//------------------------------// // Diamonds to Dust V // Story: Applejack at the Edge of the World // by MagicS //------------------------------// The following day and Applejack found herself walking towards a solitary house on a dying yellow plains. She had exited the flooded farmlands some time ago and dried herself off, continuing down the same road to the western reaches of the Kingdom of Diamonds. Now she could see not too far in the distance a single house just to the side of the road. It was very different from other buildings she had come across so far. For one it was painted in multiple different gaudy colors and there were stars, rainbows, flowers, and ponies drawn in a childlike fashion all over its walls. There were also a few clotheslines set up out in back of it with sheets drying off in the wind, a large metal tub set up for some purpose, and most of all a small garden that was managing to grow even in these dry plains. Applejack could see tomatoes and flowers growing freely, their vines allowed to go anywhere. It was weird looking but the one thing it didn’t look was abandoned. Which was still odd as there wasn’t much else around. Applejack saw what she thought was a large forest to the north but these plains were all dried yellow grass and flatlands. This house couldn’t have been made after the kingdom started spiraling down, it must have served some other purpose in the old days. Maybe even as a small inn or rest stop between larger towns and cities. As Applejack let her mind wander on that topic—a pony came walking out from the other side of the house. Applejack froze as the mare came walking into view towards the flowers planted up by the side of the house. She was probably five or ten years older than Applejack and was wearing a pair of worn overalls with a bandanna holding back her mane. The mare's eyes flickered up and she finally saw Applejack on the road. She froze in surprise as well. Applejack—feeling like she should be polite—tentatively lifted a hoof up and dipped her hat to the mare. “Uh, hello there ma’am.” The mare found her voice and suddenly gasped, jumping up and smiling widely at Applejack. “Well I’ll be, another pony out here? How do you do, young lady!” Applejack smiled back, relieved that the mare was friendly. “I’m doing pretty good. And you? Oh, my name’s Applejack by the way.” “Pretty Petunia!” The mare walked over to the road and stuck out a hoof for Applejack to shake. “And I’m doing great!” Applejack eagerly shook her hoof and looked over at the odd house. “You know I didn’t think any ponies still lived here like this.” “We’re just about the only two—oh!” Pretty Petunia’s eyebrows shot up and she turned around before shouting at the house. “Hey, Winter Moon! Get on out here, we’ve got a guest!” A door up on the second-story balcony of the house was thrown open a second later and a pegasus stallion with a slightly wrinkled face stepped out, looking down at the source of the yell. “Petunia, what in blazes are you talking about—oh.” The stallion stopped and blinked at Applejack. “Huh, that’s unexpected.” He flew down to the ground and reached a hoof out to Applejack just like Petunia. “I’m Winter Moon, pleasure to meet you. But wow, you’re the first pony we’ve seen come by since we started living here.” “Applejack,” Applejack said as she shook his hoof. “And yeah, you’re also the first ponies I’ve seen since I entered the whole kingdom.” “You came from out east right? Not surprised then,” Pretty Petunia said. Winter Moon nodded. “Yep—it’s all bad that direction. Worse than most of the rest of the kingdom. Or “kingdom” I should say.” “Yeah it definitely didn’t look too good… but the two of you are alright here? Your home is uh, interesting, if I do say so,” Applejack said. “Heh, we moved in here a few months ago and started renovating since nopony else was using it anymore,” Pretty Petunia said and gestured to the painted walls. “Without any other ponies around we decided why not get a little creative? If we were going to stay here we might as well have fun!” “Mhm,” Winter Moon nodded. “We’ve got enough healthy soil to grow food and we collect rainwater in that tub over there-” he pointed. “And if we ever need anything more important I can just fly for a few days and get it. Hay, I’ve been going off and collecting any old trinkets and random junk I can find just for fun. This isn’t exactly how I thought my retirement would go but the two of us are making the most of it.” Applejack smiled. “Retirement huh? So you aint stuck here in the kingdom?” “Well we don’t have the money to move anywhere else if that’s what you’re asking. We did kind of get left behind,” Winter Moon said. “But even before things started going bad here our son had already grown up and moved away long ago, so it’s not like there was anything else for us to do,” Pretty Petunia shrugged. “So we figured why not stay here? We’ve lived here our entire lives and if we couldn’t find anything better outside the kingdom then why not just stay? I think we’ve managed to have a decent time just by staying optimistic.” “That’s really nice to hear,” Applejack said. “I’m glad there are still some ponies here who are making the best of things. Honestly from the rumors I had heard I was really worried about anypony still living here.” “It probably aint great everywhere but the worst passed by long ago,” Pretty Petunia said. “Can I ask what brings you here though? I’m a bit curious,” Winter Moon asked. “Traveling west,” Applejack pointed down the long and empty road. “Didn’t come to your old kingdom specifically—just traveling through it on my way to Elysium’s View.” “That’s quite a trip then,” Pretty Petunia said. Winter Moon rubbed his chin. “Yep, you’re pretty far off still.” Applejack sighed. “Yeah, so I’ve heard. Do you know if there are any other places ponies still live that I’ll reach if I keep walking down this road?” “There’s New Jasmine Leaf Town. That’s a few days away by hoof if you stay on this road. Ponies have gathered there trying to rebuild and start up a semblance of a functioning town again. Haven’t been there in… about a month now though. Could be better or could be worse than when I left it,” Winter Moon shrugged. “No vagabonds or criminals or nothing though?” Applejack asked. “I had heard rumors about roaming bands of vagrants being out here in the ruins of the kingdom.” Winter Moon laughed. “Sounds like some ponies are letting their imaginations run wild. Things aren’t great here but there’s hardly anything like that. We’ve heard that there are some punks fighting over things in the old capitol but that’s well northeast of here. You don’t have to worry about that.” “Some good news then. So I’m a few days away from a town—do you know how far I am from the western border of the kingdom?” Applejack asked. “A week if you keep up a decent pace,” Pretty Petunia said. “If you’re going to Elysium’s View you know you’ll go through Equinestan first, right?” Applejack nodded. “Yep.” “Well just to make sure you know you’re on the right path, when you leave the Kingdom of Diamonds behind you’ll do it by walking over an old bridge that leads down from the mountains. It spans a canyon covered in spiky rock formations. Once you reach the other side of that bridge you really just need to keep walking straight west and you’ll be in Equinestan in no time,” Petunia explained. “Thanks for telling me,” Applejack smiled. “Aside from names I really don’t know anything about where I’m going.” “What’s the reason you’re going to Elysium’s View then?” Winter Moon asked. “Uh… it’s kind of complicated actually. I guess you could consider it business?” Applejack shrugged. Winter Moon shrugged back. “Well, good luck then.” “Would you like to stay for lunch? Or stay the night? You must have been walking for a long time, we’ll give you the best hospitality you can get out here!” Pretty Petunia smiled, wiggling her eyebrows. “I appreciate the offer but I really don’t want to take any breaks out here. With how long I’ve still got to go and all...” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck. “I understand, it’s okay. You’re just the first pony who’s ever crossed paths with us out here,” Pretty Petunia said. “As time goes by we’ll probably see more,” Winter Moon smiled and put a hoof over her back. “If um...” Applejack hesitantly looked over at their garden. “If it’s not too much to ask, could I have a couple of tomatoes and some water?” “Of course!” Winter Moon chuckled. “We wouldn’t want to send you off with nothing—especially since you’ve got a few more days before you’ll find somewhere else to stock up.” “That’s right, have a few tomatoes, I promise they’re delicious!” Pretty Petunia smiled. Applejack smiled back. “Thank you both very much. I guess I got pretty lucky today finding you.”