At Sweet Apple Acres a currently hatless Applejack was practicing her rodeo routine in preparation for an upcoming competition in Canterlot. She knew she would need to step up her game, because the rodeo competition being held in Canterlot was guaranteed to attract the best of the best. A title that Applejack was thoroughly convinced she belonged to.
But she knew that complacency was the worst enemy of any athlete. So the farm mare was practicing every day she could before the rodeo, determined to get her routine down to memory and polished to perfection. The only pony she had for a test audience was Apple Bloom (who held and more often than than not wore her big sister's hat), who loved to watch her sister strut her stuff.
So Applejack was at it yet again on the day before the rodeo, trying to get in what practice she still could in order to make sure she was as ready as possible. Her whole routine worked well, aside from lightly bumping against a wooden fence during a jump.
Apple Bloom happily cheered the whole time, even as her sister's stentson fell off her head since it was too big for her. "Applejack, you're sure to knock everypony's hat off at the Equestria Rodeo competition in Canterlot tomorrow!"
Applejack picked up her dropped hat and put it back on her head. While she had many hats like it, she still didn't like to get them dirty. And the one she liked to wear most often as a good luck charm, was a gift from her dad. It was one of the only things she had to remember him by. "Aw shucks, Apple Bloom. I sure hope so. But you know, don't wanna get my hopes up."
Apple Bloom could only reply. "Hope so? Don't be so modest, I know so! After all, you're the ten-time rodeo champeen of Ponyville, I'd like to see anypony else try to top that! Why, you've got more blue ribbons than anypony in Ponyville ever!" She gestured a hoof to a nearby wall that displayed several blue ribbons from prior rodeos. "And I can't wait for my big sis to win every blue ribbon in Equestria and bring home the title of Equestria Rodeo champeen! Once you win in Canterlot, there's nothin' stoppin' ya from goin' on to conquer every rodeo in the Equestria Rodeo circuit!"
Applejack could only blush. It had been a dream of hers to be a rodeo champion, and being invited to the one in Canterlot was a big step towards making that dream a reality. What she couldn't have known was that this dream was going to turn into a nightmare. And not just for herself but for her friends as well.
Later that day, all of Ponyville gathered at the town hall to send Applejack off in anticipation of what they expected would be a surefire victory for her.
Rainbow Dash was currently hanging a banner high above, which depicted Applejack's likeness. But just after she'd move it into place she had to duck out of the way of an unexpected lightning bolt! She groaned, realizing where (or rather who) it was coming from. She tried her best not to sound too upset. "Now, careful, Derpy," She spoke to the pegasus noted particularly for her wall eyed condition and somewhat accident prone nature. "You don't wanna do any more damage than you've already done, right?" She gestured a hoof to the town hall proper, which had been damaged earlier by lightning bolts from Derpy's cloud (accidentally, of course).
Derpy shook her head while bouncing up and down on the thunder cloud. "I just don't know what wrong." She innocently remarked, before she missed a step and was given a rather nasty electrical shock from the cloud.
Rainbow could only mutter under her breath. "Yeah, it's a real mystery." She muttered to herself. If not for the fact that nopony else would volunteer on such short notice, she would've gotten somepony less... clumsy. Oh, she knew Derpy meant well, but unfortunately the wall eyed mare's reputation preeceded her (she wasn't as bad when it came to delivering mail though).
Derpy flew down from her cloud to inspect the banner. "Nice work, Rainbow Dash," She commented, before her rump accidentally bumped into a beam and knocked it loose. "Whoops!" Was all she could bring herself to say.
Rainbow quickly swooped down to try and catch the beam, but even with her incredible strength she couldn't really stop it from crashing through one of the floors.
Derpy was at the scene of disaster in a second. "Uh-oh," She commented and peered down into the hole the beam had made. "You okay down there, Rainbow Dash? Anything I can do to help?"
Having lost what patience she had, Rainbow flew up and shouted! "No, nothing! Please, in the name of Celestia, Derpy! Just sit there and do nothing! Okay?!"
"Okay," Derpy replied and sat right down on the spot. Unfortunately, the already weakened floor gave way underneath her, and in a frantic attempt to avoid falling through she grabbed the first thing her hooves could reach. All she ended up doing though, was pulling Rainbow Dash down with her. "Oops! My bad!" She sincerely apologized.
Fortunately, it seemed like no one in the gathered crowd below had noticed what was going on. They were all too busy stomping their hooves on the ground and chanting "Applejack!" over and over again.
Mayor Mare smiled as she spoke to the crowd. "Everypony, can I get your attention? Attention please!" The crowd fell into a hush almost on cue. "I know you're all excited, I am too. We are all here to send Applejack to compete in this year's Equestria Rodeo competition in Canterlot. I know she'll do us proud."
The crowd cheered again, and Mayor Mare let the cheers ring out for a bit before hushing the crowd once more. "And I want to personally thank Applejack in advance for generously offering up her prize money to fix town hall. Far better than having to dip into the emergency fund, wouldn't you all agree?"
Several ponies nodded, and Derpy cheered louder than anypony else. "Yeah, way to go, Applejack! Whoo-hoo!" She fell through the floor a moment later, thankfully unharmed. "I'm alright! I meant to do that!" She insisted, hoping nopony would see her blush. Even she could get embarrassed by her clumsy nature from time to time.
