//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Homecoming // Story: Final Verdict // by Material Defender //------------------------------// Jamie awoke the next morning greeted with pleasing silence. They were off-contract at the moment, and so had free time to spend at their own leisure. Except Jamie already had an idea of what he'd wanted to do next, so there wouldn't be any frolicking today, though the trip would be a mix of both business and personal reasons. Anora, always first to fall asleep and first to wake, had already made her bed, her belongings neatly left at the foot of her bed. Redhorn still lay snoring in his own, the blanket barely covering him in an almost comedic way as his hooves and tails protruded over the edge. There wasn't much activity aside from the Night Guard standing on watch outside of the bunkroom and next to the entrance-exit that Judicators came in through, so the place had been quiet through the whole night. Yawning and walking out of the room, Jamie caught sight of Anora sitting at the dining table, food and drink on one side of her and a plethora of bomb-making materials on the other. He rubbed his still slightly-wet face after he'd freshened up in the bathroom, noting how the only indication that time had passed were the hands on the clock, and sat down with her. "Up and at 'em early, as usual, I see," he said, laughing at the sight of her munching and crafting bombs at the same time.. "Well, somepony has to be the one to wake you two up when we're not sleeping in beds," she responded, locking another shell cask into place and finishing another bomb. "Really, sometimes I worry about you two when I'm not around." "It's alright. If there's ever any idiot dumb enough to try to disturb us in our sleep, the first thing Redhorn will do is give 'em a good kick in the face, and I'll just draw my pistolbow and poke six holes in 'em." "I'm sure that would be a sight to behold. So, what's the plan for today, Jamie?" She carefully measured out a spritz of gunpowder and tossed it into her mixing bowl. "These contracts aren't just lining up for us, and I doubt Princess Luna has something groundbreaking for us." "How about a vacation down to the Southlands?" he said. "Oh, that would be fantastic! I know there's not a lot of crime down there, what with all you humans keeping to yourselves and not getting involved in Commonwealth affairs, but... well, do you think they'd accept a pony?" "They ain't folks to judge, Anora. I'm sure the folks will love you all the same. We don't get many ponies down our way, only buffalo, so I'm sure it'd be a sight for 'em all to see." "So, it's like what you go through when you're walking around Equestria, only flipped around." "Well... yeah. You get some jerks every now and then, but otherwise, it's all smooth sailin'. Nothin' to worry 'bout down in the Southlands, I promise you that. We're all hospitable folk... more than I can say for some places around these parts." He grabbed an apple off of the fruit bowl on the table, staring at it for a moment before gnawing into it. "How soon do you want to leave?" "I was thinkin' that maybe we could all visit my folks somewhere down the line... but not right now. I have some other stuff to attend to." Anora paused in her mixing, raising an eyebrow at him. "Oh?" "Yeah... I was thinkin' of headin' down to Ponyville, to catch up with some old friends." "Does this have something to do with... that, from the past?" "Yes." "Then you won't have any complaints from me. That means we're heading down to near the Everfree, then?" She snipped off a length of fuse and affixed it into the shell cask as Jamie finished off his apple. "That we are." Anora smiled. "That's excellent. I remember hearing of a Zebrican apothecary down near Ponyville, and I'd like to visit her, perhaps even pick up some extra materials for any powders or potions I might need." She carefully joined the pair of shell casks together, completing her resupply of the two bombs she'd spent the previous night. "Okay, all done! Now I can eat in earnest." She unceremoniously rolled the bombs aside and dug into her food. Jamie chuckled as he turned to see Redhorn staring at them. "Who let the parasprite in?" Redhorn joked, as Anora raised her head, mouth covered with food drippings. "Oh, look, if it isn't the beauty sleep champion himself," Jamie joked. "You can sure sleep like a log." Redhorn shrugged. "What can I say, we buffalo can fall asleep and stay that way. Where's the chef?" "Over here!" a muffled voice came from the kitchen. "The stove's acting up again, so just let... me... fix it... the dry food's on the table with your friend there, knock yourselves out!" The clattering of pots and pans rumbled within. "Crud! Damn utensils!" There was some grumbling and then more clanging. "Woo! Alright, there we go. Should get this thing fixed before next year, I'm not cut out for all this leaning anymore..." "Sounds like the old-timer's havin' some trouble back there..." Jamie began. "Hey! I heard that!" The chef's soot-stained face appeared from the doorway. "I might be old, but that doesn't mean I can't do anything!" He disappeared for a moment as the sound of rumbling appeared within. "Aw, damn