Origins

Bucker: Origins

It was a quiet day on the apple farms of Ponyville. The sun was shining in the sky; the winds scheduled by the pegasi were giving the countryside a nice and cooling breeze, which was a boon for the hard working pony. In fact, there was just such a pony in the orchard this very day, toiling away with bucking the trees, aligning the baskets, and gathering the very fruit that fed the ponies of Ponyville.

Just another day in the life of the red stallion who ran the farms all on his lonesome.

Not entirely on his lonesome, however, as during the busier parts of the season,  his extended family always came to help him, and for the time being, Applebuck Season was still a few weeks away. For now, he was mostly setting up baskets and collecting the apples that had ripened a little early, gathering them to feed his immediate family and help bring in some bits at the market.

Today was a perfect day for him, giving him all he needed and allowed him to remain his quiet, hardworking self in peace. He had planned the day to be a sort of day off for himself, no Granny Smith telling him stories of the glory days, and no little Apple Bloom rushing around in trying to get him to play all day long. No, today was supposed to be just him and his prized field of apple trees, and nopony else.

These plans, and the fact that he didn’t even notice a presence nearby, were why he nearly jumped into the air when the tree he was setting up was suddenly bucked, and bucked good. Every apple fell from the tree perfectly into each basket, a buck so perfect it even made him a little jealous, but before he could find the source of the amazing job, a voice called out to him.

“Well, hey there Big Macintosh. Boy howdy, s’been ages since Ah got ta see my big brother.”

Big Mac’s eyes suddenly widened slightly as he heard the words, and even more when he finally caught sight of the voice’s owner.

“...Applejack? Is that you?” He asked, dumbfounded.

“Yessir! Your lil’ sister Applejack has finally made it back to the farm after all these years. And from tha looks ah things, buckin’s in mah blood. Hoo-ey, Ah think Ah must’a got Pappy’s good buckin’ skills.” She said, a bright smile on her face as she observed her handiwork.

As Big Mac stared at his younger sister, his eyes seemed to grow moist as he began to tear up, and unable to contain himself, he rushed over and picked his sister up in a bear hug.

“Ah missed you so much, Applejack...” He said.

“Ah know... Ah missed you too, Big Mac.” She replied, hugging him back while letting a single tear roll down her cheek.

Soon enough, however, Big Mac let his sister go and backed away from her for a moment, a frown appearing on his face, “Where have you been? Your letters stopped years ago! You were supposed to be back here on the farm at least five years ago... what happened to you?” He asked, wondering just what had happened to his sister.

“Well... well, Ah just couldn’t come back... not after so long. Ah remembered... how much you looked like Pappy, and honestly, ya still do. Even after all those years away, Ah just couldn’t bear ta see his face in yours, not after...” She said, looking away from him, her face sullen.

Slowly, his face softened as he heard his sister’s explanation, but there was still something he needed to know, “But why’d you stop sending the letters? It made me so worried...”

“Well... Ah... I just felt so darned ashamed ah mahself that... I kinda hid away, hid away fer five blasted years as Ah worked up all mah courage ta come back to you and Granny... Ah’m so sorry, big brother, Ah really am. Can you ever fergive me?” She asked, looking up at him with teary eyes, showing just how sorry she felt at this very moment.

The look on his sister’s face softened his heart, and melted away any feelings of frustration or anger he may have had still left in him. He lowered his head slightly and nudged his sister’s chin, trying to get her to lift her head, “Come now... Ah forgive you, Applejack.”

A large smile appeared on her face at the words her brother spoke, and once again the two shared a hug filled with the joy of re-uniting.

After the hug broke, Big Mac looked over this sister with pride, “You sure have grown up into a fine young mare, Applejack.”

“Heh, why thank ya kindly, big brother. You grew... and grew... and grew into ah mighty fine stallion yerself.” She replied, chuckling at her jab at his size.

“Heh-heh... Eeyup.”

Big Mac took it in stride. He decided that today’s work could be put off, especially since his sister was around now. He started to trot towards the barn; his sister had much to catch up on.

“Now where in the hay are you headed off to without ah word?” Applejack asked.

“Goin’ to the barn. The others are gunna want to see you.”

“Oh, raight! After seein’ you, Ah almost fergot about the others. Wait... others? Who done moved in here besides you and Granny?”

“You’ll see. Come on now.” He replied mysteriously.

Applejack cocked an eyebrow at her brother, but still, she followed alongside of him, wondering just what he was up too. Together, the two walked to the barn.

“This place ain’t what it used ta be...” She said, looking up at the barn in its state of disrepair.

“Eeyup. Haven’t had the money to fix it up right. Though, with you around, hopefully that’ll change.”

“Heh, well, Ah hope ta do what I can for ya, big brother. Now, who is this other you mentioned? When do Ah get ta see them?”

“You’ll know very sho---”

His words were suddenly interrupted by a high pitched squeal, followed by the clopping of tiny hooves on the dirt road.

“Big Mac! Big Mac! Come play with me!” Came the voice of the red haired little filly that was tearing down the path.

Applejack’s eyes widened a little as she saw the little filly, who looked barely four or five years old, before turning to Big Mac, “You didn’t...”

He shook his head no, knowing just what she was implying. He turned his head to the little filly and spoke, “Not now, Apple Bloom. We have a mighty important visitor, somepony who’s finally come home after all this time. Why don’t you go say hi to your big sister Applejack?”

The little filly’s eyes seemed to light up like the sun and twinkle like the starry skies, “Big sister? Ah have a big sister? Yay!” Apple Bloom said, dancing on the spot for a moment before rushing over to her new found family member.

“Hi there! I’m Apple Bloom! Wow... you’re my big sister!” She said, looking up at the orange mare with bright eyes.

While confused at first, she put on her best smile for her new little sister, “Well, hey there, Apple Bloom. Ah’m Applejack, like Big Mac over there said. Ah’m yer big sister, and Ah’ll be makin’ sure to care good care of you and uhh... stuff.” She replied, stumbling over her words a little.

“Yay! New big sister! Hey, do you wanna play?”

“Well... alraight. Let’s go play somethin’.”

“Alright! Come on, I wanna show you somethin’ that Big Mac gave me.”

Chuckling gently, Applejack smiled to the little filly and watched her run off, but as she walked away to follow her, she turned to her big brother and said, “You and Ah are gunna have a little word over this later.”

Big Mac simply nodded with a smile on his face as he watched his sister leave, feeling happier than he had in a long time due to her return.

But even so, there was still something nagging at the back of his head, something that had been there since she had returned.

Later That Day

Having finally gotten away from her new little sister, if only by putting her to bed at sunset, Applejack was now free to confront her big brother about Apple Bloom’s entrance into their family, mostly, how she even came to be. After a quick talk with him, Big Mac asked her to come to the barn where they could speak in private, and together, the two stood in dusk’s light, ready to catch up on their lives apart.

“So... before we start talkin’ about much, why don’t you explain ta me first where in the hay Apple Bloom came from. Ya said, sorta, that she wasn’t yours, and our folks... Well, where’d she come from?” Applejack asked.

Big Macintosh gave a sigh as he sat down on a pile of hay, unsure of how to explain it properly. Thinking he might as well just be blunt, he let her have it, “She’s adopted.”

“Say what?” The farm girl replied, a confused look on her face.

“She’s adopted... About four years ago now, we... we kinda lost hope. You stopped sending your letters, and we thought that you might never come back to us. Then... a while later, there was a house fire here in Ponyville. Probably the worst thing to ever happen to this place... Apple Bloom’s parents didn’t make it... her father died in the fire, and her mother managed to get her newborn foal out in time, but she didn’t survive the surgery. I was there at the time, helping put out the fire, and when I saw little Apple Bloom... well, I thought she might be able to fit the gap you left behind. We... well, it was hard running this farm all by myself, and I know some day, I’d have to pass on the farm, and without any known next of kin besides Granny... well, we had a long talk about it, and we took her in, treating her as one of our own.”

Applejack was silent throughout the entire explanation, unsure of just what to make of it. Eventually, she lowered her head to the ground with a sigh, “Ah... Ah suppose Ah can’t fault ya for that none, and what you did was a real good thing, givin’ her a home like that. Well... Ah guess ah did ask.” She said, letting out a long breath.

“You okay with it, little sister?” He asked.

“...you know what? Yeah. Ah am. Ah kinda always wanted a lil’ sister anyway. Maight be nice ta raise her and stuff while Ah help out on the farm. Yeah, that sounds mighty nice.” She replied, a smile gracing her face.

Big Mac started to smile in return, feeling a weight suddenly lifted from his shoulders. However, as the nagging feeling kept up throughout the day, he decided that now was the time to be asking his own questions.

“Something’s been buggin’ me since you got back, Applejack... what in the wide land of Equestria were you doing? And where? I know the letters came from Manehattan, but that was years ago...” He said, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“That’s... that’s a long story, big brother. One Ah care ta only tell so much about. Just know that Aunt and Uncle Orange treated me mighty nicely. I think Ah’m gunna go off to bed now.”

As she turned to leave, Big Mac didn’t seem quite ready to accept that answer just yet, “Now, just wait a minute there, little si---”

As he put is hoof to her back, he felt a sudden impending rush of danger as Applejack’s hoof was immediately upon his. It looked, briefly, as if she was going to try something, but at the last minute, changed her mind.

“Sorry, big brother, but do you think you could drop it, fer now?” She asked quietly.

