“Well, howdy y’all! Ah’m Applejack and Ah just moved here from Ponyville! It’s nice ta meetcha’ and Ah hope we can all be friends!”
An orange filly with fair hair tied in braids and cute freckles on her muzzle stood in front of the class next to the teacher, all eyes were on her as she meekly introduced herself in her thick country accent. Whispers were passed around the class at the sight of the new student, mostly out of the students’ curiosity of some-pony coming from a small town like Ponyville to live in the big city. However, it didn’t take long for one of them to make fun of her rural upbringing as the rest of them turned their attention towards him.
“Ponyville? Isn’t that the town in the middle of nowhere?”
“I heard they still use outhouses for toilets!”
“Yeah, and the pony-folk there run around in the mud for fun! Eww!”
The earlier optimism young Applejack had towards her prospects in school fell considerably as she slunk forward to her assigned seat in class, while the teacher tried her best to calm the raucous, jeering voices of her students and scold them for bullying this new ward of hers. It didn’t help that the vacant seat was tucked away in the back corner of the class, further growing her feeling of ostracization in a class full of high-society city folk. As she took her seat, she fumbled with her rucksack and soon, textbooks and stationery started spilling out from within the bag.
Maybe it was a mistake ta move here after all … she would have thought with a sigh.
“Hey, Applejack, was it? You dropped a few things.”
A friendly voice to her right caught the country filly’s attention. She immediately turned around to see another Earth filly with an aquamarine coat and neatly brushed indigo hair with opal highlights at its curled ends. Her flank was just as blank as hers, but that was true of the colts and fillies in the classroom, with most of them having never discovered their special talent yet. She gave a warm grin as she hoofed over a few pencils that she had picked up from the floor. The orange filly blushed and muttered a “Thanks” before her acquaintance continued.
“I don’t think it’s weird that you came from a small town. In fact, after living in the smoky and noisy city for so long, I think life in a small town’s pretty nice for a change. So, tell me Applejack, what’s it like back in Ponyville?”
“Well, Ah think it’s the nicest place you ever did see. It’s so small that every-pony knows every-pony here and ya get ta be greeted by name every time ya leave home. Some folks would even get ya lunch and talk ta ya about a lot of things! No matter where ya are in Ponyville, ya always feel like yer home!”
“Woah, I sure would love to have that feeling where I live! Could you tell me more about it?”
“Ya sure are asking too many questions fer a filly Ah’d just met. We haven’t even introduced ourselves yet!”
“Well then, allow me to be the first to welcome you to Manehattan Elementary! I’m Coloratura.”
“Well, it’s nice ta meet ya, Colon … Collar … Cholera … Ra … Rara …”
The orange filly seemed to stumble over her words as her acquaintance beside her gave a hearty chuckle.
“Rara ... It sounds cute! I like it! If my name’s too hard for you, you can just call me that.”
***
“Sweet Apple Acres is the biggest little farm Ponyville’s ever had as far as Ah can remember. From the barn, ya can see rows upon rows of apple trees stretched out as far as the eye can see and it takes like half a day ta get from one end of the orchard to the other!”
The pair were sitting on a bench in the school’s courtyard, eating their lunches and watching the other students at play. The afternoon breeze rustled the evergreen leaves of the nearby trees and the birds chirping happily reminded the country filly of home and she channeled that hometown pride as she went on and on about her family’s orchard.
“Wow, your farm sounds amazing!” Coloratura exclaimed “And a bit big ... How’d your family take care of it all?”
“Ah think the orchard takes care of itself most of the time.” Applejack replied “All we have ta do is water the young trees, chop down the old ones and buck those with a full harvest of apples on only some parts of the orchard. That’s on top of the other chores we have ta do around the farm. Sure, it gets a bit hectic, but if it puts food on the table, ya learn ta get used to it.
“That’s awesome! I wish I’d get to walk around it someday ...”
“Well, someday ya might! The Apple family holds a reunion every hundred moons smack dab in the middle of Sweet Apple Acres! If Ah do so reckon, the next one’s in about a year. Ah could bring you to come visit if ya want.”