Meanwhile, down below, Pinkie Pie shouted out from the crowd! "Speech! Speech! I wanna hear a speech!"
Applejack modestly replied. "Oh, shucks. I'm not really much for speeches."
Pinkie happily obliged. "Okay then, no speech. I'll go!"
"But," Applejack went on, causing Pinkie to pause right in her tracks. "This here is the nicest send off anypony could ask for. Why, y'all have been cheerin' me on in every rodeo since I was but a little pony. So it seems only fittin' to use my winnin''s to fix up town hall as good as new. Reckon there'll be plenty left over for me when the repairs are done."
A short time later, all gathered at the train station to see Applejack off. The rodeo was slated to begin in less than half a day now.
"Now, Applejack, don't you worry 'bout me. I can hold down the farm just fine until you get back," Granny Smith told her granddaughter. "So no excuses, I want you to show all them highfalutin rodeo ponies what a real rodeo pony's like! Show 'em Ponyville's not to be taken lightly."
"With pleasure, Granny Smith." Applejack nodded.
Mayor Mare came trotting up at that very moment, shoving Granny Smith aside. "And bring back all that money! Ponyville's counting on you!"
Applejack nodded further. "I know, Mayor Mare. You don't need to remind me."
Pinkie Pie then added. "And have fun, that's most important. Oh, and don't be nervous. Or if you are, use all that nervous energy to do even better than you already would! And eat peanuts and popcorn and taffy. Taffy gives you lots of nervous energy!" She proceeded to munch on a bag of the sugary snacks that she had somehow obtained without anyone noticing.
Twilight seemed to prefer a more simple approach. "Applejack, just do your best. Win or lose, I'm sure you'll have a ton of fun."
"I'll do better than my best, Twilight! You'll see!" Applejack boasted. "You sure you don't wanna come to Canterlot with me to cheer me on? It'd mean a lot to have my friends by my side."
Twilight shook her head. "We're needed to plan the welcome home party when you get back. Pinkie Pie insisted. Though if you should happen to see my parents while you're at the rodeo, tell them I said hello."
Just then the conductor called out! "Last call for the express to Canterlot! All passengers please board now!"
So Applejack climbed aboard and waved to her friends as the train began to pull out of the station with a whistle and a puff of steam.
"See ya in a week, AJ!" Rainbow was the first to call out.
"With lots of new, shiny blue ribbons!" Apple Bloom added.
"And don't forget all that money!" Mayor Mare chimed in with a smile that seemed a bit too big to be as sincere as she wanted it to be.
"And make sure to drink plenty of sarsaparilla!" Pinkie suggested, which caused several ponies on the platform to look at the pink party pony with rather odd looks. "What?" She retorted. "It gives you extra sass. Says so on the bottle."
The week passed rather quickly, soon it was the day when Applejack was slated to come back home to Ponyville with her ribbons and her winnings.
All of her closest friends were currently hard at work in the barn on Sweet Apple Acres, setting up the surprise welcome party that really wasn't that much of a surprise. But Pinkie was still insistent on throwing it anyway, because a surprise party was a surprise party regardless of the circumstances. And after what had went down at the last surprise party, her friends all agreed it was probably best to let her throw the next one.
But no sooner had they finished hanging up the banner in the barn than did Granny Smith enter with a rather pronounced frown upon her face. She had in her hooves what appeared to be a small letter of some kind. "Everypony, I hate to burst your bubble, but Applejack's not comin' back."
The news set off of a chorus of gasps from all gathered, and some even began to whisper to themselves about it! Apple Bloom frantically demanded. "What do you mean she's not comin' back, Granny? Somethin' happen to her?"
Granny Smith shook her head. "It ain't anythin' like that. She sent a note here this mornin', but it's rather short. All it says is that she ain't comin' back to Ponyville just yet. She also says not to worry, she'll send the money soon."
"And?" Apple Bloom questioned.
Granny Smith's lip quivered, as if she knew more than she was letting on. But the elderly mare answered. "I'm sorry, she sent another letter the day before tellin' me everythin'. But she also said that if I let her not come home, I'd have to promise not to tell any of y'all why. She just wanted to make sure everypony here got the news, the mayor included. That way she won't come here, breathin' down our necks about the money."
"I can't believe it! That's not like Applejack at all!" Rainbow Dash stubbornly declared! "Ponyville's her home! She must have a reason why she isn't coming back."
"Maybe she was kidnapped?" Fluttershy wondered aloud.
"Or maybe she got sick or hurt at the rodeo?" Rarity pondered. "She did work herself to the bone apple bucking once. And you know how stubborn she can get."
"Well I can tell you this much," Granny Smith told the five mares. "She was fit as a fiddle when she sent the letters, so she's just fine and dandy."
Immediately, Twilight made up her mind. "Well whatever her reason is, it's silly that she couldn't come back to Ponyville and tell us personally! Something must've happened to make her not wanna come back, and we're going to find out what it is!" She looked at Granny Smith and inquired. "Did she say where she was going after the rodeo? Is she still in Canterlot?"
