Apples and Wheat

Chapters

Apple Eyes
And See the Fields
Wolf and Town
Interlude: Wolf and Winona
Wolf and Pink Surprises I
Wolf and Pink Surprises II
Interlude II: Wolf and W.C.
Wolf and Pink Surprises III
The Wolf and the Moon
Wolf and a Day on the Farm
Interlude III: Fancy Mathematics
Wake Up
April Fools Chapter - Wolf and Surprises

Apple Eyes

Archivist's Notation:Two things: 1. You may as well Like it if you Fav it, since ya know Favs count towards the feature box... 2. What you're about to read was inspired/stolen from comments by Huganis and Nihatclodra. Many thanks to BronyBozly for his awesome editing.

---Apples and Wheat---

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

― Oscar Wilde

---Apple Eyes---

"Oh whistle round the world

I'm a little wolf inside a pony, you say

And off I’ll go from June to May."

A certain brown maned mare sang, swishing her magnificent tail as she watched a large handsome red stallion of the Apple Clan till another acre for wheat. "Well the Apple clan does seem to be quite serious about the wheat, and they are giving me such a pleasant sight to watch," she said mischievously.

Big Mac paused his tilling and glanced around the field. He could swear he felt eyes on him again.

Probly just my imagination 'specially after the other night, Big Mac thought, dismissing his suspicion and wiping the sweat off his brow.

Applejack liked to consider herself a practical pony. She knew Big Mac had more down to earth wisdom and one liners, but still Applejack thought of herself as a reliable, mature, and hard working pony. Granted, Applejack knew she was headstrong at times about doing things on her own, but what was a mare without her pride? Yet, when needed, Applejack would seek advice, if a bit reluctantly, from her friends. Hence her visit to Twilight's library.

"A wolf that lives in wheat?" Twilight Sparkle asked looking up from a thick book filled with esoteric symbols.

"That's what Granny said," Applejack replied with a shrug. "Ah figured if anypony would know more about somethin' like this, it'd be you Twi'."

"Hmm, it definitely sounds like it's from old agricultural folklore or maybe some kind of superstition," Twilight thought out loud, tapping her chin. "Although I've never heard of an agricultural myth with a wolf in it."

"Me neither. Usually wheat gets tied with Princess Celestia on account the golden color of it," Applejack offered as she sat on a cushion.

"That definitely fits in with most earth pony folklore," Twilight said as she started floating various books to her study desk.

"Think it might be some kind of unique Ponyville lore?" Applejack pondered, glancing over at her studious friend.

"With how close we are to the Everfree it wouldn't surprise me," Twilight responded as she exchanged glances between a few book titles.

Applejack let out a small sigh as she looked at the shelves full of books. Hoping there was answer somewhere in the mountains of text.

"Ah really hope this ain't a literal thing, Twi," AJ said with a hint of worry as she fiddle with her hat between her hooves. "A wolf ain't exactly something I want hanging 'round the farm."

"That's understandable, but there hasn't been a confirmed wolf attack on ponies in well over a thousand years."

"Unless ya count timberwolves," Applejack interjected.

"Well yeah, but timberwolves aren't true wolves. They're more plant than animal." Twilight explained as she shuffled a few books around in her search. "Plus, Equestria does have a treaty with the Wolf Tribal Council. And with the closest wolf settlement being on the other side of the Everfree, which is at least three days of travel by pegasus flight, that makes wolves are a very rare sight here in central Equestria."

"That maybe true Twi', but it's still got me a worrying if..."

"Aha! Found it!" Twilight exclaimed triumphantly, levitating an eight inch thick tome off a high shelf. Its dark blue book cover resembled the depths of the night sky with its gleaming silver crescent moon on the cover.

AJ whistled. "That's a mighty thick tome ya got there, Twi'," Twilight smiled and levitated the book onto the desk, then montioned for Applejack to sit beside her.

"This is The Book of the Moon. It's a collection of traditions, lore, and history of the Wolf Tribes that were collected by the wolf emissary Fianna. Princess Luna gave it to me a few weeks ago to study," Twilight explained, as she started to switch into lecture mode while her magic flipped through the pages. "It also covers all the major deities and spirits of Wolf Tribe. It's one of the very few books about their lore since the wolves still largely go by oral traditions, they call Song Lines. Did you know that they..."

"Whoa easy there sugar cube," AJ interrupted Twilight's lecture. "Ah'm sure it's plenty fascinatin', but Ah was hoping for somethin' more specific."

"Oh right. Sorry just got a little carried away" Twilight said, grinning sheepishly as she flipped through the book, stopping toward the middle. "Okay here we are, Spirits of Legend," Twilight said as she ran her hoof tip over the chapter title.

"Anythin' that might explain what Granny was goin' on about?" Applejack asked, trying to keep up with Twilight's speed reading.

"Hmm there are only two entries about a 'Wolf of the Wheat'." Twilight cleared her throat then began reading aloud to Applejack. "And I quote, 'Among the old Wolf Spirits there is one who is known to freely converse with Ponies and Griffins. In the past she has made agreements to help wheat grow in exchange for a harvest feast in her honor, for her wisdom concerning the soil is greater than any other's wisdom. She will often sleep near where she has made these agreements and will awaken when the agreements are to be renewed or made null. If She makes an agreement to aide a village's wheat crops She will stay near that village until the agreement is forgotten.' She was last seen going into the woods known as the Everfree, stating that She wished to learn more about the Pony Tribes that dwelled beyond it." Twilight finished, then looked to Applejack.

"Sounds like this is same wolf Granny was talkin' about." AJ said with a nod.

"Good, that means we're on the right track," Twilight smiled then looked back to the book.

"And the other part ya mentioned?"

"Well it switches to a short account written by a pony who signed only as 'a traveling Peddler' and he wrote, 'At certain times, in a village that the Wise Wolf has made an agreement with, she will appear in the form of a pretty young mare, and she is always seen as a late-adolescent. A lovely figure, she has a long flowing mane as well as wolf ears and a beautiful brown tail with a splash of white at the ends of both ear and tail.' And that's all that's written about this Wolf Spirit," Twilight said as she flipped over a couple pages double checking the accounts.

"Well that's mighty vague," Applejack said as she scratched her head, "It doesn’t even say what this wolf's name is."

"Oh, it has her name written in it at the top. See right there," Twilight said, pointing to a small heading that read "ホロ".

"Uh Twi' that's just a funny looking "T" and a square somepony scribbled in," Applejack deadpanned.

"What?" Twilight said with confusion plastered across her face, before realization dawned on the young scholar. "Oh sorry. I forgot it's written in pictograph."

"If by picture graph ya' mean chicken scratch, Ah agree."

"No, no it's a type of language derived from pictures in place of letters," Twilight explained as she floated a translation reference book over. "Wolves originally used pictures they clawed into the wood of the giant redwood trees where they live in order record important names and dates," she explained as she leafed through the translator book.

"Makes sense Ah suppose," Applejack shrugged.

"Okay let's see, if I'm reading this correctly," Twilight mumbled, exchanging glances between the books.

"That's an "H" and that's translated as "O"s."

"So what's it say?"Applejack inquired, leaning over her bookish friend's shoulder trying to read.

"According to this pictograph the wolf's name is 'Holo'," Twilight said as she glanced between the two books double checking her translation.

"Holo," Applejack repeated as though she was trying to get a taste for the word.

"Hmm it sounds familiar," Twilight said squinting in concentration trying to remember only to sigh in defeat then look over to Applejack, "I think there might be more about her in some of my other books, but I'll have to do some serious digging."

"S'alright Twi'. It maybe vague, but it was a bit informative," AJ said as she got up, "Thanks fer the help sugar cube."

"No problem Applejack." Twilight said as AJ left the library.

"Holo, the Wise Wolf. That sounds so familiar", Twilight hmm'd as she levitated over her, rather thick, personal scholastic diary flipping to some notes on a brief discourse from Princess Celestia on non-equestrian spirits.

--- Sweet Apple Acres ---

Big Macintosh is a stoic stallion of common sense and full of good old down to earth wisdom, not prone to flights of fancy, so for him the feeling of nervous paranoia was definitely a rare and unwanted experience.

"Ah'm tellin' ya Ah got a feelin' that there's somepony poking around the edge of the property and spying on us," Big Mac drawled, glancing out the kitchen window.

"Yer actin' more nervous than a hen whose caught wind o' a fox," Granny Smith chided her grandson as she rolled dough for some apple pies.

"Ya Big Mac ain't nopony dumb enough ta try and steal apples from the farm," Apple Bloom agreed with Granny Smith, pouring diced apple filling into waiting pie crusts.

Big Mac sighed, knowing that there was no point in wasting his breath trying to convince Granny Smith or Apple Bloom of his suspicions. Instead, he opted to just get some cider from the ice box and sit on the porch.

Big Mac slowly trotted out on the porch and sat down to rest his hooves. He sighed, looking over the tilled soil and planted wheat. His paranoia fading as he felt a bit of pride at the work that he and Applejack had accomplished over the past couple of days. Big Mac looked over the planted field with a satisfied smile.

"Ain't nothing like seein' something ya done with your own hooves comin' along nicely," the red stallion said, holding up his cider mug, offering a silent toast to his Ma and Pa before he took a long drink of the cool sweet refreshing cider.

"Oh I most certainly agree with thee," a sweet mischievous voice said from beside Big Mac.

"PFFFFFFT!!!", Big Mac replied in startled, terror spitting his cider in a panicked geyser.

Big Mac hacked and coughed trying to catch his breathe and clear his throat of cider as that same voice laughed hysterically at his reaction.

After a few moments, Big Mac finally caught his breath as he leaned against the one of the porch's beams. He looked down at the still laughing mare. He saw she was short young looking earth pony mare her coat was a light --almost cider tinted-- tan with a brown mane and tail, but what really caught his attention was her ears. They didn't look like pony ears, they were too pointed, too high up on her head, and had white on their tufted tips same as her long tail. His eyes lingered on her Cutie Mark of a single ripe golden wheat stalk.

"Do you enjoy what you see?" the youngish looking mare inquired with a devilish smirk as she flicked her tail suggestively while she laid on her side in the grass.

"Well, I, um," Big Mac stuttered, realizing he was caught staring and blushed --quite a feat for the red stallion-- as he looked anywhere, but at the pretty mare laying on her side with most of her belly exposed.

"Macintosh!" Apple Bloom shouted as she barged out the screen door causing Big Mac to startle and turn around frantically."Granny says she needs ya ta...", Apple Bloom trailed off mid-sentence, eying her big brother with a confused look. "Big Mac, are yew blushin’?"

Big Mac shook his head then quickly turned back around to show the Apple Bloom the trespassing mare. Only to end up pointy his hoof at empty grass.

"Where'd she go?" Big Mac asked no one in particular as he glanced around the porch.

"Where'd who go?" Apple Bloom asked while she watched her big brother looked around the porch.

"A mare... She snuck up on me and startled me while I was drinking some cider," Big Mac explained while looking under the porch.

"Well, what'd she look like?" Apple Bloom asked, as she trotted up to Big Mac.

"Tan coat. Brownish mane and tail with a wheat stalk Cutie Mark," Big Mac answered, peering over at the tree stump by the porch, noticing the small pouch of wheat grains that Granny Smith had set out by the wolf statuette was gone.

"A wheat stalk!? Are ya' sure?" Apple Bloom asked excitedly, looking up at Big Mac with a beaming smile plastered on her face. "Did she have funny looking ears? Was her tail all bushy? Were her eyes apple red? Was she pretty?"

"I, um, ...maybe?" Big Mac replied uncertainly as he tried to keep up with Apple Bloom's rapid fire questions.

"She was here! She was here!" Apple Bloom cheered, hopping around the porch then dashed back inside the farm house shouting. "Granny Smith! Granny Smith! Big Mac saw her!"

"Eh? Who saw who?" Granny Smith asked, as she looked up from the apple cabbage stew she was cooking.

"Big Mac saw her! Out on the porch!" Apple Bloom excitedly explained, trotting up to her grandmother with an ear to ear smile on her face.

"Who'd ya see now?" the Apple Matriarch asked Big Mac as he trotted into the kitchen.

"Big Mac saw her on the porch!" Apple Bloom said excitedly as she pointed at her brother, "Big Mac saw Holo!"

"Let me guess she prodded ya than ran off?" Granny Smith asked Big Macintosh with a sly smirk.

"Um maybe?" Big Mac answered hesitantly.

--- Apple Road ---

Apple Road was at first a simple trodden path that lead from Sweet Apple Acres to Ponyville. With time and daily use by previous generations of the Apple Family it became a well worn dirt road that lead from Sweet Apple Acres to Ponyville proper.

So Granny ain't just pullin' our legs on this one, Applejack thought to herself as she trotted back to the farm at a leisurely pace pondering what she had learned from Twilight.

As Applejack was trying to figure out just what kind of a feast a "Wise Wolf" could even want, she heard something very faint that made her paused and gave her cause to look around the old Apple Road.

"...apple eyes...."

"Singing?" Applejack thought out loud, her ears perked and twitched as she turned her head left and right, trying to find the source of the faint singing.

"...sunshine pie...."

Applejack looked around the edge of the road and found a small opening in the bushes by the road. It wasn't the first time she had heard singing coming from the woods before and it was usually just Fluttershy singing to herself as she tended to some of her critters, but this was definitely not Fluttershy's melodic voice. This voice, while obviously female, had a sweet, almost youthful quality with just a hint of haughtiness.

"Ain't none my business," Applejack muttered to herself, but as she turned to walk away, something inside her stirred as she heard the singing. Like a long forgotten memory washing back into her mind.

This is a bad idea, Applejack thought as she sighed in resignation then trotted into the bushes, to follow the trail and faint singing and even fainter trail.

--- A few minutes later ---

Cautiously and curiously Applejack made her way down the small winding trail. The voice was becoming a bit clearer, enough that now Applejack could make out a certain mischievous tone or quality to it as well, like the singer knows things that no pony else knows.

Applejack followed the trail until the bushes finally opened up to reveal a small glen. The opening amongst the tree tops was just large enough to allow sunlight to bath the small glen in a soft, warm glow.

Strange how Ah've never noticed this place before, Applejack thought to herself as she looked around the small glen.

Growing in the center of the glen was a young wild apple tree and sitting with her back against the apple tree was a young tan coated mare singing to herself between bites of an apple.

"O seven apples on a zebra’s tree

With seven seeds to plant inside of me

In springtime I grew a magic song

Then trotting along, oh I sang the song to everyone,"

The brown maned mare sang as she tossed an apple core over her shoulder.

"I looked at the world through apple eyes

And cut myself a slice of sunshine pie

I danced with the peanut butterflies

Till time went and told me to say hello but wave goodbye.

A thousand sugar stars

Oh put them in a jar

And then whistle round the world

Oh whistle round the world

I'm a little wolf inside a pony, you say

And off I’ll go from June to May."

Well she's got a pretty voice whoever she is, Applejack thought, listening to the soothing singing for a few moments, before walking slowly towards the singing earth pony. Applejack eyed the tan mare carefully as she approached the tree, noting her strange pointy ears with their white tufted tips. As Applejack got closer she tried to spot the strange mare's cutie mark, but couldn't spot it on her flank while she was leaning with her back against the tree.

"Enjoying the view my dear Apple mare?" the tan mare asked with a smirk, startling Applejack.

"What!?" Applejack blurted out almost falling back with fright.

"Well you were staring at me quite intensely," the brown maned mare turned her head to face Applejack as she smirked deviously. "Specifically at my ears and flank."

"Ah wasn't starin' like that!" Applejack growled out between clenched teeth glaring down at the strange mare.

"Please be kinder to me", the younger mare whimpered as her eyes watered holding her hooves in a pleading fashion.

Applejack gasped softly and stepped back at a loss of words, her stern expression replaced with a faint blush of embarrassment.

"I believe you to be adorable", the tan mare smirked slyly.

"What?" Applejack asked confusedly taking another step back.

"I do believe the word you're thinking of is 'Hello', my dear Apple mare," the tan mare said causally, standing from the tree and stretched, revealing her cutie mark of a single ripe golden stalk of wheat.

"Ah ain't no pony's mare", Applejack retorted feeling less suspicious and more annoyed.

"Well of course not", the smaller mare chuckled, "Equestria has always had the strongest willed females."

"Who are ya?"Applejack asked eying the other mare with suspicion and annoyance as she walked around the wild apple tree. "And where'd ya get that apple?"

"Hmm to your second question first, the apple is from this lovely tree I was resting by," the tan mare said as she rubbed a hoof affectionately against the tree's trunk. "And if you are wondering, no, it is not from your farm."

"And how do ya know about the farm?" Applejack asked, keeping her emerald eyes fixed on this strange mare.

"Because I have been here long before your family was known as Apple, when it was still known as Smith" the brown maned mare explained matter-of-factly as her white tipped ears twitched and her tail swayed lazily.

"That can't be true! You'd have ta be over a 105 years old for that ta be true", Applejack declared in utter disbelief, "Mah family practically founded Ponyville!"

"Ugh, they truly we went with that name?" the tan mare said with disdain, "I much preferred Appleton."

"What are y'all babblin' about?" Applejack asked confused, "Ain't no way you can know all that and be as young as ya look."

"Presuming I am only a mare as you see me," the mare smirked, slowly circling Applejack.

"Who are you?"Applejack asked in a firm tone as she slowly followed the strange mare, for the first time noticing the small pouch on a thong around her neck.

"I am Holo The Wise Wolf," the cider tan mare explained as she sat down, tossing her long brown hair with a hoof as she flicked her bushy white tipped tail. "I have slept for many years, awaiting the time for the renewal of the old promises of wheat."

"Y'all don't look like no wolf to me," Applejack snorted as she sat down as well.

"I am Holo The Wise Wolf" ,the mare smirked as she explained. "As such I am wise enough to know when to wear my proper form and when to not."

"Or you're wise enough to know how to tell a proper lie," Applejack said, glaring a bit at 'Holo' suspiciously.

"Oh ho, you have a sharp wit." Holo grinned widely in amusement, showing her teeth and revealing that her teeth were not a pony's teeth.

Applejack's eyes widened as she saw that Holo had a pair of fangs; one set on top another on the bottom. However, what really caught AJ's attention were the other mare’s eyes. They were a shade of apple red and they danced with not only mischief, but honesty; pure honesty.

"Y'all really are Holo, ain'tcha?"Applejack asked with a hint of awe.

"Oh you believe me now?" Holo smirked, swaying her bushy tail. "How can you be so sure?"

"Your eyes," Applejack said, looking into Holo's apple red eyes. "Ain't no lie in them."

"Ah you must be nearly as good a judge of character as I." Holo grinned, looking into Applejack's emerald eyes.

"Well Ah'd like to think Ah'm a good judge o' character", Applejack replied as she relaxed a bit, mentally checking off the features Granny Smith had told her the 'Wheat Wolf' had.

"I can certainly attest to it," Holo giggled as she eyed the apple farmer. "Now that introductions are over, I admit I am a bit hungry. Wild apples are not nearly as filling as ones that are tended to by skillful earth ponies such as your family. Will you show me the way to the farm house?"

"Well y'all are a guest of the Apples," AJ said as she stood up. "So come on to the house Ah'm sure we can get somethin' cooked up fer ya. Plus we got a good warm bed for ya t’ sleep in as well. Y'all ain't gonna stay in the woods if 'n Ah got a say in it."

"Oh ho such a bold mare to invite one such as myself to a warm bed," Holo smirked deviously as she rose up on her hooves. "At least offer me some hard cider first."

"That ain't what Ah meant and you know it!," Applejack declared, blushing a bit as Holo trotted down the trail, filling the silence of the forest with laughter.

Author's Note

Sing it! Seriously, I'd love for someone to do a cover of this. I might even pay for it.

O seven apples on a zebra’s tree
With seven seeds to plant inside of me
In springtime I grew a magic song
Then trotting along, oh I sang the song to everyone

I looked at the world through apple eyes
And cut myself a slice of sunshine pie
I danced with the peanut butterflies
Till time went and told me to say hello but wave goodbye

A thousand sugar stars
Oh put them in a jar
And then whistle round the world
Oh whistle round the world
I'm a little wolf inside a pony, you say
And off I’ll go from June to May

Oh whistling round the world
I met a golden griffon upon the road
Who was a handsome prince, so I was told
I asked it the way to yesterday
Then I was a sailor, and through the day I sailed away

Bluebird seas I sailed
With seaponies riding whales
Oh whistle round the world
Oh whistle round the world
I'm a little wolf inside a pony, you say

And off I’ll go down Wonder Way
Oh whistling round the world
Through apple eyes
Oh there are rose-coloured skylines
Where flying silver spoons
Eat melting marmalade moons

Through apple eyes
I see for millions of miles
The sun’s a diamond shining
In the nighttime of a summer day

And See the Fields

Friend shipping is best shipping, it's only a pain because they charge you by D'aws and Feels. Many thanks to BronyBozly, The Gweat and Powaful Twixie, and Venom0861 for their awesome editing, input, and patience.

---Apples and Wheat---

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”

― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

---And See the Fields---

"It wasn't that funny," Applejack groaned at the giggling mare beside her.

"Oh but it was," Holo grinned as she walked along side the farm pony. "You're expression was quite amusing."

Applejack just rolled her eyes at the comment, deciding it was best to just ignore the crazy mare's antics for the time being.

After a short walk down the rest of Apple Road, and more teasing than Applejack cared to dwell on, the pair approached the gate to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Your family has claimed quite a larger area of land since I was last here." Holo commented as she admired the large apple orchards. "And has tended to it exceedingly well."

Thank ya kindly," Applejack replied, beaming with pride. "Most of our crops stay in and aroun' Ponyville, but our apples sell as far as Canterlot and Trottingham."

"Canterlot?" Holo asked titling her head as her ears twitched. "That is where the sun nag still dwells, correct?"

"Sun nag?" AJ asked in obvious confusion.

"Yes, the bossy white Alicorn mare with the colorful mane," Holo explained as she stopped and pointed to Canterlot castle perched upon it's mountain.

"Oh ya mean Princess Celestia? Wait, whatcha mean by nag?!" Applejack exclaimed.

"Exactly what I said. The last time I met her, she was quite bothersome and she was convinced that I was going to eat her little ponies, as if I were some common beast," Holo complained, sitting down with her hooves crossed indignantly. "She was quite the annoying nag and acted much like an overprotective hen."

"How can y'all be so disrespectful?!" Applejack glared at Holo.

"I treat others as they deserve to be treated, as judged by their actions. Furthermore, we wolves do not readily trust the sun nag after she had banished her sister to the moon, who was a friend to the wolves," Holo replied sharply to the Apple mare.

"Wait, wait are ya referrin' to Princess Luna?" Applejack asked as she turned to look at Holo.

"Of course. What other pony would have reign over the moon?" Holo said matter of factly.

"Well shoot. She's back from her...well banishment and ruling with her sister again", Applejack explained with a smile.

"Hmm... perhaps I should visit then. I have not seen the Sisters in many long years," Holo murmured while she looked at Canterlot in the distance.

Applejack was taken aback for moment at Holo's tone. She thought it strange to hear such age carried so heavily in a voice from a body that looked so young.

"Well mah friend Twilight Sparkle is Princess Celestia's student and can send her a message if ya'd like," Applejack offered, sitting next to Holo.

"No, not yet." Holo sighed. "Perhaps later after I tend to your wheat fields."

She sounds awful lonely when she takes that tone, Applejack thought to herself as she looked at Holo.

After a long moment, Holo got back on her hooves and stretched as she yawned. Applejack remained seated, watching Holo stretch as she wondered about the strange mare's unspoken past.

"Enjoying the view?" Holo teased over her shoulder, flicking her lovely tail's white tip at Applejack's nose.

"That ain't.." Applejack exclaimed in protest as she rubbed her nose, but just ended up groaning as she stood up. "Never mind."

"I cannot help it if my lovely figure lures the eyes of others," Holo said innocently.

"Y'all sure it's only wheat you're in charge of and not mischief?" AJ deadpanned.

"I must say, I like your wit dear Applejack," Holo giggled.

"Let's just get ta the farm house." Applejack sighed as she trotted off leading the way.

--- Apple Family Farm House ---

"You're back just in time fer supper Applejack," Granny Smith said from her rocking chair as AJ opened the screen door and trotted into the farm house.

"What took ya so long ta get back from town?" Apple Bloom asked from her spot on the floor where she sat, surrounded by multicolored crayons and a drawing of an apple tree.

"Well Ah would've been back sooner, but Ah had to walk this one back ta the farm," Applejack explained as she stepped aside from the door.

"Who'd ya bring..." Granny Smith started but trailed off mid sentence, eyes widening when she saw her.

Holo hesitantly walked across the threshold and looked up at the gathered Apple family with a smile that barely hid her own apprehensions. Granny Smith held a hoof to her mouth in shock. Big Mac dropped the newspaper he had been reading. Apple Bloom stopped coloring, the crayon dropping from her mouth, as she stared at the tan mare with a golden wheat stalk cutie mark.

"Holo? Is that really you?" Granny Smith asked in disbelief as she got up from her rocking chair.

"Yes," Holo answered, her voice cracking a bit as she smiled and walked up to Granny Smith hugging her tightly.

"Ya came back," the old Apple mare smiled as she hugged Holo firmly in her old grip.

"I've missed you my dear friend," Holo whispered as tears ran down her face.

--- 65 years ago ---

"It seems as though your family is going to be prospering quite well from your discovery of the zap apples," Holo commented, laying on the warm spring grass beside a fifteen year old(1) Maria Ann Smith(2) from the small hill where they were overlooking the orchard of twenty zap apple trees that Maria's family was finishing up harvesting.

"With the money Pappy is making off them zap apples we'll be able to keep more of our crops for our own food," Maria said as she smiled at her friend. "Though we wouldn't have made it through the first few years without the help you've given ta us Holo."

"Tis no great trouble to go through for a friend as genuine as you, my dear Apple mare." Holo smiled.

"It is too, especially fer a lazy mare like y'all," the young Granny Smith replied with a smirk.

"You dare accuse the god of wheat and bountiful harvests of laziness?" Holo said in mock indignation as she rose up to her hooves. "Why I should smi...Ah!"

Holo exclaimed as dizziness hit her like a hail stone, her legs giving out from underneath her. The world blurring and spinning, before a strong pair of earth pony hooves caught her.

"Ah gotcha. Ah gotcha, Holo," Maria said, as she caught her dizzy wolfish friend, carefully laying her back down onto the grass while Holo winced, holding her head between her hooves.

"Oh my head swims," Holo groaned with her eyes tightly shut, gingerly rubbing her head.

"That's twice today ya've nearly fallen over dizzy and the fifth time in less than two weeks," Maria Smith said, her face etched with worry. "Holo what's wrong with ya?"

