Prologue - 00 - The Tip of the Iceberg
Prologue:
"The Tip of the Iceberg"
Agent Spike’s claw tapped in a slow, methodical sequence against the steel table bolted to the floor. His scaly eye ridges scrunched in concentration as he studied the files that Director Armor practically threw in his arms. Normally the veteran would be cool when handing Spike his assignments, like with the “Iron Mare”, but this one was an odd case, and he knew it just from his boss’s strange excitement from the relatively minimal amount of data. Sure he’s heard of the stories revolving around this particular pony, but he honestly saw no reason to get school filly giddy over a bunch of bones. If they even found bones.
Spike grabbed his mug of hot chocolate and took a small sip, still reading the files, but when he swallowed his drink, he realized that his taste buds might never forgive him for allowing cold hot chocolate in his mouth. Spike frowned and quickly warmed up his mug with a short burst of fire. He took another sip and smiled. He had been forgiven, and could now resume his reading with more ease.
Midway through the page on the subject’s psychological evaluation, there was a rather timid knock on the door to his office. Spike pushed a small red button on his desk like it was second nature, and the door slid open with barely a sound. But even with the door open, Spike was still preoccupied reading into the mind of the missing soldier they are searching for.
“Um, excuse me, Agent Spike?” said a stallion, his voice shaky.
The lanky purple dragon looked up from the files to face a rather thin pegasus standing in his doorway. The pegasus is bundled up, too, and trembling slightly from the nippy air of the hallway he’s in.
“Yes, Agent Cloudcover, what is it?” asked Spike half heartedly, hoping to Celestia it wasn’t another one of those tattle-tale moments.
“Um, well, Agent Spike, are you a hundred percent sure that we’ll find anything out here? Anything at all? I mean, look at it out there,” he motioned towards a large window, only to realize that the window was covered with thick curtains.
He smiled sheepishly as Spike tried to contain his unimpressed look when he pulled open the curtains. After pulling aside the curtain, though, Spike had to wait for a gloomy cloud to drift by in order for them to see the seemingly endless expanse of white snow and ice almost as far as the eye could see. It was almost completely featureless, save for the occasional crevasse or crack that resembled infected scabs. The end of the wasteland was marked by dark mountains whose peaks were shrouded by a thick blanket of the grayish clouds looming over the forsaken land.
“I’ve never seen such a hopelessly desolate wasteland in my entire life.” Cloudcover said, a worried look on his face.
The view did make Spike sympathize with Cloudcover. The frozen north had always been a place that not too many ventured to due to its harsh climate and the many stories revolving around the supposed supernatural phenomena in the area. But ghost stories aside, any sane person would know that you had a better chance of finding half a needle in a ton of hay than anyone or anything in the cursed land that Shining Armor had sent them to. Especially if its been exposed in the harsh terrain for decades.
Spike closed the curtain and put a hand on the pegasus’ shoulder, but mostly to calm a slight uneasiness in his own stomach. “Don’t worry Agent Cloudcover. It’ll be fine. I’m pretty sure that Director Armor has good reason for us to be out here right now. He obviously wouldn’t send us on a wild goose chase without any evidence now would he?”
The pegasus ruffled his feathers in a pitiful attempt to warm himself up. “Well…I guess not. But what if the satellite photos were wrong? I mean, it could be anything that it saw. Could have just been a random outcropping of ice that made a funny shaped shadow, I mean it’s happened before.”
Spike paused. He did have some doubts about the photo himself, it had been grainy and the satellite that had taken the photo was notorious for having bad cameras. But, apparently, the photo had been enough to convince Director Armor to send a small expedition to the Crystal Mountains on their last available zeppelin. A zeppelin that was in desperate need of repairs.
During the trip up, Spike kept telling himself that if the evidence was good enough for Director Armor, then it was good enough for him. But, alas, the farther he got into the frozen north, the more his doubt sunk in.
“You do have a point, but I still feel that this isn’t pointless,” Spike said, trying to keep his skepticism in check. He turned to look out the window again, slowly scanning the ground below, searching for anything that might look out of place. “If anything, we at least get some nice sight seeing out of it, am I right?”
“Well…I guess…” Cloudcover said, turning away and trotting down the hall.
Spike watched the scenery for a couple more seconds before bundling up with all the coats, socks, and gloves he could put on his body. And once his three layers of each were put on, he finished it off with ear muffs, a hat, and a scarf. Spike could barely move by the time he finished, but to him, it was totally worth it.
He grabbed his files and trailed Cloudcover; along the way he nodding politely to the mechanics who were working tirelessly on the constantly malfunctioning heating systems and other passing agents who were trying to keep warm. Spike heard one of the agents muttering about how he was lucky for having his special office, but he really didn’t care about the complaining. Besides, he knew all of his agents’ faces and voices so he knew who to give disciplinary actions to.
After reaching the bridge with Cloudcover, they were able to remove their thick bundle of clothing without worry since it was one of the few places in the zeppelin where the heating system was actually working properly. Cloudcover set his jacket over his chair and went straight to work while Spike set his clothing down on a nearby table and proceeded to observe the deck. Everyone was working as they should, interpreting the collected data, guiding the zeppelin through the harsh weather, and keeping Director Armor personally updated on their status. However, since everyone was doing their job, and their job was basically staring at screens and ice, Spike felt an odd mix of content and boredom. So he did the next reasonable thing. Look outside to see what’s there.
Spike’s eyes hurt from the brightness of the light reflecting off of the ice, but he retained his bearing and kept watch with his hands placed coolly behind his back. As he scanned the ice, he hoped that there’d be a seal or a polar bear or something to entertain his eyes instead of just an endless sea of featureless white. His prayers were answered, sort of, when a small black seal popped out a hole the ice and lay across the ice, apparently trying to get a tan.
