Arizona had been walking around Ponyville for a bit, getting some curious stares from ponies nearby. She was told to get to a place called Sweet Apple Acres, but seems like the cow missed her stop, or something like that. At least she can get around the Ponyville market to see how them pony folks live. With how friendly the community is, it almost feels like the tight bond cattlekind have with each other. Not to mention that this town is much more simple than the Equestrian capital, just like how her folks live.
The cow looks for anything that might give her a clue on her destination, and she noticed an apple stand with a pink pony with a deeper pink curly mane behind it. Apples… Sweet Apple Acres…
“Howdy!” Arizona greets the pink pony, and she leans forward to answer.
“Hi there! You must be the one looking for Applejack!” She said. “You know, funny thing is, Apple Bloom is supposed to be the one standing here today, but she suddenly has to do something in the friendship school, so she went looking for anyone that has a free schedule, and--”
The champion of the prairie may be a champion that can beat dozens of opponents herself, but she’s already having trouble keeping up with the conversation. This pony… The way she blabbered on and on makes the cow feel she’s listening to Paprika’s inchorentable alpaca noises.
“Umm, y-yeah… Applejack, isn’t it? Ya know where she is? Ah saw the apples, and…”
“Oh yeah! She’s in Sweet Apple Acres! Just walk down that way, keeeeep on going, and when you get to the dirt path, I’m sure you’ll know what you’re looking for!” The pony answered.
“Keep walkin’ until Ah feel good ol’ earth on mah hooves… got it!” The cow smiled.
“Good luck, Apple-- I mean, Arizona! You know, you really reminded me of Applejack! Or is it Twilight? Something about your voice sounds familiar! Speaking of which, I wonder what my successor is going to sound like! I heard that her voice does sound pretty close to--”
If the fact that the pony knows Arizona’s name despite the cow never telling her is spooky enough, another ramble is just the thing for Arizona to start going to her destination. Saying thanks one more time to the pony, the young calf walks away quickly, having a clear direction to go. She dared to look back at the pink pony again, and saw her mane swinging, saying…
“Oh! She’s here!”
Eventually, Arizona sees her destination, a farmhouse near an arch with an apple on it. This must be it. The scene is a bit familiar, yet so different for the cow. The rustic feeling reminds her of home, or at least this looks like a good place where the Cattlekind would rest their wagons. All the trees in the background kinda stick out though, there’s never that many rows of trees back at the prairie.
“There’s more trees here than how many bales o’ hay cattlefolks have…”
Not long after she steps in and gets closer to the barn, a bright orange pony walks out from it. Seems like she’s carrying some saddle baskets, currently empty. Their eyes lock even when they’re still pretty far away.
“Howdy!” The pony called out, waving her hat. “Yer the calf the princess said was comin?”
Whoa, her way of speaking is exactly like her own and the rest of the tribes speak. Maybe the cattlekind have a distant pony cousin Pa never told her about?
“Ah sure am!” Arizona said with a smile. “Mah name’s Arizona! Champeen of the Prairie! This is Sweet Apple Acres?”
“Darn toothin! The best apples in Equestria came from right here!” Applejack puts her hat on with pride. “Name’s Applejack. Heard ya came from miles outta Equestria ta get here.”
“Heh, sure did.” The cow smiles. It’s not the first time she went through a journey far from home, and to be honest, she like doing this, meeting new individuals, and going on an adventure. Cattlekind ancestors often move together as a pack for a new home, and although she herself hadn’t needed to wander with her family to a new fertile land together for a while, the blood of her wandering ancestors is still in her.
“And if yer lookin for apples, yer just in time, Ahm bout to buck some apples fresh from their trees.” The mare said.
“Ya… buck apples? Right off the tree?” Arizona looks a bit puzzled. Perhaps because apples are not that common in the prairie, but if her kind got an acre this big, they might resort to headbutting it to make it faster, or something.
“Eeyup. Family and pony folks been doin’ it since the rooster learns how ta crow in the mornin.” Applejack turns so she’s facing the wall of trees in the distance. “Ya wanna see how it’s done?”
“Well, sure thing.” Both females start to trot towards the trees.
It’s always quite the distance to get to some parts of the acres to harvest the apples, and coincidentally, Applejack is supposed to get to one corner of the acre that’s a tad further than usual. Arizona seems to have her eye on the endless trees, some with apples and some already harvested. The mare noticed that the calf is walking faster, so she picks up her speed to match hers.
“Ah guess ya never seen this many apple trees at home?” Applejack chuckles, it’s obvious that the calf is awed by it.
“He he, barely. Any trees we have around home are as brown as the ground.” Arizona said, not averting her eyes.
“Yer from the dry lands? Just like the town of Appleloosa. Jus’ dirt and no grass under yer hooves?” Applejack asked.