“Really? I dunno about that. I've only just met you after all ..."
“It’s nothing. Call it a favor for being so nice ta me on mah first day!”
"That would be fantastic! Thanks, Applejack!”
They both took another bite of their lunches as they heard the distant gossip of the other students nearby, something about a bright glowing rainbow that burst across the sky the other day. Eventually, after a long period of silence, Coloratura asked something that was on her mind ever since she had first heard of Applejack’s farm.
“So, why did you move to Manehattan? You don’t seem to be adjusting to life here all that well. And based on what I’ve heard from you, Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres seemed like the perfect place to live!”
All at once, the hometown pride the country filly once had before faded away and she looked as if she had been emotionally wounded. It was a touchy subject for her, and yet she felt that she could trust this new friend of hers with her feelings.
“I-it’s … mah Ma and Pa. They passed away a few weeks ago. Ah was so distraught and heartbroken that Ah didn’t leave my room for days. So, when Aunt and Uncle Orange dropped by and offered to take me to live with them in Manehattan, Ah jumped at the chance. Sure, it was tough leaving Granny Smith, Big Mac and even little Applebloom, but the orchard held so many memories of mah parents, that living there for one more day would only just remind me of how Ah missed them so much!
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Rara said apologetically.
“Aw, shucks. Ya don’t have ta be.” Applejack replied with a warm smile “Ah just needed a change of pace anyway. With Big Mac set to inherit the orchard, Ah’d just be bogged down by farm chores for the rest of mah life anyway. Speaking of which, what’s yer family like?”
“Well, my parents work at the Manehattan Theater. My dad handles the stuff backstage while my mom performs live occasionally. Her voice was so soft and sweet, that ponies come from miles around just to hear her sing. I’m lucky that she sings me to sleep every night with her songs.”
“Sure wish Ah still knew what that felt like ...” Applejack muttered to herself. When she saw the guilty look on her friend’s face once more, she quickly tried to reassure her. “But that’s okay with me! Mah Pa once said that whatever happens in Equestria happens fer a darn good reason, and if their early passing serves ta help toughen me up in this world, so be it!”
“But I still feel bad that you don’t have a family that loves you as much as mine does!”
“Eh, Aunt and Uncle Orange tries their best. Though they’re a bit fancy-livin' and have little experience in raising a country filly like mahself, they still want ta make sure that Ah feel comfortable in mah stay here in Manehattan. Besides, Ah’ve been writing ta my family back in Ponyville and reading their replies makes me happy to know that they're doing alright, so don’t ya worry about me. Us Apples always find a way ta stick together, no matter how far apart we are!”
“I never really thought of it that way. But still, I’m just grateful that I still have a Mom and Dad to tell them how much I love them.”
“Then, tell them every single day! Tell them till ya run out of breath ta tell them! Ya might not know when ya might not be able ta tell them no more. Ah know Ah want ta.”
“That’s deep coming from you.” Rara exclaimed with a laugh.
“Hey! Us country folk may not have the book smarts ya city folk have. But what we have is the wisdom that we’ve gained passed down from pony to pony! So don’t ya go looking down on us small town ponies, ya hear?” her orange coated friend replied indignantly.
“I won’t. Anyway, shall we go back in? The bell is ringing.”
“Sure, Rara. And thanks fer the talk. Ah think Ah needed that.”
"Well, if there's any-pony I have to thank, it's you, Applejack, for your country wisdom."
And so, the two friends walked hoof in hoof back into the school, chatting and laughing along the way. The concerns and cares of the world around them seemed insignificant as the friendship that they’ve found in each other is much more precious to them at that very moment.
***
“Thanks for having me over again, AJ. I really needed the help with Math. I can’t seem to make sense out of all the numbers!”
“You’re very welcome, Rara. And Math isn’t that hard, really. Once you get the hang of it, you can practically do it with your eyes closed!”
