Chapter 10
The brightness of the evening sun shown bright against the trees on the outskirts of Ponyville. The light played with the last remnants of leaves that stubbornly clung to their branches which bore the late mark of all and the early signs of winter. The wind gently rattled the leaves as it blew across the landscape, dodging between trees and flowing past the discolored grass. Upward the wind blew, a chill amidst the warm sun. It sailed above with the current and towards the clouds through the mane of the prismatic mare who stood upon them.
Upon the cloud she stood, eyes closed and mind open to the subtle music that the weather played on her behalf. Breathing in deep, she savored the winter wind and the familiar sensations that home had brought to her. The sun was shown bright through the clouds that were continually cleared by her kin, shrouding Ponyville in it's cascading light.
She looked down at the small town below, and saw that the town shown brighter. Every face had a smile as the ponies below moved about their tasks with such a joy and happiness to be alive that it became impossible to believe there were any such thing as sadness in the world. Everyone loved their neigbor and did what they could to make the other happy. Down below, one looked up towards Dash, a small blur of pink which stood upon it's hind legs and waved a hoof frantically. Dash couldn't help but smile and give a large wave back, it had to be Pinkie Pie.
Quite a contrast to what she had experienced weeks before.
They had arrived back in Ponyville just days after landing in Manehatten. They arrived and made for Twilight's library. Upon opening the door, the two found the rest of their close friends together. Around them were saddlebags and supplies while they themselves were huddled around a Twilight and a map she had presented on the floor. Fluttershy had looked up and gasped when she saw the two ragged friends standing inside the door frame.
Twilight stopped mid sentence and had the most priceless look on her face. Dash couldn't help but smile at the memory. The whole ordeal would have been worth it just to be able to see that look. It was a mix of surprise and disappointment at the same time. She had everything planned out and ready, but they didn't need a plan anymore.
Almost worth it.
Dash was swarmed with questions and concerns and one flying hug from Pinkie Pie which reminded her of the bruises she earned from being thrown by the waves and enduring painful Gryphon attacks. She grinned and forgot the pain, happy to be able to see her best partner in crime again. Rarity fussed about the state of her fur and mane, but that was simply her way of showing that she was worried. Fluttershy even came over, whose eyes went wide at the sight of Rainbow's wing and the many cuts around her body. She tried asking Dash if she were hurt, but her own soft and caring voice was lost in the tumult of the reunited friends.
And Applejack stepped to the side and stood watching with silence and a wide smile, momentarily forgotten. She became lost in the happy and concerned faces that took up her view with unending questions, though unable to answer them thanks to the big ball of pink fluff that was currently squeezing the life out of her as if she were gone for years rather than a few weeks.
Though it did feel like it had been longer. Restless nights sleeping under a tree instead of on the branches she preferred made the time seem to drag on. Closing her eyes, Dash remembered the cold nights that lead to starless skies. The dark had been complete thanks to the clouds that covered the sky in their omnipresence of the forest. Too dark to try and climb, and too hurt to fly, she slept on the ground. Was reminded the night after how hard it is to get dirt out of feathers.
All the events raced by her mind. The flight, the fall, the land... Gilda. Had it only been a week? She remembered time moving at a faster pace than that, one that she had preferred in the past.
Her eyes still closed, Dash fell.
Leaving the cloud behind, she allowed her body to fall through the air uninhibited, wings tucked tightly to her sides. The wind whipped her mane back, trailing an erratic rainbow. Taking in a deep breath through the thinned air, she braced for impact.
Barley even a splash erupted from the lake as the Pegasus broke the surface. Her body glided easily between the waters, leaving her suspended under the surface where she laid still. The water muffled all natural sound but seemed to magnify the movement of her body. She listened to her heart beat in her ears, and reveled in the feeling of the water supporting her.
A new world was to be found under the water. She had fought it before, and it took a moment that would have been her last to finally see things differently. The water showed the world in a new sensation that moved so much slower than everything else around her.