At the sight of the seal, Spike’s mind began to wander, with most of his thoughts concerning what he would do if this expedition were successful. They never really done anything like this before. Sure N.E.I.G.H.S. had protocol regarding search and rescue operations, which is what Shining Armor had classified the mission as, strangely enough, but Spike had no idea what to do if they found her. Taking her corpse home and giving her a proper funeral would seem the most logical. But Spike knew that the world was anything but logical, contrary to Twilight’s opinion, and Shining Armor was really being illogical about the whole mission.
The chances of finding a body based on flimsy evidence is always a slim chance, and even if they did find her body, the laws of decay dictated that she would be too old and damaged by the elements to survive the trip home. And that was granting that there would even be body to find and not just some pile of cloth and bone picked clean by predators.
Spike looked at the profile of their missing mare once again, and started reading about her exploits in a Equestria’s bloodiest war. Her record was really impressive, and she did deserve the best ceremony under the sun. But just the fact that she had been a soldier lost in combat over seventy years ago would turn away most, if not all, who even thought of searching for the fabled soldier.
But Shining Armor was the black sheep. Whenever there was a shred of flimsy evidence, he would practically send an army to where it pointed. And time after time they came back empty-hooved and mad. And when Spike pointed out that fact, Shining Armor became very hostile, and spoke to him in a low, deadly tone as he explained how he had been searching for this particular mare ever since she became MIA. He refused to list her as KIA and, because of his position, he has managed to keep her labeled as missing and told Spike that he refused to let any opportunity of finding her slip away because of a few “faithless skeptics”.
Spike shuddered at the thought of having to tell Shining Armor that the body of his dead friend was not found. Not that Shining Armor was a cruel boss, not by any means, but getting on his bad side certainly wasn’t conducive to one’s overall health. They could probably spend an eternity scanning this Celestia-forsaken icebox and find nothing but more seals and polar bears. At most they’d probably find some old beat up dog tag, take that home and put it in a glass case and that’d be all. But Spike knew that a dog tag or a piece of cloth wouldn’t be enough. Shining Armor wanted a body, but unlike how he nearly chewed off Spike’s head for pointing out the obviously low chances of finding nothing, he got a big grin and told Spike that if they did find the tags they would find the girl.
No longer wanting to think about the strangely bipolar conversation in Director Armor’s office, Spike sighed and turned his eyes towards one of the dozens of monitors that were scanning for anything out of the ordinary. It was a sonar display, and showed mostly chucks of ice, rock and the occasional whale or sea serpent. He could have sworn that an abnormally large squid passed across the monitor when a voice shouted from behind him, snapping him out of his daydream.
“Excuse me, Agent Spike I think you should come and see this!”
Spike turned away from the monitor and walked over to where Cloudcover and a unicorn sat, staring at the screen in front of them. This particular screen was for a machine designed especially to seek out life signs, with each life form showing up as a colored blip on the screen. On the screen were several blips of various sizes and colors. The bigger and brighter the blip, the bigger the life form. Spike felt his weak confidence disappear and become replaced by the ever growing skepticism.
“What is it?” he asked, observing the various blips move about. “I don’t see anything out of the ordinary…”
“It’s that one sir,” the unicorn said, pointing towards the smallest, faintest blip on the screen, which was a cool blue color. “That’s the only life form that isn’t moving. It’s like it’s a tree or something…”
“The only thing is, there’s absolutely no trees this far north…so we know it’s something abnormal.” Cloudcover said with an excited grin.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Spike’s mouth. They had found something. It wasn’t much, but it was certainly better than nothing. Maybe, JUST maybe, it was exactly what they were looking for. He turned towards the unicorn sitting next to him.
“Hal, can you calibrate your horn to send out that find-it spell for that life sign?”
The unicorn thought for a moment, rubbing his chin in thought. “I guess I could. It’s really faint though. If anything the spell will probably be off by a couple hundred feet. But I suppose it’s possible.”
“Do it, and make it snappy.”
Spike turned to look out in the direction indicated by the scanner. He grabbed a nearby pair of tinted binoculars and gazed through them, scanning the ice for anything that seemed out of place. A moment later, Hal’s horn flared and small, pulsing beam of light shot out the window in the direction Spike was looking. Spike followed the beam of light with his binoculars.
The beam of light darted around, low over the ice, sometimes pausing over a outcropping of ice or a hole, before moving onward. Each time it did so, Spike would feel a jump of excitement, but, each time, the excitement would fade as the beam moved away, continuing its search.
After what seemed like an eternity, the tiny blip finally settled in a single position, hovering over a small outcrop in the ice. Spike felt his heart sink once more, the suspicion that it had all been simply a mechanical malfunction becoming all the more apparent. He sighed and set his binoculars down, then grasped the railing and looked down, dreading Shining Armor’s reaction to the apparent bad news.
He lifted his head up and wiped his snout, deciding that he might as well go out there and have a look at the hunk of ice, knowing that Shining Armor would have his hide if he figured out he didn’t investigate the find-it spell’s results.
He turned towards the pegasi piloting the zeppelin and pointed towards the glowing dot on the horizon. “Get us as close to that dot as you can. I think we found something.”
The pilot nodded and turned the zeppelin slowly towards the dot. The dot slowly and steadily grew in size as the zeppelin neared it.
“Okay, that’s good. Bring her down.” Spike said, holding up his claw.
The pegasus nodded and the zeppelin began its descent, kicking up a cloud of sleet, snow and ice beneath it as it came in for a landing near the crag of ice.
“What now Agent Spike?” Cloudcover asked, walking up next to Spike, who was gazing at the crag of ice.
“We go out there and investigate it up close. Make sure it’s worth it.” Spike replied, poorly masking his disdain.
Spike mustered up some agents, one of which was Cloudcover, and bundled up again, this time with hand and feet warmers. Once they left the control room, Cloudcover trotted up next to Spike.
“Do you think it is a false alarm?” Cloudcover asked, sensing Spike’s skepticism.