Granny Smith shook her head again. "She ain't in Canterlot, she left town as soon as the rodeo packed up," She squinted at the letter. "My eyesight ain't what it used to be, but I know I can make out the words 'Dodge Junction'. Don't know if she'll still be there by the time you can take a train out there, though."
"It's as good a place as any to start!" Twilight declared. "We'll go out there, find Applejack, and bring her home no matter what it takes!"
"But what about Spike?" Apple Bloom pointed out. "Ain't you gonna take him with you?"
Twilight shook her head. "Dodge Junction is pretty far away. I know he'll be worried, but it's best if he stays behind where I know it's safe. Hopefully, I won't be gone for long," Then she added. "You can tell him that he's welcome to stay here at Sweet Apple Acres for however long I'm away. A sleepover if you will."
"Got it, Twilight! I'll tell him the news right away!" Apple Bloom saluted and then ran off to do just that.
"Okay, everypony, let's go!" Twilight motioned to her friends. "Dodge Junction, here we come!" And the five mares rushed away as fast as their hooves would let them.
Granny Smith watched Applejack's friends disappear into the distance as she commented to herself. "Our little bushel just lost one apple." She then wiped a tear from her eyes.
The mares booked the first train they could to Dodge Junction, but it was a very long trip to get there since it was far beyond the reaches of any established city or town in Equestria, even Appleloosa was more populated than it.
As the train neared its destination, the five mares conversed with each other in the train car about their hopes and worries about the trip they were making (except for Pinkie who was currently facing a different problem).
"I hope this isn't a wild goose chase or anything," Rainbow Dash commented with concern. "I'd hate to get here and find out she's already gone somewhere else. Especially after we promised to bring her back."
"I just hope she's in a mood to talk to us so we can get some answers," Fluttershy commented back. "I don't know how we'd break it to the Apple family if we failed."
"I don't know how we'll break it to Ponyville if that happens!" Twilight remarked in a worried tone of voice.
And Pinkie Pie blurted out. "I don't know how I'll make it to the next stop! I knew I shouldn't have drank all that sarsaparilla!"
Just then, Twilight happened to look out the window and spotted a rather small train station. "Well, this is it, girls. This is Dodge Junction. Applejack came here after the rodeo, so let's fan out and look for her," She declared as they all exited the train car, only for Pinkie to zip past them all. "After Pinkie takes care of personal matters," And she told her pink coated friend. "Make it quick, Pinkie."
"I'm trying to!" Pinkie shouted back as she rushed to the nearest bathroom, in this case a small outhouse not far from the train station. She was wobbling back and forth on her back legs and had broken out in a nervous sweat. "Oh, pickles!" She exclaimed upon realizing the outhouse was currently occupied. "Hurryhurryhurryhurryhurry! Hurry it up in there! I really gotta go!" She pleaded while knocking on the door.
Soon there came the sound of a flush, and the outhouse door swung open as its occupant exited. "Alright, alright, I'm done," An earth pony with a familiar orange coat grumbled. "Some ponies. Sheesh."
The pink party pony was momentarily too distracted by her bathroom emergency to realize who had just crossed her path. But when the realization struck her she shouted at the top of her lungs! "Applejack!" And she started bouncing up and down while telling her friends. "I found her, I found her, I found her, I found her, I found her!" Sure enough, Applejack was not far from the train station and looking just as fine as she had upon leaving for Canterlot.
"Oh, Applejack, thank goodness." Rarity exclaimed in relief.
"We're so glad you're okay, we thought something awful happened to you." Fluttershy added.
Pinkie kept bouncing up and down in joy. "I found her, I found her, I found her, I found her!" Then she remembered what she had previously forgotten when she had found Applejack, and crossed her legs as she blushed. "Be right back!" She zipped away to the outhouse and shut the door behind her.
Applejack tried to put on the best smile she could under the circumstances. "I can't believe they came all the way out here. They weren't supposed to. They can't know why I'm here, nopony but Granny Smith can!" She thought to herself and began to think of how to shoo her friends away before they could get a confession out of her. "Hey, everypony, good to see you again. Let me guess, Granny Smith told you about the letter I sent."
Rainbow nodded and immediately got up in Applejack's face. "She sure did! Now spill it, we want an answer! Why didn't you come back to Ponyville after the rodeo?!"
"Yes," Rarity added in a more delicate tone. "Why are you here of all places? Why not some place like Appleloosa or Manehattan where you have relatives?"
At that moment, Pinkie emerged from the outhouse, having taken care of her earlier need from drinking so much sarsaparilla. "What they said," She commented and then asked. "Hey, do you have any snacks? I'm starving."
"I don't have any snacks, and it ain't your business to know why I'm here. I don't recall askin' for you to form a search party," Applejack bluntly replied. "As you can see I'm just fine."
Twilight refused to take no for an answer. "Applejack, please. We didn't come here to be told no. It's not like to you just abandon Ponyville for no reason. All we want to know is why you're not coming back," She proceeded to plead. "Please, we need an answer. Tell us what happened. Maybe we can help."
Before the farm mare had a chance to answer, an unfamiliar voice (except to Applejack who knew to whom the voice belonged) called out. "Applejack? Are these some of your Ponyville friends you were tellin' me about?" Everypony spun around to face an earth pony mare with a very pale yellow coat. Her eyes were a light pistachio green in color with pale, light grayish crimson eyeshade underneath them (almost cherry like in color, you might say), and her mane and tail were two shades of moderate crimson done up in swirls. Most telling of all, though, was her cutie mark depicting two cherries with a leaf on top, a pink scarf, and a yellow hair band with cherries all over it.
