Chapter 1:4 – Harvest
The leaves of the apple trees rustled as a strong wind blew through them. It was a dreary afternoon, and the clouds were only just beginning to part as the sun set, sending beams of light slanting haphazardly across the Apples’ orchards. Atop a hill where only a few trees grew stood two ponies, one a stallion rippling with muscle and the other a mare, smaller, but just as fit. A long silence had passed between them as they watched the sun go down and the apple trees blend into a shapeless mass of green in the twilight.
“Is there not any way you can stay, Mac?” the mare asked hopefully.
“I’m afraid not, Applejack,” Big Macintosh replied to his sister, “If I don’t report to-morrow, the town guard’ll either come ‘n’ hang me, or they’ll take th’ farm.”
“I don’t know why you have t’ go anyway,” Applejack said.
“I was chosen by lottery t’ be part of th’ Ponieville levy,” Mac said.
“That’s just it, though,” Applejack said with a frown, “Mayor Mare’s not our lord.”
“She’s still administrator of all th’ land around Ponieville,” Big Mac said as he looked sideways at his little sister.
“But she’s not nobility,” Applejack objected, “She doesn’t have th’ authority t’ raise levies without orders from Cant’r Laht.”
“She wants t’ be nobility, though, and that’s what this whole situation is really about,” Big Mac said, “Count Baukus is gettin’ worried that th’ nearby barons might try t’ take his land from him. His family is sworn t’ Cant’r Laht, but his land’s historic’ly Balte-Maeri. Now, Mayor Mare is trying t’ get Baukus to agree t’ marry his daughter t’ her son, but since she’s not nobility, she’s got no status, technic’ly speaking. She does, however, have troops she can send t’ help him out in th’ coming confrontation with the Balte-Maeri barons.”
“Except that she doesn’t, really, not without Cant’r Laht,” Applejack said grumpily.
“She’s stretchin’ her muscles, seein’ how much she can get away with,” Big Mac said, “By th’ time word reaches Celestia in Cant’r Laht, we’ll already be on our way.”
“I could talk t’ Twilight, tell her our situation,” Applejack offered.
“No,” Mac said firmly, a frown twisting his face, “She’s a sorceress, and maybe she is diff’rent, like you think, but even so I wouldn’t trust her as more’n a family friend. I don’t want her fightin’ our battles for us ‘n’ havin’ a favor t’ hold over our heads. She is Celestia’s apprentice, after all, ‘n’ though plenty o’ good things can be said about Celestia, she also has an unsavory reputation in that theatre. As always, th’ Apples’ll take care o’ their own problems.”
“If you think that’s best,” Applejack said uncertainly.
“Listen, the McLellan side o’ th’ family is settled down south,” Big Mac said, “On th’ way there, I could try t’ contact ‘em ‘n’ see if they can spare anypony t’ help with th’ harvest.”
“Cousin Braeburn?” Applejack asked, “You don’t need t’ bring him into this. I can take care o’ the harvest on my own if I have to.”
“Don’t be unreasonable,” Big Mac berated her, “It’s too much work for one pony, even for you.”
“No, th’ Apples take care o’ their own problems, and I’ll take care o’ this by myself,” Applejack insisted with fire in her voice, “You go ‘n’ fight, ‘n’ you come back, ‘n’ when y’do, you’ll see that I’m serious about takin’ care o’ this Applebuck season myself!”
Big Macintosh sighed and hung his head as Applejack stormed her way back to their home. That mare is too stubborn for her own good. She doesn’t know what’s best for her, but she’ll come to understand, and when she does, I’d best make sure the McLellans are ready to step in and help her.
***
Two days later, Applejack was out alone in the family orchards, harvesting apples passionately. Woven baskets whose bottoms were padded with cloth circled the tree she had her focus on at the moment. With a running start, she leapt and kicked the tree’s trunk with all her might. Her hindhooves connected firmly with a trunk whose bark bore the scars of repeated strikes throughout the years. The entire tree shook, and apples fell from the branches, landing in and around the baskets on the ground. Applejack wiped the sweat out of her eyes as she surveyed the tree and gauged that another two strikes would dislodge more apples. After that, she’d have to climb the tree to get at the rest.
She was galloping toward the tree and had just planted her hooves for the jump when an undulating roar caused her attention to slip. Instead of striking the tree firmly, her hooves slipped off, and the farmer fell into her baskets, sending apples rolling across the ground. As she picked herself up, she tried to identify where the sound had come from. The roar came again, louder this time, and whatever birds hadn’t been startled into flight the first time took off now. Her eyes widened as she realized that the roars were coming from the edge of the Everfree Forest; more specifically, the portion of the treeline closest to the Apple family’s homestead.
She galloped back as fast as she could, praying to Faust all the way that Granny Smith would be unharmed. She caught a glimpse of the creature just as she arrived breathless at the farmstead. Its body was that of a lion, but its head was clearly a goat’s, even if it was a grotesque twisted mockery of one. A criosphinx had left the Everfree Forest, and a particularly large one at that, larger than most manticores. Thankfully, this particular criosphinx wasn’t a breed with wings, though at that moment Applejack may have wished that it had been. The monster had trampled a trail through the fields east of the farmstead and knocked aside the trees closer to it, before breaking down a span of the palisade surrounding the cottage, barn, and shed. None of the buildings were touched, but the fields and orchards were a mess, and that gap in the palisade would need to be fixed before any other beasts or unsavory characters found their way in during the night.
The criosphinx was still rampaging through Apple land, but it looked to be determined to keep heading west, and would leave the Apple homestead mostly intact. If it kept on its current path, though, it would eventually reach Ponieville. The town’s palisade was taller and stronger than the one around the Apple family’s home, but it still wouldn’t stop a beast like that. The town guard was also depleted, a large portion of it accompanying Mayor Mare to meet Count Baukus, so there would be even less of a defense than usual. Normally, one could count on a Hunter to stop a monster (in expectation of a healthy reward afterwards), but Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Hunters around Ponieville had set out on a trip to hunt a leshen in the White Tail Woods a week earlier and probably hadn’t returned yet.
Applejack tried to tell herself that it was none of her business, that whatever the criosphinx wanted to do, at least it would be off Apple land. She had apples to harvest and not much time to do it, so she certainly didn’t have time to rush off. Also, what was the point of the town guard if they didn’t guard the town? None of the arguments worked, and the farmpony found herself rushing into the farmhouse to grab her father’s claymore before galloping off in the direction the criosphinx had gone.
***
“Ah!” exclaimed one of the town guards as a pink pony popped up in front of him and startled him so much that he nearly dropped his halberd (which he hadn’t been holding that tightly to begin with), “Pinkamena, where did you come from?”
“Oh, you know: here, there, and everywhere,” the mare replied as she trotted around to stand beside the guard.
“Oh course,” he said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. Everypony in Ponieville knew that the only thing one could expect from Pinkamena was the unexpected.
