• Published 29th Dec 2012
  • 12,587 Views, 1,189 Comments

Mother of Invention - zaponator



Awake and alone, Applejack will find a way to survive.

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Rambling Through The Avenues Of Time

Applejack slowly regained consciousness to find herself snug and warm under the covers of her bed. She blinked blearily as the last vestiges of sleep fled from her hazy mind. Somewhere outside, a rooster crowed. Applejack smiled; her internal clock was right on time, as always.

As always, the first few rays of sunlight were just starting to shine in through Applejack's window as she rolled out of bed. She stretched her legs, her joints gave a satisfying pop, and Applejack sighed contentedly. A quick flick of her forehoof was all it took to flip her hat from its hook on the wall to its rightful place atop her head.

The old wooden door to Applejack's bedroom creaked loudly as she pushed it open. Most of the house creaked, nowadays. Applejack had given up oiling hinges and tightening boards long ago, and simply tacked it up as added character.

The stairs showed enough character to wake everypony in the house as Applejack descended to the first floor. She ignored that, knowing that everypony would be up soon enough anyway. Instead, Applejack focused on preparing breakfast for herself and Big Mac. The two of them would need a large breakfast if they were going to be working in the orchard all day.

Soon enough, she heard the creak of the steps as Mac came downstairs and joined her in the kitchen. A silent nod passed between them before Mac moved wordlessly to the fridge. He took out half a dozen eggs and cracked them into a bowl, then took a whisk in his mouth and set to beating them while he reached a forehoof out to slide a frying pan across the counter and onto the stovetop.

As the sound of Big Macintosh's work filled the air, Applejack set about her own part of the preparation. First, she deftly spooned some butter into a small metal cup, and set it on the stovetop to melt. Then, in a large bowl, she mixed together flour, baking powder, and sugar. Next, she added in milk, one egg from the fridge, and finally the melted butter. She then stirred the entire mixture with a wooden spoon for about a minute. On a special occasion, she might've added some apples and cinnamon to the mix, but today was a working day. There simply wasn't time for some things.

Nodding once she was satisfied the batter was ready, Applejack carried it over to the stovetop where Macintosh was now tending to a pan full of scrambled eggs. She laid a cast-iron griddle across two open elements on the stove. Carefully, Applejack poured the batter from the bowl into as many pancakes as she could fit on the griddle.

With nothing left to do but wait, the two eldest Apple siblings spent their scant moments of morning peace lost in their own thoughts, interrupted only by the occasional flip of a browning pancake.

Granny Smith and Apple Bloom arrived just as Applejack and Big Mac finished setting out four plates of food at the table. Applejack and Big Mac were served the largest portions, a necessity if they hoped to work the entire day in the fields, but as always they had prepared plenty for everypony. The family dug into their food in unison, eating quickly and in relative silence. When they had finished, Mac and Applejack headed out the front door while Granny Smith helped Apple Bloom prepare for school.

The two siblings trotted over to the barn, and each began hitching up a cart full of empty apple buckets. "I'll take the east fields today," Applejack said, before tilting her hat back and glancing at Mac. "You think you can take the whole south corner on your own?"

"Eeyup."

Applejack nodded. "Right then, let's get to work."

The next couple hours were spent in repetitive hard work. She would set up empty buckets underneath the tree, buck the apples down, load the buckets into the cart, and move on to the next tree to start the process over again. The process was almost second nature, and she allowed her mind to go blank as she worked her way from tree to tree by muscle memory. Birds chirped cheerfully as they awoke, the grass felt soft and pleasant underneath her hooves. It was calm, even relaxing.

The sun continued its inexorable rise, painting the farm with the deep orange rays of dawn for several minutes before transitioning to the brighter light of true day. It was still early morning when she heard the sound of approaching wing beats. She gave the tree behind her a good kick, the satisfying 'thwack' knocking every apple from its perch, before turning to greet her unexpected visitor.

Rainbow Dash touched down gently in the grass just as Applejack turned around to face her. She'd learned to tone down her landing speed after Applejack had yelled at her for the impact craters mysteriously appearing around the Acres.

"Hey Applejack, what'cha doing?" Rainbow said with a smile.

Applejack blinked. She slowly turned her head to look at the cart full of apples, the rows of cleared trees, and the recently filled buckets sitting next to her. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Applejack shot a level stare Rainbow Dash's way.

"I'm remodelling the basement. What's it look like I'm doin'?"

"Heh, yeah, you're a… funny one," Rainbow Dash muttered, breaking her gaze from Applejack and staring at the ground. "So…" she started, hesitantly. "Some weather we've been having lately, huh?"

"What, you come here to brag now?" Applejack asked. She smirked as Rainbow struggled for a response. While the pegasus floundered, Applejack set to loading the filled buckets into the back of the apple cart. "You mind givin' me a hoof with this, Rainbow Dash?" Applejack said as she hefted one of the heavy buckets.

Rainbow wordlessly complied, still not meeting Applejack's eyes as she lifted a few of the buckets into the cart. Applejack exhaled in relief as the last bucket was loaded, and she began dragging the cart along with Rainbow in tow.

"So you gonna spit it out, or do ya just wanna keep helping me with farmwork? 'Cause I've got plenty of work to go around, you know," Applejack teased, hoping it would cause her old friend to open up a bit.

Rainbow Dash sighed. "I just wanted to talk to you… about what happened at the Wonderbolt camp."

Applejack froze, the hair on her neck standing on end for a brief second. "There ain't nothing to talk about," she said, her voice completely level.

Rainbow Dash leaped into the air and hovered in front of Applejack, finally looking her in the eyes. "Don't try and pull that with me!" She was forced to fly backwards as Applejack continued towards the next row of trees. "Look, I know you've always had a problem with flying."

Applejack huffed, stopping to unhitch the cart and set the buckets underneath the first tree. As she worked, she said, "I don't ‘have a problem'." She paused for a moment. This time it was her turn to stare at the ground. "Just don't see why you'd wanna go and leave the ground, where it's perfectly safe, and there ain't no risk of… of fallin'…" She trailed off weakly.

Dash glared at her. "Uh huh, right."

Applejack sighed, turning around to buck the tree a little harder than usual. "Look, we all got stuff we ain't exactly comfortable with. You come here to lecture me 'bout it, or just to make fun of me?" She hadn't raised her voice, but her tone had shifted to such a dangerous level that Applejack may as well have been shouting.

"No! It's not like that…" Rainbow Dash landed roughly on the ground, sinking to her haunches despondently. "It's just…" She sighed, rubbing at her face with a forehoof and groaning. "Ugh, I'm no good at this stuff," she muttered low enough that Applejack wasn't sure she was supposed to hear it.

Applejack turned away from the now cleared tree and looked at Dash, who was staring at the ground and sheepishly rubbing her forehooves together. The pegasus's ears were folded back against her head, but before Applejack could tell her to spit it out already, Rainbow Dash spoke.

"Listen, I just thought I'd pop by to… to maybe see how you were holding up. You know?"

Instantly, Applejack's anger faded. "Oh…" she mumbled in realization.

Memories flashed through Applejack's mind. They were in Twilight's balloon, all five of Rainbow's best friends, on their way to the Wonderbolt Academy to pay their favourite trainee a surprise visit. Suddenly, a commotion from the training grounds caught the mares' attention. Before any of them could react, a huge tornado was barrelling down on their position. Applejack barely had time to shout a panicked warning before the balloon was tossed wildly through the air on high-speed cyclonic winds. The balloon broke apart, and then Applejack was falling. Falling, falling, falling—

"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about!"

Applejack blinked as she was brought back to the present. Rainbow was pointing an accusatory hoof at her, and she only then realized that she was shaking slightly. Applejack forced her shivers to stillness before meeting Rainbow's gaze with an even look.

"I'm fine, Rainbow."

Rainbow Dash didn't seem convinced, but her hoof lowered to the ground and she deflated slightly, once more looking sheepish. "I just… I worry about my friends, okay? If you ever need to, like, talk or something, you know I'm totally there."

Applejack chuckled. "I know, sugarcube. Don't worry about it, I'm a tough pony."

The two stood there in awkward silence for several moments. Even the birds seemed to have stopped chirping, and the wind could be heard whistling through the trees. Rainbow looked on the edge of leaning in to hug Applejack, shifting her weight back and forth slightly. In the end, she settled for a hesitant pat on the shoulder. Applejack accepted the gesture silently, but a small smile formed on her lips.

"Good talk!" Rainbow suddenly exclaimed all too brightly, leaping into the air in a flash.

"Yep," Applejack agreed forcefully, quickly turning and starting to load the cart with more buckets of apples.

"Catch you later," Rainbow said as she turned to leave. At the last moment, she hesitated. "Oh, almost forgot! Twilight wanted to talk to you today. Said to head over to the library as soon as you could."

"What for?" Applejack asked as the last of the buckets was placed in the cart.

Rainbow shrugged. "Wouldn't say. Apparently she'll 'tell us later.'” Rainbow Dash made air-quotes with her forehooves, “but she wanted to talk to you about it first."

"Well alright, I'll head on over there just as soon as I'm done," Applejack said, nodding. "And, sugarcube?" She paused, scratching her head for a moment. "Just… thanks, really."