Counting the seconds through heartbeats, Dash opened her eyes and focused as far as she could. The filtered light rippled before her, cascading shadows through and around the Pegasus' sight. Waiting through the chilling waters, she kept looking ahead as if to find something, or for something to find her. The face of that apparition still vivid in her head all those days, despite her best efforts to forget the whole encounter. Dash looked through the water till her lungs complained, and her head began to hurt to the point where the water was no more pleasant. Dash kicked her legs towards the surface.
She entered the world in which she was familiar with a gasp, taking in air to her starved lungs which protested such treatment. Dash ignored the sensation and focused on getting the water out of her eyes. Her vision clear, she looked out to the edge of the length to see a smiling orange earth pony waving at her from the distance. After briefly waving back, Dash pushed her hooves across the water in deliberate strokes, swimming to the edge of the water.
Applejack waited for Rainbow to swim towards her, lending a helping hoof down to pull Dash out of the water. Dash gave a quick thanks before shaking vigorously, sending water in every direction. Applejack pulled her hat down low to keep the water off of her face, while stifling a laugh playfully flicking water back at Dash before replacing it.
"Thought Y'all had fallen asleep mid-flight again when Ah saw ya drop, sugarcube." joked Applejack.
"That only happened when I was flying over the library when Twilight was doing one of her lecture things, not like I make a habit of it." replied Dash, squeezing the last few drops of moisture she could from her mane. "Ah sure hope you ain't, seeing as how you dropped right onto my apple stand, scaring all the customers away." Applejack scolded, taking a few steps onto a path that cut further away from Ponyville. Dash followed suit, matching Applejack's leisurely pace.
The coming fall had given way to a new assortment of colors. The grass had turned a light shade of brown and most of the trees have already lost their leaves, the ones that still clung to the branches were buffeted by the slight breeze that seemed to be a constant on the hills in the outskirts of Ponyville. The wind carried the comforting chill of a coming winter, promising snow, cold, and all the comforts of home that defy them. The wind brushed against Dash's still wet skin, causing her to shiver.
"Y'all hear from Gilda yet?" asked Applejack. "Not from her, but the Manehatten hospital has been sending a letter every week. Seems she's doing alright for the most part. I still don't think they like having a Gryphon in a hospital for ponies."
"Ah never knew there was this 'no Gryphon' policy anywhere in Equestria."
"I think that featherbrain at the door made that up. I can't understand why, did a Gryphon eat his dog or something?"
"Ah don't think it's somethin' as understandable as that, sugarcube." said Applejack, head down to try and hide the anger in her eyes. "Ah reckon it was that we were covered in dirt an' blood, dragging in somethin' that looked from off the street. That colt saw us as beneath them."
"He would have been beneath us if you went and bucked the hay out of him."
Applejack laughed "Granny knows I wanted to. Might've put a little sense into the guy, but that wasn't gonna get us help for Gilda." Dash looked over to Applejack and couldn't help but stare at the line across her face. The scab from the slash across her face was healing and lessening, but there were already signs of scarring down the length below her left eye to before her nose ended. Applejack caught Dash staring, and unconsciously lowered her hat to hide the scar. Dash looked away and tried to change the subject.
"I still don't understand how you got her in."
"Ah just got a hold of auntie Orange. She had some fancy luncheon with the owner of that there hospital and caught him sneaking extra pie or some other meaningless sin that neither one of us would think twice against blaming a fella. Seemed there was some understanding that gave my auntie a favor to call in."
"That doesn't make any sense, Applejack."
"From what Ah understand sugarcube, it's some sort a' game of lies. Ya need to show everypony that you're not who you are, and losing that means you lose your way of life."
"I guess I can see that, but it makes as much sense as chocolate rain."
"Or cotton candy clouds?" Applejack replied with a smile. "At least you can eat those." Dash said, returning the knowing grin.
Earth pony and Pegasus laughed, a laugh that echoed around the hills along with their voices as they continued to enjoy each-others company on the lone dirt road that lend further to the edge of Ponyville which was signified by the rows and rows of apple trees that made up Sweet Apple Acres. The smell of fresh apples still wafted through the farm even though it had been past a week since the last apple was picked for the winter harvest. Again, the smell brought a comfort which was magnified by the contrast of being away. A comfort of home and family and of belonging that was shared between both companions.