Spike shrugged. “Whatever it is, at least we’ll be getting a nice breath of fresh air.” Then he scowled and tightened the scarf around his face. “Frozen cold air, but fresh air nonetheless.”
//////////////////////////
Spike, Cloudcover and several other ponies strode across the snow towards the crag of ice. The first thing Spike noticed was that the crag had no signs of damage around it. Most crags of ice would usually show signs of their formation, usually cracks and rifts in the ice surrounding them. This one was strangely absent of those. A better description for it would be a giant rectangular ice cube that someone had decided to stick into the ice at random.
“Well…” Cloudcover said, letting out a disappointed sigh. “That was underwhelming. Looks like a big ice cube.” He looked around the cube. “I was kinda hoping for something a little neater…”
“Like what? The Abominable Snowpony or something?” one of the other ponies asked, sparking a few chuckles.
Spike ignored them, instead carefully scanning the ice cube. A vaguely pony-shaped form inside the cube caught his attention. A smile spread across Spike’s face, and he used every ounce of willpower to keep himself from laughing for joy, and the possibility of getting a promotion for his finding.
“Gentlecolts,” Spike said, now beaming, “I believe we’ve found something worthwhile!”
Cloudcover raised an eyebrow. “Really? What?”
“We’ve found…” Spike walked up the ice cube and after removing just enough of his scarf, he gently blew a small plume of fire on it, melting away some of the ice.
Once the ice thawed slightly, everybody except Spike let out a gasp.
“Is that…who I think it is?” one of the ponies whispered in a hushed tone.
Spike smiled. “Yes…yes it is.”
In front of them, was a shield inscribed with a ring-like structure with star capped spire pointing up, and surrounding the ring was two pairs of wings. It was a symbol that hasn’t been used in nearly seventy years. A symbol not seen since the Equestrian Civil War.
Spike blew out another lick of flame to thaw out more ice that revealed the perfectly preserved orange pony’s battle scarred, lightly freckled face.
“Nice to finally meet you, Cap.”
"I'll travel the sub-zero tundra
I'll brave glaciers and frozen lakes
And that's just the tip of the iceberg
I'll do whatever it takes
To change"
- The Tip of the Iceberg by Owl City
Act I - 01 - I Ain't No Millionaire's Son
Act I - 01 - Of Life and Strife
Act I:
"Smoke on the Horizon"
Chapter One:
"Of Life and Strife"
Summer, 1934
It was a gorgeous summer morning in the breadbasket of Equestria, without a single cloud in the sky. Acres of apple trees stretched along the gently rolling hills on the outskirts of Ponyville, all in neatly ordered groves. Songbirds filled the air with their delightful music, which brought life to the already beautiful scenery.
And not too far away from the heart of Ponyville, in the unending sea of healthy apple trees, was a scrawny little earth pony filly named Applejack Apple. She was only twelve years old, but she still saw that as no reason she couldn’t enjoy a nice game of Hide and Seek. Which was what she was doing right now. In fact, due to her fragile build, she was easily able to hide in a small bush and watch a massive, dark red earth pony stallion countdown with his face pressed against the trunk of a freshly bucked tree. Seeing him like that made it very hard for Applejack to suppress her giggling.
“Three...Two...One...Here Ah come!” called her father in his deep, yet teddy bear gentle voice.
Applejack peered through the leaves to see him searching for her, his expressions and movements exaggerated as he peeked in places that no filly would normally fit.
“Now where can that little troublemaker be?” he wondered aloud, looking around one of the famous apple trees. He trotted over to the large wagon that sat nearby and looked underneath, pulling his head out a moment later, scratching his mane in feigned surprise. “Well Ah'll be darned, she ain't under here either.”
Applejack snickered to herself as she watched her father dip his head in a barrel. She was the Apple Family Hide and Seek champion three years running, she knew there was no way he would ever find her. Applejack gasped when she was suddenly grabbed a dark red hoof, and she screamed with delight as she felt herself being lifted into the air.
“There ya are, missy!” he playfully growled, blowing a raspberry on her stomach. Applejack giggled and playfully kicked her legs. Her dad then set her back down on the ground and started back towards the wagon, Applejack following close behind, still giggling. She watched in amazement as he was able to slip the massive yoke attached to the wagon back on without the tiniest bit of a struggle. Once his yolk was secured, he smiled at Applejack and motioned for her to climb on.
Applejack smiled and scampered onto his strong back. “Aw darn it, Pa! How'd ya find me so darn fast?” she asked, clambering up her father's neck, over his Stetson hat and leaned over in front of his face.
He laughed a deep rich laugh and shrugged slightly. “Ah can't rightly tell,” he said, as he started to pull the wagon down the well worn dirt road. “Ah just might have magic,” he said, looking her in the eyes and smiling warmly.
Applejack giggled. “No way Pa! Yer not a unicorn!”
Her father was about to respond when the loud clanging of a bell rang out across the fields, followed by a mare's voice calling out.
“Soups on everypony!”
Applejack's father looked in the direction of the sound and smiled broadly. “Eeyup! Yer Ma must be fixin' somethin' good fer us, AJ,” her father said, motioning towards the small, humble looking house at the end of the road. “Why don't go and see what it is, huh?”
Applejack nodded rapidly, grinning a toothy grin and jumped off his neck and started galloping towards the house as fast as her scrawny legs could carry her. She reached the house and practically bounded up the front porch, where a slightly older light green earth pony with a light blonde mane stood, ringing the dinner bell.
“Hey Sis!” Applejack called out as she ran by.
“Hey AJ, ma just finished breakfast.” Purity Smith said around the string in her mouth that was attached to the bell.
Applejack nodded and ran into the rustic kitchen, where her mother, a caramel colored earth pony with a blonde mane, stood by the stove, doing a last minute stirring for something simmering in her banged up pot. But even in the pot’s poor condition, her mother had still managed to pull of something that smelled positively heavenly. And Applejack knew that it would taste good, too, since it was her mother cooking. And mothers always knew how to make food good.
