The Miracle of Flight

by TheDorkside99


Part 5

The walls of the Pony Detention Center corroded with green rust and reeked of years of cigarette smoke and days without bathing. Several ponies packed the small ten by ten cells and only the echoes of keys broke the silence every now and then. Applejack sat in a corner of the cramped jail cell with her hooves huddled close to her shivering body.

“Applejack, you’re needed up front,” announced a guard standing in front of the gate.

She stood to her hooves. “M-Me? But why?”

“Do I look like a psychic to you?” replied the guard.

He unlocked the gate and led Applejack down the dark, lonely corridor to a highly secured door. After inputting a code into the number pad, the door clicked open and slowly swung to reveal a flowing blue mane on the other side.

“Applejack, thy presence hath been requested at the royal palace.”

“P-Pardon?”

“Do not fret, Element of Honesty, for thy princess hath only to discuss with thee matters of grave importance. Shall we go?”

Applejack stood stunned for a moment before responding. “Yes, your majesty.”



“Our hope is that the tea is to thy liking,” said Princess Luna.

Applejack gave the remark a weak smile and nervously stirred her tea. The two mares each sat in two adjacent loveseats in what appeared to be a meeting room in the royal palace. Several pieces of expensive art decorated the walls and the fireplace crackled in the moonlit night.

“Uh, Princess? I hate to seem unmannered and all but why am I here?”

“An excellent question, my loyal subject,” replied Luna. She took a sip of her tea and began. “It has come to our attention that the Element of Honesty hath been exhibiting strange behavior. Criminal even, as evidenced by thy recent incarceration.”

Applejack responded with a deep sigh.

“However, it seemeth that our sister hath displayed great interest in thy case, and given the current hour it is I who will preside over sorting the details.”

“Well, I guess I understand that and all. But I still don’t git why you’re treatin’ me so well if I’m a criminal.”

Princess Luna placed her tea on a small coffee table and placed her hoof on Applejack’s. “Tis done for reasons of personal matter, my dear subject. Thou art not a criminal, and ponies who art not criminals should be treated well.”

“How can that be?” asked Applejack.

Luna sighed. “Thine eyes gaze upon the former Nightmare Moon, the same who threatened Equestria with eternal darkness. Tis not easy to accept goodness when thou hast left marks of despair, but when one maketh mistakes, tis wise to accept them as truth and disengage the power of their influence.”

“Well, I guess I understand that now, too. Thank you, your majesty.”

Luna smiled. “Very well then, let us begin by explaining any important events that occurred prior to the night of the attack.”

With stammered speech, Applejack recounted for Princess Luna the accident that occurred at the heights of Mount Equestria.

“My, my. What an awful ordeal thou hast been through.”

“Yeah. So when I got home, I packed my things and headed toward the train station to think things through. That’s when I ran into Octavia and…”

Luna’s ears perked. “Forgive me for the interruption, but didst thou mention an Octavia?”

“Yes, your majesty. I ran into her at the train stop. She seemed very blunt and was talkin’ to me like she knew some big secret or somethin’.”

“The miracle of flight, am I correct?”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “H-How did you know?”

“Believe it or not, Applejack, the one named Octavia sat where thou sittest. Tis also known that she is no longer with us for shortly after thy apprehension, a certain pony named Fluttershy testified seeing Octavia throw herself over the cliffs of Mount Equestria.”

“Oh my stars,” exclaimed Applejack.

“What hath she told you, Applejack?” asked Luna.

Applejack told the princess the story of Octavia’s coltfriend Bass.

“Applejack, wouldst thou believe that everything thou hast heard from Octavia is but a partial truth?”

“Whaddya mean, Princess?” asked Applejack.

“Well, for one thing, the little filly that suffered blows from her father was actually Octavia herself.”

“Oh my.”

“And Bass? The name her Father bore.”

“So, what about the coltfriend then?”

“A figment of her imagination and mind set on survival,” said Luna, standing to observe the full moon that brushed the royal garden with its magnificent glow. “You see, Applejack, Octavia was that poor little filly who suffered at the hands of her abuser, and it was also Octavia that took his life. Of course not in the gruesome way her story hath revealed to thee, but with his own firearm did he give up the ghost.”

Luna turned from the window to face Applejack. “She was a teenager when she came here to see mine sister, Princess Celestia. She was offered residence at the Canterlot Psychiatric Center to deal with her inner demons. She ran away after a week and was never seen again until recently.”

Princess Luna returned to her seat and took a long sip of her tea. Applejack stared at her full cup and finally looked up at the Princess.

“Your majesty, what will happen to me?”

“Thy heart is strong, but thy mind is wounded. As much as a good friend and sister thou art, thou hast demonstrated instability. It is mine royal recommendation that thou spendest the next ten years at the Canterlot Psychiatric Center to recover from thy mental scars.”

At that moment, Applejack dropped her tea onto the marble floor and fell to her knees. She placed both front hooves over her head and began to weep uncontrollably. Princess Luna knelt next to the suffering farm pony and wrapped her hooves around her.

“Tis okay, my little pony. Settled be thine mind and heart. Thou art not a criminal. Thou art not a criminal.”

* * *

“Okay, please step on the scale for me, sweetie.”