Though Applejack was still troubled, but she hid the trouble from her friend to try and preserve the good feeling they were both having by simply enjoying the other's company. Before long, they arrived at the fence that bordered the Apple family home. Rainbow Dash stopped at the border and it took Applejack a few steps to notice.
"You're more than welcome to stay here while you're getting your house together, Rainbow." Dash just shook her head in polite refusal "Thanks, but no thanks Applejack. I want to enjoy sleeping outside before it gets too cold out here. I might just take you up on that offer though, it's kinda hard to get the right kind of clouds for building, especially in winter."
"Still not sure how one cloud is different from another, so Ah'll take your word for it. Just know Rainbow, you're always welcome here." Applejack extended a forehoof. Dash returned the gesture, bumping her hoof. She couldn't keep her eyes from once again looking at the scar across Applejack's face. A rare concern came across Dash's face. She couldn't help but ask.
"What about you? Will you be alright? I mean, that was your-" Applejack cut her off
"Rainbow, Ah'm still not sure what to think about, or what Ah should think about... him." Applejack looked past Dash "Suns' setting, you don't want to find your way in the dark. Cya tomorrow"
She turned as if to leave, but was stopped when Dash bit down on her tail and gave a sharp tug. Applejack nearly tripped at the sudden stop, but turned back to look at her friend with a defeated expression.
"Mew ant mist..." Dash spit out the tail and any hairs that were left over in her mouth. "You're not just going to turn and leave like that are you? Hippo-bit."
"Don't you mean hypocrite?"
"Whatever. You turning and walking away like that is just like what I did before, and we both know how that turned out."
Applejack's eyes looked pleading as he faced her friend. "Now Rainbow, that ain't the same-"
"It's exactly the same, AJ! You said I shouldn't be afraid to open up to you and the girls. How can you just turn around like that and blow me off?"
"Because Ah don't..." trust you. "Look, Am not just ready to talk about it yet, Rainbow. Ahm not even sure what to think. Fer the longest time now, Ah've thought my folks to be dead and buried in the land under a lake of water. Then out of the mist some stallion ends up being my father and says my mother left me. Now tell me, Rainbow, what am Ah to think?" Applejack caught herself raising her voice through the words. Not wanting to see any judgement in Dash's eyes, she once again turned away from the prismatic mare.
"Applejack, I..." Dash's words fell off like the dead weight of an anchor, nothing came after.
"Just trying to help, Ah know Dash. An' you're right, I'm tryin' not to think about it. But you're also wrong, Ah'm not tryin' to run away. Been weeks now, an' still don't know what to make of all of this or even how Ah should be feelin', but Ah'm still here and not runnin' off anytime soon." Applejack hoped that her last statement wouldn't turn into a lie.
There was a pregnant pause between them as they both stood on the border, one on the outside looking in at a friend who seemed much farther away than just a few steps. She broke the silence.
"That still doesn't give me an answer." Dash spoke, words heavy in concern.
"Because I don't have one, sugarcube." Applejack turned to face her friend, a slight moisture in her eyes. "But will you be happy if Ah told you when Ah had one?"
Dash answered her by wrapping a hoof around Applejack's neck and pulling her close in a tight hug.
"Same as before, you tell anypony about this, I'll..."
"Ah know, Dash, but thank you." came the reply.
Dash flew off against the evening sun while Applejack shook her head. Must be difficult to fly with the sun in your eyes, Dash must have been showing off out of habit. She turned towards the house and followed the smell of apple pie baking. Closing her eyes, Applejack let the heavenly aroma guide her back, but it couldn't quiet an active mind searching to make sense of everything. Despite her efforts to distract herself with the promise of Granny Smith's famous pie, her mind went back to the begining of the end.
Walking into the library to find her friends staging a rescue plan. Pinkie, being the most excited to see them come back, had tackled Dash into an embrace which started to choke the life out of her. Didn't take even a moment for the rest of them to go over to her and make sure their Dashie was safe. Applejack stood to the side and watched with a smile.
It was Dash they all were worried about, after all, not herself. It was Dash that they all knew needed the most out of what they could give, and that was love. So the friend stood in the background.