"I fear I made a miscalculation," Holo sighed as she opened her eyes and looked up at her friend. "And I must confess that I did much more than merely help the wheat that your family needed to survive grow."

"What did ya do, Holo?" young Miss Smith asked as she laid down beside her best friend.

"I explained to you how my knowledge of the soil and of wheat allows me to influence and turn a good harvest into a bountiful one. However, I can do much more than place a simple blessing," Holo explained as she stroked the small pouch of wheat grains that hung around her neck. "With my wisdom and power, I can cause wheat to grow from even the most barren soil. However, the weaker the soil is the more of my power I must dedicate to the wheat, in the soil's place, so that it may be bountiful."

"But Holo there's all the grasses, the wild berry shrubs, and those wild apple trees that grow here. Surely that means the soil is good," Maria said her worry slowly turning into dread.

"Crops from certain places grow well there, because that is were they belong. They wither if planted else where," Holo explained, frowning. "The soil here had no hope of producing even two bundles of wheat from the seeds your family brought here."

"But...but that means."

"That I had to give over half my power to the planted wheat every season for the past five years," Holo finished with a weak smile.

"Holo, ya didn't have ta..." Maria croaked, her eyes brimming with tears.

"No, I did not have to," Holo sighed. "However, when you first asked me to help your family, I already knew the soil here was too weak and I intended to merely grant what was needed for survival through one winter and then continue my travels, but your honest friendship from that first day endeared you to me. I did not wish to see you suffer my dear Apple mare," Holo explained as she looked away from her friend.

"Oh Holo," Maria sniffed, pulling the wolf mare into a tight embrace(3).

"I can..not breathe!" Holo wheezed as she struggled in the affectionately crushing hug.

"Oh sorry.." Maria said as she loosened her grip looking down at her friend with watery eyes.

"Save your tears my friend," Holo said with a chuckle. "I am not going to die."

"But ya said you've weakened yourself for us."

"Weakened? Yes. To the point of death? No," Holo said, flicking Maria's bonnet playfully as she laid back down. "I am Holo the Wise Wolf. Do not think I am so frail."

"So you'll be okay?" Maria asked her voice ringing with hope.

"Yes, but I must rest and soon," Holo said with a despondent sigh.

"Ah'm sure Ma and Pappy wouldn't mind settin' ya up with a spare bed in the house," Maria said with a hopeful smile plastered across her face as she helped Holo onto her hooves. "Even if they are still a bit skittish with ya."

"It is not that simple, my friend. A wolf must rest in the forest," Holo explained, shaking her head softly.

"Well..Ah can visit ya," Maria said, her eyes sparkled with hope. "Ah can bring ya some of my apple pie that ya like so much."

Holo looked at her earth pony friend sadly. "The sleep that I need will last for years and the Everfree is too treacherous for you, my dear apple mare."

"Ah've been through the Everfree forest before ya know, " Maria replied stubbornly.

"True, but timberwolves would not let you escape their fangs a second time, if they knew I was not with you to deter them," Holo said somberly.

"You're scared of somethin'. What is it Holo?" Maria asked as she nudged her friend.

Holo paused and looked at her friend, carefully weighing her words before she spoke. “I have no fear of watching you grow old while I remain young, my friend. I'll even watch you on your death bed. I am no stranger to death. But your heart is innocent. From the first day you met me in the fields it has always accepted everything about me, without hesitation. Because of that I am very afraid.”

Maria hugged Holo saying, "Ah ain't goin' nowhere. Ah'll be here at the farm fer a long time."

Holo had no words and merely sighed.

"You're my best friend Holo. Ah don't want ta lose ya, but Ah'll do whatever Ah can ta help ya." Maria sniffed, looking down at the tall grass swaying gently in the spring breeze.

"Then wait and I will return," Holo said, hugging her dear friend. "I promise I will come back Maria."

"Ya better otherwise Ah'll...Ah'll shave that tail of yours off in your sleep." Maria joked sadly.

"Such a bold mare," Holo chuckled as she stepped back and looked at Maria. "I still say there is wolf's blood somewhere in you, my friend."

The two friends shared a laugh at the old private joke before lying back down on the grass under a warm spring sun..

"When will ya have ta leave?" Maria asked with trepidation in her voice.

Holo sighed deeply. "I shall have to depart after the wheat is harvested this summer."

"Fer how long?" Maria asked fidgeting nervously with her braided mane.

"I am...I am uncertain, but it shall be many years. At least twenty years...perhaps even fifty years." Holo answered hesitantly as she looked to the Everfree.

"Ah'll set aside a basket of apples fer ya every year just in case ya wake up early." Maria said as with a faint smile.

"Knowing you they shall be the sourest ones you can find." Holo snorted.

"Only the best for you sugar cube." Maria laughed despite her heavy heart.

The pair of friends, who were closer than sisters, laughed as they laid in the warm grass, enjoying each other's company despite the coming separation.

--- The Present ---

"Look at ya. All these years and ya haven't changed one bit," Granny Smith commented, looking at Holo from across the dinner table with a smile.

"My lovely figure is a curse I fear," Holo smirked as she winked at Big Mac, causing the red stallion to fumble with his fork.

"Ah meant y'all are still skinny as a bean pole," Granny Smith deadpanned, causing Holo to nearly choke on her cider with laughter.

"I can see where Applejack get's her wit from," Holo replied with a smirk, after catching her breath.

They act like the closest of kin, Applejack thought with a bit of wonder watching Granny Smith and Holo trade remarks and smiles.

"Um Miss Holo?" Apple Bloom asked hesitantly as she looked up at the wolfish mare.

"Please there is no need for such formalities between us," Holo said with a smile at the youngest Apple.

"Oh ok," Apple Bloom said, returning the smile. "Are ya really the goddess of wheat?"

"I am not so grand, not as a god. I am Holo, and Holo is all that I am," Holo answered as she ruffled Apple Bloom's mane.

"But Granny said y'all can make wheat grow with yer magic," Apple Bloom giggled out.

"I am Holo the Wise Wolf. My knowledge of the soil and wheat is greater than that of any other's and that is why I can help wheat grow," Holo explained before she ate half an apple in one bite.

"Is that how ya got your cutie mark? By learnin' as much as ya could about wheat and soil?" Apple Bloom asked enthusiastically.

"Apple Bloom, mind yer manners," Applejack chided softly.

"But Applejack," Apple Bloom whined with big pleading eyes.

"Listen to yer sister," Big Mac said cutting off the rest of Apple Bloom's whiny plea.

Apple Bloom just scowled rather cutely as she took a spoonful of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

"Sorry about that Holo. Apple Bloom is a bit excitable when it comes to learnin' about cutie marks," Applejack explained apologetically.

"It's quite alright," Holo giggled. "But alas I cannot tell her of how I came to have my mark, for I had it when I first took this pony form."

Apple Bloom just pouted at this news.

--- Later ---

It was early evening. That pleasant time between Celestia's day and Luna's night. As per tradition after supper, Granny Smith sat in her rocking chair on the porch, but this time with Holo sitting beside her in a regular chair. Holo had declined a rocking chair, the wolfish mare had a sever distrust --not a fear, but a distrust-- of rocking chairs after her magnificent tail was once painfully caught under one.

"It's good ta see ya Holo." Granny Smith smiled at her old friend.

"I am sorry I could not awaken when you first called to me those twenty years ago, my dear apple mare," Holo said with downcast eyes and drooping ears.

"It's alright. Y'all are here now," Granny Smith said, smiling as she patted Holo on the back.

"It seems as though I've missed quite a number of events," Holo said looking over her shoulder at the door to the farm house. "Three grandchildren eh?"

"Heh they're darlings ain't they?" old Miss Smith chuckled.

"Forgive me, but I must ask what of their parents?" Holo inquired cautiously.

Granny Smith sighed and looked at the rising moon and stars for a long moment. Holo waited patiently.

"Their Ma passed after complications from foaling lil' Apple Bloom," Granny Smith explained with a tired sigh like one would give as they traced old scars, causing Holo to wince inwardly, "She was a kind soul. Apple Bloom has her features. Her name was Jasmine and their Pa, Cortland, was my son. He was a hard working colt, had a sharp wit, and a knew more about wheat than anypony else. Y'all would've liked him Holo," Granny Smith sighed deeply. "We lost him in an accident on the farm a number of years ago."(4)

"That was the last time your family planted wheat, correct?"

"Yeah it was." the old Apple Matriarch replied somberly. "How'd ya know?"

Now it was Holo's turn to heave a miserable sigh.

"During my long sleep, I dreamt of many things and on occasion glimpsed the world as it passed me by. Ten years ago, I heard the wheat scream as blood touched it," Holo explained in a quiet voice as she held Maria's hoof. "I am sorry I was not here for you my dear Apple mare. No parent should have to bury their child.(5)" Holo whispered. Her tears glistened under the moonlit sky, dampening her cheeks as her tears ran down in rivulets.

Granny Smith sighed then ruffled Holo's mane, causing the wolfish mare to look up at her.

"Partin' is always difficult, but it's best to let go and instead hold onto our memories; both the happy and sad," Granny Smith sighed as she looked at Holo. "Y'all told me that the day ya left and over time Ah've come ta realize how right you were."

"You've become almost as wise as me, my dear Apple mare." Holo said with a small smile.

"Well Ah couldn't become as lazy as you are. That'd be a hard one for anypony to pull off." Granny Smith chuckled.

"Your wit has not dulled either it seems." Holo laughed and leaned over to her old friend wrapping a forehoof around her in a hug.

"Maybe so, but look at me Holo," Granny Smith said as she nudged Holo. "Ah'm an old wrinkly mare now and y'all ain't changed one bit."

Holo shook her head softly at Maria. "Nonsense, you're even more beautiful now with your age."

"Heh how do ya figure that one?" Granny Smith chuckled.

"Because it is a testament to a long full life that not even the gods could deny. The gods envy you, my dear Apple mare," Holo said with a voice heavy with ages of experience and wisdom. "They envy you because you are mortal. Because any moment might be your last. Everything’s more beautiful because you're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. And you will never be here again as you are now in this moment."(6)

Old Maria Smith looked at her friend in wonder for a moment then chuckled softly. "Ah'd forgotten how much honey y'all dip yer words in."

"Tis the price I pay for being wise," Holo said with a grin.

"Holo, Ah have a favor ta ask of ya," Granny Smith said with a serious tone.

"Name it my friend," Holo replied her ears perked up attentively.

"Ah know ya mostly came back ta see me, but like Ah said Ah'm old and Ah've lived a full life", Granny Smith explained with a happy, but tired smile. "Ah want ya ta spend most of the time you'll be here with mah grandchildren."

"Are you certain?" Holo asked worry creeping into her voice.

"Yes, Ah'm sure. After all Holo we've had our time together," Granny Smith smiled at her old friend as she rocked in her creaky rocking chair. "Plus Ah ain't goin' nowhere. Ah'll be here to talk with ya at the end of each day."

"Very well then, my friend." Holo said swaying her long tail idly as she carefully thought over Maria's words.

"Ah think it'll do you and them some good to spend some time together," Granny Smith said with a nod. "Besides y'all ain't gonna believe how big the town has gotten."

"Hmm Macintosh is a rather handsome stallion. Perhaps he can show me around the town?" Holo asked with a wide grin.

"Mind yer paws sugar cube," The old Apple matriarch said as she cuffed one of Holo's ears sharply, causing her to yelp in a less than dignified manner.

"I must say, Applejack reminds me of you a great deal," Holo stated, gingerly rubbing her now sore ear.

"So Ah've been told," Granny Smith replied as she rose from her rocking chair with a small groan despite Holo helping her up. "She's a good apple, if a might stubborn."

"As I said she reminds me of you a great deal when we were younger." Holo snickered.

"Y'all are as shameless as Ah remember," Granny Smith grumbled before smiling. "Ah missed ya Holo."

"And I missed you, my dear Apple mare." Holo answered as she hugged her dear friend once more.

"Ah'm goin' ta bed. The spare room is upstairs at the end of the hall and is all made up fer ya. Ah'll have Applejack wake ya in the morning before she goes into town," Granny said as she trotted off to her room.

"Very well then. Good night, my old friend." Holo replied before yawning herself and walking up the stairs and down the hall to a room with a golden wheat stalk on the door.

Chuckling to herself, Holo opened the door and looked at the modest sized room with a smile. The room had a rustic homey charm much like the family who dwelt here. There was in the room a good sized bed with fresh sheets, a pair of open windows letting in the cool night breeze, and a small closet that was revealed to be full of winter coats and boots upon opening. Holo's nose wrinkled at the smell of mothballs and she quickly shut the door. Holo then flopped down on the bed and sighed as she clutched the pillow tightly onto her chest. Reviewing the day's events in her mind.

"So much has happened since I was last here," Holo sighed, letting her mind wander before she pulled back the covers and snuggled into them.

About an hour later, Holo began wriggling and tossing about in the blankets trying to get comfortable.

"And to think I missed earth pony beds while I slept in my cave", Holo said flatly, glaring at the ceiling with tired eyes.

Author's Note

As for Granny Smith only being in her 80s and the whole thing about Ponyville being "hundreds of years old" from what Twilight supposedly said in "Winter Wrap Up" versus what what was said in "Family Appreciation Day". The full quotation from "Winter Wrap-Up" is:

"Ponyville was started by Earth Ponies, so for hundreds of years they've never used magic to clean up winter."

I believe that she meant that Earth Ponies in general haven't used or had unicorn magic to clean up winter for hundreds of years, rather than Ponyville ponies specifically. Therefore Twilight is referring to earth pony traditions in general. Or at least that's my head canon.

This where I got the idea for Granny Smith's full name: Here
Earth ponies are strong, stronger than most would believe, as such an over enthusiastic earth pony hug can be akin to a bear hug delivered by a boa constrictor.
Yes, I'm pulling the "Mah parents are dead!!" card. I know this makes me a terrible pony for doing this, but it works for this story...damn it.
Theodan, Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers.
Modified quote spoken by Achilles from the movie Troy.

Wolf and Town

Many thanks to BronyBozly, The Gweat and Powaful Twixie, and Venom0861 for their awesome editing, input, and patience. Special thanks to acv_critter for helping me with the economics in this chapter.

--- Apples and Wheat ---

“One should always play fairly when one has the winning cards.”

― Oscar Wilde

---Wolf and Town---

Applejack was, by the nature of being a farmer, an early riser; this however did not necessarily mean that she was a morning pony. As such, her mornings typically start with a groggy mind set to autopilot directed to a hot shower and then to a cup of hot coffee. While this was normally a helpful thing, it can and did led to less than pleasant moments in some mornings...

Applejack was lost in blissful dreams of bountiful harvests and piles of bits as she slept warm and snug in her blankets with a warm pillow. However, some part of her sleeping mind noted that her pillow smelt of earth and wheat instead of it's usual lavender and cotton, but the part of her mind that would have normally registered this change was still fast asleep.

A series of hard knocks on her bedroom door, from Granny Smith's walking stick as she passed by on her way to the bathroom, caused the farm pony to groggily groan in protest as her body started to slowly wake up. But after yesterday's hard work, the trip to town, and the revelations of and from the crazy wolfish mare, Applejack just wanted to sleep in a for a few more minutes. She yawned and wrapped her forehooves around the pillow, pulling it close as she nuzzled into the soft wheat scented pillow. Applejack then felt the pillow wrap its own forehooves around her neck, murmuring softly. It was at this point Applejack's mind caught up to the situation at break neck speed.

Applejack's eyes shot open, her field of vision filled up with tan belly fur before she looked up and saw Holo's sleeping face. Though Applejack would never admit it, this situation wasn't completely unfamiliar; though last time it involved a sleepover at Twilight's treehouse with the other girls, a small barrel of hard cider, and the librarian herself in a similar hold. Despite the situation's familiarity, or perhaps because of it, the farm pony's reaction was just as strong as last time's reaction.

"WHAT THE BUCK?!?!" Applejack practically shrieked as she pushed herself away from the wolfish mare, inadvertently throwing herself and Holo off the bed that resulted both of them landing in a tangle of bed sheets on each side of the bed.

"Must you yell so loud so early?" Holo whined gingerly rubbing her ears as she sat up. "My ears are quite sensitive you know."

"WHAT?" Applejack shouted but then quickly coughed into her hoof before she spoke in a lower, yet still angry tone. "What in the Sam Hill are y'all doin' in mah bed?"

"Is that where I am?" Holo asked as she rubbed her bleary eyes and looked around the room. "I do not remember coming in here."

Applejack just glared back at her family's house guest, mentally debating if bucking Holo upside the head would be worth the trouble.

"The last thing I recall was having trouble getting comfortable in my bed," Holo said as she got up and stretched her legs.

"Uh huh," Applejack grunted in response as she stared the wolfish mare with a suspecting eye.

"Honestly and truly I do not remember," Holo said becoming annoyed with Applejack's accusing tone.

"Whatever ya say Holo," Applejack said as she got up, kicking off the blankets that had gotten tangled up with her legs. "Ah ain't gonna argue."

"I am telling the truth. I would certainly remember bedding a mare like you," Holo insisted as she followed a slightly perturbed Applejack out into the hallway and came face to face with Big Mac as he was walking out of his bedroom.

Big Mac just stood there with eyebrows raised, looking at the pair of disheveled bed headed mares barely suppressing a grin.

"It ain't whatcha thinkin'!" Applejack proclaimed at Big Mac's unspoken thought.

"Yes, there was not nearly enough hard cider for me to become that lecherous," Holo said casually with a yawn and wave of her hoof.

"Ah ain't sayin' nothin," Big Mac commented with a grin on his face as he passed the odd pair and headed to the downstairs bathroom.

"Y'all are a pain ya know that?" AJ grumbled to Holo as she rubbed her forehead fighting back the pounding twinges of a headache.

"Wisdom is indeed a painful burden," Holo smirked.

"Ah'll be getting ready for the day," Applejack sighed as she trotted into the bathroom.

Holo nodded then returned to her room and proceeded to search for her wheat pouch and a comb for her magnificent tail.

--- Various Morning Rituals Later ---

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, this is especially true with farm life. Without a good filling breakfast it is very difficult to preserve through the morning till lunch.

"Mmm what smells so wonderful?" Holo inquired, sniffing the air and licking her lips as she walked into the kitchen.

"Y'all think more with yer stomach than yer head," Granny Smith said with a smirk as she flipped a flapjack.

"Thine cooking is just that good, my dear Apple mare," Holo purred as she reached for a fresh hot hash brown.

Only to be swatted at by a spatula. "Y'all can wait fer everypony else, sugar cube."

Holo just rolled her eyes and took a seat at the table.

"You mentioned a trip to town last night, correct?" Holo asked as she poured herself a tall glass of apple juice.

"Eeyup. Applejack is gonna be sellin' some apples at the stand this afternoon," Granny Smith answered as she stacked flapjacks onto a plate. "Ah figure she can show around the town this morning.

Holo quietly pondered what Ponyville would look like after decades of long sleep in the Everfree as she drank her sweet apple juice.

"Morning Granny," Applejack said, kissing her grandmother on the cheek before she took a couple of the plates of food to the table, nodding to Holo as she set the plates down in the table's center.

"Mornin' Applejack," Granny cooed as she started scrambling some eggs.

"Good mornin' ladies," Big Mac drawled out to the women folk as he walked to the table from the sitting room then set a plate with tall stack of flapjacks on the table.

"Morning everypony," Apple Bloom said cheerfully before she trotted up to the table placing silverware out while Applejack set out healthy portions of breakfast on everypony's plate.

"Alright, dig in everypony," Granny Smith insisted after she took her seat and set down a large plate of scrambled eggs.

"Excellent," Holo beamed before she literally, and very noisily, started wolfing down her stack of six flapjacks in a four large bites then began her assault upon the scrambled eggs as the Apple family watched in two parts disgust, one part old annoyance, and one part youthful amazement.

"Wow y'all eat faster than Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom exclaimed in wonder.

"Who?" Holo mumbled with a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

Apple Bloom's explanation was cut short as Granny Smith whacked the ravenous she wolf on the head with a wooden spoon. "Y'all got manners, so act like it. Chew, unless y'all wanna choke like last time."

Holo growled, but obediently chewed and swallowed her mouthful of eggs before she replied to her benevolent attacker. "What do you mean 'like last time'?"

Old Maria Smith just smirked and said one word. "Potato."

"Ugh you would remember that," Holo groaned before she bit into her buttered toast.

"What about a potato?" Apple Bloom asked, voicing the same question AJ and Big Mac had, as she poured maple syrup on her short stack of flapjacks.

"Heh the Wise Wolf here almost choked ta death on a cheese covered baked potato a number of years ago," Granny Smith chuckled as she added a bit of milk to her coffee.

"It is not my fault pony throat's are so much more narrow than a wolf's throat." Holo groused as she stabbed a piece of hash brown with her fork, muttering, "Stupid potato."

Applejack had to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh at the mental image of Holo flailing about with a potato stuck in her mouth.

--- After Breakfast ---

"Alright the golden delicious and red galas are all loaded up," Big Mac said after placing the large barrels into the back of the cart. "Are ya sure you don't want me ta go with ya to help you keep an eye on Holo?"

"Yes, Ah'm sure Big Mac," Applejack replied as she slipped a securing belt around one of the barrels. "If Ah can manage keeping tabs on Apple Bloom and her two friends Ah'm pretty sure Ah can keep Holo outta trouble."

"If ya say so," Big Mac drawled out skeptically.

"Where is that crazy mare anyways?" Applejack asked as she glanced around the barn.

"Hmm she was on the porch talkin' with Granny earlier. Then she said something about going to the cellar ta get a couple of baldwin apples from the cellar for the trip ta town," Big Mac said with a nod to the open apple cellar door.

"Think ya do me a favor an' go get her?" Applejack asked as she tightened the securing belt around the second barrel.

"Eeyup," Big Mac answered and headed for the apple cellar.

The Apple family's apple cellar is a simple, but sturdy and spacious cellar with various large stalls for the storage of barreled apples, a large number of shelves for the storing of jams and preserves, and a row of shelves specifically marked for persevered jars of the famed zap apples and Granny's immensely popular zap apple jam.

"Open curse you!"

Big Mac heard Holo shout from deep inside the apple cellar in an almost whiny tone that he'd heard from Apple Bloom before when she was frustrated at something. The red stallion sighed and trotted down the stairs into the dry, but chilly cellar, occasionally hearing frustrated growls and grunts. Big Mac walked past the various barrels of stored apples narrowing down the wolfish mare's location when he heard.

"ACCURSED JAR! OPEN!"

Followed by several thuds and tinkling of jars from around the corner where various jars of preserved zap apples are stored in their magically sealed jars.

Big Mac raised an eyebrow as he rounded the corner then saw Holo laying on her belly, in a mock pounce stance, with her flank rather high in the air as she held a sealed mason jar between her hooves while she growled and gnawed upon the metal lid with her tail thrashing back and forth angrily.

"Um Holo?" Big Mac ventured unsure of how to approach the growling wolfish mare.

Holo's ears twitched at the sound of Big Mac's voice. She glanced up at the large farmer then sat up and cleared her throat.

"Ah Macintosh. I would like to eat this," Holo explained her ears twitching while she held up the stubborn jar in which a large zap apple rested in perfect magically sealed air tight preservation. "Can you open this accursed jar for me?"

Big Mac glanced at the preserved zap apple then Holo's expectant smile, before he took the jar from her and replied. "Nope."

"But I want, nay crave, the delectable sweet zap apple," Holo pleaded as she grasped Big Mac by his shoulders.

Big Mac could feel his resolve starting to melt, much the same way as when Apple Bloom applied this same tactic, as Holo pouted up at him pleadingly.

"I..um well.." Big Mac said with failing composure.

"Please? I have not so much as smelled the sweet scent of a zap apple since I went to sleep the decades away. It calls to me!" Holo pleaded as she leaned against the large red stallion's chest with her tail twitching anxiously.

"Um...the thing is.." Big Mac mumbled as he started to fight back a blush.

"Please Macintosh," Holo pleaded with a lethal pout as she looked up at him.

"Granny Smith said the zap apples are for sellin' and buyin' only," Big Mac blurted out looking anywhere, but at Holo's big pleading apple eyes while he scooted back from her by more than a few inches.

"I should have known Maria would say such a thing," Holo sighed as she got back on her hooves. "She was always quite protective of the harvested apples."

"Granny is a bit strict about the zap apples, but they are our biggest cash crop," Big Mac explained as he regained his composure.

"I would think so with such a rare and tempting fruit," Holo said eyeing the zap apple in its sealed jar.

"AJ is ready to head into town," Big Mac said as he put the jar back onto its shelf.

"Very well then. I shall go meet her," Holo replied as she trotted off to the stairs.

Big Mac let out a sigh of relief when he heard the wolfish mare's hooves on the wooden steps. "Granny wasn't kiddin' when she said that mare is as much a hooful as she is pretty."

--- Apple Road ---

Apple Road, as previously mentioned, connects Sweet Apple Acres to Ponyville's proper. It was a deceptively long walk down this old familial road and often a boring one if you do not have company to have conversation with. However, today Applejack found her knowledge of Ponyville taxed by a certain inquisitive wolfish mare.

"And winter is still cleaned up without unicorn magic?" Holo inquired as she trotted along side the farm pony.

"Yup. Ah'm usually in charge of the ground clean up while Rainbow Dash, she's a pegasus, is in charge of clearin' up the skies up," Applejack answered with nod, smiling proudly as she pulled the apple cart without much effort.

"Sounds like it is a rather large effort to me," Holo commented as her wolfish ears twitched.

A thought popped into Applejack's mind as she watched Holo's ears twitch.

"Should you go into town without being covered up?" The farm pony inquired as she looked Holo over.

"Are you implying something?" Holo asked sharply as she glared a bit at AJ.

"Whoa easy there sugar cube," the Apple farmer said appeasingly. "Ah just meant your ears ain't exactly gonna blend in when we get to town."

"Are ponies still that easily panicked?" Holo asked in a flat tone.

"Well the flower sisters an' a few others tend to get in a tizzy over just about anything," AJ answered as she tapped her chin in thought.

"I see somethings do not change after all. Do you by any chance have a hat or cloak I could wear?" Holo asked as she looked into the back of the cart.

"Hmm give me a sec," Applejack replied as she slowed the cart to a stop and slipped out of its harness.

Holo watched idly as Applejack proceeded to dig around in a small chest that was in the back of the cart. After a few minutes Applejack sat up holding a rather interesting piece of headgear for the wolfish mare to see.

"Surely you jest," Holo said with obvious disdain.

"It's this or you go back to the farm house, sugar cube," Applejack said in a firm, but slightly sympathetic tone.

"I am Holo the Wise Wolf if I wear something like...like that it will surely turn my nose," Holo said indignantly.

"We ain't exactly got a lot of choices ya know," Applejack replied flatly.