"We are." Twilight answered the mare.
"And who are you?" Rarity questioned the unfamiliar mare in their midst.
The earth pony happily replied. "Why, I'm Cherry Jubilee, boss of Cherry Hill Ranch here in Dodge Junction. Hasn't Applejack told ya yet? I saw her compete at the Equestria Rodeo. Never saw anypony win so many ribbons in all my life. Not bad for an up and comin' rodeo star."
Applejack quickly responded. "Aw shucks, Miss Jubilee. You don't have to go into all that. Really." Though the way she played it off sounded unusually suspicious, as if she had another reason to keep talk about her time at the rodeo a secret.
Cherry Jubilee, undeterred, kept on talking. "Oh, she's so modest. That's just what I like about her. And I could always use a pony with quick hooves and a strong back for my orchard. So, when I heard Applejack here was lookin' for a change of scenery, why I snapped her up as quick as I could and brought her to Dodge Junction," She then told her new employee. "Well, I reckon I'll let you catch up with your friends. See you back at the ranch, Applejack." And off she trotted.
Immediately after Cherry Jubilee's departure, Applejack's friends began to press on her again. Rainbow Dash being the first to lodge a question. "'Change of scenery', huh? That doesn't seem like you at all, AJ. Maybe you're an imposter, tell us where the real Applejack is and how we can find her!"
Applejack swatted Rainbow's hoof away. "It's me, sugarcubes. And it's no big deal what I meant about 'Change of scenery' it is what it sounds like. I didn't feel like comin' back to Ponyville just yet, so I decided to come here for a while. Surely, you can relate. Every now and then you get that itch to try somethin' new. Me, I thought cherries would be a nice change from apples, so I took the job and came here. And that's it. End of story."
Pinkie snorted. "That's it? Well, that's a terrible story! Where's the happy ending? What's that supposed to mean for all of us? We came all the way out here for you!"
"Well that's too bad, but I don't recall askin' any of you to come lookin' for me now did I?" The farm mare stubbornly retorted as she turned her back to her friends. "I'll come back to Ponyville when I'm darn good and ready, and you can tell that to Granny Smith, Mayor Mare, and anypony else who wants to know!"
"But Applejack-" Twilight began.
"-But nothin'," Applejack retorted with a huff and a swish of her tail. "It's nice of you to be concerned, but as you can see I'm just fine. So go back to Ponyville, there's nothin' to see here. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta get back to work at the orchard." She trotted away before any of her friends could say anything else in protest.
Twilight sighed as she put a hoof to her forehead. "It's just like that apple bucking season when she was trying to prove a point. But I don't care what she says, there's gotta be more to it than just a change of scenery. Applejack's not telling us the whole truth."
Rainbow boldly declared. "You're right, Twilight. Something's gotta be up, and we're going to find out what it is! We've got to make Applejack spill the beans."
The mention of beans caused Pinkie to complain. "Wait, Applejack has beans?" And then she groaned. "I told her I was snacky! It's like she doesn't wanna listen to us at all." No one bothered to correct her.
A short time later, Applejack was trotting into a small sorting room with a conveyor belt powered by a giant wheel that one had to run on.
Cherry Jubilee smiled. "Hope you enjoyed your work break. You remembered to wash your hooves before coming back, right?"
Applejack nodded. "I sure did. And I'm ready to put my back into it, Miss Jubilee."
"So modest, I keep tellin' ya you don't have to call me that," Cherry Jubilee insisted. "Anyway, I hope you don't mind but I brought in a few more workers," She turned to the door. "Come on in, girls!"
The farm mare was anything but pleased to see her friends from Ponyville come trotting in, each wearing a white hat similar to her own. "What in tarnation are y'all doin' here? You here to try and ring a confession out of me?"
Twilight shook her head. "We're the new cherry sorters, Applejack," And then she asked. "Shall we get started?"
Cherry Jubilee, suspecting nothing, nodded. "Go right ahead. It's not complicated at all. Red cherries go in one bin, and yellow cherries go in the other. Simple as cherry pie. Oh, just one teensy thing to remember, girls, have fun!" She trotted away a moment later, leaving Applejack alone with her friends.
Applejack suspected that her friends had an alterior motive behind their decision to come here on short notice. "What are you five up to? I don't buy for one second you're suddenly so interested in cherries."
"Whyever not, darling?" Rarity innocently replied. "You made working on a cherry orchard sound..." She paused for a moment as if trying to think of what to say next, before she settled on. "So delightful."
"Uh-huh," A skeptical Applejack replied as her eyebrow arched upward ever so slightly. "Well, just remember: no talkin' about Ponyville under any circumstances."
Rainbow snapped back. "Fine! Now why don't you quit talking and get walking? We don't have all day."
Applejack did so, the gear turning ever so slowly as the conveyor belt brought red and yellow cherries forward to be sorted. It wasn't too difficult though, the belt moved very slowly and it was easy to sort the cherries into their proper bins. So naturally, once given the go ahead from Rarity, Twilight glanced over at Applejack and asked the earth pony. "So, AJ, how was Canterlot?" When her friend shot her a suspicious look Twilight quickly deflected. "Not talking about Ponyville, talking about Canterlot, totally different town. That's not a problem, is it?"