Rainbow Dash groaned. "Yeah yeah, I think I've had enough sap for today. See ya!"

With that, Rainbow blasted off, and before Applejack could even respond, her friend was a tiny blue dot in the distance. Applejack shook her head and started pulling her fully-loaded cart towards the barn, the first of what was quickly looking to be a long day. The entire time, she wondered just what crazy thing Twilight wanted her for now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Applejack hummed a tune as the trotted down the dirt road through town. It had taken her most of the day to finish up her work, but after a quick shower to wash away the sweat of a hard day's labour, she felt fully refreshed. Her limbs had the satisfying ache of a job well worth doing, and the air was just cool enough to be pleasant as the sun neared the horizon.

There were still a couple hours of daylight left, enough for Applejack to talk to Twilight Sparkle about… something. In truth, the thought had been niggling away in the back of her mind all day. Twilight was an introvert, but not so bad that she never talked to ponies. Still, the majority of Twilight's social life took place with their whole group of friends, or at least a few of them. It wasn't often that she spoke to Applejack one-on-one. If she had to talk to her personally, it had to be about something important.

Applejack only hoped they could get it done as quickly as possible. She had never been a fan of beating around the bush, and would much rather just get everything said that needed to be said without wasting any time about it. Besides, the ‘pleasant ache’ of work was becoming less and less pleasant by the minute, and Applejack could hear her comfortable bed calling to her.

The familiar scenery of town blended into a monotonous blur in Applejack’s tired eyes as she plodded down the street. Most ponies were at home by this time, or just closing up their shops and preparing to head for home, so Applejack didn't have anypony to share a friendly word with as she ambled along. She relished the peace and quiet for a change. It wasn't that Applejack was unappreciative of the immensely friendly villagers of Ponyville, but a little time to herself was nice every now and again.

In no time at all, the wooden door of the library was looming before her. Applejack shook her head, clearing the haze of fatigue, and raised a hoof to knock firmly on the door. The hollow 'thump' of her knocking was quickly answered by the scrabbling of tiny, clawed feet against the hardwood floor. A moment later, and the door opened silently to reveal Spike the dragon.

"Oh, hey, Applejack!" He grinned widely.

"Howdy, Spike." Applejack reciprocated as best she could with a slightly tired smile. "Twilight in?"

Spike nodded. "Oh, yeah! You want me to go get her?"

Applejack waved a forehoof. "Nah, s'fine. Just point me in the right direction."

Spike jerked a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the main room behind him, rolling his eyes as he did so. "She's in the main room with her nose stuck in some book. Where else?"

The two of them shared a short laugh. Spike quirked an eyebrow as they finished. "Actually, I think she was saying earlier that she needed to talk to you."

"Reckon that's why I'm here," Applejack said with a chuckle.

"Heh, yeah," Spike replied embarrassedly, before stepping back from the door and turning to leave. "Uh, if you need anything, just yell."

"Will do." Applejack tipped her hat towards the little dragon as she trotted across the threshold of the enchanted tree. The novelty of being inside a gigantic, still-living tree never failed to impress Applejack. She was all for tradition and the earth pony way, but unicorns were capable of some amazing feats, and the Ponyville Library was certainly amazing.

The main floor of the library interior was circular in shape, with bookshelves lining every wall from floor to ceiling. The place smelled of old paper and knowledge, but with a light smell of food drifting in from a half-closed door on one side of the room, reminding Applejack that somepony lived here. Not just a library, but a home.

Twilight sat at a desk in the center of the room, her muzzle practically touching the pages of a thick tome. Applejack chuckled quietly at the all too familiar sight. Before Applejack could get the librarian's attention, she was struck a moment too late by a realization of her own. She'd left the door open.

A gust of wind from outside caught the library's front door and swung it shut with a clattering slam. Twilight looked up suddenly, startled by the sudden noise. Her surprised expression quickly melted into a warmer one as she caught sight of Applejack sheepishly rubbing her forelegs together.

"Oh, Applejack, you're here!"

"Sure am, sugarcube," Applejack replied, walking across the room to stand next to Twilight. "What'cha readin' there?"

Applejack leaned forward to get a better look at the passage Twilight had been reading, but the book flipped shut in a purple aura of magic, leaving only a view of the cover.

"Beginner's Guide to Wilderness Survival, by Bush Whack," Applejack recited, blinking. "You plannin' a camping trip or something?"

"Yes! No… Not quite," Twilight sputtered, before pausing and taking a deep breath. She took a second, appearing to compose herself, before turning to Applejack with a warm smile. "First things first, I just wanted to ask, uh, that is to say, I was wondering—"

Applejack sat down, rubbing her face with her forehooves. "Out with it, now. Y'all asked me to come around here, didn't ya?"

"Well, it's just," Twilight cleared her throat, "How, uh, how are you… doing?"

Applejack blinked. "That all? Well, I can't complain. Bit of a long day's work, but that's par for the course this time of year, I suppose. Applebuck season's fixin' to be not much of a problem this year, but that doesn't mean it ain't a lot of work. But I've got Big Mac helpin' out again, so—"

"That's… not what I meant," Twilight cut her off. She sighed heavily, before continuing, "I meant, how are you holding up after, you know, the… incident at the Wonderbolt Academy? You seemed pretty shaken up for a while."

Applejack groaned, kicking the floor with a forehoof and drawing a startled yelp from Twilight. "Land sakes, is that all anypony wants to talk about? I told Dash, and I'll tell you, I'm fine! Now please tell me you didn't call me all the way over here for that."

Twilight held up her hooves in a placating gesture. "No, no, that's not why I called you here. It is relevant to the topic, though." A change overtook her at the last statement, and Twilight's sympathetic smile was replaced by an excited grin. Her eyes twinkled, and she appeared to be fighting the urge to hop wildly around the room. "So you're fine, then? Totally fine?"

"Right as rain." Applejack nodded.

Twilight released a high-pitched noise somewhere between a stream of giggles and a squee. It was more than a little disconcerting.

"Yes yes yes yes yes," the excited librarian began chanting happily.

"Uh…" Applejack struggled for words, eventually settling on, "Did I miss something?"

Twilight zeroed her cheshire grin on Applejack, her wide eyes causing the farmer to lean back involuntarily. "No! Well, yes! Er, sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself."

"Okay." Twilight took a deep breath, calming herself down a bit, though the grin remained firmly in place. "For the past few weeks, I've been researching airships, from history to usage to design. The work was tangentially related to friendship at best, but I was pursuing it more as a personal interest than a serious project. Then I made some startling discoveries."

Twilight paused, seemingly for dramatic effect, but continued at a gesture from Applejack, "Inefficiencies!" Twilight shouted with genuine horror, as if it was the worst thing in the world. "Wild inefficiencies across the entire design of most airships! It was almost as if the ponies responsible were more concerned with looks than proper aerodynamics, and that was only on the outside. The engines themselves were shedding heat more wastefully than a book burning at a conference on thermodynamics!"

Applejack raised a forehoof. "Not to interrupt, and I'm sure all this is terribly interestin' stuff, but what's it got to do with me?"

"I'm getting to that," Twilight dismissed with a wave of her hoof. "Now, where was I?"

Applejack sighed. "Thermodymicality."

"Thermodynamics, yes." Twilight nodded. "So it wasn't just the profile of the ships that was inefficient, it was the inner workings themselves, right down to the engines. As I read more and more about airships, I couldn't help but think of all the possible improvements that could be made. At that point, it was my duty to throw my hat into the ring!" She blinked. "Uh, metaphorically speaking of course."

Twilight struck a confident pose, one hoof raised, gaze determined. Applejack merely raised an eyebrow, causing the librarian to shrink down with a blush.

"Okay, I was bored and it seemed like fun." She cleared her throat and shook her head, her grin returning as she got back on track. "The point is, I've spent the last few days perfecting my own airship design. It's exponentially more efficient than conventional ships, and I've already had the design approved by the ponies in Canterlot. We could see ponies flying around in these new and improved ships within the year!"

Applejack took a moment, making sure that the still-grinning Twilight was done, before saying, "That's mighty swell and all, Twilight, but I still got a question." Twilight nodded, and Applejack went on. "Well firstly, why tell me specifically? No offense meant or anything, this just seems like the kinda thing you'd rather announce to all the girls, y'know?"

Twilight's grin dimmed ever so slightly. "Well, I do plan on telling the rest of the girls, but…”

“But...?” Applejack prodded.

“But there's a bit more to it. The ponies in Canterlot need the design to be tested before they can begin mass production, obviously. They've tested all the components, and everything passed, but they need one maiden voyage before they'll sign off on it." She paused, tapping her forehooves together nervously, staring at the floor. "I was thinking… since I designed the thing, I really should be the one to test it. It's only right."

Applejack nodded in agreement, and Twilight continued, "...And it would mean a whole lot to me if I could have you girls by my side." She looked up, meeting Applejack's wide-eyed gaze. "This is big, Applejack. This could be the defining moment of my career, even if it's… not exactly in a field I would have anticipated."