"Fine give it here," Holo sighed rather petulantly.

--- Ponyville Farmer's Market ---

Since Ponyville was considered a small town there was only one major grocery store, which was not visited with great frequency by the towns folk. Instead there was a very lively and lucrative farmer's market, where the various growers display, barter, and sell their goods.

"I am finding this bonnet more and more appealing as kindling," Holo grumbled as she sat at the Apple family's apple stand, futilely trying to adjust the bonnet into a comfortable position while she waited for Applejack to finish putting away the two barrels of apples and the cart.

"That bonnet still has your tail in a twist?" Applejack asked as she trotted from the apple stand's side door.

"I do not like this abomination of a so called bonnet," Holo growled as she pointed at the white and red polka dotted bonnet she was wearing.

Applejack chuckled at Holo's scowl. "Well Ah was plannin' on introducing ya to mah friends anyway, so Ah guess we can swing by Rarity's shop and get ya something else if ya'd like."

"Rarity?" Holo asked tilting her head. "She is the fussy white unicorn you mentioned earlier, correct?"

"Yeah she's a fussy one, but she's a good pony," Applejack explained as she lead the way to the fashionista's boutique. "And can make almost any kind of clothin' you can think of."

The farm pony and the wolfish mare trotted at a casual pace with Applejack pointing out various landmarks and shops of note to Holo as they made their way through the market.

"What coinage is in popular use now?" Holo asked Applejack, after the farm pony finished chatting with a pear selling earth pony mare named Forelle who spoke with an odd accent Holo had never heard before.(1)

"Bits are what we use here in Ponyville. Same as the rest of Equestria," Applejack answered matter-of-factly as she caught up with Holo.

"And what does a 'bit' look like?"

"Y'all ain't never seen a bit before?" Applejack asked eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Despite my lovely figure I am not as young as I appear to be, my dear Apple mare," Holo explained with a flat look.

"Oh right," Applejack replied feeling a twinge of embarrassment.

Holo just smirked at AJ.

"Alright let's take a seat for a minute so Ah can explain it," Applejack said as she nodded to a small café at the side of the road.

Holo followed AJ to a small table and sat across from her as the farm pony slipped a hoof under her hat and pulled out a single bit; setting it on the table for the wolfish mare to see. "Here ya go, one bit."

"Is it made of gold?" Holo asked as she attentively looked over the golden coin with a small stylized intersecting sun and moon on it.

"Yup the Equestrian bit is gold." The farm pony nodded before continuing her explanation. "Sweet Apple Acres apples are priced at 2 bits a piece during a good harvest, a bag of three apple costs 4 bits, while a mug of our cider is 2 bits. Make sense?"

"Yes, the amount and cost have a direct relation, despite a slight difference in amount," Holo replied as she picked up and examined the shiny coin.

"Yup. All bits hold the same value of one, because they all have the same amount of gold in 'em. That gives 'em a trusted level of stability because of that quality." Applejack explained while she began tracing various numbers on the table with her hoof. "Now then 100 bits are equal ta 1 tradin' gem, tradin' gems are small red gems that are used fer convenience when dealing with very large purchases; because of that tradin' gems are only really used by the wealthy, the nobles, and so forth . For example a gross of 144 apples is 175 bits or 2 tradin' gems."(2)

"But what of the 25 bits lost in trade?" Holo inquired as she rolled the bit between her hoof and the table.

Applejack smiled at Holo's quick up take and good question, AJ didn't get many chances to explain her trade. "The difference o' 25 bits from tradin' gems is usually made up in bits or by orderin' a number of products, in this case apples, that will cost an even number o' tradin' gems that'll end up with no difference or change needin' ta be paid in bits," Applejack explained as she waved off a waiter carrying a tray of various fresh hot breads. "Tradin' gems require extra thought when usin' them; since it takes various amounts of rounding up or down of the product amount to be purchased or sold to avoid any currency transition slip ups."

"It sounds rather complicated to me." Holo commented as she subtly nodded for the waiter to come closer.

"It can be at times, but for most part cost and value differences work themselves out in the math wit' a bit of haggling and bulk discounts," Applejack said as she stretched. "Another option is to have a bank note that's valued to the exact amount of bits or tradin' gems. Using a bank note avoids using bits or tradin' gems all together, but it's uncommon outside the big cites away from the larger trusted banks, so Ah ain't never really had ta deal with it much mahself."

"Leaving the more complicated math to the money changers, eh?" Holo asked as she took a bite from a small loaf of honey glazed bread.

"Well they are better at it than Ah am," Applejack chuckled before she noticed the bread between Holo's hooves that she was happily eating. "Wait where'd ya get that bread from?"

"Well you did give that bit to me and the walk from the farm house was quite far," Holo explained with a sly grin.

Applejack just groaned and planted her forehead on the table.

"Your wit is quite sharp, my dear Apple mare," Holo said between bites of the warm sweet honey glazed bread. "But your perception needs a bit more polish."

"Ah'll take that into consideration," AJ groaned with her head on the table.

--- A few minutes and an argument over frivolous spending later ---

"So if coins were hard ta come by what was used for purchasin' the last time you were up and about?" Applejack asked as she and Holo resumed their walk to Carousel Boutique.

"When I first started traveling and seeing what the lands of the ponies looked like, most purchases that I saw were done with the bartering of goods. This was because coins were uncommon the further one was from the cities," Holo answered as she walked with her magnificent tail swaying idly.

"That must've been ages ago. How old are ya exactly?" Applejack asked with a bit wonder in her voice.

"I do believe it is in poor manners to ask a lady her age," Holo replied with a flick of her magnificent tail's white tip at Applejack's nose.

"Don't do that in public. Ponies might get the wrong idea," Applejack said curtly as she rubbed her nose while she glanced around the mostly empty market road nervously.

Holo just raised a questioning eyebrow, looking at the orange mare..

"Sorry, but uh let's just say there's a good rumor mill 'round town Ah'd rather not be a part of," AJ answered to Holo's unspoken question.

Holo stared at Applejack for a long moment before replying in a neutral tone. "As you wish," she said with a shrug.

"Thanks," Applejack sighed.

"In which direction is this shop?"

"That's it just ahead," the Apple mare said nodding to a large circular building.

"My word I daresay this place is bathed in extravagance," Holo said as she looked over Carousel Boutique with its light blue paint, delicate white highlights, light lavender checkered roof, and various fine and stylish clothing on display it the ornate windows.

"Sugar cube, Ah believe the word y'all meant was gaudy," Applejack said with a smirk before she trotted up to the boutique's door.

"I still say your wit is most amusing, my dear Apple mare," Holo giggled as she followed the farm pony as the door's bell jingled.

"Coming!" declared a sophisticated voice in a sing song tone from the back of the boutique.

"It's just me Rarity," AJ called out as she glanced over at Holo, who was busy eying the various clothes and accessories displayed around the shop. Some of the clothes were, to be honest, ridiculous to Holo's eyes. Though most were designed to fit a certain style and retain some functionality. However, her eyes mostly lingered on a finely crafted green jade comb in a small display case. Holo idly wondered how expensive such an exquisite comb could be.

"Applejack, darling, how are you today?" Rarity asked with a smile as she walked out from her work room.

"Doin' pretty good Rarity," The farm pony replied with a smile to her fashionable friend.

"You're out and about early today. I don't suppose you decide to help me with a bit of modeling?" Rarity asked a bit hopefully.

"No, Ah ain't here for somethin' so froufrou," Applejack answered in a firm tone. "Ah had to show my...er my friend the way to your shop fer a new hat."

"Friend?" Rarity asked as she looked at Applejack with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, that would be me," Holo said as she stepped away from the display case and closer to Applejack.

"Rarity, this is Holo. She's a um..." Applejack trailed off unsure how to explain the wolfish mare without telling a lie.

"I am a friend of the Apple family and it is a pleasure to meet such a refined friend of Applejack's," Holo said with a polite nod to the fashionista.

"Thank you Holo. It is very good to meet you, as well. I must say your coat's coloration is lovely and your tail is simply magnificent," Rarity beamed before she got a good look at Holo'a hat and frowned slightly. "Although your choice of accessories is rather, shall we say, unique?"

"Spare your kind words. It is an ugly hat, plain and simple." Holo deadpanned. "And I was hoping you could make for me a more suitable one."

"If it ain't too much trouble that is," Applejack added on.

"Oh it's no trouble at all. Besides business has been a rather slow this morning," Rarity answered as she levitated over her note pad and pen.

"Y'all need me ta stay here?" Applejack inquired in a bored voice as she walked up to Rarity.

"I could certainly use an honest opinion of my work," Rarity said as she started scribbling a few notes down in her notebook.

"I would appreciate it as well," Holo said with a smile.

"Alright fine, but Ah still ain't trying nothin' on," AJ said firmly.

"Really Applejack it's not like I plan on unleashing various outfits on you every time you come by," Rarity said with a roll of her eyes at her country friend, before returning her attention to Holo, "Now then let's put aside that polka dotted nightmare."

"Um Rarity.." Applejack started when she saw Rarity's magic envelope and lift off the polka doted bonnet.

"Oh my stars," Rarity said wide eyed as she saw Holo's pointed wolf ears with their white tips. "I've never seen such complimentary shades and highlights between ears and tail."

"Thank you." Holo beamed quite proudly at the compliment. "I see Applejack did not exaggerate when she said you had an eye for beauty."

"Really now? Applejack giving moi compliments?" Rarity said coyly with a raised eyebrow directed at the farm pony.

"Don't you start with me Ah get enough fuss from this one," Applejack said with a roll of her eyes and a nod toward Holo; causing the other two mares to laugh.

Rarity levitated over a strip of flexible measuring tape and quickly started getting the dimensions and sizes of the wolfish mare.

"So Holo where exactly are you from?" Rarity asked as she took a quick measurement of the wolfish mare's head.

"I am from the north originally," Holo answered the fashionista as she stood still for her measurements. "A village named Pasloe. It lies on the other side of the Everfree Forest near the border to the lands of the wolves."

"That sounds rather far away, darling. Was the journey difficult?" Rarity asked as she jotted down the measurements.

"One could say it took ages to complete," Holo answered giving Applejack a knowing smirk.

"I can imagine. And how long has your family known the Apples?" The fashion forward mare asked while she levitated over a few rolls of fabric.

"Since they were known as Smith and not Apple; though that was many long years ago," as Holo answered as Applejack noticed her eyes showing her mind to be a midst memories. "My family gave them wheat seeds as they passed through Pasloe all those long years ago."

"That's quite the history." Rarity smiled as she trimmed the beginning of a beret 's outline from a large square length of fine white cotton cloth. "Forgive me if I'm being a bit forward, but your ears are quite reminiscent of wolf ears and I was wondering why that is."

"Uh Rarity don'tcha that's a bit personal?" Applejack interjected feeling a bit nervous at the unicorn's questions.

"I'm just a bit curious," Rarity said her nosy nature peeking out a bit.

"It's quite alright Applejack I do not mind the attention," Holo said as she detected the Apple mare's undertone of worry. "According to Pasloe legend my ancestor, a brave mare named Tarwe, had become quite taken with a wolf from the nearby forest. The earth pony Earl forbad her from seeing the wolf, but love knows no limitations. One thing lead to another and through the magic of True Love she gave birth to a foal with a wolf's ears and tail, which they say marks my lineage."(3)

"Ooh how romantic and exotic," Rarity intoned in an almost dreamy voice.

"I think it is an exaggeration myself," Holo said with a smirk earning a polite laugh from Rarity.

Applejack felt something odd after hearing the short tale. She knew it was a tall tale made up to satisfy Rarity's curiosity, but somewhere in her mind the Element of Honesty could not call what she had just heard a simple lie. Applejack felt there was a grain of truth in the tale, but she wasn't sure where it was. AJ resolved to ask Holo about it later in private, but for now she was thankful Rarity believed Holo's tale.

"So how much do I owe ya Rarity?" Applejack asked as the fashionista while she put away her fabric, scissors, needles, and various other things.

"Oh don't worry about darling," Rarity said with a dismissive wave of her hoof, "Holo is a delight to chat with and was most cooperative with me as I worked."

"Are you certain? These clothes are quite fetching." Holo asked smiling ear to ear as she looked over her new clothes. The vest was made from black wool and was three-quarters-in length, so that it came just short of her flanks leaving her cutie mark exposed while her white oversized beret was made from finely woven soft cotton that perfectly covered her wolfish ears without being the least bit uncomfortable.

Huh, Ah never realized just how short Holo really is, Applejack thought to herself as she noted that Holo was around a full head shorter than her while the wolfish mare posed and examined herself in the full length mirror.

"Consider it a welcome to Ponyville gift." Rarity smiled over at Holo before adding, "Just be sure to mention where you got them from if anypony asks."

"I shall." Holo smiled back with a polite bow.

"Speaking of welcomes to Ponyville," Rarity said as she turned to face Applejack with a raised eyebrow. "Has Holo met our pink friend yet?"

"Oh pony feathers," Applejack swore as her eyes widened in realization.

-- Next Episode: Wolf and Pink Surprises --

Author's Note

1.Forelle is from an amazing story by SqueakAnon. You should read it.

~~My economics is very rusty, but I thought it over and after a bit of math I think this monetary set up would fit in the FIM universe.~~ I had help.
Tarwe is Dutch for "wheat". Remember that.

Interlude: Wolf and Winona

Archivist's Notation: Just a fun/silly chapter thing for you guys while I wait for more time off work, so I can resume the story proper.

-- Apples and Wheat --

“The dog is the god of frolic.”

—Henry Ward Beecher

-- Wolf and Winona --

Holo wore a small smile as she admired the land of the Apple family with its pastures, tilled soil, and the rolling hills upon which stood the vast apple orchards, the trees and ripening fruit shining with dew in the morning sunlight. From where Holo sat on the porch she could see the first acre of the tilled soiled, where the wheat seeds had been planted.

Maria must have gotten very good seeds if I can sense their strength already. I'll only need a small portion of my powers for the blessing, Holo smirked as she began to think on what she would do, once Applejack was ready to take her into Ponyville.

Holo's magnificent tail swayed idly while she thought of the food and fun that awaited her in Ponyville, when her ears suddenly perked up as she heard the sound of paws hitting grass and...a collar tinkling? Holo looked over towards the sound, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw a brown and white blur of shaggy fur barreling towards her at full speed.

"Ah! No, stop!" Holo cried out, her hooves clattering on the wooden porch as she scrambled to get up and out of the way.

Only to fail and be tackled off her hooves by Winona, Applejack's faithful border collie. Winona barked happily with her tail wagging rapidly, as she stood upon Holo's prone form.

"Get off of me," Holo growled out with an indignant glare, to which Winona answered with sloppy lick across her face. "Ah!"

Holo struggled as Winona continued to happily and zealously lick her face with the occasional groan of frustration from Holo as she tried to fend off her affectionate attacker.

"What's all this ruckus about now?" Granny Smith grumbled, as she looked out the screen door, "Oh I see ya done met Winona." Old Maria Smith said with a wry smile as she watched Holo try to get the energetic border collie off.

"Get off meEEEE!" Holo squealed as Winona gave her an affectionate and slobbery lick across her muzzle that ended with her ear being covered in drool.

"Aww she's just bein' friendly wit ya," Granny Smith said with a chuckle.

"Mariaaa," Holo pleaded with a whine, as she barely held off Winona's slobbery affection with both hooves.

Granny Smith chuckled, before opening the screen door and whistling causing Winona to look up at her. "Get inside Winona and Applejack will feed ya."

Winona barked happily then hopped off Holo's chest and walked into the farm house, with her tail wagging happily. Holo sat up wiping the slobber off her face with a disgruntled groan.

"Ugh I have little love for dogs that do not know their place."

"Winona's just bein' friendly wit ya," Granny Smith replied wearing a wry smile, trotting past Holo to her rocking chair.

"Too friendly, if you ask me." Holo commented flatly as she sat beside Maria, who was slowly rocking her chair.

"Heh ya said the same thing about old Enek," Granny Smith said looking over at Holo as she rocked in her chair.

Holo groaned rolling her eyes. "Ugh that dog had no respect for his betters, at all."

Granny Smith and Holo exchanged glances then started laughing.

Holo wiped a tear away as her laughter died down. "He was a very good dog, despite his rather rude method of waking me."

"Oh ya mean when he'd grab a hold of yer tail and give it a tug?" Granny Smith between chuckles.

"It was not that funny and besides it hurt quite a bit," Holo said in a rather annoyed tone.

"Oh pushah," Maria countered with a wave of a hoof. "The only thing Enek would hurt was yer pride an' ya know it."

"Humph! I will not even dignify that with an answer," Holo replied with her forehooves crossed and her head held up pridefully.

Granny Smith sat looking at Holo with her wry grin for several moments before Holo looked over to her, the two of them breaking out into wide grins before laughing again.

"Indeed, he was a very good dog," Holo said while Granny Smith nodded as she rocked her chair.

The two friends fell into an amiable silence as the morning sunlight warm them pleasantly while birds sang their praises of spring.

As Holo sat beside her dear friend, she came to realize she had missed these simple joys of conversation and company from her time with Maria the most. Sitting beside her friend, Holo resolved that she would never miss out on these precious moments again.

Author's Note

Okay to give you an idea of how much writing time I've lost due to work being stupid busy. This piece, under a thousand words, took me a full month to write out. Chapter five is still being written, just at a painfully slow pace, so be patient.

Wolf and Pink Surprises I

Archivist Notation: Fair warning, I had no editor or prereader for this chapter. Anyone wanting to prereader or edit PM me I guess.

---Apples and Wheat---

“Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.”

― Albert Einstein

---Wolf and Pink Surprises I---

Sugar Cube Corner is one of the more well known bakeries in central Equestria with its spectacular assortment of baked goods, specialty baking services, and excellent catering services. The bakery is also known for the pink dynamo of an apprentice baker that Mister and Misses Cake have been training, named Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie is best known for her seemingly boundless energy and fun loving nature, but what she is least known for, outside Ponyville, is her hereditary premonition like ability called the Pinkie Sense.

"Twitchy hooves! Twitchy hooves and wiggly ears!" Pinkie Pie declared on her back as hooves twitched wildly in the air with her ears wiggling like mad, while Rainbow Dash and Ditzy watched in confusion from their table where Pinkie had been sitting with them a moment ago.

"Uh Pinkie. What are...?" Rainbow Dash started before the Pinkie Sense interrupted.

"Twitchy twitchy hooves!" Pinkie practically shouted as she started twitching about the floor. "Wiggly wiggly ears!"

"I think its the 'new pony in Ponyville' Pinkie Sense," Ditzy guessed before she took a bite of her banana macadamia nut muffin.

"I thought that one was just twitchy hooves?" Rainbow Dash asked with a questioning eyebrow raised, while Pinkie started prancing in place on her twitchy hooves with her ears wiggling wildly, in some kind of bizarre dance.

"Maybe an add on twitch?" Ditzy ventured with a shrug.

"Hang on I'll ask her," Rainbow Dash said with sigh, before she grabbed a chocolate fudge square off Pinkie's rather large sample platter. "Hey Pinkie."

"Whaaaaaat?" The pink twitching and wiggling mare whined, dancing her twitchy hoofed dance, as she tried to fight off her Pinkie Sense combo.

"Catch," Rainbow Dash said before she pitched the chocolate fudge square directly into Pinkie's open mouth.

The Pinkie Sense combo stopped as the sweet rich fudge melted in her mouth, while a smile spread across her face with a resounding, "Mmmmmmm."

"Better?" Rainbow Dash asked as she sat back the table.

"Yeppers peppers! Thanks Dashie," Pinkie exclaimed with a smile as she sat back down with the two pegasi.

"No problem Pinks, but what Pinkie Sense twitch was that?" Rainbow asked before she popped a cookie into her mouth.

"Hmm well it was twitchy hooves and like Ditzy said that's the 'new pony in Ponyville I haven't met' twitch, buuuut the wiggly ears is a new one," Pinkie explained, tapping her chin in thought.

"Maybe it's somepony you met a long time ago coming back?" Ditzy asked while pulling a second muffin out of the basket on the table.

"Or maybe it's someone new in town who isn't a pony?" Rainbow Dash asked before she popped another chocolate chip cookie into her mouth.

Pinkie hmmm'd as she sat with her eyes squinted in concentration, tapping her chin while Rainbow Dash and Ditzy leaned forward in anticipation for her answer.

"I have no idea!" Pinkie declared, before stuffing a whole cupcake into her mouth, causing Dash to groan and Ditzy to giggle.

"Pinkie do you ever know what's going on?" Rainbow Dash asked, mildly annoyed.

"Nope, I'm not a pre-reader for this one," Pinkie explained nonchalantly as she grabbed another cupcake.

"Huh?" Rainbow asked, now even more confused.

"Remember the rule Dash," Ditzy reminded her old flight school friend with a nudge and a grin. "We do not question the ways of the Pink One."

Applejack glared at Holo, Holo glared at Applejack, while Rarity watched with mild concern as the two headstrong mares had their "discussion".

"Do you really believe that I will mistakenly reveal my lovely ears and that panic will ensue?" Holo asked with an annoyed expression on her face as her tail twitched in a similar fashion.

"All Ah'm sayin' is we oughta be careful," Applejack insisted as she sat in front of the wolfish mare, while Rarity watched. "And a big ol' party ain't the best way to avoid troublesome attention."

"Have you so little faith in my ability to blend in?" Holo asked with an annoyed glare.

"Um...well that's not it...per say," Applejack answered as she rubbed her neck, searching for a way to best explain things.

"Holo, dear, I believe Applejack is merely concerned for your safety," Rarity said, trying to diffuse the troubled conversation before it grew into a full blown argument.

"Yeah, Ah don't want nopony gettin' in a panic and gettin' hurt due to a misunderstandin'." Applejack readily agreed with a nod.

"I know how to behave and how to not attract unwanted attention," Holo countered with her head held up proudly. "I am no fool to the ways of social occasions."

Applejack gave Rarity a sympathetic smile, but the fashionista held her ground and pressed her point. "We aren't calling your wisdom into question, darling. We're just concerned that somepony may get the wrong impression and do something foolish."

"I certainly understand your points, but I must insist that I attend this party," Holo countered with a firm tap of her hoof. "If for any reason, then let it be because it is better take a small issue head on rather than needlessly avoid it and have it grow to become a larger problem."

Holo's statement gave Rarity pause. "Hmm, Applejack, I do believe Holo has raised an excellent point."

"Oh for Pete's sake, you're agreeing with her now?" AJ asked as she turned to face her friend.

"It's going to be a Pinkie Pie Party right?" Rarity asked as she moved to sit beside Holo.

"Course it is." Applejack said with a nod.

"Well think about it darling. How bad of an idea do you think it would be to hide the guest of honor from a party that Pinkie will be throwing?"

Applejack went to retort, but paused as her mind went back to the near fiasco of a surprise birthday party she and the girls had tried to throw for Pinkie a couple years ago. AJ shuddered at the memory of an enraged Pinkie Pie glaring at her as she tried to close the barn door. Pinkie's blue eyes had been practically glowing with anger.

"Ya got a point there, Rarity," Applejack conceded, looking down.

"So we are in agreement?" Holo asked, smiling at AJ.

"Yeah, Ah reckon we are," Applejack confirmed a bit hesitantly.

"Good. Now you may buy me that fine jade comb as an apology," Holo said, pointing to the display case by the door.

"What?!" Applejack blurted out in surprise as Rarity started laughing so hard she was snorting between guffaws.

Rainbow Dash idly watched as Pinkie moved about the kitchen of Sugar Cube Corner in one of the silliest displays of coordination, that was a trademark for Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie hummed a cheery nameless tune as she hopped to the cupboards, then skipped away from the cupboard, and closed the door with a flick of her tail while balancing a large mixing bowl on her head. Pinkie then went from mid-skip into a graceful hind hoof pirouette, scooping up the cupcake batter ingredients with her forehooves as she balanced the mixing bowl upon her head. Pinkie then spun to the counter and in one fluid motion twirled the ingredients into the air, then with eyes closed and wearing an exuberant smile, she caught every ingredient in the mixing bowl betwixt her hooves, she even had the eggs out of their shell somehow. This grand ballet of baking prowess left Rainbow Dash rather impressed, but she'd never admit that out loud. Even though Pinkie's baking skills were awesome, baking itself was still so...girly. Besides Rainbow had a more pressing issue to address.

"So Pinkie, if there is a new pony in town who needs a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party do you think the Cakes would let you break out that Sweet Apple Acres aged cider they have stashed away?" Rainbow Dash asked from where she lazily leaned against the kitchen doorway.

"Dashie, I already told you that stuff is for special occasions and special orders only," Pinkie explained as she mixed the cupcake batter with gusto.

"Aww come on Pinkie," Rainbow Dash complained --not whined, complained-- to her gal pal. "You know I barely had like three mugs last season."

Pinkie Pie whipped around pointing the cupcake batter covered mixing spoon mere inches away from Rainbow Dash's face.

"Rules. Are. Rules. Dashie." Pinkie stated firmly shaking the mixing spoon in Rainbow Dash's face at each word for emphasis, splashing the sugary mix on Dash's face.

"Okay fine. Geez," Rainbow Dash groaned and wiped her face clean of cupcake batter as Pinkie resumed her mixing.

"Good. Besides I got the feeling that they'll be coming to Sugar Cube Corner later today anyways," Pinkie said as she started pouring the batter into baking trays.

"If you say so Pinks. So are you almost done with those cupcakes? I kinda wanna go check the joke shop for something," Rainbow Dash said, her wings twitching as she glanced out the window.

"Yep, just let me put the trays into the oven."

"Awesome," Rainbow Dash replied as she turned to face Pinkie, only to end up facing an empty kitchen.

"Oh it'll be beyond awesome!" Pinkie chirped cheerfully from beside Rainbow Dash.

Dash did a double take between the kitchen and Pinkie standing beside her. "Wait. Pinkie when you did you..?"

"Less questions, more scene changes!" Pinkie blurted out before she snagged Rainbow Dash by the tail and darted out the door, dragging the bewildered pegasus with her.

Under more normal conditions Applejack would often catch herself whistling cheerfully as she made her way through the Farmer's Market to her apple stand. Today, however, she seemed to be in the habit of only grumbling.

"Ah'm tempted to start a tab fer ya," Applejack grumbled as she put her saddlebag under the counter of the apple booth.

"It would not be the first time," Holo giggled as she remembered a certain peddler she had traveled with many years ago, while she sat on the low bench inside the apple booth idly combing her lovely tail.

"Oh so ya'll have mooched off somepony else before?" Applejack asked as she set out a basket of red gala apples out on the counter for display.

"Hardly," Holo scoffed as she continued brushing her tail. "I am a proud wolf, as such I pay my debts and will not shamelessly freeload."

