//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Evergreen Park // Story: Dirt // by SomethingForThePain //------------------------------// The next morning, both mares woke up with a highly noticeable pep their step. For once, Applejack offered to clear the table and wash the dishes after breakfast, even though it was Big Mac’s turn to do so. Rarity told Sweetie Belle that she would be more than happy to have her help out with dress designs when she got home from school. After they met up to walk the fillies to school, it seemed like it was going to be a very, very good day. After dropping off their younger siblings at school into the capable hooves of Cheerilee, the pair headed over to the train station. They arrived at the platform, which had ponies bustling about left and right with briefcases and suitcases and the like. They could hardly see past the ocean of the morning commute. The crowd was large enough to force AJ into a small fit of claustrophobia. “Uhm, Rar? Which one o’ these trains is ours?” Applejack looked down at the small print on her ticket. She couldn’t tell if the train number was a two or a five, and all of the ponies around her had begun to make her nervous. It was not overlooked by her cool-headed friend. This wasn’t her first trip to the rodeo, so to speak. She took at look at her own ticket and placed a comforting hoof on the small of Applejack’s back. “Look, it’s that one over there.” Rarity pointed towards a cobalt-colored train with a long yellow stripe running along the side of it. Neither of them had ever ridden it before, and the colors were very different compared to the bright and inviting yellows and pinks of the normal train that they rode. Maybe it was out for repairs. They trotted over to it, and handed their tickets over to the stallion standing at the entrance. He was a bit older, with a salt and pepper mane and a burgundy coat. He gave them a wide-eyed smile. “Pardon me if this is a bit rude, but aren’t you two part of the elements of harmony?” “Why yes, yes we are. Generosity and Honesty. I suspect that you’ve heard of us.” Rarity replied. “Oh, but of course I have, ma’am!” He bowed before them and tipped his hat. “We have a special section just for the both of you! Do follow me.” He walked up the stairs and out of view, deeper into the train. The mares followed behind him, both excited and unsure of what exactly they were about to see. He walked in and out of different cars, and lead them all the way to the very back, where a grand door was shut up tight. He pulled out a rack of keys, opened it, and turned the light on. The inside was breathtaking. For a train car, anyway. The walls were painted gold with twirling and winding patterns wrapping around each other and breaking apart. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling with unlit candles resting in holders around it, making the electrical light completely optional. The room was furnished with cashmere carpeting, a sofa, a few chairs, and three princess-sized beds, all in a deep red wine color. Each bed was decorated with two cutie marks of the holders of the elements. One with clouds and butterflies, another with stars and balloons, and the last with apples and diamonds. There were two other doors as well, which held a bathroom and a small closet. Applejack and Rarity were in awe, and their jaws had practically hit the floor by now. “I really hope you two enjoy your ride! My name is Caboose, by the way. Pleasure to meet you both!” After handing them the key to their VIP suite, he left them to their own devices. Rarity was very, very pleased. She pulled back the curtain on the wall, revealing a large window that let in golden rays of sunlight. They were a bit early, and the train wasn’t due to leave for another thirty minutes. It was the perfect time to catch up on beauty sleep. “Applejack darling, be a dear and wake me when we’ve arrived.” After putting on a face mask, Rarity plopped down on the bed with her cutie mark on it, and snuggled deep into the thick, warm sheets. “Will do, Rar.” By the time Applejack had turned around to look at her friend, she was already asleep. When Rarity awoke, the train was in motion and the room was much, much colder. The sunny sky was now dark and grey, and Applejack was dozing on the couch, shivering like a puppy in the snow. Groggily, Rarity picked up a blanket from one of the other two beds in a grasp of her light blue aura and floated it over to her orange coated friend, draping it over her resting figure. She smiled, seeing that her AJ was obviously warming up. The shivering was slowing, and the sleeping mare unconsciously wrapped the comforter tighter around her body. Reluctantly, Rarity stepped out of the warm and enticing bed, and walked