She always enjoyed journeys like this.
It was so wonderful for the earth pony mare, to be traveling the roads of Equestria as the first rays of the sun began to poke out over the morning sky. It was that time of day when only a few ponies and other creatures were stirring about, It was a time to enjoy the warm weather and golden sunshine, with an open road and only the sounds of nature greeting your equine ears. There had been an age gone by, of course, that ponies had controlled that weather and raised and lowered that sun. But such things were now part of the past, and along with nonsense like alicorns and harmony, and belonged more to the realm of fairy tales than to the world around her.
The mare was a nomadic agricultural worker, migrating from place to place, and working the apple harvests at pony orchards, in exchange for a share of the crops. The white and orange pony with long fetlocks had only left the earth pony town of Coltonville as few weeks ago, bringing with her two satchels and a cart she was pulling full of golden delicious apples. The earth pony was making her way down the coast, carefully avoiding the unicorn and Pegasus towns along the way. There were few equine travelers who were to be seen out here in the wilderness, and the unicorns she saw would often try to zap her with their horn beams, while the Pegasus flying over hear would angrily attempt to.... excrete waste on her, like some angry pigeon on a statue. Thus, it was best to avoid members of the other pony tribes, and stick to her own kind.
It was after several hours of traversing these roads, that the earth pony finally neared her destination. Maretime Bay... a bustling port city on the southeast corner of Equestria, this earth pony community was one of the few connections the now-fractured land of ponies had with the other parts of the world. Everything from large galleons, to medium-sized schooners, to several tiny dinghy were docked in the harbor, as sailor ponies went to and fro on the docks. It reminded the mare of the old Equestrian port town of Baltimare, except for the fact two of the pony tribes were missing from it's equine population. The little earth pony with the satchel always enjoyed coming back here, for nearly everypony who lived here were eager to buy her apples, and she also enjoyed taking in that wonderful seaside breeze.
As she trotted up into the outskirts of the town, the mare was amazed by how modern everything looked. Colorfully painted townhouses, standing side-by-side with buildings of glass and steel, lined the streets of this seaside community. Other earth ponies of every shape and size trotted everywhere, while the dinging of the streetcar's bell could be heard, as ponies got on and off at their stops along the tracks. A pair of visiting filly tourists stopped the farm mare, had handed her their hoof phone to take a picture of the two of them in front of the town fountain. Most of the other ponies simply smiled, waved, or nodded at her, before quickly turning to rush back to whatever business they were going about. It was obvious to her that the terrible important ponies in this town were far too busy going about their terribly important business to give her the time of day.
As the farm mare trotted past the Town hall, the light amber stallion who served as the town's sheriff recognized her, and turned to greet the visiting mare.
"Hey, Applejack! How's it going?" The stallion smiled, trotting up to her. "Welcome back to Maretime! I trust you had a safe journey?"
"Oh! Howdy, Hitch Trailblazier!" A.J. greeted him with a laugh. "I just arrived from the apple orchards south of Coltonville, an' ah got a fresh crop a' apples ta sell at mah stand this year."
"Sounds great, I can't wait to buy a few this season." Hitch narrowed his eyes. "Say, you didn't have any trouble with those Pegasus or unicorns on the way here, did you? You know how dangerous other kinds of ponies can be."
"No, them horned and winged critters didn't bother me none." Applejack replied in annoyance, rolling her eyes. "Just like they rarely bother me, or anypony else these days."
"Well, you just let me know if you spot any of those suspicious characters around here." Sheriff Hitch looked down the street suspiciously, as if one of the other types pf pony were about . "Because if any of those monsters were to show their face here, I'd teach em' a lesson, but good!"
A.J. winced at that remark. She recalled a unicorn stallion from Bridlewood, who had been foolish enough to wander into the earth pony town of Rainbow Falls, only to fall prey to the torches of an angry mob. Or the fact that very skilled earth pony bounty hunters were known for collecting unicorn horns and Pegasus wings as trophies after a hired kill of members of the other two pony tribes. And Applejack recalled her own visit to Zephyr Heights a few decades ago, when the Pegasus tried to kill the earth pony mare by dropping her off the city's high cliffs, and dashing her onto the rocks below. No, It was best for the apple bucker to try and forget current pony attitudes each tribe held towards one another. Best to not think about that in her day, the friendship between each tribe had truly been magic.
"Ah'll be sure ta let ya know if ah see one of them ornery critters."Applejack lied, starting to trot away with her apple cart. "See y'all later when ah open my seasonal stand tomorrow!"
The Sheriff only nodded, before returning to his daily patrol.
As the mare passed through the town, she headed towards the lighthouse that sat on the hill high above Maretime Bay. Years ago, Applejack had befriended the lighthouse's keeper, a pony named Argyle Starscout, and his wife during one of her visits to the town, they seemed to be the only two earth ponies who put up with Applejack's 'strange' ways, and so she found it easiest to stay with them in the lighthouse for the few weeks she spent in Maretime Bay, running her apple stand to sell a portion of her crop. Applejack was far older than the earth pony couple, or course, though she actually looked to be the same age as their young daughter.
The family, of course, politely never mentioned the fact that A.J. had never seemed to age, in all the years they had known her.
Trotting right up to the lighthouse, Applejack knocked with her hoof, before calling out;
"Argyle, y'all here? It's Applejack!" She called out, knocking a second time. "Anypony home?"
Her inquiry was met, with the door suddenly being thrown open, and a young mare excitedly pulling her into a hug.
"Aunt Applejack, I can't believe you're back!" The excited pony of average height exclaimed. "Just wait until dad hears you're back!"
"Howdy, Sunny Starscout." Applejack replied with a smile, as Sunny helped her unhook her apple cart, and the two mares trotted inside. "It's really good ta see y'all again."