“Mornin', Ma!” Applejack said cheerfully as she quickly hugged her mother tightly.
“Mornin', Applejack,” her mother Apple Blossom replied, her voice kind and gentle. “And where's yer father?”
“He's a comin' up behind me.” Applejack replied as she trotted over to the breakfast table and sat down in her designated chair. Next to her stood a highchair in which had a tiny yellow baby filly with a red mane. The baby giggled and burbled at the sight of Applejack. Applejack reached over and rubbed the filly's forehead. “Howdy, 'Bloom, how ya doin'?”
Apple Bloom simply squealed in response, babbling a series of nonsense words as she reached out to try and teethe on Applejack's ponytail.
“Mornin' all.” her father called out as he entered the house, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek and reaching into the ice box to pull out a bottle of cider. He then trotted over to the breakfast table and sat down after giving both Applejack and Apple Bloom a quick kiss on their foreheads. Purity Smith followed behind him and sat next to him.
“Now, I wonder what mah beautiful wife has cooked fer breakfast,” he said, smiling when he saw his eldest crack a smile.
He looked towards his wife again, and she smiled warmly in response as she carried a platter with five bowls on it that were all filled with steaming hot oatmeal.
“It's oatmeal, hon,” she said once she set the platter down. She sat next to him and gave a phony stern look as she motioned towards the stetson still propped on his head. “Hon, yer hat.”
Applejack's father glanced up at it. “Wha? Oh!.” He gave her a kiss. “Where would Ah be without ya?”
He took the hat off and plopped it on Applejack's head. The large hat slid down her forehead, covering her eyes.
Apple Blossom rolled her eyes, a patient smile on her face. “Now, Applejack, you know there's no wearin' hats at the breakfast table.”
“Awe, come on, Ma!” Applejack groaned as she lifted the hat off of her eyes. “Why can't I wear it?”
“Cause its breakfast. Now, AJ, listen to yer Ma.” Her father said as he went about eating his food.
Applejack hung her head. “Yes, Pa.”
She pulled the hat off her head and set it down on the table. There was a long silence as the family quietly went about eating, with Apple Blossom spoon feeding Apple Bloom.
“So,” Apple Blossom spoke, still feeding Apple Bloom. “What took ya and AJ this mornin', hon?”
Applejack's father shrugged. “We was out in the south grove when this little troublemaker,” he playfully ruffled Applejack's mane. “Wanted ta play some hide and seek.”
Apple Blossom smiled warmly at Applejack and gave her quick peck on the cheek. “Of course she did, mah little angel she is.”
Applejack simply blushed and gave her mom a hug. Purity rolled her eyes at the scene and rested her head on her hoof as she glanced out the window. As soon as she looked out the window, her ears perked and she lifted her head as she tapped their father on the shoulder. When her father glanced at her she pointed out the window. Mr. Apple’s face instantly fell and Applejack and Apple Blossom looked at him with concern. And once they looked out the window, everyone became worried as the small cloud of kicked up dirt rapidly approached the simple house. When the visitor stopped in front of the house, the good mood had been replaced with dread.
“Oh no.” Father muttered as he stood up and trotted out the front door to greet the luxury open air carriage that was parked outside.
The carriage, which was pulled by two earth pony stallions, had the emblem of the Belle’s. The wealthiest family in Ponyville, and possibly one of the wealthiest in all of Equestria. Two upscale unicorns were sitting inside, enjoying the comfort of lavishly decorated and top tier soft cushions. The first one was a nattily dressed grey stallion with a well kept dark blue mane. Next to him sat a powder blue filly with a dark blue mane with purple highlights that looked to be about Applejack's age. She was in an incredibly ornate dress and held her head high in the air.
“Good morning, Mr. Apple” the stallion called out, stepping out of the carriage and magically tipping his hat towards the large earth pony, who tipped his head in response.
“Mornin', Mr. Belle,” he said reverently. “What brings ya to mah farm this fine summer mornin’?” His voice was now no longer the confident stallion from before, but rather humble and meek.
“Well, Mr. Apple, it seems you are approximately...” Mr. Belle paused, apparently trying to remember something. “Oh, it seems to have slipped my mind. Glory Belle?” he turned towards the filly sitting next to him. “Glory Belle, sweetie, how far behind rent is our friend here?”
An insufferably smug grin came on the filly's face as she trotted next to him. “He's a month behind, Father.”
“Excellent work my dear,” her father said, patting her head. He then turned back to Mr. Apple. “It seems my brilliant daughter is correct, Mr. Apple. It seems you are a month behind on the rent.”
Applejack could see her mother tense up at the words and look towards her husband, who simply looked down at the ground and nodded.
“That's right, sir. Mah apologies. We'll get ya yer money as soon as possible.” he said, his voice low and humiliated.
There is a pause as both stallions look at each other, their place in society painfully apparent. Not even the chirping or warm breeze could levy the intensity of the situation. But rather than going on a tangent about wanting his money now as most would expect from someone of Mr. Belle’s status, he merely clicked his tongue and looked at the family inside, noting their tense mood. He looked back at Mr. Apple and nodded in understanding.
“Alright then. I expect it by next Monday,” Mr. Belle said.
The filly next to him leaned out towards Applejack's father, the same insufferable look on her face.
“Did you hear that, digger?” she sneered, before her father quickly tugged on her tail with his magic causing her to yelp in pain.
“Glory Belle!” Mr. Belle said, sounding quite angry. “Such language! Say you’re sorry to Mr. Apple.”
He motioned towards Mr. Apple, and Glory Belle let out a theatrical groan and she looked back at Mr. Apple with disdain, and the gentle stallion averted his eyes to the ground. There was a long, painfully tense silence, and Mr. Belle’s scowl became more aggressive with each passing second. When he repeated himself, this time in such a way that one would think he was whipping his daughter, she winced and glared at the farmer.