it! Can't anything work properly this morning?!" Jamie exchanged an amused look with Anora and helped himself to the bread and cheese on the platter before him. Redhorn yawned and sat down with them, precariously rolling around one of Anora's flash bombs. "Careful, Redhorn, you don't want to set it off," Anora warned. "What's the problem? These bombs run on fuses, after all, it's not like they can instantly explode or anything. Er..." He moved his hoof away and stared at the bomb. "These are the ones that run on fuses, right?" "Yes, they are. I was just trying to make sure you knew, since the last time you played with my bombs, you set off the blinding powder and the sleeping gas bombs, and left everyone blind when they actually woke up. And by 'everyone', I mean you, who ended up stumbling down the halls screaming for your mommy. You were lucky that it was at headquarters or else nopony would ever let you live that down." "It was just an accident, no harm done." He gave her a puppy-eyes look. Anora rolled her eyes. "Sleeping gas is expensive, you know... probably worth more than a good magazine of fire bolts for Jamie's pistolbow. You were just lucky that I got the bits from you to cover the cost." "Alright, alright, that's enough," Jamie interrupted. "We have stuff to do today, and I don't want to keep my matters on the sidelines. By the way, what happened to the bodies we left at the warehouse ambush last night?" "Notified the Manehattan Police Department, and they're cleaning up the bodies now," Anora said. "I should know, I was the one who contacted them." "Great. So let's leave as soon as possible." "The world isn't going to end tomorrow, Jamie, what's the hurry?" Redhorn asked. "Ponyville doesn't have a Judicator branch, nor does it have a police department, which means no air chariot transportation since Princess Luna has ordered that we're only allowed to use it on official business... So that means we're goin' to have to take the long way there..." He gave an exasperated sigh. "...by carriage." The night had fallen by the time the carriage had arrived at Ponyville. Jamie had been disgruntled over the long trek the whole way through, having completely ignored the travel part of the journey and expected to be able to have things sorted out by the time evening arrived. It didn't help that extra carrying capacity was required for Redhorn's armor, and even then, it had to be properly stored and out of sight from prying eyes, only lengthening the duration of their journey. A single hotel lay within the town's limits, and but in a stroke of luck, it only had three rooms, which fit the bill for them perfectly. They each took one, dropping their luggage after a whole day's worth of travel. The trip was nice, but it was a stretch of Equestrian rural landscape that they hoped to never suffer through again. "So... I'll take this one, and you take that one?" Jamie asked Redhorn. "Does it matter? Aren't they all the same?" "Are they?" "No idea. I'll take the middle one, Anora takes the one in the back, and you take the one nearest the stairs?" "Yeah, sounds 'bout right." "Need any food? I have some rations in my rucksuck." "Nah, I got enough food from the last stop. It'll hold me 'till mornin', at the very least. Have a good night." They split off to their respective rooms and retired for the night. Jamie opened the window, storing his hat and duster on one of the bed columns before taking a seat and looking out into Princess Luna's sparkling night sky. He felt wistful, his view glazing over as he thought of how long it had been since he visited Ponyville. Even now, the architecture of the town hadn't changed a single bit, and the Ponyville Town Hall still retained its familiar shape. He had left this town as a naive teenager and came back a man... one changed from his experiences, for better or for worse. And then his thoughts drifted towards what he would have to do... to tell the truth of a single lie he'd been keeping within for nearly a decade since his departure. He knew he owed it to those involved that they should one day hear what had really happened, even if it meant that he would be ostracized for it. He didn't know why, but at this very moment, it simply felt... right, as if this span of a few days was the most perfect time in the entire world for it to happen. He left his bandoleers on the office table in his room, carefully storing his burlap-wrapped heavy crossbow underneath and just out of sight. This trip required that no such dangerous weapons be carried around with him... though for safety, and though his own intuition, he never left without his pistolbow. One could never tell when combat was around the corner, and it was better to have and not need than the other way around. Lazing about, his gaze drifted around the room, noting how rustic and homely it seemed, as if it were a world away where the dangers of the world could not harm it. It was comforting to him to know that such places existed, and that the role that he played meant that he was protecting havens such as this one... If only he could have protected those close to him when it meant the most. The need to find mementos arose within him... except that he had none. When