//------------------------------// // Welcome to Equinestan // Story: Applejack at the Edge of the World // by MagicS //------------------------------// The forest was just as thick as it was vast and Applejack was thankful she had a road to stay on while she traveled through it. Looking to either her left or her right and all she saw was a nearly impenetrable wall of trees. They grew up so close together that all their roots had to be entangled. This road though, even though it was just dirt, was flat and clearly well taken care of. Ponies had traveled on it more recently than the roads she had gone down in the Kingdom of Diamonds. Was she already in what counted as Equinestan? Or would there be a more noticeable border. She heard that it was more like a bunch of independent cities and towns, loosely connected at best, rather than a country like Equestria. But even Equestria in most places didn’t have a noticeable border… So Applejack was just going to walk until she found another town. She glanced up at the sky, now no longer bothered by the heat of the sun as the forest was much cooler, and checked to see how late in the day it was. Just an hour or two before evening started to come around. Not what she wanted. From up in the mountains she had seen just how far this forest went and it didn’t look like there was any town built inside it. No open areas where ponies could build anything. So she’d probably have to walk all the way through the forest before she found anything and that was likely going to take longer than she had, even if she kept walking for an hour or two after dark. Applejack rolled her eyes. Rotten luck. When was it that she was just wondering if maybe her luck had turned around? She shouldn’t even joke about that. Eventually she was going to have to stop at some spot in the forest and go to sleep. Find a nice flat spot under a tree, with plenty of soft grass, and turn in. But not for a little while still, she wanted to get mostly through this big forest. And she was keeping her eyes peeled for any paths that branched off from the main road or any hidden houses or buildings that might have been built here. She didn’t expect to see any but if she could find some ponies or civilization in Equinestan early she’d be pretty happy. Instead she saw more forest animals and a lot of birds watching her but not much else. Applejack briefly stretched and continued walking down the road, as long as the forest wasn’t as much of a pain to travel through as the Everfree Forest then what right did she have to complain? Things felt different here, more normal, there wasn’t an oppressive atmosphere hanging over her head anymore like in so many other places she had traveled through in the Undiscovered West and the Far West. A temperate, pleasant forest like this? It was like walking through Equestria. If it wasn’t for what Applejack knew and the words Discord had given her she’d think the bad had been totally left behind. Even then everything around her still gave off a nice feeling. Things managed to feel familiar and nostalgic, like she was walking down a forested road of her youth, making a trip she had made in the past while out delivering apples or visiting family elsewhere in Equestria. When she was done with whatever she needed to do at Elysium’s View she felt like Equinestan would be a nice place to travel back through and just enjoy. Hopefully the various cities and towns scattered about it were the same kind of pleasant. Nopony back in the Kingdom of Diamonds had told her that ponies from Equinestan were unfriendly or anything and since they were basically neighbors they oughta have known. Knowing her bad luck though she’d probably come across the one city where they didn’t like strangers or ponies just traveling through. Applejack shook her head—silly to get all pessimistic like that even if she did have horrible luck. What would all her friends think about that attitude? Not a one of them would let themselves get such a cynical idea in their heads. Sure, Fluttershy might be worried but she’d always hope for the best and look for it in any new ponies she met. She continued walking through the forest for several more hours after that, well after the sun finally went down over the horizon and all Applejack had for light was the moon and the stars. To be fair, they twinkled down brightly for her and Applejack never felt like she was walking through total darkness, but it was still just about time for her to stop for the night. A glance up at the full moon in the sky above the clouds brought a small smile to Applejack’s face. That was a welcome and familiar sight too. Reaching into her bag she pulled out a biscuit and her water flask, eating up the biscuit in just a few quick bites and guzzling down a big gulp of water to