“...Alright. You go and get some sleep, okay?”

His sister nodded before making her leave, heading back to their home to sleep, leaving Big Macintosh in the barn all on his own.

As his sister left, he stared at her with suspicious eyes; something just wasn’t right.

Three Weeks Later

As time went on, things seemed to get back to normal on the farm, at least, as normal as things could be with another set of hooves around. Big Mac was thankful for the help with preparations for Applebuck Season, as things were being done twice as fast. No, even faster than that. For somepony who hadn’t been on a farm in twelve years, Applejack seemed to have the tasks mastered far better than even Big Mac. She seemed to be stronger, faster, and even had more endurance somehow. All of this made him exceptionally suspicious of just what she had been doing while she was away.

Other subtle hints seemed to stand out to him as well, such as how she seemed to be always keeping herself in check, though she seemed to be doing it less and less. Practice, he suspected. She was just too good, and her decreasing suspicious behaviour only made him all the more wary of his younger sister.

After three weeks since her arrival, he found that he simply couldn’t let it lie anymore; in his mind, he felt that he had to confront her about it, concern for the family he had to protect outweighing all else. He was sure that his sister by herself wasn’t dangerous, but with the way she was acting, he wasn’t so sure that she might not bring any trouble with her.

Once he felt up to the task, he waited until sunset before walking up to Applejack to speak with her, “Applejack.”

“Huh?” She said, her head turning suddenly. “Oh, hey big brother! What can Ah do ya for?” She asked, smiling to him.

He noted how her movements seemed a lot less stiff than they were before, she had been practicing, “I was wonderin’ if I could see you in the barn for a little bit?” He asked in reply.

She tilted her head to the side, raising a hoof to raise her hat slightly, “Tha barn? Well... Ah guess Ah can’t say no ta you, Big Macintosh. Sure, I’ll be over in a few minutes. Just wanna toss these apples in ta storage.”

Big Mac gave her the briefest of looks before nodding, “See you there.” He said, turning to leave.

He went to the barn to get things ready. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to happen, but he wanted to get something out of her, some kind of sign that things aren’t as they seem to be. As he looked around the barn, he spotted some apples off to the side, and with an idea in his head, he grabbed a few and set them aside. Once he felt prepared, he sat upon a mound of hay and waited for his little sister to arrive.

Applejack had taken fifteen minutes after they went their separate ways into order to get to the barn, and thankfully, Bic Macintosh was nothing if not patient.

“Sorry about that, big brother. Ah got held up by a sleepy lil’ sis.” She said, chuckling softly, “She’s tha sweetest thing in tha world, but there’s only so much playtime Ah can handle on a daily basis.”

Big Mac only nodded to this, his face growing stern as he readied himself for the talk with his sibling, “Applejack, I think you might know why I brought you in here.”

Applejack only looked confused at her elder sibling, tilting her head once again, “Uhh... nope. Got a few suspicions, but Ah ain’t got nothing on mah mind. What are you wantin’ outta me anyhow?”

The large red stallion simply narrowed his gaze by a hair and kept speaking, “Don’t play dumb with me now. There’s something you aren’t telling me, and it’s making me worried about you. What in the Equestria did you do in your time away? Did you get mixed up in anything?” He asked accusingly.

The orange mare reeled back by the sudden accusing question, her eyes widened in shock before turning into a stare of anger, “Now what in the hay? Ah asked you ta leave me be about that. Why can’t ya’ll just let me have my peace?”

“Cause I’m worried about you and the rest of the family.” He replied bluntly.

“Look, there ain’t nothing to worry about, alraight? Just drop it and leave me be!” She shouted, turning to leave.

He wasn’t going to have that, however. Hoping beyond hope that he was right about this, he picked up one of the apples he had set aside between his teeth, and with a flick of his head, he tossed it into the air. As it descended, he let fly one of his fore-hooves, gently smacking the apple, hard enough to send it flying, but gently enough not to crush the fruit.

The apple soared through the air until it finally found its mark, directly on the wooden support beam he was aiming for, which happened to be right in front of his sister’s face.

Applejack stumbled backwards and tripped over her own hooves, causing her to fall back on to her flank. Flabbergasted, she exploded at her brother, “What the hay! Now that just ain’t called for! What’s gotten in ta you, Macintosh? You want me to go over there and buck you one?” She shouted, threatening her older brother as she did so.

Perhaps he was wrong about this, maybe his sister had simply gotten that good. If he was wrong, she would be mad at him for a long time, but over time, things would heal. If he was right... he might learn a lot more than he expected. With that in mind, he repeated his previous actions, tossing the apple in the air and smacking it towards his sister. Only this time, he aimed for her directly.

Big Macintosh watched carefully, and his eyes widened slightly as his sister acted with near lightning reflexes, delivering an uppercut to the incoming apple, one that packed enough force to turn the fruit into applesauce almost instantly; the goop didn’t even touch the ground after the punch, the entirety of it having splattered against the ceiling. His gaze slowly went from the mess on their ceiling down to his sister; she seemed to have changed from her uppercutting pose back to a state of acting normal. Or, at least, what he thought was normal.

Applejack recovered from the attack quickly, going back to being shocked and angry at her older brother, “Okay, you are seriously askin’ for a whoopin’. You do anythin’ like that one more time, and... You know what, this ain’t even worth my time. I’m leaving! And don’t you dare even talk ta me fer a month, ya hear me!” She shouted once more.

The red stallion finally saw a glimpse of what he wanted. He was starting to break through her... whatever she had. He knew that she was trying to dodge the situation before she lost her cool completely. He also knew that one more push should bring her over the edge and force her to give him the truth he wanted.

He had no idea what possessed him to do any of this, save for the culmination of three weeks of curiosity and worry suddenly bursting forth. But with this sudden glimpse at an answer, he simply couldn’t hold back anymore. Abandoning his apples, Big Macintosh rose up on all fours and dashed forward, heading straight for his little sister.

As Applejack was leaving the barn, she didn’t see him approaching, but she sure heard his hooves beating against the floor. He was right behind her now, and once he was in range, he reared up, getting ready to try and push her down, nothing harmful, just hopefully enough to get her to act in some fashion.

He got his wish.

As his hooves came down, he barely saw the movements his sister made. In the blink of an eye she had raised her back-left hoof and planted it square in his chest.

Pain surged through him as he was kicked, the impact far greater than he could have expected.

If the pain wasn’t an indication of how strong he had been kicked, the fact that he was now airborne was more than enough to tell him he had been struck far harder than his sister should have been able to muster.

His vision was already beginning to blur, but he could make out the outline of his sister rush at him, faster than he was flying, and another great pain surged through his body as she shoulder checked him, sending him flying even farther across the barn.

A split second later, his back crashed into the wall with a loud thump. He coughed violently, blood spitting out from internal damage.

He hadn’t even touched the ground when his sister was upon him again. He felt her hoof pressing against the top of his chest, near his neck, pushing against him with enough force to keep him elevated and pinned to the wall.

Soon, despite the pain and near inability to breathe, his vision became clear once more. His eyes turned down to Applejack, and in her gaze, he found a fear for his own life.

The orange mare had one hoof upon his chest, while another was against the wall beside him. Her gaze was cold and steely, and her hair was flowing free, her hair tie and hat having fallen off during the assault. She looked almost like an entirely different pony, and with the look she was giving him, one that looked ready to end him right then and there.

But, much to his relief, she removed her hoof from his chest and scoffed, turning away from him as she started to walk away.

Big Mac slumped to the floor, coughing heavily as he gasped for air and ended up inhaling some of his own blood. It took him a few minutes before the coughing stopped and he had caught his breath, but he still felt as if some of his ribs might be at least cracked.

Applejack had waited the entire time for her brother to regain his composure, standing in the middle of the barn and keeping her gaze away from him. Once the coughing had finally stopped, she began to speak, “...Now why in Equestria did you have to push so very far, dearest brother?” She said.

The injured stallion was certain that the voice came from Applejack, but it sounded nothing like her. Her southern drawl had completely vanished, replaced by a graceful, high class voice he had only heard once from a rather stuck up tourist from Canterlot.

“...A-Applejack?” He stuttered out, the pain making it hard to speak properly.

“Yes, it is still I, dearest brother. Sort of...” She said, giving out a sigh, “Things were almost perfect... I had finally perfected the act and was getting used to it... You won't let me leave until I explain everything, will you? Well... although all of this is classified, and I could be banished for it, and... I suppose you deserve this much, dearest brother. Meet me in the kitchen when you are able, and we will exchange words. But when you come into the room, know that you must keep all you learn a secret, lest we both be banished. Know that risk.”

Once she had finished speaking, she left the barn, leaving Big Macintosh alone and in pain, but it was at least pain that he could heal from.

The stallion simply stared at where his sister had been before she left. His mind reeling from the incredibly painful exchange that had just taken place. His mind was now focused on Applejack’s last words, about the true severity that they held. He didn’t feel that there was a single lie spoken the entire time she talked in that voice, and if her secrets meant banishment, then he knew he had to think carefully.

For the sake of his family, he sat and pondered.

Thirty Minutes Later

Big Macintosh limped towards the kitchen. After taking time to both think and to recover, he decided that things may just be best if he did go to the kitchen, that maybe hearing the whole story might put things at ease. Might make him understand what was going on. He was scared, there was no doubt in that, but he was a brave pony, and wouldn’t back down from something like this.