“Sorry, Mr. Apple,” she said quietly through gritted teeth. She turned around and headed back towards the wagon, muttering: “Not my fault you’re a lousy good for nothing, dirt stomper.”
Mr. Belle was quick to turn her and smack her across the cheek, eliciting a sharp yelp from her and leaving a streak on her cheek. Mr. Apple winced, and when Glory Belle glared at him with more resentment than directed towards her father, he once again found himself looking at the ground, swallowing nervously.
“That's enough Glory!” exclaimed Mr. Belle. Then he pushed her towards the wagon, his stomps heavy and expression merciless. “As punishment for your disrespect to our clients, you won't be going to that sleepover!”
Glory Belle turned towards her father, aghast. “But Daddy-”
Mr. Belle shook his head and used his magic to put her in the backseat with what appeared to be office supplies. “No buts, young lady! You have shown behavior most unbecoming of a mare of your upbringing!”
When Glory Belle tried to protest, using a mix of high pitched whines and begs, he silenced her with another threat of a slap. That shut her up. Glory Belle folded her hooves across her chest and glared at the stallions attached to the wagon. Mr. Belle stared at his daughter for another moment before briefly turning towards Mr. Apple.
“My sincerest apologies,” he said apologetically, he turned back to his daughter again, glaring, “I have no idea where she learned such language.”
Applejack's father simply shook his head. “No offense taken, Mr. Belle,” he said meekly.
Mr. Belle turned to Mr. Apple and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder, smiling. “Good to see that I employ such long suffering and well mannered workers.” He then beckoned for the two earth pony drivers to ready themselves for pulling. “Now, remember Mr. Apple, I expect this month’s rent by next Monday. I have no doubts that you will be able to meet my deadline, now do I?”
Applejack's father simply nodded, trying in vain to smile confidently. “Yes, sir. Ya'll can be sure. We Apple's is honest folk.”
Mr. Belle smiled and climbed inside his wagon. “Good. I'll be going then.” He motioned towards the drivers. “Onward gentlecolts!”
And with that, the two earth ponies reared up and started off down the road again, leaving a trail of kicked up dirt. Mr. Apple stared at the ever shrinking wagon, and when they reached the fence, he sighed and walked back inside with his head down.
////////////////////
Applejack watched from the doorway as her father climbed the stairs of the front porch with slow, heavy steps. She wanted to say something, but words eluded her. Her father was always the one who cheered her up, he always seemed happy and unbreakable, but seeing him like this made her heart sink. When he gently rubbed her mane without even looking at her, she lowered her eyes and followed him back to the table. He sat down at the table and stared at his oatmeal, seemingly fighting a losing war to keep his anguish hidden. It was an expression Applejack hadn't seen since her Granny passed away.
Applejack carefully approached his side and put her slender hoof on his lap. This made her father look at her with a sad smile.
“Pa...” said Applejack quietly, still trying to find words to lift his spirit.
He all of a sudden embraced Applejack in a tight hug, gently rocking her as he stroked her mane. She felt his tears drip on her mane, and she sniffled as she contorted herself to return the hug. She knew it wasn't much, but hoped that it would be enough to give him some comfort that he has always shown her when she was sad.
Applejack looked up at her father as her mother walked up next to him and nuzzled him gently.
“Honey, don’t you worry. We’ll pay up,” her mother said in a soft voice.
Applejack smiled a bit, and hoped that her father would smile, too. After all, her mother was the most honest mare in Ponyville, so she knew she wouldn't lie about this. Everything would be okay, and her father would smile again. She hugged her father tighter, and he in turn squeezed her.
“Ah know, Ah know…” he replied as he rubbed Applejack's shoulder, but his voice was still doubtful. He sat at the table, the air heavy from sadness and resentment.
“Don’t worry Pa.” Applejack whispered as she looked up at her father.
Her father smiled down at her, the sadness still there in his eyes. Applejack nuzzled herself into her father’s large chest as her mother and sister joined in the hug. The family sat there quietly, hugging each other tightly.
Apple Bloom’s cries for attention broke the silence as she bucked against her highchair, seemingly trying to break free and join the hug. The family chuckled at her antics, relieved that there was something to distract them from the impending crisis.
Applejack’s father wiped tears from his eyes, but they returned to coat his eyes in a sad shimmer. “Come now, no time fer cryin’. Let’s finish our breakfast and get out with our day huh?” he said, his voice sounding somewhat choked.
Apple Blossom nodded, and attended to Apple Bloom, shushing her gently. Purity Smith also nodded, but solemnly, and silently resumed eating her oatmeal. Applejack did the same, only she kept glancing at her father as she gingerly ate her meal, and the family finished their breakfast in silence.
////////////////////
“Dear, stop worryin’ yerself,” Apple Blossom said as she snuggled next to her husband in their overused bed. “Everythin’ will sort itself out. It always has.”
Apple Buck simply nodded, looking out the window at one of the hundreds of apple groves that dotted the farm. His family had spent more than a hundred years cultivating and carefully tending this land, and, if he didn’t get that rent money by Monday, he would lose all of what his father’s had worked for.
His precious daughters would be without a home, and his beloved wife would be forced to work, a thought he couldn’t bear to conceive. This wasn’t the way things were supposed to be, with him constantly groveling at the feet of some upstart unicorn or pegasus, just to get some money to feed his family or water for the crops. And yet, that was the way the world worked, and as much as Apple Buck wanted it to change, he knew that he could do nothing to change it.
He felt his wife’s warm embrace. “Oh Buck…” she said. “Don’t you worry none. The kid’s will be fine.” She ran a hoof through his dark brown mane. “We’ll get the money and pay the rent. Just like we always do. No worries.”
