TEN YEARS LATER
Applejack sighed with content as the final tree had finally given up its fruit under her strong kick. The apples tumbled to the ground, neatly falling into wooden baskets which she had placed with precision.
"Nice job, sis!" Apple Bloom complimented as she ran over to give her sister a hug. "That's all the apples left fer today!" She paused and glanced towards the side. "I don't suppose that... maybe now I can... uh..."
Applejack shook her head in amusement.
"Sure thing, Sugar Cube! Go on and have some fun with yer friends!" Applejack waved a hoof at Apple Bloom and smiled. "Go on!" Apple Bloom gave one final hug to her sister and galloped off.
"Riding a unicycle on a tightrope cutie mark, here I come!" She shouted with joy.
Alarmed, Applejack was about to call her back when Granny Smith approached her, carrying a small handkerchief in her mouth. Applejack took off her hat in respect and wiped sweat from her forehead. Granny Smith gently set the handkerchief down and smiled up at Applejack.
"Just got these from the market." Granny Smith reported. She opened up the fabric to reveal two glistening roses, freshly picked from Roseluck's garden. "They were a part of that flower bouquet that helped Roseluck win at the fair."
Applejack looked at the marvelous sight and flinched as she felt a tear roll down her face. She quickly wiped it away and wrapped up the delicate flowers.
"Thanks, Granny. I bet ma and pa will love 'em!"
"Well, they will if ya get there fast enough! Now, move yer caboose!" Granny gave Applejack a whole-hearted slap on the shoulder, which felt like nothing more than a pillow being thrown at her. Applejack giggled with pleasure and picked up the handkerchief. She slowly trotted away from Sweet Apple Acres and turned around once more to see Granny Smith waving her goodbye, tears streaming down her face.
Applejack decided to take the back road away from the Ponyville market. She didn't want any of her friends to see what she was doing. Besides, this was a personal and private matter that only she and Granny Smith should know about. Apple Bloom had almost caught her once, but thankfully Granny Smith was there to drag her attention away.
This is my burden. Applejack thought to herself. I don't wanna bring anypony else in on it!
"Boy, do I sound selfish!" She said out loud, shaking her head in dismay.
Sooner than she realized, she arrived at the edge of the Everfree forest and took in a gulp of fear. She had been in and out of there around 11 times, one time for going in there with her friends to defeat Nightmare Moon and the other ten for her parent's anniversary. She let out a breath and stepped into the trees.
She knew the path she would be taking and she certainly wasn't going to go off exploring! So she followed the slightly worn path in the ground and walked at a nice easy pace. When she made it to the clearing, she almost let out a whimper of fright.
"Come on, Applejack!" She muttered, still clutching the handkerchief in her mouth. "Do it fer ma and pa!"
She put one hoof on the smooth grass and then another and eventually started walking across the open field. She kept cautiously glancing from side to side to make sure that nopony... or no creature was watching her.
When she arrived at the spot, she placed the handkerchief on the ground and unwrapped the two roses. She picked them up and laid them over the grass where her mother and father had fallen. Then, she took off her hat and sat down, silently crying.
"I miss ya." She said to the air. "I miss ya so much!"
A soft breeze suddenly blew through the clearing and ruffled through Applejack's mane. She smiled with pleasure and deeply inhaled the sweet-smelling wind.
"Thanks, ma. Thanks, pa." She whispered.
She then opened her eyes and gasped. A hot air balloon was floating through the sky... with nopony in it!
"That's mighty peculiar." Applejack said. "Better go investigate."
She stopped when she reached the edge of the clearing and watched as the balloon gently floated to the ground with something dangling from the end of the rope. Unfortunately, it didn't land in the clearing and Applejack trembled when she gazed into the dark forest ahead of her.
"Come on, AJ," She tried to encourage herself. "Somepony may be hurt!" She squinted her eyes in determination and nodded her head, as if agreeing with herself.
So, she slowly trotted through the forest, trying to find a trace of the balloon. As she walked, she began to hear somepony.
"If I didn't know better, I'd swear that I was in the middle of the dark and scary Everfree forest!" the voice sounded cautious, yet terrified at the same time. Applejack tried to follow the noise, but soon found herself staring off the edge of a rock cliff. She lifted her hoof to her eyes and scanned the horizon, not noticing anything out of the ordinary.