Twilight blushed slightly. "I wanted to ask you first because… well, because of the Wonderbolt Academy accident. I wasn't sure if you'd be okay with flying again so soon. You said you were fine though!" Twilight was quickly reverting to her high level of excitement. "You don't have to worry, I've gone over the designs in their entirety dozens of times. I've scanned and scanned and scanned for even the tiniest flaw or error, and there's nothing even slightly unsafe. I would never, ever ask any of my friends to come along if there was any danger.

“The trip is just for proof of concept, and because they legally need one maiden voyage. It's a formality, nothing more, but it's an important formality, to them and to me. If you wanted, you could just sit inside the whole time. You wouldn't even know you were in the air! The stability fins keep it so smooth that—"

Applejack held up a hoof, silencing Twilight's rant. In truth, she wasn't sure herself if she would be okay with flying, but she could see how much this meant to the other mare. Twilight's enthusiasm and excitement was almost palpable, and there was no way that Applejack could find the spirit to crush that. She may not have been the Element of Loyalty, but Applejack wasn't about to leave a friend hanging.

"Of course I'd come with, sugarcube, but what about applebuck season?"

Twilight nodded rapidly, her mane bouncing up and down in time. "I accounted for that. The trip would take two full days, and you already take weekends off, so we leave Saturday morning and get back Sunday night."

"That's the other thing," Applejack said, slightly warily. "You ain't said just where this trip is even supposed to be."

Applejack hadn't thought it possible, but Twilight's grin grew even wider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little over a week later, Applejack found herself packing for a trip that she had foolishly agreed to. A trip that she would've called hogwash if not for the fact that Twilight Sparkle had been the one to propose it. Twilight Sparkle was never wrong. Applejack gulped, her throat suddenly feeling slightly dry. Twilight had better not be wrong.

It was an impossible idea. Or… it had been, until Twilight had decided to make it possible. Twilight was expecting them to fly across the ocean in her fancy new airship. Even so long after hearing it, the idea still befuddled her. Ponies didn't fly across the ocean. It simply wasn't done. There were sea-faring ships designed specifically for that inter-continental travel because no airship could ever make it that far.

Until now, apparently. Twilight claimed that her new and improved designs would be able to make it across the ocean with fuel to spare. Apparently the ponies in Canterlot responded well to grand gestures, and this was the only way to get them off their flanks without wading through a year's worth of monotonous paperwork. Twilight assured Applejack and the rest of the girls that it was perfectly safe. The ship had already been built and tested in every possible capacity. The 'maiden voyage' was nothing but a formality at this point, seeing as the airship was already proven to be fully functional and safe.

At least, that's what Twilight had said. Applejack was a pony who liked to keep her hooves planted firmly on the ground, but Twilight knew her stuff. Twilight Sparkle was never wrong. Applejack looked around, finding a glass of water on a nearby end table and taking a long gulp. They'd all be pretty sorry if Twilight was wrong.

Applejack finished filling one side of her saddlebags, and closed the flap with a flick of her hoof. The bright red apple on the clasp stood out proudly against the light green fabric of the bags. These bags had served Applejack through numerous adventures, from a simple camping trip in the woods to a hike up a dragon-occupied mountain. Rarity had made a pair for each of the girls shortly after Twilight's arrival in Ponyville, each one personalized beautifully to suit their owner.

Shaking her head, Applejack willed her thoughts back on track. The trip.

Twilight's plan was fairly simple for such a ground-breaking undertaking. The airship was to pick them up on the outskirts of town, and from there it would be a straight, non-stop flight. They were to fly to a fishing village on the far coast to resupply and refuel. The village -Twilight had told them the name, but it managed to slip Applejack's mind over the past week spent worrying- had already been informed of the situation, and a sea-faring ship had sailed over in advance with all the necessary supplies on board.

The flight there would take the entire day, so after the restocking, the plan was to spend the night at the village and fly back the next day. The only catch was that the village was fairly remote. It was chosen simply for being the closest one to Equestria, not for luxury. So it was that Applejack was packing her saddlebags with everything necessary for a one-night camping trip. Truth be told, Applejack had packed far more than what was strictly needed. She had a fire-starting kit and a sleeping bag, of course, but she also brought a week's worth of dried fruit rations, a sturdy hatchet, a multitool, an enchanted torch she'd gotten from Twilight, and of course a coil of strong rope. Better safe than sorry, after all.

Only one last thing remained: water. Most of the next two days would be spent in the air over salt water, and while the ship had a tank of drinking water, Twilight had advised everypony to bring a canteen as well. Applejack shuddered slightly as she remembered that particular conversation, during which Twilight had felt the need to relate all the effects of dehydration in… almost disturbing detail.

Swiftly moving on from that train of thought, Applejack snatched her trusty canteen from a nearby shelf. Almost everything Applejack owned was trusty, which was really just a nice way of saying that it was old. Items got used, reused, and passed down in the Apple family. Waste not, want not. They had come a long way from the old days of barely scrounging up the food to live, but some habits and traditions remained. Applejack was particularly fond of that particular tradition, though. It gave everyday objects special meaning that they would otherwise lack entirely. Even something as simple as a canteen had a story to it, this one in particular being dented in one corner from when Big Mac had brought it on a Colt Scout camping trip years and years ago.

Applejack smiled, one hoof idly running along the weathered stetson atop her head. There was a lot to be said for some traditions.

Applejack wasn't sure how long she spaced out, but she eventually returned to the present to find herself sitting on her haunches, holding her hat between her forehooves and staring down at it. She stood up, a slight shudder rolling through her, and quickly put her hat back on. Tossing the canteen into her saddlebags, she turned and headed out of her room.

As she walked down the hall and towards the staircase, Applejack was again struck by the sheer incredibleness of what they were about to do. Two days across the ocean and back. Even after having Twilight explain it to her, in great detail, and multiple times, Applejack could barely believe it. A normal, water-based ship would take days, at least, or even more than a week with larger vessels. Coupled with the long travel times was an innate danger to sea travel. The sea was one of the most unpredictable things on the planet, and tended to lean towards wanton cruelty on many occasions. There was a reason most ponies hadn't traveled the open ocean. It wasn't an uncommon thing for ships to be damaged, or even lost to the rogue waves of an angry sea.

Of course, that only made what Twilight was attempting all the more important. If an airship could make it across the ocean, it would not only be faster, but safer. They could be on the cusp of a worldwide paradigm shift, and as uncomfortable as Applejack was with the whole flight aspect of it, she couldn't deny that the prospect was exciting.

As Applejack reached the ground floor, Granny Smith looked up from a nearby rocking chair at the creaking of the stairs.

"You headin' out now, Applejack?" the eldest Apple asked.

"Sure am, Granny," Applejack responded. "Won't be but a couple days. I'll be back in time to get back to work, don't you worry none."

Granny Smith nodded, her rheumy eyes glaring into Applejack's own. "You keep safe now, ya hear? I still think us earth ponies oughta be keepin' our hooves on the ground. All this flyin' nonsense is best kept to them winged ones, if you ask me. T'ain't natural," she grumbled.

Applejack rolled her eyes. As much as she hated flying, at least her own trepidation was based on the very real and rational fear of falling to her death, not silly old superstition.

"I'll be fine, Granny," she dismissed with a wave of her forehoof.

Granny Smith scoffed incredulously, before tittering with a smile. "I suppose you will. You always were a tough'n. Love ya, Applejack. See you soon."

Applejack smiled back in response, a small but completely genuine thing. "Love ya, too, Granny. Be seein' ya."

With that, Applejack turned and trotted out the door, leaving with one last call of "Tell Mac and 'Bloom goodbye for me! Wouldn't do to tell 'em myself when I get back."

Smiling and laughing, her nervousness at the approaching task momentarily forgotten, Applejack walked out the gate marking the edge of the Acres, and down the road towards Ponyville.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time she reached town, Applejack's nerve had once again shattered. Try as she might to forget it, the incident at the Wonderbolt Academy was playing on repeat in her mind's eye. She could feel her legs shaking, and sweat was beginning to form on her forehead.

She could still back out. Twilight would understand. They didn't all need to go, the other five could do well enough on their own, anyway. Twilight wanted them there as moral support, but Applejack wouldn't be very supportive sitting in a corner quivering the whole time. It was settled, then. She would go straight to Twilight's and cancel. No more flying, no more airships, no more—

Applejack shook her head, skidding to a stop when she realized that her hooves were carrying her in the direction of the town library. She couldn't be thinking like that. More importantly, she couldn't abandon her friend like that. Applejack needed to talk to somepony, anypony. Just to calm down, if nothing else. Casting her gaze around the immediate area, Applejack realized that she wasn't far from the Carousel Boutique.

The thought caused her to brighten instantly. She could go talk to Rarity. That would hopefully take her mind off things. Plan in mind, Applejack trotted down the street towards the Boutique. Birdsong floated by on a pleasant breeze, and the gravel path crunched beneath her hooves as her saddlebag bounced along on her back.

Before she knew it, Applejack had reached her destination. Her hoof was half raised to knock before she remember that it was, technically, an open business. Applejack lowered her hoof, then reached out and pushed open the intricately decorated wooden door before her, causing a tiny bell to tinkle overhead as she stepped into the small shop.

“Coming!” Rarity's voice floated down the stairs, followed shortly by the mare herself. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and magni—" Rarity cut off, blinking. "Oh, Applejack, it's you."