“You don’t seem to be very alert,” Twilight’s voice from behind caught the guard by surprise, and he nearly dropped his halberd for the second time that day, “Nor very observant.”
“My apologies, madam sorceress,” the guard said as he turned and gave her a bow.
“I will have to speak to Mayor Mare about this,” the sorceress said to nopony in particular, “Ponieville’s defense seems to be even more lacking than usual. I thought that there were usually two of you here.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the guard said, keeping his head lowered.
Twilight’s reception in Ponieville had been mixed. She seemed generally to be a fairly decent pony, but she was still a sorceress from Cant’r Laht, and though it was apparent that she was trying to be friendly to those she considered socially beneath her, sometimes she slipped up. It also didn’t help that Celestia had given her the authority to have twenty lashes administered in the public square to anypony who interfered with her business in Ponieville, which instilled a bit of fear in everypony. That authority wasn’t just for show either, as she had demonstrated her willingness to use it a few weeks earlier when she’d had a group of minstrels lashed for pestering her. That memory was in everypony’s minds whenever they were interacting with Twilight Sparkle.
“Is this why you said I had to follow you out here, Pinkamena?” Twilight turned her attention to her friend, and the guard turned back to the path to Ponieville, making sure to stand at attention and keep a good hold on his weapon, “I appreciate you bringing this to my attention, but I would hardly call it an urgent matter.”
“What is that?!” the guard exclaimed just moments before the criosphinx smashed through a cottage down the road. The cottage’s occupant—Lily Valley—ran from the cottage’s remains, screaming in fear.
“A criosphinx! That certainly qualifies as urgent,” Twilight said as the criosphinx tore up the fields around the house, chomping up plants and dirt together before swallowing, “Give me some space.”
The sorceress began sketching runes in the dirt in front of her in preparation to cast a spell that would kill the criosphinx. Certainly, Hunters were the best at physical combat with monsters, but nothing could really compare to a sorceress who knew powerful magic. While she was still preparing her spell, the criosphinx ceased chewing Lily’s crops and turned its gaze toward Ponieville’s gate. Giving a bleating roar, it charged Twilight, Pinkamena, and a guard who was way out of his league.
It’s moving fast. Too fast, Twilight realized as she frantically tried to complete her runes before the criosphinx reached them. Suddenly, Applejack came out of nowhere, galloping down from a ridge to the north, claymore gripped unsteadily in her teeth. The criosphinx was so blinded with its intent to tear apart the ponies at the gate that it never spotted the farmer closing in. As the beast was preparing for its last bound, Applejack slid underneath it and thrust her sword up into its chest, letting go of the weapon as soon as it pierced the monster’s flesh. The criosphinx staggered and fell onto the claymore, the blade impaling its heart and plunging deeper until the crossguard stopped it.
Twilight ceased her sketching as the beast became still. Carefully, she stepped over the runes and trotted slowly toward the criosphinx. The guard, fearing punishment if the sorceress saw him as too inept, rushed to get ahead of her, reaching the criosphinx first and prodding it with his halberd. The monster’s body shifted slightly, but that was due entirely to the unbalanced way it had landed and not to any life that remained in the creature.
“It’s dead,” the guard announced, though it probably would have been easier to believe him if he hadn’t kept his halberd pointed at the corpse.
“So it would seem, but where is Applejack?” Twilight asked as she surveyed the dead criosphinx.
“I’m fine!” Applejack’s voice came from the other side of the criosphinx, followed by the wet sound of a sword being pulled from flesh.
Twilight stepped back to avoid the pool of blood that began to soak the ground around the monster’s corpse. Her new clothes still hadn’t arrived from Cant’r Laht, but she had caved in and allowed Rarity to make some alterations to a few of the robes she’d brought to Ponieville with her so that they wouldn’t drag on the ground. She was wearing one of them now (she still preferred her regular style when lounging around Golden Oak’s laboratory), so she didn’t need to worry as much about her clothes being spoiled, but she still didn’t have any boots, and horseshoes could only guard against so much.
Applejack didn’t appear to be planning on coming around the criosphinx, so Twilight trotted around to talk to her. When she reached the monster’s punctured belly, however, the farmer was nowhere to be seen. Picking up her pace, Twilight trotted the rest of the way around the criosphinx and spotted Applejack trotting away down the path to the east, her claymore now sheathed and bouncing up and down on her back.
“Applejack, where are you going?” she called after her friend while she was still within hearing range.
“I have t’ get back t’ the farm, but we’ll talk later, Twi’!” Applejack yelled back, but didn’t slow down or change direction in the slightest.
How interesting. Applejack had showed up out of nowhere, slain a legendary beast, and was now trotting away like nothing had happened. What kind of pony did something like that? Sure, her technique had been crude, but her attempt to kill the criosphinx had still succeeded wonderfully. If this farmer was able to pull off a feat that only Hunters and sorceresses typically managed, what other secrets could she be hiding from Twilight? It intrigued the sorceress’s mind just thinking about it.
“You there!” Twilight addressed the town guard, who was now stooped over the criosphinx, examining its face.
“Y-yes, madam sorceress?” he stammered as he bolted back to attention.
“Has Applejack ever done anything like this before?” she asked the nervous soldier.
“No, never,” he answered, before adding a conditional to ensure his own safety in case he was wrong, “I mean, I’ve never heard of her doing anything like that before.”
“I imagine an act of this magnitude would be impossible to be unrecognized, even by you,” Twilight said as she trotted past the guard, “Pinkamena, I am glad you called me out here today. The events here directly relate to my studies here in Ponieville, especially regarding Applejack. I know just what must be done.”
“We need to throw Applejack a party to celebrate!” Pinkamena replied as Twilight approached her and the town gate.
“Well, I was going to say that I would demand Mayor Mare pays her the reward she would usually bestow upon a Hunter for performing such an act, but I suppose that it might be nice to celebrate her act of heroism as well,” Twilight said as she swept away the unused runes she’d carved in the dirt earlier, erasing any evidence that they had ever been there.
“You’ll want to speak directly to the Ponieville bailiff about the reward,” the guard spoke up as he returned to his post, “Mayor Mare will just send you to her to check the budget anyway, and she has the authority to pay rewards without the mayor’s approval.”
“Thank you,” Twilight said sincerely, “Pinkamena and I will head to the Mayoral Keep immediately, and we will report this dead criosphinx while we are there.”
While the two ponies walked away, the guard wondered why he had covered for his boss. Mayor Mare had made it clear (without giving any explicit orders) that Twilight Sparkle was to be kept in the dark about her excursion to the south, but it wasn’t like he owed her any loyalty. The pay was terrible and the conditions worse, yet it was still a living. Maybe, when Mayor Mare returned and found out that he’d helped keep Twilight unaware of her actions, he would get a better posting, like patrolling the town square or the Mayoral Keep itself. If not, at least he’d probably get to stay posted at the town gate and wouldn’t be sent out on the roads to look for bandits and other brigands.