"Would that be before or after yer tab hits a hundred bits?" Applejack asked with a flat look.

"The comb was only 85 bits. A fair price according to Rarity," Holo said confidently as she continued to run the jade comb through her lovely tail's fur.

"It was still a lot of bits," AJ said sternly, before slipping on her sales apron and taking her place behind the apple stand.

"You wish for me to help you make that money back?" Holo asked titling her head.

AJ snorted. "Ah would ask ya to, if ya could."

"What do you mean?" Holo asked suspiciously.

"Ah mean, Ah doubt ya could help me get the money back through sales, but Ah do appreciate the offer sugar cube," Applejack said resting her chin on her hooves as she leaned her forehooves' elbows against the counter of her booth.

"Are you implying I do not have the skill to sell apples?" Holo asked as she set her comb down.

"Pretty much," Applejack answered casually.

"I am Holo the Wise Wolf! I can earn that money back before afternoon's end!" Holo bristled at farm pony.

"Nah, don't worry about it sugar cube," Applejack said dismissing Holo's outburst with a wave of her hoof.

"I insist," Holo said glaring indignantly at Applejack.

"Alright. Fine, prove me wrong sugar cube," AJ replied sharply as she held out a spare sales pony apron.

"Very well then, if I sell a bushel of apples will you consider us even?" Holo asked as she slipped the apron on.

"Sounds fair ta me," Applejack said with a nod.

Despite its humble appearance, Applejack's apple booth was a rather well known location and it was not uncommon for particular business ponies stop by her booth to either make inquiries about or to set up large purchases.

"So you see with the soil of the apple trees resting, to regain its magic, the Apple family is relying upon more grounded crops this year and shall have fewer apples for sale," Holo explained to Mr. Morbucks, cousin to Filthy Rich, as she flicked a hoof through her long brown mane. (1)

"Well, I can see why the trees would be resting after two large back to back harvests," the older, slightly plump, suite wearing stallion said scratching his chin in thought as Applejack watched from the counter masking her interest with a poker face. "And how are you connected to the Apple family, Miss Holo?"

"My family has been friends with the Apples for many years and is known for their special talent with growing wheat," Holo explained with a nod to AJ; who was mentally noting how the wolfish mare weaved a tall tale from a grain of truth, "I am from the town of Pasloe and came to Ponyville in order help the Apples with the wheat this season."

"Ah yes, I've heard of Pasloe before," Mr. Morbucks said with a nod of his own. "The families there are some of the best wheat farmers in the north."

"You flatter me," Holo giggled with a well practiced blush and shy smile.

The business stallion smiled and puffed his chest out a bit. "I'm only being honest, my dear."

"Well certainly a gentlecolt, such as yourself, would be interested in purchasing some of these wonderful apples?" Holo asked with a hopeful smile and pleading eyes.

"My cousin has told of the remarkable quality of the trademark fruit of the Apple family," Mr. Morbucks commented as he picked up and examined a red gala apple.

"Well let me inform you of a secret," Holo whispered conspiratorially as she leaned a shoulder against Mr. Morbucks.

"And what might that be, Miss Holo?" Mr. Morbucks asked with a sly smirk as Holo leaned against him.

"You are the first serious inquiry of the day and could have a very choice selection of fruits." Holo answered quietly as Applejack nodded in confirmation.

Ah'm only agreeing 'cuz that part's true, Applejack mentally reassured herself.

"You don't say?" Morbucks asked thoughtfully as he looked over the two baskets of red gala and golden delicious apples on display.

Hmm the Builders League United did request a fruit based buffet for that upcoming one day conference and I may not have such a good selection again, The business stallion thought while he sniffed the red gala in his hoof, noting its sweet crisp scent as he weighed his options.(2)

"How much for a gross?"

Applejack opened her mouth to answer, but...

"A gross starts at a 200 bits, Mr. Morbucks," Holo answered promptly speaking before Applejack could.

Applejack glared at Holo over the inflated price. Holo just winked covertly at the Applejack then quickly returned her attention to Mr. Morbucks. Holo could practically hear the bits clinking as they were being weighed out in the business stallion's mind, as he thought over the price.

"Buying directly from the grower helps establish good business relations, gets fresher produce, and is often cheaper," Holo said with a smile as ran a hoof through her long brown mane innocently.

Ain't no way this feller is gonna buy a gross worth of apples at that price, Applejack thought skeptically as she held her poker face of moderate interest.

"Hmm a gross at 170 bits?" Mr. Morbucks offered looking between Holo and Applejack.

"190 bits," Holo counter offered before Applejack could say anything.

After a moment of thought it became apparent to Applejack what Holo was trying to do and AJ couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was haggling him down to the normal price!

Meanwhile Mr. Morbucks grinned with a raised eyebrow. "180 bits."

"Shall we meet in the middle at 185 bits?" Holo offered with a pleading smile.

"Very well then my dear you have a deal. I would like to place an order for a mixed bushel of your red gala and golden delicious apples," Mr. Morbucks said with a chuckle as he pulled two bit bags out of his vest pocket and placed them on the counter with a heavy clink in front of a wide eyed Applejack. (3)

"Where would you like them delivered to, Mr. Morbucks?" Holo asked with a warm smile.

"I'll arrange for the Pony Express to pick the apples up from Sweet Apple Acres directly Miss Holo," Mr. Morbucks said as he scribbled down the farm's address in a small notebook.

"Thank you for your patronage, Mr. Morbucks," Holo said with a polite bow.

"Always a pleasure doing business with such lovely mares," Mr. Morbucks replied with a nod, before he trotted off to see what else was for sale in the Farmer's Market.

Holo smiled waving as the business stallion left, while Applejack wore a slightly perturbed expression as she stared at the two bags of bits.

"Shall we call us even now, my dear Apple mare?" Holo asked grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Author's Note

Yes, multiple part chapter. Why? To keep me from writing myself into a bloody corner.
Also, feed me comments!

Yes, Daddy Morbucks is a Powerpuff Girls reference.
Builders League United is the full name of the BLU team from Team Fortress 2. They are also the better team.
Special thanks to acv_critter for helping me with the economics in this chapter.

Wolf and Pink Surprises II

Archivist's Notation: Many thanks to Jamza, Titan, and Venom0861 for their editing and suggestions.

---Apples and Wheat---

“Don't
Panic.”

― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

---Wolf and Pink Surprises II---

"Y'all ain't got a lick of shame do ya?" Applejack asked the grinning wolfish mare while she put away the now empty display baskets.

"Are you implying that you would not have increased the price eventually? Remember this season shall be a small one for apple harvesting," Holo replied casually.

Applejack just grunted noncommittally. She couldn't exactly argue with Holo's point, but it still bothered her.

Holo was very much aware of Applejack's rather sour mood. Perception was one of her strongest points after all. Sensing this was most likely a moral issue, Holo decided it was best to clear the air between her and Applejack as best she could.

"Are you upset over the high price that I set or did my method upset you?" Holo asked with genuine concern.

Applejack paused and looked at Holo, her face was etched with inner conflict, before she closed her eyes for a moment and let out a sigh. "Ah don't approve of lying to anypony, especially in business, but ya are right, Ah was gonna have ta raise the price eventually."

"I was not dishonest when I told Morbucks the price, but you feel I should have told him of the price increase compared to the normal price, correct?" Holo asked while she placed the sales apron back under the booth's counter.

"More or less," AJ replied with a shrug as she slipped the day's profits into a pouch in her saddlebag.

"I shall take that into account," Holo said with a genuine smile.

"Thank ya, Holo," Applejack replied with a genuine smile of her own.

Scattered about Twilight's desk were various books on the northern provinces; included in the "finished reading" pile was Wolves and the Dangers thereof, An Equestrian's Guide to Predators, and the controversial Wolves, Reindeer, and Why They Hate Each Other. These books were quite old, but were traditionally considered mostly reliable by the majority of academic circles. However, all these books had one major flaw: they had a very biased view of the Wolf Tribes and tended to instill paranoia in the reader. Sadly, this was a fact unknown by Twilight Sparkle...

The lands of the northern provinces, which lie just beyond Neighagra Falls and between Equestria and the Crystal Empire, are oft' called the Wild Lands for good reason. Many are the dangers of the North, but much can be learned from the wolves, and occasional pony or griffin, who call the north their home..., Twilight read from A Scholar's Guide to the North, as her quill danced across a scroll at her side taking notes.

"Twilight?"a familiar voice called, but was ignored.

The Northern Lands are best known for the Wolf Tribes, who have called that land their home for time beyond memory and have defended their homeland from invaders for just as long. Not even the Griffin Kingdom's finest warriors could lay claim by force...

"Twilight," the voice called out louder this time, but was again ignored in favor of the prose before the young librarian's eyes.

Being the traditionalists that they are, the Wolf Tribes are still ruled and guided by the clan of Wise Wolves. According to legend, the greatest of these Wise wolves was named Holou the Wise Wolf, who dwelt in the forest called Yoitz long before Princess Luna's banishment. Her pack stood uncontested for winters beyond count. None could best Holou or her pack; no wolf, nor pony or griffin could contest the Wise Wolf. Holou's wisdom, strength, and cunning are often praised by the Wolf Tribes as the reason they were able to defend their homeland so well in the post-unification age of expansionism.

Twilight gulped nervously and her eyes widen even further as she read the next paragraph.

It is said that Holou stood a full twenty feet from paw to shoulder and over fifty feet from nose to the tip of her tail. Legends speak of Holou's fangs crushing boulders like ice and her claws tearing a full grown tree into kindling with a single strike. It is also said that Holou's thirst could empty an entire lake in one sitting and her hunger was so great that she could devour over a hundred head of sheep before feeling satisfied.(1)

Twilight's eye began to twitch as the creeping paranoia, caused by the previous books, grew to a mild panic at the thought of a wolf of such size and ferocity staying anywhere near Ponyville.

According the oldest lore of the wolves, the only spirit that was able nearly defeat Holou was the mountainous Moon-Hunting Bear, believed by modern scholars to be a reference to the fabled Mother of all Ursae. This great beast brought terror in its wake and nearly destroyed the forest of Yoitz, but was finally driven out of the north, when Holou led every wolf of the Wolf Tribes to battle against the Moon-Hunting Bear, though at a great cost.

"Twilight," the voice called again, but still went unheeded.

Then one day, many winters after the defeat of the Moon-Hunting Bear an envoy from the Princesses of Equestria came to visit the Wolf Tribes. After the envoy's visit, Holou became fascinated by the lands to the south and did indeed leave her home of Yoitz to...

"Twilight!" Spike nearly shouted, as he tried to pull his big sister/boss out of her book-induced trance.

"Ah!" Twilight jumped in startled panic from Spike's sudden outburst, landing on her back with a thud.

"Oh, um sorry, Twilight, but I've been calling you for like ten minutes," Spike explained apologetically.

"It's fine, Spike," Twilight said with a sigh, as she got back up on her hooves with a groan. "I just got a bit lost in my research."

"Is that what you're calling this?" Spike deadpanned, pointing to the various piles of books that were scattered around Twilight's desk.

"Guess I made a bit of a mess, huh?" Twilight said with a sheepish chuckle.

"Not the first time," Spike replied with a shrug before he started picking books up off the floor. "What were you looking for anyways?"

"I was trying to find more information about the legend that Applejack mentioned yesterday," Twilight explained as she tried to find her place in the chapter she had been reading. "It's about a wolf named Holo, that is said to dwell in wheat."

"A wolf named Holo?" Spiked asked looking at Twilight over the two books he as carrying.

Twilight nodded while flipping through a book. "Apparently it's an old name, very old," Twilight answered while she levitated her notes up, "And it's been difficult to find much of anything about her, but according to what little I have found: Holo is a very old 'wise wolf', has known the Princesses from before even Luna's banishment, can cause wheat growth to triple, once lived in a forest called Yoitz, then began wandering through various towns along the Equestrian border."

Spike blinked trying to take in all the information. "Sounds like a lot to me."

"True, but the problem is, the tales about this wolf are so old they are considered to be myths, even by the wolves, so there's not a great deal of detail in the records, just various bits of scattered folklore," Twilight explained with a twinge of panic in her creeping into her voice as she rubbed her forehead.

"Hmm, that name sounds kinda familiar though," Spike said scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"How so, Spike?" Twilight asked without looking up from her book.

Spike shrugged then started placing the books back on the shelves. "I think Rarity mentioned a pony with that name when I went by to see if she needed help with anything."

"Rarity met a pony named Holo?" Twilight asked looking up from her book with a twitching ear.

"Yeah, it was somepony Applejack had with her, I think," Spike replied casually before he turned around and ended up nose to nose with Twilight.

"Spike, tell me everything Rarity said," Twilight demanded sternly with her right eye twitching.

Spike gulped and nodded. "Su...sure thing, Twilight."

"Oh, oh check out this humdinger of a whizz banger!" Pinkie said excitedly as she held up a brightly colored hinged top box with a spring mounted boxing glove dangling out of it.

"Uh, Pinkie who are you showing that to?" A confused Rainbow Dash inquired from behind her.

"Nobody in particular," Pinkie answered cheerfully, before she trotted over to Rainbow Dash.

"Okay?" Rainbow Dash answered still slightly confused, but put off the oddness as Pinkie just being Pinkie.

Old Mister Wisecrack, the stallion that owned the Joke Shop, dipped his newspaper low enough to check up on his two best customers. Rainbow Dash had been one of his regulars for quite sometime, then almost immediately after Pinkie had moved to Ponyville she had made it know to Wisecrack that his shop was the "bestest best joke shop she'd ever seen". Wisecrack chuckled at the memory before calling out to his customers.

"You gals sure you don't need any help?"

"Nah, we're good." Rainbow answered casually from the goofy glasses aisle.

"Alright then girls, just holler when you're ready to check out," Wisecrack replied before returning to his newspaper's comic section.

"Anyway, are you sure I can't set up a prank or two at the party?" Rainbow Dash asked as she inspected a bottle of hot sauce disguised as liquid sweetener.

"Yeppers, no pranks this time, Dashie" Pinkie answered while trying on various goofy glasses. "I don't wanna give the new pony in Ponyvile the impression that I'm obsessed with parties and pranks."

"Seriously, Pinkie?" Rainbow asked incredulously.

Pinkie Pie slowly turned to face her friend and spoke in calm, even voice.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Pinkie asked, still wearing the hot pink goofy glasses with one googly eye looking left while the other looked somewhere to the right.

Dash put a hoof to her mouth to hold back her snickering. "Um, are you sure you want me to answer that?"

"You're positive that's everything, Spike?" Twilight asked as she scribbled furiously on a scroll.

"Yeah, that's um, everything," Spike answered a bit concerned at Twilight's increasingly panicky behavior. "Um Twilight, are you sure this is a bad thing? I mean Rarity said Applejack and Holo were acting like friends."

"I know, Spike, but I'd rather be prepared just in case," Twilight explained as she rolled up the scroll then quickly sealed it and held it out to Spike "Here send this to the Princess, while I go find Applejack and her wolf."

"Um, Twilight are you completely sure this is, um something we need to let Princess Celestia know about?" Spike asked as he eyed Twilight's frazzled mane and twitching eye, nervously.

"Yes! Spike, this wolf could be..." Twilight started, but was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

Spike and Twilight stared at the door for a moment, before the series of knocks repeated.

"Do you um, want me to get that, Twilight?" Spike asked while he fidgeted with the scroll between his claws.

Twilight sighed. "No, I'll get it. I'm about to head out anyways."

"I'll just send this off, I guess," Spike muttered to himself looking down at the scroll warily.

The knocking at the door rang out again, in an inpatient way.

"One second!" Twilight called out in a slightly annoyed tone, before trotting over to the door.

Griping the handle with her magic Twilight practically flung the door open. Revealing Applejack at the door with her hoof held up in midair ready to knock once more and a tan mare wearing a white beret with a black vest, who was looking around at the tree house with keen interest.

"Applejack! Great timing, I was about to go look for you!" Twilight exclaimed a bit too loudly, before she grasped her friend by the shoulders. "I've found more information on that wolf you mentioned!"

"Um, that's good Twi', but Ah doubt Ah'll be, um needing that info now," Applejack answered, a bit taken aback by Twilight's slightly panicky tone and matching frazzled hair.

"Nonsense! This is extremely important!" Twilight declared firmly, before leaning in and whispering conspiratorially, "This Holou wolf could be dangerous. What if it's hungry? What if it likes the taste of ponies? What if it wants a sacrifice?"

"Um, Twi don'tcha think that's a bit much?" Applejack asked glancing between Twilight and Holo, nervously noting the growing frown on the wolfish mare's face.

Holo, meanwhile, was watching this little scene unfold with increasing annoyance.

This is the Sun Nag's personal student? Already panicking at the mere thought of a wolf and thinking I would eat a pony? I see this mare was taught well, indeed, Holo thought sourly, before an idea occurred to her and small smile graced Holo's face.

"If I maybe so bold?" Holo interjected, catching Applejack and panic mode Twilight's attention. "Perhaps, we should speak inside where no one can eavesdrop upon us?"

"Great idea!" Twilight declared before grabbing the other two mares by a shoulder and yanking them into the library, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Just let me find my books and notes!" Twilight announced in a panicky sing song.

"Um, Twi'? Ah think there's something Ah oughta tell ya," Applejack ventured as Twilight dug through her various books and notes at a manic pace.

"Aaand what might that be?" Twilight asked, looking up at Applejack with an overly stressed smile and a twitching right ear.

Oh fiddle sticks, Twi's done gone into a panic, Applejack thought to herself.

"Um, well about this wolf yer worried over, well it ain't a big a deal as ya seem ta think because of um..." Applejack slowly ventured, wracking her mind for the best way to explain things.

Applejack would've continued to fumble for words, had not the sound of the library door's bolt being thrown and locked shut startled her and Twilight.

"I do believe I can explain things the best, my dear Apple mare." Holo stated as she turned away from the securely locked door.

"If an' say so," Applejack agreed hesitantly.

"Explain what?" Twilight asked, her eyes nervously darting between AJ and the new tan mare, while Spike watched curiously from the stairs.

Holo slowly approached Twilight in an almost predatory gait, allowing herself a devious smile at the young unicorn's growing panic and nervous fidgeting. Holo caught glimpse of the young dragon, but decided he was not an immediate threat to her fun.

"This wolf you speak of is called 'Holou' in your books, correct?" Holo asked as she sat in front of Twilight, who was still twitching and fidgeting nervously.

Twilight nodded vigorously and answered. "Yes! They also say it's a very powerful wolf..."

"Well your books are wrong in that respect." Holo stated matter-of-factly, interrupting Twilight's wild eyed answer. "The proper name, translated into Common, would be 'Holo' and not 'Holou'. I imagine it is error from translating Old Equish into Common," Holo said as she idly flicked a hoof through her mane. "Holo had dealings with ponies in the old days and found no joy at the thought of eating a pony. There are in fact many tales of her traveling with and amongst all pony tribes. Furthermore, Holo is a female, not an 'it'."

She's talking about this as if she knows these things from firsthoof experience! Who is this mare?!, Twilight thought as she sat dumbfounded by this new mare and her authoritative tone that left no room for argument.

Holo noted the young unicorn's perplexed expression and continued her explanation and grinned inwardly. "Holo is often called the Wolf that Dwells in the Wheat or the Wise Wolf amongst the various pony tribes. And her wisdom and cunning is said to rival that of the Princesses."

"Bu...but ho..how?" Twilight found her voice in stutters after the shock of revelation, then her voice went back to panic. "How do you know all that?! These are some of the oldest legends on the continent!"

"Um, well Twi' ya see..." Applejack started, but was silenced by Holo with an upheld hoof.

"I know these things..." Holo said with a bit of a smirk, before she pulled off her white beret revealing her white tipped wolfish ears and swaying her tail in such a way to show its white tip to Twilight. "Because I am Holo the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu," Holo finished firmly with a smile that showed her fangs.

Twilight's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as her mane sprang, with an audible twang, into various frazzled directions. Then, with an accusing hoof pointed at Holo, she promptly fainted, hitting the floor with a rather hard thud. (2)

"Hmm, I suppose that was a bit overly dramatic of me," Holo said wearing a self satisfied smile.

Applejack just facehoofed, while Spike ran off to get the first aid kit.

--Next Episode: Wolf and Pink Surprises III--(3)

Author's Note

I'm figuring the size of Holo's wolf form off the anime series and scale is based off Holo's height compared a human's height. Then using the formula of 2.4 to determine the height from paw to shoulder and nose to tail proportions. I have no idea if it's correct. Derp.
As if panic mode Twilight wasn't expected.
Pinkie, stop that. Seriously.

Ugh, fine.

Interlude II: Wolf and W.C.

Archivist Notation: Warning, crude humor ahead. Think of this as a deleted scene from Wolf and Town. No offense to my pre-readers/editors but, I don't send these to my pre-readers/editors because they are so short and usually just pulled from the "save, but don't use" bin.

--- Apples and Wheat ---

Please flush the toilet when you are done. Failure to do so may cause a build up that will throw the earth out of orbit and plunge us into the sun.

—A bathroom in Austin, Tx

--- Interlude II: Wolf and W.C. ---

"That oughta do fer the trip ta town," Applejack thought aloud, as she looked over the tied down barrels of apples, destined for market.

Applejack was about to check the carts harness when she saw Holo trotting out of the apple cellar wearing a slight frown. The farm mare raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing. While Applejack wasn't one to hold a grudge, she was still less than happy over the manner in which Holo had woken her up.

As if Applebloom wasn't enough of a pain some mornings, Applejack thought grumpily as she looked over the harness rigging.

Holo, for her part, was too busy glancing about near the apple cellar for the small, one pony privy she remembered from when she and Granny Smith were younger. Finally after, what felt like, ten excruciatingly long minutes, Holo relented and decided to swallow her pride and simply ask the embarrassing question.

"Applejack, where did your family move the privy to?" Holo asked as the building pressure in her abdomen painted her words with some urgency.

Applejack blinked a few times before answering, "The what now?"

Holo went to groan in complaint, but as a certain pressure made its presence strongly known she instead held her rear legs tighter and rephrased herself, "The outhouse, Applejack. It was around the large tree across from the apple cellar, when I was here last."

"Outhouse? Shoot we ain't had one of them in years," Applejack answered, before turning back to the house, "Come on, Ah'll show ya where ya can... do your business."

"Please, do so quickly," Holo said, hurriedly following AJ back into the house.

"Here ya go," Applejack said, opening the door to the downstairs bathroom.

The bathroom was a simple, rustic affair. A moderately sized, white porcelain bathtub, with shower head and curtain, a matching porcelain sink that a had a good sized mirror above it. And, most blessed of all, a short, porcelain seat that Holo vaguely recognized, but was able to divine its purpose without asking.

"Everythin's in the usual spot," Applejack said gesturing around the bathroom, "Just meet me out front when yer done."

"Um, Applejack?" Holo hesitantly called out, before the farm mare shut the door completely, as she looked around the porcelain throne.

Applejack turned back and poked her head into doorway with a quirked eyebrow, "What is it, Sugar Cube?"

"How am I to, well that is, I do not see the sponge or bucket," Holo said, hoping she wouldn't have to actually explain the hygienic use of those particular items.

Applejack had to bite back a snicker, here was the mighty Wolf in the Wheat, who could cause wheat to grow in an instant and she was as lost a toddler in potty training.

"See that lever on the side of the seat," Applejack explained, doing her best to keep from grinning, "When yer done just push it down and it'll, um get ya clean."

"Yes, yes now give me privacy," Holo said pushing the bathroom door closed then looked at the toilet with a slight trepidation.

Applejack just shook her head grinning, as she left Holo to her business.

A few minutes later the quiet of the farm house was shattered with the sound of Holo shrieking.

"THE WATER IS COLD!!!"

Author's Note

For those of you who don't get it.

It's a bidet joke. A bidet is a water jet that cleans your "parts" in Europe, because Europeans think toilet paper is bad, for some reason.
That was joke.

Wolf and Pink Surprises III

Many thanks to my editors: BrackMadar, Jamza, Hybridnecros

HI HARRY!!

Pinkie, please stop that.

Oh, hush and eat your cake.

--- Apples and Wheat ---

“Dispute not with her: she is a lunatic.”

― William Shakespeare, Richard III

---Wolf and Pink Surprises III ---

"Yer crazy," Applejack stated matter-of-factly as she glared at Holo, who was calmly skimming through one of the open books on Twilight's study desk and occasionally smirking at what she read.

"I have been accused of far worse things, my dear Apple mare," Holo answered with a dismissive wave of her hoof, not even bothering to look up from the book.

Applejack sighed and rubbed her forehead, wondering just how much more trouble Holo would stir up before the day's end.

Before she could berate her irksome companion, Applejack's thoughts were interrupted by a throaty groan from the nearby couch. Twilight's stirring caused Applejack's head to snap up and Spike to nearly bowl over Applejack, as he ran past her.

"Twilight, how are you feeling?" Spike asked while Applejack trotted over.

"Ugh, like I was hit on head by the Encyclopedia Equestria," Twilight groaned, removing the small, moist towel that was draped over her eyes as Applejack stood beside Spike.

"Well, you did hit your head," Spike explained, anxiously looking towards Applejack.

"I had the weirdest dream..." Twilight started, but trailed off when she saw Applejack standing beside Spike and Holo looking at her with a mischievous grin playing across her face from the study desk.

Twilight jumped with a squeak and shuffled back, pressing herself as far as she could against the arm rest of the couch then pointed an accusatory hoof at Holo. "Wha-what is she doing here?!"

"Twi', try and stay calm now," Applejack said putting a reassuring hoof on her panicky friend's shoulder, "Holo don't mean no harm to ya."

Twilight gulped and nervously looked from Applejack over to Holo.

"Yes, Applejack is correct," Holo answered casually as she shut the book and trotted over to sit beside AJ, "I am not here to bring harm, nor wreak some terrible havoc."

Twilight glanced to Applejack, her right eye still a bit twitchy.

"She's a headache, but no real trouble," Applejack said, answering Twilight's silent question with a sigh.

Twilight looked back at Holo, her panic slowly replaced by confusion as her scholarly observations brought several questions to mind regarding the wolfish mare before her. "But... you... even with your ears and tail, you look like a regular earth pony."

"Shall I explain myself a bit?" Holo asked with a prideful smile.

"Um, sure, if you don't mind," Twilight answered relaxing and feeling more comfortable with Holo after Applejack had vouched for her.

"Very well then", Holo put a hoof to her mouth and cleared her throat then began, "I was born in the land of Yoitz, in the far north, where the summers are short and the winters are long..." Holo began to explain while Twilight and Spike looked up at her with a bit of wonder.

Ah reckon, this'll take awhile, Applejack thought as she took a seat beside Twilight on the couch.

