The Legend of Apple Jack

by Cutiemarkcrusader

The Road to Appleoosa

Coming back to Appleoosa hadn't exactly been Apple Jack's plan up until now. In fact, it was the opposite. Sweet Apple Acres had been suffering for the past two months due to the ravaging dust storms that lashed out at random. Nearly seventy percent of their apple trees were torn apart by the harsh winds. As for the others that weren't damaged, the apples that they held in their tall branches had pounds of sand, dust, and flecks of pebble stuck inside. The drought had been taking its toll on everypony. Rainbow Dash and the pegasi were racking their heads together to find a way to stop this bizarre weather. They had tried slowing down the wind, but it wouldn't work. They tried adding water to the mixture of dust and sand...it was hooves down the stupidest thing they could have ever done.

So far, Ponyville along with other neighboring cities had no choice but to resort to using force fields to keep out as much of the storm as they could. Sweet Apple Acres, unfortunately, was too far away from the town to be covered with the force field. It was only a matter of time before their savings were watered down to almost nothing. Apple Jack sought no other way but to go get a job in one of the cities that hadn't been touched by this whole mess. The only problem was…there was almost none. Manehatten's mare of liberty was coated in brown muck all the way to her waist. Las Pegasus was having more problems than Ponyville. And Canterlot didn't have any jobs that Apple Jack would even come close to being qualified for.

The one place she did find was Appleoosa. Appleoosa brought back memories for Apple Jack, but not all were good. She wanted to go to Applewood instead and take her chances there. AJ packed her suitcase and bid goodbye to her little sister, her brother, and her Granny Smith.

"I'll send money, I promise," she said as she gave a final hug to Apple Bloom.

"Come back soon, now," Granny Smith smiled weakly. None of them had eaten anything that whole day and were feeling even more tired than imagined.

Big Mac silently nodded without giving his sister so much as a, "Eyup".

Apple Jack smiled back, "I will, ya'll see."

The small family watched as the orange earth pony tilted her hat to them and walked down the dirt road path, disappearing from view. She was soon on a train heading straight for Applewood. But as soon as Apple Jack got off the train station at Applewood she knew that getting a job would be even tougher than getting one in Canterlot. When she walked down the wooden station platform she was shocked to see so little ponies walking around during the day. The only other ponies at the station were well-dressed unicorns waiting for a train going to Manehatten with an air of impatience. In the city streets, there were only the faintest indications of where ponies had been, such as the dirty hoofprints on the ground, or the sound of ponies talking loudly from an apartment AJ passed by.

Apple Jack stepped into a small groceryshop a few blocks later just so she could actually see somepony. She walked over to the checkout counter where a teenaged mare was sitting down, shifting through a late issue of Pony Magazine. As Apple Jack drew closer she could hear the sound of the mare chewing bubblegum faintly.

"Um, hello?" Apple Jack greeted the mare with an uncertain smile, "I'm new around these here parts...and I was just looking to see if you had a job here."

"Sorry," the mare didn't even glance up from her magazine, "The only thing we sell here is food, lady."

Apple Jack was stunned at this rude behavior, none of which she had seen since her tinier days, back when she visited her Aunt and Uncle Orange in Manehatten. She took a step closer.

"I'm not looking to buy anything-

"Then, like, get out," the young mare glanced up briefly at Apple Jack as she turned a page, "You think getting jobs here is easy? Well, it's, like, totally not, okay? You can't just waltz into a store and demand a job with a paying salary. First of all, it's, like, the rudest thing you could possibly do. Secondly, I don't care. And thirdly, does it, like, look like I have the power to give you a job? I'm just a store clerk, lady."

Apple Jack's eyebrows shot up to her hairline at this direct answer, "Uh, well, I appreciate your honesty with me. But do you know any other places in Applewood where there may be some kinda job openin' or something?"

The mare put down her Pony magazine, giving Apple Jack a rather cold look, "Even if I, like, knew, why would I tell you. I don't even know you. So, why would I give a stranger a chance to get a higher paying job than mine? You're really new to this stuff aren't you?"

"Yeah," Apple Jack said, finding it extremely difficult to keep her cool, "I'm not from around these parts."

"Hmm?" The mare had gone back to reading her magazine and hadn't bothered to really here AJ's answer, "Where are you from then? Not like I care…"

"Ponyville," Apple Jack's voice dropped a bit as the mare glanced up at her again with a gleeful smile.

She began to laugh, tears flowing from her eyes, "You're from Ponyville?"

"Yes I am," Apple Jack's temper was quickly beginning to come to a boil, "You have a problem with that?"

"Are you kidding me?" the mare continued to snort and giggle, "It's the single-handedly worst place to live. It's so overrated there. What's your name anyway?"

"I was just going to ask you the same…" Apple Jack tried to glance down at the pony's nametag.

"I asked you first."

"Apple Jack," she grumbled in reply.

The pony dropped her magazine as she began laughing all over again, ignoring it as it drifted down to the floor.

"And what in tarnation is so funny bout' that?"

"Apple Jack? It's such a weird name. Who in their right minds names their child something like that? Or is that your full name? Like, is Jack your last name? Not that it matters or anything…"

"No, Apple Jack is my whole name. What's yours?"