***
Nearly a week later, all the Brave Companions (excluding Applejack) were gathered in the central room of Golden Oak’s laboratory, along with Mayor Mare’s bailiff (an earth pony mare named Silver Glint who looked like she’d rather be anywhere else) and a few other ponies who’d heard about Applejack’s slaying of the criosphinx (or had heard there was going to be free food at its celebration). As time ticked by, the fact that the “mare of the hour” wasn’t present was beginning to trouble Twilight. Her days were meticulously planned, and she would need time to remove the party trappings before she could get back to studying the surprisingly advanced collection of magical tomes that Golden Oak had left behind. That time was rapidly vanishing. She’d have preferred to hold the celebration at the Mayoral Keep, but Mayor Mare’s chamberlain had been adamantly opposed to that idea. Why does the mayor of a town the size of Ponieville need a bailiff and a chamberlain? For that matter, why couldn’t Mayor Mare be here to present the reward herself, as she traditionally did? She can’t be that busy; I haven’t seen her taking care of any business in a week.
“Applejack is aware that we are holding this celebration in her honor today, correct?” Twilight asked Rarity, who was dressed befitting a formal ball for even such a simple celebration as this.
“She promised she would be here when I conveyed the invitation to her last week,” Rarity replied, “I had the most dreadful time tracking her down out in the orchards, but when I finally did find her, she seemed honored that you and Pinkamena were arranging this for her.”
“You know Applejack would never break a promise, Twilight. She’ll be here,” Rainbow Dash cut in, “I spoke to her just a couple days ago, and she was still planning on being here then.”
“I must admit, I haven’t seen her at all since I told her about the party,” Rarity said, looking thoughtful, “Usually she comes into town at least a few times a week. You really saw her after that?”
“Yes, when I got back from White Tail and heard about what had happened while I’d been away, I flew over to the Apples’ land immediately to find Applejack and ask her about it,” Rainbow elaborated, “What she did was nothing short of miraculous. For a pony other than a Hunter to take down a criosphinx is unheard of. That’s why I asked her to train with me this afternoon, so I can take her measure, and if she turns out to be as amazing with a sword as ponies are claiming, maybe I can even learn a thing or two.”
“Well, apart from the confrontation with the criosphinx, I haven’t seen Applejack wield a sword, so I can’t really speak on her skill, but I fear she may not measure up to your expectations,” Twilight said as she poured herself a cup of tea and levitated it over to her mouth, “From what I saw, it seemed more luck than finesse.”
“Ah, what do you know about swordsmareship, Twilight?” Rainbow scoffed, rolling her eyes as she flapped her wings and hovered vertically before the sorceress, “You’re a sorceress; I doubt you could tell the difference between good and bad sword fighting.”
“For your information, I happen to be very well informed on all kind of techniques for fighting with both bladed and blunt weapons,” Twilight said, a bit steamed at being mocked for ignorance. Me, not know anything about swordsmareship? Preposterous.
“Let me guess, this knowledge all came from books,” Rainbow Dash said, and Twilight glowered at her over her tea, “That’s all well and good, Twilight, but there’s a big difference between knowing sword techniques and feeling them. We who actually wield weapons are a different breed from those who just read about it.”
“Applejack isn’t just a great swordsmare; she’s also a great baker!” Pinkamena cut in as she popped up in the middle of Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash.
“Of course, darling, but do you have a point for butting into the conversation?” Rarity asked (a bit snarkily).
“No … wait!” Pinkamena said, going rigid, “Yes, I actually do this time. The Cakes have to go on a trip and they’re leaving me in charge of Sugar Cube Corner tomorrow. I asked Applejack to help me with some of the baking, and she agreed!”
“So, Applejack has the time to help you with sword practice, and you with baking, but not a celebration of her accomplishment?” Twilight said, pointing at Rainbow Dash and Pinkamena in turn.
“Um, she’s also helping me with the rabbit census tomorrow,” Fluttershy said meekly as she let herself into the circle.
Twilight couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes. The druids conducted a census of wildlife populations every year to take count of all wild animals dwelling in Equestria. The census’s results would then be sent to the rulers of each of the continent’s major nations along with the druids’ observations. The observations were always the same no matter what the numbers were: ponies need to stop settling on new land and cease their expansion or else the environment would suffer a catastrophic and irreversible change. Perhaps Twilight would have been inclined to believe it if she hadn’t looked through past censuses stored at Cant’r Laht Castle out of curiosity once. The druids had been making the same recommendation for the last three centuries at least, without any real evidence in the census numbers to back them up. Of course, she knew Celestia had to at least play the part and accept the druids’ census every year, as well as assure them that she would look into things, but she had never taken any action, and the censuses were just added to the pile from past years until they decomposed into dust.
“Excuse me, but isn’t Applejack supposed to be here?” Silver Glint said irately as she approached the group, “I have very important business to take care of, and I can’t be bothered to wait forever.”
“I’m here, I’m here!” Applejack’s voice came from the laboratory’s doorway, and everypony’s heads turned to face her.
Applejack did not look to be at peak condition. Her hat was askew, her mane and tail frazzled, and her eyes didn’t seem to want to stay completely open for any extended period of time. She also swayed a bit as she approached the group, nearly tripping and falling flat on her face several times.
“Applejack, are you okay?” Twilight asked with concern.
“Don’t you worry about me, Twi’, I’m just fine,” Applejack replied, though it would have been more convincing had she not yawned mid-sentence.
“Finally,” Silver Glint said, and she trotted over to Applejack, “For services rendered in defense of Ponieville, Mayor Mare is pleased to present you with a reward of thirty-seven bits, 2 shillings, and 11 pence.”
Silver Glint dropped the bag of coins at Applejack’s hooves and promptly left the laboratory. Apparently, she had somewhere important to be (or thought she did). Applejack was still for a moment, her head drooping, before she picked up the bag of coin and tied it to her jerkin.
“Applejack, is something the matter?” Twilight asked as the farmer shook her head and blinked her eyes rapidly.
“Of course not, Twi’; everything is fine,” Applejack said as she turned to face the sorceress, “Listen, I really have t’ run now—wish I could stay but I just came t’ pick up th’ reward—we’ll talk later, I promise.”
Later again. Applejack departed the laboratory without another word, and by the time Twilight reached the door to call for her to come back and explain herself, the mare was already galloping away. She’s definitely hiding something, but what? Normally, Twilight would have been relieved that Applejack didn’t talk her ear off. She wasn’t as bad as Pinkamena or Rarity, but even so, the farmer had more than enough to say usually. So why had she left so abruptly during their last two encounters?
“What do you think that was all about?” Rainbow Dash asked from just behind Twilight, and the sorceress started, once again shocked by how her friends managed to sneak up on her without her noticing.
“Applejack did seem a bit … odd, didn’t she?” Rarity commented, more as an observation than an actual question.
“Do you think Applejack could be in some kind of trouble?” Fluttershy asked tenderly.