With a heavy trot, the red stallion entered into the kitchen, his eyes immediately going to his sister. She was facing away from him in her seat, her back and freshly brushed mane the only things visible to him at the moment. Her hat was nearby, on the counter, and she had a bag nearby, filled with who knows what. She seemed to simply be sitting there, waiting for him.

“I was thinking you would not come, dearest brother. You have made... an interesting choice. Come, sit across from me and I will talk to you. We should have enough time before sunrise for me to finish.” She said, motioning with a hoof to the chair across from her.

Big Mac only nodded before he slowly limped over towards the chair, his eyes never leaving Applejack. The only time his eyes wavered was when he noticed that, instead of a collection of apples; the orange mare’s cutie mark had changed, changed into a mask hiding behind a dark shroud.

Applejack had noticed the shift in his gaze and spoke up, “Yes, I’ve not the cutie mark you’ve seen before. I’ll get around to explaining that eventually.”

Big Mac only nodded once more, believing that he’d understand all of that soon enough. Eventually, despite his awkward gait, he arrived on the other side of the short table, and like his sister, he sat upon the floor, bringing his hooves up to rest upon the hardwood in front of him. His eyes traveled back to his sister, patiently waiting for her to begin her tale.

Applejack, meanwhile, seemed to be in no hurry at all. She gracefully reached into her bag with her mouth and began to pull objects up one by one. The first was a tube with a sponge instead of a cork stopper, containing some sort of fluid. The second looked like a purple straw, but with a thick white part covering the last few inches. The third item looked to be a bracelet attached to two pieces of flint and a piece of string.

Big Mac was curious what these things were for, and as she started to use them, he grew more confused.

She started to use the items together in unison, first attaching the bracelet to her left hoof, then smearing some of the fluid from the tube on to her right. The fluid seemed to be an adhesive, as now she was able to pick up the purple straw with just a touch. She brought the object up and put it into her mouth before suddenly smacking her hoof on to the table, causing the flint to spark and light the small wick. The orange mare then brought the flame to the white part of the strange straw, and inhaled deeply.

It began to burn, and the scent was something he hadn’t smelled before, and he found it quite foul, making a face of disgust. Not until she exhaled a cloud of smoke, filling the area with the foul smelling gas, did he start to cough out loud.

“Wha--- what in tarnation?” He asked between coughs, his first time speaking since entering the room.

“It’s an old practice... It’s called a cigarette, not many ponies use them anymore, especially since the plant is rather rare. It’s quite relaxing once you get used to it. Don’t worry about the smell, the mint I mixed in should be registering soon.” She explained, flicking the cigarette in a flourish as she spoke.

“Well... I suppose I should get started then. Hmm... I believe it might be best to start at the very beginning, at least, what my recollection might hold.” She said, taking in another lung-full of her smoke.

Big Mac felt nervous, but he was ready to hear the story.

It Was Nearly Twelve Years Ago Now

I was just a little filly, a few months past my fourth birthday, as you know. It was... soon after mother and father had died in the flash flood. Barely two weeks after the night where you, Granny Smith, and I were huddled together in the loft of the barn, terrified beyond our wildest nightmares. To this day I wish I could have told them to forget about the fields, but... what is in the past cannot be changed now.

I don’t remember much of then, save for the fact that the extended family had to come and help us rebuild and you were put in charge of the farm. Me? Well... as you know, in the state of disrepair, and all of the work and tragedy that surrounded the farm, there was just no place for me on the farm.

I was sad, I remember that, as Granny Smith told me I needed to go and live with my Aunt and Uncle Orange. She couldn’t take care of me on her own, and you were still too young to be of much help without some of the others around. So, it was on that fateful day that I packed my things together, took with me father’s favorite hat, and set out with my Aunt and Uncle in the great city of Manehattan...

Little Applejack was amazed by the big city, her small eyes darting every which way, never having been outside of Ponyville for her entire short life. Manehattan was vastly different than her home, and she felt so terribly out of place, even with her Aunt and Uncle Orange by her side.

“Come now, dear. It won’t be so bad. You’ll get used to it soon enough.” Her Aunt said.

“We’ll have you fitting in in no time!” Added her Uncle.

She wasn’t too sure about that, but she was willing to try. As much as it ached her little heart to be away from her home, especially so soon after the incident, but she was going to be a brave girl, just like her pappy always said she should be. She could tough it out for the next little while, she was sure of it.

Once she had spent a little time there, however, things were starting to look a little brighter, but at the same time, stranger. For some reason, her Aunt and Uncle seemed to want to get her to change how she spoke, how she dressed, even how she walked, and surprising even herself, she took to it rather quickly.

In only a week’s time she had the basic speech patterns down, and could hold an upscale conversation like the average Manehattenite. Her walk needed a little work, but she was starting to get the hang of that as well. Those two things, when combined with a new outfit, made her blend right in with the crowd.

And the more she did it, the more she liked it.

It wasn’t until two weeks after her first night in Manehattan did she have her first soirée, and after returning, she was prancing about like an excited little school filly. Which she was, save for the school part.

“Now, don’t you seem excited, Applejack?” Her Aunt asked, smiling down at the little filly.

“Yes! That was mah first taime... umm...” She trailed off for a moment before coughing, “It was my first time, dearest aunt, fooling everypony into thinking I was a true Manehattenite!” She said, switching to her prim and proper voice.

“That you did. And you can speak as you wish in the home, dear.”

“Oh, alraight. Thanks, Aunty Orange!” She said, smiling brightly as she returned to her southern drawl.

Her Aunt merely giggled lightly at the display, “So, you really liked fooling everypony, then?” She asked.

“Yeah! It was like make pretend, but better, cause they didn’t know! Who knew I could be so good at this kind of stuff!”

“Well, I certainly didn’t, but I am seeing quite the talent you possess... I wonder... I’m going to go and speak with your uncle for a moment. Be a dear and wait here for me, alright?” Her Aunt asked.

“Sure thing!”

With a small smile, her Aunt left the room, leaving her all by herself.

She was starting to really like this, pretending to be somepony else all the time. It made her feel like she could be anypony she wanted to be, anypony at all that wasn’t herself. It helped her to forget what had happened that fateful night on the farm, and anything that did that she would welcome with open arms and embrace for eternity. At least, that was how she felt for now.

Finding herself with nothing to do, she wandered over to the tall mirror in the room and began to fiddle with her clothes. At first, she didn’t like them too much, far too stuffy and frilly. But, as the two weeks had gone by, they helped to solidify the illusion she was casting over herself, an illusion she was grasping on to like a security blanket.

Her activities were suddenly interrupted when the door to the room opened once more, revealing her aunt and uncle coming into the room together.

“Well, it appears my thoughts were shared with your Uncle, so it barely took us five minutes to come to a decision on this.” She said, smiling to Applejack.

“Yes, you see, we’ve noticed your potential. Even though you are just a little filly, you’ve grasped the art of disguise rather well. So, we’ve decided to help nurture that talent of yours, you see. We won’t go into much detail for right now, but you’ll be officially taking lessons from us about... certain matters which we’ll discuss in full when we think you’re ready.” Her Uncle explained.

“What kinda lessons, Uncle?” Little Applejack asked.

“Well, from me, you’ll learn to speak, to act, and how to make your own clothes when the time comes.”

“And I will put you on a strict diet, and you’ll be doing exercises with me every day. It’s going to be tough, but, if you succeed, we will give you a great reward. What do you say? Are you up for learning more from your Aunty and Uncle?” Her Aunt asked, using a bit of her own language to help win her over.

The little filly thought about it. They had only given her two weeks’ worth of small lessons, and she was already loving it, and it was making her feel great. She slowly came to the conclusion that, if she took even more lessons, she’d feel even better, and forget about her pain even more, maybe even completely. To her, the answer was obvious.

“Okay!”

The next two years after that were grueling, to say the least. The food was horrible, even though I eventually got used to it at some point along the way, and I still eat it sometimes to this day. The dressing up and making clothes was new for me, and I was never really fantastic at it, but everything I did make was passable as a disguise, and fooled most everypony. The acting lessons were what stuck with me the most, at least, from what Uncle Orange was teaching me. In a year, I could speak seven languages and I could mimic seventeen different accents and styles of speech.

What my Aunt put me through was the worst of it though, but her lessons stuck with me just as much as the acting did. She put me through basic body building and training for those two entire years, feeding me her special diet so that I would grow a certain way, and making me exercise just the right muscles in my body so that I could hide how strong I really was. By the end of those two years, I was solid muscle under the slightest layer of fat to make me smooth and soft to the touch. Quite the feat for any six year old, as I was told when being praised by Aunt Orange.

Simply having all of that muscle wasn’t enough, however, as I was going to learn eventually when she started me on the advanced exercises, but I’ll get to that later. See, my grueling training never really stopped at the two year mark, though it did get easier out of the sheer virtue of practice... But in any case, the reason I pause here was because it was a true milestone for me. It was also when I had earned my cutie mark, and the right to hear the secrets of the Orange family...

It Was Ten Years Ago Now

The training had been rough, the diet disgusting, and the constant lessons and practice were an incredible drain on her. But, at the end of the day, she had learned, and earned, a lot. She had become able to completely block out the memory of her parents, remembering only the good things about them, and forgetting almost all of the pain she felt. She always held on to it a little, however, so that she would never forget what had happened.

