Vegetation and vine-ensnared, dead-looking trees rose up above the young, orange Earth Pony as she moved through the tall grasses. The sun only just barely made it through the thick, gnarled branches. The canopy overhead blocked out almost all light, leaving the forest enshrouded in shadows. The intrepid explorer adjusted her hat and kept on walking. If she walked, she didn't have to think.
Thinking wasn't very high on her list of priorities right now. She closed her eyes, put aside her thoughts and felt the land around her. The overwhelming sensation was that of moisture as if the forest were grown over some vast lake beneath the earth. Green tendrils snaked around her hooves. She jumped in fright as something furry slipped past her and picked up her pace from a leisurely trot to a hurried canter. She wasn't sure where she was going. She didn't care neither. A screeching call from something nesting in the branches high overhead sent a shiver through her spine.
She darted forward, her hooves digging into the wet, soft earth. Specks and clods of mud were kicked up as she charged without direction or purpose. She crashed into the bushes and her powerful shoulders plowed through them, leaving her scratched up, but still she ran. She rushed deeper and deeper into the woods, the trees growing taller. She felt that they were about to close in on her. Her breathing hitched up and she blindly charged through the endless rows of trees. Panic seized her and she could no longer tell where she was going. Her heart pounded against her rib cage as if the organ longed to escape as much as she herself did.
Her legs burned at the exertion as she slammed them against the earth. Animals scattered as they heard the approach of the frantic earth pony. She wasn't sure if she were still going in a straight line or if she were running in circles or if directions even mattered in this treacherous, enchanted place.
The only thing she knew for sure was that she had to keep running. Her legs were screaming for her to stop, but she ignored it. Her lungs felt close to bursting, but she ignored that too. The only thing she didn't ignore was the deep instinct to run, the only instinct she had been obeying since earlier that morning. She had to run. She had to escape. She didn't want to think or feel or talk about it (cause there weren't nothing to talk about) or cry. She just wanted to keep on running.
The more she ran, the more she could feel her connection to the earth. The planet itself imparted to her her energy, her strength. She called upon it and let the power fill her. A burst of raw energy encompassed her and she shot forward. The forest rushed by in a blur of greens and browns. She didn't stop, leaping over rocks in her path just like she had during junior rodeos, back when her granny and brother and ma and pa had cheered....
No! The memory was met with forceful rejection. She leapt over a bush in her way even though she could just have easily gone around it. The leap filled her with a rush of exhilaration. She leapt again and a real grin came to her lips. A stitch in her side forced her to stop. She caught herself before she collapsed. Her breath came out in short wheezes. A cacophony of caws came from crows far away in the beech trees high above. She looked around and recognized nothing around her. In all of her forbidden excursions to the Everfree, she had never come this far. Everything was strange and unfamiliar.
She smiled. That was perfect. Just perfect. Her stomach growled and reminded her that her last meal had been at breakfast and she had hardly eaten then. She called once more on her Earth Pony magic. The closest edible plant she could feel was the grass beneath her. She bent down and gave the grass a suspicious sniff. She had never eaten grass from the root before. Didn't seem civilized. Still, she was a hermit now and hermits weren't exactly civilized folk. She took a nibble of the bitter grass, trying to get use to the tangy flavor that coated her tongue. It would be what she'd be eating from now on. It wasn't too bad. Nothing like apples (that thought didn't bring tears to her eyes), but it would get a passing grade and it stopped the gnawing in her stomach.
She knew there would have to be a source of water around here somewhere. The ground was too wet for that to not be true. She trotted a few paces. Her senses told her to keep going east. The ground was so soggy that she nearly sank into it on a few occasions.
She came at last to a large, crystal blue lake. A circle of pines wrapped around it yet the waters were clear. That told her somepony-or just someone-was taking care of it. There was another hermit in these woods then. It was the only explanation she could think of. She sipped the water and the cool liquid soothed her throat which was still dry from the running she'd done earlier.
She decided that being a hermit didn't give her an excuse to be dirty so she slipped into the waters, shivering at the cold touch of the lake. Only after dipping into it a few times did she realize that she hadn't brought along a towel. The water soaked into her fur all the way to her skin. She stepped out onto the grass and shook herself. Droplets of water sprayed everywhere.