After a rather hasty explanation, some dramatic pleading, and a vigorous reminder that Mayor Mare had agreed to cover up to 45% of the expenses of any Welcome to Ponyville Party, the Cakes had agreed to let Pinkie start decorating and preparing for the party. Which gave the Cakes some greatly, appreciated time to spend with their precocious twins. So Pinkie, with Rainbow Dash's help, had the Sugar Cube Corner's private party room's major decorations finished with only a few odds and ends left to do.

"Oh no, no, no, no, Dashie, put the blue streamers over the doorway and the red ones on the ceiling trailing towards the light," Pinkie explained to Rainbow Dash while balancing a bowl of punch on her head.

"Ugh, you're killing me here, Pinks," Rainbow Dash groaned petulantly from where she hovered above the doorway.

"Oh, come on, Dashie, just a teensy bit more and we'll be done," Pinkie explained with a smile as she set the punch bowl on the buffet table.

"Pinkie, I doubt the wrong streamer color will be that much of a deal breaker for a party," Rainbow said lazily flapping her wings as she pointed to the blue streamers.

"Are you crazy!? Streamers are like the second most super duper important party ceiling fixture!" Pinkie answered while waving her hooves dramatically.

"Um, I'm not interrupting anything important, am I?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly, glancing between Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash from the doorway.

"Of course not, Fluttershy," Pinkie declared with a smile, "Dashie is just helping me set up the welcome party for the new pony in Ponyville."

"Oh, ok I'll just, um, come back later," Fluttershy said trying to politely excuse herself, while backing out of the doorway.

"Nonsense!" Pinkie beamed darting over and throwing a forehoof over Fluttershy's shoulder, "Like Granny Pie used to say: The more the merrier!"

Before Fluttershy could object, both her and Pinkie's attention was suddenly taken by Rainbow Dash landing, on her flank, in front of her two friends with red and blue streamers tangled around her forehooves, "Yeah, I could use just a little help here, Fluttershy."

Even after Applejack had vouched for Holo, Twilight was still initially nervous with the wolf in mare's clothing, but as Holo had started explaining and speaking about some of her history, Twilight's nervousness had quickly blossomed into fastidious, if nigh obsessive, fascination.

"So you can change your form at will?" Twilight asked while scribbling down notes onto a scroll.

"Not quite, in order to change into my true form from this pony one, I require an offering of fresh blood or wheat", Holo answered in a slightly bored tone, for one of the few times in her long life becoming tired of explaining herself.

"B-blood? Like blood blood?" Spike asked while nervously looking over at Holo and inching behind Twilight, who continued scribbling down her notes.

"Yes, but you have nothing to fear, young dragon, after all, wheat is far easier to obtain and I do believe your scales would hurt my fangs quite a bit," Holo assured Spike with a chuckle while tapping the small pouch of wheat seeds around her neck.

"That... That's a very old type of geas," Twilight said, lowering her scroll revealing amethyst eyes that were wide with surprise, "You... Holo, how old are you?"

“My, such boldness now?" Holo countered playfully, while giving the inquiring scholar an appraising look.

"Um, well it's not often I could ask these kinds of questions from somepony, er somebody as venerable and knowledgeable as you are," Twilight said sheepishly plying, Holo with compliments and hoping her question hadn't offended the wolfish mare.

"Hmm, I do believe you were much cuter when you were panicking," Holo teased with a coquettish grin.

"I, um well, that is um...," Twilight stuttered as her cheeks grew red, while Applejack frowned at Holo.

"Leave her be, Holo," Applejack said firmly while nudging the wolfish mare with an elbow to her ribs.

Holo merely rolled her eyes. "I was merely joking, my dear Apple mare."

"Uh huh," Applejack deadpanned still wearing a stern frown.

Applejack continued giving the grinning Holo a mildly annoyed look until she felt Twilight staring at her.

"What?" Applejack asked looking confused.

"Um, Applejack, I don't think Holo really meant to, um, make you jealous," Twilight ventured, partially hiding her face behind the levitating scroll, her cheeks still a touch red.

"Jealous?!" Applejack blurted out as a blush now creeped onto her cheeks, "Nuh uh, no ma'am. It ain't like that at all!"

"Um, should I go do something somewhere else?" Spike asked uncomfortably while glancing between the three mares.

"Mayhap's," Holo answered between snickers while a blushing Applejack frantically tried to explain the situation to Twilight.

"Food and Drinks?" Pinkie asked as she, somehow, marched about the room on hind hooves while wearing a drill sergeant cap, that bore her cutie mark on the lapel pin, and held a clipboard, that she had found somewhere, in front of herself.

"Check," Rainbow Dash answered looking longingly at a large tray of chocolate chip cookies.

"Music ready?" Pinkie asked, glancing over at Fluttershy, who stood next to the record player.

"Ready," Fluttershy confirmed with a smile and a nod.

"Streamers?" Pinkie asked glancing up at the ceiling.

"Yes, the dumb streamers are all set up," Rainbow answered with a roll of her eyes.

Pinkie and Fluttershy giggled at Rainbow's exaggerated annoyance.

"Well, all that's left is to set up the party banner to let the new pony know where the party is!" Pinkie declared happily as she tossed the hat and clipboard aside and pulled a rolled up vibrant pink cloth banner the size of a two pony tent from under a table.

Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise while Rainbow Dash plopped down on her flank with her forehooves crossed. "Nope, I am not hoofing that thing up by myself."

"Oh, come on Dashie," Pinkie pleaded with a pout.

"Nope," Rainbow said resolutely shaking her head.

Pinkie Pie desperately latched onto Rainbow and looked up at her with the most pleading of puppy dog eyes she could muster, "But Dashie, you're the only one strong enough to do it."

Rainbow Dash valiantly resisted Pinkie's big blue, pleading eyes looking up at her, but then Pinkie stuck out her bottom lip, which quivered pathetically and came together with her pleading eyes into an irresistible and irrefutable puppy dog pout.

"Okay, okay, fine I'll do it," Rainbow relented with a groan, before adding, "but first, I want at least three chocolate chip cookies."

Once Spike had quickly left to the kitchen with the excuse of making tea, Applejack was able to deliver her rather expedient explanation. After AJ had explained her and Holo's relationship, Twilight's resulting embarrassment from her own conclusion jumping led to a weighty, awkward silence falling upon the walls of Golden Oaks Library. Fortunately, for Applejack and Twilight, Holo was more than willing to help move things along, after she was done laughing, of course.

"Did you have any other questions?" Holo asked, still grinning ear to ear.

"So Holo, um, you're just an old friend of Granny Smith's and a guest of the Apple family?" Twilight asked for clarification's sake as she glanced between the annoyed Applejack and the grinning Holo.

"Yes, that is indeed the case," Holo answered Twilight while giving Applejack a sidelong grin.

Applejack felt an inward twitch at Holo's answer, her Element's way of signaling dishonesty, but again she let it slide for now and just rolled her eyes while maintaining her annoyed frown.

"Do you only eat, um meat?" Twilight ventured, with a slight nervousness in her studious voice.

"No, I enjoy much more than simply meat," Holo answered with a titter, "I find fruits, breads, and sweets to be more enjoyable than meat alone. Furthermore, I maintain my promise to partake of only fish whilst I am in the lands of ponies."(1)

"Promise?" Twilight parroted inquisitively while tilting her head.

"Yes, a promise," Holo replied, her voice giving the impression of reflecting on pleasant, old memories as she looked out one of the library's windows with a small smile gracing her lips, "A promise I made long ago to someone very dear to me."

Twilight fidgeted, feeling slightly uncertain of what to say, then glanced over at Applejack, who merely shrugged her shoulders showing an equal loss of explanation.

"Um, how long will you be staying with the Apples?" Twilight asked, deciding to tread onto more mundane questions.

Holo was about to give a teasing answer, but paused, her smile fading and tail falling limply, as she saw a tan mare with a long, dark red mane and tail walking with a stallion with a chestnut coat and a short cropped mane and tail of dull silver. Holo watched with wide, bewildered eyes as the couple, in a brief moment, walked side by side past the window and out of sight. After the short glimpse Holo's ears flattened beneath her white beret before she responded in a voice that carried the weight of uncounted seasons and years, yet sounded as fragile as paper-thin crystal, ready to shatter at the slightest pressure, "For as long as I am able."

Twilight was caught completely off guard by Holo's tone and fell silent, not knowing what to think; let alone say.

What little was left of Applejack's frown completely faded upon hearing Holo's response. Looking towards Holo, Applejack felt a deep sympathy for her. It was easy to forget that despite Holo's mischievous and flirtatious attitude, she was older than even Granny Smith. In their brief time together it had become apparent to Applejack, that Holo had clearly seen many long years pass and, at times, Holo let slip signs of a deep seated loneliness somewhere in her heart.

"Holo," Applejack found herself calling out in soft, worried voice.

"I shall be fine, my dear Apple mare," Holo answered in a small, fragile voice, still facing the window, "just give me a moment, if you will."

Applejack nodded and got up, motioning with a hoof for Twilight to follow her. Twilight got up and followed Applejack, but not before looking back uncertainly at Holo, who stayed seated, looking out the window seemingly lost in thought.

"Just giver her some space, sugar cube," Applejack whispered to Twilight with a gentle nudge.

Twilight just nodded in response and followed her friend to the kitchen.

Holo remained sitting and looking out the window, with her lovely tail idly swaying, while she reflected upon Applejack's attitude towards her and how it reminded, almost painfully so, of how her Merchant had acted with her when they had first met all those many years ago.

"Such striking similarities," Holo quietly said to herself as she ruminated upon her current circumstances.

"Is everything okay?" Spike asked as he glanced over at Applejack and Twilight from the sink where he was filling a teapot, as the pair trotted into the kitchen

"Yes, Holo just needed a moment to herself," Twilight distractedly answered, still concerned with the wolfish mare's sudden melancholy.

Applejack remained silent as she took a seat at the small kitchen table. With a heavy sigh she slipped off her trademark hat, setting it on the table, before she stared at the ceiling while thoughts and concerns for Holo fluttered through her mind.

"Uh, is there a specific tea either of you want?" Spike asked, trying to keep himself busy.

"Chamomile would be nice, Spike, and thank you," Twilight said as she levitated the box of the chamomile tea blend on the counter within Spike's reach.

Spike nodded with a smile and set the teapot on the stove to heat up then began filling the diffuser with the tea blend.

Twilight took the seat across from her friend, trying her best to order her anxious thoughts, before she spoke. "Applejack?"

"Hmm?" Applejack absentmindedly responded, as thoughts and concerns continued to play across her mind.

"Does Holo often, well, act so melancholic?" Twilight asked as she glanced back to the doorway leading to the main library room.

Applejack mulled over the question for a moment while fiddling with her Stetson between her hooves, before answering. "Holo don't get like this often from what Ah seen but, ya gotta remember Twi', she's been around a long time and Ah imagine she's seen and felt a lot in that time."

"I can understand that," Twilight replied with a nod, thinking briefly to the rare moments of melancholy she had seen Princess Celestia display before Princess Luna's return.

"Ah know It ain't somethin' Ah talk about much, but Ah ain't exactly a stranger to feelin' that way every now and again... when Ah think about... about somethin' that happened," Applejack hesitantly admitted as she affectionately ran a hoof over her hat's brim, "Was a long time ago, though. Ah'm over it... mostly." She added with a sad smile before slipping her hat back on.

Applejack went to get up from her chair, but was immobilized by a hug from Twilight on her right and from Spike on her left. Applejack was taken by surprise, then smiled and hugged her friends back as she inwardly thanked the Maker for such good friends.

"We're always here if you need help with anything, Applejack," Twilight said as she partially pulled out of the hug.

"Yeah, you can always count on us," Spike agreed with a toothy grin.

"Thank ya," Applejack said with a genuine smile with her forehooves still wrap over her two friends, "Right now though, Ah think Holo could use a bit of good cheer."

The trio of friends exited the kitchen in good spirits. Twilight and Applejack wore warm smiles and Spike hummed to himself as he carried a tray with three hot cups of chamomile tea upon it.

Despite her cheerful demeanor, Applejack was still worried about Holo. However, that worry was soon dispelled when she saw Holo grooming her tail's white tip with long deft strokes of the jade comb and the occasional lick of her nimble tongue to gather stray strands of fur.

Holo's nose twitched, almost imperceptibly, and she paused the grooming of her lovely tail, "Is that chamomile I smell?"

"You betcha!" Spike answered cheerfully as he waddled over to Holo and offered her a cup.

"Thank you," Holo said with a smile as she took the tea cup in her hooves and sipped on the soothing chamomile tea, "Mmm delicious, though I would prefer a good ale instead," Holo said with a smirk before sipping again on the hot tea.

"A bit early for that ain't it?" Applejack commented before taking a cup of tea for herself.

"So long as it is after noon, what does it matter?" Holo replied still wearing her smirk which Applejack just rolled her eyes at.

Twilight watched the pair exchanging quips, as Spike went back into the kitchen to clean the tea pot, at first she had been bit worried until she realized that the back and forth wit between the two mares was just how Applejack and Holo's natures complimented each other. As this realization came to Twilight, she had to put a hoof to her mouth to stifle her own giggling.

"Are you certain you do not wish walk with us to this, apparently planned party?" Holo asked as she and Applejack stood on the doorstep of the library.

"No, me and Spike need to clean up first," Twilight explained with a sheepish smile as she thought of the cause of her study binge, "But we'll meet you and Applejack there."

"Sounds good ta me," Applejack said as she looked towards the sky gauging the time to be around 4 o'clock from where the sun was sitting.

"A pity, I was hoping for more of your cute antics," Holo commented with a coy grin.

"I, um, well, that is," Twilight stammered while her cheeks reddened slightly before blurting out, "I hear my books calling!" And slammed the library door closed in a slight, embarrassed panic.

"That was rather amusing," Holo giggled out partially hiding her mischievous smile behind a hoof.

Applejack let out an exasperated sigh before giving Holo an annoyed look, "Did ya have ta tease Twilight like that?"

Holo looked over at Applejack with a haughty smile, “You, my dear Apple mare, are just desperate for me to tease you instead."

"Ah am not!" Applejack declared indignantly as her cheeks reddened slightly.

"Do not worry, my dear Apple mare, I still believe you to be more adorable,” Holo said matter-of-factly as she turned to walk away and flicked Applejack's nose with her lovely tail's white tip.

Applejack would have retorted, but was too busy rubbing her nose trying to suppress a sneeze, while Holo sauntered towards the street, wearing a mischievous smirk.

Applejack maintained a sour frown as she trotted slightly behind Holo. While Applejack was somewhat getting used to Holo's antics, her bolder teasing still rubbed her the wrong way. However, her annoyance with Holo's antics faded after the wolfish mare reluctantly admitted she was at a loss as to which street was the proper one to take them to Sugar Cube Corner.

"I am simply not familiar enough with the town, as of yet," Holo explained as her own touch of embarrassment annoyed her.

"Of course, sugar cube," Applejack replied wearing a self-satisfied smile.

Holo glared at Applejack for a moment, before the farm mare looked back at Holo still smiling. The two held eye contact in some manner of test of wills for a several long seconds, before both mares broke out into mutual laughter at their own silliness and resumed the walk to the Sugar Cube Corner with amused smiles.

As Applejack casually guided Holo through Ponyville on their way to Sugar Cube Corner, she would explain what certain shops were and what they sold as they passed them. While Applejack gave the impromptu tour, Holo felt a thought persistently tugging at her mind, but she could not bring herself to outright ask the question.

While Holo had never really been one to hesitate on something she considered important, at this moment she found herself unsure of what to do. Normally, she would give the thing in question thought, contemplating the possible outcomes and how to manage them until the situation resolved itself into something that she wanted or would benefit her, and only then would she act. However, this situation, or rather this question, that currently needed dealing with had very few possible outcomes to it and only one of them was the one that Holo wanted.

Fate favors the bold, Holo thought to herself and turned her to the Apple mare in question.

"Applejack, may I ask you a question?" Holo asked as she and the farm mare casually trotted over a small bridge on their way to Sugar Cube Corner.

"Ya just did," Applejack replied without missing a beat.

Holo gave Applejack a rather flat look that lost most of its effect from the grin she couldn't suppress, "You know very well that is not what I meant."

"Heh, alright sugar cube, ask away," Applejack said with a chuckle as she trotted over to one side of the bridge and leaned against the railing, looking at Holo expectantly.

Holo rolled her eyes then hopped onto the railing, sitting upon the ledge with graceful ease.

"Applejack, what..." Holo paused for a moment, a brief twinge of nervousness causing her to weigh her words before speaking them, "What do you think of me as?"

"Whatcha mean?" Applejack asked quirking an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued by the question and what it could mean.

Holo pursed her lips in thought before rephrasing her question, "What am I to you?"

Applejack hmm'd with her brow furrowed in thought, while Holo watched and waited for her answer, though her tail twitched anxiously.

"Am I simply your grandmother's best friend and a guest of your House?" Holo asked trying to prompt Applejack into speaking her mind.

"Well, ya are Granny's best friend and honestly, Holo, she treats ya more like kin than her friend," Applejack answered as she watched a few ponies walking about in the near by park, "At first Ah couldn't see why, but now Ah can. Even though ya can be a bit of a pain; yer sincere, ya got a good heart, and ya were willing ta help me at the apple stand. All in all, Holo, this has been one of the better days Ah've had in awhile and Ah'd be more than happy ta call ya my friend," Applejack finished smiling at Holo.

At this Holo hopped down from her perch, smiled warmly and gave Applejack a brief hug then took a step to look at the surprised farm mare.

"Words so true, mean a great a deal to one such as myself," Holo said still wearing a warm, genuine smile.

"Just bein' honest with ya, sugar cube," Applejack replied with a warm smile of her own.

The two mares resumed their casual pace to Sugar Cube Corner, and were almost there, when AJ stopped dead in her tracks then facehoofed with a groan. Holo blinked confusedly, then looked in the direction her companion was looking and started giggling at the sight before her.

"Tighten the rope on the right corner just a smidgen of a hair, Dashie!" Pinkie instructed excitedly as she held her hooves horizontal to each other in order to a giver her vision a measured, box like, perspective.

"Like this?" Rainbow Dash asked flapping her wings and pulled the securing rope tighter.

Fluttershy watched, along the small crowd of ponies that had been attracted to Sugar Cube Corner by the commotion from Welcome Party in the making, as Dash and Pinkie straightened the large, pink canvas sign. While Fluttershy was supposed to be watching to make sure no pony tried to enter the bakery before the sign was properly in place, she was, in truth, mostly distracted as she mentally went over her list of chores, making sure that she hadn't left any of her little animal friends without food or water. She was almost done when a familiar voice startled her.

"Hey, Fluttershy," Applejack greeted cheerfully, "What's all this about?"

Fluttershy let out a small squeak and whipped around to face a smiling Applejack and an amused looking pony she hadn't met before standing beside her.

"Oh, um, hello Applejack," Fluttershy replied quietly, her chronic shyness rearing up with the presence of the unknown mare, "Pinkie is, um, getting a party ready for the um, new pony in Ponyville."

"So Ah noticed," Applejack said with slight frown as she looked up at the oversized, pink banner with the words"Welcome to Ponyville!" across it in bold, black letters.

"Well, this is certainly a fitting welcome," Holo practically purred with an ear to ear grin.

"Oh my gosh! You're the new pony in Ponyville!" Pinkie Pie declared excitedly as she popped up directly in front of Holo.

Holo nearly jumped in surprise at the energetic mare's sudden appearance.

"Your timing is like so awesome! We just finished getting the party all set up and..." Pinkie excitedly and quickly spoke as she hopped about, while Applejack vainly tried to get her manic friend's attention.

Holo, however, was more alarmed than amused as she watched the pink mare hop about excitedly, ignoring the look of shock on the face of the recipient of her verbal assault. Slowly, the blank look on the wolfish mare's face morphed to one of recognition as she recalled a similar scene and mare from long ago.

-- 160 years ago --

"And then you do a twirl upon your hind hooves, as you raise your front hooves over your head, and then land giving the look, like so!" A pink coated and maned, energetic mare explained before gracefully twirling on her hind hooves and lifting her forehooves in a smooth fluid motion.

Holo sat and watched the pink gypsy dancer twirl, with hooves overhead, then come to a stop landing facing away from her on all four hooves then glance back with a sultry expression and provocative swish of her tail, that gave way to an exuberant smile.

"I must say, that was an impressive display of skill," Holo said with a smile, "I'm afraid the few dances that I know are of a rather chaste variety, that are from an old harvest festival."

"That's okay, it just means there's more dancing to do as you learn!" The gypsy dancer replied happily as she skipped about while Holo laughed merrily.

"Just think of it, Holo, if you learn these new dances you'll have one more thing to boast about," a male voice said with a chuckle from the other side of the small campfire.

"I do not boast, I merely state things as they are," Holo replied indignantly as she turned to face a chestnut coated stallion with a short silver grey mane, wearing a thin green jacket.

"Whatever makes you feel better," the stallion said chuckling, before an acorn that Holo tossed at him pegged him in the forehead.

The pink dancer laughed mirthfully at the pairs' antics before returning to the mare in question. "If you can dance as well as you throw, then this should be easy!"

"Well, I suppose that we should continue then." Holo began with an amused grin, "Now would you show me the motions for the last one you performed again?"

"No problema," the mare replied, her smile almost eclipsing the fire in its brightness. "Now first..."

-- The Present --

"...and oh my gosh! I forgot the apple ale! Come on, Fluttershy!" Pinkie declared before darting back inside Sugar Cube Corner and pulling Fluttershy inside with her in a pink blur, leaving a still bewildered Holo standing beside an amused Applejack.

"Heh, Pinkie tends ta get a touch ahead of herself when she's got a party ta set up," Applejack said with a grin, her voice pulling Holo from her memories.

"You can say that again, AJ," Rainbow Dash commented with a roll of her eyes, as she touched down beside Applejack.

"She seems like the enjoyable, carousing sort to me," Holo commented wearing a broad grin.

"You would say somethin' like that," Applejack said with a grin of her own.

"So, AJ, who's your friend?" Rainbow Dash asked while her magenta eyes looked over the new mare.

"Rainbow Dash this is Holo. Holo, this is mah friend Rainbow Dash," Applejack said, taking a step back and waving a hoof from Dash to Holo then back again.

"A pleasure to meet you," Holo said with a smile and a polite nod to Rainbow Dash.

"Ditto," Rainbow Dash replied nonchalantly, trying to maintain her air of coolness.

"Well, Applejack, I do believe I should properly introduce myself to your other two friends," Holo said grinning with an almost feral grin, "And there is no better way to introduce oneself, than over good food and a strong drink," Holo finished as she trotted to open door of Sugar Cube Corner, along with the small crowd of ponies.

"Of course, of course," Applejack replied as she shook her head still smiling with amusement.

Rainbow Dash watched the two mare's exchange with equal parts confusion and curiosity, but held her tongue, a miracle unto itself, until Holo was out of earshot and did her best to not stare as she trotted away.

"So Applejack, is Holo, like, a relative of yours or something?" Rainbow Dash asked tilting her head.

"What makes ya say that?" AJ asked quirking her eyebrow.

"I dunno, I just figured she'd be a relative of yours," Rainbow Dash answered with a shrug, "I mean, you have a lot of cousins and stuff that visit every so often."

"True enough, Ah suppose," Applejack replied with a shrug of her own, as she and Dash trotted to the door of Sugar Cube Corner, "But Holo ain't no kin of mine, she's more of a friend of the Apple family, visiting ta help with the wheat plantin' this spring."

"Okay, just one more question," Rainbow Dash said then paused at the doorway and leaned in, wearing a mischievous grin, and whispered, "Is she your special somepony?"

Applejack groaned and gave Rainbow an annoyed look, "No, she ain't."

"Oh, so she is single?" Rainbow asked wiggling her eyebrows.

To her credit, Applejack didn't give in to Rainbow Dash's teasing and say anything foolish in response. She did, however, shove Rainbow Dash off the bakery's steps and into the bushes by doorway.

Applejack trotted into the main room of the bakery and was rather impressed at the breadth of the welcome party. While the set up wasn't too different from the many other parties Pinkie had thrown in the past. There were several things that were different enough to cause Applejack to wonder how Pinkie had known to best accommodate the guest of honor, Holo. The first thing to catch Applejack's attention was the music, normally Pinkie had an upbeat and happy song playing in the background, but this time the music coming from the record player had a very old folk, feel to it. Applejack found herself smiling in earnest, while she looked for Holo, as the delightful melody drifted about the atmosphere of the quickly filling party room.

Applejack wasn't too surprised when she found Holo at a small table, with a tankard already in hoof and a half eaten platter of sweet treats in front the wolfish mare. What did surprise her though, was seeing Holo chatting with the normally timid Fluttershy. Granted, Fluttershy was staying close to Pinkie, but she was still actively talking with Holo, whom she had just met.

"Oh yes, manticores are rather easy to pacify, if you know what they want or what has upset them," Applejack heard Holo say as she approached the trio's table.

"Yeppers, that's exactly how Fluttershy got a big, angry manticore to calm down," Pinkie agreed excitedly, "She found the thorn in its paw that was making it all rawry!" Pinkie explained with her hooves in the air in an exaggerated imitation of said manticore.

"Oh, it wasn't that impressive," Fluttershy said demurely with a slight blush.

"It is my experience, that those who are normally quiet, are the boldest when it counts most," Holo said with a smile before sipping on her apple ale.

"Ah can certainly attest ta' that one," Applejack said with a smile as she took a seat at the small table.

Fluttershy simply blushed and hide behind her long, pink mane in response at her friends praise, but smiled shyly; while the others smiled and laughed good-naturedly.

"Here drink with us," Holo said with a warm smile as she slid a full tankard to Applejack.

"Well if you insist," AJ said with a smile and gladly accepted the offered tankard.

From the heady, yet inviting, smell of the brown ale, Applejack was able to recognize the apple ale as one that was brewed in the foothills of the Foal Mountains, that used Sweet Apple Acres apples in the ale's brewing process. AJ relished the dark beer-like qualities of the sweet, yet yeasty, ale as it washed across her taste buds, the after flavor of nutmeg and cinnamon reminding AJ of a perfect fall day.

"Applejack, Holo, there you are," Twilight greeted cheerfully as she trotted up to the table with Rarity beside her.

Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie responded in kind to the arrival of their friends. Holo, however, was to busy emptying her tankard to do anything more than wave her free hoof in acknowledgement.

"If you're gonna pack yer drinks away like that tonight, Ah'll end up havin' ta put ya in the cart, just ta make it back ta the farm," Applejack said looking over the the two tankards Holo had already emptied.

"I can assure you, my dear Apple mare, that I can hold my alcohol quite well," Holo retorted before she reached for the pitcher to refill her tankard.