On the street outside the laboratory, Twilight spotted a set of rough burlap saddlebags somepony had discarded. As she picked them up, a few apples fell out. She was no detective, but it was clear that Applejack had brought them with her and forgotten them.
“I don’t know,” Twilight answered Fluttershy as she looked at the saddlebags, “But I intend to find out.”
***
Those who’d gathered to congratulate Applejack hadn’t stayed long after the food ran out, much to Twilight’s relief. After she cleared the last out of Golden Oak’s laboratory, she left cleaning up the celebration’s remains to Spike and Pinkamena and departed for the Apple family lands. As she left through Ponieville’s east gate, she spotted where the criosphinx’s body had been before Hunters had salvaged everything useful from the corpse, and then burnt it. The patch of scorched earth strewn with bones cracked by intense heat wasn’t far from the path, located next to the remnants of Lily Valley’s ruined cottage. The peasant mare had nowhere else to go, so she was still living in her ruined home, though a makeshift roof had been fashioned to keep the rain out, at least.
Once past the scattered homes outside Ponieville’s wall, Twilight followed the same trail she had her first day in Ponieville. There were no ponies at the homestead this time (apart from Granny Smith), just like the last time she’d ventured out in this direction and had ended up helping harvest beets. Judging by the saddlebags Twilight was carrying, and the carts of apples sitting around the yard, she would most likely find Applejack and her siblings working in the apple orchards.
Twilight set out into the densely packed trees, searching for her friend. It didn’t take the sorceress long to realize that many of the trees were missing their apples, and that she could follow the trail of harvest to find Applejack. She finally spotted her at the depression between two hills, kicking at a tree close to a small trickle of water that could barely be called a stream. As she made her way down the hill, she watched Applejack charge the tree and strike it with her hindhooves before gathering up any apples that missed the baskets laid out at the base of the trunk. Once her hindhooves missed the tree, and she struck it with her body before falling onto the ground and tipping over a basket of apples. As she tried to get up, she flailed around and knocked over more baskets. Applejack began to gather the spilled apples up, but her actions quickly turned sluggish and she became still, her eyes closed and her breathing slow. What is wrong with this pony?
“Applejack, what are you doing? Applejack? Applejack!” Twilight said as she approached the farmer, but it was apparent that she was soundly asleep, and the sorceress looked around for a way to wake her up short of striking her.
“Ily’i consa nof leya!” Twilight called out, and water from the stream rose and formed a globe. Applying her focus, the sorceress guided the water through the air.
“Huh? What? What’s goin’ on?” Applejack asked confusedly as she was splashed in the face, “Oh, hey Twi’; what brings you here?”
“You left this at Golden Oak’s laboratory,” Twilight said as she presented the saddlebags to Applejack, “Also, you promised we would talk later, and I need to know what is going on with you. Why did you leave the party so quickly today, as well as the scene of the criosphinx attack last week?”
“Oh, that,” Applejack said as she trotted over to the baskets of apples and returned to gathering up the produce she’d spilled, “I had t’ leave quick. As you c’n see, I’m a mite busy with Applebuck season.”
“Applebuck season?” Twilight asked as she followed Applejack to the next tree with apples still hanging from its branches. ‘Apple’ I can understand, but where did the ‘buck’ come from?
“It’s what th’ Apples call th’ apple harvest, on account o’ it’s our tradition t’ pick th’ apples by buckin’ th’ trunks o’ the trees,” Applejack explained, and then proceeded to demonstrate by charging a tree and slamming her hooves into its trunk.
“Okay,” Twilight said as she watched a pitiful amount of apples fall from the tree, “But why is nopony else out here with you? Where are Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom?”
“Big Mac is off t’ war, ‘n’ Apple Bloom is gettin’ her schooling,” Applejack replied before charging the tree again.
“Off to war?” the sorceress asked, and she winced as Applejack struck the tree at a wrong angle and fell in a basket of apples, “What war? I have received no missives from Celestia informing me that Cant’r Laht has declared war.”
“Not a full war, I s’pose, just a border conflict in th’ south,” Applejack said as she recovered and charged the tree again, making contact correctly and knocking down more apples this time, “Mayor Mare is tryin’ t’ form an alliance with some noble down there, and Big Mac got drafted int’ her levy.”
“This is news to me,” Twilight said with a frown. Mayor Mare isn’t allowed to raise levies without orders from Cant’r Laht. What does she think she’s doing? If- when Celestia finds out about this, she’ll be in some deep trouble. It explains why she’s been missing recently, though. Does she think she can get away with exercising power she doesn’t have, and right under my nose, no less? If she’s pulling stunts like this when Celestia’s own apprentice is in her town, what had she been doing before I arrived?
“I will make certain Celestia learns of this and that Mayor Mare is reprimanded when she returns,” Twilight promised Applejack, and was about to leave before she remembered that she hadn’t quite accomplished what she’d come here to do, and that Applejack had a second sibling who was unable to help with the harvest, “Wait; did you say that Apple Bloom is getting an education?”
“That’s right, and I’ll harvest all these apples on my own if it means Apple Bloom doesn’t have t’ miss out on learnin’,” Applejack said as she moved on to a new tree.
“Not to question you, Applejack, but I don’t really see how your family can afford to send anypony to get an education,” Twilight said, trying not to seem too condescending.
“It doesn’t cost us anything,” the farmer said as she attacked another tree, “From time t’ time, Sister Cheerilee at the Ponieville Convent offers t’ teach Ponieville’s foals at th’ chapel. Apple Bloom might rather be doin’ other things, but I insist that she goes whenever Cheerilee offers it. Big Mac can’t read, and I’m barely literate. Apple Bloom is goin’ t’ be as well-learned as she can, even if I have t’ force her.”
What an odd stance for a peasant to take. Or, perhaps living in Cant’r Laht has deceived me and I don’t really understand their mindset at all. It’s getting frightening how much my time in Ponieville has changed my outlook on the world. I suppose that means I’m making progress in my studies, but how long will it be before the sorceresses I knew in Cant’r Laht no longer recognize me? Twilight’s ponderings were interrupted when Applejack stumbled into her.
“Applejack?” Twilight asked after she disentangled herself from the farm-pony, but Applejack didn’t move, “Applejack! Ily’i consa nof leya!” The sorceress jumped back to avoid being hit as the water startled Applejack awake and she leapt to her hooves.
“Listen; it’s great that you are willing to make sacrifices so your sister can become better educated, but it’s obvious that you are working too hard,” Twilight said as she followed Applejack to another tree (which she had apparently been trying to reach when she’d knocked the sorceress to the ground), “I don’t see any way that you can finish this harvest on your own.”
“Nonsense, Twi’. I’ve worked harder’n this plenty o’ times. Don’t you worry, I’ll be fine,” Applejack assured the sorceress, though the way she swayed as she walked wasn’t at all encouraging.
“Hmm, I suppose I’ll just have to trust your word … for now. But if you need any help, just ask,” Twilight said, her past self not believing that she’d just voluntarily offered to help a peasant with physical labor with no mention of receiving anything in return.