The conversation started out stilted and awkward from there, but it didn't take long for Rarity to figure out Applejack's real reason for coming. The fashionista handled it well, and they talked for a while, though Rarity did most of the talking. That pony could be surprisingly insightful at times, apparently, and her words worked wonders on Applejack. Applejack found herself feeling a little better about the whole situation, and fairly confident in herself after all. In the end, Applejack informed Rarity that she needed to go think, and left the Boutique without another word.

As Applejack turned to leave, Rarity said, “Take your time. We'll send Fluttershy to fetch you.”

She wandered aimlessly for a few minutes, before a grassy hill just outside town caught her attention. Applejack angled herself that way, and arrived at the bottom of the hill in a couple minutes. Climbing to the top, Applejack sat on the grass and looked down at the whole village spread out before her. The morning sun shone out over the thatched roofs of the town, glinting off the water of the fountain in the main square. It was beautiful.

Applejack sat there a while, her mind mostly blank. Idle thoughts ran through her head, but she never became too lost in them. She simply sat, waiting for an epiphany that wasn't coming to tell her what to do. The whole thing was making her head hurt.

After a while, the sound of faint wingbeats reached her ears. Applejack barely registered it, and didn't bother to turn at the sound. Even when four hooves touched down delicately in the grass behind her, she didn't acknowledge their presence. It wasn't until a soft, caring voice drifted to her on the cool morning air that Applejack finally snapped out of it.

"Applejack, are you alright?"

Applejack turned her head, quickly making out the bright blue eyes of a light yellow pegasus, and all the concern within her friend's gaze. It was there on that lonely hilltop that Applejack was finally able to confess the root of the problem, both to Fluttershy and to herself. She was afraid. Not just her fear of flying, but she was afraid of not being a brave pony.

Fluttershy understood completely, and was very nice about telling Applejack just how wrong she was. She explained what it truly meant to be brave, and Applejack found herself enraptured for every minute of it. While Rarity's words had planted a burning ember within Applejack's chest, Fluttershy's fanned it into a roaring fire that consumed the last vestiges of Applejack's uncertainty. She was still afraid, but that didn't matter anymore. She knew that she could be brave.

When Fluttershy finally finished her speech, Applejack grinned appreciatively, nodding her head in thanks.

Fluttershy beamed back. "Well, the girls are probably wondering why I took so long in getting you. Um, would you mind, uh, heading over now?"

Applejack smirked, stepping up beside Fluttershy, her headache nothing but a memory at that point. "Sounds good to me."

With that, the two mares turned as one, and trotted in companionable silence towards the bottom of the hill. From there, Fluttershy took the lead, and they headed off to where the airship was moored.

The pair walked without speaking, and Applejack was left alone with her thoughts as they made their way around the edge of Ponyville. Between Rarity's and Fluttershy's encouragement, Applejack knew she could make it through the task before them. She wouldn't like it, but she could do it.

After a few minutes of walking, a large, grey shape appeared in the distance. Twilight's airship. It was parked just outside the town border, floating about a metre off the ground. Applejack couldn't tell from so far away, but she assumed there was something tethering it in place there.

The closer they got, the more of Applejack's attention was stolen by the large airship hovering in the field alongside the rest of the girls. More and more details were becoming apparent, and Applejack's curiosity won over her trepidation at the intimidating machine as she found herself examining it in awe.

Applejack didn’t know a lot about airships, but she’d seen a few before. One of her cousins owned a simple dirigible, little more than an old rowboat suspended beneath a large balloon and propelled by a single propellor. Of course, Applejack expected something different from Twilight Sparkle. She expected something similar to what they had seen on their trips to Canterlot, but to her surprise, what she saw in the field outside Ponyville bore no resemblance to the Canterlot airships at all.

Right off the bat, Twilight’s design lacked the overly-flashy aesthetic Applejack had come to expect from the one or two she'd seen in Canterlot. The ponies of Canterlot valued appearance over most anything else, and the fanciest airships reflected this. Bright colours were the norm, gold inlays wherever possible, and every inch of the ships had to be designed to please the eye. The current style dictated that most Canterlot airships were designed to resemble gigantic fish, with the area that ponies would ride in hanging just below the fish's belly.

That flashiness must have been a part of the inefficiency Twilight had talked about, because her ship had done away with all of that. It wasn't painted with the usual swirling designs and bright colours. In fact, Applejack wasn't sure they'd painted it at all, unless they'd actually chosen to paint it grey. In the same vein, it wasn't shaped like anything in particular. From the side Applejack and Fluttershy were approaching, the entire craft looked like a long oval with slightly pointed ends. The compartment on the bottom for ponies to ride in was painted the same grey, and fused directly to the bottom of the blimp rather than hanging from ropes. There were plenty of windows around the seemingly spacious interior, but Applejack couldn't quite see inside.

Applejack eventually managed to tear her focus from the impressive vehicle, and she turned away to locate her friends. Each of them were wearing saddlebags similar to Applejack's and Fluttershy's, emblazoned with their own cutie marks. The saddlebags were all packed to the brim with the essentials. The group of friends was standing together a little ways from the parked airship, talking amongst themselves. Their conversation was inaudible to Applejack from her distance, and she picked up her pace slightly to reach the group.

Fluttershy fell a few paces behind before she took to the air in order to keep up with Applejack. Within a few moments, the two of them joined the rest of the girls.

Rainbow Dash was the first to notice their arrival. "'Bout time you guys got here! We've been waiting for hours!"

"Um, I only left to get Applejack fifteen minutes ago, but I'm sorry I wasn't faster…" Fluttershy mumbled, wilting slightly.

Applejack hadn't missed the grin on Rainbow's face. "Relax, Fluttershy, she's only joking."

"Oh? I'm sorry I didn't get it…"

Before Rainbow Dash or Applejack could respond, Pinkie Pie hopped over. "Hey, Applejack! Are you excited? Oh, I bet you must be nervous though! Excited too? Nervous and excited? There's gotta be a word for that… I'll come up with something later."

Applejack leaned back as Pinkie Pie breathed in for another tirade, but was rescued by Rarity.

"Darling, so glad you could make it. We were almost beginning to get worried when we didn't find you here, but it looks like sending Fluttershy out to find you worked things out nicely." She paused, looking Applejack over with a critical eye. When she caught Applejack's gaze, Rarity offered an encouraging smile. "We truly are happy you could make it."

Applejack had been worried that Rarity would have mentioned their little… conversation in her shop that morning. The fashionista had tactfully neglected to bring up Applejack's moment of weakness, while still offering the same encouragement as before. Not for the first time, Applejack was reminded of just how lucky she was to have friends like these.

"Thanks, Rarity. Really, I—"

"What, you think Applejack would've backed out and left her friends hanging?" Rainbow Dash suddenly interjected. She dropped from where she'd been hovering above the group and flashed a confident grin.

"No way, no how!" Rainbow settled a foreleg across Applejack's shoulders. "Only one pony's half as awesome as me, and I'm twice as awesome as I'd need to be for this little trip!"

Applejack shrugged off Rainbow's hoof and settled her ponytail back into place. "Uh, thanks… I think."

"What took ya so long, anyways?" Rainbow raised one eyebrow.

"Uh…" Applejack was a terrible liar. She knew this, and her friends knew this. Fortunately for her, Fluttershy knew this.

"Oh, she and I just got to talking a bit." Fluttershy quickly stepped up and joined the conversation. "I was telling her how I was afraid of the trip we have ahead of us. A whole two days of flying with no critters anywhere. You know how much I love the ground. Why, sometimes I wonder if I'm half earth pony myself…"

Fluttershy trailed off with a warm smile, until she realized Rainbow Dash was still looking at her. "Ahem, anyway, she told me I should come anyway, because facing your fears is the only way to be really brave."

She met Applejack's eyes as she finished, and Applejack could see the kindness there. "Uh, yep. That's about it," Applejack murmured in agreement.

"Pfft, that's silly. You're silly. I'm the bravest pony in Equestria 'cause I'm not afraid of anything at all! I've never faced any fears 'cause I don't have any!" Rainbow Dash boasted, one hoof to her chest in a dramatic pose.

Rarity chose that moment to chime back in. "Well I for one think it's a lovely sentiment." She smiled warmly at Fluttershy, letting her gaze linger on Applejack as well for just a moment before turning back to Rainbow. "Anyway, Twilight has been waiting ever so patiently for us to get underway, so why don't we rouse her and let her know we can depart anytime."

At the mention of Twilight, Applejack looked over to see the mare in question hunched over a thick book in the grass a few paces away. She had somehow managed to completely miss the conversation going on next to her, so engrossed was she in her reading. Applejack couldn't help but crack an amused smile.

While Rarity attempted to coax Twilight away from her textbook, Pinkie Pie sidled up next to Applejack with a wide grin on her face.

"Soooooo?"

Applejack blinked. "So… what?"

"Aren't you excited?!" Pinkie bounced up and down in place.

Applejack thought for a moment in an attempt to pin down what she was feeling. Was she excited? Maybe that wasn't quite the right word, but it did work on some level. It was the sort of excitement she felt before facing down some villain or other. The sort of excitement she felt before charging down a changeling army or fighting a god of chaos. It wasn't a happy sort of excitement, but it was excitement of a sort; the sort that would be followed by a huge amount of relief if she managed to not die.