She also had to admit that is was fun, at times. The exercise made her unbelievably strong, and the times when she was out actively fooling other ponies into thinking she was an upper class citizen or a ratty street urchin begging for coin were incredibly entertaining. To be anypony was an ability she loved to possess, for it was both something she enjoyed, and seemed to excel at, if the praise from her Aunt and Uncle were any indication.

Today was a special day for her, however, as she had been told that today she was to be tested on everything she had learned from her Uncle. They had said she wasn’t ready to be tested on what her Aunt had taught her, but that would come in time. For now, she was tasked with making a disguise up all on her own, using any of the resources available to her within the house.

The terms of the test were that, to succeed, she would have to disguise herself so flawlessly that even her Aunt and Uncle, who were now in the streets of Manehattan, did not know who she was. To make it fair, the two would be talking to absolutely everypony that they walked past, and if she managed to hold a short conversation with them without their knowledge of who she really was, she would pass the test.

She had given herself a simple disguise, consisting of yellow dye for parts of her coat, and green dye for her mane. A simple Manehattenite outfit to cover the portions that had no dye, and she was set. Simple and efficient, like she was taught.

And so far, it was working.

She had been conversing with her Aunt now for nearly five minutes, and from looking into the mare’s eyes, she could see no suspicion. Of course, her Aunt was a master at such things, so she just might be wrong. Still, her Aunt, nor her Uncle, who was in conversation with a small colt, made no sign of acknowledgement besides what they had been giving to everypony else for the last few hours.

The conversation was short and sweet, and soon, she had to make way for the next pony that had grabbed her Aunt’s attention.

In her mind, she had gotten away with it.

With a quick turn, she had left and went back into the crowd, blending in almost seamlessly all the way back to her home of two years. Two long and hard years.

Her test was over now, and all she had to do was wait for her Aunt and Uncle Orange to return from the outing, and then they’d give her the final judgement. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long, for a mere ten minutes after she had gotten into the door, her caregivers had returned.

“Applejack, dear, it’s time to talk about your test.” Came the voice of Mr. Orange.

The fact that they were here so soon made the filly a little nervous. With a gulp, she walked towards the entryway of the large home that they shared, and still in her disguise, she faced them.

“Well, I have some good news and some bad news. And some great news.” Mrs. Orange said, her face giving a small smile.

“Yes, quite. Well, the bad news is, we found you.” Her Uncle said.

At those words, Applejack’s head lowered down in disappointment. Two years of hard work, all for nothing.

“But...”

She perked up.

“...Under the circumstances, you have passed the test nonetheless.” Her Aunt said.

“Really?” Applejack said, gasping aloud before she started to dance in place.

“Composure, dear.”

“Oh, right.” The filly replied, sitting back down on the floor in a prim and proper pose.

“Good. Now. For the great news. Honey?” She said, turning to her husband.

“Quite. You see, the only reason we found you, and indeed, the only reason we’re making an exception to this, is because... well, if you would kindly take a glance at your flank?” Her Uncle asked.

Applejack tilted her head to the side, glancing at her Aunt and Uncle curiously. She was wondering where they were going with this, but she had always been an obedient little pony, at least, when it came to her caregivers, and so, she looked.

Her eyes suddenly widened and a bright smile spread across her face.

She couldn’t believe she had forgotten about it. In all her time spent training in one way or another, she had completely forgotten about searching for her special talent, the one thing that could define who she was, and the thing that would manifest upon her flank once she had attained it. And after all this time, she had finally gotten it, she had finally found her true talent, and in doing so, she had earned her cutie mark.

“A mask behind a shroud of darkness... that is quite the mark you bear, and one we will most likely have to keep covered when outdoors.” Her Aunt said, smiling a little.

“Huh? Why?” Applejack asked, feeling sad about not being able to show off her once in a lifetime achievement.

“Because, if you show it off, then everypony would know that you’ve followed in our hoofsteps and become a junior spy.”

Now there was a word she hadn’t heard before, “Spy?”

“Yes. Come with us to the kitchen, and your Uncle and I shall explain everything...”

So, just soon after receiving my cutie mark, our dearest Aunt and Uncle Orange sat me down in the kitchen and divulged to me all of their deepest and darkest secrets. You see, it turned out that the two of them were from a long line of spies, as they called them. The line wasn’t one of blood, but one of students and masters throughout the generations, the secrets being passed from one pony to the next.

It all depended on who had the raw talent to deal with all of the intense training that it entailed, and luckily, I was one of those rare ponies. Now, let’s get this straight now, this training was not for being the kind of spy you might see in a book. Aunt and Uncle Orange are part of a group that had its origins found in a long and terrible war nearly a millennium ago. And don’t worry, I’ll get to the war eventually.

During such a time, they had to know more than simply sneaking into places and fooling others. That was only one half of it, and it only got you so far in a time of conflict such as what they had to go through. The spies back then knew they had to learn something extra, something special. This was where the things Aunty was teaching me came into play. Preparing my body for the second art of the spy, the art of combat. Not only did they have to infiltrate places back then, they also had to fight off the enemy when necessary. I don’t know how long they were around, but they had more than enough time to find some of the deepest secrets of the pony body, specifically, in those of us earth ponies.

Unicorns had their magic, and their ancestry was much lazier as a result, and their physical peak pales in comparison to ours. They have their strengths, no doubt, but ours lie in brute force and endurance from centuries of hard work. Pegasi come a little closer, but they are much too light to be able to master the truly complicated portions that I was taught.

As I told you before, Aunty trained my body to be nearly solid muscle, with just enough fat on me to hide the fact. This was one of the better secrets of the spies of old. But, the greatest secret they passed on to their successors... was just how far they could push the body of a pony. With their now ancient ways, they could coax a select few earth ponies into doing amazing feats of strength and speed. You saw first-hoof a fraction of what I’m capable of now, for which I am sorry, by the way.

The ponies that could master what I was taught were amazing forces for Equestria, able to, in small groups, take down vast numbers of those that opposed us. However, after the war ended nearly a thousand years ago, there was no use for them anymore; save for the occasional foray into enemy territory to make sure the truce was being upheld.

It was then that some of them decided to pass on their knowledge to a select few throughout the generations, keeping a close eye on young ponies with exceptional talent and loyalty. I don’t know how many of us are left, but as far as our Aunt and Uncle knew, there is only us remaining. They could be wrong, of course, as we are meant to blend into a crowd and hide, but I’m not terribly confident in the idea.

Let’s see... Ah, yes, well, the next few years after that were quite intense, the training had increased dramatically. Uncle began to teach me ways to mimic the voices of others, how to display a commanding presence or pretend to look easily dominated when needed. He even taught me how to pretend to be a stallion with the right movements of my tongue, jaw, and shortening of my vocal cords. It hurts after a while, though, so I only practice it occasionally.

It was... it was actually around the time I had to stop sending my letters that they told me about the ancient war, and about the one still going on. It was why I couldn’t come home to the farm. It was also the time that I... entered heremploy.

It Was Five Years Ago Now

        Applejack was hard at work, training in the hidden parcel of land in the forest near Manehattan. It was where her Aunt had taken her every second day now for the past several years of her life in order to prepare her for her days as a spy. She was currently in the middle of doing push-ups, just some basic muscle training, which always preceded the combat exercises.

“Ninety-eight... Ninety-nine... One... Hundred!” She grunted out, pushing up just one last time.

“Very good, Applejack. You’re progressing well. Ninety kilos this time, not too shabby for somepony your age.” Commented her Aunt with a smile.

With a long stretch, she rolled off the iron weights she had been balancing on her back, each falling to the ground with a large thud, “Really? I feel like it’s my limit for the time being, I haven’t seen improvement in two weeks now...” The eleven year old replied.

“Yes, quite. By the time you’re fifteen, I expect you to be lifting twice that, but for now, you are doing just fine. Now, come on, we’ll be begin hoof to hoof combat practice, but remember, we’re cutting short today.”

“Why is that, Aunty?”

“You’ll see, now, come here, dear.” Her Aunt replied.

Obediently, Applejack walked over to her Aunt’s side and paid close attention to whatever the older mare did or said.

“Good. Now, remember what I was telling you before. Start by shifting your muscles to lower your centre of gravity.”

After taking a relaxing breath, the filly shifted her stance, the bulk of her weight shifting lower to the ground, making her much more stable, and making it easier to throw her weight around.

“Good. Next, ready your fore-legs, your spine, your haunch and thighs, and then your back legs. Always in that order. You have to get this right now so that we can start speeding this up, the enemy won’t wait for you to prepare yourself.”

“Of course.” Applejack replied studiously, her body getting ready for the task ahead.

“Now, twitch those muscles back as I’ve told you to rise up, and then reverse the order as you come down for the stomp.” Mrs. Orange instructed.

Though she had failed the last few times she had tried this, she felt more confident than ever today, though she didn’t know exactly why. Perhaps the excitement of figuring out what her caregivers wanted to do with her after her training was cut short was getting to her.

After taking another deep breath to focus her thoughts, she finally made her move. Her fore-legs rose up off of the ground as she brought them both high into the air, and then, all of her muscles worked in unison to bring them back down again in a colossal stomp.

With a great thump, her hooves smashed into the ground, causing a small area around herself to shake and even crack.