"Nope, you can talk about Canterlot to me all you want. It was fine," Applejack vaguely answered. "Didn't see your folks, though. Sorry about that."
"Eh, it was a long shot anyways. Rodeos aren't their thing," Twilight commented and then asked. "Speaking of the rodeo, how was it? Was it fun?"
"Yes." Applejack vaguely answered again.
Twilight pressed further. "Did you meet some nice ponies there? You know, besides Cherry Jubilee of course."
Yet again, Applejack only vaguely answered. "Met some."
Rainbow Dash came over, trying to get more answers. "Really? Well, did you see Wild Bull Hickok there? And what about Calamity Mane?"
"Yes, I saw 'em both, briefly." Applejack kept up her habit of vague answers, so far it seemed like nothing was going to get her open up.
Rarity left the sorting line and started talking to Applejack, leaving Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy to manage the cherry sorting on their own. "How exactly did you meet Miss Jubilee?"
That question seemed to get the earth pony flustered a bit, because she began to trot faster on the wheel. "Um, well, Miss Jubilee had a cherry stand at the rodeo. Real good treats, probably some of the best I ever had."
As Applejack went on talking the cherries started to come down the conveyor belt at a much faster pace. Too fast for only two ponies to keep up. "Um, excuse me? A little help here, please?" Fluttershy commented only for her plea to be ignored.
Applejack went on answering. "They were cherry themed, but I didn't mind. Cherry winks, cherry cheesecake, cherry tarts. So we struck up a conversation, bein' orchard folk and all that. Wasn't long before I learned about Dodge Junction."
Sensing an opening, Twilight pressed further. "So, you told her about Sweet Apple Acres, right?"
"I did." Applejack replied while refusing to say more.
Rainbow Dash took over on the pressing detail. "Did you tell her why you weren't going back to Ponyville? Why you weren't going back to your family and friends?"
"Of course not, 'cause it was none of her business!" Applejack angrily replied. "And neither is it any of yours! I sent that there telegram for a reason!" Now she was starting to run on the wheel, making it move much faster and making it harder for both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie to keep up!
"Ooh... Can you please slow down? Just a little?" Fluttershy pleaded as Pinkie Pie started trying to stuff cherries into her hat since it was getting too difficult to sort them!
But everyone else was too busy arguing to pay any attention to the chaos unfolding at the sorting station. Applejack's friends were certain they were close to an answer, and with just a little bit more pressing they hoped to get at it. "Come on, is it seriously because I made it rain on you that one time?" Rainbow complained. "I said I was sorry."
"No, it has nothin' to do with that! Stop lookin' for an answer where there ain't one!" Applejack complained and started to run faster!
The cherries on the belt were now moving so fast that sorting them was impossible! Pinkie was resorting to trying to stuff her mouth full of cherries to keep them from falling off the conveyor belt! Fluttershy frantically pleaded to the others! "Help! Somepony! This is a nightmare!" But there was no reply.
Twilight questioned her farm friend. "Is it because you were insulted when I gave you that book on organized orchards? I meant it as a gift, you know."
"No, that ain't it either! Now let me be!" Applejack demanded as she was running at full speed!
Rarity sighed as she asked. "Or is it because you were insulted when I insulted your mane once?"
Her frustration boiling over, Applejack snapped and shouted at the top of her lungs! " No, no, NO! You're all wrong, and I'm not tellin' you why, so please just–"
"STOP!" Fluttershy shouted in desperation as all eyes finally turned to the situation they had left their friends in!
Applejack immediately stopped her running, which made the wheel screech to a halt. But doing this caused the cherries to shoot off the conveyor belt at high speeds and splat everywhere! The whole sorting room was a mess.
A rather annoyed Applejack let out a deep sigh and snorted. "Now look what you've done," Getting off the gear she added. "If you need me, I'll be out in the orchard pickin' cherries. And stop tryin' to ask questions you ain't gonna get answers for. You understand?"
Nopony responded to the initial comment, as the rest of the group were too busy focusing on cleaning up the mess they'd caused. But a distraught Twilight couldn't help but lament to her friends. "Well, girls, we seem to be striking out left and right today."
"That's 'cause we're playing way too nice!" Rainbow retorted with a snort. "If Applejack won't tell us, we'll have to make her tell us."
"Yes, darling, you have a point," Rarity commented. "Desperate times do call for desperate measures, after all."
Rainbow Dash nodded. "You know what that means. It's time to call in the big guns." And all eyes turned to Pinkie as she was licking up some of the splattered cherries.
Pinkie Pie caught up with Applejack in the cherry orchard a short time later. "Hey ya, Applejack! The girls thought you could use some help, and I got volunteered," She said with an innocent smile upon her face. "So, need any help?"
"Maybe a little," Applejack replied and then warned. "But you promise not to ask any questions?"
Pinkie nodded. "I promise," But it wasn't long before she would break that promise, because shaking down the trees to harvest the cherries was quite boring to her. "Have you ever had a cherrychanga?" She asked her friend, before realizing her mistake. "Ooh! Sorry, that was a question. Couldn't help myself."