In the end, Applejack said, "Yeah, I suppose I am a bit excited."

Just then, Twilight Sparkle walked up to join the group. She was floating the large tome next to her in an aura of magic and smiling as she arrived. Twilight had grown a couple inches since gaining her wings, but she didn't carry herself like the tallest pony there. Somehow, looking up to meet her eyes wasn't the least bit intimidating.

Applejack tilted her hat with a forehoof. "Princess Twilight," she greeted.

Twilight sighed. "Applejack, how many times will I have to tell you to stop calling me that?"

Applejack snickered. "'Least once more, Princess."

"I swear, I'll hit you with a book…" Twilight said, though the threat lost some of its effect when she devolved to giggles immediately after, joined by Applejack's own chuckling and Pinkie's barked laughter.

Twilight Sparkle looked around at the gathered ponies. "So, is everypony ready to go?"

There was a chorus of acknowledgement from all around, but Applejack couldn't help the frown that appeared on her face as she voiced her own. Pinkie Pie noticed it too.

"Oh, don't be such a frowning-face!" Pinkie moved to stand in front of Applejack. She gestured wildly with her hooves as she said, "We're gonna get to see the ocean! The ocean!"

Twilight perked up. "Actually, Pinkie Pie has a point—"

"You mean besides the one on the top of her head?" Rainbow Dash cut in.

"Snnkt, heeheehee, I don't even know what that means." Pinkie Pie rolled around on her back in the grass, giggling all the while.

Twilight ruffled her wings a little at the interruption, but otherwise managed to ignore the both of them, focusing on Applejack instead. "Think about it, Applejack, the ocean! Haven't you ever wanted to see it for yourself? The books describe it so beautifully, but nothing can compare to firsthoof observation."

Rarity nodded. "I must say, I've heard it can be absolutely marvellous to look at. Why, if I don't get at least a few new design ideas from this little trip, then I may as well turn in my dressmaking license."

Pinkie Pie blinked. "There's a license for that?"

"Figure of speech, darling."

Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and hovered above the group. "Yeah, the ocean's gonna be cool and all, but I'm more excited to see what's on the other side. A whole new bunch of ponies that have yet to experience my awesomeness! I'll be able to show off my awesome stunts to a brand new crowd for the first time in, like, forever! It's gonna be awesome."

"You said that already," Rarity pointed out.

"What?"

"Awesome. You overused that word."

"Eh, it applies." Rainbow Dash shrugged.

"You could still stand to expand your vocabulary a tad."

While the two of them continued to go back and forth, Fluttershy meekly stepped forward. "I'm, um, I'm really looking forward to meeting all sorts of new critters on the other side of the ocean. I bet there are whole species that I haven't even seen yet, just waiting to make friends and be snuggly and lovable." By the time she finished, she was smiling warmly with her eyes closed, humming softly to herself.

Applejack glanced between Rarity and Dash, who were still going at it, and the happily daydreaming Fluttershy. Finally, she simply turned back to Twilight Sparkle.

"Right, well, all that sounds mighty fine, but I'm more concerned about safety." Applejack noted Twilight's incredulous expression and hastily amended, "Uh, no offense meant, of course."

Before Twilight could speak up to defend her work, Pinkie Pie literally jumped into the conversation, landing on all four hooves between the two ponies. "Don't be silly, Applejack! Twilight designed this thing, and that mare knows all sorts of stuff about things. Her things are the best things around, and her stuff is at least in the top three. If we can't trust our stuff to her things then I don't even know what to believe!"

Twilight opened her mouth as if to say something, but only succeeded in working her jaw silently for several long moments before simply shrugging and trotting up the gangplank to the interior of the airship. Her departure managed to get the attention of the others. Rarity and Rainbow Dash broke away from their argument to follow her up, and Fluttershy wasn't far behind. In moments, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were the only two left on the ground.

Pinkie Pie turned to Applejack with a wide grin. "We'll be safer than celery." Her eyes crossed momentarily. "… or something. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Applejack was an honest pony, but she put on her best fake smile for Pinkie's benefit. "I'm sure we will, sugarcube. I was just being a silly pony is all. Don't mind me, I'll be just fine," she lied.

Pinkie Pie seemed to buy it, but gave one more piece of encouragement as she hopped aboard the vessel. "Don't worry, AJ. Everything's going to be peachy keen. You'll see."

Applejack only glowered the second Pinkie was out of view. "Ah hate peaches…"

If there was one thing Applejack was good at, it was spotting a lie. Even before the whole Element of Honesty business, Applejack had the intuition to smell falsehood a mile away. With her friends, having known them for so long, it was even easier. Not that they often had reason to lie. Applejack had known Pinkie Pie for years, and she could say with complete certainty that her friend was telling the whole truth. There was not a single hint of a lie in what Pinkie was saying.

Applejack only wished she could believe it.

Despite her ever-mounting reservations, Applejack gritted her teeth and trotted up the ramp to join her friends.

The rest of the girls were dispersing throughout the interior of the ship, ooh-ing and ah-ing at all the clean, crisp design. Applejack turned to look about the ship herself. There wasn't much in the way of decoration, but Applejack supposed that was only because this was a test. There were benches for sitting next to windows on either side of the ship. A set of stairs near the front was marked with a 'crew only' sign. Applejack guessed that it would lead to the bridge area.

Towards the back, the room thinned out into a hallway with doors running along either side. These would be sleeping quarters, most likely, as well as storage closets and other such things. The hallway continued all the way to the back of the ship, where there was another open passenger area with more benches and windows.

Twilight Sparkle saw Applejack enter, then nodded once and headed up the stairs at the front, presumably to tell the captain they were ready to leave. Rarity was already unpacking several scarves and trying to decide which one went best with the upholstery. While Fluttershy nodded at whatever Rarity said, Rainbow Dash was chatting the ear off of a sailor pony who looked less than interested in the conversation. Applejack couldn't quite make out what Rainbow was saying from all the way on the other side of the room, but it seemed to have something to do with flying. Unsurprising, really.

Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen, but her balloon-emblazoned saddlebags were sitting snug in an overhead compartment above one of the benches. She was on board somewhere, and that was all anypony could really say for certain. Pinkie was probably exploring the various nooks and crannies that the ship had to offer, if Applejack knew her at all. She only hoped Pinkie would stay out of trouble.

For her part, Applejack turned and made her way to the back of the ship, where a red-upholstered bench sat against the outside wall. A rectangular window provided a view of everything behind the ship. Applejack stared quietly out the window at her hometown, just a short jog across the grass on the other side of the window. So close, and yet so far.

The lift-off was so smooth and gentle that Applejack would've missed it had she not been looking out the window. One moment, she was gazing across a pristine field of grass at the squat buildings of Ponyville, and the next moment the earth was receding away from her at a rapid pace.

Applejack sat up a bit to keep the town in sight as the airship soared as high as the clouds. She watched silently as the little hamlet became smaller and smaller in the distance. Houses and buildings shrank to mere points, smaller than ants, and then blended together until the entire town was nothing but a small mark on a featureless green backdrop.

Only when Ponyville had completely and utterly disappeared from view did Applejack heave a heavy sigh she'd been holding in for minutes. She turned away from the window and trotted towards the interior of the ship. Her hoofsteps clacked loudly against the hard floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight had insisted that Applejack get some shut-eye, but Applejack’s attempt at sleeping through the trip had gone nowhere. She'd been lying on her back for some time, simply staring up at the ceiling from her uncomfortable bunk. At least she understood why they'd brought camping gear, now. Whoever had been in charge of the mattresses on the crew bunks had clearly only ever heard of beds in passing, and had instead based them off the next closest thing that came to mind. Of course, they must've been a strange pony for the next thing in their mind to apparently be uneven rocks and gravel.

But then, maybe Applejack was only making it worse in her head. She certainly wasn't in the best of moods. Twilight had told her that she wouldn't even be able to tell they were flying, and that was technically true. There was no sense of motion, and the room had no windows. If she hadn't known any better, Applejack could've guessed that she was still on the ground.

Unfortunately, she did know better. No matter how long she laid there staring at the ceiling she just couldn't forget where she was. Closing her eyes was no better, as that only emphasised every imagined bump and rumble, and allowed her mind's eye to run wild with sights far worse than what was actually happening.

Applejack shifted on the mattress once more in a futile attempt to get comfortable before deciding that she was not making it worse in her mind. It was just a really terrible bed. She'd have to talk to Twilight about that for the crewponies' sake.

A deep sigh resounded through the small cabin as Applejack finally decided there was no sleep to be had. She rolled off the bed and on to her hooves, telling herself again that the ship was not shifting with every move she made. Despite her mental reassurances, Applejack moved gingerly as she plucked her hat from a hook on the wall and flipped it onto her head. The familiar headgear brought with it some comfort, and Applejack allowed herself to relax slightly.

It was eerily silent in the room as Applejack stood next to the bed. She'd expected the vessel to creak and groan constantly. They always seemed to do that in books. Maybe that was simply another design flaw Twilight had corrected. The engines, too, were surprisingly quiet. Applejack had to strain to hear them, and even then they were nothing but a dull hum on the edge of perception. To most, the silence would be a comfort, but Applejack found it grating.