help wash it down. It’d be a lot easier to find food and water in a place like this so she wasn’t really worried about rationing anymore. Satisfied with her late dinner she put her flask back and yawned—just about time to go to sleep now after getting some food in her stomach. Instead of looking to continue on endlessly or trying to spy a building, Applejack looked for any good spots off the side of the road and below the trees to sleep at. Thankfully the night wasn’t much colder than it had been during the day and Applejack figured she’d be pretty comfortable just nestling up against a tree. With just a few more minutes of walking she found a nice spot in the dense forest that didn’t look too bad. The ground was at least flat and not torn apart or bumpy thanks to any roots. And the grass growing there was plenty thick and should make the nicest natural bed she could ask for. The trees themselves should block most any breeze coming through as well. Yep, that was as good a place as any for Applejack to sleep for the night. She walked over to it and set her bag down and then her hat right on top of it, briefly gliding her hoof over the two roses before smiling and curling up into a ball right beside them. It didn’t take much longer after that before she drifted off to sleep. A few hours after dawn the next morning, when she had already been walking for quite a while, and the forest opened up in front of Applejack. The line of trees ended but the dirt road continued through a field of grass towards- A city. The city was surrounded by walls going around its entire perimeter but Applejack could see plenty of tall buildings that rose over them—it covered a lot of area too right outside this forest and to the north and south Applejack could see a number of other roads leading right to it. The buildings looked to be made of wood, stone, and plaster, fairly reminiscent of most Equestrian towns but some stood four or five stories high. And boy was it a big place, she had to guess three or four times the size of Ponyville, including Sweet Apple Acres. The road Applejack was on, coming from the forest, went right up to a gate in the walls that surrounded the city. Maybe gate was the wrong way to put it however. While there were hinges where it looked like heavy doors could be put on them, there was absolutely nothing blocking entrance into the city. The doors weren’t even “open”, they just weren’t there entirely. It gave Applejack an optimistic feeling, if the ponies who lived here never needed to close their doors to the outside then they must be friendly and not really have anything to worry about. She saw no guards or anypony else watching the entrance into the city either. With a smile on her face she started walking right to the entrance into the city. When she got closer she could hear the noise from it, the clattered sounds of ponies talking and walking through the streets, the sounds of any town or city full of life. She could even hear music coming from somewhere—either a band or a pony playing a record and letting the music pour out the open window of their home. Yep, Applejack had a good feeling about this place. When she reached the entrance to the city the dirt road turned into a sandy brick street and she spied a sign—more like a plaque—put up on the side of the wall. WELCOME TO OAK CITY OF EQUINESTAN: THE BEGINNING OF THE END “Beginning of the end, huh?” Applejack raised an eyebrow at the city’s own designation. “Guess that aint exactly wrong.” She walked down the street, mostly just the walls of buildings around her right now with how the city was constructed, until she came out into a larger open market. There were dozens of ponies either talking happily with one another or pulling carts of food around or shopping at stores or watching their kids play around. Applejack saw ponies at stands selling an array of fruit and vegetables, larger stores built at the bottom of tall apartment buildings, one store selling trinkets like wind chimes and other decorations, a pony sitting on a bench and playing violin. Not since the very beginning of her journey had she seen a town so alive and happy. Unlike New Jasmine Leaf Town the ponies here took no special notice of her. She was just another mare in a crowd. Kind of meant she had to search around herself for anything she needed though. And she had absolutely no idea where to look. This city was dizzyingly big to her and there were so many streets going off every direction, so many alleys, and buildings that blocked her view she didn’t know where to start. Applejack instead just started looking around at the ponies here and tried to figure out which one of them would be a good bet to ask for directions from. Was kind of easier in a way when guards were around. Applejack had so many