"Ahh! What was that?!" the stranger yelped. Applejack continued to look, but she couldn't see anything!
"Come on..." The noise started to quiet down as the stranger grew quieter. Applejack leaned as far forward as she could without falling off the cliff.
Then she smelled a familiar scent and shuddered.
"Timber wolves."
"AHHHH!" The stranger screamed. She glanced down to see three timber wolves pursuing a small creature, no bigger than Apple Bloom. Applejack thought about doing the same thing that the stranger was doing, until she recognized who it was in the first place.
"Spike!" She shouted. The purple and green dragon didn't hear her as the wolves continued to chase him. Suddenly, he found himself pressed up against the rock cliff and pinned between the stones and the wolves made of sticks and logs. He cringed when the largest wolf snorted at him, plugging his nose in disgust as the foul stench reached his nostrils. Then the wolves leaned in towards him, baring their fangs for the kill.
Time stood still for Applejack. Down there were three of her worst fears and she was safely perched on the rocky ledge. She could hardly feel her heart beating anymore as she glanced from the wolves to the helpless dragon. The dragon who was her friend.
She knew what she had to do.
She grabbed a rock and prepared to throw it.
Time resumed, the wolves almost closing in on Spike... that is until the leader was struck with a large stone. He yelped and looked up to where the rock had come from. Applejack beamed triumphantly and picked up another rock to throw.
"Come an' get me, ya big goons!" She yelled, throwing the rock up into the air to kick it. "RUN!" She kicked the rock and it hit the wolf squarely in the face. It shook it's head to discombobulate it and then started to chase Applejack.
"I'm runnin'! I'm runnin'!" Spike assured her, sprinting in the opposite direction.
Applejack ran at full speed, hearing the wolves barking behind her. She glanced back briefly to see what she was up against, but then turned her head back and smiled. A large tree branch was positioned perfectly for a good old fashioned 'whipper snapper' as Applejack liked to call them.
When the moment was right, she leaped up and grabbed the branch in her jaw, bending it to its maximum and then releasing. It whip-lashed one of the wolves so hard, that it burst into a jumble of sticks.
Then next one was a toughie. Applejack skidded to a stop and scooped up three rocks, chucking them into the air and then kicking them with all of her might towards the second wolf. They hit the wolf's legs, causing him to whimper in confusion and then tumble to the ground.
One wolf left and it was more enraged than ever! Applejack galloped as fast as her legs could allow her, but it still continued to gain on her. She felt its teeth snap for her tail and then she saw a large hole in a nearby tree... that is, large enough for her! She quickly leaped through it, the timber wolf following her, but its shoulder's wouldn't go through and it was smashed to pieces.
Applejack closed her eyes and waited for the wolf to grab her, but the claws stopped short and ceased to move.
"Phew!" Applejack sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"Wow, Applejack! That was amazing! I mean, rocking those boulders at them like they were... ROCKETS! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! You saved my life!" Spike raved. Then his eyes widened in shock and he gazed up at Applejack in awe. "You... saved my life..."
He slowly walked over to Applejack, as if in a trance, and embraced her. Applejack gently pushed the dragon away and blushed.
"Oh, don't mention it, Spike!" She assured him. "Come on, we should be headin' on back now." She started walking towards the balloon.
"Man, am I lucky you were out here!" Spike said. "Uh, why were you out here?"
Applejack flinched at the question and then nodded towards the tied up balloon.
It won't be a lie, but it will be only half the truth. She thought to herself.
"Saw the balloon floatin' by with nopony in it. Came out here to investigate." She glanced over at the dragon and started wondering the same question about him, but then shrugged it off. "Guess you did too, huh?"
"Uh..." He nervously kicked a piece of the timber wolf's leg. "Yeah! I was investigating the runaway hot air balloon, too!" He nervously smiled and blushed in humiliation. I just lied in front of the Element of Honesty! Good grief! He scolded himself.
"So, uh, now that the mystery's been solved, let's get outta here, huh?" He quickly walked over to Applejack's side and cautiously checked behind him. Applejack smiled and then tied the balloon's rope to her tail so that it wouldn't float away.
Then she realized something.
I just took on THREE timber wolves... for Spike.
She glanced over at the young dragon and stared at him quizzically.
Whatever drew me to do that?!
She stared at him once more and then sighed in frustration.
Maybe it was just adrenaline... or somethin' more.