Apple Buck shook his head, scowling. “Na it ain’t all right. Ah work all too hard fer that money. Where’s it all go? To Mr. Belle.” He spat the name like a profanity.
Apple Blossom shook her head. “Hon, as bad as our lives are now, they could be worse. At least Blue Belle is a generous pony. The Belle’s have always been kind to our family. They gave yer great-granddad a job here back when he was a nopony. Think of it that way.”
“But that’s still not gonna pay the rent, ya know.” Apple Buck responded. “No matter how nice they are, we’re still a month behind. We gotta get them that money.”
“But how honey? What are you gonna do? Get another job?”
“Eeyup. It's the only way t' make sure that Mr. Belle doesn't take the farm.”
“But you work hard enough as it is.” Apple Blossom replied with worry, nuzzling him gently. She paused. “Let me get a job.”
“Absolutely not!” snapped Apple Buck. His wife shrunk back a bit, ears drooped and a small whine escaping her lips. Apple Buck sighed and hugged his wife, rubbing her shoulder in loving, apologetic strokes. “Ah'm sorry, honey, but Ah can't let ya do that. Who's gonna watch the kids if we're both workin'?”
Apple Blossom thought for a moment. “The Harvest's?”
Apple Buck snorted. “Those folk are jus' 'bout as greedy as them unicorns. The moment we ask 'em fer help, they'll charge us as much as the rent.”
Apple Blossom's face fell and she snuggled against Apple Buck again, feeling the tension with every breath he took. She looked up at her husband again, trying to get him to look into her eyes, but he was focused on the beautiful farm land that they might lose. She knew that getting another job was the only option, but she also knew that Apple Buck's mouth was making promises his legs can't keep.
“What about the Heartstrings? They are a kind family and-”
“No! Ah cannot allow other folks t' raise our children, Blossom! Much less them dang unicorns! If we let other folks raise our kids then we might as well go and sell 'em, seein' as how they'll be the one’s raisin' them!” Apple Buck replied harshly.
Apple Blossom leaned away from Apple Buck, her hoof still on his chest but the fires of a woman scorned burning in her eyes as the severity of his words stabbed her like a knife. Apple Buck returned the glare, completely unmoved by the look his wife was giving him.
“Listen to yerself, Buck!” cried Apple Blossom, eyes wet with tears. “Ya sound just like them folks in Canterlot!”
Apple Buck shook his head. “Well, if it's 'bout us raising our own kids, Ah reckon it is the one thing we agree on!”
“No! It's about you bein' stubborn and not lettin' me get a job or askin' fer help from the Hearstring's simply because they're unicorns!” Apple Blossom retorted.
Apple Buck swore under his breath as he climbed out of bed, then he turned to his wife and pointed at his barrel, chest heaving and face getting a violent shade of red.
“Ah'm doin' everything Ah can ta put food on tha table, give you and the girls a home! It is mah job t' take care of you, and by Celestia Ah will do that!”
“Yer gonna get yerself hurt with how much yer workin'! Please let me help!”
Apple Buck pointed out the window, towards the sleeping town. “Do ya want ta work down there! Down there with all 'em degenerates and hooligans!” Apple Blossom shrunk under his wrathful shouts, but he can't hear her whimper, he's too busy yelling. “I know them folks! Those crooks ain't no better than Canterlot! If yer a little ole earth pony mare without somepony ta protect ya, they will grab ya, abuse ya, and spit ya out like the garbage they think you are!”
Apple Buck turned towards the door when Apple Bloom started to cry, then he looked back at his wife. Apple Blossom had collapsed to the floor and was now sobbing in her hooves. Apple Buck silently grabbed his stetson and stomped out of the room.
In the hallway, he slammed the door shut, muffling his wife's crying, and was about to go down the stairs when he noticed a pair of green eyes staring at him from the doorway. Apple Buck looked at Applejack, noting the tears in her eyes as she cradled Apple Bloom, and he opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words, so he just walked down the stairs with his head down.
When Applejack heard the front door slam shut, she lowered her eyes and continued to rock Apple Bloom as her tears dripped down on the baby.
////////////////////
Early the next morning, Apple Buck stood with massive bags under his eyes at the front gate of Mr. Belle’s palatial estate. He was dressed in his Sunday best, which wasn’t much. A nice, rather simple looking dark brown jacket and his ever-present Stetson. A rather stocky unicorn in a neatly pressed uniform stood in front of him, looking at him dismissively.
Apple Buck's mind was heavy with guilt from his explosive tangent last night with Apple Blossom, and him spending some time with hard cider at the local pub didn't make matters any better when he woke up. All it did was give him a moment of relaxation at the price of a throbbing head, burning eyes, and a bad smell. A smell that he could not get rid of even if Celestia wished it.
“What seems to be the trouble, Mr. Apple?” The guard pony suddenly spoke, snapping Apple Buck’s attention away from his guilt ridden thoughts.
Apple Buck swallowed and took off his hat as he tried to look up at the unicorn. “Ah just wanna speak with Mr. Belle if that’s okay wit ya.”
The unicorn huffed. “For what reason? I have to know, otherwise you’re not allowed in.”
Apple Buck nodded submissively. “Yes sir. Ah’m here ta talk ta Mr. Belle about allowing me ta get an extra job.”
The unicorn guard raised an eyebrow. “Extra job? Why might I ask would you need an extra job?”
Apple Buck hesitated. “So that’d Ah can pay mah rent. Ah’m a month behind on it, and Ah need the money.”
“Is that so?” the unicorn replied, his voice practically dripping with disdain.
Apple Buck's eyes lowered to the pampered pavement as the disdain in the unicorn’s tone and last night's events left him emotionally sore.
There was a painfully long pause between the two before the unicorn finally nodded. “Alright then. Let’s just have a quick security check and then you may continue.”