“There’ll be no need for that, Twi’,” Applejack said as she kicked at a tree several times without her hindhooves connecting, “I’ll show you that I can take care o’ this on my own.”
I wish I could believe that.
***
Later that day, Rainbow Dash stood alone among sparring dummies in the corner formed by two of Ponieville’s buildings that she had turned into her own little training area. Her weapons and equipment, of course, she always brought with her and kept locked up in her home when not in use, but it would be too much of a hassle to haul these wooden contraptions around all the time. Plus, training in Ponieville made her more accessible to the ponies there and gave her first claim on any monster problem in the area since she was usually the easiest Hunter to reach.
Rainbow Dash grunted as she looked up at the sun’s position in the sky, gauging the time. Applejack was late … for the second time that day. It was so unlike her. Maybe I should just give up on her coming and do some solo training. I was so looking forward to seeing what she had in her, though. For a non-Hunter to kill a criosphinx without any help, it’s barely shy of impossible.
“I’m here! I’m here, Rainbow!” Applejack called as she cantered up to the Hunter.
“What happened, Applejack?” Dash asked irately, “I thought, out of all ponies, I could trust you to be on time.”
“I apologize, Rainbow. I had some things I had t’ take care of, that’s all. I’m here now, so what did you want t’ do?” Applejack asked, “Oh, I guess I forgot t’ bring a sword.”
“Don’t worry about that. We should probably start with sparring staves before we try out anything that can actually do more than leave a bruise,” Rainbow Dash said as she looked through her training equipment for a suitable mock weapon, “You’ll want something with more reach, I assume?”
When the Hunter turned around, Applejack was standing right where she’d left her, her head nodding slightly and her eyes mostly closed.
“Hey, Applejack!” Dash yelled as she threw the wooden greatsword at the farmer.
“Hmm, I’m fine,” Applejack said as the weapon bounced off her head.
“Are you feeling okay? You seem out of sorts,” Rainbow Dash said, giving the farmer a frown.
“I’m fine. Now, are we goin’ t’ do this or not?” Applejack said before picking up the sword and adopting a stance.
Rainbow Dash grabbed a sparring sword of her own, of broadsword style like the ones she usually wielded. She flexed her wings before deciding that if she really wanted to take Applejack’s measure, she shouldn’t use her aerial superiority … at least not at first. Pointing her sword at her opponent, she advanced slowly, before suddenly lunging forward. Applejack moved her sword up to block, but Rainbow went low and swept the farmer’s legs out from under her.
“Oof!” Applejack grunted as she hit the ground. She was up soon, though, and had her weapon held up as a defense against Rainbow, who was circling her. The Hunter charged back in, easily dodging a clumsy swing and striking Applejack on the back, knocking her to her knees. And so it continued, Applejack’s attacks growing more and more sluggish over time as Rainbow succeeded again and again at breaking through or completely ignoring her defenses and getting a hit in.
“Come on, Applejack, are you just messing around?” Rainbow asked angrily, “I haven’t even thrown my full potential against you. How did you manage to beat a criosphinx?”
“Sorry, Rainbow; I guess I’m just a bit tired, but I can still do this,” Applejack asserted.
The Hunter rolled her eyes and swiftly disarmed the farmer as she attacked, sending her practice sword flying.
“I think we’re done here,” Rainbow said with disappointment, “Maybe some other time.”
“No, I can do this. Trust me,” Applejack said as she searched for the wooden greatsword where it had landed among Rainbow Dash’s training equipment (and her real equipment).
The farmer’s vision—already not great from extended sleep deprivation, and now even worse after being beaten soundly by Rainbow’s wooden sword—was swimming by this point, and she couldn’t really see what she was doing. She found the greatsword, but didn’t realize that the crossguard had caught the pin of one of the Hunter’s specially made bombs. It didn’t pull free until the farmer had swung the sword up, and the bomb went flying through the air, in the direction of Rainbow Dash.
“Trust me, Applejack, you don’t want to do this anymore today,” Dash said before she spotted the bomb flying toward her, “What?!”
She spread her wings to take off, but it was already too late. The bomb detonated at her hooves and a field of blue lightning engulfed her. A moment later, the lightning disappeared, along with Rainbow Dash.
“Rainbow?” Applejack asked, looking around, “I guess we are done, then. I’d best get back t’ work.”
She dropped the sparring sword and trotted away, not really comprehending that she’d been the cause of Rainbow Dash’s disappearance.
***
Across town, Twilight was seated on the balcony grown high in the branches of Golden Oak’s laboratory, paging through an ancient tome. Whoever this Golden Oak had been, Twilight had to admit that he was quite the intriguing character. He had grown his home from a tree in quite the fanciful shape, unlike anything else she’d ever seen. This mysterious sorcerer also had a surprising collection of books. It seemed impossible, but there were hundreds of rare volumes here that she had never seen in the Cant’r Laht archives, many of them about the time period surrounding Nightmare Moon’s Rebellion, which had been largely lost to legend and myth. It was almost like they had been placed there for her to find during her quest to stop Nightmare Moon. That’s an unsettling thought.
She was reading about the fall of the Kingdom of Everfree when it had been overwhelmed by a rise in the number and aggressiveness of the forest’s monsters, when she sensed something. Something magical was nearby, but what exactly it was, she couldn’t discern. It was a magic she’d never sensed before, but it seemed to vaguely feel like teleportation magic. Above her, she heard a crackling, and looked up in time to see Rainbow Dash materialize above her in a cloud of blue lightning. Rainbow had her wings spread, but she had appeared upside-down and hadn’t adjusted for the change in orientation, so their first thrust propelled her in the wrong direction. Too late to recover and too disoriented, she crashed into the balcony before Twilight.
“What was that?” Twilight asked, holding her priceless book protectively.
“Did you talk to Applejack earlier?” Rainbow asked as she pushed herself up off the floor, “She was completely out of it during our sparring session, then she accidently threw a bomb at me! Luckily, it was one of my displacement ones and not something more deadly.”
“I spoke to her, but she didn’t seem very cooperative,” the sorceress admitted.
“Well, I suggest you talk to her again and get her to straighten out her act, before somepony gets seriously hurt,” Dash said as she trotted over to the edge of the balcony and threw herself over the rail, extending her wings as she fell and taking off into the sky over Ponieville.
***
In a flash of light, Twilight Sparkle materialized in the middle of the Apples’ orchards. Swiftly regaining her bearings, the sorceress scanned her surroundings for an indication of where Applejack had gone. Twilight had scried her in this location just minutes before teleporting, so she couldn’t have gone far. The lantern hanging from the farmer’s cart, lit to fend off the coming twilight, gave away her position. As Twilight Sparkle closed in on her, she noticed that Applejack looked significantly worse than she had that morning. Her every motion was unsteady even as she moved tenderly from the hits she’d taken in her sparring session with Rainbow earlier.