“Good work, Applejack! That’s exactly right! My, you are learning even faster than I did at your age. In a few more years, you’ll be able to use that to unbalance anypony within a good ten feet of you, always useful when dealing with a crowd. Don’t forget, you can use that in conjunction with some of the other things I’ve taught you. You need to be creative to be a spy, and not just in matters of acting and wardrobe creation.”

“I know that, Aunty. Uncle has made sure to tell me that time and time again.”

“Has he now? Well, good for him then. Well, now that you’ve managed that, I think we should focus on a little sparring for the time being. We’ll practice the move some more in the future.” Mrs. Orange said.

“Alright. Though, isn't it a little early in the day for sparring?”

“Well, yes, but remember what I said earlier?”

“Oh, yes, right. We’re finishing early.”

“There you go dear. Now, places.”

With a nod, Applejack trotted away, taking her place several feet away from her Aunt. In unison, they faced one another, gave a small bow, and began to fight.

Sparring always took place just after practicing special maneuvers or moves, such as her stomp. While she normally spent a few hours at it, today was being cut short, as she had been told several times today, which meant that her sparring was most likely to be cut short as well. Which she was thankful for, as sparring was always the worst part of her training.

While she went all out every single time against her Aunt, she knew that the older mare was always just playing with her. She was nowhere near as skilled or as strong as her caregiver, and while that made things frustrating for the filly, it meant that the two of them were always safe. No matter how hard Applejack kicked, bucked, or tackled, her Aunt was always able to stop it or avoid it.

But while the point of sparring was to simply try and hit her opponent, it was also to learn how to avoid incoming assaults. It was in this aspect that her Aunt toyed with her the most. She never hit with any major force, never leaving more than a bruise, but every tap and strike served as a lesson for the young filly, teaching her to be wary of every one of her enemy’s movements.

“Hmm... you’re improving day by day, Applejack. It’s only a pity that I can’t be many ponies. Fighting a group was a staple of the ancient ways, but these days, we can’t really simulate that sort of thing, all I can do is teach you what I was taught, and maybe one day, get you to test it live someplace.”

“What... what do you... mean, live?” The filly asked, panting heavily.

“I mean, one day, we’ll send you out to deal with some of the ruffians in town... hmm... well, it will be dealt with eventually, I’m certain. In any case, I think we’re done here for today.”

Applejack nodded to her Aunt, thankful for the early end to her training. She felt the rest was much needed, as she rarely if ever had more than a day’s rest in between training. This also meant that she was finally going to find out what her Aunt and Uncle have been hiding from her for who knew how long now.

Together, the two took a few moments to freshen up, get dressed, and made their way back to Manehattan, just like they did every second day. It had become a routine for them, walking in and out of the town, greeting the ponies of the city, and living the lie they had crafted so many years ago.

Once they had arrived at their home, her Aunt immediately brought her into the kitchen, much to her curiosity. It was then that they laid upon her the biggest secret she had ever known in her whole eleven years of life. They told her what had been passed down from spy to spy, generation after generation. They spoke of the war that had raged in the past; how it was there that their ancestors had learned their art, and how it had all ended abruptly almost a millennium ago, without a decided reason as to why.

While all of this was a shock to her, what came next was an incredible surprise. They had told her that she was supposed to head to their secret training ground once again, except that this time, she had to do it all by herself. That, however, wasn’t the startling part. What got to her the most was when they told her that they had found her a client, somepony she could work for, earn some bits, and get some on the job training so to speak.

They made her swear to keep the secrets of her ways to herself, which she obediently did, before they gave her any more information. Her Aunt and Uncle told her that they didn’t know how long she was going to be gone, but she would be gone for quite some time, at least. She didn’t know how she felt about this, but if they wanted her to do it, then she would.

Before she left, she packed supplies in some saddlebags to take with her for the trip, just in case. There was a small amount of food, some clothing and make-up kits, mostly just the basics required to create her own on her own time, and finally a book that was given to her by her caregivers. They had told her it entailed the entire training regimen they had planned for her, and it was a book she would have to hold on to so that one day she may use it to teach another on top of furthering her own knowledge.

With all of the things she needed packed away, she made her way out of the city and back to where she was training mere hours ago. She had no idea who to expect, but somepony was supposed to be waiting for her, and she was going to have to put on her best face and make a good impression.

Once Applejack arrived, she looked around to find the place completely deserted. She was certain that she had gotten here at the right time. She was only a few minutes early, as far as she could tell, and a thought passed through her mind that she just might be dealing with somepony exceptionally punctual. So, without anything to do, she sat upon the ground, her ears listening out for any signs of noise so that she could quickly get ready when whoever she was supposed to meet finally arrived.

For nearly half an hour she waited in complete silence, taking the time to actively look around for whoever might be coming, but after all this time, nopony had come. It was after her second attempt at a search did she finally get any sort of hint of anypony else around. It was the distinctive sound of wings flapping, followed by the touching down of hooves. It seemed she was going to be dealing with a pegasus.

As the filly looked around for the sound, however, she couldn’t see anypony around, only the faint trace of hooves on the ground where the noise had originally come from. This must have been quite the fast pony to avoid her eyes, but even as she looked up into the air, she couldn’t see any trace of whoever it was. She figured that this pegasus must be playing with her; she didn’t like that one bit.

Applejack turned rapidly towards a new set of sounds, a strange sound of flapping wings combined with moving earth, and it didn’t take her long to figure out what it was. Whoever this pony was, they had managed to hurl a boulder straight at her, one easily twice her size. But she didn’t back down from the sudden attack, in fact, she did quite the opposite. In the past, her Aunt had thrown worse at her, and in recent years, she had gotten very good at doing one thing in particular to stop these kinds of attacks.

She bucked it.

Just as the large rock was about to hit her, she quickly turned her small body and let loose with a buck towards the incoming rock. The timing was perfect, and her back hooves smashed the boulder into pieces, sending forth a scattering of pebbles and stones back towards wherever the attack had come from. Despite the intense tingling in her legs, she found the strength to quickly turn around and look behind, trying to find out if anypony was there this time.

As she looked, she found that, still, she couldn’t see anypony around. Whoever was attacking her was very good, and it was starting to make her both angry and scared. This was unlike anything she had ever experienced in her years of training. It was starting to be far more intense than what she had experienced with her Aunt, for she knew that, this time, the danger could very well be real.

Her eyes continued to dart around, looking for the elusive pony that was attacking her just out of sight. She had to mount an offensive soon, otherwise, she just might have to retreat, which would bring disgrace to all that she was taught. Right then and there, she decided that she was not going to run, she was going to stand and fight whoever or whatever this was, and she vowed to be victorious.

As new found determination washed over her, she finally heard what she had been waiting for all along. The faint sound of hooves walking softly on the ground.

With a quick turn, she dashed off towards the source of the sound, her eyes looking for any signs of life.

At first, she saw nothing, much like before, but in the dust upon the ground, she saw a fresh hoofprint being made by an unseen pony. This was all she needed.

She didn’t know who, why, or how, but at least she knew that she had to fight back. She ran as fast as her hooves could carry her, and just as she made it to where she saw the fresh hoofprints, she heard the sound of flapping wings.

Acting fast, she turned in place and clenched her hind-legs tightly, and with her fore-legs, she launched herself upwards to deliver a mid-air bucking.

Despite not being able to see anything, she felt her hooves meet with soft pony flesh, and the satisfying grunt of an injured foe. With a slight smirk, she landed on the ground and turned her gaze towards the skies, hoping to follow the sound to find her unseen foe once again and press the assault. However, all of her efforts suddenly stopped when she heard a voice, one that made her feel at peace, speaking to her.

“Oh... my...” The voice said before giving a few coughs, “I suppose that is why they called you Bucker in the letter.”

For a moment, she simply started blankly at the empty space where the voice had come from, but soon, she gave the first response that came to mind, “Bucker?”

“Hmm? Why, yes, the codename that Guise and Strike had given you... or hadn’t they instructed you on codenames yet?”

The little filly simply shook her head; she had a codename now... she kind of liked that idea.

“Well, as per the agreement, I won’t look too deeply into who you are, as I’ve done with all of your ancestors in the past, and I’ll simply refer to you as Bucker, if only for your own protection. Now... I suppose I should introduce myself, yes?”

“That would be rather nice of you.” Applejack, no... Said Bucker, starting to regain the eloquence she had developed from being around her Aunt and Uncle for so long.

Bucker heard the flapping of the wings intensify, the pony owning them no longer attempting stealth, and soon, she saw the imprint of four hooves landing upon the ground. Then, out of nowhere, a large flash of light encompassed her entire vision, light that was full of warmth and caring, light that didn’t blind her or harm her eyes, instead allowing her to see the full glory of the pony standing in front of her.

Instantly, Bucker recognized the pony standing in front of her, now sporting a pair of small bruises on her chest.

It was her majesty Princess Celestia.

And then... oh, don’t look at me like that. Yes, I kicked Princess Celestia, but, I believe she was asking for it at the time. She had started a fight, and as I had no idea who it was at the time, I fought back. I supposed I should count myself lucky that she didn’t mind bruises, and even luckier for me they didn’t last very long. She heals fast, you know, probably a factor of how she’s lived for so long. Anyway, where was I? Ah yes...

Immediately, Bucker bowed to the Princess, lowering her head in both respect and apology, “I’m so sorry, Princess. If I had known it was you, I wouldn’t have...” She said, trailing off with short glance to the bruises.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about it. I was making sure you were up to working for me, and I suppose I knew the risk of injury was there, even though I was invisible. You performed admirably for somepony your age, and I have to say, I’m quite impressed with your progress, Bucker.

