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// Back to Sweet Apple Acres 
// Story: What is left after revenge 
// by Usui 
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	The sun struck hard on Appleloosa this morning. And yet, each of its inhabitants were busy with their activities. Whether the farmers, the traders, or the forces led by Sheriff Silver Star, each of them put hooves on in order to contribute to the development of the city, which was still a young sprout planted in a dry desert.

Appleloosa was starting to attract many ponies, eager for new horizons and unknown spaces. Until they get a housing, they were harbored at the inn, which had the main effect of filling the rooms, of course !  The inn's manager, Cleany, a dashing earth pony with a white coffee's coat and bearing a sparkling broom's shaped cutie mark,  didn't know anymore which way to turn to serve customers. She thought then that she had to find quickly qualified staff, perhaps even hire one now, among those newcomers.

She was so busy serving breakfasts that she didn't even see a blazing yellow stallion, green eyed, wearing a hat and a leather vest, enter. He melt into the crowd of people from Appleloosa like this. It must be said that hats were very useful, looking at the heat !

The stallion headed to the counter and waited there a moment for Cleany to finish to deliver orders. But he realized after five minutes that she was still serving breakfasts. Thus, he decided to push the pile drive on the counter. Cleany turned over immediately, sighing, and then saying :

“I'll be with you in thirty seconds.”

The inn's keeper kept her promise and returned to her place, finally able to care for the newcomer. She smiled when she saw his face.

“Sorry for the wait, business is booming as you can see, Braeburn! I guess you came looking for your cousin?”
“Bingo! Said Braeburn, giving her smile back. But Ah don't see her downstairs...”
“She's not awake yet, announced the manager. Well, it doesn't look like her...”
“Ah must say she helped us a lot in the fields, lately, said Breaburn proudly. Can ah go upstairs waking her up?”
“Of course you can! Cleany answered. She stays on the second floor, Third room on the right.”
“Thanks, Cleany, you're a sweetheart! Said the golden stallion.”

Braeburn went upstairs in a fast pace. He stopped on the second floor and started looking for the room indicated by the keeper. Then, he knocked against the door, speaking in a strong voice at the same time:

“Applejack! Time to get up, you little slack-off!”

Then, Braeburn heard some movements in the room and waited in front of it. One minute later, the wooden door opened, letting his cousin appear, totally uncombed, an obvious tiredness being visible trough her eyes. 


“Braeburn? Applejack said. What are you doing here?”
“Did you look at the time, AJ? Asked her cousin.”
Applejack turned herself toward a clock fixed on one of the walls, before she lept:

“It can't be?! The train's leaving in two hours!”
“Exactly! Braeburn said. Got to rush yourself!”

The young pony grasped her hat, placed on a hat stand, and put it on her head, leaving her mane scattered. Meanwhile, her cousin went downstairs and asked Cleany to cook quickly a breakfast for Applejack. The keeper carried this out, not without asking the stallion if he wanted something too. The latter politely declined:

“Ah've already eaten back home. Thanks, anyway!”

Applejack reappeared a few minutes later, her mane attached anew. Realizing this, Braeburn asked:

“Why did you put your hat on before doing your mane again?”

Applejack, still passably asleep, settled in a table still free, followed by Braeburn.  The pony was served a bit later by Cleany,who had prepared a large glass of milk and a piece of an applepie which seemed to be delicious. Applejack thanked her hostess and started eating under Braeburn's gaze.

“You know, you were just supposed to bring us supplies from Ponyville, the stallion said. You had no need to overwork yourself working in the fields and you should have rested from your hard-work in Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Ich's not liche me to rest myself when the others worch, you should know chat, said Applejack, biting in her part of pie.”

Braeburn nodded, agreeing with her. He kept on the conversation:

“Didn't thought you getting ready in so little time. Maybe you'll have enough time to say goodbye to Bloomberg. Especially as the buffaloes should no longer delay. Ah guess you would like to see Little Strongheart again ?”

“For sure! Applejack answered,  before drinking a mouthful of milk.”

This name brought back memories of a great adventure with her friends. An adventure that started badly, although. Applejack had to deliver Bloomberg, an apple tree that she cared about like a mother, to Appleloosa, one year old at the time. However, the tree was taken away by a buffalo tribe, protesting against the settler's coming, which prevented them of  migrating because of the plantations. The case seemed to have a very bad start, taking even serious proportions, but the two tribes finally achieved a compromise: the buffaloes allowed the settlers letting their plantations in this place, in condition the latters provide them regurlaly with apple pies. Little Strongheart was a young buffalo who made a lot in the merging of the two tribes that everything seemed to oppose. 

Applejack had just finished her meal. She stood up, imitated by her cousin, before she paid what she owed to Cleany, who did a favor to her by not including this breakfast to the bill. The farmer from Ponyville thanked her once again before going outside  with Braeburn.

The town was filled with life just as usual, while the two cousins passed in front of diverse stores like the grocery and the saloon. Then, Braeburn said:

“Too bad, really, that your friends could'nt come!”
“They were too busy in Ponyville, like ah said when ah arrived, Applejack said.”

Indeed, they would have accompagnied her willingly, but they were all busy: Rarity had an important order of dresses to make, Fluttershy had to take care of a sick young  sparrow, Rainbow Dash was in charge of the clouds in Ponyville this week, Twilight had to organize an important meeting and Pinkie Pie was foal-sitting Mr. and Mrs. Cake's babies, going to sell their pastry creations in Canterlot.