“Applejack, we need to talk,” Twilight said as she got within hearing distance of the farmer; Applejack didn’t respond, so she repeated herself, louder this time.
“Huh, what’s that?” Applejack asked as she turned around unsteadily to face Twilight, “Oh, what’re you doing here, Twi’?”
“I need to talk to you about what happened earlier, with Rainbow Dash.”
“Sure, I could make radish hash, but ‘taters are still better. Did you come all th’ way out here just t’ ask me that?” Applejack replied after looking confused for a few seconds. She obviously isn’t even hearing correctly now if that’s what she got from what I said. Is she going to mishear everything I have to say to her?
“No, I’m not doing that,” Twilight mumbled, thinking how terrible (though some might find it comical) that conversation would be, and she lifted the silver chain around her neck up to her lips, “Ye enchi se majia mij pousi Ye’r eff’i aif feye’r effien!”
“What th’!” Applejack protested when Twilight took the chain and wrapped it around the crown of her friend’s head.
Applejack, I need to talk to you about what happened earlier with Rainbow Dash.
“Whoa, Twi’, is that your voice?” Applejack said with alarm as she reached up to pull the chain off her head.
Keep that on! I enchanted it with a spell that allows me to communicate with you by thought, since you seem to be having trouble hearing me.
“If you say so, Twi’. I’m plenty busy, so we’ll have t’ walk ‘n’ talk,” Applejack said with a shrug, speaking just a bit too loudly. Apparently she can’t hear herself properly either.
What happened during your sparring session with Rainbow Dash? Twilight followed her friend as the farmer moved from tree to tree. She was still kicking them to get the apples down, but not as forcefully as before, and more and more the apples missed the baskets set out to catch them.
“I wasn’t really feeling at my best earlier,” Applejack admitted with a yawn, “It’s all a bit hazy, but I do remember gettin’ soundly thrashed by Rainbow Dash. Can’t say I expected any diff’rent, going up against a Hunter in th’ condition I was in.”
So you don’t remember when you threw a bomb at Dash?
“What?” Applejack said, halting in shock, “A bomb? Is Rainbow alright?”
Fortunately, yes, but only by the narrowest chance. It just so happened that the bomb you threw was the only nonlethal one Rainbow Dash had with her. You could have killed her, Applejack. This has to stop. I trusted you when you told me you could do the harvest on your own, though I was skeptical, but you are obviously working far too hard, and its affecting your other activities. You need help.
“That I just can’t do, Twi’,” Applejack said as she resumed her applebucking, “I promised Big Mac that I would take care o’ th’ entire harvest on my own, and I intend t’ keep that promise.”
And what about your promise to train with Rainbow Dash today, or your promises to assist Pinkamena and Fluttershy tomorrow? Are these promises less important to you?
“No, but I can’t put th’ harvest on hold either. I know you offered t’ help, but th’ answer’s still no, Twi’. I’m sorry, but that’s just how it has t’ be, and I’d prefer it if you’d stop showin’ up here t’ badger me about it.”
Fine, but at least promise me that you will get a full night of sleep tonight. It is impossible for you to keep going like this forever, and unless you take a break, you will be of no use to anypony tomorrow, yourself included.
“Of course, Twi’, I can do that at least,” Applejack conceded as she stared at the sorceress with bloodshot eyes, “Now, I need t’ work a little longer tonight yet.”
Before Twilight could point out that it was nearly sundown, Applejack removed the silver chain from her head and threw it to the sorceress.
“Majia vinta,” Twilight incanted to the chain, returning it to its normal state.
She watched Applejack with concern for a bit before teleporting back to Golden Oak’s laboratory.
***
The sky over the White Mountains to the east was barely beginning to brighten when the Cakes finished preparing to set off from Sugar Cube Corner. A mostly empty cart with a single seat and a single harness sat in the street in front of the bakery. Strapped to the front was a tall spindly-looking earth pony stallion with a mustard-colored coat, and seated behind him was his wife, a short, thickset mare with a coat of pastel blue.
“Pinkamena, we’ve left you a list of today’s orders,” the mare of the pair addressed the pink pony standing in the bakery’s doorway, “Be sure to finish off Mayor Mare’s order first, and have it ready by the time her guards arrive to pick it up. Then move on to Filthy Rich’s orders, and then all Ponieville’s eateries’. There should be enough prepared already for other sales to last you until midday, so be sure to keep the ovens going and have more bread ready after that.”
“You can count on me, Mistress Cake,” Pinkamena said with a salute.
“We’re only going to Hayward, so we should be back by tomorrow,” the stallion added as he tightened the straps that attached him to the cart, “The millers up there want to renegotiate our deal, and they shirked us on the last shipment; I’ll be bringing the missing wheat back with us, so the return trip will be longer. Still, I’m certain we’ll be back in time to finish off tomorrow’s morning baking as long as you get it started.”
“You can count on me, Master Cake,” Pinkamena said, her hoof still up in a salute.
“Of course, just … don’t wander off,” Mistress Cake said with concern, considering Pinkamena’s antics in the past, “Say, isn’t Applejack supposed to be here to help you get started?”
“I’m here!” the pony in question called as she stumbled up, “Sorry I’m late; a few things came up back home that I had t’ take care of afore I came over.”
“You were in charge of the food at the summer solstice ceremony this year, correct?” Master Cake asked as he scratched at his chin.
“Yeah, sure,” Applejack said after thinking it over longer than a normal pony would need to. In truth, the only words she’d been able to pick out somewhat clearly were “food,” “summer,” and “ceremony,” so really it was a miracle that she was able to piece together an understanding as close to the truth as she had.
“Well then, I have no doubt that the shop will be in good hooves while we are away,” Master Cake said before trotting away from the bakery.
“Come on, Applejack, let’s get to work!” Pinkamena said with an enthusiasm Applejack was struggling to muster as she bounded into the bakery.
There was no point leaving anything to chance, and the bakery was fully stocked with bread the Cakes’ had already made earlier that morning. The ovens at the moment were all occupied as well, baking the first batch of bread that would be delivered to the Mayoral Keep.
“I’m goin’ t’ be honest with you, Pinkamena,” Applejack said as the other mare began to gather ingredients, “I’m mighty tired, so I don’t know just how much help I’ll really be t’ you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you can bake just about anything in your sleep, though the Cakes do have a strict “no sleeping on the job” policy, so try to keep your eyes open. Sugar Cube Corner serves mostly standard fare, so we’re a bit restricted in what we can bake, but I’d love to see you put your own spin on it,” Pinkamena said as she combined ingredients in the haphazard way that always made the Cakes cringe to watch, though they couldn’t argue with the results.
“Alright, sure,” Applejack said with a yawn, “What do you need?”
“I could use some more herbs from the back. Grab whatever you think looks good.”