But the mare was too busy laughing to answer AJ. With a mighty huff of breath, Apple Jack left with her pride hanging from a string. She slammed the door without a second glance. Was everypony around here as rude as that one had been? AJ stopped next to a lamppost to get a grip on her surroundings. It was still unusually quiet in the streets. And then she heard the sound of hooves upon pavement.

A well-groomed stallion was trotting with an even better dressed pegasus. The pegasus looked over at Apple Jack with the strongest look of disgust etched on her face. But that didn't stop Apple Jack from asking for directions.

"Hello, sir?" she stepped forward, ignoring the groan from the stuck-up pegasus, "Do you know where city hall is by any chance? Also where is everypony?"

"Don't you know? Everypony is at the Applewood manor. It's only the biggest bash in all of Applewood for the whole entire city." As he looked up to see whom he was talking to, the stallion's thin eyebrows scrunched up together, making it appear as though he had an anorexic caterpillar on his forehead, "Oh my, why are you dressed like that?"

"Excuse me?" Apple Jack snapped, "I'm just looking for city hall. I don't need a lecture about how I'm dressed."

"But you're not," the stallion let out a hallow laugh, "You are practically naked!"

The pegasus started laughing just as the young mare had in the grocery store and said in a strong Trottingham accent, "Just look at her suitcase. And her hat! Don't get me started about her hat!"

Apple Jack just couldn't take it anymore. She soon found herself shouting at the top of her voice, unaware that the few ponies left in the street were staring at her, "What is it with you folks around here? Is everypony here just stuck-up, rich, weirdos who have nothing better to do than pick on strangers? This is the worst, most, overrated city I have ever stepped hoof in! You two should be ashamed of yourselves!"

The two ponies' mouths hung on the ground, appalled at this orange, naked pony's words. She turned a hoof and left on her way back to the train station. The pegasus's eyes narrowed in anger as she shouted back at her, "Well, at least I'm not naked!"

"I'd rather be naked than be wearing that nonsense you have on!" Apple Jack threw back over her shoulder like a grenade.

"I say," the stallion and pegasus gaped as they walked their own way again along with the other ponies across from them, aghast at the conversation they just had which would no doubt be the highlight story of their dinner party that night.

Apple Jack paid for her ticket after the long, ten-minute wait in line at the Applewood train station. She had been grumbling under her breath as soon as she had gotten onto the station steps. Apple Jack wasn't very pleased with the way her visit had gone, nor was she pleased with the fact that a good ten bits had been completely wasted, and now another five were going in that same direction. As soon as the old pony in front of her left, she moved ahead to the front of the line eagerly.

"Hi, can I have one ticket on the next train that isn't going to Ponyville, Canterlot, Manehatten, or Fillydelphia, please?" Apple Jack slapped down her five bits on the counter in front of the stallion in the booth.

"Pretty specific," the stallion frowned, "At least for just five bits...I'm sorry, but it's going to be more than that."

Apple Jack's stomach dropped. She only had another seven left in her bit purse and wasn't ready to give it all up just yet.

"What's the cheapest train ride to?"

"Hmm," the stallion stroked the end of his short, black goatee, "The closest place to Applewood would be Appleoosa."

"Done," Apple Jack shoved the five coins closer to him, "Just get me out of this city."

"With pleasure," the stallion scooped up the coins with his hooves quickly, making pace. A minute later he was handing Apple Jack a white ticket, "The next train comes in just two minutes, so you better hurry if you want to make it."

"Thank you," AJ tipped her hat to the stallion and went on her way with her suitcase rumbling on behind her.

Had Apple Jack stopped for even two seconds, she would've missed the train for certain. The conductor had just been blowing the whistle when she hopped on aboard. It thundered off out of the station and out of the dreaded city of Applewood.

The train ride to Appleoosa was only a three-hour one, but it seemed to be at least twice that in length. The only thing Apple Jack could really do was watch as the landscape around her change from the dying meadows to the plain, dusty, desert. Her thoughts dwindled on what she would expect once she got there. Braeburn, her cousin, would probably be the first to welcome her to Appleoosa, or as he called it, Aaaappleooooosa.

AJ glanced around the carriage she was in. For five bits, she wasn't exactly sitting in first-class. Her seat was thinly cushioned and if she propped her forelegs any closer to the wooden seat in front of her, she would get a nasty splinter. A few other ponies sat around her. One stressed out looking unicorns was looking out her window, quietly murmuring under her breath. The earth pony to the right of her paid no attention to her while he smoked his pipe, sitting back with a relaxed look on his face.

The pony sitting in front of her dropped his paperback book suddenly, causing himself and Apple Jack to jump at the surprisingly loud sound. Apple Jack reached out to grab it for him, examining the cover as she gave it to him. It was a brown, leather book that was hoof-stitched. Scrawled in neat, cursive, penmanship on the center of the book was the words: Property of Charcoal.

"Uh, are you Charcoal?" Apple Jack asked as she handed it to the gray earth pony in front of her.

He nodded, "Yeah, and uh, thanks."