She had felt a hoof on her shoulder, and turned to see Twilight Sparkle standing behind her. Twilight's smiling face met her own, but the smile transformed to concern in an instant after seeing the still bloody wrappings around Applejack's face. Twilight couldn't help but lift a hoof to her face, but Applejack stopped it with her own and held on while giving Twilight a reassuring smile.
"Applejack, what happened?" Twilight questioned, gaining momentum with every word. "What the hay were you thinking just running off on your own like that? Nopony has been outside of Equestria for years that have cared to talk about it, not to mention all the missing pony reports that come in from sailponies who sail in that direction? Celestia had me organize those once for the office and it took me several weeks to stop having nightmares from just imagining them lost somewhere with no way of being found. Celestia promised to never make me do that again after the weeks of nightmares that ca-"
Applejack put a merciful hoof on Twilight's mouth "Twi, you're doing what you do when y'all are stressed again."
Twilight blushed and quickly coughed to compose herself. "Yes, well, I'm glad you're safe, but you still didn't answer my question."
"Not like you gave me a chance there, Twi." chastised Applejack.
"Hee hee, sorry." she glanced over Applejack's shoulder at the group of ponies still in the business of welcoming back their friend. Pinkie was talking about something to do with Gryphons and mustaches while Rarity was pulling at Dash's mane. The voices carried through the whole library, making a mockery of the golden rule, but Twilight thought that the rule could be broken on this occasion.
"Twilight, Ah'd be more than happy to tell you everything, but without anypony interrupting every five seconds to speak their mind." said Applejack, gesturing towards Pinkie Pie who had somehow pulled her pet alligator out of Dash's mane. Twilight gave a nod and led the way up the stairs that were carved from the side of the tree along with the rest of the library. They entered the bedroom where Applejack shut the door behind them. Twilight made her way to her bed and pulled up the sheets to reveal the shattered remnants of the bust from Applejack's treatment of the library.
"I suppose I have you to blame for this?" Twilight said, though she already knew the answer. Applejack simply pushed off her hat and gently pulled the obsidian pendant off of her neck. Twilight engulfed the pendant in her magic, lifting it away from Applejack's hoof for a closer inspection.
"Kind of an accident, Twi. See, Ah was looking for at atlas or somethin’ that would make sense of the sky letters that woulda told me where Dash was headin'. Lost my temper and ended up breaking that thing of yours.Twi? Twi? Twilight! Are you even listening to me?"
"Oh, what? Sorry." Twilight apologized, but her voice was soft and it was clear that her mind was a thousand miles away, staring at the floating rock wrapped in purple aura in front of her. "You put this on and you're still alive, that' good, but why then is it..." her mumbling became too quiet to hear. She walked over to a desk and, in a manner most unlike the organized unicorn, pushed the books that adorned the surface onto the floor below, sending up a plume of dust as they banged on the floor.
Curiosity peaked, Applejack walked and looked over the shoulder of the preoccupied Twilight, trying to make sense of her incoherent mumblings as she prodded the stone with her hoofs and different instruments. It caused the Earth pony to jump when she broke the ritual with a question.
"Applejack, did anything happen when you put the necklace on the first time?"
"Ah reckon it did. Sucked all the heat outa' me and left me shivering like spike after falling into the lake during winter.
"How many times?" the stone sparked a few times as Twilight's aura flared. Applejack hazarded a guess that she was casting a few spells on it for one reason or another.
"Thankfully, just that one time. Wouldn't like to go through something like that again."
"You were supposed to. The spell needs to recharge after a day or so, I think. I never got the chance to really test it since I promised Celestia I wouldn't experiment on myself with anything that might kill me anymore." Twilight said nonchalantly.
"Might've what now?"
"I knew that it was safe enough for a pony to use, but there was still a slight chance I could have made a mistake in the numbers. There was a reason I had it hidden where nopony liked to look." Applejack silently agreed with her on that, never understanding the reason Twilight kept such a disturbing bust around. She continued, "Not to mention that this kind of magic is kind of frowned upon by most unicorns and a bit ahead of what I should be studying, but the concept magic seemed harmless enough."