“In the past, I have always hired on the spies of your lineage at some point in their lives, and I have never once been disappointed in their performance. I don’t know how long I will choose to have you in my employ, but I assure you, you will be well rewarded for your efforts. I’ll explain to you everything you’ll be doing with me from here on out, and what sort of accommodations I can provide you wherever I go. However, before I can do any of that, there’s a very important question that I have to ask you...

“Do you accept my offer of employment?” The Princess asked.

Bucker was a little stunned, to say the least. Her Aunt and Uncle were better at keeping secrets than she gave them credit for, and now, like them, and all of the ancestors of her teachings, she was going to be working for the ruler of all of Equestria. This was an offer she simply couldn’t refuse.

“I graciously accept your offer, and will do whatever you ask of me from here on out.”

“Very good. Now, come with me, I have a chariot waiting for us just outside of this area, beyond the forest where nopony ever really goes.”

Together, the ageless Princess Celestia and her new employee, the eleven year old junior spy, set off on a journey that would change the filly’s life forever.

It was then that she took me all the way to Canterlot, a city I had never even seen at a distance until then. It was quite the wonderful city, and it was there that Celestia’s influence was at its strongest. There wasn’t a speck of crime or filth to be seen, everypony had what they needed, and a few were wealthy, like the ponies in Manehattan. It was quite different from what I was used to, but it was a refreshing change for the time being.

When I asked her about it, she told me that, while she had the influence to manage Canterlot, as she was always there; her resources were spread very thin over Equestria, especially as of late. She may be a goddess, but she is not all knowing, nor all powerful. There was only so much she could do with what she had, and the further away from Canterlot any given city was, the worse off it became.

Ponyville is one of the special places, where things are nearly as idyllic as Canterlot, simply due to the fact that only the kindest of ponies were sent here to help colonize it. The rich land surrounding the town helps as well, meaning that everypony has all they need, and so they needn’t be greedy for any reason. The small community helps as well, because when everypony knows everypony else, it’s hard to get away with things.

In any case, it was from that moment on that I started to work for her. Things were rather... mundane. I was always in disguise. Sometimes I was shadowing her as a child playing throughout the city, other times I was a young traveler, and as I aged, I was even able to pose as servants or guards. It helped me watch her, helped me keep an eye on her and any who might have tried to harm her.

Oh, and before I forget, this was the same time that I had to stop writing my letters. I had forgotten to do so for a week simply out of the shock of working with the Princess, but when I had started to write one, she had told me that, as part of my job, I wasn’t allowed to contact anypony, out of fear that I might divulge secrets or have the letters traced back to me and be caught unawares. So you see, brother, stopping my letters was not something I was in control of, and I yearned to continue contact with you. When I accepted the job, I knew, at the back of my mind, that you were expecting me in three months’ time, but I simply didn’t know it was going to take so long. For that, I apologize, but you have to know, it was out of my control.

Now, let’s see... ah, yes, for the first two years, I did not see any sort of action or real need for my services; save for the occasional rowdy subject, the Princess was never in any danger. That is, until one fateful night three years ago, when I bloodied my hooves for the first time...

It Was Three Years Ago Now

Bucker, having finally entered her teenage years, followed Princess Celestia from the shadows of Stalliongrad, keeping an eye on her majesty to make sure she was alright on this trip. While she never saw much in the way of actual work, she was always vigilant every time they went out to the various cities for whatever reason. While the Princess had her own out in the open guards, she was far more competent than any of them, and she served as an emergency blanket of protection around the ruler of Equestria.

Things had been extremely quiet, especially as of late. The alicorn was simply making a routine trip into the city to check on things, start some sort of morale boosting event, and having her normal guards back up the local security force to help rout any sort of criminal activity. All in all, her visits did wonders for her ponies, especially the ones in big cities such as this one.

For the time being, she was dressed like one of the many ponies who were out and about, moving in and out of the crowd as she felt necessary. She wore only a simple mining helmet upon her head, and a false cutie mark sticker on her flank, depicting a clump of dirt. Cutie Mark sticker crafting was something she had learned in recent months while reading the book she was given by her Aunt and Uncle, and already it was proving quite the amazing tool for getting around unnoticed, eliminating the need for clothing to conceal her flanks.

As she walked in and out of the crowd, she scanned everypony for any signs of hostile intent, and for the first few hours of this event, everything seemed to be alright. However, shortly after the three hour mark, she noticed, for the first time in her two years working for the Princess, a pony that seemed to have far more hostile intent than the average roughhouser or heckler. What was worse, the pony wasn’t alone. Others seemed to surround whoever it was, and together, their gazes kept moving between Celestia and themselves, the clearest sign of plotting she had ever seen.

Immediately she began to make her way towards them, intent on listening in on their conversation. As she approached, she began to overhear the ponies talking; at first, she didn’t recognize what they were saying, as they weren’t speaking common Equestrian, but her Uncle didn’t give her all of those language lessons for nothing. Soon, despite the noise from the crowd, she started to make out what they were saying, and from that, she pinpointed the language.

They were speaking Barlean.

Her Aunt and Uncle had told her that it was the Barleans that Equestria had gone to war with centuries ago, and if they were here now, up to no good... She didn’t want to think about what kind of conflict this might start. For the time being, she couldn’t do anything save listen, as they had no outward hostile intent, and she didn’t want to be the cause of another great war by acting first.

Bucker started to become increasingly worried, however, as she listened in on the conversation. From the sounds of how openly they were speaking, none of them seemed to think anypony within earshot could understand them, especially over the crowd, but she could hear every word. It was hard for her to make out exactly what they were saying over the sounds of both the crowd and their thick accents, but one sentence she caught let her know she had to act, and fast.

“Grab your weapon, Golden Star, and get ready to attack on my signal.”

The Barlean words came from what seemed to be the leader of the group, an earth pony mare who was speaking to a pegasus stallion. The winged pony gave a nod to his leader, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the glint of cold, hard steel.

This was it, this was the moment she had been hired for, one of the moments she had spent so many years training for.

With so many ponies around, she had to act in a somewhat subtle manner. The first order of business was alerting Princess Celestia of the impending danger, so that she could help deal with the crowd, and make sure that she wasn’t caught by surprise. Then there was the matter of keeping the Barleans here while the alicorn worked her magic, quite possibly in the literal sense, to make sure the filly could act without being seen by the populace.

As the orange earth pony pondered her next course of action, a sudden idea sprung to mind that would hopefully solve both of her problems at once, as long as her employer knew how to speak the language of her ancient enemies still.

In a quick burst of motion, she swiftly walked towards the pegasus who was drawing some sort of bladed weapon, and not too gently bumped right into him, causing her helmet to fall to the ground.

For a brief moment, she pretended to be hurt, and gave him a dirty look. It all came down to this, and in a voice that rose above the crowd, she yelled at him.

“Oy! Vigilo qua vos ire, plumamens!”

The sudden shout caught the attention of near everypony in the celebration within thirty feet. Most ponies thought it was just some random nonsense being spouted, and quickly went back to enjoying the festivities; others, however, understood to varying degrees what was going on.

Celestia was the first to understand, her eyes immediately turning to the source of the vile language she had come to despise. There, she saw her secret guard facing a group of ponies, all of whom were gazing at her with either shock or confusion. This was the event she had feared for the past two years since she had hired the filly, but now, there was no stopping it without blowing centuries of secrets wide open; but while she couldn’t stop it, she could help it along.

Bucker now stared at the ponies in front of her. She wasn’t certain at first just how many there were, but now, she knew that four of them had come here to do the dark deed, and she was now the only thing standing between them and her Princess. Her enemies consisted of two earth ponies, a pegasus, and a unicorn. She was going to have to watch out for the unicorn the most, as who knew what kind of spells he could fling at her.

As the teenage filly stood her ground, her gaze shifted slightly as she noticed that everypony, save for herself and the Barleans, had suddenly begun clearing out of the area. While this event was rather mobile, she knew it shouldn’t be moving this fast. Her foes seemed to be just as confused as she was, but a quick glance to the sky gave them all the answers they needed.

Celestia had taken to the skies, putting on a wonderful spectacle of flight and magic to entertain the masses, and at the same time, luring them away from her little bodyguard at a faster pace. With so many eyes on her, she could do little else for Bucker without putting centuries of work at risk. While she hated the idea of sending one so young into a fight so soon, it was what she had originally hired the filly for; she just wished it could have happened later in her life.

        As the ponies cleared out, leaving the orange filly and the four Barleans more and more isolated, the foreign ponies got their act together and began to make their moves. Despite the sudden change of events, the pegasus looked as if he was still going to attempt the assassination, his wings spreading in preparation. However, the orange filly had seen it coming, and was already moving towards him. He had barely flapped his wings once when he felt a pair of legs wrap around him, pinning his wings to his side. To the average pony, it looked like Bucker was giving him a hug, but to him, it was a death grip. The air in his lungs suddenly evacuated under the surprisingly intense grip and his ribs felt as if they were going to crack under the pressure.

The sudden assault made the Barleans retreat a few steps, and with their flier in the enemy’s hooves, literally, they had to begin improvisation. The leader of the group was the first to act, and right away she began to bark orders to the ponies under her command. She told her fellow earth pony to attack the filly, while the unicorn of the group was tasked with casting some sort of spell.