She teetered over to the door and slid it open, then stepped into the hall outside the room. Her ears instantly picked up new sounds, voices, coming from towards the front of the ship. A tiny smile found its way onto Applejack's face at the thought of her friends, and she trotted down the hall on wobbly legs to meet them. As she neared the main passenger area of the ship, the voices became clearer, finally coalescing into words.

"Rock, paper, scissors!" Pinkie Pie shouted, quickly followed by, "Drat! Tied again."

It was Rarity who answered, "Honestly, Pinkie Pie, I'm not quite sure I understand the point of this game."

Applejack entered the room just as Rarity finished speaking, and quickly took in the area before her. Pinkie Pie and Rarity were sitting on the floor in the center of the room, facing each other and each holding out a forehoof in some sort of game. Rarity was still wearing her saddlebags; they were apparently an essential part of her ensemble, while Pinkie Pie’s bags were still untouched in an overhead compartment. Twilight had her own saddlebags next to her, and was sitting in a window seat. The newly crowned princess stared intently out the window. A small quill floated next to her, occasionally scratching down a note in an accompanying binder without Twilight ever taking her gaze off the window. Rainbow Dash was sprawled out across one of the benches with a Daring Do book, and her saddlebags were stuffed under the bench uncaringly. Fluttershy was curled up on another bench, breathing evenly as she somehow slept soundly despite the room full of ponies.

Rarity looked over at Applejack as she entered. "Oh dear, I do hope we didn't wake you, darling. We were trying to keep it down as much as possible."

Applejack shook her head. "Not a problem, sugarcube. Couldn't get a wink of sleep anyways," she said as she hobbled into the room slowly.

Applejack's voice had gotten Rainbow Dash's attention, and she snickered when she saw how Applejack was stumbling about. "Uh, Applejack, what are you doing?"

"What—" Applejack cut off as she grabbed a bench to steady herself. "What're you talkin' about?"

Rainbow Dash gestured vaguely with a forehoof. "That. Is it some sort of new dance or something? Because let me tell you now, as a friend, that it could use a lot of work."

"Oh har har," Applejack replied dryly. "If any of y'all could tell me how to walk around this dang ship all normal like then I'd sure appreciate it."

"Sea legs," Twilight piped up from across the room, her pensive gaze never leaving the world outside.

Applejack blinked. "Beg pardon?"

Pinkie Pie turned away from her game with Rarity, which was going nowhere, and rolled onto her back on the floor. She stuck all four legs into the air with a silly grin, and proclaimed, "See? Legs!"

Rainbow Dash broke into a laughing fit while Pinkie Pie giggled uncontrollably.

Rarity simply turned to Twilight and said, "Care to elaborate, darling?"

"Hm?" Twilight seemed to be startled out of deep thought. She shook her head before turning to face the room. "Sea legs. It's the expression used to describe ponies who have an easy time walking around on board a ship. I suppose you could call it 'sky legs', but the term originated with the seafaring ships of old, and it's stuck ever since."

Whatever had occupied her attention outside the window was completely forgotten as Twilight latched onto the opportunity for a brief lecture. "The phenomenon comes from the fact that the ship is actually in constant motion. It may not feel like it, but it is, and not just forward motion either. The airship is constantly shifting up and down, and side to side with air currents, if only by a small margin. Even so, it's enough to muddle a pony's sense of balance, and this results in difficulty walking and staying upright. When the sense of balance eventually adjusts to the motion of the ship, a pony will be able to walk normally, and they are said to have their 'sea legs'."

"Yeah?" Applejack looked around at the assembled ponies. "Well then how come everypony else is just fine and I'm the only one without these sea legs?"

"Well, the balance adjustment takes a different amount of time for everypony. You'll get used to it eventually."

Pinkie Pie leapt to her hooves and chimed in, "Besides, Rarity can't walk around either! She's been stuck there on the floor since we took off."

"I am not stuck," Rarity huffed. "It is simply unladylike to stumble around from place to place, and much prefer to maintain my composure here, in comfort."

"…in the middle of the floor?" Rainbow Dash smirked.

Rarity cleared her throat, blushing slightly. "Yes, well, relative comfort."

By now, Applejack had managed to clamber her way onto one of the benches and had taken a seat next to Fluttershy's gently sleeping form, pointedly not sitting anywhere near a window. "So how 'bout you, Rainbow? Stuck on that there bench, too?"

"Pshh, nah." Rainbow Dash waved a hoof dismissively. "I'm a pegasus. Takes a lot more to mess with my balance."

There was a sudden clattering sound from where Twilight was sitting, and Applejack snapped her gaze over to see what was the matter. Twilight's quill and notebook had fallen from where they were hovering, landing on the floor of the cabin where they lay still, forgotten. Twilight herself was staring out the window with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open slightly.

Everypony was silent for several moments, until Applejack ventured, "Everything alright, princess?"

If Applejack had already been worried before, what Twilight said next made her heart skip a beat.

"Uh, yeah, everything's fine." Twilight paused for a moment, then pushed to her hooves. "I just need to talk to the captain for a moment, nothing to worry about at all." With that, Twilight trotted to the front of the room and up the stairs marked 'Crew Only'.

Applejack sat in stunned silence. Everypony else went back to their business, but Applejack couldn't believe what she'd heard. She'd been trying to lighten the mood a bit by pointedly using Twilight's title, but Twilight had completely ignored it. She'd never ignored it before. Nopony else seemed to have noticed the tell, but whatever Twilight saw out the window had distracted her enough that Applejack was genuinely worried. She felt her breathing quicken as worst case scenarios swiftly filled her mind. All the fear that she'd been pushing down since they took off was bubbling up with a vengeance. She wanted off. She wanted to be back on the ground. She didn't want to be there any—

"How are you doing, Applejack?"

The soft voice brought Applejack's spiraling train of thought to a halt, and she looked to her side to see Fluttershy sleepily gazing back at her. Her heart rate slowed and her breathing steadied as everything Fluttershy had told Applejack before they left came back to her. She had to be brave.

"I'm… I'm doin' well enough," Applejack said, almost surprised at how true it was. She gave Fluttershy a smile. "Bein' brave."

Fluttershy beamed back. "I knew you would be." She ended her statement with a wide yawn, then blinked several times as she looked around the cabin. "Um, how far along are we? If you don't mind me asking."

Before Applejack could attempt an answer, Pinkie Pie popped up between the two of them. "We're already over the ocean! I looked out the window, it's great! It's all huge and blue and… ocean-y! You should totally take a peek."

"I'll… take your word for it," Fluttershy replied.

Pinkie Pie shrugged, then disappeared as suddenly as she had arrived. A quick glance by Applejack revealed Pinkie once more engaged in a time-passing game with Rarity. Applejack shook her head and chuckled.

"So," She turned to Fluttershy, her momentary worry forgotten, "Why're you sleepin' up here instead of in one of the actual bunks?"

Fluttershy coughed sheepishly. "Oh, um, I don't want to be rude or unappreciative, but I tried to sleep on one of the bunks. The bench is much more comfortable."

Applejack laughed, and it felt good. Fluttershy looked surprised at first, but joined in anyway, looking somewhat confused. When their laughter subsided, Applejack gave Fluttershy a friendly slap on the back.

"Thank you, Fluttershy," she said genuinely.

"Um, you're welcome?"

"Anyway, you've just reminded me that I needed to talk to Twilight about something. Be right back," Applejack said as she stood from her seat.

She wobbled slightly, but less so than before. Her balance was adjusting, if a bit slowly. On less shaky legs than before, Applejack walked over to the staircase at the front of the room. She paused to leverage one forehoof on the guardrail for support, then headed up to the bridge.

Applejack was surprised to hear Twilight's voice sounding none too happy as she reached the top of the stairs. The words were hard to make out at first, but became clearer as Applejack approached a door marked 'Bridge'.

"—see what I'm talking about? Who authorized this!?"

Applejack pushed through the door to see Twilight standing in front of a pony that looked to be the captain of the airship. He was leaning away from the princess's angry glare, holding his hat in a deathgrip against his chest. Applejack stood near the door, choosing not to interrupt.

"N-Nopony, ma'am," the captain stammered. "It wasn't on any of the schedules. It just kinda… showed up."

Twilight rubbed her forehead. "There will be some serious managerial adjustments in the outer Equestrian weather council when I get back, mark my words…" she muttered through gritted teeth.

Applejack wondered what they were talking about for a moment, until she glanced through the large, curved window at the front of the room. She gasped as she spotted a humongous bank of dark, angry clouds in the distance. The front loomed like the walls of some colossal fortress, roiling darkness covering the whole horizon from sea to sky.

The captain, looking slightly shaken, hesitantly asked, "So, should we turn her around then? Try again another day?"

That shook Twilight out of her grumbling, and she snapped her head up with wide eyes. "What? No, take us through. My magic can keep the storm off us easily enough."

In an instant, the captain's features relaxed, and a smile spread across his face. "Oh, phew. You really had me worried for a second there, ma'am. There's no problem, then?"

Twilight did not look amused. "If you think that a storm of this size being left out of the schedule isn't a problem, then sure."