Applejack looked up as she heard branches snapping. A grey-coated, scar-covered Earth Pony stallion glared at her. "Who are you, kid?"
Applejack gulped. "I'm Applejack Apple. I'm your new neighbor. Uh...howdy."
The glare didn't leave the stallion's face. "Is Celestia exiling foals now?"
Applejack shook her head. "I ain't no exile."
"Why in the world would you come out here willingly? Aren't you going to miss your family?" The stallion stepped closer.
Applejack stepped farther away. "I...reckon I didn't think about that. You take care of this lake?"
"Yeah, it's my penance. Keeping it clean. Little things like that keep you from going mad." The glare intensified. "I don't like little brats coming in and dirtying it. You got that?"
Applejack tried to control her trembling. "Alright. I want do it again."
"Better not. The last time somepony crossed me..."He chuckled. "Well, that's why I'm here."
Applejack bolted, galloping as fast as she could away from the lake. She only stopped when she was back to her little patch of grass. She was going to have to claim it somehow in order to keep the weirdos away. A random assortment of rocks made nice building material for a wall. She used her nose to push the stones into place and then hopped over the new construction.
She frowned. If she could leap over it, then so could anypony else. Somepony-or someone or something-could knock it down. What if that thing came in the middle of the night. She curled up into a little ball while despair washed over. She hopped up and rushed over the wall of stones. Maybe, just maybe, she should go on home.
She plopped back down. No. Going back home meant...no, she didn't have a home anymore. This was her home now. She leapt back over the wall and settled down behind it. This was home and she would defend it. The thought made her instinctively snort and paw at the ground.
She laid down and waited. The wind sang as it moved through the grass and the branches. A bird whistled. Hundreds of animals snarled and howled and hissed. Applejack curled up tighter. No matter what the forest brought she wasn't going to leave it.
Maybe, she'd never leave this spot again. It was comfortable enough. There was plenty of grass. She'd need to find a new lake though. Or maybe she could just buck that scary stallion senseless and take the lake for herself though that didn't seem neighborly.
Scaring her when all she had done was take a bath wasn't very neighborly either, though. Curling even tighter into herself, she wondered who else was out here. What else was out here. If she stayed right here, in this little spot, she'd be safe. She yawned. The grass softly tickled her tummy and her sides as she was lulled into a light nap.
It was a dreamless sleep that she was suddenly awoken from. Her ears twitched and she jumped up. Somepony was coming closer. She pawed at the ground and prepared to charge. More branches snapped beneath the unknown pony's gait, assuming a pony was who it was.
There was a familiar scent in the air. Applejack sniffed. It was the scent of apples and cinnamon. Her eyes pooled with tears that refused to be shed. Her body relaxed, almost slouching. She knew who it was before the old, green mare stepped into the woods.
She coolly regarded the wall Applejack was standing behind and motioned for her to come. Applejack didn't budge. Granny stepped over it.
Applejack didn't move. "I ain't goin' back."
Granny reached out only for the filly to move away. "Applejack, listen. I ain't mad at you. I understand how hard this is."
Applejack scowled. Granny continued. "You come back with me, I'll make you some apple fritters."
Applejack's stomach growled. "No."
"You ain't gonna be in any trouble. No spankin's or extra chores."
The offer of amnesty combined with the promise of sweets almost swayed her. Almost. "No. This is my home now. You can visit anytime if'n ya want, but I ain't goin' back."
Granny sighed. "Applejack, I'm tryin' to be patient with you, but you're wearin' me down. You can not stay in the Everfree Forest. It ain't safe."
Applejack thumbed her nose up. "I can do whatever I want."
"You come with me right now or when we get back you're gettin' the paddle."
Applejack hesitated. "You can't make me come back."
"Yes, I can."
Applejack turned around to run as Granny approached. That was a big mistake. Granny's teeth chomped down her tail and the older Pony picked her up to drag her over her little fort. Applejack squirmed and hollered, but her grandmother was far stronger than her.
(She was younger then and still had some streaks of gold in her mane and a lot less wrinkles. More muscles though.)
Applejack squirmed as they walked back towards home. "Put me down! Granny! I said put me down!"