"Right... Well Ah better go back and check on Dash." Applejack made to step away, but was stopped by Twilight who continued to voice her thought process.
"It should have only lasted around a day, at least."
Now Applejack was interested. "Now, that can't be right. That thing led me right to the tree that Dash was hidin' in. Wouldn't of found her if not for that thing, but Ah was out there for more than a day. Only took it off when it started burning."
"Twilight looked up from the stone. "Burning? It's not supposed to do that. When did this happen?"
Applejack thought back to Dash's confession and to the panic that she herself felt the moment the stone went cold. "Twilight, Ah'll let Dash tell you about that. Now it's possible that the necklace thing could've stopped workin' when at sea. Lost all track of time after the wave nearly sank me and Skye."
Twilight all but forgot about the obsidian stone, focusing all her attention on Applejack. "Giant wave? You got there on boat?" she asked.
"Right. The Jacklyn Rose. Weirdest thing though. The wave split in half right before hitting." Applejack closed her eyes at the memory. The winds whipping the sails and the rain that stung like a thousand small spears slamming against her hide. Skye's face came in clear, a look of fear and focus. Applejack opened her eyes to escape the image, but the memory left an imprint on her vision that was only banished by Twilight's face.
"Skye?" asked Twilight "The wave almost sank and island?"
"No, Raptured Skye was the pony Ah found who sailed me over the water."
I... told you about my talent... I didn't want to find you.
"Where's the boat now?"
The Rose. It belongs to you now.
"Manehatten. Twi, I think I-"
Twilight's inquisitive mind continued it's assault, "Is that where he's at? I would have loved to meet him. Such a brave pony to sail across the sea like that, not to mention skilled..."
I’m the colt dumb and drunk enough to take you on your offer.
"I could write a letter to Celestia." Twilight was already reaching for some paper that she always kept on hoof. "He would no doubt get the medal of Harmony. Now, where's Spike when you need him? I needed to write to her anyway to say-"
"Twilight! Please. Stop." Said Applejack with an edge of desperation. She had managed to keep herself composed enough for Dash to lean on her, but everything Twilight was saying only reminded her of the Stallion."
Twilight Sparkle turned away from her search, startled by Applejack's interruption. "I'm just looking for some paper. Applejack, what's wrong? Are you... are you crying?"
She raised a hoof to her face to stop a tear from moving further down her face, but it had already traveled far enough to mingle with the bandage and sting. A knock came to the door before Twilight could say anything more. Moments later the room was flooded by the different colors that were her friends, having noticed her absence. Dash lead the pack, and Applejack quickly dried the tears with her hat before being overwhelmed by happy and concerned faces.
The smell of apple pie became overwhelming when Applejack opened the door to her home on the farm. The chill of the air was banished by the warmth that surrounds a home with a constantly working oven and a lovingly stoked hearth. The clinking of plates and silverware took away the silence, and she closed the final note with the door behind her.
He was brave, though he felt foolish. He also thought it was some twisted fate that brought her to see him in such a time of need. Something like this seemed to defy the very idea of coincidence; it didn't seem like something that could ever happen on accident.
Applejack couldn't help laugh at the newest memory that came to her. The story that Skye had shared not too long before the storms hit. Land fighting to see the sky only to be stopped by the water. She tried to find a reason why he told that particular story to her. Who was the sky supposed to be? Was her mother the water?
She had found Skye, a sailpony, and traveled across the waves to find her friend, a Pegasus. Earth and water risking everything to rescue the sky.
While the appropriateness of the parable made Applejack smile, she couldn't help but remember the way that Skye told his story. There was such conviction in his voice, he believed it in some way. Probably saw the similarity as another sign from fate, or the water, or whoever he thought was pulling the strings of the universe.
Applejack winced. Her head was starting to hurt. She was used to simple problems being dealt in simple ways. At least simple to her.
Her stomach growled. Applejack took solace in the fact that this problem, at least, could be solved in a simple way.
She had entered the dining room to find her grandmother, brother, and little sister already sitting at the table. The food was at the table, but nopony made a move to eat.
"Now y'all know you don't have to wait for me every time. Waitin' this long with Granny's pie in front of ya is just plain torture."