he had departed from the town, he had taken only his belongings and nothing else; he hadn't really picked up any souvenirs worth nothing, and that was a cut most deep to him after he returned to his hometown of Medley near the Southlands border and back to his parents. He said nothing of the events that had happened, and his parents never pressed the issue... but he found closure years later after taking up the post of deputy for Medley's sheriff and went off on his own doing vigilante work. It was also around a similar time where he'd created his trademark pistolbow, though at the time it could only shoot to kill. And kill, he did. Another heavy sigh parted his lips. He wondered how well his family's relations had been since the incident. Were their families even still keeping in contact with each other? Did they still even exist? Did they still remember him at all? He recalled that they had a newborn foal around the time he left before the incident... she would most likely not be familiar with who he was, but chances are, given their naming schemes, he would most likely know her when he met her... she would be in this town somewhere, oblivious to the past. Kicking off his custom-made cowboy boots, he relaxed his mind and drifted off to sleep in his bed, a feeling most comforting in its softness, and dreamed a beautiful dream under the trees of an orchard beneath a resplendent blue sky. A familiar place, a familiar sky, a familiar family... He was home. "Home... sweet... home..." he whispered, his eyes closing as sleep took him. It was a bright and sunny day, almost as if were mocking the dreariness of the situation. Ponies and humans stood in lines, all wearing black attire as a single member from each family, those that could be considered patriarchs, stood on a stage before them. For the humans, it was Jamie's father. "Dearest relatives... friends... acquaintances..." he began. "Today, we are gathered here to grieve over a tragedy... most unfair. Today, we grieve over the deaths of..." Jamie began to tune out the funeral as his mind blanked out, repeating what had happened. A cold beat of sweat broke out over his forehead as the flashbacks came to him. It was nighttime when it happened. They were happening through a canyon pass on the way to one of the towns in the northwest, a bustling trading post where they were going to sell their wares. Their family name was renowned through all of Equestria for producing some of the finest apples that anybody ever had the pleasure of eating. Jamie had volunteered at the time, a curious teenager around fourteen years old. With leave from his parents, he had been living with the pony family for some time now, and Ponyville had literally become his second home. He made friends quickly; after all, being the only human in town had some benefits to it, and those years were the best he'd ever spent in his entire childhood. So when the time came, his extended family's foals were required to stay back on the farm due to safety, but relented to bring Jamie along after much pleading. He remembered that fine morning they left, far earlier than the sun was set to rise. He was wide awake before then, but so were the foals. He hugged both of them: one red colt with a orange mane, and another orange filly with a yellow mane. "I'll miss you both." He smiled at them. "You both be good now, you hear?" "But, Jamie, why do ya haf'ta go with ma and pa? Can't you just stay 'ere on the farm?" the filly asked. He gazed down at her. She was only a few years younger than him, almost the same as her brother, but it felt to Jamie that he was much older... and taller. "No, Applejack. This is really important business. I want to help around with all the paperwork later on, so if I'm goin' to be able to do that, I need to learn how this stuff works as early as possible." "Oh... alright..." The filly sulked and went to stand next to her brother, who only gave a silent nod to him. "You keep her safe, Big Mac. You hear me?" "Eeyup." He gave his final hug to Granny Smith, who patted him on the head afterwards before parting some advice. "Now, don't sleep too late, y'hear? And eat all your food, you're a growin' boy. And don't forget to wash! Bein' out on the road's goin' to be hot and tiresome! You're the only one from the Harper family down here and I'd rather mess up a zap apple season than have you get hurt!" He nodded and smiled at her. "Yes, Granny Smith. I'll take care of myself, don't you worry." "Good! And don't be makin' any trouble for your uncle and aunt over there, 'kay?" "You have my word." He held his hand over his chest. "On my honor," he said, and laughed. "I'll miss you all." He gave them a sad smile before joining his uncle and aunt, Applejack's parents, in the carriage. Waving goodbye, they began their long journey to the northwest border between the Principality of Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom, embarking on the road that would take them there: the Matterton Route. Jamie walked out of the hotel in the morning, stretching his shoulders. He made sure to keep his duster closed to avoid any unwanted flashes of his badge and only brought along his pistolbow, which remained within a covered holster. Bounty