“Not really, that’s only the canyons. We got lots of grass at times.”
It was at this time that Arizona realized that Applejack went past her, walking faster. Seeing this, the cow picks her speed up more. Perhaps it’s simply in her nature to see it as a… challenge. Something in her drives her to walk faster than the individual next to her. When she passes Applejack, the mare picks up her speed too, seemingly having that similar drive in her. It continues for a bit until they’re trotting neck and neck, both quadpeds looking at each other.
“How fast ya think ya can run, Sugarcube?” Applejack gives the calf a glance, her eyes look as sharp as an eagle.
“Heh, it’s the only direction Ah know! And nothin gonna stop a cow when she starts running, less you get her horns!” Arizona gives herself a bit of a push, giving her a tiny lead before matching Applejack again.
Hearing that, Applejack smirks. “There’s an outhouse near where we’re supposed ta go straight ahead, first one there?”
“Ain’t nothin to it! Let’s stampede!”
With that said, both Arizona and Applejack started galloping, their competitive nature sparking against each other. Arizona, even though she’s one of the youngest of her kind in the prairie, she’s possibly one of the most powerful. In an environment where strength matters, she had brawled with other cattlekinds, bigger and older than her, and won, yet she still wants to be the best as she can. Even when she started to get together with the other champions, she wanted to be the strongest of them all.
On the other side, Applejack is no stranger to competition herself, having won multiple rodeo competitions, joined the Iron Pony challenge, and even had a go in buckball. A physically formidable mare herself, Applejack won’t make this easy, especially since this is her home turf.
The first part is going through some trees, and Arizona had to slow down to avoid running head first to them. However, at the corner of her eyes, Applejack is seen zipping around the trees much faster, either she’s indeed more agile, or she knows every location of every tree in this place. Snorting, Arizona doubles her effort, but there’s just no way to catch Applejack in this portion.
Soon, a large grassy clearing came into view, and Applejack is the first one to reach it, four seconds faster than the cow. As she slightly skids onto the grass, Arizona kicks it another gear faster. Now she’s slowly gaining on the earth pony, who notices her coming.
“The last leg is where things will be tough, sugarcube!” Applejack claims as their destination come into view, the outhouse near the trees on the other side of the clearing.
“That never stopped me!” Arizona smirks, taking longer gallops. However, to her surprise, Applejack starts pulling away again. Just as she almost crosses the finish line, the cow digs her hooves deep, and leaps forward, further than she usually does. She lands right next to Applejack, and right next to the finish line. They both skid into a halt, Applejack most likely had lost by a horn or a nose.
“Whoa nelly.” Applejack exclaimed. “Ya weren’t kiddin’ when ya say stampede.”
“Like mah Pa always says: “Y’all need one mighty leap ta stay in front!”” Arinzona grins. “...Now that’s done, we’re still doin’ them… applebuckin?”
The champion of the Prairie waited for an answer, but for some reason, it didn’t come out immediately. Applejack is staring at her in a strange way. It’s almost like she’s… a tiny bit sad? It’s that expression where someone gives you a soft smile, but one can tell the sadness behind it. Though it’s definitely not because she just lost a race… right? Eventually, she did speak, though.
“Right…” The mare tips her hat and walks to the first row of trees, Arizona following her. “Yer hooves are as tough as a rock, so that definitely helps. Watch.”
Arizona watches as Applejack turns around, getting a firm stance as she looks at the tree behind her. With a lift of her legs, the pony kicks the tree with a firm sounding ‘THUD’. All the apples that were on the tree just dropped into the pre placed baskets under them, stacking the apples pretty neat.
“...And that’s how ya do it here on the farm.” Applejack smiles, slowly turning to a grin as the cow looks pretty amazed.
“Golly, that’s… mighty cool!” She raised her forehooves briefly. “So, ya just give the trunk some kickin, right? Sounds pretty simple!”
“That’s the idea, but it ain’t as easy as it looks.” Applejack chuckles, remembering that none of her friends are able to do it like her, even though some of them had the strength.
Arizona looks up at an apple tree and the baskets already placed under it. For a moment she wonders how can someone put those baskets in the precise position where the apples would fall, but perhaps it’s not her main concern right now. All she needs to do is back up towards the tree, and give it a solid kick. Heh, should be easy, kicking is her two favorite things to do. Her legs are also the two of her most powerful weapon, even her fellow champions are wary of how strong her kicks can be.
The cow prepares herself, taking a deep breath, seeing Applejack almost effortlessly harvest another tree. She rears up, and gives the tree a solid kick, thinking it’s a predator that needs kicking…
Thud!
There’s the sound of falling apples filling the basket, and Arizona grinned.