Three smiling faces turned to greet her, one doing much more by jumping off the chair and landing square on Applejack's back.
"Applejack! Bout time ya showed up! I thought I was never gunna eat."
Applejack laughed as the tiny hooves squeezed her mane.
"I told granny that I was eating your share of the pie if you didn't show up soon. Big Mac said you'd lock me in the cellar if you even though I'd touch your share, but I think that would be cool! If you lock me in there, could Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle come with? We'd be cutie mark crusader celler dwellers! I'm not sure what a cellar dweller cutie mark would look like though. Probably a Pendulum. I don't know what that is, but I heard Twilight say that the other day and it sounded like a neat word."
"Applebloom" said Applejack with an authoritative tone. "Y'all know better than to jump off the chairs at the dinner table."
"Awww, but Applejack." the filly whined.
"No buts now Applebloom. Go sit back down and Celestia help if you did take my slice of pie." She took off her hat and jammed it on Applebloom's head, which was several sizes too big for the yellow filly. Her head was lost in a mass of leather and giggles. Applejack set her sister back down at the chair and took a seat next to her. Applebloom was trying to balance the had on her head in a way that would let her see, raising it with her ears as best she could. This elicited a hearty laugh from Big Macintosh.
Granny Smith passed out the corn and baked potatoes that served out the main meal with deliberate slowness that matched her aged figure. The family waited patiently for their plates to be filled. Granny eased herself into her chair at the table's end. Before anypony could eat, there was the sound of hooves across wooden floor. The family looked up to see a cyan Pegasus standing at the entryway, eyes failing to lift off the floor and a left hoof rubbing against her right.
"I was out there, alone, and well... the clouds look like they might kick up a storm and it's too dark for the weather Pegasus to do anything about it. Not dark enough to not see the clouds, but too dark for..." She let the words drift off into silence, then said "That.. that pie smells really good."
Applejack smiled and pulled the chair next to her from the table. Dash wordlessly walked over to the chair and took a seat next to her friend where Granny Smith had already set another plate steaming with warm food. She leaned forward to take a hasty bite, but Applejack stopped her with a hoof. Confused, Dash looked at Applejack, but she only pointed towards Granny Smith, who had already folded her hooves in front of her to fulfill one Apple family tradition that the farm still kept.
Applejack mimed Smith, and so did the rest of the family. Dash, still confused, did the same.
Granny Smith spoke in a slow and deliberate manner. The ease at which the words came to her aged drawl came from years of of abiding by this one tradition. She prayed.
"We thank the earth for the harvest provided which gives us the means to live for those who labor. We wish the earth rest as winter comes. May our work have provided enough food for the cold to come and may the reawakening of Earth be as bountiful as the last. And may we all remain as constant as the season."
As the family ate after Granny said these words, Applejack couldn't but think of the last words said. Could she remain constant with her family, with her life and her friends after learning about her father?
Knowing that her mother may still be alive?
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Nice! As in previous chapters, Applejack really shines here. I thought the scene between her and Twilight was very well constructed, as was the slightly tense scene between her and Rainbow Dash. Also, I really like the voice you give Apple Bloom.
So... according to Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, this story has enough words to be considered a novel.
How about that? And how does it feel to finally change the story status to "complete" ?
(Epilogue notwithstanding.)
Anyway, everything about this story got better with each chapter, and it made me like Applejack a lot more as a character. Thank you for it. Looking forward to the epilogue and what's coming up next.
(Also, in a few months you won't be able to work on anything for awhile? Hope everything's okay.)
Awesome story, left room for a sequel too!
only problem I had with this was sometimes the pace of the story felt held back slightly from constantly swapping from dash' perspective to applejack's, I liked it but it started to drag out a bit in the middle and end 
3092606 I was very surprised to see a comment on this story after so long. What drew you to it, if you don't mind me asking?
I'm happy you enjoyed it, and I do see what you mean. This was the first bit of writing I've done for a long time, and it has many flaws, but I believe I've improved since then. If you wouldn't mind, I'd recommend my other stories that are much shorter and well received at this time.
But could you also tell me a specific part of the fiction you liked? I'd love to hear more of your opinion.