Surprisingly, Applejack didn't seem to mind. "That's alright, it was pretty silly of me to make that kind of request. And to answer your question: No, I don't believe I've ever had a cherrychanga, whatever that is." Her left eye twitched ever so slightly upon saying that.
The pink party pony just giggled. "Well of course you haven't, because I made it up myself!" She explained in great detail. "You see: A cherrychanga is mashed up cherries in a tortilla that's then deep fried. A cherrychanga. Great name, huh? I came up with it myself," Then she pondered. "Although, come to think of it, maybe I should call it a chimicherry. Ooh, that's good too. Help me out, Applejack. Which do you think sounds better? Cherrychanga or chimicherry?"
"Uh..." Applejack began, only to be cut off before she could answer.
"Ooh, better yet, what if I combined them?!" Pinkie happily declared. "A chimicherrychanga! What sounds the funniest?" She began to trail off, talking about how she used to work in a kumquat orchard just so she could say the word all day long, and how she thought pickle barrel was such a funny word.
The constant chatter was too much for Applejack, she could only take so much! The earth pony broke down as her pink coated friend kept on blabbering away! "Gah! Please, make it stop! I'll do anythin'! Anythin', I tell ya!"
Rainbow Dash and the rest of Applejack's friends showed up a few seconds later, all wearing ear plugs as Rainbow put a hoof around Pinkie's mouth to muffle her voice. "The only way to make it stop is for you to spill the beans, AJ! So spill 'em!" Rainbow demanded of her friend and on again, off again rival.
"Never! I'll never tell you!" Applejack stubbornly insisted. But she relented before long when Pinkie's blabber mouth was unleashed upon her once again. "A-alright, alright! You win! I'll confess! But..." She looked up to the sky and seemed to get an idea. "Uh, can't it wait until mornin'? Like say, tomorrow at breakfast? It's been a long day and I'm feelin' plum tuckered out."
"Tomorrow at breakfast, huh?" Rainbow pondered. "I don't know, that sounds like an excuse."
Pinkie Pie spoke up. "Do you 'Pinkie Promise', Applejack? You know a 'Pinkie Promise' is never broken."
Applejack nodded her head. "If it'll get you off my back, fine. I will tell you the whole truth at breakfast. I 'Pinkie Promise'."
"Okie dokie lokie, breakfast it is. See you then." Pinkie replied with a content smile.
Sure enough, Applejack was there at breakfast the following morning even when her friends had half expected her to leave the night before. Breakfast itself consisted of little more than oatmeal and some pancakes, along with juice.
"Alright, Applejack, you promised to tell the truth!" Rainbow Dash spoke up, dispelling the awkward silence around the breakfast table. "You're not getting out of this! Tell us what we wanna know."
"We really don't like to pry, but we wanna know why you'd abandon Ponyville all of a sudden. It's not like you." Fluttershy commented.
"Abandoned?! I don't know where in the world you go gettin' such a ridiculous idea!" Applejack protested as she slammed a hoof down on the table! "That telegram I sent to Granny Smith was quite clear. I knew I had at least to get her okay before I could even think of doin' any of this."
Twilight then demanded. "And why did you decide to ask in a telegram instead of coming back to Ponyville to ask in pony? You're perfectly healthy, nopony's holding you prisoner, and it seems like you did just fine at the rodeo. Applejack, you haven't been telling us the whole truth. Why is that?"
"None of your darn business, that's why!" Applejack protested again as she blew steam from her nostrils. "Look, it means a lot to me that you'd come all the way out to Dodge Junction just to check up on me. But this is only a temporary arrangement that doesn't concern any of you. I'm only stayin' here until I make enough money to send back home, that's all." A gasp promptly escaped the earth pony's lips upon realizing what she'd just unintentionally confessed to.
Rarity's ears perked up. "What was that about money?! I thought you had more than enough from the rodeo."
Instead of explaining or changing the subject, Applejack rose from the breakfast table and stormed off. "Forget it, this conversation is over. I can't tell y'all the reasons why I'm doin' what I'm doin'. Everythin' would've been just fine if you hadn't come here!" She left the room while her friends were still in a state of shock.
But Pinkie Pie quickly recovered from it upon realizing that Applejack had not only not told the whole truth, but also hadn't eaten breakfast. In other words, she had broken her 'Pinkie Promise'. And to the pink party pony that was an unforgivable offense! Her face turned red and steam billowed out from her nostrils as a rare, firey glare appeared in her eyes! "Nopony breaks a 'Pinkie Promise'!" She declared in an unusually low tone of voice. "Come on, girls!"
It turned out that Applejack hadn't gotten very far. She was at the train station, waiting for the first train out of Dodge Junction. She didn't care where she went so long as she could get away from her friends before they had a chance to catch up to her.
"Applejack!" The angry voice of Pinkie Pie called out from a distance! Soon the owner of said voice appeared in all her glory, and the look on her face conveyed more than words ever could how beyond angry she was. "You 'Pinkie Promised'!" She bellowed at the top of her lungs!
Applejack let out a panicked scream and ran away! "By Faust, that face is gonna haunt me in my nightmares for the rest of my life!" She thought to herself!