Thus she was the only one to go to Appleloosa. The rest of the trip leading to the apple trees was filled with silence, making perceptible the breath of hot wind. They finally arrived in the fields, true haven in the middle of the desert. Among all the apple trees  which were there, one stood majestically. It was Bloomberg. In front of his trunk was laid a large table where sat many apple pies, awards of the quest for a big queue only made of buffalos. Among this queue was the young Little Strongheart, who noticed Applejack and give up her place to join her.

“Long time no see, Applejack! Said happily the buffalo. Isn't Rainbow Dash with you?”
“Nope, she had too much work to do in Ponyville, answered the farmer.”

Little Strongheart seemed disappointed but she quickly regained her high spirits:

“Say hello to her for me!”
“You can count on me! Applejack promised”

The pony remained a few minutes watching Bloomberg, and after saying goodbye to Little Strongheart, she signaled Braeburn to join her, given that it was time for her to leave Appleloosa. The two earth ponies galloped, leaving a cloud made of dust on their way. As a result of their acceleration, the wind seemed to getting colder.  They managed to arrive in time at the train station. The train that shall head Applejack back to Ponyville was already there and ready to leave.

Applejack thrusted herself and landed with agility at the entrance of the rear car while the train began to roll. Braeburn started galloping on the railway as the vehicle gained speed, and yelled to his cousin:

“ Say hello to the rest of the family, AJ! And Ah almost forgot...”

While galloping, he took a red apple that he had kept in the lining of his leather vest, before throwing it to Applejack, who caught it on the wing. Then, Braeburn stopped, shouting those last words:

“Give it to Applebloom, ok?!”

Applejack quickly considered the apple befor putting it in her hat and saying goodbye to Braeburn:

“Works for me!!!”

The figure of Applejack's cousin already fade, hidden by the sun. Then, Applejack got into the car and sat on one of the seats. She started watching at the window the landscape slipping away under her gaze.
Applejack stayed an entire week in Appleloosa. Initially, she planned staying there for a couple of days, but noticing that only a few days left before the buffalos' coming, she delayed her departure in order to help the farmers. This journey had frazzled her, and yet, she knew that a hard task waited for her in Sweet Apple Acres. Nonetheless, she was glad to return there, since she would find her family and her friends. She longed seeing once again Granny Smith, Bigmacintosh and Applebloom...
Then, she felt in Morpheus' hooves...

	It was dark and cloudy, the wind breathed fiercely, the trees had no longer leaves or fruits. Sweet Apple Acres was no more...

Applejack woke up in a start as the train whistled. She looked at the window and realized that she came back in Ponyville. She stood up and opened the door of the car, before landing on the platform. Her friends were there to welcome her.

“Glad to see you again, girls! Applejack said. Rainbow,  Little Strongheart asked me to say hello to you!”

Rainbow Dash didn't answer, showing off a dark face. Just like the rest of her friends.

“Huh, what's happening? Applejack asked.”

As if to answer her question, Twilight Sparkle went seriously to her:

“You should follow us, Applejack.”
“O.......K....... said Applejack, not understanding.”

The group of friends started out, without saying a single word. Nopony spoke, not even Pinkie Pie, a pink pony especially talkative usually. Applejack was led by her friends until Sweet Apple Acres, the field that she took care with her family, field filled with beautiful apple trees which were the proud of Ponyville.

“Ah can still find the way back to my house! Applejack protested”

When she heard those word, Rarity turned back, letting appear a sad face that she shook in disappointment. Truly, the farmer didn't understand  the situation. Then, Twilight opened the door of the farm, using her magic. They were all welcomed by Spike.

“What's Spike doing here? Applejack asked”

Nopony answered to her while Twilight leaned to whisper something to Spike, who  simply said that they were still upstairs. The unicorn signaled the others to go upstairs. They obeyed and climbed up the stairs slowly. Twilight advised Applejack to enter the rooms.

Applejack entered first in Granny Smith's room and saw her lying in her bed. Nothing surprising. Noticing the lack of understanding of her friend, Twilight asked her to come closer. Applejack did it. Then, she realized that her granny had her eyes wide-opened, but there wasn't the slightest sign of life in them. Applejack shook her gently, with the hope of waking her up, but she didn't reach any kind of result.

“It's the same thing for Bigmac' and Applebloom”

Applejack turned back and saw that Twilight was in the room.

“Are they... Dead?”

The question was out alone, but with difficulty. Then, Twilight answered:

“No. But it's just as...”
“What happened to them?”
“We don't know. Twilight said. Sweetie Belle discovered them in the kitchen this morning when she visited Applebloom. She went looking for Rarity, who immediately warned us. We set them in their rooms and we waited for you at the station, hoping that you came back from Appleloosa today...”

Applejack didn't say more words while Twilight kept:

“It's getting late. We will warn Princess Celestia first thing tomorrow morning. For now, we will all staying here. I think you shouldn't stay there all alone...”
“Do as you wish, said Applejack simply.”

Twilight got out of the room, quickly imitated by the farmer. However, she stopped in front of her little sister's room. The unicorn watched her going in the room, then went downstairs to join the others. She wouldn't disturb Applejack...

The night felt quickly on Sweet Apple Acres and Applejack didn't walk downstairs. Her friends thought that she would certainly sleeping near her sister. The evening was like a frightening calm and the girl laid down quickly.

The next morning, seeing that Applejack wasn't still downstairs, Rarity went looking for her. She knocked her hoove on the door of Applejack's bedroom, but couldn't get an answer. She had a glance at the room and didn't see the young farmer. She did the same for Bigmac' and Granny Smith's rooms, without succeeding. Finally, she knocked on Applebloom's door. Still no answer... Then, she entered the room and only saw the young filly lying on her bed.

Applejack was missing. Only a half-apple remained at Applebloom's bedside...