It had been a few weeks since Applejack’s first day at Manehattan Elementary and a lot had changed since then. Though she wasn’t too shy to be around other colts and fillies her age at school anymore, she still stuck close to the first friend she had made there and vice versa. The pair were inseparable and did practically everything together, mostly spending their time in Applejack’s room so they could hang out and study. However, it was on this particular visit that Rara had noticed something tucked away between a desk and a bookshelf.
“Wait, is that … a guitar? I didn’t know you could play.”
“Oh, it’s my Ma’s. It’s one of the many keepsakes I have of her after she and Pa left. Whenever, I feel lonely and find myself thinking about them, I take it out and play a few notes. To be honest, I’m not very good at it, though I’ve been doing this for quite some time.”
“Could you show me?” Coloratura asked eagerly.
“I guess I could. But I have to warn you, I’m not gonna bust out Tailor Swift right off the bat.” Applejack answered with a smirk.
She soon picked up the guitar and began to play a folk song that she had heard of back in Ponyville. Her hoof-work was awkward, only being able to play a few melodies with a few mistakes here and there, but Rara could see how passionate she was at playing what notes she could. She was just getting into the rhythm of the folk song, closing her eyes and swaying back and forth to the beat, when she heard the music slow down and slow soft sobs coming from the player of the guitar herself. She opened her eyes to see Applejack tearing up and looking morosely at the floor.
“Are you okay, AJ?” Coloratura asked, concerned.
“I’m alright, Rara. Thanks for asking." Applejack replied between sniffles "I’m just … just … whenever I pick up my Ma’s guitar to play, I’m always reminded of her … of them … back in Ponyville … and how I’ve missed them so much! I-I shouldn’t have come here … I should be back there with … Granny Smith … and Big Mac … and Applebloom … Oh, they must be so heartbroken missing me too!”
Coloratura let Applejack cry her heart out for a few moments as she put a comforting hoof over her shoulder. Though she couldn’t empathize with how her friend was feeling right now, her tearful countenance reminded her of herself when she was little, when she felt lost, scared and alone in this large and scary world of hers, to which her mother would do something to help soothe her soul. Seeing her friend in this very same situation, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and began to sing.
As a soft sweet melody echoed throughout the room, Applejack was taken aback at how talented the filly beside her was at singing, and it had momentarily taken her back to happier times, when her mother used to sing her and her siblings to sleep every night after a hard day of work at the farm. As she continued listening to the aquamarine filly beside her, it was as if her mother was beside her once again and she took comfort in that image. With that feeling of hope renewed in her once more, she took up the guitar.
Rara stopped for a moment when she heard Applejack strum on her instrument, but as Applejack continued to play a song that they both knew, she began to sing again, forming a duet, haphazard in its execution but breathtaking in its passion and all the while, the two friends continued to make lovely music together for the rest of the afternoon, their friendship growing stronger with this sense of closeness and common ground.
***
The halls of Manehattan Elementary were abuzz with news once more as posters were put up all around the school grounds, advertising a talent show that was to take place one month later at the school auditorium. That naturally caught the attention of Applejack and Coloratura, who had been having their impromptu jamming sessions for quite some time now.
“Oh, AJ. Do you wanna join? It’ll be fun! Just the both of us showing our special talents to the whole school!”
“I don’t know, Rara. I don’t think I’m good enough to have anything to show off at this here contest. Besides, I only play because it reminds me of home.”
“You don’t have to be good at something to show how passionate you are about the thing you do. All it takes is one brave step and you can see how much you’re able to do! Plus, you’ll be doing a huge favor to the other colts and fillies as well!”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if we go up there on stage and try our best at whatever it is we do, then our classmates would feel brave enough to try out their special talents the next time this event rolls around! If weren’t there to show that we could perform despite how afraid we are, how is any-pony else going to be brave enough to show the world what they can do?”
“I guess if you put it that way, then I’d suppose we’ll give it a shot.”
“Oh, thank you, AJ! I’ll get the both of us signed up!”
***
Applejack took a deep breath as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror backstage, with Aunt Orange tying up her hair in a neat bouffant. She wasn’t used to how she looked right now, wearing light makeup on her face and a pretty frilly dress her aunt had picked out for her. She looked like a Manehattanite through and through but as she fiddled with the strings on her guitar, her hometown heart had said otherwise.