“Whoa hey! That’s as easy as deliverin--”
Her celebration is cut short when she sees some apples are still dangling on the tree, swaying from the force she gave the tree. Though some did fall into the baskets, the cow did not get them all in one kick like the earth pony did.
“Aww, shucks.”
“That ain’t too bad for yer first time, sugarcube.” Applejack called from nearby, harvesting yet another tree with a kick. “Try ta give it another go.”
Something about the fact that Applejack is doing it so easily once again drives the champion to want to try to do better. It’s not jealousy, it’s pure motivation for herself to get better. Also, she’s a champion that defeats a horde of predators all by herself! How hard can making apples fall from their tree be? Giving up is never in her book.
Arizona gives the tree another strong kick, and the second one’s the charm. The rest of the apple falls to the basket, picking the tree free from its shiny red fruits. Though, she doesn’t feel exactly… satisfied. Two kicks needed to clean a tree, while Applejack only needed one. Not only is she faster, but it’s also much more efficient. The cow wonders if there’s a better way to do it… She only needs to make the apples fall, right?
“...Ah wonder if…”
Moving to another apple tree that’s not harvested yet, Arizona stares a bit for a moment. Then, she rears up, lifting her upper body, before both of her forehooves firmly slam down on the base of the tree. It actually creates a rather powerful tremor that even Applejack can feel several feet away.
“What in tarnation…?” The mare turns her head, in time to see plenty of apples falling from the tree. Actually… that’s all of them! From a stomp? Even the nearby trees shake slightly, though no other apples fell.
“Heh, done! Quick as a wink!” The champion seemed to be happy with her work, but she got another idea, something that’s probably even more effective. “Hmm…”
Her eyes lock on another tree in front of her that’s still not harvested. Digging her hooves into the grass, and launching herself towards it, Arizona ran head first towards the unsuspecting flora, literally. The one big thud caused by the impact of the cow’s horns, all the apples fell from the tree cleanly. As Applejack watches, Arizona just gives her head a little shake.
“Whoa nelly, ya got one rock tough noggin’” She looks at the filled baskets under the tree. “Actually, yer just tough at everythin!”
“Like ma Pa always says: ‘Livin as countryfolks makes ya country strong and smart!’”
As Arizona is ready to move to another tree, she spots that expression on Applejack again. That strangely sad looking smile. The cow keeps her eyes on the mare, curious about if something’s bothering her.
“Heh, that’s what probably mah Pa would say too…” Applejack notes.
“Ya think so? Then, Ah bet me or mah Pa will be good friends!”
Applejack said nothing as she harvested another tree clean with a firm buck. There’s this eerie and kinda awkward silence in the air as both girls continue to harvest apples, not saying anything for a bit. When Arizona headbutts another tree, she’s doing as well as Applejack in harvesting the apples. Well, almost.
Eventually, Applejack decides to get a little break from all the work. Neither had noticed it, but they had been going for around an hour, clearing a good part of the orchid together. The mare tosses an apple to the cow, who caught it with her hooves, before taking a bite out of it. Arizona ain’t a picky eater nor a gourmand at all, but even she agrees how refreshing the apple tastes. Freshly picked fruits are the best.
“Hoo whee, feels like a cool breeze under the summer sun~” Arizona turns at Applejack. “Ya say yer family been growin’ this? Maybe mine should start somethin too! But… what can Pa make...? All the cookin stuff is done by mah Ma…”
“Ya sure love ya family, huh?” Applejack is suddenly already next to the champion standing beside her.
“Of course! Pa and Ma deserve it for raisin me, Ah gotta make ‘em proud of me!” The cow said. “Ya get it, right?”
“Ah sure do, sugarcube… Ah sure do.” Applejack touches the tree behind them both with a hoof, giving it a slow stroke. “All the work Ah do everyday is ta honor mah family, and mah parents.”
“So, ya parents done this Applebuckin too? Sounds like a fun thing ta do.” Arizona said. Heck, if she can enjoy sparring with her Pa a few times before she managed to defeat him soundly prior to her being chosen as the champion, some applebucking sounds a better family activity. However, the cow didn’t expect the mare’s reaction is looking… sad?
“...Applejack?”
The earth pony’s eyes don’t have that fiery competitive tomboy look anymore. Instead, there’s a hint of sadness and melancholy, just a bit though. Arizona can still tell that Applejack is a tough mare inside out. Did she dig up some bitter memories or something?
“Ah live here with Granny Smith, mah big brother Big Mac, and mah lil sister Apple Bloom. Mah sis is still trainin, but me and Big Mac are the ones doin most of the work.” Applejack said.
Arizona doesn’t have any siblings, she’s Ma and Pa’s only daughter, so she doesn’t really know how it feels to have a sister or a brother, but what made the cow curious is the fact that Applejack doesn’t seem to mention the two most important figures in any family. At least that’s how the champion sees them.