With the briefest glances around, the orange filly saw that the nearest citizen was nearly out of sight, meaning that she could finally fight this lot without the need for cover. She quickly moved her smaller frame out of the path of the mare that was charging towards her, letting her tackle to her own ally.

With a quick step to regain her balance after the sudden dodge, she turned to the unicorn, whose horn was glowing brightly from magical focus. He was probably the most dangerous to her out of all of them, as magic could take many forms, even ones that she herself could not see. She needed to take him out first, and with a powerful dash, she aimed to do just that.

        Bucker was moving at such great speeds that the unicorn barely had time to see what was coming, his vision being filled by two orange hooves. With a sickening crack, the buck connected directly with his head, knocking him unconscious as well as lightly fracturing his skull. He was down before he even had a chance to fight back, quickly and efficiently, just like her Aunt had taught her.

One down, three to go.

The orange pony quickly turned to face the rest of her opponents, only to receive a hoof to the face that knocked her off her hooves and on to the ground. She grunted in pain as she skidded to a halt, not having felt a jab like that since, well, ever. Her eyes opened in time to see that the leader of the group was the one who had struck her, and with the way she was charging at her, she intended to follow up.

The filly wasn’t out of it yet, though, not by a long shot. She quickly rolled out of the way of a stomp the leader was about to deliver to her midsection and regained her footing, standing upright once again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the pegasus and other earth pony had untangled themselves. The pegasus was currently the greatest threat to the Princess at the moment, and as much as she wanted to knock the leader of them senseless, she had to take out the priority target first.

She swiftly ducked an incoming hoof from the leader of the Barleans present, and brought up both of her own to deliver a pair of light jabs to her chest, forcing the mare back a few steps. With her new breadth of space, she took the opportunity to charge towards the other two. She saw her mark, but before she could reach it, she had to deal with the earth pony that was standing in her way.

As she approached, her foe seemed ready for her and her tricks this time, and together, they began to fight. While Bucker had been trained in the art of hoof to hoof combat for years, this mare seemed to have had similar expertise, not to mention a size advantage. But after trading a few blows, the filly knew she had the advantage in this fight, and it was only a matter of time until she saw the perfect opening.

Her opponent made the mistake of making too large and slow of a move, a long leg sweep meant to unbalance her, and it gave her the perfect opportunity to make a strong counterattack. She twisted her body around as she hopped into the air, with an extended hoof; she delivered a jaw cracking roundhouse kick straight to the mare’s face, rattling her brain enough to render her opponent unconscious.

Two down, two to go.

There were still two more ponies left to deal with, and while the leader of the group was glaring at her fiercely, getting ready to attack once more, the pegasus had drawn his blade, a strange curved knife, and looked poised to fly off again in the confusion. She couldn’t allow that to happen, though, and acted as quickly as she could.

The pegasus flapped his wings once, getting himself just barely off the ground; just one more flap and he could start to soar in the skies. But for Bucker, one wing flap was all it took for her to get an idea, get by his side, and unleash a powerful kick towards him. The cracking of bones sounded through the eerily quiet streets of Stalliongrad as her hoof connected with the base of his wing, shattering it completely and leaving him bound to the ground.

The pegasus fell to the ground, screaming out in pain of his broken wing. With him down, there was only the---

Bucker was suddenly blindsided once again by the leader of the group, this time kicking hard into her side, cracking several of her ribs at once. She cried out in pain as she traveled several feet through the air before landing with a dull thud upon the ground. She winced and clenched her jaw, doing whatever she could to avoid curling up into a ball, which would only make things much worse for her.

“You stupid little foal!” The leader yelled out in her native tongue, “It had taken us a year to get this far, and you’ve ruined everything! I will kill you for this!”

The teenage filly opened her eye and caught a glimpse of the enraged earth pony, who had started to walk towards her slowly. She had to get up, she had to fight back, she had to grit her teeth and push past the pain, or else, she’d be done for.

Slowly, she stood, which in turn caused her enemy to quickly close the distance to push her back down with a quick headbutt, re-igniting her pain.

“You will stay down, you mule.”

Bucker felt her anger grow at the insult, but she quickly swallowed it as she saw the leader stand tall above her. For the briefest of moments, she felt powerless, laying there underneath her foe, but for her own sake, she had to fight back somehow.

The mare above her lifted a hoof into the air, getting ready to bring it down upon the filly’s head, when she saw somewhere that she could strike.

With the need to act flowing through her body, she made one last attempt to take down this foreign pony before she was killed. She brought up her hind leg, and in a swift burst of motion, she let it fly and connected with the softest part of an earth pony’s body that she could reach.

The mare’s eyes suddenly widened, and a horrid gurgle escaped her throat as she struggled for breath. She backed away quickly, desperately hoping that it was the hoof that was stopping her from breathing, as opposed to the fact that said hoof had completely crushed her throat. A horrid cough found its way out of her before all chances of breathing in time were lost on her, and in less than a minute, she fell for the ground, suffocating from that lack of oxygen.

The entire time, the filly watching as her foe, desperately trying to grasp to life, however fruitless the effort might have been. For the first time in her life, she watched as somepony she had hurt fell to the ground and die. For the first time in her life, she had killed.

Her eyes wavered as emotions battled each other within her. She always knew that one day she might have to do something like this, but having actually performed the act was a completely different story, especially since she was still so very young.

“Bucker! Oh... oh no... I was too late.” Came a voice from behind her.

Bucker didn’t need to look to see who it was, for she knew the voice well. For the briefest moments, she thought about how she most likely wouldn’t even be able to see the source of the voice, as she must have been using her invisibility spell, since she couldn’t hear anypony else.

“I...” Was all the filly said before going quiet.

“I had hoped that you could still spend a few more years in peace before anything like this happened... and I fear I could have prevented it, if only I had told you about... I suppose I hoped too much that I could shield you from this longer, when I should have told you the whole story from the beginning, especially considering the position. Bucker... I apologize deeply for what you had to do here... and I hope, in time, you can forgive me. I’ve already made sure that this will get cleaned up, and everypony else thinks I’m still on the other side of town, and will for as long as the illusion lasts. ...I’m going to take us back to Canterlot now, so that I can speak with you in private and fix you up, alright?” Celestia explained, a deep sorrow filling her voice.

The filly heard the voice of her Princess speak to her, but most of it seemed a blur as she wrangled with her own emotions. She didn’t know if she wished to cry, to shout in victory, or simply try to forget it. Every time she started leaning towards one, the others would pull her back. She was stuck, and for nearly a minute, she simply lay there, unmoving and motionless.

Moments later, something seemed to click in her mind, those warring emotions suddenly stopped, and from the chaos, order emerged.

Pure, emotionless order.

“I am ready to head back now, Princess.”

Her face held a completely blank expression, her voice holding no emotion within it, simply a dead monotone.

“...Very well, then. Close your eyes.”

Bucker obeyed, and soon, the light of Celestia surrounded them both and whisked them away, back to the palace where she might heal, heal both her body, and her mind.

“It took me a year and a half to truly recover from that incident. My disguises never worked to their fullest extent, because I simply could no longer emote. It put a strain on my job and my cover, and began to worry Celestia more and more. Still, time heals all wounds, after all, and after conversing with others for a while, I learned to be me once again, though I will never forget the look on that mare’s face when I killed her.

“I was sent on a few missions after that. Through the Everfree Forest and across the great plains to the edges of Barlea. You see, after all of that, the Princess had told me a national secret, one I’m sure my Aunt and Uncle knew but didn’t tell me. Several years ago, nearly twenty now, I believe, the war between Equestria and Barlea re-ignited. Thankfully, Celestia was prepared for this, and instead of plunging her country into chaos over the knowledge of the war, she instead sent the best of her secret forces to go and combat the Barleans on their home front.

“I’ve been sent over there several times, each trip more dangerous than the last, just going out to do my service and then returning for rest and therapy, if I needed it. I never did... after taking that first life, every other time wasn’t as hard... and I think that’s what scared me the most. Some of the others I worked with were much worse than I, however. They’re the only ones, besides the Princess, that I would be truly terrified to face on the battlefield. I don’t think I should mention anything about them, however, for both of our sakes.

“Anyway... over time, I began to volunteer and even request missions more and more often, eventually performing fourteen assaults in my last year. This led to an interesting development, actually. For fear of my sanity, Celestia had decided that I be promoted from being a simple secret soldier, to her elite force. Her elite forces are always given the most dangerous and crucial missions, but as a benefit, they are sent to remote places like Ponyville here, where they can live a new life, in peace.

“Some join the elite immediately, like this one unicorn Celestia went to go and see personally in Manehattan two months ago, while I was back on Equestrian soil after my latest outing in Barlea. Seemed nice enough, but if the papers were to believe, she was a mass murderer, a really good one at that. Criminals such as she are almost always given the chance to join the elite before they’re banished, you see, as a way to make up for what they’ve done.

“In any case, I’m getting off track with that. Like I said, I was recently promoted to the elite, and so, after a couple of years shifting from resting spot to resting spot, I was sent here... The Princess eventually found out a little bit more about my history, you see, and she found out my real name, and where I came from and what I was before any of this started. She knew how good I was at acting, as well, and so, she gave me a choice. I could either go to any random small town she chose, permanently instead of temporarily like the last few times, where I could start a new life... or I could return here to Ponyville and just... be Applejack, be myself if none of this had ever happened, if I had never even left the farm in the first place.

