//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Way of the Maneaanite // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Ditzy Doo had taken to helping load up the carts, she was glad to have the heavy MAR off her flank. In fact, she barely even noticed the 12.7mm pistol that was clipped into the storm harness compared to weight of the MAR. Ditzy looked over the supplies that they were taking with them, some food, some water. A few crates of extra 12.7x33mm ammunition. Then mostly trade goods after that. Graham Cracker wanted to start things with Appleoosa on the right hoof. Ditzy had made sure that Dinky would be in good hooves, she hoped that the other children in New Maneaan wouldn’t tease her about being a unicorn. The adult ponies of New Maneaan had treated them far better than the ponies of Ponyville ever had... children on the other hoof... Children were cruel. Not to mention that Ditzy was worried about a number of other things. Dinky had yet to have been baptised, and she had feared that that fact would be a point of ridicule for her daughter. Despite Graham Cracker’s assurances that it would not be, he pointed out to her that most of her other classmates in school would not be baptised yet either, which had somewhat helped to alleviate her fears. Still, Ditzy Doo couldn’t help but be fearful. Torment and unacceptance was all she knew. All she wanted was a good life for her and her daughter, and she hoped to God that was what she would get in New Maneaan, and she was going to try her hardest to make sure that it happened. It was like Graham Cracker always said. ‘We can pray for the safety and well being of ourselves and others... but we can’t expect God to do all the work’. Ditzy had finished loading the last of the food and ammunition into the carts. Graham Cracker had hoped that they wouldn’t need it. As did Ditzy Doo, she had been taught to use the 12.7mm pistol strapped into her Storm Harness, but the thought of using it against another pony made her uneasy. She voiced the concerns to both Graham Cracker and Bishop Hoof; both stallions had just smiled at her and told her that she was a good mare. It had made Ditzy smile brightly. She could only hope so. She looked around as the New Maneaanites that were accompanying Graham Cracker on the trip to Appleoosa, she noted that they were all earth ponies, with the exception of herself, and their coats were all earth tones. Crèmes, browns, greys, whites, there was one that was a either a grey or a very pale blue, but otherwise, that was it. Ditzy Doo noticed that it was odd that most of the New Maneaanites were like this too, the exception being Bishop Hoof himself, and his coat being a bright crimson. She could only wonder how that had come to be, though she did not ask, feeling as if it would be a far too personal thing to ask. She took her place next to Graham Cracker, and the group set out for Appleoosa. ... Big McIntosh walked silently through the streets of Appleoosa. Braeburn walked not too far from him as they made their way to the saloon, where Braeburn had reported that Applejack was at right now, drinking herself into a stupor. ‘Cuz, Ah feel Ah should pro’bly warn ya...’ Braeburn began as the two of them were about to enter the Saloon. ‘Applejack got a right terrible temper when she’s drinkin’’. ‘Applejack’s got a temper when she’s not’, Big McIntosh countered as he pushed open the door and walked in. Applejack was easy to spot, she was the only orange coated mare wearing a cowpony hat and three apples for a cutie mark. Applejack had a small glass of apple whiskey in her teeth; she leaned her head back and swallowed the entire glass, before leaning back forward and placing it on the bar. ‘Another!’ she cried out demandingly. The bartender, Morton ‘Salt’ Shaker, rolled his eyes, but poured her another. ‘Hey! Applejack!’ Braeburn called out. ‘Look who just rolled into town!’ Applejack turned her head towards the door, and heavily scrutinised the ponies that had just come through. ‘Th... That you, Big McIntosh?’ ‘Eeyup’, Big McIntosh said simply, as he trotted over to where Applejack was sitting. ‘Applejack, Ah come ta take ya home’. Applejack was clearly drunk by this point, Big McIntosh could smell it on her, and she looked dizzily at him. ‘Home? This here... is home now! Fer me!’ Applejack slurred. ‘Ya can’t make meh go!’ Big McIntosh rolled his eyes slightly. ‘Ah could, an’ Ah would, but Ah’m tryin’ ta get ya ta come back with some dignity! Yer family needs ya, yer friends need ya’. ‘Friends?’ Applejack snapped. ‘Ah ain’t got no friends, not anymore! Those ponies are nothin’ but two bit, good fer nothin’ lairs! Ah ain’t speaking ta them ever again! Fer’ever!’ Big McIntosh looked incredibly, and rather uncharacteristically annoyed, though given the situation, it wasn’t hard to see why. He had hoped that it wouldn’t come to this, but if anyone knew his sister, then it was Big McIntosh. She was a stubborn pony, and Big McIntosh figured that he was probably going to have to drag her back by force anyway. It was at that moment when Salty, the town drunk burst through the double doors of the bar and began shouting at the top of his lungs. ‘They’s here! They’s here!’ Big McIntosh and Braeburn took a look outside and discovered that there were indeed ponies that were here. A group of twelve ponies, two of them pulling carts packed with things were rolling into town. Applejack stumbled out behind them and took a look. ‘Whas goin on?’ she slurred. ‘Ponies of Appleoosa! My name is Graham Cracker!’ Graham Cracker said as he and his troupe rolled into town. ‘We are simple traders from New Maneaan, please do not be alarmed! We only wish to trade with you!’ Applejack, Big McIntosh, and Braeburn approached the new comers and gave them a look over. Applejack quickly found that she was unable to take her eyes off one of them. ‘Derpy? Derpy Hooves?’ she asked. ‘Applejack...’ the mare replied. ‘It’s not Derpy, not anymore, it’s Ditzy Doo now’, Ditzy Doo said, gritting her teeth in agitation. ‘Graham? These are Ponyville ponies’. Big McIntosh looked over the earth pony calling himself Graham Cracker, covered in bandages, Big McIntosh couldn’t see anything but his eyes, and he found that more than a bit disturbing. ‘Are they?’ Graham Cracker asked. ‘Appleoosa is a long way from Ponyville’. ‘Eeyup’, Big McIntosh said simply. ‘Ah don’ know what ya’ll want, Ah just came ta get mah sister and get gone’. ‘We are a peaceful folk, we want nothing more than to trade our goods, and maybe find things that we don’t have in New Maneaan’, Graham Cracker said simply. ‘I am called Graham Cracker; this is my friend Ditzy Doo, though you may be familiar with her under another name’. Big McIntosh looked over at Ditzy Doo, she looked different than the last time Big McIntosh had seen her, sure, but he definitely recognised her as the mail mare from Ponyville. ‘Eeyup’, Big McIntosh said simply. ‘Ah’m Big McIntosh’. Applejack pushed Braeburn out her way and got into Graham Cracker’s face. ‘How come yer hidn’ yer face!?’ she spat at him. Braeburn looked extremely nervous at Applejack’s outburst; he glanced to Big McIntosh, hoping that his cousin had some kind of plan for dealing with his sister. ‘I do not hide my face, I have it covered because I was burned over my entire body’, Graham Cracker said softly, not missing a beat, though Applejack did not seem to be satisfied with this answer. ‘Know what Ah think? Ah think yer lyin! Nopony tells tha truth, nopony ‘t all!’ Applejack exclaimed, hovering mere millimetres away from Graham Cracker’s face. ‘Step back’, Graham Cracker said without emotion in his voice. ‘Or what?’ Applejack asked. ‘Gonna preach me ta death?’ It was at that point when Big McIntosh bit down on his sister’s tail and dragged her backwards. Braeburn was quick to step in. ‘Ah’m sorry about that, my cousin’s had a little too much ta drink fer her entire life... don’t let her bother ya none! We’re certainly glad ta have ya here! Welcome to APPLEOOSA!’ Braeburn said, rearing up and calling out the town’s name enthusiastically. ‘Come on now! I’ll take ya right around and show ya the town!’ Braeburn looked to Big McIntosh and darted over to him quickly. ‘Do somethin’ ‘bout her! She gonna get us all inta trouble with these folks!’ ‘Eeyup’, Big McIntosh said simply as Braeburn darted back over to the New Maneaanites to give them the grand tour of Appleoosa. ‘Ah coulda taken him!’ Applejack exclaimed as Big McIntosh continued to drag her along. Big McIntosh looked at her and just sighed. ‘Eenope’.