Applejack obeyed the cheery nurse pony and stepped up on the scale to have her weight and height measured. The band bearing her name on her right hoof matched the cream colored linoleum floors that led to several rooms. Several nurses led other patients throughout the building by hoof and by wheelchair bearing friendly grins.

“Okay, all done! You can go back to the waiting room and the doctor’ll call you in, okay?”

“Thank you.”

Applejack stepped off the scale and made her way slowly to the waiting room with her head bowed. As soon as she opened the door, she saw a familiar colorful group of ponies standing in a line.

“Applejack,” said Princess Luna. “I hope thou dost not regard inconvenient the liberty we have taken to invite thy family and friends.”

Before Princess Luna finished speaking Applejack already had her whole body buried within a group hug. After several moments, Applejack emerged from the loving scrum and wiped her eyes.

“Thank you, your majesty.”

Luna smiled.

Applejack turned her attention to her friends Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Fluttershy. “I’m so glad y’all could be out here. I-I really don’t deserve such good friends.”

“Nonsense, darling,” said Rarity. “Nothing will ever sever our friendship with Ponyville’s most dependable pony.”

Twilight spoke. “We also wanted to tell you that you have no reason to worry about the farm. All three of us will pitch in on different days of the week to make sure your chores get done.”

“Aw, shucks Twilight. That’s mighty kind of y’all.”

Fluttershy stepped forward. “Um, Applejack. I promise to make sure Apple Bloom gets looked after when school gets out. A-And to make sure she gets a yummy snack. I-I mean, if that’s okay with you.”

“Of course it is, Fluttershy. Thank you so much.”

Fluttershy continued to look at the floor. Applejack laid a hoof on the shy pony’s shoulder and smiled. “Thank you for being an honest friend, Fluttershy. Make sure my big brother don’t git into any trouble either.”

Fluttershy let out a cute giggle.

Applejack turned her attention to her family which included Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom. Once again she embraced all at once as her emotions got the best of her. She let go after a minute and turned to Granny Smith.

“Granny Smith, y’all gonna be okay without me on the farm for a while?”

“Ya darn tootin’, apple pie,” she replied winking. “These back kickers could use an exercisin’ now and then.” She gave her back legs a few kicks before she fell back on one of the waiting room seats. Apple Bloom covered her mouth as Big Macintosh rolled his eyes. Soon the whole room was filled with laughter as Granny Smith slowly stood back up with a slightly annoyed look on her face.

“Applejack?”

The farm pony looked down to see her little sister look up with eyes as large as saucers. She knelt to her level and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Yeah, Apple Bloom?”

“Are you gonna be able to compete in the Sisterhooves Social with me this year?”

Applejack sighed. “Well, I don’t think so, Apple Bloom. I need to be here so I can get better.”

“What about next year?”

“I’m so sorry Apple Bloom.” Applejack thought for a minute then cracked a smile. “Tell you what. Next time when you come see me, ask Granny Smith or Big Mac to bring some paints and such and we can do some crafts together. I gotta feelin’ you’ll like it.”

“Okay, I guess,” replied Apple Bloom with a raised brow.

Applejack gave her sister one last hug before standing to face her brother. Both met each other with teary gazes. No words were spoken as they embraced each other tightly.

“Applejack?”

Everypony turned to see the doctor who called from the door leading to the rooms.

“I’ll be right there,” said Applejack. She turned back to address everypony there.

“I can’t thank y’all enough for the support I’m feelin’ right now. I promise that I will do everything in my power to get right. In fact, I Pinkie Pie swe-.” Applejack stopped in mid-sentence as she gazed upon her right hoof, the same that she severed from Pinkie the night she returned to Ponyville. A sad silence fell upon the waiting room weighing down the gazes of everypony present.

Princess Luna finally interceded. “Applejack, for reasons pertaining to thy treatment, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie art prohibited from visitations pending the doctor’s approval. It is our hope thou understandest this.”

Applejack raised her head and smiled weakly. “Of course I do, Princess.”

She turned to the doctor. “Okay doctor, I’m ready.”

“Okie dokie. Just follow me and I’ll show you to your room.”

The farm pony followed the doctor up to the entrance before she turned back to see her friends and family one last time. She smiled and weakly waved goodbye before retiring to her new room.



Just outside the entrance of the Canterlot Psychiatric Center, the Apple family said their goodbyes and made their way back to Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity and Fluttershy also started their way back to Ponyville a little while later. Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle were the only two that remained.

“Excuse me Princess Luna, but I had a question for you.”

“What is it that thou desirest to know, most faithful student of Celestia?”

“Does Applejack really have to stay here for ten years?”

Luna sighed. “While the set time for Applejack’s recovery doth seem prolonged, thou must remember that the severity of her actions would’ve cost her a minimum of twenty five years in prison.”

“Is there any way to make that time shorter?”

Luna smiled. “Thy concern for Applejack’s well-being is duly noted, student. Tis in the doctor’s hooves what actions must be taken after every official evaluation.”

Twilight thought for a moment. “If it is okay with you, Princess, I believe I have an idea that may help Applejack recover from her mental instability a bit quicker.”

Princess Luna nodded. “I believe I knoweth what thou meanest.”