Applejack stumbled her way to the back of the bakery, nearly knocking over several barrels on the way. She had never been in Sugar Cube Corner past the storefront, so it was understandable that she had no idea what Pinkamena had meant by “the back,” so she could be forgiven for heading out the bakery’s back door. It was also still very dark out, so she could be forgiven for mistaking the flowers hanging from a stall behind the bakery for the herbs Pinkamena had asked for. It didn’t help that she couldn’t see straight to begin with, and she had no idea that the bundle she grabbed contained plants that would never be considered consumable in any situation. Still, the situation her actions caused could have been avoided in any number of ways, among them if she had actually listened to Twilight and gotten a full night’s rest.
***
Twilight Sparkle marched purposefully through Ponieville’s streets, and right past two guards who objected to her presence. She couldn’t help noticing that both guards were wearing scarves over their muzzles even though it was still summer, but that only made sense considering what she was supposed to be facing. Spike trailed along behind Twilight, and the guards made no move to stop him.
“Madam sorceress, what are you doing here? It’s not safe!” a pony in a heavy overcoat protested, her voice oddly distorted by the bird-shaped mask she was wearing.
“I’m immune to most diseases, and I took the precaution of placing several wards on myself before coming over here,” Twilight Sparkle said coolly.
“With all possible respect, this is no ordinary disease. This is a plague we’re dealing with,” the mare said. Plague doctors, always the same.
Most were amateur physicians at best, with a gross misunderstanding of pathology, and they often misdiagnosed any new disease as a plague. Maybe it truly was a plague, but Twilight thought herself far more qualified to decide that than a pony who thought that scented herbs would ward off disease.
“I’m fully prepared for the situation,” Twilight assured the plague doctor, trying to remain civil, “Perhaps you could show me around, Doctor…?”
“Redheart,” the mare answered, “Yes, follow me.”
The ponies Redheart had been tending to were sequestered in a shop off the dirt square where Twilight had found her. There were at least twenty lying on the floor, twitching as their drooling faces bore expressions of discomfort. Judging by the smell, whatever was afflicting them had also caused their bowels to let loose.
“Do you know how this all began?” Twilight asked as she surveyed the suffering ponies around her.
“It started with just a few of the beggars outside, but nopony paid them much mind until the rest of the ponies in the neighborhood began to suffer the same symptoms,” Redheart explained, “Luckily, they were able to get a message to me, and I got here in time to isolate them. If we act quickly, we can stop this plague before it starts.”
“Hmm . . . this is not a plague,” Twilight Sparkle stated as she closely examined a moaning stallion, “These ponies are suffering from grayanotoxin poisoning, most likely from ingesting part of the rhododendron plant or some similar flower.”
“Are you sure?” Redheart asked, and though the mask made it hard to tell, Twilight thought that she sounded almost disappointed that it wasn’t a plague.
“Eighty percent,” the sorceress put a number on her certainty, “I recognize all the symptoms; the real question is how this happened to all of them at the same time.”
“Twilight, come look at this!” Spike called from outside the shop, and the sorceress immediately made her way out, “What do you make of it?”
Not far from the storefront, a cart was parked. In the back were a few crusts of bread and a halberd that looked like it had haphazardly been thrown in to get it out of the way. Twilight lifted a piece of bread to her muzzle and gave it a whiff, but there was no defining scent that confirmed her suspicious that the bread had been the cause of the poisoning. It didn’t smell like she expected it should have, though, so maybe that was enough.
“Is one of Mayor Mare’s guards among your patients?” Twilight asked as she spun on Readheart, and the doctor nodded as she took a step back, “Do you know where Mayor Mare orders her bread from?”
“Well, she purchases bread from all members of Ponieville’s bakers’ guild, but I think most of it comes from Sugar Cube Corner,” Redheart said as she cocked her head and thought about it.
“Applejack,” Twilight said through gritted teeth.
The sorceress had a good idea of what had happened now. Mayor Mare’s assistants were still trying to keep up the pretense that she and all her guards were still in town, so they hadn’t decreased their orders from Sugar Cube Corner. They had no need for the excess bread, though, so they had sent guards to distribute it throughout the town, keeping watch on the carts in case Twilight discovered them and deduced that the mayor was away. The batch here was tainted, and had caused the sickness in this area, and Twilight could wager a good guess as to why the bread had been unintentionally (she hoped) poisoned.
“Now that you know what the real problem is, will you be able to treat these ponies?” Twilight asked Doctor Redheart.
“Um, yes, I think so,” the mare replied hesitantly.
“Good,” Twilight said as she spun around and trotted away, Spike looking worried as he followed her.
“Where are you going?” Redheart asked, but the sorceress was already gone.
***
With a flash of light, Twilight Sparkle appeared in the Apples’ orchard. Then she disappeared and appeared again in another part of the orchard. Then again and again and again the same thing happened as Twilight repeatedly teleported. She didn’t even care about all the magical energy she was wasting, she was so determined to find Applejack. By chance, the sorceress finally materialized right next to her, and the groggy farmer stumbled back and fell into the nearby stream.
“Applejack, we need to talk right now,” the sorceress demanded as Applejack tried to pick herself up out of the stream, and failed her first attempt, “Ye enchi se majia mij pousi Ye’r eff’i aif feye’r effien!”
“Ugh, this again?” Applejack said as Twilight looped the chain around her friend’s head, “Fine, but I already know what you’re goin’ t’ say, and th’ answer’s still no. I’m doin’ just fine, Twi’.”
You might think so, but you obviously are not doing “just fine.” I warned you that your actions were going to get other ponies hurt, but did you listen? No. I don’t know why I thought I could trust you. Maybe because you’re the Element of Trustworthiness!
“You’re goin’ t’ bring that up?” Applejack groused as she trotted out of the stream and over to the nearest tree, “Trustworthiness has nothin’ t’ do with this, Twi’, except for you not trusting me t’ keep my word. I said that I would finish this apple harvest on my own, ‘n’ that’s what I intend t’ do.”
Innocent ponies are being hurt. Twilight followed Applejack as she made her way through the orchard. Do you realize that you accidentally poisoned at least twenty ponies with the bread you helped Pinkamena bake this morning? It was fortunate that I was able to get there in time; otherwise, they would all be dead, killed and burned to halt the advance of a “plague.”
“Ponies almost died?” Applejack asked as she halted.
That’s right, and things will only get worse unless you swallow your pride and let me help you.
“Well …” Applejack said as she scratched the back of her head with a hoof, looking distressed, “Maybe you have a point after all, Twi’. I guess, maybe, it could possibly be alright if I let you help out some.”
Yes! Thank you! I’m glad you’ve finally seen reason. Now before you do anything else, you need to get some rest, so you take the time to do that and I’ll work on this area of the orchard. With my magic, it shouldn’t take long at all to pick these apples.
“Magic?” Applejack said tensely, a fire kindling in her eyes, “No way, Twi’! Never would an Apple turn her back on our applebucking tradition just for convenience. If that’s your idea of help, then you can just leave right now! Get out of here!”
The farmer angrily pulled the chain from her head and flung it on the ground before stomping away.