questions pertaining on how to get to Elysium’s View from here and if she would be able to get room and board along with food and water easily while she traveled through Equinestan. She was starting to get a little overwhelmed when she saw a sign saying “Chaser’s Tavern” hanging over a small building. Well, that was always a good place to ask for information. Rarity always said that was how it went in those mystery novels she read. Though Applejack’s situation was just a tad different. She went over to the tavern and opened up the door, pleasantly surprised to see that the inside was well lit and full of nothing but happy chatter and ponies enjoying their drinks. An array of tables were spread out across the floor with ponies drinking and eating or playing cards at them. On the back wall a player piano was giving the whole tavern some pleasant music to listen to. To her left was the bar—mostly empty—with a unicorn tending it. Wasn’t half a bartender’s job to talk to ponies? Applejack walked over to the bar and took a seat right in front of the bartender, who kindly smiled to her. “Hello, Miss. How can I help you?” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck and grinned awkwardly. “Well uh, pardon me for coming in here but I want to be honest with ya right off the bat. I don’t have any money on me or any plans on getting a drink, I’m from out of town and I’ve got a few, maybe more than a few, questions for ya.” He at least didn’t seem upset by her words, though a little confused as he nodded along. “Oh, okay then. From another city in Equinestan then? Cherry Brook maybe?” Applejack shook her hoof. “Nope—a lot farther. I just came through the Kingdom of Diamonds to get here. And I’m on my way all the way to Elysium’s View.” “Really? Don’t hear about ponies making that trip anymore. From the Kingdom of Diamonds I mean, still plenty like to travel to Elysium’s View. But I thought the kingdom wasn’t even really there anymore?” The bartender asked. “It’s not. Mostly. But it was still the fastest way for me to get to where I’m going. Oak City here is the first place I found in Equinestan, I just wandered in out of the forest an hour ago. I don’t really plan on staying for long, I just need some directions and maybe a little more information about Equinestan. Can you tell me what’s the best route to Elysium’s View from here? I know there’s a place called the White Forest to the west of Equinestan so do I need to get there first?” Applejack asked. “Well it sounds you know the big points already. And yeah, you’re right, the White Forest is right outside our western borders and once you’re through it you’re already at Elysium’s View. To get to the White Forest from here… the fastest route would be to take the main road leading west from Oak City and make your way to Elmsville and then Maple Town. Unless a new town has sprouted up recently that I haven’t heard about, Maple Town is the furthest western town of Equinestan and it lies pretty much right on the border.” “Thanks for telling me. So how far away is Elmsville from Oak City?” “About a day. If you want to go there I’d suggest staying the night here and leaving in the morning.” Applejack sighed and hung her head low. “Great. I’m in kind of a hurry and I don’t really want to waste any time standing around somewhere...” “Sorry, Miss,” the bartender shrugged. “If we had a faster way of getting from city to city I’d love to tell you about it.” Applejack looked back up at him and raised an eyebrow. “Well I have another problem too. That whole no money thing? I’m assuming things like a place to stay along with food and water aint gonna be found for free here in Oak City?” He winced and shook his head. “Er, no, I’m afraid not. I-I don’t want to give Equinestan a bad look to you, Miss, but we’re still a country that relies on the flow of currency. Things aren’t going to be free anywhere you visit.” “I understand, that’s really no different than most places and you don’t have to apologize for it,” Applejack told him. “Just puts me in a bit of a bind. No money and nothing I can trade… kind of just leaves one option.” “What’s that?” The bartender asked. Applejack smiled. “Work. Do you know any work I can do that might help me out?” The bartender gave her a look and thought for a second. “Pardon if me saying this is rude but you look like a mare who’s used to working with her hooves?” “Heh,” Applejack smirked. “Nothing rude about it—I’m a farmer, yeah. Mostly in the business of bucking apples but I do all sorts of work around my farm back home.” “Well we don’t have any farms within the city… but if you don’t mind heavy lifting then maybe the lumberyard? It’s tough work but Big Jaw, that’s the fellow who owns the lumberyard, could always use an extra set of hooves. He’s a nice enough