At those words, the unicorn’s horn flared up and Apple Buck could feel the instantly recognizable tingle of magic running over his body, including some very personal places. After what felt like an eternity of abject embarrassment, the dark green glow around the unicorn’s horn died and he nodded.
“Okay you check out. Go on then.”
Apple Buck nodded and the gate started to open, glowing the same dull green as the unicorn’s horn.
The front gate was at least three times his height, and was seemingly made of solid bronze. At the end of a long cobble stone road was the beautiful mansion that belonged to Mr. Belle.
“Oh and digger!” the unicorn shouted after him as he started down the cobblestone path. Apple Buck stopped in his tracks and turned slowly to face the unicorn, who eyed him suspiciously. “Don’t try anything funny. Got it?” the unicorn said, pointing an accusatory hoof at him.
“Yes sir.” Apple Buck replied, turning back to the path and walking down the cobblestone road.
Alongside the road were two long hedges that were taller than Apple Buck himself. They gave the path a closed in feeling and it made Apple Buck uncomfortable. He was used to open spaces, not tiny roads. It was awfully quiet inside the gates, as the large walls blocked off the outside world.
Never in his life had Apple Buck seen such opulence. Behind the hedges were a seemingly endless variety of well kept and manicured gardens, with all sorts of flowers and trees of a thousand different colors, all of which are being kept by earth ponies. There were statues sitting atop fountains, which poured water down into koi ponds below, and were being washed and polished by earth ponies. Scattered around the gardens were several large topiaries, all made to look like various types of ponies and other animals. An especially large willow tree was being attended to by another earth pony, who briefly stopped his work and waved towards Apple Buck.
Apple Buck waved back rather awkwardly, not saying anything. He noticed that while all the dirty work was being done by earth ponies, the unicorns walked around with pleasant smiles and hushed conversations. He even spotted a couple of pegasi enjoying what he could only guess were high class drinks and pastries with other unicorns as earth ponies waited them with carefully balanced trays on their heads. Apple Buck guessed that there was some sort of party going on, but didn't risk checking it out, especially when a unicorn mare gave him a scornful look that caused one of the manor guards to eye him suspiciously.
Apple Buck swallowed and continued his trek with his head down, which seemed to be enough to dissuade the magical bearers and winged ponies from pondering his presence further.
He finally reached the front porch and stared in awe at the mansion before him. Whereas his house was a simple two story affair with clapboard roofing, this place would be better described as castle.
It was at least four stories tall, painted a bright white. The windows were the single cleanest windows he’d ever seen. Perched right above the massive rosewood door was the Belle Family coat of arms, which was two unicorns rearing up, their horns crossing over a large diamond. The floorboards creaked as Apple Buck set foot on them, and he paused right in front of the oak door.
He reached up a forehoof to knock and then hesitated. He actually hadn’t thought he’d get this far. He had expected to be turned back at the gate, humiliated. Instead, asides from the rather invasive security check, and the hawk-like scrutiny of the unicorn guards patrolling, he hadn’t noticed any particular problems. Maybe his luck would continue and Mr. Belle would grant his request.
He finally started to knock on the door, aiming on the only worn spot on the door. The rest of the door was so well polished that he could see his own reflection in the rosewood. The door’s thickness prevented his knocks from making much noise. It didn’t help that he knocked as if the door were made of glass and might shatter at any moment either.
He paused, waiting awkwardly for someone to respond. A few moments passed and there was no answer. All of a sudden, a voice called out to him.
“Hey! You have to ring the doorbell.”
Apple Buck turned in the direction of the voice to see an earth pony tending to a nearby bush. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and relaxed. “Oh, really?”
The earth pony nodded. “Yup. Or else The Boss won’t hear ya. Door’s too damned thick.” The pony then laughed. “Hay, you could buck it and he wouldn’t be able to hear ya.”
“Thank ya.” Apple Buck replied, causing the other pony to simply wave a hoof.
“Just doin’ my job is all. Good day.” and with that, he returned to the bush he was tending.
Apple Buck smiled slightly. With a sense of renewed confidence, he searched for the doorbell. He found it as a cable that ran along the side of the door and disappeared into the wall. He gave it a gentle tug. He could hear the faint sound of a bell ringing coming from inside. Then, the sound of rapidly advancing hoofsteps. The door unexpectedly opened to reveal a gray earth pony with a well groomed, silver and white mane wearing a tuxedo. It was quite obvious that the butler took pride in his work.
“Oh. Hello there. How may I help you?” he asked in a practiced Canterlot accent.
Apple Buck once more took his hat off his head, bowing his head in respect. “Ah’d like ta speak with Mr. Belle. Iffin’ that’s okay wit ya.”
The earth pony nodded rather tersely before stepping asides, motioning towards the inside of the house. “Come in. Mr. Belle is in his office.”
Apple Buck smiled with the puny amount of confidence he was able to muster and walked inside. “Thank ya kindly.”
The other earth pony simply nodded and closed the door behind him, before trotting up in front of Apple Buck and motioning for him to follow.
As Apple Buck walked into the mansion and let out a low whistle as he took in the incredible grandeur of the home, their own hoof falls echoed through the house, making Apple Buck feel all the more out of place. While his house was cozy and rustic and welcoming to all, this place was the polar opposite. It was a place meant for the elite of society. Not for diggers. The floor was polished to a mirror shine that made Apple Buck worried that his rough and well worn hooves might damage the floor. There was a exotic scent in the air that Apple Buck assumed came from the various pots of ornate flowers that were placed in the windows. The walls were covered in a mix of ornate wallpapers of various colors and paintings. Most of the paints were portraits of various unicorns that Apple Buck assumed where members of the Belle Family line.
Suddenly they came to a stop in front of another rosewood door, upon which was inscribed the Belle Family Coat of Arms.
“Pardon me,” the butler pony spoke before knocking firmly on the door. “Excuse me, Mr. Belle, it seems you have a visitor.”