hunters in the Commonwealth were viewed with a mixture of both awe and suspicion: when one showed up, it meant that problems were about to be solved, but it also meant that things would get worse before they got better. And he wasn't here to rangle up some bandits or anything, so it would be better to simply play it on the down-low. He decided to take the time to wander around town and see if there was anything new, since his companions were preoccupied themselves. Anora had left ahead of him to visit the Zebrican apothecary in the nearby forest, and Redhorn was unsurprisingly still asleep. He leveled his hat to block the sunlight from his eyes. Not more than a few steps away from the hotel stairway, he felt something slam into the side of his leg. "Aw, ponyfeathers! We're goin' to be late again!" "Hold on, Applebloom! Are you alright?" Applebloom rubbed her nose and looked up into Jamie's eyes. "Hello there, mister! You must be new 'round here. Welcome to Ponyville!" So this was her... the filly whose whole life he'd been absent from, raised by what remained of the Apple family when he'd left. "Thanks. It's a nice place..." he said. "Uh, aren't you late for somethin'?" She giggled. "You talk just like my family, mister!" Her unicorn friend interrupted. "Applebloom! Late?" "Oh, right! Nice meetin' you, mister human, hope you enjoy yourself in Ponyville!" "I will, thanks." He waved them goodbye and watched as they ran towards a red-painted schoolhouse in the distance. He smiled to himself: the building was still there even after all these years... though the teachers must have certainly changed since he left, at the very least. "So they're still here..." he muttered. He ventured around town, stopping in various places and enjoying the sights. That also applied to the town's residents: a lot of them stopped to look at him in wonder, many having never seen a human before, much less one that was casually strolling around their town like a tourist. Their tune might have changed if they learned that he was a bounty hunter... or rather, when, since he was going to have to let Applejack know, and Jamie was quite sure that she wasn't without friends in town. Passing through the morning, he eventually ran into the old Ponyville library, an old treehouse that had been here for as long as he remembered. He decided to knock, seeing if the old librarian was still inside. "Just a minute!" a mare responded. A lavender unicorn opened the door, and stared up at him with waiting eyes. "Is this the Ponyville library?" he asked her. "Why, yes, it is!" Jamie knew who she was; most Judicators did. She was Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's personal protege and younger sister of Royal Guard Captain Shining Armor. That meant that she was a VIP, and if she should end up in danger, everything would be dropped to protect her. In the case where trouble was brewing, that is. "Would you like to check out a book?" "Uh... no, not at the moment. But thank you for askin'." "Are you from the Southlands?" "Yes." Where else could humans come from? It's not like they materialized out of thin air in the middle of the Everfree Forest or some other hogwash tall tale. "Wow, this is amazing! I've never had the chance to ask a human in-depth questions on the Southlands, so do you think I could bother you with some? I'd like to compile as much knowledge as possible since this is a first-time thing!" Figuring that it could do no harm, Jamie shrugged. "Sure." She turned around and he followed her inside. That was a mistake. Minutes turned into hours as Twilight posed question after question to him, some so exceedingly specific that it was a wonder how she didn't know more about the Southlands than he did. They talked about history, culture, dietary habits, and a variety of other things that Jamie wasn't even sure he was right on half the time. "Oh, and how come we don't see many humans in Equestria?" "We prefer to keep to ourselves. That, and there's a huge mountain range between Equestria and the Southlands that sort of makes direct transportation a pain to do. Unless you ponies like travelin' through the mountains with roaring snowstorms around you all the time." "Oh... yes, the Swayback Mountains are known for having bad snowstorms all year round. So you travel through buffalo lands, then?" "Sometimes. Not a lot. Usually the buffalo tribes trade with the Equestrians, and then we trade with the buffalo for anythin' we might need. So aside from that, there usually ain't a reason for us to wander out of our comfort zone." "Mm... hmm..." She jotted down a note on her paper. "And what about politics? Do the Southlands have a ruling diarch like we do?" "No. We have a democratic council, the Southlands Council, that deals with most of the politics for us. It's all inner affairs with some minor external politics, o'course. We'd like to stay on good terms with everybody if we can, and nobody stirs up trouble back home unless they want to end up on the business end of old councilman Jensen's shovel. He's righted more than a few wrongdoers with that thing..." "Hey, Twilight, have you seen—whoa!" A purple dragon walked out of the kitchen when he spotted Jamie sitting in the