Applejack just raised a dubious eyebrow, while Pinkie cheered, "Woo-hoo! More drinks!" And quickly hopped off to the back to retrieve a fresh pitcher.

Rainbow Dash set her tankard down after taking a long drink and looked towards Applejack, "This is good stuff, but still not as good as that special aged cider you guys make at the farm," Rainbow said with a wistful expression as she idly swirled the ale in her tankard.

"Ain't mah fault ya forget ta place an order before the season starts," Applejack replied before popping an apple tart into her mouth.

"Specially aged cider, you say?" Holo asked looking at AJ with piqued interest as she set her already half empty tankard down.

"It's just Sweet Apple Acres' cider aged in barrels made from the wood of fallen zap apple trees," Applejack explained with shrug.

"Oh, darling, you make it sound so plain," Rarity offered in polite protest after taking a dainty sip from her mug, "It is by far the most delightful and full bodied cider I have ever had the pleasure of tasting."

"Full bodied? Do you mean it is a proper hard cider?" Holo asked as she reached for a skewer with three cubes of smoked salmon on it.

"Oh, you bet it is!" Rainbow replied enthusiastically while her wings twitching excitedly.

"Does it require a long time to age?" Holo asked looking towards Applejack.

AJ shrugged as she replied, "Nah, it takes about six months ta age, but you're better off askin' Twi' on how the agin' works."

Holo and the rest of the mares turned and looked expectantly at Twilight.

The young scholar blushed slightly at the sudden attention, then politely cleared her throat, "Well the zap apple wood imbues the cider with its naturally ambient magic and ferments it at the same time," Twilight explained, slipping into lecture mode, "The magic that is inherent in the wood of the zap apple trees is transferred to the cider, much in the same way that flavor is transferred to various spirits that are aged in oak casks. However, the magic inherent in the zap apple tree causes the dramatically increased speed of fermentation and adds a unique flavoring, that is best described as a combination of magical and electrifying," Twilight explained scholarly before sipping on her mug of apple ale.

The gathered friends looked at Twilight with impressions that varied from impressed to confused.

"Silly Twilight, you could have just said its magic," Pinkie declared as she popped up at the table with a large pitcher balanced effortlessly on her pink, poofy head.

"Pinkie, that's hardly a succinct explanation," Twilight said, admonishing her pink friend with a slightly annoyed look.

"Is too!" Pinkie countered as she filled Holo's now empty tankard, "I use it all the time!"

"Of course you do," Twilight said with a sigh, before taking a long pull from her mug.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash laughed in amusement; while Holo wore a thoughtful look.

"Pinkie, would there happen to be any of this specially aged cider here, for me to try?" Holo asked with a charming smile.

"Yes, but it's reserved for special orders or if one of the Apple family asks for it," Pinkie replied, turning to Applejack with a questioning look.

Applejack bit her bottom lip, trying to quickly work out the cost of, what she was sure to be, the first of several rounds of the prized cider, "Well, it is a might costly."

"Surely it is not that costly?" Holo asked, leaning against Applejack's side, looking up at her with pleading eyes.

"Yeah, come on AJ, please?" Rainbow pleaded leaning over the table, "I'll even pay for my share!"

"I, um, wouldn't mind having some too," Fluttershy quietly chimed in.

Feeling slightly besieged, Applejack looked to Rarity and Twilight for support, only to see them both looking very hesitant to disagree with the drink suggestion.

Clearly outnumbered Applejack sighed in defeat, "Alright, fine, Pinkie go on an' bring out two rounds."

"Woo! Back in a jiffy!" Pinkie declared happily as she hopped off towards the back room.

"Oh mare, trust me Holo this is gonna be awesome!" Rainbow said, eagerly licking her lips in anticipation.

Meanwhile, Applejack rubbed her head, feeling a slight dread wash over her, as she pondered how many bits would be spent by the nights end.

--- Three Rounds Later ---

Tingly, delightfully tingly. That was the best way Holo could think of to describe the effect of the zap apple barrel aged cider in her cup and her belly. For all intents and purposes, the specially aged cider looked like regular cider, but when Holo drank it, the ciders special qualities became very apparent. The cider had pleasantly tingled in her mouth, and down her throat, with a magical charge imbued by the zap apple trees wood; a more lewd part of her mind idly compared the tingly effect to that of the tales she had heard of unicorns and their horns during intimate encounters.

Speaking of unicorns, Holo thought to herself with a smile in amusement at the giggly and very tipsy Twilight, who had apparently, been most taken by the aged ciders intoxicating effect.

Pinkie had left the table a few moments ago, chastising Rainbow Dash, about something to do with no pranking. Holo had her suspicions, but kept them to herself and continued to indulge in casual, if tipsy, conversation with Rarity. While Fluttershy dozed with her head on the table surrounded by four empty tankards and two empty zap apple cider cups.

"Uh, Holo, you alright over there?" Applejack asked as she nursed her own cider with measured sips.

"I am quite fine, my dear Apple mare," Holo assured AJ despite her rosy cheeks and tipsy smile, "Though I am feeling quite merry, I am not a mess."

Applejack rolled her eyes and sipped again on her zap apple cider, noticing, out of the corner of her eye, Twilight tapping her chin in thought.

"Um, Twi'?" AJ ventured, setting her cider cup down.

"Shhhh, I'm trying to remember something," Twilight replied waving a hoof in exaggerated annoyance, earning a giggle from Holo and Rarity.

"Oh, what are you trying to remember, Darling?" Rarity asked as she and Holo leaned forward in interest.

"Something I read about, um, old inns and the ponies that would play songs, I think," Twilight replied scratching her head, the drinks were clearly not doing her thinking abilities any favors.

"By chance, do you mean the bards?" Holo asked before drinking more of the delightfully, tingly cider.

"Yes! Bards!" Twilight exclaimed, nearly falling from her chair, earning laughs from her three present and awake friends; along with a few glances and grins from the other partygoers.

"I do recall that a few of the more popular inns would hire a bard to stay and keep guests entertained with music and song." Holo said, forlornly eyeing her nearly empty cup.

"Ohmygosh!" Twilight declared, nearly losing her balance, again, as she sat up suddenly, but regained it and pointed at Holo, "Do you remember any of the songs the singing ponies used to sing?"

Holo blinked, slightly taken aback by the scholarly unicorns inebriated choice of words and enthusiasm.

"Okay, Twi' Ah think ya've had yer fill of cider," Applejack said, with Rarity nodding in agreement, as she reached for her friends half empty mug.

"Actually, my dear Apple mare, there is one song I do remember," Holo said as she recalled a particularly memorable night of dancing and singing with a certain pink, gypsy dancer.

Rainbow Dash wore a petulant frown as she watched the last of the prank sweetener, that was actually extremely potent hot sauce, go down the sinks drain.

"Is that all of it, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked with a serious expression, before tossing the now empty bottle of prank sauce into the trash.

"Yes, Pinkie, I only bought the one bottle," Rainbow Dash answered with an annoyed sigh, "By the way, that's ten bits you owe me."

Pinkie hopped back onto her hooves turning her nose up with a "humph".

"Well, I told you there was to be no pranking at this party, so whose fault is you're out ten bits, Dashie?" Pinkie countered with a cheeky grin.

"Whatever," Dash muttered following Pinkie to the door separating the kitchen from the party room, "So what am I supposed to do for fun then?"

"Oh I'm sure something will come up," Pinkie replied with a knowing smile and opened the door, only to be greeted by a cheerful shout from a certain wolfish mare.

"I AM THE JOLLY PRINCESS OF DRINKERS!!" A thoroughly intoxicated Holo happily declared capturing the attention of the small crowd which cheered her on, much to Applejack's embarrassment.

With a tankard in hoof, Holo jumped onto the table she had been drinking at with her new friends and proceeded to regale the gathered partygoers in song as she danced and twirled upon her hind hooves.

"I am the jolly princess of drinkers,

Ranting, roaring, and befuddling colts!"

Holo sang, swinging her tankard and sloshing the apple ale onto the table and flicking her lovely tail flirtatiously to her cheering audience.

"Told ya!" Pinkie Pie declared to Rainbow Dash, before cheering Holo on, as the loudest of the crowd.

Rainbow Dash nodded dumbly, too busy watching Holo dance upon the table, with reddening cheeks and slightly stiffening wings, to make comment.

Back at the table, Twilight was too busy cheering and clapping her hooves in tipsy joy to notice Applejack burying her face in her Stetson in complete mortification, definitely regretting her decision to bring out the special hard apple cider.

Holo, for her part, was lost in revelry as she continued to delight the small crowd with cheerful song and risqué dance.

"Who takes a delight in tossing full tankards,

Filling the ale-house with my noise!"

Holo sang, with her tankard held high in a toast to her cheering crowd, before chugging down the sweet apple ale as the gathered partygoers cheered jubilantly.

That is, before Holo fell back off the table and landed on top of Applejack, while Twilight, Rarity, and the rest of the crowd roared with laughter.

-- Canterlot --

Princess Celestia was sitting upon a large plush, velvet cushion in her study, as per usual after Day Court had ended, wearing a mischievous grin as she read the urgently and haphazardly written letter from her faithful, if neurotic, student. The Princess' smile grew even wider when her sister, Luna, opened the door the study.

"Now then, Tia, what was it you wished to discuss?" Princess Luna asked her sister after she closed the door behind her.

"You won't be holding the Night Court this evening, correct?" Celestia asked, without setting the amusing letter down.

Luna raised an eyebrow curiously before answering, "No, I only hold court on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Why do you ask?"

"Read this and I believe you will understand," Celestia replied, levitating the letter to Luna.

Luna caught the letter in her magic and gave her sister a look of confusion, before she sat upon her own cushion and began to read the mysterious scroll.

Celestia watched in amusement as her sister's expression slowly went from curious, to alarmed, and finally to surprise.

"Holo is in Ponyville?!" Luna exclaimed joyously, nearly falling into the Royal Canterlot Voice as she jumped back onto her hooves.

Celestia laughed at her sister's outburst, it was good to see her break out of her normally reserved habits.

"Sister, We must go visit her soon!" Luna insisted with a grand smile.

"Luna, you know we cannot simply up and leave Canterlot without notice. Between the Nobles and Parliament we'd be listening to a months worth of complaints," Celestia reminded her younger sister while she levitated over a fresh scroll and began jotting down details to giver scheduler for planning a day away from the city and the Courts, "I believe we can leave the day after tomorrow, if I pull the appropriate strings."

Luna pouted and her ears drooped a touch at this news, "A full day of waiting?"

"Well, it will take a day of planning for us to visit face to face, at least," Celestia said with a smile and a wink.

Luna tilted her head wearing a perplexed expression, before a smirk graced her lips, "However, in the Dreamscape, I can visit at my discretion. Correct?"

"Indeed, my dear Sister," Celestia replied with a smile as she rolled up the parchment with a grin.

Next Episode:

The Wolf and The Moon

Author's Note

I enjoyed writing tipsy Twilight way too much.

Pegasus ponies are eaters of fish and similar seafoods in my head canon. This is because of the ease of which protein and other nutrients, which I believe would be a necessity in the developing and maintaining of flight muscles, can be easily acquired from fish and would be easy for pony gastronomy to absorb. Furthermore, cloud cities would be easier to form over large bodies of water, like lakes or oceans, and a cloud city established over water would have to rely and maximize their use of renewable aquatic food sources; such as kelp and algae, while fish, and similar non-sentient aquatic animals, would be for protein.
Sauce for tavern song

The Wolf and the Moon

Many thanks to my editors: BrackMadar, Jamza, Hybridnecros.

--- Apples and Wheat ---

“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

― Oscar Wilde, The Critic as Artist

-- The Wolf and the Moon --

Holo mumbled incoherently, as the sun's warm rays stirred her from a deep slumber. The wolfish mare lethargically rolled onto her back and stretched her forehooves wide, rubbing herself against the tall wheat stalks, before the sensation's familiarity registered with her memory. Startled, Holo bolted upright and looked about the familiar rolling hills, covered in ripe, golden wheat stalks as far as the eye could see.

For a brief moment, Holo felt a pang of fear that she was back in the little mountain village that had been all but a prison for so many long years. However, as Holo looked about the golden fields, she saw no village in the distance and no ponies tending or harvesting the golden wheat stalks. After calming herself, Holo noted she was lacking her new clothes and the hangover typical of a night of drinking. Perplexed by this turn of events, Holo slowly walked about the field, looking for some recognizable landmark or indication of where she had awoken.

"Can it be?" Holo whispered to herself as she saw a small stone slab a short distance away.

As a faint recognition bloomed into vivid memories, Holo found herself running at nearly full speed to the distant granite slab. Upon arrival Holo nearly gasped, for before her was a round granite slab with a stylized, crescent moon carved in the center.

"Will wonders ever cease," Holo mused with a smile and sat before the crescent moon, running her hoof over the engraving in the smooth granite, "Hmm, I do hope I remember the call correctly."

Sitting up straight, Holo closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then sang a song from a time long since relegated to a nearly forgotten chapter of history.(1)

To hear the raven's call by night
To catch a wolven howl
The Moon waits beyond the trees
To guide the dreamer's soul.

Holo solemnly sang with her eyes close and a small, serene smile upon her lips while the golden wheat stalks danced around her on an unfelt breeze.

Keeper of Dreams hear my words spoken from my heart
Guide this dreamer's flight, to and fro this night.

Holo opened her eyes and waited with her ears perked up for any sign of a familiar, and long missed, friend. Unfortunately several long moments passed with no sound to be heard, save the rustling of the endless golden fields of wheat stalks. Holo closed her eyes, letting a mournful sigh slip past her lips as her ears drooped. Mentally chiding herself for allowing her hopes to be so easily raised. But as the wolfish mare slowly trotted away from the granite slab, to explore the dreamscape her subconscious had created, a faint and far off voice caused her ears to twitch.

To wait at night upon the dream
To seek the midnight hour
The Moon hides beyond the gate
To hear the dreamers prayer,

Holo dashed back to the granite slab as fast as her hooves could take her as the distant, regal voice sang and sang back the reply.

Keeper of Dreams hear my words spoken from my heart
Guide this dreamer's flight, to and fro this night.

And again the regal voice sang back to her. However, this time the voice came, not from somewhere far across the golden fields, but right beside Holo and sang solemnly with her.

To walk amongst the shadows by day,
To call upon the sleeper
The Moon whispers on the wind
To drown the dreamer's sorrow.

Luna, Princess of the Night and Keeper of the Dreamlands, sang with her eyes closed as she draped a wing around her old friend's shoulders. Holo close her eyes and leaned against the dark alicorn, relishing her long absent friend's touch and together the old companions sang the ancient songs final stanza.

Keeper of Dreams hear my words spoken from my heart
Guide this dreamer's flight, to and fro this night.

For a time the pair remained in the silent embrace, both enjoying the simple feeling of each other's long missed presence.

"I should have known only you would use a song from our youth to call me," Luna said with a soft smile as she hugged her dear friend closer with her wing.

"I missed you greatly, my dear friend," Holo said keeping her eyes closed and leaving her head resting against the dark alicorn's shoulder.

"And I you, my dear wolf," Luna replied before resting her chin on Holo's head.

As much as the Night Princess was enjoying the silent closeness, there were things to discuss and a visit to explain.

"So what have I missed, my friend?" Luna asked looking down at Holo.

"A great many things," Holo said with a sigh and tired eyes, "After you left I stayed at a rural village for a time, then I resumed my travels after finding a good companion to stay with me."

“Yes, my sister mentioned you visited her once after my… departure,” Luna said as Holo´s dreamscape shifted and they found themselves atop a wagon, slowly moving but with no driver, “She also said that you had a traveling merchant with you.”

“He was a good stallion,” Holo replied quietly as she looked forlornly over the wagon's edge to empty harness, where her chestnut and silver peddler belonged, but was not.

Though Luna's curiosity was piqued, she knew it would be foolish to ask about what was so clearly a painful memory. Instead she kept her wing wrapped tightly around her long missed friend.

"What of your activities today?" Luna asked, gently nudging the wolfish mare's head.

"Oh, I had quite a bit of fun, but first let me tell what your sister's brilliant student thought of me before we even met," Holo replied with a smirk.

"And then she fainted!" Holo finished with a grin while Luna laughed leaning against her wolfish friend for support.

"Oh, I did not know young Twilight could be so easily worked into a panic," Luna said between chuckles smiling broadly.

"It was most entertaining," Holo said then sighed contentedly, leaning back against the dark alicorn. "Then I attended a party in my honor where I had my fill of fine ale and delicious cider."

Luna chucked with her wing lazily draped over Holo, when a thought occurred to her, "At whose home are staying at my friend?"

"Are you implying I cannot find my own bed to rest in?" Holo asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Luna rolled her eyes at her friend's assumption. "Nay, but I remember you were always one to be clingy in your sleep," the night princess said with a chuckle.

"I do not remember you ever complaining about my company," Holo countered with a flat look.

"It is hard to complain when one's tongue is occupied with-" Luna began, but was interrupted when a hoof was abruptly shoved against her lips.

Luna looked down at Holo with a raised eyebrow.

"We agreed that was not to be brought up again," Holo said with a slight blush, "Besides we were younger and easily influenced by our emotions."

Luna chuckled and gently pushed Holo's hoof away. "Fair enough, my old friend."

"But to answer your question, I am staying with the Apple family of Ponyville," Holo replied, gazing upon the rolling hills of golden wheat stalks.

"Ah, so you're staying with fair Applejack," Luna said with a smile.

Holo stared at her old friend with a raised eyebrow for a moment, "'Fair' Applejack?"

"What? She is a fine example of earth pony beauty," Luna said with a smile that bordered on devious.

Holo felt her cheeks reddened ever so slightly at the implications of the off hand statement.

"It would be wise to not attempt any claim upon Applejack," Holo stated curtly as her tail twitched in annoyance.

Luna raised an eyebrow at her friends tone in surprise, before a grin slowly worked it's way across her lips.

"You have feelings for her don't you?" Luna asked with a Cheshire grin.

Holo turned away with an indignant humph, "That is none of your concern."

"Apologies, my dear wolf. However, are you certain you do not wish to discuss this?" Luna asked with genuine concern.

"It is a matter I shall contemplate on my own," Holo replied with soft sigh.

Luna pursed her lips in thought for a moment, "I understand, my old friend, but if you wish to discuss this matter I am always willing to listen and give advice."

"Thank you, Luna," Holo replied with a smile.

"Though it still does not change the fact that Applejack is quite fetching," Luna added with a conspiratorial wink.

Holo just rolled her eyes, then laid against the dark alicorn while her tail swayed lazily, "Not that I am complaining, but why are you only visiting me in my dreamscape and not face to face?"

"In all honesty, my dear wolf, I was unaware you were still in Equestria after all these years," Luna replied as her eyes wandered over the subtle curves of Holo's lovely flank, enjoying the old memories that danced in her mind.

"Ah, so your nag of a sister informed you of my return," Holo replied without opening her eyes.

"Aye, that she did," Luna replied with a snicker, "And I am to tell you that we will be visiting you in a day, my dear wolf," the night princess answered before giving Holo's cheek a quick, affectionate nuzzle.

Holo slipped away from Luna's nuzzling with an annoyed look, "By 'we' you mean that your sister shall be accompanying you?"

Luna let out a weary sigh at her old friend's stubborn petulance. "Oh come now, Holo. Surely you can be tolerant if not courteous for just one day?"

Holo let out an annoyed huff and laid back against Luna, "Fine, fine. I shall behave for your sake, my dear moon."

"Thank you, my dear wolf." Luna said with a smile before placing a kiss upon Holo's forehead.

Holo sighed contentedly, snuggled against Luna with the dark alicorn's wing lazily draped across, before the world was suddenly and violently tossed about, which threw her out of the comfortable dreamscape.

Holo groaned as another rock on the dirt road caused the quickly moving wagon to jostle her about the wagon's interior, further aggravating her already painful hangover. Holo tried to open her eyes, but immediately shut them as the early morning sun burned her eyes painfully.

Rubbing her eyes, Holo rose up from the pile of blankets with a scowl and voiced her annoyance, "Lawrence, I cannot sleep if you insist on jostling the wagon like this."

The squeak of the wagon's wheels came to a slow stop, and for the briefest of moments Holo saw the outline of a stallion wearing a thin green coat under the wagon's harness. The outlined figure slowly turned and looked back at Holo with a slightly perplexed expression, "Who?"

Holo blinked several times as the silhouette of her peddler changed to that of an orange mare wearing a Stetson. After a brief moment, recognition caught up with her hungover mind and the wolfish mare's cheeks acquired a lovely red hue, "Applejack?"

"O' course, who else were ya expectin'?" AJ asked tilting her hat back curiously.

"Never mind," Holo replied rubbing her head and doing her best to hide her growing blush, "Just pull the wagon with more care, it seems my hangover is making me see things."

"Ain't mah fault you drank so much," Applejack muttered to herself then resumed the journey to Sweet Apple Acres, though at a slightly slower trot.

With a tired sigh, Holo laid back down amongst the few blankets while she pondered the snippets of her dream, but she could not keep the glimpse of her peddler out of her mind.

Perhaps, you are more like him than I realized at first, Holo thought to herself as she looked over at Applejack trotting along and pulling the wagon along.

~ Erstwhile ~

Twilight Sparkle slowly rose off her bathroom floor with a pained groan, "Ugh, too much alcohol."

This wasn't the first time the young scholar awoke to the harsh consequence of partying a little too hard with her friends.

Twilight gingerly rubbed her aching head, feeling slightly better after the rather forceful evacuation of her stomach. That is, until the scent of her stomach's leavings of undigested food and alcohol nearly caused a second vomiting fit.

Biting back a dry heave, Twilight quickly flushed the toilet and ambled her way down to the kitchen for some strong coffee.

Spike was already cooking up a light breakfast when Twilight slowly made her way into the kitchen and plopped down into her chair.

Glancing back as he heard the familiar scrape of the kitchen chair on the floor, Spike smiled at his slightly hung over big sister, "Morning Twilight."

The big sister in question, merely grunted in reply before quickly scooping the waiting cup of hot coffee between her hooves.

"Uh oh," Spike said as he felt a familiar pressure build up in his gut.

With a deep belch the little dragon produced a scroll with the familiar seal of Princess Celestia. Out of habit, Spike unfurled the scroll and read it aloud to Twilight.

My most faithful student Twilight,

My sister and I found your previous letter to be most informative and have to decided to speak with Holo, the Wise Wolf face to face. Since this will be a brief and informal visit. I would like you to gather as much information about Holo, her plans involving her stay with the Apple family, and any other relevant matters. My sister and I shall be arriving tomorrow morning. As such, there is no great rush and I will accept your report while I am in Ponyville.

Your mentor and friend Princess Celestia.

P. S. Luna asks if you could see if Pinkie Pie could make two dozen moon pies for her.

"Thanks, Spike," Twilight replied before sipping on her coffee again.

Then what Spike had read aloud finally registered in her groggy mind.

"TOMORROW MORNING!?"

Next Episode:
Wolf and a Day on The Farm

Author's Note

Link to original song.
Yeah my paganism is showing on this one. Seriously though, this is a powerful and beautiful song. Plus I couldn't find any US copyright info on it, so suck it Trebek.

And don't forget this is now a shipping story.

Wolf and a Day on the Farm

Fair warning, some heavy metaphysical/mythological head-canon matters ahead regarding Holo.

Editors: Tensemasterhalo and Jamza. Show them love.

---/---

-- Apples and Wheat --

“The farmers are the founders of civilization.

—Daniel Webster.”

-- Wolf and a Day on The Farm --

Having lived with Twilight most of his life, Spike had long since grown used to the various personality quirks of his big sister. So after watching Twilight do the soothing breathing exercise, taught to her by Cadence, to soothe her frayed nerves, he was hardly surprised when she began quickly gathering things and loading up her saddlebags.

"So much to do. So much to do," Twilight muttered to herself as she packed her saddle bags with several rolls of parchment paper, a couple of inkwells, a few quills, and, of course, some reference books.

"Twilight, I don't think Princess Celestia is expecting you to have a big, multiple page report ready by tomorrow morning," Spike commented between bites of his sapphire sprinkled waffles.

"Regardless of what Princess Celestia says she expects, I, as her personal student and protégé, have a much higher standard which I must hold myself to in order to meet the expectations that such a title comes with," Twilight explained, double checking her check list before putting a few extra quills into her saddlebag, "So, logically, I must always seek to surpass that which is expected of me."

"You know, Twi, it was that kind of thinking that lead to your 'Want it; Need it' incident," Spike snarked, before stuffing another fork load of waffles into his mouth.

Twilight gave Spike a rather pointed look, which the young drake shrugged off with a half smile that said he knew he was at least partially right.

"The point being," Twilight said with a sigh, "That there's still a lot we don't know about Holo."

Spike nodded as he chewed acknowledging his big sister's point.

"And I do have quite a few questions of my own for Holo," Twilight said as she levitated her saddlebags onto her back. "Now then, Spike, are you sure you'll be fine by yourself?"

"Yeah," Spike answered as he added another helping of syrup onto his waffles, "There's only like a dozen books to sort and shelve. It won't take too long."

"And then you can see if Rarity needs any help?" Twilight asked with a sly grin.

"Maybe?" Spike admitted with a slight blush swirling a bit of waffle in a puddle of syrup.

"Just don't stay out too late," Twilight said with chuckle before charging her horn and vanishing in a flash of magic.

-- Meanwhile --

"Took long enough," Applejack groaned as she finally pulled the cart up to the Apple family farmhouse.

Though this hadn't been the first time Applejack had to pull the cart back from town while dealing with a hangover, it certainly didn't make the long trot any easier. With a groan AJ wiped the sweat from her brow and shrugged out of the cart's harness and tackle.

"Holo, we're at the farm house," Applejack declared as she rubbed her forehead trying to ignore the dull throbbing of her headache.

In response, Holo groaned from the cart's bed.

Applejack sighed and looked into the cart, resting her hooves on the sidewall. The farm mare rolled her eyes when she saw Holo laying on a pile of empty sacks with her head hidden under her black wool vest.

"Ah see you're paying for your indulgences," Applejack commented with a small grin.

The wolfish mare did not respond, but Applejack did see her tail twitch in annoyance. She was fairly sure if she could she Holo's face there'd be a rather sour glare there.

"Come on, let's get inside already," Applejack said feeling her the throbbing in her head slowly growing worse.

With another groan, Holo let the vest slip off her head as she sat up, slowly blinking her bloodshot eyes. She wobbled slightly and placed a hoof against the sidewall to steady herself, only finding minor success.

Applejack raised an eyebrow in concern, feeling a little worried, watching Holo struggling just to stay upright.

"I am become death," Holo muttered before falling back into the pile of empty sacks she had been using as a bed.

"Ain't gotta be so dramatic," Applejack deadpanned before going around to the back of the cart and climbing inside.