"Well… we're not in danger of dying, though."

"That doesn't excuse improper scheduling and shoddy organization!" Twilight exclaimed, before stomping off in a huff.

"Yeah," the captain mumbled under his breath, though Applejack still caught it. "That mare has strange priorities."

Twilight nearly ran into Applejack at the door before skidding to a halt and looking up from her brooding. Her scowl was replaced by a nervous grin.

"Oh… hi, Applejack," she said sheepishly.

"Twilight," Applejack managed to keep her voice level. "Is that what I think it is." She gestured to the massive bank of black clouds slowly growing closer as they approached it.

Twilight rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh, that depends. Do you think it's a massive, unscheduled, and uncontrolled storm?"

"…Yes."

"Then yeah, it's exactly what you think it is." Twilight seemed to notice that Applejack stopped breathing, and quickly moved to reassure her. "It's nothing to worry about, though! I've got more than enough magic to see us through the storm." She smiled proudly. "Not to brag or anything, but I probably won't even break a sweat. I'll keep us high and dry, and we'll be out the other side before you know it."

Applejack nodded shakily. "A-alright. Okay."

Twilight's expression softened. "Hey, Applejack, listen. If you really want…" She trailed off, wincing. Twilight seemed to physically brace herself before saying, "We can turn around now if you need us to."

There was no way Applejack could miss the pain in Twilight's voice as she made her offer. Applejack's fears suddenly seemed less important in light of just how much this meant to Twilight. She thought of what Fluttershy had told her about being brave, and she thought of the advice of Rarity.

It was time to 'buck up'.

"No, I'm fine, really." Applejack's fake smile became genuine when Twilight burst into an elated grin.

"Oh, thank you, Applejack! Thank you!" Twilight leapt forward and enveloped Applejack in a crushing hug.

Applejack chuckled. "Think nothin' of it, princess."

Twilight growled at the title, only prompting yet another chuckle from Applejack. Maybe the trip wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Now come on," Twilight said as she broke the hug. "We should go and warn the others."

Applejack blinked. "Warn 'em?"

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, my spells can keep us safe and secure, but there still might be a little… turbulence once we get into the storm."

"…Is it too late to change my mind 'bout turning around?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight had explained the situation to the rest of the girls, and was met with slightly better reactions than Applejack's. Rainbow Dash had offered to go and bust the storm up herself, though Twilight insisted it was unnecessary and needlessly dangerous. Rainbow Dash had reluctantly agreed to try Twilight's plan when she saw the size of the ever-approaching storm.

The other girls had agreed that they should push through, and Pinkie Pie had even offered to sing them a sea shanty to lift their spirits on the way. The sea shanty idea had been voted down 5 to 1.

Now the storm was nearly upon them, and Applejack was doing her best not to let her nerves show. It was even bigger up close, bigger than any storm Applejack had ever seen. The rumbling crashes of thunder and lightning could be heard from deep within the cloud bank, growing louder and louder as they approached. They were close enough that Applejack was about to voice concern when Twilight's horn finally lit up with a light purple glow. A similarly coloured bubble encased the ship and its passengers, tinting everything outside a pinkish hue.

Applejack felt a weight lift as the forcefield went into place. The sound of the storm became dampened, slightly, and even the tension in the air seemed to lessen a bit at Twilight’s spell.

The clouds loomed ever closer, taking up the entire view outside the forward windows. The room went silent as everyone held their breath in vague anticipation. Finally, inexorably, the airship delved directly into the oppressive cloudbank.

Nothing happened.

The light dimmed as the sunlight was blocked almost completely by the soupy clouds, but lanterns along the cabin's walls allowed for visibility inside the ship. Still, their progress remained smooth and steady. If it wasn't for the rolling grey mass outside the windows, and the constant rumbling sound of the storm, Applejack wouldn't have even been able to tell it was there. Even the sound was dampened a bit by Twilight’s magic, enough for them to talk without raising their voices.

Applejack felt her shoulders loosen a little. Again, it seemed, she'd gotten all worked up for nothing. Twilight had it all under con—

The worst sound Applejack could have ever imagined brought her train of thought to a grinding halt. Twilight Sparkled gasped in sudden pain.

Everyone shot to their hooves and turned to Twilight, but Fluttershy, of all ponies, was the first to speak. "Twilight? Are you okay?"

Twilight was silent for several agonizing moments, punctuated by booming thunder in the distance, before finally responding, "It's okay. I'm okay."

The tension in the room didn't go down. Applejack could see strain in Twilight's face as the alicorn's horn pulsed brightly. Applejack gulped dryly.

Twilight shook her head, then faced the group. "The storm is just… a little stronger than I anticipated. Nothing to worry about at all." She grit her teeth, and the glow of her horn intensified. "Just need to adjust the strength of my spell… and… there."

Twilight sighed in relief, all traces of strain leaving her face entirely. She settled back onto her haunches with a pleased smile on her face.

"See?" Twilight said. "What'd I tell you? Nothing to worry about."

Rarity fiddled with her mane and offered an encouraging smile. "Whatever you say, darling. I certainly won't question you on anything magical." She wobbled over and took a seat next to Fluttershy, who had already laid back down on one of the cushioned benches.

"You sure you don't want me to show this storm who's boss, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Even if it is unscheduled, a storm this size had to have been put together by somepony. We can't just ruin such a massive amount of weatherpony work because it's in our way. Getting rid of a weather system this big could cause a drought somewhere, for pony's sake!"

"I, uh… I knew that." Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck with a forehoof. "I was just… testing you. 'Cause I'm a weatherpony and all, and I totally know all that… stuff about weather." Rainbow chuckled nervously, only to cut off with a loud yelp when thunder boomed somewhere close by.

Rarity stifled a giggle, and Applejack turned to see the fashionista hiding an amused smile behind a hoof. "Really now, Rainbow Dash. Is the weatherpony afraid of thunder?"

Rainbow rounded on Rarity, her winds ruffled at her sides. "I'm not afraid! I'm just… I dunno, antsy. Don't like being cooped up like this when there's big weather going on outside with nopony to wrangle it."

Another blast of thunder sounded somewhere outside, and Rainbow flinched slightly. Her wings fidgeted as she paced around the cabin. Every few steps would be punctuated by another boom of thunder, another flinch, another fidget. Rarity didn't comment on any of them.

Pinkie Pie seemed unconcerned with the situation, twiddling her hooves from where she sat on one of the benches and quietly whistling a tune. Seeing her friend so at ease calmed Applejack's nerves a bit, and she found herself able to sit down. Rarity had taken her seat next to Fluttershy, so Applejack took an unoccupied bench apart from the rest of the group.

Despite her misgivings, Applejack found her gaze drawn out the window. She stared into the concealing darkness of the storm, safely held at bay behind a translucent wall of magenta energy. Every boom of thunder was accompanied by a bright flash outside, some far away, some fairly close. Applejack grew more tense with each one.

Everyone else was silent. Rarity comforted Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie stopped whistling and curled up for a short nap, and Rainbow Dash continued her restless pacing.

Applejack wasn't sure how long she'd spent gazing out the window, though it must have been quite some time somepony finally spoke again.

"R-Rainbow Dash?" Twilight Sparkle gasped out.

Applejack turned, wide-eyed. She hadn't missed the clear effort in Twilight's voice. Something was wrong. Twilight was breathing heavier, and her mane was matted down with sweat. Her horn was glowing brighter than ever, but it seemed to dim in spurts and coughs.

Rainbow Dash was standing next to Twilight in a flash. Her hooves tapped on the floor anxiously as she too noticed the alicorn's decreasing state.

"What is it?" Rainbow Dash asked quickly. Her voice was all business.

Twilight seemed to take a moment to compose herself. Rarity was holding a hoof to her mouth, and even Pinkie Pie's smile was nothing but a broken reflection of its usual self. When Fluttershy stepped up to support Twilight with a shoulder to lean on, the newly-crowned princess finally found her voice.

"There's… there's something wrong with this storm. No storm is this strong." She clutched her head between her hooves, nearly falling before Fluttershy caught her and held her upright. "I… I can't… I don't think I c-can hold it… long enough."

Twilight turned to Rainbow with a pleading gaze, and the message was clear. Rainbow Dash nodded grimly, a confident smirk forming on her face.

"Got it," Rainbow Dash replied. She snapped a quick salute, and before anypony could so much as blink the pegasus had vanished out a door in a blur, closing the exit behind her with a strong beat of her wings.

Only Pinkie Pie was still seated. Rarity and Applejack were standing in the center of the room, fidgeting back and forth on their hooves. Fluttershy didn't leave Twilight's side, and murmured constant words of support in Twilight's ear.

Despite the combined efforts of Twilight and Rainbow Dash, the storm didn't seem to lessen at all. If anything, it was only getting worse.

"Twilight, darling," Rarity interjected sheepishly, tossing her mane with a forehoof. "Not to bother you, but is there a reason we can't just turn around and go home? We've made a valiant effort so far, but there's no shame in throwing in the towel now."

Twilight gasped for breath before responding, "B-Because, Rarity…" She grit her teeth. "The amount of t-time we've traveled into the s-storm… I don't think I c-could hold the spell… for the whole way back."