Pinkie growled as she saw her fellow earth pony trying to run away. "Applejack, you get back here this instant! You're not getting away! Not from me!"
Suddenly, Applejack spotted four stallions hitched to a wagon! She rushed up to them and tossed them some bits she'd kept stored under her hat as she told them. "Giddy up, fellas! I gotta get the heck out of Dodge!" The stallions were more than willing to obey considering the money they were offered.
Fortunately for her friends, while there wasn't another stagecoach available there was a cart with two harnesses that was currently not being used. So they commandeered it, putting Rainbow and Fluttershy into the harnesses as everyone else climbed into the cart itself! They promptly gave chase, hoping to catch up to the fleeing Applejack!
And they did in only a short amount of time (though they had to stop for a moment when a rabbit came into their path, and Fluttershy insisted on stopping to let it sniff the cart, before it hopped away), much to Applejack's surprise. She was even more surprised to see her friends bump the stagecoach. "Pull over!" Rainbow Dash demanded!
"Hey, y'all cut that out!" Applejack shouted at Rainbow and then told the stallions pulling the stagecoach. "I'll pay you double to outrun them." So they did.
But Twilight counter offered. "And we'll pay you triple to slow down."
Seeing the stallions obey, Applejack shouted back at them! "Ignore her! I'll pay you quadruple to leave them in the dust!" Which is just what the stallions did, showering Applejack's friends with a thick cloud of dust.
"That was so rude!" Rarity snapped in between coughing fits.
But none seemed more upset at the development than Pinkie Pie! "After her! Don't let her get away whatever you do! She's not getting out of her 'Pinkie Promise', not on my watch! And I don't even have a watch!" She barked out!
"You heard her, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash shouted to Fluttershy! "Come on, step on it!" And revving their wings, the two pegasi propelled the cart forward at lightning speed!
When the cart and the stagecoach were side by side, Pinkie took advantage of the opportunity to leap from the cart to the coach and confront Applejack. "Applejack, you broke your 'Pinkie Promise'! Apologize this instant!"
"I didn't break the promise!" Applejack shouted back at her pink coated friend. "I said I'd tell y'all the truth at breakfast, and I came to breakfast even though I didn't want to! I told you the truth!"
Pinkie wasn't convinced. "Not the whole truth, Applejack! This is just like my surprise birthday party when you couldn't tell me why I couldn't go into the barn or why you couldn't come to Gummy's after birthday party. And this time I know you're not planning a surprise party, because it's not my birthday!" She declared with a snarl. "I'm not letting you go until you tell us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you Celestia!"
The farm mare hesitated for a moment, before she looked her friend in the eyes and told her sincerely. "Look, Pinkie, I'm sorry but I can't tell ya the whole truth. I just can't!"
With a humph, Pinkie retorted in a surprisingly cold tone of voice. "Well, I heard a sorry in there so I guess that'll have to do for now. I'll get a real apology later," At that very moment, the stagecoach happened to hit a bump in the road. The momentary jolt caught Pinkie by surprise and caused her to lose her balance! She tumbled off the coach as she screamed! "Rarity, catch me!"
"What?! Pinkie?!" Rarity protested in shock, even as she tried to light up her horn. Her friend's warning unfortunately came too late for her to be able to do what she'd been asked. Pinkie crashed into Rarity, knocking them both out of the cart.
"Rainbow, go back!" Twilight shouted!
Rainbow shook her head. "No time, Twilight! Applejack will get away if we do that! We'll come back for our friends after we catch Applejack! She can't run forever!"
Meanwhile, Pinkie apologized to Rarity as the two picked cactus needles out of their manes and tails. "Sorry." She sheepishly declared, trying not to notice the harsh glare her friend was giving her.
As Applejack focused on trying to outrun her friends, her attention was drawn to what lay just up ahead. There was a railroad crossing, and as luck would have it the gates had gone down, the red lights were flashing and the bell was ringing! A train was on its way! Applejack could see it approaching just over the horizon, but a quick look back to her friends convinced her that slowing down or even stopping for the train was a sure fire way to lose the chase. An outcome she wanted to avoid at all costs.
So instead, the earth pony urged the stallions on. "Faster!" She shouted at them!
The stallions exchanged nervous looks with each other, even as they rushed to the crossing as fast as they could in hopes of beating the train. It seemed they would do anything for money.
The stagecoach broke through the gate and dashed across the tracks just seconds before the train passed over the same spot! Applejack was delighted, she was thoroughly convinced there was no way for her friends to catch up now. "Okay, boys, a deal's a deal." She offered them a huge stack of bits.
But the stallions all collectively declared. "Forget it. Lady, you're trouble." And they ran off, taking the stagecoach with them.
Applejack didn't care, she was too caught up in her certain victory. She especially delighted in seeing her friends approach the crossing as the train was still blocking the tracks. "Ha, just try and catch me now!" She shouted, only to realize too late that she had forgotten that two of her friends (and the ones pulling the cart) could fly. "Oh, nuts." Was all she could bring herself to say.
The moment the cart landed on the other side, Rainbow Dash glared at her friend. "Give it up, Applejack. You're not getting away this time!"
The farm mare reluctantly sighed and hung her head. "You just couldn't take no for an answer, could ya? Well, fine, if you really wanna know that badly!" She took off her saddle bags, throwing them onto the ground as the contents inside them spilled open. There was a huge assortment of ribbons in a variety of different colors.
