//------------------------------// // Apples? // Story: Applejack Gets Lost // by MagicS //------------------------------// “And so, this town’s name is Cross Way. Course most everypony nowadays calls it ‘Out-a-the Way’ after the river dried up.” Clod explained to Applejack as the three of them walked down the street, the other guard not making so much as a peep. “You said you were from Ponyville? Never heard of it.” “Never heard of it? Really?” Applejack asked in surprise, eyebrow cocked. “Well have you heard of Cross Way?” Clod asked, just shrugging. “Well, fair point I guess.” Applejack granted, still flummoxed that somepony didn’t know Ponyville. Especially with things like the new castle and the school and the Princess of Friendship herself living there. Taking her mind off that Applejack looked around at the town. It looked better being inside it now, ponies going about their day, sparing a glance or two at the new arrival. She couldn’t say it was as busy as Ponyville was though. And no one was selling anything in the streets either. They must’ve all just had places to grab their food like Sugarcube Corner or going out to a farm directly. The three ponies came out into a large circular area in the town, a small grassy park in the center and streets going off in every direction. Applejack spotted a group of foals playing tag as their parents chatted, preparing to round them up and take them back home since it was near dark out. “Center of town just to let you know, in case you ever get lost. You can find your way back anywhere from here.” Clod told her. “Thank ya kindly.” Aside from the unwelcome welcome Applejack was starting to like this town. “We don’t really get many visitors.” The other guard said out of the blue. Applejack turned to look at him, catching him in the middle of picking his nose and flicking it out onto the street. Yuck. “In fact I can’t even remember the last time a normal pony came through, what about you Clod?” Clod grunted. “Hm, can’t say. Even before the river dried up when ponies would come through on their way to Right or Left there still weren’t a ton. Just been the occasional vagabond since.” Applejack chose to ignore the mention of supposed towns called Right and Left. “So your river dried up? I noticed an old barren farm on the way here, you all still doing good for food?” She asked, honestly wondering how they were farming okay out here. “Farms are to the east. The ones still producing at least. We get plenty of ground water and the random storms give us a good shower every now and then, you probably saw the one just earlier. River was more what kept travelers coming here, we do fine without it even though we can’t really expand or anything anymore. Folks are fine with that though. Cross Way is a quiet, peaceful town.” Clod suddenly grimaced, something Applejack noticed and frowned at. “Most of the time at least. But you can talk with the mayor or his son about that. We’re almost there.” Applejack looked ahead to the end of the street, a large building taking up most of her view. It looked more like a mansion or hotel than Ponyville’s town hall. Three stories tall with large columns holding up each floor and two big oaken doors that went up almost the whole height of the building for the entrance. Forget mansion, doors that big are like what you’d see on a castle. The street split off to the right and left before the town hall, looking at how they curved Applejack figured they probably went all the way around and came back to the center of the town. “So you can find the mayor in there.” Clod started up again as they got close to the building. “He won’t be busy, pretty much a ceremonial position you know? His son and daughter will probably be in there to help too. The mayor’s a bit gruff just to tell you, actually from out of town too, fell in love with a mare here and decided to settle down.” “The accent gives away that he’s from out of town anyways.” The other guard said. “Yeah.” Clod nodded. “If you can’t understand him don’t be afraid to ask his kids.” “Uh, thanks for the heads up.” Applejack just went along with them. “I think I’ll be fine though, I’ve met ponies and other creatures from all over.” “It’s more like he just randomly chooses to leave out words when talking than a real accent.” The guard whose name still eluded Applejack elaborated. Puzzled a bit, Applejack just scratched her head. “Anyways just go on through the doors.” Clod said, stopping right where the street stops in this direction before the grounds of the town hall. “Was nice meeting you but we should probably get back to where we were, as incredibly unlikely as it is that anything else will come through there today. Or even the rest of the year.” He spat onto the ground. “Pleasure.” His guard buddy said and nodded to Applejack as he went walking back the way they came. Clod following behind him. “Yeah, was a pleasure meeting you fellows as well. Thanks for helping me out.” Applejack waved goodbye to them for a bit before turning to the big doors in front of her. Grasping one of the handles with her hoof she pulled the door open, it went surprisingly easy considering its size. Entering the building it was just as she suspected from the outside with a large atrium taking up the space right before her, a hallway to either side of her going to the right and left wings of the building, looking up she spotted what was at one time probably a fancy chandelier but was now missing most of its lights and crystals. A red-carpeted spiral staircase centered in the back wall of the atrium went up to the second and third floors with two hallways on the sides of it that Applejack figured went to the rooms in the back half of the first floor. There was no secretary or desk before her and she didn’t see any signs pointing her to where the mayor might be. Shrugging, she took a gamble and just went down the hallway to her left, hoping she’d come across somepony at least. Well it wasn’t long before she made it to the first room over, some kind of side lobby, and spotted two new ponies. One was a grey earth pony stallion with a bushy brown mane sleeping in a chair, the other a yellow unicorn mare with a raspberry red mane sitting behind a desk filing her hooves. Applejack had to do a double take at her after noticing how much make-up she had covering her face. Even Rarity would think that was garish. Neither of them noticed her walk into the room. “Uh, hello? The mayor around?” She asked, awkwardly. The mare perked up in shock instantly. Eyes going wide as she saw Applejack. Instead of replying herself she quickly grabbed a pencil holder that was on her desk and threw it at the stallion. It hit him in the side, causing him to flail around a bit before falling to the floor, making Applejack wince. “Whuzzat? I’m up! I’m up!” He said frantically as he jumped to his hooves, looking around at what could’ve disturbed him before finally noticing the mare pointing with a scared looking face at Applejack. Applejack, to put it simply, was flabbergasted. What in the hay was going on here? “O-Oh!” The stallion brightened up as he began to fully grasp the situation. “A visitor, why hello! My name is Sturdy Wheel. Pardon me for asking but I don’t recognize you, are you from out of town miss-?” “Applejack, and yeah I am.” She replied, reaching a hoof forward for him to shake. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the mare hunkering beneath her desk, eyes the only thing visible as she watched the two of them. “Wow, that’s unusual for Cross Way.” He said smiling and shaking her hoof. She noticed his cutie mark was a wagon wheel with speed lines around it, giving it the illusion of motion. Applejack was pleased to get such a warm welcome, even if it was only from half the ponies in the room. “Are you the mayor?” She asked him. “Oh no, no. I’m his son, and that.” He said pointing to the mare hiding behind her desk. “Is his daughter, my sister Fruit Basket.” Applejack waved to Fruit Basket, who nervously waved back. “Uhh, she talk at all?” Applejack wondered. It was strange to her that they’d have such a shy mare, one who wouldn’t even talk to strangers, at their town hall. “No, no she does not. But she’s nice when you get to know her.” And then leaning in to whisper into Applejack’s ear. “No one has the heart to tell her about the make-up.” Applejack also felt it was better to not mention that she had thrown a pencil holder at him to wake him up. “Here, I’ll tell dad you’re here.” Wheel said as he walked them to a door at the back of the room with another door flanking it, Fruit Basket’s eyes followed Applejack the whole way. “This is my dads office, the other door is a restroom. Can I ask why you came to town hall in the first place?” “Well I was just kind of brought here by two of your guards. Really for tonight I just want a nice place to rest and some food, maybe some directions later.” Applejack responded. “Of course.” Wheel nodded along to her. He then raised one of his hooves and began knocking heavily on the door to his fathers office. “Dad! Unlock the door!” “Quiet! Busy!” A deep voice yelled from within. “No you’re not!” Wheel scowled. “We have a visitor, you should meet her.” “Too late, tell to come back tomorrow!” He talks like a Yak. Applejack thought to herself. Real set of lungs on him too. Wheel just groaned and hung his head in shame, walking away from his father’s office with her. “Look, I’m really sorry about that. Dad’s not a bad pony or anything but he doesn’t like things off-schedule. And don’t talk about this in front of him or anything either but he’s not really officially the mayor or anything. He just started calling himself that and no one really cared enough to do anything about it. Ponies mostly get by on their own in this town, or come to me.” Applejack took all this in tiredly. She wanted to comment on all this silliness but not nearly as much as she just wanted some food and rest. “That’s all fine, you’ve been more than kind tonight, Sturdy Wheel, no need to go apologizing.” Applejack clapped him on the back. “I could really go for some dinner now but uh, I don’t really have any way to pay.” Wheel simply shook his head, smiling. “Oh please, you don’t need to worry about that at all. A visitor from out of town? Haven’t had one in years, we’d be remiss if we didn’t show you just how hospitable we can be!” “Well shucks, I really do owe you one for that. I’ve heard you have farms out east? What kind of crops you produce?” “It’s mostly corn, we have a small orchard of cherry trees too, strawberry bushes, carrots...” He started listing off, trying to remember all the various fruits and vegetables that were grown out there. Applejack smiled at hearing they had such a variety. “Shoot, you must have some apples too then right?” Suddenly Sturdy Wheel stopped, turning to her with a raised eyebrow. “Huh? Apples? What are apples?” It was like the world collapsed out from under her. She couldn’t believe what she just heard. She felt like her very existence was at stake, wondering if this is how Pinkie Pie would feel if she was told she could never throw a party again, or if Fluttershy found herself in some foreign country where there weren’t any animals, or if Rainbow Dash couldn’t fly. It didn’t matter that there was plenty of other food. How could they not have apples? How could they not even know what apples were? She jokingly wondered earlier if she was even in Equestria anymore, but now she wondered if she was even on the same planet? Was this all a cruel joke? No apples… what was going on? Applejack didn’t even realize her jaw falling open and staying there in slack shock. Her pupils constricting to pinpricks. Her knees turning to jelly. “Uh? Hey?” Wheel said as he waved his hoof in front of her face, looking over to Fruit Basket who just shrugged her shoulders in confusion. “You alright?” That finally snapped her out of her funk. Applejack came back to the real world, vigorously shaking her head back and forth. “Y-Yeah… I’m doing alright. Just dealing with something I never expected.” Applejack said, with a cold sweat breaking out over her body. “I mean, you really don’t know what apples are? It’s in my name, Applejack! And look-” She said pointing to her cutie mark. “These are apples! I farm them! My whole family grows and farms them!” She spoke with exasperation, eyes darting between Wheel and Fruit Basket. The siblings just looked at each other and shrugged. “Sorry.” Wheel said. “But look, we should really get you some food and then I can show you to one of the spare rooms we have here. Half of this building was built as a hotel.” He reached a hoof around her shoulder and led her out the lobby. “Yeah, thanks.” Applejack rubbed her face and went along with him. Lying in her temporary bed that evening, stomach full for the first time in a while, Applejack restlessly stared up at the ceiling. She didn’t know where exactly she was but she knew that a place without apples, without even the knowledge of apples, wasn’t a place she wanted to be for long. Her hope of being able to sate her hunger with a perfect crisp apple was dashed. But if she was lucky somepony would be able to point her in the right direction to Ponyville tomorrow. She decided to finally try and get some real sleep and closed her eyes. Only to open them about a second later Wait a sec, I haven’t been lucky this whole trip.