Granny ignored her, taking a well-worn path through elm trees that Applejack hadn't noticed before. Applejack hung from Granny's teeth while the matriarch carried her in the direction of the apple farm. By the time they got to the point where the trees cleared out, she had stopped squirming. Granny dropped her. Applejack didn't run, knowing that it would be an exercise in futility.
They hurried their pace, Granny guiding her through paths trod into the dirt. Applejack hadn't realized how familiar Granny was with the paths of the Everfree Forest. As it got later in the day and they continued walking Applejack wondered how far she had gone.
Granny stopped and stretched. "I'm gettin' too old for this, young'n. Next time, I'm sendin' your big brother after you."
Applejack hung her head, overcome with a sense of remorse. Granny noticed her mood and patted her head. "Let's just get this out the way, then we can have some supper."
It was clear that they were coming to the place where civilization met the wilderness. Applejack could see the farm from here and the rolling fields of apple trees. Big Mac was waiting by the fence. He ran-Applejack had never seen her brother gallop like that-and scooped her up in a crushing embrace. Applejack hugged him back.
"Don't ever do that again, ya hear?" He asked as he set her down.
Applejack nodded. "I-I'm gonna get a spankin.'"
"Good. Maybe it'll whip some sense in ya."
She walked away and Granny led her inside, pausing to get the heart-decorated paddle which hung in the kitchen, and up to her bedroom where she expertly bent the filly across the bed. Applejack leaned into the green, orange-patterned blankets and waited. Granny raised the paddle into the air and brought it down across her backside with a stinging slap. Applejack jumped, but didn't cry out. Granny landed a second whack just below the first and then a third in the same place.
Applejack closed her eyes and bore the paddle slapping her behind. Granny landed a fourth and fifth whack. This time, Applejack let out a tiny whimper. A sixth whack of the paddle spanked her tushy followed quickly by a seventh. Granny swung the paddle again and again, raining down spanks across Applejack's behind.
Applejack tried to bear the spanking stoically, but as the fourteenth spank clapped her bottom she let out a little cry. Granny didn't let up, a cascade of spanks raining down on her now red rump. The first tear slid down her cheek. A twentieth spank and then the twenty-first spank slapped the place where her rump met her thigh. She howled and then she broke, pressing her face into her sheets and crying.
Granny put down the paddle and sat on the bed to scoop the weeping filly into her lap. She held her and Applejack buried her face into her chest. "I-I'm sorry, Granny!"
Granny softly rubbed her mane. "It's alright. Oh, child, it's alright."
Applejack hugged her grandmother. She looked up and realized tears were streaming down Granny's face. "Granny? Why are you cryin' too?"
Granny wiped away the tears. More came to replace the ones wiped away. "Cause I was scared, you silly filly." She hugged her tight. "When I came into your room and you weren't there I was so, so scared." She squeezed her as if she were afraid Applejack was going to disappear. "You're all I have left." Her voice wavered. "My daughter is dead. My son-in-law's gone to parts unknown. You and Apple Bloom and Big Mac are all I have left. I love you so much."
"I love you too Granny."
Granny pressed her lips to Applejack's head and the two cried into each other, seeking comfort from each other's presence.
...
Applejack hid behind her hat. The others looked like they were on the verge of tears. Fluttershy and Cadence sniffled. Applejack bit her lip. "I'm gonna need a minute, y'all."
Twilight patted her shoulder. The next thing Applejack knew she was enveloped in a group hug. "Oh, y'all, c'mon!" She made no effort to move away.
Eventually, the others moved away. Twilight scratched her chin. "So, how did Granny Smith find you?"
"Earth Pony ancestor magic. We have spells to find anypony related to us."
Twilight clapped her hooves. "That's so cool!" Her wings flapped of their own accord. "Maybe I could learn it?"
"Sure, I'll teach you. By the way, is the paddle just an Earth Pony thing?"
Both Twilight and Shining chuckled.
Twilight settled herself on the pillow. "Back at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns if you got three strikes you got a paddling over the the teacher's desk. I got it once for a few...dark magic spell I'm not proud of."
Shining mouthed "want it-need it spell." "At the Guard Academy you got paddled in the courtyard. That was mortifying."
Pinkie munched on a s'more. "My mom always used a hairbrush if we were really bad. One time..."