She had seen the acts of the students that had come before her. Some were good. Some were bad. Some were downright amazing. And with each performance, she felt more and more fidgety on how she would follow up those that came before her. She would have rushed out of backstage in a panic if it weren’t for Coloratura putting a reassuring arm around her shoulder.
“Hey, AJ. Are you ready?”
“I think so. I’m just nervous that’s all. It’s the first time I’ll be playing in front of a crowd, after all.”
“Why are you nervous? I thought we’ve practiced together ever since we signed up for the talent show.”
“Well, all the practice in the world won’t do me any good if I mess up one note out there. I’ll be just as much of a laughingstock as I was on my first day! Besides, don’t tell me you’re not shaking in your boots as well, Rara.”
“Alright, I’ll admit it. I’m just as nervous as you are. But you know what? That’s fine! That means we are going to give it our all, no matter what!”
“Then I’m ready as I’ll ever be. If I go down, I’ll go down playing.”
“That’s the spirit, AJ!”
Then, the teacher who was the master of ceremonies called out both of their names. Nervously, they stepped onto the stage to the applause of parents and students alike. Applejack could see Aunt and Uncle Orange sitting next to Coloratura’s own parents. With a deep breath, Rara approached the microphone and started to speak.
“Hi every-pony. The song that we’re going to perform together is very special to my friend over there.” Coloratura said, motioning to the filly with the guitar behind her “It’s something her mother used to sing to her father when they were together.”
Having finished her introduction, Applejack began to play as she cleared her throat and sung.
***
The two fillies watched as the audience stood and clapped their hooves together, whooping, cheering and showing their appreciation for their performance together. To them, it was the first time that they had done something worthy of adoration and applause and they felt giddy in the sudden limelight that had enveloped them. Seeing nothing else to do, they took each other’s hooves and bowed, thanking the world for their appreciation towards their duet. And that’s when the magic happened.
They had heard a gasp in the audience as they looked up from their bow. They looked confused for a moment at the sudden silence before turning around to see a soft glow emanating from behind them. Their heartbeats quickened and their jaws dropped in amazement as images appeared in each of their flanks. For Coloratura, it was that of five colorful music notes encircling a yellow star. For Applejack, it was that of an acoustic guitar in front of a large red apple.
They had done it. Their talents were made clear and now the whole school knows it. And it was all because they had dared to show to the world what had made them special. And they did it together. The two fillies locked themselves in an embrace, their friendship and resolve to take on the world in each other’s hooves strengthened even more.
***
Applejack looked outside of the train window as the bright lights of Manehattan slowly faded away out of her sight. Soon it would be nothing but countryside for a several hours until the train arrived at the Ponyville station. She then turned towards the train’s interior to see her family, or at least the family she had known for about a year now through her stay in the big city, who would be accompanying her on her long-awaited return during the Apple Family Reunion. There was Uncle and Aunt Orange, of course, but also Uncle and Aunt Seed, who is rocking her cousin, Babs, to sleep. Soon, it would be her first day at Manehattan Elementary and the orange filly was determined to ensure that it wouldn’t be as awkward as when she had entered that class on that fateful day.
And then there was Rara.
She sat opposite to Applejack with her eyes closed, laid to rest by the tunes coming from her cassette. She was, and still is, a music lover through and through, but who was to say she didn’t love music too? That thought crossed her mind as she glanced at the case containing her mother’s guitar inside. In a way, music had helped her a lot throughout her stay in Manehattan. It brought back the feeling of Sweet Apple Acres, strengthened her friendship with Rara by allowing them to find common ground, and helped them both to find their destinies. Staring at her flank once more, she smiled, wondering where life, fate or some other cosmic higher power would take her and her friend next in this wild world that she was living in.
A few thoughts had crossed her mind as the train chugged along its tracks heading towards their destination. What would Granny Smith, Applebloom and Big Mac think of her after so long being apart? Sure, they had sent letters to each other, but would that lessen the blow of her leaving prematurely? Would things have been different is she had stayed in Ponyville? Those questions in her mind soon dissipated as she looked at Rara once more and the voice of her father echoed again in her mind, telling her that all things happen for a reason. Her lips curved upwards in a grin. If this was the result of the choice she had made one year ago, so be it. Rara was now just as much family as the rest of them and nothing can persuade her to think otherwise.