“That’s when I thought of you, and the farm. It had been years since I thought of any of you, and it shocked me how much of my past I had nearly forgotten... I still feel ashamed about that... but anyway, at that moment, something inside me missed this place... and missed you, a lot. And so, I made my choice. She gave me two weeks to go and get my hat, practice my farm drawl, and then she sent me here.

“Here... heh, once I came here, it was... wonderful. For the first time in over a decade, I felt like I was home. Being able to work on the farm, like I had wanted when I was a filly, to be able to pretend as if all of the war and fighting that I had witnessed had never even happened. This farm, in the recent weeks, has made me feel more like a normal pony than I’ve felt in years, as opposed to the efficient war machine I had been trained to become.

“And... I suppose that leads us to now. You now know everything, well, mostly everything, I suppose. I’m sure I left out a few details, but I saw the sun rising and felt I should hurry things along. So... I suppose you have a decision to make, now. Are you going to kick me out? Are you going to tell everypony what I’ve told you, putting us all at risk? Or are you going to let me be Applejack, let me have my peace here... let us be a family again?”

With that closing statement, her story had finally ended. She took one last, long inhalation of her cigarette, her fourth one of in the last six hours of storytelling, and the last she would be smoking for the night.

To his credit, Big Macintosh had spent the entire time perfectly alert, listening to every word, but never having made a sound. His face had contorted with various emotions throughout the tale, mostly at key points that sent a shiver down his spine and made him fear the safety of his family.

But, deep down, as he heard what his sister was doing, how she was taking immense personal sacrifice to protect all of Equestria; every last pony, even himself, most likely owed their lives to her at least once; and nopony even knew it.

At least, until now. While he didn’t like what his sister was doing, and especially didn’t like the fact that she had taken the lives of other ponies, enemies or not, he still had to respect all she had done for him, and the rest of Equestria.

He silently contemplated what he was going to say next. Out of his options, for a moment, he was sure which choice he was going to make, as keeping her around might very well be dangerous for all. But, at the same time, if what she said was true, it might just be safest being close to her.

The red stallion could see that his sister was waiting on baited breath for his response, and she nearly flinched as he took a deep breath in preparation to speak.

“Lil’ sister... if it helps you, if it’s what you really want... Then you can stay here. I’ve missed you terribly, AJ, and despite what you’ve told me, you’re still family, and family has to stick together.”

A small smile spread across his sister’s lips as she heard his words, feeling incredibly thankful for the response.

“Thank you, dear brother. You’ve given me something greater than you can really imagine... When we retire for the... well, day, I suppose, I’m going to get back into character, and from here on out, I’ll be the Applejack that... I sometimes wish I could have been. Things will hopefully go on normally once again, and we can get back to our lives, save for the occasional moments when I’ll have to be whisked away on a mission. I do hope you can cover for me during those times.”

Big Mac gave a small smile and nodded. He protected his own, no matter who or why.

“Thank you again, dear brother... well, this has certainly been quite the night, and I’ve gotten a lot off of my chest this night. Is there anything else you’d like to know?” She asked.

The red pony thought for a moment, and aside from wondering where she picked up smoking in her time away, which was a question he didn’t feel like asking after everything else he had heard, he had nothing.

“Nnnope.”

“Very well then, I suppose we---”

She cut herself off as a voice suddenly came from the kitchen door; she quickly turned her head to look, and a chill ran down her spine.

“Hey! Applejack! I know it’s barely morning and everything, but I completely forgot that you were coming here, and you’ve been so busy lately and I’ve been so busy lately that I totally forgot to throw you a welcome back party! I was up almost all night thinking about it, and when morning came, I thought you might be awake, since you’re a farm pony and all, and so I came here an---” The pony’s rambling suddenly changed to a long, drawn out, over-exaggerated gasp.

Silence reigned in the room as the siblings looked to their pink visitor.

“Bucker... ohh... you’ve been bad.”

“P-Pinkamena... please, don’t!” Bucker shouted, a terrified desperation in her voice.

“You aren’t supposed to tell anypony about you! Not even family! You made a promise to Celestia, you know! And you’re never supposed to break a promise to made you somepony, or you could lose your friendship with them forever!”

“Yes, I know bu---”

“ForEEEveeeer!”

“Please, hear me out about thi---”

“Princess Celestia trusts me to keep her secret, and to make sure ponies like me and you keep her secret! You did a very bad thing, Bucker, showing yourself to your brother. I see the sleep in your eyes, I see the ashes of all your cigarettes, I know you’ve both been here for a long time and... oh my, you told him everything, didn’t you!”

“Curse your blasted insight... I’m imploring you here, liste---”

“You know that Celestia might have to banish you both now, so that nopony ever finds out about all the bad stuff over in Barlea! Oh boy, when I tell her, she’s going to be hopping mad! She might even get me to make you vanish! Oh my! That would be worse than banishing you, because then there wouldn’t be any more parties for you ever!” The pink pony cried out, aghast at the notion of no more parties.

Bucker growled lightly under her breath at the constant interruptions and the danger she had put both her brother and herself in; thinking fast, she remembered an old trump card that she could play that may save their lives.

“Oh no! What should I do, I’d hate to make you lose out on parties, but I promised the Princess that I would tell on you or the others if you did anything like this! Well I guess I have to keep my promise the---”

“You owe me your life!” The orange pony finally shouted.

“Wha?” Pinkie Pie asked, her face contorting in confusion.

“Two years ago, as an elite, you were sent with me and Boom to help us out on our test to enter the elites. You were wreaking havoc the likes of which I had never seen, but you got careless, and somepony almost killed you. I managed to get to them in time and stop them before they plunged the knife too deeply. I saved your life, you owe me. Please, let me call in that favour now... I beg you; don’t go to Celestia about this!”

“Hmm...”

The pink pony fell to her rump as she thought long and hard about the words that came out of Bucker’s mouth. That knife had really hurt, and she was probably right; if not for her, she wouldn’t be here right now, and she would have missed all of those parties!

“Mmmmokay! I guess it’s only fair then. This time, and this time only, I’ll zip my lip, lock it up, and bury it under a house somewhere! But be careful... I see you breaking your promise ever again, and bam! You’ll be in trouble, missy.”

Bucker let out a long, deep sigh of relief as she heard the words coming out of the pink pony’s mouth. She was in the clear.

“So! Can Applejack come out to play so we can partay!”

The orange pony gave a frown at this. Despite having threatened to tell on her to Celestia, she still had the gall to try and ask for a party. Still, she was on shaky ground at the moment, so playing along would be best.

“Umm... sadly, Pinkamena, I am tired, and I think Applejack will have to wait until the evening before she can party with you...”

“Aww... well, okie dokie lokie! I’ll see her then! And call me Pinkie Pie! I like the sound of it better!”

“Err... yes, alright then, Pinkie Pie...” She replied awkwardly.

Moments later, the pink pony burst out into a fit of giggles and waved to the two ponies in the kitchen, “Well, see you later alligator!”

Now, the siblings were alone once again, and Bucker nearly fainted, laying her head limply on to the table.

“...care to tell me what just happened?” Big Mac asked.

“Well... you see... she is one of the two in my elite group that I truly fear. I fear the other because, despite being stronger than she is, her attitude scares me beyond reason... for she is what I could have become. But Pinkamena... she is the most powerful out of all of us, and... no, I honestly shouldn’t say anymore. You are better off not knowing.”

The red stallion gave a gulp as he heard the news, and thanked his lucky stars for his sister’s quick thinking. If she feared that pink one, then he probably should too.

“I’ll do as you say, sis. I won’t say a word to anypony... in all honesty, I just hope things go back to normal now. I don’t think I’ll ever forget any of this, especially her, but I... think I just want to pretend it never happened for the next little while.”

Bucker gave a nod, “I understand, dear brother, but maybe it’s best that you pretend it never happened for the rest of your life. I’ve most likely satisfied your curiosity now, with all of this. I thank you for your promise to keep it a secret, and from the time we go to sleep, I promise you, you will never see Bucker again. I will just be Applejack from now on...” She said, trailing off as she thought about how she had almost lost her peace twice in one day now.

Big Macintosh gave a nod, “Eeyup. I expect you too.”

An awkward silence followed as neither sibling knew exactly what to say next, and with the interest of the story and the adrenaline of the terrifying encounter fading, exhaustion was starting to set in heavily on both of the ponies. As she stifled a yawn, the orange mare thought of what to say.

“I think we should just both head to bed now, and think about what has gone on this night one last time before we try to put it behind us. Are you ready to retire, big brother?”

“Eeyup.”

“Alright then. I bid you goodnight, and I hope to never see you again as I am now.

Bucker stood up and left the kitchen, leaving her brother alone in the room, so that she could get ready for sleep and her disguise for the morrow. Big Macintosh, however, stayed in the kitchen for a little while longer.

He had asked to find out his sister’s secrets, and now that he knew them, he knew that he couldn’t regret the decision, as much as he might want to. He was now the protector of his sister’s secret, and he would not, could not let her down. Like Granny Smith and Apple Bloom, he would protect her in any way he could. After all, despite all of her training and expertise, she was still his little sister, and as her big brother, it was his job to look out for her.

With a sigh, Big Mac stood up from the table, and went to bed, wondering how the years to come would unfold for him and those he cared for the most.