over to the window. Looking out of it, she saw snowflakes fall down like white raindrops, twirling and dancing about in the wind. No wonder why it was so chilly. Canterlot was quickly approaching in the distance, but she didn’t have the heart to wake Applejack up just yet. She was always working her little flank off; a moment’s rest wouldn’t kill her. Soon, the train’s steady momentum began to slow to a halt, releasing a high pitched whine that hurt Rarity’s ears and woke the snoozing AJ from her nap. “Hmm..?” She wiped the sleep from her eyes and yawned, putting a hoof over her mouth as she did so. . “We’re here, Applejack.” Rarity put on her lavender coat and her matching satchel, and led her tired friend out of the door, locking it up afterwards. They made sure that they were the last ponies off the train, so they could give Caboose the key to their room. When they got off, they thanked Caboose for his hospitality and handed him the key. After they left the train platform, they were on their merry way into Canterlot. The city in the winter was beautiful. White blankets of snow covered everything like powdered sugar on one of Pinkie Pie’s strawberry crepes. A good bit of it had made its way on the brim of Applejack’s hat, but she didn’t seem to mind. It snowed peacefully, to the point where somepony would barely notice it otherwise. “Gosh..” Applejack’s eyes were as wide as saucers as they took in all of the beautiful things around her. Ponies all around them seemed to be doing the same, save for the locals. “What time is it, Rarity? We outta hurry if we wanna get everything done today, right?” Her friend merely laughed and flipped her bangs out of her eyes. “Time does not exist, my dear. Only clocks do. And besides, don’t you want to see the sights? I know you’ve been here before, but you’ve never truly gotten to view Canterlot in its entirety, have you? And oh, the things I want to show you! Come along.” Without another word, Rarity began to walk east with Applejack trailing behind her in a slightly confused state. After walking for about twenty minutes or so, Applejack found herself staring at a large, champagne pink colored building. The roof was covered with frost, and icicles hung from the shingles. A sign in elegant lettering read ‘The Mines: Where You Find Your Diamond In The Rut!’ Rarity opened the door and stepped in. There were two things that Applejack noticed when she stepped inside. For one, the warmth of the place. A fireplace was lit and roaring on the other side of the room. And then there was the pink. Oh Celestia, there was pink everywhere. To make it worse, the lights were as bright as the sun itself. Applejack cringed, suddenly wishing that she was back at the barn hoof-wrestling with Big Mac instead of this frilly wonderland. Mares all around were ooo-ing and ahhh-ing, dragging around bored looking stallions with bags full of bits. One particular mare seemed to stand out from the others. She had a citreous colored coat and a long, curly cerise mane. She was sitting down at a large desk, with her back turned to them. On her flank was a needle and spool of cherry red thread. She had a pair of scissors held in an aura the same color as her cutie mark, snipping a long sheet of gossamer with care. Without hesitation, Rarity walked over to her and quickly placed her hooves over the mare’s eyes. Applejack could see her concentration break, and the scissors fell to the ground. “Guess who?” Rarity whispered into the blinded mare’s ear with a playful edge in her voice, smiling all the while. The other mare sighed, probably wishing to get back to work. “I have no idea. Blossomforth? Peachy Cream?” Her voice was silvery, the kind that must have made all the colts swoon back in high school, and the kind that made AJ feel suddenly very, very warm. Rarity unhoofed her, and the mare quickly turned around, exposing her soft cardinal irises. She gave a loud gasp and jumped up from her seat. “Rarikins!” “Jezzypoo!” The two unicorns held each other in a tight embrace, squealing and laughing with glee and mirth. When they broke apart, ‘Jezzypoo’ looked at Rarity with wide eyes. “Jeez, Rarity! Why in the hay didn’t you call? I could have arranged for you to stay somewhere and ohmygoshwehavesomuchtocatchuponand-” Rarity shushed her. “Jezzy, calm down. I’d like to introduce you to someone.” She turned her head towards AJ, who had been standing quietly from them a few feet away. “Applejack, this is my old friend Jessamy Fits, who happens to own this beautiful establishment! We went to the Canterlot University of Arts together! And Jessamy, this is Applejack. She’s a good friend of mine that lives back in Ponyville with me.” “Pleasure to meet you, Ms.Fits.” Applejack tipped her hat down, causing a bit of the slush stuck in the brim to fall on the floor. “Sorry.” She bent down to clean it up, but Jessamy stopped her. “Oh, don’t mind that, dear. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Applejack. And please, call me Jess.” “Will do, uh, Jess.” Applejack’s cheeks reddened a bit, so she turned away. “So, Rarity, what brings you here? I haven’t seen you in a while.” Jessamy turned to her old college buddy. “Well, I need fabric, and lots of it. Give me a second.” She undid the flap of her satchel and pulled out a thick scroll. She tugged on the small ribbon that held it together, causing a good length of it to fall to the floor. Jessamy’s eyes widened, and she grasped the scroll in her cherry red aura. Her eyes skimmed over the words, a few of them sticking out to her. “Eighty yards of silk? Fifty yards of satin? Rarikins, all of this stuff is going take me a while to find in the back. I don’t even know if I have all of these in stock at the moment.” “How long do you think it’ll take?” Rarity looked at her friend with pleading eyes, hoping that it could be done. “Probably a good few hours, but I’m sure I can at least check for all of these before sundown. Is that alright?” Rarity let out a sigh of relief. “It’s perfect.” “Great! Meet me back here at six-thirty. Now if you ladies will excuse me, I have a few phone calls to make.” With that, Jessamy disappeared behind a door with a red ‘Employees Only’ sign and shut it. “So, what now?” AJ was curious to see what else was in store for her on this short vacation. “There are a few other places of interest that I’d like to take you to. We have the whole day ahead of us! Isn’t that splendid?” They began to walk towards the exit. “Sure is!” The cowgirl gave an ecstatic smile. The reached the doorway, and she held the door open for Rarity, motioning for her to go first with her other hoof. Rarity stopped walking halfway through. “Oh, and Applejack?” “Yeah, sugarcube?” “Your hat is filled with water.” As if on cue, a few drops splattered on the floor. Applejack sighed, and walked out behind Rarity. Throughout the day, the two mares had gone to a few more places. Rarity showed Applejacke her old elementary school and a few classmates, her old apartment, the jewelery store she was once employed at, her favorite places to shop, and gorgeous skyscrapers and buildings. But after a short stop at a cafe for a bite to eat, Rarity had forced Applejack to put on a blindfold. “What in tarnation is this for?” “Oh hush, you’ll see in a moment. Just hold on to me and walk.” Though Rarity had no way of seeing it, Applejack rolled her eyes. She bit down Rarity’s long, curly tail, but did not yank it. Rarity was caught a bit of guard and gave out a small yelp of surprise, making AJ chuckle a bit to herself. As they started to walk, Applejack could feel the snow under her hooves begin to get thicker and taller. She could no longer feel the reassuring pavement beneath her, which made her a bit wary. After what seemed like an eternity, Rarity’s steady pace was halted, and Applejack let go of her tail. There were skittering sounds, and voices all around. A fit of whispering ensued. “Haven’t.....in a while....first time.....eleven....surprise....nervous.” Applejack had no clue what any of that meant. There was a soft ‘poof’ to her left. “Do sit down, dear.” The sound of Rarity’s voice was comforting. She sat down next to her, shivering slightly from the snow touching her skin. Something was being slipped on her hooves. They didn’t feel like socks. Besides, where in the hay would Rarity get socks from? She heard Rarity stand, and felt herself being pulled up as well. All of sudden, she was clumsy, like a newborn foal. “Just walk really slowly.” Said her friend beside her, holding on to her by her waist. “Be careful here.” The crunch of the snow was replaced by the skittering sounds Applejack had heard before, and the ground was now slick and smooth. “This is one of my favorite places in all of Canterlot.” The blindfold was pulled free from her eyes. “Welcome to the Evergreen Park.” Applejack was above a frozen lake, with a pair of ice skates on. She looked around, and could see dozens of tall, dark green white pines everywhere. Rarity looked at her friend with a small smile, while Applejack looked down at the apparatuses with a quizzical look about her. “How do you use these thin-” After taking an experimental glide forward, Applejack lost her footing, but Rarity quickly caught her in her forearms. She helped the slightly embarrassed mare up. “It’s alright, you know. They can be a bit tricky at first. Look, try walking a bit. Or shuffling, I suppose.” She demonstrated this by waddling around a bit, not unlike a penguin. Applejack, steady and cautious as ever, tried to