“Applejack, wait!” Twilight called to her.
“Get lost, Twilight!” was the only answer she received, leaving the sorceress on her own as Applejack vanished into the trees.
“So close!” Twilight said in frustration as she kicked a nearby tree. A few apples fell out of it, one impaling her horn and dripping juices into her mane. The fruit was fried to a crisp as Twilight teleported away.
***
“Thank you again for helping me out with this,” Fluttershy said later that day as she led Applejack through one of the many small patches of woods around Ponieville.
The farmer had been furious with Twilight at first. Let magic replace tradition on Apple lands? Never! Now it was more of a simmering anger. In truth, she was more annoyed with the fact that she’d gotten little work done after her spat with the sorceress, having nodded off and taken an unplanned nap. It had done her good, allowing her hearing to mostly return at least, though her vision was still out of focus and her fine motor skills could use some work. Thankfully, she had been able to keep herself and the cart she was pulling behind her mostly on the path. At least she hadn’t run into any trees; the druidess accompanying her wouldn’t like that one bit.
“What did you need me t’ do again?” Applejack asked as she stifled a yawn.
“I need to take a count of all the rabbits and hares in this region for the census,” Fluttershy replied as she pulled an abacus from her robes, “I need you to help me gather them in one place so that I can be sure I’ve counted them all.”
“Fine, let’s get this over with,” Applejack said as she detached herself from her cart.
“Come forth from your burrows, creatures of the forest,” Fluttershy said with an oddly resonant voice that caused the hairs on the back of Applejack’s neck to stand up.
All around them, rabbits, badgers, and moles crawled forth from their burrows and looked up at Fluttershy expectantly. Together, Applejack and the druidess began to gather up every rabbit and hare they could find and place them in the back of the farmer’s cart. It was about half full when one of the rabbits jumped out and landed on Applejack’s back. Startled, the farmer’s instincts took over and she kicked at what she thought in her sleep-deprived state to be an attacker. Her hooves connected with her cart and tipped it over, and the lit lantern strapped to it shattered, spreading flame quickly through the undergrowth.
“Applejack, what happened?!” Fluttershy asked as she quickly flew over to the growing blaze that Applejack was trying desperately to put out. It was a lost cause, as the fire spread too quickly and lit up a nearby tree, which then spread the flames to others nearby.
***
Would it really be so terrible to use a spell on her to force her to sleep? Yes, she’s my friend, but that just complicates matters. Would a good friend respect their friend’s wishes, or would they step in against their wishes if it’s for their friend’s well-being? I wish I wasn’t such a novice at this.
Twilight Sparkle mulled this over as she sat atop Golden Oak’s laboratory, managing to focus on reading the tome in front of her only occasionally. This situation with Applejack was interfering with her ability to study now, which only made her more frustrated. She sighed and tried to find where she’d left off.
“Look at that!” a pony down on the street below exclaimed to nopony in particular.
Twilight followed her pointing hoof and spotted the column of smoke rising in the east. Is somepony burning something? No, the fire giving off that smoke is far too large for that. That means the fire must have gotten out of their control. Wait, isn’t that smoke coming from the little forest where Fluttershy and Applejack …
Twilight bolted upright as she realized what was going on. Applejack had gotten herself into another troublesome situation, and she just might take a whole wood with her. Twilight prepared to teleport before remembering that the tome she’d been reading was sitting outside. Carefully, she set it back inside Golden Oak’s laboratory, and then teleported.
She materialized in the middle of the path Fluttershy and Applejack had originally been on. Both of them were trying without success to contain the blaze that would swiftly consume the entire forest if it wasn’t stopped. Looking around, Twilight analyzed the situation, took a stance on the path, and began scratching runes into the dirt.
“Hold on to something!” she commanded, startling both Applejack and Fluttershy, who’d been so focused on stopping the fire, they hadn’t even realized there was a sorceress in their midst, “Caen’r majia acca Ye’r accael!”
Gale-force winds began to swirl through the forest, snatching flame from the trees and smothering what little remained. The surviving fire was gathered into a massive column of swirling flame centered around Twilight Sparkle. Sweating from the heat, and feeling the edges of her robes begin to crisp, the sorceress directed the flames upwards into the sky, where they dispersed and died out. When the air cleared, she was left standing in the middle of a mostly untouched circle of magical runes, surrounded by patches of scorching. Fluttershy was perched in a tree, hanging onto a branch for dear life, and Applejack was partially within a badger’s burrow, gripping a root with her teeth.
“Applejack, this has to stop now!” Twilight lectured as she pulled the stunned farmer from the burrow, “Only by sheer chance have you not killed anypony yet! I don’t care what you say, you need help with the apple harvest!”
“But, Twi’-” Applejack started to protest.
“No, I don’t care,” Twilight said firmly, “Look around you! Not only did you nearly burn this forest down, you also poisoned ponies and almost caused a plague scare, and you nearly blew Rainbow Dash to bloody bits! And look at yourself! How do you expect to finish the harvest when you can barely function?”
“You’re right, Twi’,” Applejack said softly.
“I am going to do whatever it takes to help you finish the harvest, even if it means working without magic!” Twilight swore before she realized what Applejack had said, “Wait, what?”
“You were right; I’m not goin’ t’ be able t’ finish th’ harvest on my own, and I was a fool for thinkin’ that I could just by workin’ harder,” Applejack said, keeping her eyes on the ground, “I’m accustomed t’ bein’ th’ one that helps others, not th’ one that needs help herself. It’s also an Apple thing, I s’pose, t’ be suspicious of help, for fear it’ll lead t’ a debt. But … I can’t let that get in th’ way o’ gettin’ th’ work done, or let it put other ponies in danger. I know I can trust you, Twi’; so yes, please help me.”
I didn’t expect that. Twilight considered what she’d gotten herself into; certainly more work than she really wanted to do, but she would still do it, and she would ask for nothing in return. It was just another thing about her that had changed during her time in Ponieville, she figured. Applejack now knew she could depend on Twilight, and Twilight could depend on Applejack if she needed anything, without any of the shady backstabbing of the sorceresses of Cant’r Laht. Twilight had to admit that it felt good. Still, it was going to be a lot of work to finish the apple harvest using Applejack’s methods (while Applejack rested up and recovered, no less), but the sorceress was sure she wouldn’t have to do it alone. She wasn’t Applejack’s only friend; there were four other ponies that shared the same special bond. After all, what were friends for?
***
My dearest mentor, Celestia,
I am writing to inform you that Mayor Mare has grossly exceeded her authority as your appointed governor of Ponieville and its surrounding environs. Over the past few days, I have learned that she raised a levy of one thousand ponies in secret and led them on a march to the south in an attempt to gain favor with Count Baukus. I felt that you should receive notice of this immediately and am certain your justice will be swift and righteous as always.
Your faithful apprentice,
Twilight Sparkle
Twilight Sparkle
Dictated to Spike the Dragon