"I don't get it," Twilight commented as she and her friends all eyed the ribbons that lay scattered upon the ground. "It's like Cherry Jubilee said, you won an amazing number of ribbons."
Applejack growled. "Do y'all need glasses or somethin'? Just take a closer look, you'll see there's every color of ribbon down there," She paused as the next words were slow to leave her mouth. "Every color... but... blue. I came in fourth, third, even second, but I didn't win one first prize," A sigh escaped her lips. "I thought I was hot to trot, but competin' in that rodeo competition made me realize I was just a little fish in a big pond. Didn't matter what I did, I tried my best and it wasn't enough. So you can bet I didn't win any prize money, you either come in first or you get nothin'!"
Twilight scratched her head with a hoof. "But the telegram said you were gonna send money," Realization struck her quite suddenly! "Of course, that's why you came out here, isn't it? You were going to work for Cherry Jubilee until you earned enough money to fix town hall."
The farm mare and now washed up rodeo star shamefully admitted. "Yup, I knew you'd figure it out eventually, Twilight. Had a feelin' the moment you and the girls showed up that it was only a matter of time, but I thought if I could send you away or give you the slip I could stop it. Guess I thought wrong."
"But why, Applejack? Why couldn't you come back to Ponyville to tell us this?" Fluttershy questioned. "Why make Granny Smith swear to secrecy?"
Applejack hung her head, looking down at the ground. "After that big old send off Ponyville gave me, I just didn't have the nerve to come home empty-hooved. I couldn't come home a failure."
"Applejack, you're not a failure. So what if you didn't win first place, that doesn't matter to us." Twilight reassuringly told the earth pony.
Rainbow Dash added. "Yeah! We're your friends. To us it doesn't matter if you came in fiftieth place! You're still number one in our books. And don't you dare say Apple Bloom would think you're a failure either, I think she'd be impressed knowing you got so many ribbons. Certainly a good showing for a Ponyville pony if you ask me."
"Well that's all fine and dandy, but what about the mayor?" Applejack questioned. "I promised that all my prize money was gonna go to fixin' town hall. How can I look her in the eyes and tell her I didn't get anythin'?"
Fluttershy spoke up. "Applejack, we can always find another way to fix those holes in the roof. But if you don't come back, we'll never be able to fix the hole in our hearts."
The touching statement seemed to be enough to get even Rainbow Dash to tear up, even as she tried to play it off! "Darn it all! Now you've got me acting all sappy!"
"So, you ready to come back to Ponyville now?" Twilight asked her friend. "It won't be the same without you."
Applejack nodded very slowly. "I think I am. But I reckon I oughta talk it over with Cherry Jubilee first. Only seems fair after I dragged her into all of this."
"Well good, because we need to head back to Dodge Junction anyway," Rainbow commented as she nervously massaged the back of her neck with a hoof. "We uh... kind of lost two other friends while we were chasing you."
Pinkie Pie and Rarity were waiting for their friends when they returned to Dodge Junction a short time later (this time with Applejack in tow). "The next time you leave behind me in the desert, you're gonna get it, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity warned the pegasus. "I mean it this time."
Aside from that not so small detail, everything went smoothly. Cherry Jubilee took the news of Applejack's decision to return home quite well. "Well, I can't keep you from your friends and family any longer, Applejack. I wasn't comfortable bein' part of your ruse in the first place," She told her fellow farm mare. "But if you ever sincerely want a change of scenery and feel like givin' Dodge Junction another shot, just let me know. There'll always be a spot on the orchard for ya. And I hope to see you compete in rodeos again soon."
"I'll... I'll think about it, Cherry," Applejack nodded. "Reckon it'll be a while before I get back in the saddle on the rodeo circuit, though. I obviously need to work on my game."
On the train ride back to Ponyville later, Applejack dictated to Twilight a letter to be sent to Princess Celestia detailing the lesson Applejack had learned. And it went something like this:
Dear Princess Celestia,
It's a tad easier to be proud of yourself when you come in first than it is when you finish further back. But there's no reason to hide when you don't do as well as you'd hoped.
You can't run away from your problems. Better to run to your friends and family. They'll understand better than anypony else.
And you gotta make sure you don't promise important ponies things you can't be sure of. 'Cause some of them not be so understandin'.
But Mayor Mare was on the platform at the train station in Ponyville, and was there to give Applejack a warm welcome when she stepped off the train. "Granny Smith told me everything, Applejack," She said while adjusting her glasses. "I suppose if we have to dip into the emergency fund to repair town hall it can't be helped. The emergency fund is for emergencies after all."
"Thanks, Mayor," Applejack replied to the mare. "But uh, you sure there's nothin' I can do to make it up to you?"
Mayor Mare shook her head. "Nonsense, you deserve a rest. Though I hope you haven't sworn off on rodeos all together," With a gleam in her eyes she told Applejack. "Because I was thinking of having the Equestria Rodeo Contest in Ponyville next year. What do you think of that?"
"Well, I'll see how I feel in a month or two. For now, I'd rather not think too much about rodeos or the trouble the last one gave me." Applejack replied with a nervous chuckle.