do the same. “Like this?" “Yes, just like that! Good job!" Applejack smiled a bit at her small victory. “Well, that’s good enough for one eternity.” “Come now, darling! Just glide side-to-side. Right, left, right left.” Rarity pushed herself forward a few inches, and looked back at her friend eagerly. “Go on, try it out.” “If it’s all the same, I’d rather not fall down on my flank again.” “Oh, don’t be so pessimistic. You’ll get the hang of it eventually. Rome wasn’t conquered in a day, you know. But it’s fine if you don’t want to skate, because I would really love to show you around. This place is absolutely gorgeous.” Rarity sat on the ice, pulling the skates off of her hooves one by one. “Well, what are you waiting for, then’?” “For you to take yours off.” She stood up, holding up her own pair with her magic and gave her friend a small smirk. “I knew that.” Rarity showed Applejack a trail, and they both proceeded to follow it. The smooth path and the walk itself were both hushed, shrouded in adoring silence. Applejack was especially taken, being that she hadn’t seen any of this until now. Rarity was focused on reaching her destination. Not like she would have any trouble, after all. She knew this path better than the back of her own hoof. The crunch of the leaves and twigs and snow under their hooves were the only sounds that either of them made. It was like being in a trance; beautiful and breath taking, just enough to get one’s mind to wander off. Applejack was especially taken, haven’t ever seen any of it all beforehand. Wait, crunching? Applejack had finally floated back down to Earth and noticed that they were no longer on the path. Rubbish was spread wild and far, and she could feel a few thorns snag at her fur. “Rarity, I think we took a wrong turn somewhere. We really outta turn around and-” “Applejack, I know where I’m going.” “But we could get lost or somethi-” Rarity stopped abruptly, and turned around to face her friend. She held her face in her hooves, baring deep into those grassy green eyes. “Applejack, trust me, alright? Can’t you just trust me?” When her eyelids drooped down a bit, and she tilted her head towards the ground, Rarity knew that she had her answer. “Alright. I trust you, Rar’. I’m a might scared, btu I trust you none the less.” “Thank you.” She began to take the lead once more, her pace quickening to a steady trot. “Oh, we’re almost there! You’re going to like this much better than skating, I guarantee you that.” Up ahead, there where two leaning fir trees were covered with weeds and brambles vines. Rarity gave a small sigh, with a smile tugging at her lips, and approached it. “Oh, this has truly gone to the wild. I kept this much neater.” She manifested a cutting tool out of her magic, and used it to slash her way through. Applejack followed close behind her. Rarity walked in between the two trees, and was immediately met with a large, warm clearing. A small stream flowed down tall and bumpy rocks, leading to a river of sorts perhaps. Animals all about were at bay. Deer rested and grazed, birds chirped in their nests, squirrels ate away at acorns, and so on and so forth. There were flowers of all colors blooming about. Applejack couldn’t comprehend just what in the luna-heck was going on. In the middle of it all was a medium-sized bench, painted royal blue with orchids growing all around it. Rarity simply looked at it, tok a seat, and sighed with content and nostalgia. Applejack sat next to her, questions over flooding her mind about this wonderful place. But before she could open her mouth, Rarity began to explain. “My dad always took me here when I was a filly, but I never strayed from the path. I had always, still do, and forever will love this place. When I was just a filly, I got upset over something or other. And I did what silly fillies usually do. I ran away. To the only place I knew where to go to, anyway. It was cold outside with the temperature steadily dropping, and I didn’t even think to take my coat with me I think I took a box of crackers.” She laughed, thinking of the absurdity of it. “So I came to the park, trying to follow the trail. It was getting later ad darker, and I had no idea where I was going. It was by pure dumb luck that I stumbled upon this place. I no doubt would have frozen to death if I hadn’t.” She turned to her friend and smiled. “Wow. But, how does this place.. work? I’m fairly certain that it’s winter on the other side of this grove.” “I have no idea. I never questioned it.” Rarity took note of the sun setting behind them, streaking the sky with flecks of gamboge and primrose. “We better head back to the shop. Jessamy should be expecting us.” She rose from the bench. “You really should have brought a coat. It’s cold, you know.”