"Holo? Holo, can ya hear me?" Applejack asked, gently brushing aside the wolfish mare's bangs with her hoof.

"I think I may have over exerted myself last night," Holo muttered, slowly blinking her bleary eyes.

"Big surprise," AJ said with a long suffering sigh, before coming to a decision and gently lifting Holo up and onto her back, "And since you're so helpless Ah guess I'll have to carry you."

"I am not helpless and your back is like laying upon a rock," Holo grumbled and fidgeted as she lay across the farm mare's strong back.

"That a compliment or an insult?" Applejack replied dryly, as she carried the hungover wolfish mare into the house.

Holo wordlessly grumbled as she laid limply across the farm mare's back with her ears and tail drooping pitifully.

"Granny, we're gonna need that hangover cure!" Applejack called out while opening the squeaky screen door.

"Don't be yellin' in the house," Granny Smith chided AJ as she trotted into the room.

"Sorry, Granny, but me and Holo are feelin' a bit under the weather," Applejack explained with a pained smile.

- - -

Applejack let out a quiet groan as she sat at the Apple family's dinner table, with her head face down on the table, attempting to help dull the aching. Her hat was offset and was hanging off her left ear.

Across from the cowpony sat, or rather slouched, the equally hung over wolfish mare. Holo sat at the table with her forehead resting on it and her long mane draped around her head, mercifully shielding her eyes from the mid morning sunlight streaming in from the kitchen window.

"I see ya both helped yerselves to plenty of drinks last night," Granny Smith said with a chuckle as she cracked two eggs over each glass, dropping a raw egg into each one.

"Ah didn't drink that much, but the trot back to the farm just about did me in," Applejack groaned out miserably.

Granny Smith nodded sagely while adding a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to each cup. "And you, Holo?"

"Two pitchers and four tall cups," Holo replied simply and dismally, "Plus a bit of dancing."

"Was more than a bit," Applejack groaned out, sitting up and eyeing the wolfish mare sourly, "Plus you used me to cushion your fall off the table."

Holo kept her head on the table and waved her hoof dismissively.

"Yer first night out and ya overdo it," Granny Smith said shaking her head disapprovingly as she sprinkled salt and pepper into the two glasses, "I ain't exactly surprised."

"I have never claimed to practice great restraint," Holo said with a groan rubbing her head with one eye directed to her old friend.

"Gee, Ah never woulda guessed that one," Applejack said in a tone matching her sour stomach.

Granny Smith chuckled at her granddaughter and Holo's hung over bickering, while she added a dash of tabasco sauce to each glass of her odd concoction.

"You cannot possibly blame me for this aftereffect," Holo said with drooping ears and bleary eyes directed at AJ.

"Don't mean Ah can't try," Applejack replied as stubbornly as she could manage.

"That'll be enough outta both of ya," Granny Smith said firmly as she set down both of the glasses containing the raw, runny, and somewhat slimy concoction.

"Is that... what I think it is?" Holo asked blinking in disbelief.

"Sure enough is," Granny Smith stated with a grin.

"Do Ah even want ta know?" AJ muttered miserably.

"It is a prairie oyster and they are good for hangovers," Holo explained as she reached for the closest glass.1

Applejack nodded and slide the other glass closer to her.

"Be sure ta drink 'em quick," Granny Smith said with a chuckle.

"Yes, yes I remember," Holo replied with a sigh before quickly gulping down the runny concoction.

After a wary sniff, Applejack followed Holo's example and downed her glass just as quickly. Her hat falling off her head in the process and drifting down and landing on table.

The effect was rather instantaneous, both mares shuddered at the rather unique flavor and nearly gagged as the raw drink oozed its way down their throats.

"Ugh, it is exactly as awful as I remember, Maria", Holo groused, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

Meanwhile, Applejack darted to the fridge and commenced downing apple juice, straight from the jug, in hopes of riding her mouth of this particular flavor of horrible.

"Heh, it certainly leaves a lastin' impression," Granny Smith said with a chuckle as she rounded up the glasses and began rinsing them out.

"Ain't that the truth," Applejack grunted. "Still it got rid of my headache, so I can't complain much."

"True enough," Holo said with a nod before stiffly trotting off towards the bathroom.

Looks like somepony ain't feeling very sociable, Applejack thought with a raised eyebrow at the wolfish mare's short impersonal reply.

Granny Smith hmm'd thoughtfully for a moment before turning back to the sink. Applejack idly wondered if her grandmother had any thoughts on the wolfish mare's behavior.

Then again if it was important Granny would've said something, AJ thought to herself. Putting her concerns to the side, for the time being, Applejack pushed her chair in and slipped her Stetson back on.

"Well Ah'm gonna check with Mac and see if there's any Sunday chores to do," Applejack said as she adjusted her hat.

"Don't bother, sugar cube," Granny Smith replied before she started washing the dirty dishes from breakfast, "Ain't much ta do today and Big Mac took care of it, before headin' into town."

Applejack blinked in surprise, "Big Mac went into town? Did he say what for?"

"Somethin' about replacing some rotten floorboards at the schoolhouse for Miss Cheerilee," Granny Smith replied as she put the glasses on the drying rack, "Oh and mending a broken fence at yer friend Fluttershy's cottage."

"Don't know why he didn't ask me ta help him," Applejack said rubbing her chin while thinking.

"It'd be hard to go a courtin' with yer sister hangin' about," Granny Smith replied with a sly grin.

"Granny! That'd be about the last thing Ah want to hear about," Applejack stated, blushing and briskly trotting out of the kitchen and the upstairs to her room.

"Ah swear that filly gets all bashful too easy," Granny Smith grumbled watching her flustered granddaughter trot off, "Can't even ask her if she's got a nice stallion or mare ta court without her a turnin' red." Granny Smith mused as she leaned back into her rocking chair.

"I swear sometimes Granny shares way too much," Applejack grumbled under her breathe as she trotted up the old creaky staircase.

"Maybe a nap would do me good," AJ said to herself as she opened the door to her room.

Only to find Holo sprawled out on her bed.

Applejack sighed and trotted up to the bed, "Holo, what are you doing in mah bed?" She asked, nudging the unconscious wolfish mare with her hoof.

"My legs and back are in pain," Holo groaned out as she felt her legs began to spasm, the muscles twisting themselves into knots, sending shooting pain up her legs.

Applejack gently ran her hooves over Holo's leg and felt various muscles tensed up tightly. "Feels like muscle cramps."

The wolfish mare let out a quiet grunt as the cramps and pain intensified.

"Ah got some volcano oil," Applejack said with a worried expression, "A bit of that and you'll be good as new."

Holo gave a pained whimper in reply, encouraging Applejack to be quick about it.

-- Meanwhile --

The idyllic tranquility of Sweet Apple Acres was broken by the sudden sound of an almost electrical zap. With a flash of purple light, Twilight Sparkle materialized before the Apple family farm house.

Ah guess somepony is in a hurry, Granny Smith thought to herself watching Twilight appear with a grey arched eyebrow.

Twilight glanced around to gather her bearings, Huh, I guess my long range teleportation isn't strong enough to get me onto Applejack's porch in one go.

"Oh well, at least I didn't end up stuck in a wall again." Twilight thought out loud as she adjusted her saddlebag and began trotting up to the porch.

"Good morning, ma'am," Twilight said with a charming smile.

"That it is youngin'," Granny Smith declared with a smile of her own from her creaky rocking chair, "Ya here ta see AJ?"

"Yes, do you know if Applejack and Holo are awake?" Twilight inquired politely glancing to the seemingly empty farmhouse.

"Yup, they're both upstairs Ah believe," Granny Smith replied from her rocking chair. "Go on in, I'll be up in a minute or two."

Twilight nodded in reply before going inside the farmhouse and trotting up the stairs. She paused for a moment then decided to check on Applejack before going to the guest bedroom, where Holo was most likely staying.

Seeing that the door to AJ's room was closed, Twilight raised her hoof to give a polite knock to double check that her farm friend was indeed awake. However, Twilight's hoof stopped short when she heard a low moan coming from behind the door.

Oh, I hope Applejack doesn't have too bad of a hangover, Twilight thought with a concerned frown. Until her concern was demolished by what sounded like a very different kind of moan.

"Mmm, lower," Twilight heard Holo moan out, her voice slightly muffled by Applejack's door.

Twilight felt her cheeks warming as her mind jumped through some very interesting chains of logic that would explain that particular tone of voice coming through a closed bedroom door.

Then she heard Applejack grunt followed by, what sounded like, the squeaking of bed springs.

This was quickly followed by Holo nearly shouting, "Ah! Yes, yes there. Harder!"

Along with Applejack's heated, if quiet, reply, "Will you keep your voice down!?"

Twilight just stood there, cheeks aflame and trying very hard to not imagine what could be going on in her friend's bedroom.

"Whatcha waitn' fer, youngin?" Granny Smith asked from beside the befuddled unicorn.

The youngin' in question jumped a bit at the appearance of the elderly Apple matriarch, apparently having missed her arrival.

"Um, well I..." Twilight quickly tried to explain, but was cut off by a rather loud, shuddering moan.

Granny Smith raised an eyebrow at that and then quietly opened the door. What they saw was quite the sight. A panting Holo was laying in AJ's bed, on her belly, with the farm mare herself delicately straddling the wolfish mare's lower back.

"Will ya stop that makin' them kind of sounds?" Applejack said pulling her hooves away with a dark blush highlighting her cheeks.

"But it feels so wonderfully good," Holo said with a pout looking over her shoulder at the farm mare.

"Uh huh," Applejack deadpanned before noticing her grandmother and Twilight standing in the open doorway. "Um, morning?" AJ ventured with a nervous smile.

Twilight just stood in the doorway not really sure what to say.

"Shameless as ever, Ah see," Granny Smith said with a chuckle.

"Come now, Maria, you know one such as myself will rarely, if ever, change their ways," Holo replied with a grin.

"Are you gonna mind yourself or should I stop and leave your sore muscles ta' sort themselves out?" Applejack asked in an annoyed tone, looking down at the wolfish mare.

"Very well, I shall hold my tongue," Holo said before groaning out, "My back aches more than my need for amusement."

"How can ya be this sore after just one night of dancin'?" Applejack asked with a long suffering sigh and resumed rubbing the oil into the mischievous mare's sore back

"I may live for long centuries, but I have not exerted myself in such a way for quite some time," Holo replied while her fine tail slowly swayed.

"Meanin' yer an old coot," Granny Smith said with a chuckle as she sat down in a chair by the door.

Holo rolled her eyes at her old friend's remark, but said nothing. While Applejack grinned and rubbed the last of the volcano oil into the wolfish mare's back before climbing down off the bed. "So whatcha doin' out here so early, Twi?"

"Well, I have some questions for Holo. So I decided to come over as soon as I could to get started," Twilight replied and drew out a scroll and quill from her saddlebags.

"Liar," Holo declared with a languid yawn.

"What?!" Twilight blurted out, her eyes wide with surprise at the accusation.

"You have another motive that you are not telling me," Holo explained before sitting up with her ears attentively twitching and directing a mild glare towards the Twilight, "My ears can detected even the most subtle of lies, it would behoove you to be on your best behavior, young scholar." Holo finished with a small, smug, superior smile.

Twilight frowned and was about to reply in kind, when Applejack interceded.

"Holo, be polite," Applejack said placing herself between the two mares, "but, Twi', I would appreciate it if you explained yourself."

The Apple matriarch glanced between the three mares and came to a decision. "Come on down to the kitchen. Applejack can fix up some drinks, while Ah get started on lunch," she stated before trotting out of the bedroom.

"Alright, Twilight, can you explain why Holo said you were lying?" Applejack asked, setting a glass of apple cider in front of her bookish friend.

Twilight nodded and took a sip from her glass before replying, "I received a letter from Princess Celestia-"

Holo snorted, earning a reproachful look from Granny Smith as she carried a pot to the sink.

"-asking me to write a report for her about Holo and what she's doing here in Ponyville." Twilight explained, her ears folded in embarrassment.

"So why didn't ya say that from the get go?" Applejack asked a bit confused.

"Well, the Wolf Tribes and Princess Celestia, um..." Twilight trailed off, unsure of how to breach the topic.

"The wolves ain't got the best opinion of the Princess, if this one is any indication," Granny Smith finished for Twilight, nodding towards Holo, while she set a few bundles of vegetables on a cutting board.

AJ looked to Holo, who nodded in agreement, as she drank some of her delicious, but sadly nonalcoholic, cider.

"Does this have ta do with how stories about wolves always involve the moon?" Applejack asked, tilting her head.

"Something along those lines, yes," Twilight said before taking a sip of her cider, "The Wolf Tribes revere the moon and by extension Princess Luna, so when she was banished a schism formed between the Wolf Tribes and Princess Celestia."

"Makes sense, Ah suppose," Applejack said rubbing her chin.

"Applejack," Granny Smith called. "Be a dear and start choppin' the vegetables fer the stew."

"Sure thing, Granny," Applejack responded as she walked to the counter next to her grandmother.

Which left Twilight alone with Holo, at the table. While the young scholar was fairly certain Holo wasn't exactly mad at her, Twilight knew she had annoyed the wolfish mare at the very least.

Okay, time to put those etiquette lessons to good use, Twilight thought to herself as she mentally prepared herself.

"I'm sorry if my lie offended you, Holo, I just wasn't sure how you would react if I told you it was a request from Princess Celestia," Twilight apologized as sincerely as she could.

"Apology accepted," Holo stated simply with an approving nod. "Now then, you came to ask questions of me, yes?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, like I said, I have quite a few questions and I was hoping you could answer them," Twilight replied with a hopeful smile as her magic once more lifted a blank scroll and quill from her saddle bags.

Holo did not answer immediately, but paused to consider the scholarly mare while she sipped from her glass of apple cider. For a moment Twilight began to think the wolfish mare was going to decline answering any questions.

"... Ask what you wish and I shall answer as I am able," Holo replied before sipping on her cider once more, much to Twilight's relief.

"So, Holo, um why are you connected with bountiful harvests?" Twilight asked with her quill at the ready.

"When I was young I would watch the wild vegetables and wild wheat grow in anticipation of the return of the deer and elk herds," Holo replied with a far away look in her eyes, "As I grew, I came to understand that all that is, stems from the earth in a cycle of sorts. After I had learnt the wisdom of that, I sought to learn more and more; as my wisdom grew so did my power. Eventually I came to be the alpha of the Wisewolves because of my wisdom and power."

Twilight quickly jotted down all this, with Applejack listening in while chopping and dumping vegetables into the stew pot that Granny Smith was adding seasoning to.

"Hmm, that sounds similar to how the Princesses came to power, once they understood their cutie marks," Twilight idly remarked chewing on the feathery tip of her quill.

"It is how many of us came to be what we are now," Holo replied before sipping from her glass of cider.

Twilight's ear twitched at that. "What do you mean by 'us'?" She asked with a frown.

"When you are ready, you will see it," Holo said with a pleasant smile.

Twilight blinked in confusion, while Granny Smith chuckled, stirring the simmering and delicious smelling apple cabbage stew.

"Don't bother askin' Holo ta explain when she's a smilin' like that," Granny Smith said giving the wolfish mare a sidelong glance, "She'll just beat around the bush till you're blue in the face."

"You mean there's a time when Holo ain't talkin' nonsense?" Applejack asked with a chuckle, earning a roll of the eyes from the wolfish mare, before she gathered up a few bowls and spoons.

"Okay, next question," Twilight said after glancing to her notes, "Holo, you aren't a god of some sort are you?"

"I am nothing so grand and aloof, I am simply me," Holo replied with a chuckle.

Twilight nodded, jotting Holo's answer down, before looking up again, "In that case, what exactly would you define yourself as?"

"As I am now, I would be described, in a way that you can best understand, as a manifested Spirit of this world," Holo replied, before sipping on her cup of cider.

Twilight's quill fell onto the table as her magic sputtered out. "You- you're a fully manifested Spirit?"2

"How else would a wolf dwell in wheat or come to live so long, young scholar?" Holo countered with a mischievous grin.

"Ah thought spirits were invisible, kinda like the wind?" Applejack asked glancing towards Twilight, while filling the bowls with stew.

Twilight swallowed her nervousness as best she could to avoid stammering, "By and large, yes. Spirits exist in what is known as the spirit world, a very abstract place that coexists alongside our world, but is not visible to us. However, certain spirits, like Discord, are so powerful that they physically manifest into our world," Twilight explained, not taking her eyes off the wolfish mare sitting across from her, as she wondered what secrets could lie behind those apple red eyes.

"Correct, but please do not compare me to that buffoon," Holo said with a frown.

—Somewhere a certain Draconequus sneezed—

"Now then, there is another aspect to the workings of those like myself that I believe you should be made aware of," Holo stated before sipping from her glass.

"What would that be?" Twilight asked leaning forward as her magic picked her quill back up.

"The first is that I was born a wolf. The second is that some Spirits are the Mantles they wear. When I was young there were few Spirits and many Mantles and as some grew those Mantles came to them. Then there were a few who were born with these Mantles already upon them," Holo explained frowning at her now empty glass.3

Twilight's mouth opened and closed several times before she was able to find her voice. "Holo, are you saying you're not only a fully manifested Spirit, but that you are also a true bearer of a Mantle of Power?"

"One led to the other," Holo vaguely replied with a shrug, further baffling the young scholar.

"Uh, Twi, what's so special about a mantle?" Applejack asked casting a perplexed look towards her bookish friend.

"A Mantle of Power is more or less the essence of a specific, powerful being given a form that can, in theory, be moved from one being to another, but the way it can be moved is unknown. To be honest, there is very little known about them at all," Twilight explained hoping she had correctly remembered what little she did know of Mantles.

"Close enough, I suppose," Holo said with a cryptic smile.

"There's more to it than that isn't there?" Twilight asked with keen interest, "Are Mantles like—"

Holo held up a hoof abruptly silencing the eager, young scholar.

"I am not your teacher. It is not my place to speak further with you on this matter," Holo explained resolutely.

Twilight blinked in surprise then sighed as she translated the subtext of the wolfish mare's statement.

"I understand," Twilight said with a nod.

Looks like Twi is gonna have more questions for Princess Celestia then she came with for Holo, Applejack thought watching her friend quickly adding a few lines to her notes.

The scratching of Twilight's quill was interrupted by Granny Smith chuckling as she turned off the stove and looked over to the wolfish mare. "Ah was wonderin' when you'd explain it to 'em."

"You already knew all that, Granny?" AJ asked looking to her grandmother while filling up the last bowl with piping hot stew.

"That Ah did, sugar cube, only took the promise of three of my apple pies a day for week, to make her tell me back then," old Maria Smith replied with a wry grin as AJ placed the bowl of stew before her chair.

"Twas a fair price. After all I could not impart such wisdom as part of a blessing of fertility, dear Maria," Holo said smiling at her old friend, who took her seat at the small table.

Meanwhile, Twilight blinked out of her shock as her mind caught onto an implication within the wolfish mare's comment on fertility.

"Wait! Holo, are you implying that you function as a Tutelary Spirit?" Twilight abruptly asked leaning so far forward she was practically straddling the table.

"My, my, such desire in those violet eyes," Holo replied with sultry smile.

Twilight quickly sat back into her chair, hiding her blushing cheeks behind her notes as she fidgeted.

"Leave her be, Holo," Applejack chided, as she set a bowl of stew in front of the wolfish mare.

"As you wish, my dear Apple mare," Holo replied with a grin letting her swaying tail brush against Applejack's chest.

AJ rolled her eyes, but said nothing and retrieved the bowl of steaming apple cabbage stew for her blushing friend.

"Don't let her get to ya," Applejack quietly said to her friend and set the bowl of stew down.

Twilight and AJ were too busy talking to see Granny Smith look into Holo's eyes. She briefly gestured her spoonful of stew towards her granddaughter, to which Holo nodded once in reply to the unspoken question.

The trio quietly ate their apple cabbage stew in amicable silence. Twilight, on the other hoof, was too busy thinking about Holo. She didn’t know what to make of the wolfish mare sitting across from her anymore. She already knew Holo was important, if the legends from The Book of the Moon were anything to go by, but to actually be a Spirit? Not just any spirit, but a Tutelary Spirit, a guardian, and a Mantle bearer... well the implications were more than a slightly intimidating. With a soft sigh Twilight resumed eating, trying to piece together what Holo said into a more clear picture could wait until she got back to the library.

"One could say that blessings of abundance and fertility are my specialties," Holo said interrupting the young scholar's musings, "And with wheat being the first step upon my path of wisdom, so did I become closely tied to the wheat and gain dominion over of it," Holo finished before downing half of her bowl of stew in one gulp.

Twilight squinted as she processed that, before a subtext stood out to her mind, "Holo, you said that when Ms. Smith was younger, she convinced you to place a blessing on the Apple's land, right?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Holo replied with a nod, refilling her glass.

"So did your blessing of fertility also affect the Apples along with the land they dwell on and farm?" Twilight asked rubbing her chin while jotting down notes with her magic.

"I see you can be quite perceptive," Holo said with smile, tilting her cup towards Twilight in acknowledgement.

"Wait, are you sayin' the Apple clan is so big because of Holo?" Applejack asked glancing between the wolfish mare and Twilight.

"Among other things, yes, my dear Apple mare," Holo said with a sly smile, "Though from what Maria has told me of just how vast the Apple clan has become, perhaps my blessings upon your house were a bit too effective," the wolfish mare added with a teasing smile directed to her old friend.

Granny Smith snorted, "Yer lucky you weren't here to help with the diaper changing and washing," said before finishing her portion of stew.

"Holo, would it be correct to say that the Apple family is under your patronage?" Twilight asked after swallowing a spoonful of stew.

"Aegis would be a better choice of word," Holo replied before taking a drink from her cup.

"A what now?" Applejack asked tilting her head and looking to Holo.

Holo just waved a hoof in Twilight's direction while she drank.

The young scholar coughed politely before she began, "Aegis means almost the same as patronage, but is an older word with a much deeper meaning. Basically, it means the Apples have Holo's protection and blessings," Twilight trailed off as she began to wonder how much deeper that meaning did go.

"Well said," Holo stated with an approving smile.

Granny Smith nodded in agreement, "Ah made a deal with Holo years ago ta help our family when first set down roots here," she said to Applejack.

"And it was a hard bargain you drove, dear Maria," Holo said with a chuckle.

"Heh, be glad I was young when we met, nowadays I'm a lot sharper," Granny Smith replied with a smile before rising from the table, "Care ta join me on the porch?"

"Of course, dear Maria," Holo replied with a warm smile.

Applejack watched the odd pair of old friends walk off with a smile, before looking across the table to see Twilight frowning at her notes.

"Somethin' the matter, Twi?"

"I get the feeling Holo is saying a lot more than I'm understanding," Twilight replied with a frown as she glanced between a pair of scrolls.

"Would it really surprise ya, if she was?" Applejack asked as she trotted over to her friend.

"No, it wouldn't," Twilight said with a sigh, before rolling up her scrolls.

"Come on, let's join them on the porch. Ah imagine you got more questions anyways," Applejack said with a smile.

As the farm mare and young scholar approached the screen door they caught the tail end of Granny Smith and Holo's conversation.

".... am uncertain of what I should do," Holo said in a quiet voice, "It calls to me, Maria, and I yet I am afraid."

"Follow yer heart sugar cube, I know you'll make the right decision," Granny Smith said from her weathered rocking chair.

"I understand," Holo replied with a soft sigh.

Holo couldn't be talking about leaving the farm, could she? Applejack thought, feeling a slight tightening in her chest.

The farm mare shook the thought away, reminding herself not to jump to conclusions without knowing exactly what her grandmother and Holo had been talking about it.

Glancing to Twilight, AJ saw she was distracted looking for a blank scroll and decided to keep that thought to herself.

"Granny, did Big Mac check the wheat field before he left?" Applejack asked as she pushed open the screen door then held it open for Twilight.

"Most likely," Granny Smith replied from her squeaking rocking chair.

Applejack frowned at that for a moment before she stepped off the porch, "Ah'm gonna go double check, just ta be sure."

"Itchin' for something ta do, as usual," Granny Smith commented at her granddaughter with a knowing smile.

"You know me, Granny, the farm comes first," Applejack replied with a chuckle.

"Would you mind if I accompany you?" Holo asked from her spot beside her old friend.

Applejack raised an eyebrow curiously, but shrugged after a moment, "If ya want to, Ah don't mind."

"Maria?" Holo asked looking to her dear old friend.

"Go on, Ah'll be fine," Granny Smith said with a wave of her hoof.

"By your leave then," Holo said with a nod before she got up, before looking towards Twilight, "Come along, young scholar, I still see questions in your eyes."

Twilight blushed and quickly trotted after Applejack and Holo, while Granny Smith chuckled.

"This is quite the fine field," Holo remarked as she looked over the fields AJ and her brother had plowed and seeded.

"Yeah, but Mac forgot ta put up the scarecrow. Ah'll be back in a minute," Applejack said before trotting off towards a small shed.

Holo nodded then trotted over to a nearby tree, with the young scholar in tow, and laid down beneath its cool shade.

Twilight sat a short distance from the wolfish mare and pulled out a scroll and quill with her magic. The young scholar's brow was furrowed as various questions swirled in her mind, formed from the answers and not answers Holo had given her. While she did still plan on asking some of her predetermined questions, Twilight decided that following the pattern of earlier questions would net her answers with substantially deeper meanings. Of course, that was assuming she could puzzle out just how many layers there would be to the answers Holo would hypothetically give her.

Twilight took a steadying breath before voicing her first question, "Holo, since you're a Spirit that grants blessings, would you consider yourself a good Spirit then?"

"I do not think of myself as good or evil, I am simply me," Holo replied, watching as Applejack hefted out a scarecrow made of burlap and stuffed with straw from the shed, "Though, if I were to be verbose, I would say that good and evil are determined from what one perceives as beneficial or harmful to oneself, though oft' it is not realized. However, I am aware that my own habits are somewhat selfish."

Twilight hummed thoughtfully, quickly jotting down notes onto her scroll.

Setting down every word. It seems scholars never change, Holo thought with a small smile at the scratching of the quill against the scroll.

"Holo," Twilight said, after a moment of thought, "How is it you're so comfortable with ponies?"

Holo looked to the her with a perplexed expression, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're a wolf, but you seem to act almost like a pony most of the time," Twilight explained while dipping her quill's tip into a portable ink pot. "No offense, but you don't really act like I'd expect a wolf of your stature to act."

"And you did not act like I expected the protégé of a princess to act," Holo countered with a smirk.

Twilight blushed, but gave a soft giggle, "A fair point, but that isn't an answer."

Holo smiled and resumed watching Applejack's attempts to straighten the old scarecrow, "I am a wolf. The drive to hunt and further one's territory is in my blood, if not my very soul," Holo explained before looking back to Twilight, "Much as is the desire to wield your magic to reshape the world around you, I’m sure."