She had watched the train make a few stops before reaching Ponyville, but on one of them, she had noticed some-pony peculiar step on board. A pink-coated filly with a similarly pink poofy mane and a rucksack full of what looked like balloons and streamers stepped on board, nervously looking at all the bothered and unfriendly faces around her before taking a vacant seat at the back of the car. Curious, she stepped from her seat past the snoring Oranges and walked up towards the filly with a smile.
“Well, hi there, stranger!” she greeted the pink pony “Are you going to Ponyville too?”
“Uh … yeah! I’m going to live with some-pony there.” she said with a nervous grin.
“Really … Don’t you have folks back where you came from?” Applejack asked inquisitively.
“I do. But I needed a change of pace. Plus, I’m on a mission! See I was working on my family’s farm one day when a huge rainbow came out of nowhere and brightened the sky! It was so amazing and beautiful that I couldn’t help but smile! Then, a thought came to me: I was so miserable back at home with all the farm work until that day until that rainbow came filled me up with joy!
Then I thought: how many fillies, colts, mares and stallions are living in sadness just like me? Then, I made up my mind. I am going to make the whole world smile! But I can’t do it when I’m stuck in my family’s farm back home. So, when I found out from some-pony passing by that some bakery in Ponyville is willing to let some-pony to have a place to stay as long as they can help them with their work, I jumped at the chance! The whole world is going to smile and Ponyville’s where it’ll all start!”
Man, this filly can talk once she gets going. Applejack thought with an amused smile. And why does her tale sound so familiar?
“That’s quite the goal you have there, Miss …” she asked aloud.
“Oh! My name is Pinkie Pie! What’s yours?”
“Applejack.”
“Nice to meet you, Applejack! So why are you headed for Ponyville?”
“Well, it’s a long story …”
And so, as the train chuffed on, Applejack recounted her first year in Manehattan, Pinkie Pie listened, and the distant lights of Ponyville grew ever closer.
***
Applejack could feel the crisp air of the early morning blow around her as she walked on the path to Sweet Apple Acres, accompanied by her Manehattan family and Coloratura. Pinkie Pie would catch up with them later as she went to the local bakery to apply for her apprenticeship. Looking around her surroundings, Applejack was taken aback by how little the orchard had changed since she had left it a year ago. The sweet smell of ripe apples hanging from the tall sturdy trees brought back past memories and she teared up a little at how familiar everything was.
Throughout their trek between the tall trees, she eagerly showed her city friend every nook and cranny of what made the orchard special in her filly-hood. By that tree, according to her, was where she had last dug up a trap for the Great Seedling. Between these other two trees, she and her brother, Big Macintosh, had strung hammocks to peacefully laze in the late autumn evening. And that treehouse in the distance was where she hung out with her siblings and shared a cool glass of the Acres’ famous cider together after a hot summer day.
This trip down memory lane soon ended at the farmhouse, where the long-estranged members of the Apple family would soon meet. Temporarily leaving the caravan of her city relatives, she walked up to her foal-hood home with Coloratura by her side, taking in its wooden red exterior and its faded red paintjob, Applejack took a deep breath before knocking on the front door. She wondered if her family would recognize her now, as though she hadn’t changed that much, she had adopted a Manehattan look, wearing a simple pink dress and having her hair tied up in a bun. Gone was the country twang she used to have in her filly-hood, replaced by a posh-sounding city accent with mere hints of her Ponyville roots.
The front door opened slowly, revealing the pony within who gasped in surprise at the sight of her. Granny Smith had seen a lot of years, but was looking as spry as ever. Behind her was the strong and tough Big Macintosh, and by her feet was the curious Applebloom. They stood there for a few moments, taking in the sight of how the past year had changed them, and then, with tears in her eyes, she embraced them, the family divided reunited once more.