living room. "A human!" He ran up to Jamie and compared their hands. "Another one with these flexible digits, huh? I'm Spike." He shook Jamie's hand. "Twilight's assistant." "Nice to meet you, Spike." Jamie looked at Twilight. "I wasn't aware that there was a dragon in town..." She smiled and nodded. "Oh, he's my dragon. I hatched him for my entrance exam for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and he's been with me ever since. Now, aside from that, I've heard that humans are carnivores..." "Yes, we are, but we also eat plants. There's a lot of fertile land down in the Southlands, so we have a mostly vegetarian diet." He hadn't gotten tired of explaining all of this yet, but there had to be a limit somewhere down the line... "So we can eat stuff that ponies eat, too. Just not hay or flowers, we can't eat those." "Interesting. And your dialect seems to indicate that most of the Southlands is of farmer descent." "That we are. How'd you wager that thought?" "Oh, I have a friend in town. Her name's Applejack, and she owns Sweet Apple Acres right outside of Ponyville. You two talk alike, so I just proposed a guess and found it correct." He wanted to ask her how Applejack had been faring, but perished the thought. There was no need to play his hand early, and he wanted to re-introduce himself personally. Spike had momentarily left and returned with a daffodil and daisy sandwich for Twilight, and some bread and fruit for Jamie. It was nearing the mid-afternoon, which Jamie only noticed when he actually bothered to look out the window. "So, do you visit much? It seems like you're pretty well-traveled," she said. "I am. Visited lots of places here in Equestria, and even some in the Griffon Kingdom, too. I guess the only place I haven't been to is Zebrica and the Dragon Empire up north." "I hear the dragons aren't really keen on having visitors..." Jamie laughed. "They aren't. Tried to get in myself one time and they just turned me away. They like keepin' to themselves more than we humans do. At least we try to be nice; the dragons are just... really touchy 'bout their privacy." "Well, I've heard that some of them hoard their treasures up in their peaks..." "What, those shiny rocks of theirs? Could never understand why ponies put worth in those things. Sure, they look nice, but they're practically useless. Except maybe the diamonds, those things are tougher than rocks and can last forever. Useful as a cutting tool." "So humans favor practicality over aesthetics?" Twilight readied her quill, giving her scholar's smile waiting for an answer. "I guess so. A lot of our buildings are pretty rustic, built tough and made to last. It don't really matter much to us in looks so long as it ain't an eyesore, and a lot of towns and cities follow similar patterns to that." "Ah... I believe some of Ponyville's building have been built with such a goal in mind. Perhaps some of the pony towns down near the southern border or in the Mild West have a greater influence. I should look into that sometime, perhaps even write up a paper on the differences in architectural preferences between regions in the Commonwealth. I know Canterlot is probably built for a mixture of looks and sturdiness, while..." He let her blab on as he tried to follow her as best he could while eating his food. It was maddening how this unicorn could become absolutely enthralled in her speech, sometime even shocking him with a question right in the middle of a statement, before completely ignoring him and returning to her fast-firing monologue. Eventually, he realized he had to put his foot down and stop her before he ended up staying the night. "Well, I believe it's gettin' late, and I have some other things to attend to, so I'll be takin' my leave now." "Alright, then. Are you staying in town long? I'd like to ask you some more questions, if that's possible." "Maybe tomorrow. I think I'll be stayin' in town for a while." "Okay!" She said, happily filing away her notes with a flash of magic from her horn. "Feel free to drop by anytime if you need anything!" "I'll keep that in mind. See you later!" He tipped his hat to her and walked out the door, careful to avoid the bar above the door as the size could just barely fit him. Jamie figured that a strong dose of liquid courage was in order before he got around to business. Looking around, he had trouble finding any sort of establishment that sold liquor that wasn't some sort of drink that only had a slight kick to it. Eventually, he found a tavern frequented with only a few ponies, and proceeded inside. He immediately sat down at the end of the counter, rubbing his forehead as he took a deep sigh. "Visitor, huh?" the bartender said. She was a purple mare with a similar mane, cleaning a glass mug. "Name's Berry Punch. What'll it be?" "A mug of the strongest stuff you have." "Coming right up." She poured the drink with efficiency and slid it down the counter to Jamie, who caught it with a snap of his hand. He deposited a small pile of bits on the table, which Berry graciously took. "New around here, huh? Hope you're enjoying the town so far." "It's not my first time here... haven't been here for a long time, though. Nearly ten years." He took a long drink before stopping and looking into the cup. The drink was cider. Unsurprising, since Applejack was still in business. They seemed to be doing well for themselves, at least. "This cider from Sweet Apple Acres?" "Indeed it is. How'd you know?" "Been there before." "You don't say? You're from around here?" "I grew up here... 