guy too so I’m sure he’d give you enough for a place to stay and a decent meal if you put in an honest day’s work.” Applejack shrugged. “Sounds like an alright job to me. Where’s the lumberyard?” The bartender smiled. “I’ll get you some directions, just one second-” The lumberyard was pretty dang big, with mostly a bunch of large stallions working in it and doing a pretty good job of making Applejack look out of place. It was situated on the northern edge of Oak City near one of the big gates so recently cut down trees could be brought inside and carved and split up to make lumber that the rest of the city used. Applejack currently stood next to a big pyramid of huge wooden boards all stacked up high—the fruits of the lumberyard’s labor—while on the other side of her were a few large logs stacked up the same way, waiting to be moved. Across the way she could see the mill where fresh logs were taken to be worked on, and ponies carrying axes, saws, other tools, and of course wood itself were walking to and fro throughout the yard. And right now she was being looked down at by a large silver earth pony stallion who was just as big as her own brother. “Don’t usually get mares asking to work here, what’s your situation?” Big Jaw asked her. Applejack had given him her name and asked to work here for the afternoon but Big Jaw still seemed apprehensive. Not that she could really blame him. “I may be a mare but I’m as strong as any ten stallions I can tell you that,” Applejack grinned up at him. “And I’m trying to make my way to Elysium’s View but I don’t have any money for making the trip through Equinestan. If’n I help out here for the afternoon can you cover me for the night and enough to get some cheap food and water on the way out tomorrow?” Big Jaw rubbed his chin, considering her words. “Well if you really can put in the work it’s not like I’m gonna refuse...” “Great! So what can I-” “Hold on,” Big Jaw lifted up a hoof to stop her. “I’ve got a different sort of offer for you.” “Different offer?” Applejack tilted her head. Big Jaw nodded. “Yeah. You say you don’t have any money on you? Well then even if you work here for a day you still won’t have enough to pay for the rest of the way to Elysium’s View. Stay here for a whole week and by the end I’ll give you enough money for food and board to carry you for the rest of your trip. You’re probably hitting Elmsville next if you’re going to Elysium’s View? You’re just going to have to work more there. And Elysium’s View won’t put you up for free anywhere either.” Applejack furrowed her brow and thought over his proposal. He had a point, she was likely going to have to find something to do in Elmsville and Maple Town at the very least before she continued further. But a whole week? Could she stay here for that long? She glanced at the logs beside her, still waiting to be taken to the mill, and an idea popped into her head. “What if instead… will you pay me for the whole week if I do a week’s worth of work in one afternoon?” Applejack asked. Big Jaw started to guffaw loudly with laughter. “Hahahahaha! Miss, please, I understand you’re in a hurry and you’d like to make some money but nopony could do that much in one afternoon.” “What if I can?” Applejack raised an eyebrow at him, dead serious. Big Jaw blinked, realizing she wasn’t joking. “I don’t exactly know what you think you can do but sure, if you did a whole week’s worth of work then I’ll pay you for a whole week’s worth.” “Okay then,” Applejack said and cracked her neck before walking over to the logs. She jumped up on them to the top of the pyramid, standing right by the top log. Each felled tree log was huge, at least three feet in diameter and she could easily stand atop one of them. She placed a hoof on the very top log and looked back down at Big Jaw. “So this log—you’d turn it into boards like the ones stacked up over there right?” “That’s right,” Big Jaw nodded—confused but interested to see what she was doing. “Give me a second,” Applejack smirked. As Big Jaw watched, the huge tree log shook and vibrated before all the bark ruptured off of it and scattered to the ground. A second later cracks fissured down throughout the entire log and loudly exploded outward, showering the ground in saw dust and tiny bits of wood. So much that Big Jaw had to close his eyes and turn away briefly to avoid getting any in the face. He was about to yell at Applejack and ask her what in the hay she was doing once he looked back up at her but the words caught in his throat. Applejack was standing right beside a pile of boards as perfectly straight as any normally made from logs like that. She glanced down at him and raised an eyebrow again—not entirely able to keep a smug smile off her face. “Want me to do the rest?” Big Jaw nodded. “Be my guest.”