Twilight furrowed her brow in thought, "But that's part of being a unicorn. Magic is intrinsic to us."

"As is the call of the hunt and the gathering of territory to wolves," Holo replied sitting up straight and looking off somewhere into the distance as Twilight watched her intently, "I will tell thee this much. There is not a day that goes by where I do not consider indulging in my wolfish nature; to simply hunt and expand my territory by tooth and claw."

"But wouldn't... wouldn't denying that mean you're not being true to yourself?" Twilight cautiously ventured.

"When you can tell me why you do not use your magic to shape the world to your desires, regardless of what others may say or want, then you shall know my reason," Holo said before standing up and stepping closer to Twilight.

Twilight sat there feeling very much like a grade school filly presented with a calculus problem as she tried to think of an appropriate response to the Wisewolf in mare's clothing standing before her.

"I am that which I am, no matter what form I wear or what my instincts dictate," Holo stated and leaned in, looking directly into Twilight's eyes, "Or perhaps it is better to simply ask yourself, young scholar, what is better- to be that which you are born, or to be that which you choose?"

Twilight sat transfixed by Holo's eyes, which, so far, had almost always shone with mischief and mirth, but now conveyed the weight and age of more than she knew she could ever truly understand.

"I... I don't know," Twilight answered breathlessly.

"Wisdom," Holo simply said with a nod, before turning and walking off towards Applejack.

Hearing soft hoof steps behind her, Applejack glanced over her shoulder and saw Holo carefully walking down the plowed field towards her.

"Twi' done asking ya questions?" AJ asked as she stamped down the dirt around the scarecrows base.

"For the moment, yes," Holo replied, coming to a stop besides the farm mare.

"Heh, give her a minute ta breathe and Ah bet she'll have even more questions for ya," Applejack said with a grin as she stood up.

"I should think so, her curiosity runs quite deep," Holo replied while she inspected the scarecrow. It had a straw stuffed burlap body with a dried gourd for a head that was topped off with a tattered straw hat. "Will this truly keep birds away?" she asked, gingerly poking the scarecrow.

"Course it will," Applejack replied cheerfully, "Worked just fine for pumpkins couple years back."

"If you say so," Holo said before she leaned against the farm mare, resting her head against her shoulder.

Applejack arched an eyebrow as the wolfish mare leaned against her, but if she had any problem with it she did not voice it.

"I take it, Twilight informed you that Luna and her sister shall be visiting on the morrow?" Holo asked while her lovely tail slowly swayed.

"She did," Applejack tersely replied, wondering what Holo was getting at.

"I shall say this only once, since the Sun Nag's student is distracted," Holo said looking up at Applejack with a serious expression, "I do not expect a meeting with her to end with us coming to blows, but I'd prefer it if you were there to hinder such an outcome."

Applejack blinked, slightly taken aback at the request, "You don't get along with the princess at all, do ya?"

"I have my reasons and they are mine," Holo replied looking back to the frayed scarecrow while her tail twitched indignantly.

Applejack couldn't see if Holo had frowned, but could easily imagine it from her tone.

"Why not have Granny with you?" Applejack asked ignoring the pleasant warmth coming from the wolfish mare leaning against her side.

"Maria has endured much because of me and more with my absence," Holo replied quietly, almost sadly, "I will not ask this of her."

"But why me?" Applejack asked gently rolling her shoulder to nudge Holo.

The wolfish mare looked up at her wearing a small smile, "Because I trust you."

"We met barely three days ago," Applejack replied skeptically.

"And yet, it feels like ages does it not?" Holo countered her smile widening.

Applejack couldn't deny that, even if she wanted to. For reasons that were beyond her, she and Holo had quickly come to a sort of understanding and acceptance of one another.

"Alright, Ah'll keep on ya when you talk to the princess," Applejack said with a nod.

"Thank you," Holo replied and briefly nuzzled Applejack's shoulder before pulling away and casually trotting off.

Applejack stayed facing the old scarecrow trying her best to ignore the blush dusting her cheeks and the pleasantly tingling sensation on her shoulder where the wolfish mare had nuzzled.

The trio stayed rather quiet while on their way back to the farmhouse. Twilight was lost in thought as she contemplated what Holo had told her. The wolfish mare, herself, was smiling pleasantly while she trotted along just slightly ahead of her two companions. While Applejack was busy glancing around checking on things as they passed them by, that is, while trying not to let her eyes wander towards Holo and watch her white tipped tail as it slowly swayed with each step.

When they were nearly half way back to the farmhouse Twilight looked towards Holo and cleared her throat politely. "Holo, I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me why you don't like Princess Celestia?"

Holo's ears twitched at the question and she stopped walking.

"There is an old and firm disagreement of opinions fouling the air betwixt us," Holo explained with a frown as she briefly squinted at the afternoon sun, half hidden by clouds, "I have not willing spoken with her nigh two hundred years and I have no honest desire to seek her out, lest we repeat our last encounter."

"What happened the last time you two met?" Twilight asked tilting her head in honest curiosity.

Holo sighed softly at the question, while she did want to answer the question. She also knew that the young scholar's curiosity would not rest until it was at least somewhat sated.

"I shall simply say that it was a very loud argument," Holo replied curtly.

"Was it about Princess Luna's banishment?" Twilight asked without thinking and immediately regretted it.

At this Holo turned around to face Twilight, her expression hard and bordering on anger.

"I respect your desire to learn, young scholar, but it is far wiser to know when not to ask something," a Holo said leveling a glare at Twilight.

Applejack quickly stepped between them, her own eyes set with a firm resolve.

Holo gave a soft snort in displeasure before turning around and briskly trotting off.

Applejack sighed watching the wolfish mare walk off towards the apple tree orchards.

"Me and my big mouth," Twilight groaned as she facehoofed.

"Don't worry, Twi,' she'll get over it," Applejack said with a reassuring smile.

"I hope so," Twilight replied with a sigh, "But I think it's time for me to head back to the library."

"Gonna go write that report you were talking about earlier?" Applejack asked glancing back to the direction the wolfish mare took.

"Yes, I think I'll start on that now so I can get some sleep," Twilight replied with a sheepish smile.

"Alright, Ah'll see ya tomorrow then," Applejack said giving her bookish friend a quick hug.

Twilight returned the hug with a smile. "Just... tell Holo I'm sorry if I made her angry."

"Don't worry Twi', Ah'll tell her," Applejack said with a nod, stepping back.

"Okay, thanks AJ. See you tomorrow," Twilight declared before vanishing in a flash of lavender hued magic.

Where is that moody mare at?, Applejack wondered as she trotted through the small forest of apple trees looking around for Holo.

Applejack was about to go check if Holo had doubled back to the farmhouse, when she heard the distinct crunch of somepony biting into a particularly juicy apple.

"Ah should've known she'd be thinkin' with her stomach," Applejack muttered and began heading towards the telltale crunching.

After a few minutes AJ found her way to where she had heard the crunching. However, she didn't see Holo anywhere. She wasn’t behind the tree and, looking around at the other trees, she couldn’t see hide nor hair of the wolfish mare anywhere.

"Where the hay—" Applejack began until an apple core bounced off her snout.

The farm mare looked up and saw Holo sitting on a low tree branch, leaning her back against the apple tree's trunk, slowly eating an apple.

"Holo, don't you dare eat all the apples off that tree," Applejack declared as she looked up at the wolfish mare.

"But if I do not, then I shall be hungry," Holo replied in mock petulance, without even bothering to look down at the farm mare as her tail idly swayed.

"Don't make me get my rope," Applejack countered with a glower.

"My how erotically depraved," Holo said looking down with a devious grin.

Applejack just glared in response, but her glare lost much of its meaning with the blush highlighting her cheeks.

"Very well," Holo said with a dramatic sigh before hopping down from the tree branch and landing with a swish of her lovely tail.

The farm mare just rolled her eyes at the wolfish mare's antics.

"Twilight said she's sorry if she made ya angry," Applejack said looking around counting the apple cores around the tree.

Holo rolled her eyes and licked her lips before sitting with her back against the apple tree with a huff. "There is nothing to forgive. I was not truly angry, simply annoyed with her tactless question."

"She didn't do it on purpose ya know," Applejack said as she moved to sit beside Holo.

"True, but it was still said and still annoyed me," the wolfish mare replied, lazily looking around the sun kissed orchard.

Applejack shrugged, leaning back against apple tree's trunk and tipping her hat forward over her eyes.

"So many trees now..." Holo idly thought aloud with a sigh.

"You almost sound sad," Applejack said glancing over to the wolfish mare with one eye.

"How shall I put this," Holo muttered as she looked up at the passing clouds in thought.

Applejack patiently waited while the wolfish mare thought, smiling as she heard her tail twitch against the grass occasionally.

After a long moment of weighing her words, Holo pursed her lips and looked back to the farm mare as she spoke.

"I am glad your family has been so successful. I simply wish I had been there to help in anyway I could," Holo explained with a small sad smile.

Sixty-five years she missed out on. With how close she and Granny act with each other, it must eat away at her somethin' fierce, Applejack thought with her brow furrowed as she mulled over the weight in Holo's words. And who knows how long she spent alone before meeting Granny?

At that thought Applejack felt a pang of sympathy in her heart for the proud acting wolfish mare. Without a thought of hesitation, AJ reached over and pulled a startled Holo into a tight hug.

"I promise you, Holo, so long as the Apples hold this land, you'll always have this home to come back to," Applejack said firmly, looking down into Holo's surprised apple red eyes.

Holo stared, eyes wide with surprise, for a moment, but then smiled and returned the hug. "Thank you, my dear Apple mare."

"Just being honest," Applejack replied with a smile before standing up. "Wanna head back to the farmhouse?"

"I shall join you in a moment," Holo replied before yawning.

"Alright, I'm gonna go see if Granny needs help starting supper yet," Applejack said before trotting off.

Holo watched the farm mare as she left the orchard. It was only after she was certain she was alone did Holo let out a weary sigh.

"Why am I afraid?" She asked herself quietly with her eyes closed.

As if in answer, Holo saw in her mind the tall granite headstone in the far north wolf village of Yoitsu and felt an all too familiar pain in her chest.

"Perhaps I am a fool for letting myself forget. Maybe distance is the better choice," Holo mused with her ears morosely flattened against her head.

Next episode: The Wolf, the Sun, and the Moon

Author's Note

Yes, it's a real thing and yes it tastes AWFUL.
Remember Discord is canonically described as the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. Ergo he's a Spirit first then a physical being. Hence his extreme shape shifting ability.
Mantle in the sense that is an important role or responsibility that can passes from one person to another. Similar, but not the same, as a monarch's title. However, this sense of the word Mantle implies tremendous supernatural/metaphysical/magical power.

Interlude III: Fancy Mathematics

Author's Note

Another silly drabble to tide you guys over while I try to write the rest of the next chapter.
As usual for an interlude this is raw and unedited.
Man, that sounded wrong...

Interlude III: Fancy Mathematics

- Fancy Mathematics -

Despite his reticent nature and preference for the simple things in life, Big Macintosh was indeed the brains behind the more complex managerial operations of Sweet Apple Acres. As such, he could be often found sitting at the desk in the den quietly going over the farm's prospective income and costs in his ledger. Today was no different.

Hmm, if we harvest at least a fifteen bushels of wheat, then sell the flour at ten bits a pound we'll be looking at 6,300 bits before costs and taxes are factored in..., Big Mac thought before he turned to look through the desk's bottom draw for an abacus.

When Big Mac sat up he was nearly startled out of his chair by Holo, who was now leaning over his right side and quietly inspecting the farm's ledger.

"Hmm, farming is never as simple as it seems," the wolfish mare mused before sipping from a large mug of what Big Mac suspected was hard cider.

The farm stallion quickly regained his composure, but remained quiet. Though he did wonder how Holo had slipped into the den so quietly.

"Does Applejack not help with this?" Holo asked as she sat down beside the desk and nodded to the various papers on the desk.

"Nope, she ain't the best at math," Big Mac replied with a shrug before sliding a few beads on the abacus making soft clacking sounds.

"That is surprising, considering how hooves on she is with running the farm," Holo said before sipping again from her mug.

Big Mac just hmm'd in response and resumed checking the ledger.

The two sat in a pleasant silence. With Big Mac recording various profits and comparing them with almost as many costs, while Holo watched with passive interest.

"You forgot to carry the five," Holo commented after several moments, before sipping more of her cider.

Big Mac arched an eyebrow, but did the math again and saw Holo was right.

"Good eye," He said with a nod and corrected his mark.

The quiet fell back over the pair for a fair amount of time, until the wolfish mare heard Applejack calling for her.

"Holo?"

"Here," She answered without taking her eyes off the ledger's pages.

Applejack poked her head inside the den and narrowed her eyes suspiciously before walking in. "You best not be botherin' Big Mac."

"Hardly," Holo said with a roll of her eyes.

Applejack gave a mild glare at the carefree response, but was cut off by her older brother.

"She ain't," Big Mac drawled before he marked down a few numbers in the ledger, "Helped me catch a mistake a minute ago."

"You know math?" Applejack asked looking to the wolfish mare with a touch of surprise.

"I once traveled with a merchant for many pleasant years. I learned much traveling with him," Holo explained with a small reminiscent smile.

Applejack found herself smiling at seeing Holo thinking on a happy memories. At least, she smiled until her brother decided to chime in with his two bits.

"She's better at math than you are," Big Mac said nonchalantly as ever.

Applejack just sputtered at her brother's comment.

"How so?" Holo asked tilting her head.

"AJ, don't get along with negative numbers," Big Mac said with a small grin.

"Ah just don't see how it can be a one and not a one at the same darn time!" Applejack blustered in response.

Big Mac just rolled his eyes at the old argument.

Holo, however, began laughing so hard she fell over onto her side. While Applejack marched out of the room blushing in consternation.

Wake Up

Archivist's Notation:Many thanks to BronyBozly and BreathofPlague for their awesome editing, patience, and input. Also my head canon assumes hoof grip exists.

------Apples and Wheat------

No legacy is so rich as honesty.

- William Shakespeare

---- Wake Up ----

--- Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria ---

Granny Smith sat in her rocking chair on the porch of the Apple family farm house. The warm, cloudless, spring morning reminded her of days long since past and an old friend she hoped would soon return. She heard Applejack and Big Mac talking as they trotted to the screen door, while she rocked in her old chair. As the pair of siblings came out onto the porch Granny Smith leaned forward in her chair and called them closer so she talk to them about a new crop.

"Ya want us to plant what now, Granny?" Applejack asked with a skeptical eyebrow raised.

"Yew two heard me," Granny Smith said as she sat in her rocking chair. "It's time for wheat plantin' an' harvestin'."

"Granny, that's gunna be one mighty tough crop fer us to grow," Applejack said as she and her brother traded skeptical looks.

Applejack wasn't completely surprised by Granny Smith's plans for planting wheat. They did grow things other than apples after all. However, they usually kept to more traditional crops, such as cabbages, carrots, and potatoes. Wheat was usually grown by farmers who were dedicated to growing only wheat, but that wasn't the only reason Applejack was hesitant.

"Y'all act like yew ain't even a farmer," Granny grumbled, slowly rocking back and forth in her chair.

"Shoot it ain't that," Applejack said as she leaned against the porch's support beams. "All Ah'm sayin is that we ain't grown wheat in..." Applejack paused for moment, as she fought back old, unpleasant memories, "in a long time, and we're already a bit thin minding the orchard, and Applebloom is still too little to really help out a whole lot."

"The magic in tha' land is gonna be resting this season", Granny Smith countered as she rocked her chair slowly, "Soil's gotta rest afer the last two big ol' apple harvests and you know it youngin'."

Applejack went to gently press a counter argument, but was cut off by her big brother.

"Granny does have a point there AJ," Big Mac replied in his deep drawl. "Plus we got the cousins visiting for the summer, so we should have enough to extra hooves to keep things light."

Applejack looked at her brother then grandmother as she thought over the profits and problems that planting wheat could bring.

"Well if an' y'all put it that way, Ah guess we could try ta' grow some wheat," Applejack hesitantly agreed.

"Eeyup," Big Mac nodded.

"Land sakes. Y'all er' a stubborn pair. Can't imagine where y'all get it from," Granny Smith chuckled.

--- Later that Morning ---

Contrary to popular opinion, work on a farm is not always about crops or tending to livestock. A surprisingly large portion of time is spent on maintaining and repairing farm tools and equipment. This is especially true for the Apple family's working siblings

"Think the plowin ain't gonna be too much fer ya Big Mac?" Applejack asked as she sat in front of the old plow, sharpening its edge with slow strokes of the whetstone she held between her hooves.

"Nope," Big Mac replied while he polished the brass trunnions on his yoke with an oil cloth.

Big Mac had noticed his sister's hesitance at the idea of planting wheat, but he had decided to let her bring it up on her own. So he sat and waited patiently for her while he worked on polishing his yoke's brass. Sure enough, Applejack hesitantly brought up her main concern.

"Ah ain't too sure about this Big Mac," Applejack sighed setting down the wet stone.

"Meanin?" the red stallion replied without looking up from his task.

"Plantin' wheat. It takes a specific kind of attention and I ain't too sure we can handle it so we make a profit and well..." Applejack paused mid sentence hesitantly with her ears flattened a bit.

Big Mac looked up at his sister's hesitant pause. The red stallion knew his sister well enough to know to keep quiet and wait for her to voice her real concern, otherwise she'd just dance around her real objection. Best to let her run out of steam now rather than later.

"Well Granny seems mighty insistent on it and well we ain't grown wheat since...." Applejack bit her lip not wanting to finish her sentence.

Big Mac set his yoke down and trotted to his sister's side giving her a gentle hug as she sighed.

"Ah know. It ain't something I've forgotten either," Big Mac said after he hugged his sister. "Pa was the one who knew more about wheat than anypony else."

"It just don't sit well wit me is all," Applejack said as she ran a hoof over the brim of her inherited hat.

"Plantin' this wheat will be a good way to tell Apple Bloom more about Pa," Big Mac said, walking over and picking his yoke back up.

Applejack sat quietly thinking over Big Mac's point for a few moments.

"Y'all got a point there," Applejack finally agreed then resumed sharpening the old plow's edge with long slow strokes.

"Ah do have one question though," Big Mac stated as he put his trademark yoke on.

"That bein?" Applejack asked as she continued her task.

"Why did Granny pull that little wooden wolf Pa made out o' storage?" the red farmer mused, looking out the barn door over at the old stump in front of the family house where Granny Smith had placed the small wolf statuette he remembered his Pa whittling from a fallen apple tree branch.

"Y'all ask Granny about it?" Applejack asked, walking towards her brother.

"Eeyup. She said it was traditional to bring it out before plantin' wheat. Same as when we put a basket of apples aside after each applebucking season," Big Mac said, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Huh, that's mighty odd," Applejack said as she tilted her hat back and scratched her head in thought. "But if 'n it ain't doing no harm, Ah say we leave it be. Granny does know more of them old traditions than either of us do."

"Eeyup." Big Mac nodded.

--- Later in the Day ---

Applejack and Big Mac stood looking over four acres of tilled soiled and planted seeds. Both of them were sweaty, tired, and covered in various patches of dirt, but they wore satisfied smiles. Each row had been tilled long and straight. The seeds had been carefully planted at exactly the right depth in the warm fertile brown soil. It's a surprisingly tricky thing to plant seeds without it being so deep that the seed would be suffocated or too shallow where birds could get it. It was definitely something that required the kind of patience that's unique to a farmer.

"Ah'd say that looks mighty fine," Applejack panted, wiping a bit of sweat off her brow then slipped her hat back on.

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed, rubbing his aching shoulder.

"Well that ought to do for today. Come on Big Mac, let's get some grub."

AJ and Big Mac were walking to the farm house for said dinner when they heard Granny Smith yowl. Fearing she had fallen off the porch, the siblings ran as fast as their hooves could take them. They were met with the strangest sight the two of them had ever seen.

While Applejack and Big Mac were both used to many of the odd habits and superstitions that Granny Smith would do and say, they were unprepared for this sight. In front of the stump by the porch, where the small wooden wolf sat, was Granny Smith wearing a feathered headdress with pointy wolf ears on it and a wooden wolf mask as she yowled, howled, and waved her hooves dramatically as Apple Bloom shook a rattle over the wooden wolf statuette.

"The wheat's a bein' a planted! So waken ye old spirit of the wheat! Grant us abundant harvests like ye promised!" Granny shouted as Apple Bloom jumped around and shook the rattle. "Ye gave your word to me and mah Pappy so Ah'm a holdin' ye to it! Now wake up ya ornery old she wolf!"

Applejack and Big Mac just stood there dumbfounded by the bizarre sight. Neither of the siblings had ever heard of their great grandparents talking to a wolf, let alone making deals with one.

"Um Granny?" Applejack ventured while Big Mac continued his imitation of the world's most confused looking lawn ornament.

"What is it youngin'?" Granny Smith asked impatiently as she set a small pouch full of wheat grains in front of the statuette, "Can'tcha see Ah'm busy?"

"Um yeah, Ah can tell you're awful busy Granny, but um busy doin' what exactly?" Applejack asked more confused then ever before.

"Ah ain't never told y'all about the wheat harvest wolf?" Granny Smith asked in a serious tone as she lifted the wooden wolf mask off her face.

"Huh?" Applejack and Big Mac both replied still confused as ever.

"Hmm, Ah must not o' told y'all about her. Well get on inside and I'll explain it to ya over dinner," the old Apple Matriarch said as she walked back into the farm house.

"It's gonna be a long wheat season," Applejack sighed, rubbing her head.

"Eeyup," Big Mac and Apple Bloom concurred.

--- Everfree ---

The Everfree forest holds many creatures that even the ponies consider myths and legends not only due to the rarity of these fabled creatures, but also because of their phenomenal powers and great age. And on this night one of those legends stirs in its deep slumber, awoken by an old oath being refreshed.

It was old. Older than the ponies that dwelled in the land. Old enough to remember when the Everfree was naught, but a small grove of a few dozen trees surrounding it's den. It awoke slowly with a mighty yawn, stretching its limbs as it rose from it's decades long slumber. Paws the size of a cart with mighty a talon on each digit that tore at the dirt as it rose up and slowly walked out of its den.

The massive wolf walked slowly out of its cavernous den, ears twitching and eyes blinking, as it looked upon the surrounding dense foliage and trees that are the Everfree forest. A deep sniff revealed a multitude of creatures and plants that dwelled within the Everfree, along with something else.

The barn sized wolf sniffed the air again, its eyes closed in concentration, searching for a specific scent's trace that tickled the wolf's memory. The wolf blinked and turned its head the scent's source many miles in the distance. In the blink of an eye, the massive wolf was gone and in its place stood a short earth pony mare.

"Apples," said the young looking mare with a wolfish grin. Her mane was long and chestnut brown, her pointed wolf like ears twitched, and her bushy wolf like tail swayed idly; both of which were splashed with white upon the tips. "It has been too many moons since I tasted a succulent apple."

The mare smirked a haughty smile as she started trotting towards the delicious smell.

--- Sweet Apple Acres ---

Granny Smith sat in her rocking chair on the farm house's porch after dinner, looking towards the Everfree forest watching the tips of the trees shift as a subtle wind blew.

"Bout time ya woke up," Granny Smith grumbled with a smirk from her rocking chair.

"Bout time fer who to wake up Granny?" Apple Bloom asked as she walked out on the porch.

"An old lazy mare Ah know," Granny chuckled to her youngest granddaughter.

"Is she the one ya told me that's gunna help the wheat grow?" Apple Bloom asked excitedly, looking up at her grandmother.

"Yep. She agreed to help our family all them years ago when we first got this here homestead and since we're plantin' wheat again after all these years, she's gotta show up," the old Apple mare explained.

Granny Smith's old chair let out soft creaks, rocking slowly back and forth. The cool night breeze carrying the scent of apples far into the Everfree while Granny smirked.

--- Meanwhile in the farm house ---

While dinner had been finished quite some ago, Applejack and Big Mac stayed sitting at the table in silence. Both siblings stared off, lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey, Big Mac," Applejack started, breaking the silence. Her brother blinked, and looked curiosly at his sister.

"Ya thinkin' about what Granny said too? I don't know about you but... Ah ain't too sure about this."

"Meaning?" Big Mac asked before taking a fork to what was left of the slice of apple pie on his plate.

"A wolf that gets wheat to grow. It seems a might far fetched ta me," Applejack mused as she rocked her chair back on it's hind legs.

"As compared to some of the crazy business you've been involved in sis?" Big Mac replied as he scooped up the last piece of pie with his fork.

Applejack sighed letting her chair back down on all four of its legs. "Y'all got a point there."

Big Mac just nodded as he chewed.

"Hmm...maybe Ah'll ask Twi if she's ever heard of wolf that lives in wheat," Applejack said as she got up and stretched. "Ah'm going ta bed. Night Mac."

"Night," Big Mac replied, getting up to place his plate into the sink.

The red stallion was tired, but he figured he'd wash his plate before turning in for the night. As Mac rinsed the plate off, he felt the familiar sensation of somepony's eyes watching him. Normally he only felt eyes on him while he was in town, not that it bothered him much. At worst it was a one of the single mares eying the quiet stallion during market hours, but to feel eyes on him at home? Big Mac looked up through the window above the sink, glancing along the fence line of the house, searching for a Peeping Tom that might need a good lesson in manners. His eyes caught movements towards the brush that lined the old path around the Apple property. For a moment, he thought he saw a pair of glowing eyes. Big Mac blinked and shook his head, when he looked out the window again he saw that whatever it was had gone. Big Mac hummed for a moment as he thought, but decided whatever it was had left.

Meanwhile, a pair of apple red eyes danced with mischief, looking over the Apple family farm.

"It seems as though the Apple Clan's honesty has indeed built a long lasting legacy," the brown maned mare said as she lounged idly upon a tree branch with her tail swaying lazily. "And tomorrow I shall test that foundation."

Author's Note

Do not expect frequent updates.

April Fools Chapter - Wolf and Surprises

Archivist's Notation: This was surprisingly challenging to write. Enjoy and post comments.

---Apples and Wheat---

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
― William Shakespeare, As You Like It

---Wolf and Surprises---

Pinkie Pie made me do this!

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!!

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!!

There's youtube to watch, buuuut you gotta find them links down below!

Spice and Wolf, Season 2, Episode 1. No season 1 because youtube is bakas and won't let me embed.

STRETCHING WITH HOLO!

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!

Turn on captions to see English subtitles.

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!

Author's Note

Here have a link for Spice and Wolf Season 1 and 2 on youtube, watch it before it's gone! Also have a link to the entire Season 1 soundtrack of Spice and Wolf on youtube.

I'm going back to sleep.