'til I had to move away, that is, back to the Southlands." "Strange... I grew up here, too, but I don't ever remember many humans around here." "I liked to keep it quiet. Attended school for a bit and then left to help work at Sweet Apple Acres." "Really? You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that—" A glare from Jamie that could cut straight through moonsteel hushed her quickly. "R-right... sorry about that..." "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you... that's why I'm here in the first place. Have some loose ends to tie up." "Uh... good luck with that, then." "Thanks," he said, finishing off his drink. He stood up and gave a silent nod to Berry, who merely returned one of her own, before stopping. The chatter in the tavern had all but completely stopped, and he met the gaze of a nearby cyan pegasus pony staring at him in shock, her mug frothing with cidery goodness left untended, before he realized that all the patrons were doing the same. Without a doubt, he knew what they were all looking at. His gaze drifted down and he'd realized that he'd forgotten to keep his badge hidden. Great, now the word would be spreading around town, and before the day's end, everypony would know. It wouldn't be hard to figure out if the only thing they said was that the human was it. He was the only one in town, after all. Mentally cursing, he hastily made his way out the front door. The path down to Sweet Apple Acres was worn and dusty, a piece of the past that remained with him. It was the last thing he saw leaving Ponyville many years ago. His younger self refused to cheer up and spent the entire ride home just watching the ground pass by underneath the carriage... and now here he was again, walking down that path with head high and eyes peeled. He walked up to the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres, and looked up at the sign, filled with nostalgia. There were several notches on the right side, a remainder from the time when he had climbed it as a child, attempting to catch a dragonfly. He failed, and fell to the ground as he watched the bug dart away from him through the trees. Applejack and Big Mac had then offered to play tag with him, and they did so until the sun set. "Howdy there, partner, can I help ya?" he heard a stallion say. Looking down from the sign, he stood face-to-face with Big Macintosh, the red stallion with a strand of wheat in his mouth and waiting for Jamie to respond. Jamie gawked for a moment: the stallion certainly had grown immensely in the past few years, and was a rightful powerhouse now. "I'm hurt, Big Mac... don't you recognize?" he said sarcastically. "I don't know who you—" Big Mac narrowed his eyes and leaned in for a better look. "Jamie... is that you?" "Yeah... it's me." Mac smiled. "Well, don't just stand there like a stranger! Come on in! I'm sure Applejack and Granny Smith would be happy to see ya!" He turned and walked towards the red barn in the distance as Jamie followed him. "So... it's been a long time," Jamie said. "Eeyup." "How's the farm been holdin' up since I left?" "It's been... rough, at times. But we've been holdin' out just fine, no need to worry 'bout that. What 'bout you, Jamie? You completely changed after the accident, you know, and then you just up and left on us without a word! I didn't understand that back then, thought you were just being mean and leavin' us when we needed you most, but now since I'm older, I guess I could see why you wanted to go home." "Yeah, 'bout that... it was a bit of a rough time for me. Sorry if it caused y'all any trouble." At the time, the stress had been too much for Jamie to cope with, and the funeral had been the final straw that broke his back. He only wanted nothing more than to return home. "No offense taken, Jamie. You went through that yourself, it must have been bad... seein' our folks..." He stopped as his lips quivered. "You had it the worst," he finished. "You ain't going to hear anyone from the Apple family bad-mouthin' you. And if you do, let me know, I'll change their tune." "I don't think it'll come to that, but thanks, Mac. I really appreciate it." "Don't need to thank me, Jamie, you're part o' the family. Now I think—" Big Macintosh stopped as they walked through a pair of trees, and ended up running straight into the mare Jamie had been meaning to talk to. "Well, visitors!" Applejack said, bucking a tree. She threw her mane back as the apples collected in the buckets around them and walked up to them. "So, who's your friend, Big Mac?" Big Macintosh said nothing, earning a raise of the eyebrow from Applejack. She eyed Jamie further, looking him up and down his wardrobe before gasping and stepping back. Jamie smiled softly at her; he had expected a reaction, though he wagered it could have been much worse compared to what he had received. "Hello, Applejack. It's been a long time..."