"Aw, don't mention it," Apple Jack smiled up at him, glad to have met his acquaintance, "So, what brings you to Appleoosa?"

He shrugged, thinking for a minute or two before answering, "I'm just getting away from my home. It's been ravaged by dust storms for a while now...What about you?"

"My family is struggling with their farm," Apple Jack replied, "I was going to Applewood to see if I could hold down a job there, but it was horrible. There was no pony around and the ones that were around were completely rude and unhelpful. I haven't seen anything like it."

Charcoal laughed, his blue eyes crinkling, "Yeah, I hear they're all kind of high off of their own power there. All they ever do is go to dinner parties, bashes, and clubs. Almost nothing gets done in that city. I'm glad that you left."

"Same here," AJ beamed, "I'm Apple Jack by the way."

"Charcoal," Charcoal replied back, "In case you missed it."

Apple Jack laughed again, "So what type of work are you looking for?"

"Well, I'm a writer," Charcoal motioned over at his scribble cutie mark, "But I don't think that they have many writing jobs there, so I'm just going to get a job at the Salt Block Saloon hopefully And you?"

Apple Jack's grin froze in place. She hadn't really though about what job to get specifically. She shrugged her shoulders and leaned back in her seat, "Whatever opening they have, I'll gladly take it."

"Here, Here" Charcoal nodded in agreement.

The next two hours went by pretty fast. Apple Jack learned that Charcoal was from the small city of Vanhoover where it was known for its chilly weather. Not only were there dust storms there, but they were also much worse than everypony else's. The dust storms there weren't only towering at five thousand feet but were cold and sometimes frozen. He moved away from Vanhoover after he had injured his foreleg after getting pummeled by frozen bits of rock hurtling at him at just over forty miles per hour. She also learned that he was published in the newspaper at least four times in his life.

Apple Jack was just finishing the story of how she had left Ponyville to go to Manehatten when the train came to a sudden stop.

"Hey, what gives?" Apple Jack looked around the now dark landscape.

Charcoal gave her a polite smile, "I think we're here."

Sure enough passengers were getting up from their seats and were lining up in the aisles already. Charcoal slipped out of his seat, taking with him his leather book and his small backpack. Apple Jack began to do the same with her suitcase.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Apple Jack," Charcoal exchanged another bright smile with AJ, "Maybe we'll bump into each other in Appleoosa?"

"I hope so," Apple Jack moved along the line behind Charcoal until they were out of the train and onto the rickety train station.

Apple Jack looked around the surprisingly crowded station. She recognized a few familiar faces from her last visit but many were ponies she had never seen before. Many of them wore different colored bonnets upon their heads, or bowties and bowler hats. Yep, it was old-fashioned Appleoosa for you. Apple Jack was just about to turn her head to say goodbye to Charcoal, but he was no longer there. She just stood there for a second or two, contemplating on where to go.

The giant clock tower at the end of the town told her that it was about seven at night. Apple Jack's eyes drooped a little as she decided that it was a little bit too late at night to go job-hunting and that she would just have to go to the local tavern to stay the night. She walked down the teetering stairs and onto the dirt encrusted road. The tavern was located right across from the clock tower and wasn't too crowded on a night like this one.

When Apple Jack walked in it smelled of garlic and baking bread, which only made her stomach grumble in protest. She sighed. Unless she wanted to sleep in the alleyway tonight, she would have to wait until tomorrow to get something to eat. She could only get so far with just her seven bits let after all. AJ found the bar relatively fast, considering the fact that it was just a little ways away from the front door. A plump, middle-aged unicorn with a simple frock on was leaning over her seat, drying a glass with a dirty old rag. Apple Jack reminded herself not to get a drink here anytime soon.

"Hello, ma'am," Apple Jack gave a small bow of the head at the lady, "How much is it for one of your rooms?"

The unicorn stared at Apple Jack for a second, giving her a look over before answering in a hoarse voice, "It's about five bits per night for a single bedroom. Two bits for a closet."

Apple Jack tossed the pony five bits, "Will this do?"

"That's perfect," the pony levitated the coins one at a time over the counter and into her own bit bag while tossing Apple Jack a copper key with her mouth, "Your room is all upstairs at the end of the hallway. Try not to get lost and don't mess with the cat."

"The what now?"

But the pony had gone into a back room without a reply, leaving Apple Jack by herself with the few customers eating by themselves at small, round tables. Apple Jack carefully picked up her suitcase and went up the crooked staircase. Upstairs was musty and cold, but it was a lot better than some of the taverns around Equestria. The room Apple Jack could only assume was hers was positioned at the very end of the hall, straight in front of her. She put her suitcase back down on the ground as she finally drew near it, taking out the copper key with her other hoof.

The key fit perfectly into the keyhole and turned with the slightest creak. Apple Jack gaped at the room. It was actually a bit bigger than what she had been expecting, but was still nonetheless filthy. The small cot the sat at the middle of the room smelled of mildew and had a million holes in its sheets. The window to her room was cracked beyond repair. And to make matters a bit worse if not very, there was a dead rat in the corner of the room.

mApple Jack let out a strong gasp of air. On second thought, maybe she would stay in the alleyway…