There was the faint sound of rustling papers and muttering before the cultured voice of Mr. Belle responded.
“Ah, yes, you may let him in.”
The butler nodded and opened the door. “You may enter, sir.”
Apple Buck nodded and entered the office, and before the door closed, Mr. Belle called the butler.
“Hoity Toity, do check on my daughter, please. I want to make sure she's obeying the grounds of her punishment,” said Mr. Belle as he casually made some last minute touch ups to make his desk look proper for visitors. As in straightening some pens and adjusting his binder to a slight angle.
Apple Buck barely noticed the butler, Hoity Toity, cringe, but the faithful servant nonetheless put on a smile.
“Of course, sir.”
And with that, the doors shut, leaving Apple Buck and Mr. Belle alone. Mr. Belle stood up from where he was seated, smiling broadly.
“Well, I must say, Mr. Apple, I was not expecting your appearance today,” said Mr. Belle. “Did you come up with the rent already?”
Mr. Belle laughed at himself and Apple Buck forces himself to chuckle with the upscale unicorn.
“No, Ah'm 'fraid not, sir,” said Apple Buck. Mr. Belle nodded, completely expecting an answer like that. “But it is 'bout the rent, and Ah was hopin' ya could be mah audience fer just a minute as Ah present a request.”
Mr. Belle grinned as he gave Apple Buck a great pat on the back like they were best friends. “You're trying too hard to be a unicorn, Mr. Apple. Come, come, sit down, relax, and tell me what's on your mind.”
He motioned towards the front of the desk, while making his way back behind his desk, where he sat down again. Apple Buck smiled weakly, still feeling incredibly out of place and like an idiot for trying to impress his boss, and sat down. Mr. Belle looked towards him expectantly, while Apple Buck simply fidgeted, not sure what to say. The only sound between them was the radio that was tucked in the corner. It happened to be tuned into some news station playing from a dial radio, where the host was speaking of civil unrest.
“And more news from the Earth Pony Liberation Front meeting in Manehattan. Authorities have made several arrests after several violent riots broke out, including high ranking members of the E.P.L.F. who were speaking at the event and being accused of insinuating the violence. Authorities refuse to comment on whether or not they have pressed any charges, but our reporter did speak with Chief of Police Stalwart Guard...”
Mr. Belle glanced towards the radio and discreetly switched the radio station to a jazz channel, filling the room with something more upbeat. It didn't make Apple Buck feel better, though, it only made him feel more awkward, especially when Mr. Belle got into the jazz subject.
“Ah, Celestia, I do love jazz.” Mr. Belle said with a relaxed sigh. “Do you play jazz, Mr. Apple?”
Apple Buck shook his head. “'Fraid not, sir.”
“Neither do I. How about listen? Do you listen to jazz?”
Apple Buck shook his head again with a weak smile. “No, sir, Ah'm a uh... a country stallion.”
Mr. Belle chuckled. “Well, let's move on, then, shall we? What is that you need?”
Apple Buck shifted awkwardly in his seat for a few moments, pondering what to say. “Well, um, Mr. Belle, Ah was thinkin’ iffin Ah’m able tah look fer extra work iffin that’s alright wit ya.” He managed to stutter out, reflexively taking his hat off and twiddling with it in his hooves, all while looking down at the floor.
There was another weighted pause between the two as Apple Buck busied himself studying the ornate carpet below his feet. Mr. Belle’s expression, meanwhile, shifted from the expected smile from before to a slightly more pensive expression. The only noise to fill the void was the jazz music playing from the radio. The jaunty music standing in stark counterpoint to the unsettling silence between the two ponies.
All of a sudden, Mr. Belle spoke up, making the farmer flinch. “Mr. Apple, I’d be quite alright with you seeking out extra work. If that is what you need to do to provide for your family in the way you see fit, then by all means, please do so.”
Apple Buck looked up from the floor in shock. “’Cuse me sir? Ah’m able tah do that?”
Mr. Belle nodded. “Of course!” he chuckled. “I mean, seriously, my dear boy, whatever possessed you to think that I would for some reason deny your request? If anything, we both benefit from it. You have a way to provide for your wonderfully charming children; whereas I can rest assured that you will pay your debts. Its simple mathematics my friend.” And with that he stood up and motioned for Apple Buck to stand. Trotting over to the office door, the unicorn opened it. Apple Buck meanwhile, stood up with a dazed smile faintly visible on his face.
“Th-thank ya kindly, Mr. Belle,” he said as he stepped out the door. “Ah really mean that.”
Mr. Belle simply nodded and walked him towards the front door. “Think nothing of it. I might be your superior, and I may be from Canterlot, but by no means does that mean I’m a dictator. I am a kind master, Mr. Apple, and I would absolutely hate to see my servants unhappy.”
They walked up to the front door and Hoity Toity quickly trotted past them to open the door for them. Mr. Belle quickly thanked the butler, in which he returned with a smile and a bow.
“Ah’m sure of that sir.” Apple Buck said, still in a daze.
Celestia must have been smiling on him today. He walked out of the door with a smile on his face, pausing on the front porch to take it the sunny day.
He had done it. He had managed to provide for his family. They wouldn’t have to worry any more. No more humiliation, no more having to cut corners so that they would have enough cash left over to buy both food and pay the rent.
He turned to say thank you once more, only to be greeted by the door slamming rather unceremoniously in his face. The nearly deafening sound of the door slamming shut behind him grounded him back into reality, shaking him out of his fantasy. This was the real world, a world where he was at the bottom of the social ladder. A place where one minute, someone might be nice to him only to slam the door in his face once he turned away.
He started down the path, feeling once more like dirt, but figuring that at least Mr. Belle had given him the decency of letting him into his own mansion and talking with him. Maybe once he paid the rent again and kept the payments nice and regular he could earn his respect and hopefully one day, be allowed to own the farm in earnest.
With that hope in his heart, he trotted a little faster.