“And… yer Ma and Pa?”
Applejack takes a deep breath, still smiling, but her eyes don’t lie, she’s feeling a bit sad. Wonder why…
“Mah parents are no longer here, sugarcube.”
“Wha…”
Arizona took a step back once she heard that. Applejack's sentence hits the champion of the Prairie harder than a fist of Fred onto his face. Her parents are ‘no longer here’? Does that mean…
“Ya mean, they… don’t live here anymore…?” The cow still tried to think positive, but her hopes are inevitably taken away by the earth pony.
“They went ta work on the orchid when Ah was just a filly one day, and never returned.” Applejack said. “Ain’t possible that they just up and left, mah lil sis was just born then.”
Some existential dread managed to creep their way into the usually unshakable, albeit a bit naive champion. A life without parents… If her Pa and Ma are never there again. It’s something that she wishes will never happen to her, or anyone for that matter. That must’ve felt horrible. What she’s impressed by is how Applejack seems to cope with it really well. Granted that it happened more than a decade ago, but she’s not breaking into tears. The cow would probably cry herself to sleep if she got reminded of her, stomp on wood, parents that had passed away.
“A-Ah didn’t know…” Arizona hung her head low, feeling bad that she reminded Applejack of a grim page of her life, something that Applejack noticed.
“Don’t feel like a wilting flower, sugarcube. If anythin’, it only reminds me ta always make em proud of me.” The mare said.
That’s something the champion can understand. Arizona feels like she always needs to live up to her parent’s name, especially since she’s the only daughter to the Head bull and Head cow of her Cattlekind herd. Somewhere deep inside her, she knows her parent’s presence is not going to last forever, and one day she herself might be the Head cow. Usually Arizona would tackle any problems, including facing ten predators one by one with confidence, but to live without her parents one day is something that she’s still trying to cope with.
At least as naive the cow can be, she already knows that ‘Nature gives us life, and nature can take it from us.’, just like her Pa said. Her Ma also taught her to always be kind as long as you’re still in this world. Her own adventure against the predators and with the other champions undoubtedly brings some… close calls as well, so in this matter, Arizona knows it quite well.
“So, Ah suppose ya can cope with it because… every day ya just want to make yer Pa and Ma proud, right?” The cow said. “Even if ya don’t see them every day?”
“Darn toothin’” Applejack nodded. “Ah can tell ya love yer ma and pa so much, so Ah know you’ll understand. Doesn’t matter if Ah was bucking apples for a livin, or go up against a bunch of bugs tryin’ to take over Equestria. Everythin Ah do is to make mah parents happy.”
“Ah gotcha, cause Ah’m tryin to do the same every day!” The cow said. “Family only deserve the best for raisin’ us! That’s why Ah’m willing to be the champeen!”
Applejack gives an understanding nod, impressed by Arizona’s will and how passionate she is when she talks about family. She really feels like she belongs in the Apple family. Hard working, and loves everyone in the family no matter how far they are.
Two country born individuals with very strong ties to their family.
“Oh, by the way… What’s the deal about bugs tryin to take over?”
The earth pony’s ear flicks up hearing the question.
“Oh, it’s the time when me and mah friends have to protect Equestria. These Changelin’s are like locusts tryin to ruin ripe crops, so we give em a favor, and beat’em up outta our place!” Applejack said, swinging her hoof.
“Huh, sounds mighty familiar when Foenum was attacked by them predators.” The cow said. “Ya gotta tell me more about it!”
Arizona’s eyes seem to sparkle, ready to hear Applejack’s tale. The apple farmer chuckles.
“Alright, but Ah’ll tell ya about it as we walk back. It’s gettin a bit late, why don’t Ah let ya meet the rest of the family while we’re at it?”
“Sounds like a plan!”
Thus, Applejack traverses the orchid once again together with Arizona on the way back, this time with no running or competing. Both of them had gained a mutual respect for each other.
“...They think they can take me down by jumpin on me like a dog that just saw a bone, but Ah just throw all four of em off me!”
The pony really reminds Arizona of herself. Heck maybe her silly theory of her being a far away cousin of the Cattlekind isn’t too far fetched. Applejack would get along really well with the herd.
“...Ah hit that bear as hard as a runaway train, and it’s just lights out for em!”
Meeting Applejack really helps Arizona to open her eyes a bit. Now the cow is going to work extra hard for her parents, maybe even spend more time with them. Her Pa may be a bit harsh, but it’s just a part of him that must be appreciated.
“...We gotta do some good ol country brawlin one day, Ah’ll love to see what a champion can do!”
“...Oh yeah! Yer not the only one that’s born strong!”
For now, it feels like the Champion of the Prairie had just found found a second family, a home away from home.