but he was pretty sure this number trumped any magnitude of guards that had been at the wedding.

The station was literally gleaming just from the glint of armour yet there was very little movement, the guards staying in one place and sticking there. As Jonathan carefully trudged of the train with his goods placed carefully in a saddlebag that Applejack gave him it appeared that every guard began to look at Jonathan as if he had a mark of death branded on his forehead. Soon he realized why however as he looked at his flank which bore as normal his heart monitor cutie mark. There was now a deafening silence as Jonathan grudgingly walked on, as if the guard’s knew what had happened to him and were giving him an honourable moment of silence.

As Jonathan walked aimlessly through the streets of Canterlot he could see more evidence of the severe state of emergency. Everywhere he looked, from the spiral towers of the city to even spas and restaurants the city was swarming with guards or ponies bearing military arms. After what seemed like hours of wandering Jonathan heard a distinct calling.

“Doctor Stable! Doctor Stable!” At this calling Jonathan turned quickly to see a very heavily armoured unicorn trot up to him, Jonathan furrowed his eyebrows as he saw the white haired and blue maned unicorn approach. He had seen him somewhere but could not remember were from. Soon the purple armoured unicorn had reached him and did a small salute.

“Hi, are you the doctor from Ponyville?”

Jonathan sighed and nodded, slightly saddened by the mention of his home, suddenly however he could hear a weird tapping, he looked up again to see the unicorn tapping the ground excited with an almost crazy grin on him.

“Do you know a unicorn known as Twiley...Oh I mean Twilight Sparkle. If so how is she?”

“Oh yeah she’s great actually she is doing a-.” He sighed in a melancholy nature however he soon realized where he had seen this unicorn from; it was from Twilight’s photo album that Spike had shown him to show the results of some of his other works. He raised his eyebrows that the captain of the royal guard and now Prince of the Crystal empire, would take such an interest in a lowly doctor from Ponyville. He soon quizzed Shining Armor on this and he chuckled.

“I took an interest in you because you’re a friend of Twiley and any friend of Twiley is a friend of mine also I am not captain of the guard any more, I am high general now, one rank below field marshal Haig.” At this he proudly pointed to a large medal on his armour while blushing. Jonathan sighed sadly.

“Wow…that’s great.” He said very unenthusiastically. At this Shining raised an eyebrow but almost immediately he realized what was the problem and he sighed.

“Look...Jonathan I think, yeah well I am not happy with this conscription of doctors. No one is, not even the princesses, only Haig really wanted and he managed to convince them it was necessary. Twiley told me about your wedding to….JackApple…No Applejack that’s it and being a married stallion myself I can understand how painful it is to be separated from them for just a few hours. Let alone months and it was not even your choice.”

Even though Shining was speaking in a voice softer than silk he could see his words were about to set Jonathan into tears again, he sighed again and gave him an encouraging smile.

“Why not treat yourself here in Canterlot; I can give you a couple of spare bits. Why not go to the…..pub. There’s a pub here called the one eyed Pegasus. Many other ponies in a similar situation to you are there. Maybe you can have some fun, maybe make some friends before we depart in two days or so.”

Shining then took from a pocket in his armour using his magic a small money bag this, which he then carefully placed in Jonathan’s saddle bag and he smiled giving Jonathan a small hoof punch on the shoulder.

“Come on…Applejack wouldn’t want you to be sad.”

Jonathan looked up at last at Shining who was actually wincing, wandering if it was the best idea that he had mentioned Applejack. However Jonathan actually smiled.

“You know your right. Thank you for the bits. Where is this pub again?”

Shining smiled encouragingly. “It’s on Liberation street, it’s called the one eyed Pegasus. Actually in fact it’s about 7 o’clock now. Happy hour will have started. You better hurry before the queues get too long.”

With this Jonathan gave a weak smile and looked at a nearby sign post, he smiled as he saw the label of liberation street and headed in that direction. Shining smiled at him and quickly made himself a mental note.

Keep a very close eye on that one.