Applejack's heart dropped into her stomach, but Twilight wasn't quite done.

"All… all we c-can do… is trust Rainbow Dash… and hope we're m-more than halfway through." She paused, catching her breath. "I'm sorry."

Anything else she could've said was cut off as Twilight grunted in pain and nearly collapsed. Her horn flickered, and for the briefest of moments looked like it was about to go out. Fortunately, the spell held strong, and Twilight once more lapsed into silent, intense concentration.

The sound of raindrops pelting the glass windows nearly made Applejack jump out of her skin as she thought the protection spell had dropped. She quickly looked out the nearest porthole, but saw the shimmering field still in place outside. It wasn't gone… only weakened.

Applejack didn't feel much better.

The wind picked up, and was soon howling like the fury of the Windigos had been unleashed, and then the ship started moving and shifting as the protection from the storm's winds lessened. Applejack had to sit down to avoid falling over. The floor creaked and groaned as it shifted and tilted beneath her. Rarity sat across from Applejack, attempting to keep her balance on the constantly moving floorboards.

The motions stopped for a few moments, but the storm continued in its rage outside. Thunder rumbled ominously, closer than the last time. Every one was closer than the last. Rarity fidgeted and shifted where she was sitting, more out of nervousness than actual discomfort.

*KRAK-BOOM*

A sudden blast that sounded like it was right next to Applejack made her jump, as her coat stood on end. Rarity startled as well, letting out a shocked yelp. She blushed slightly and settled back down, adjusting her mane again needlessly. A nervous habit, apparently.

"I say. It certainly is bracing, is it not?" Rarity mumbled. She forced a nervous chuckle, and followed it up with an even more fake smile.

Applejack didn't respond. She focused on her breathing. Breath in, breath out. Sit up straight, forelegs locked. She feared that any attempt to reply would come out as nothing but a wordless squeak. Her mane frayed with static, strands sticking out wildly. Before she could begin to question it, her hooves developed an odd tingling sensation.

Rarity sighed. "Look, dear, I know it's not exactly… pleasant." She cringed as a nearby boom punctuated her statement. "Rest assured, everything will be just—"

Time paused. In a fraction of a second, Applejack could see the light of Twilight's horn flicker out at last, followed by the shield outside the ship dropping completely as Twilight collapsed to the floor. The tingling in her hooves grew more intense for that split second, and Applejack could feel a strange, fluttery sensation in her chest.

She blinked.

*BOOM*

Applejack forced her eyes shut from the blinding light. Her ears popped and all sense of hearing was lost to a high-pitched ringing. Wooden splinters and fragments of glass stung as they pelted against her skin, riding on the force of a shockwave that knocked the air out of Applejack's lungs.

She landed with a heavy thud on the hardwood floor. Applejack hadn't even realized she'd been airborne. The loud ringing noise was getting on her nerves. The room was sideways, and colourful shapes were standing on the walls. Wait, no, it wasn't sideways. She'd been knocked down. When had that happened? How?

Applejack regained her faculties at about the same time as her hearing. The sound of the storm was overpowered by panicked screaming. Applejack sat up slowly, trying to work out what was going on. Twilight was lying on the floor, her horn blackened and burnt. Fluttershy wasn't next to her for some reason, though it took only a moment to see what that reason was.

Pinkie Pie was sprawled across a bench. Her saddlebags were no longer in the above-head compartment, and were instead lying next to her spattered in blood that matched the large wound on Pinkie's forehead. Fluttershy was crouched over Pinkie's motionless form, keeping the mare steady as the ship rocked and shook wildly. Rarity and Fluttershy were both screaming, though they seemed to be the only two unhurt.

As Applejack watched, Pinkie Pie's bloodied saddlebags started sliding across the floor. She followed their tumbling journey with her eyes, only to stop, suddenly as the bags left the room and disappeared into the void of the storm.

Applejack blinked. Part of the ship was gone. A huge section of one wall was simply no more. The gaping wound was surrounded by jagged, broken, and burnt pieces of wood. Most of the wall had been blasted inwards, and the whole cabin was covered in splinters of wood and bits of glass. A bolt of lightning thicker than her leg flashed by just outside, and Applejack had no doubt as to what had caused the damage.

Applejack sat, staring numbly. She felt like she should be screaming, or maybe crying. Try as she might, Applejack just couldn't… feel. She idly wondered if she was in shock, but dismissed that thought as unimportant at the moment. It was time to act.

She took a step towards Twilight, and two things happened in rapid succession. First, Applejack was struck by the realization that the huge hole in the ship was directly next to where she had been sitting. That was what had sent her flying, had knocked her down. The second thing was Applejack's legs buckling and sending her tumbling in a heap to the floor.

Applejack gasped as she collapsed forward in a tangle of limbs. Her legs weren't obeying her commands, and attempts to stand were met with only more pratfalls. The room lurched suddenly, and Applejack rolled several paces towards the jagged hole. Finally, she felt something. She felt her heart leap into her throat.

The last bits of fog over Applejack's mind disappeared as she scrabbled desperately at the slippery floor. Rain pelted her as she slid inexorably closer to the opening. Her hooves scratched at the floor, trying to stop her deadly descent. It was no use. The rain-slick floorboards nearer to the hole only increased her speed. She tried to scream, but only a choked whimper came out as Applejack slid the last few feet and plunged over the edge of the precipice, and into the darkness below.

A blink passed, and the sensation of falling failed to appear.

When she tentatively inched her eyes open, lavender light filled Applejack's vision, lightly humming in an aura that surrounded her whole body.

Applejack gasped, chancing a look upwards. There she saw Twilight, barely peering over the edge of the hole. Her horn was glowing fitfully, still blackened, and starting to smoke as Twilight's breathing became laboured. Sparks shot off from Twilight's burnt horn randomly, each accompanied by a wince of pain from the alicorn. Twilight appeared to be straining, her legs were wobbling and her eyes were clenched shut.

"Applejack…" Twilight paused, the pained look on her face deepening. "I... I can't… I can't pull you up."

Applejack could only nod slowly. There was nothing she was capable of saying.

Twilight opened her eyes, and tears were falling freely from them. Applejack supposed she was crying too, but she couldn't tell in the heavy rain. Applejack's eyes widened as she spotted a tiny hairline fracture appear at the point of Twilight's horn, and slowly work its way down toward the base. Purple energy pulsed violently within the tiny crack, making it stand out harshly against the black of Twilight's horn.

Twilight spoke in barely a whisper, but the words reached Applejack clearly over the cacophony of the storm.

"I'm so sorry."

Applejack screamed when she fell, but the sound of it was drowned out by the rushing wind in her ears. She tumbled head over hooves, the grey clouds spinning and whirling as Applejack plummeted through the air. Suddenly, the uniform grey was replaced by alternating dark blue and grey. The blue would flash by Applejack's vision quickly, only to be replaced by the grey for a moment, then back to blue again.

It took several rotations before Applejack realized she was seeing the ocean with each flip. She couldn’t tell if it was growing any closer, though. A flash of something green in the distance sped across her vision, and the next moment found Applejack nearly blacking out from crushing pain. The wind was knocked out of her, and the rushing air finally stopped. Water was everywhere. Direction was meaningless as Applejack flailed helplessly.

She kicked her legs desperately, more out of instinct than any conscious thought. Her mind was a muddled mess. Her lungs burned. There was some sort of light ahead, but it was dim. It brightened with occasional flashes of luminescence, but even those were growing more and more dim. Darkness crept in at the edges of Applejack's vision. She was cold. It felt like Applejack was in a bathtub full of ice, and she was starting to forget why. Her struggles slowed, then stopped completely.

The feeling of a surface beneath her hooves came as a surprise. It wasn't solid, not quite. Grainy and gritty particles shifted underneath Applejack's hooves as she dragged herself forward. The surface scratched at her belly, but she couldn't do anything about it other than keep dragging herself forward. The ice cold embrace of the ocean was left behind. Applejack dragged herself another inch.

Her breathing felt wet, and a low gurgling noise was coming from her throat when she tried to inhale. Her lungs still burned. Applejack convulsed, her body wracked with violent coughing. She expelled a lungful of water that trickled down and pooled beneath her prostrate form. She managed to drag herself a bit farther.

Her breath was coming slightly easier, now. Applejack wasn't sure if her eyes were open or closed. Everything was blackness. The rain pattered against her back incessantly. She dragged herself a little more. A forehoof brushed against something, and Applejack clutched at it as she recognized the object by touch alone.

Her hat. Her father's hat.

She clutched it like a lifeline, and attempted to place it on her head, but her foreleg responded sluggishly. It took several tries before she felt it settle atop her mane. Applejack tried to drag herself along the ground a bit more, but couldn't summon the strength to move her legs. She simply lay there, breathing slowly. The presence of her old hat calmed her down some, provided security.

Everything was still dark. Was it night time, or had she closed her eyes? It didn't matter. She was okay. She was alive. She was okay.

She was alive.

Finally, Applejack passed out.

Author's Note:

Edited by Aatxe360, Edmar Fecler, and Pyromitsu.
Three of the swellest folk around. This chapter wouldn't be here without their help!
Well... it would. It would just be full of grammar errors. :rainbowwild: