//------------------------------// // 7. It's Written In The Stars // Story: The Apple Doesn't Fall Far // by KholdstareV //------------------------------// _________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 7: It's Written In The Stars _________________________________________________________________________________________ Applejack excitedly approached her relatives from behind. "Howdy Julius! Howdy Aunt n' Uncle Orange!" All three members of the family turned their heads to her. "Oh, Applejack!" exclaimed Mrs. Orange. "What a nice surprise!" "It is absolutely, positively delightful to see you again," Mr. Orange added. He and his wife both put on the plastic smiles that Applejack had expected. Orange Julius' smile, however, was completely genuine. "Applejack! My buzzin' cousin! How's it goin'?" "Doin' alright, thank ya!" she replied happily. She then put on a mischievous grin. "So Julius, orange you delighted to see me?" Orange Julius returned the grin, and without missing a beat, responded, "Of course! Of all my cousins, you've always been the apple of my eye." "Still as independent and free-thinking as always? Hope you ain't turnin' into a clockwork orange!" "No way! And I hope you're still honest and industrious. Not becoming a bad apple, are you?" Both of them laughed, reeling in the nostalgia of their playful childhood days. Applejack had always had a profound adoration for the Oranges, especially Julius. In her eyes, they were the one uber-rich, high-class family that had found that magical balance between being rich and being an actual, down-to-earth family. Orange Julius certainly looked the part of a wealthy socialite – he bore the trademark orange coat, along with a well-combed, cream-colored mane and a favorite white flannel shirt, which contrasted handsomely with his deep blue eyes. He also possessed a great education, a circle of influential friends, and a lucrative up-and-coming career as a film producer in Manehattan. In spite of all the impressive credentials, however, he still had a homely side that he wore on his sleeve, and never would have felt too good to play silly word games with his farmer cousin. "Hahaha! Alrighty, I think that's enough of that," Applejack said. "I agree. Still funny, though." "And always will be! So anyway, how ya'll enjoyin' the festival?" "It's been quite a lot of fun. My parents like all the shopping, but I personally would rather go back to the shooting range." "I bet! And thank ya, though I'm sure this whole hootenanny ain't nothin' compared to the parties ya'll go to in Manehattan." "Weeell, that's comparing apples and oranges…" He stopped for a few seconds. Then, knowingly, spread his mouth into a guilty grin. "Sorry, that was unintentional. I swear." "Liar, liar, pantaloons on fire!" Applejack accused playfully. Before she could let him reply, though, her face suddenly became serious. "But all fun aside, Julius, there's something I really need to speak with you about." The seriousness of Orange Julius's face quickly matched Applejack's. "Why? What's the matter?" "Too many things tonight…" she said cryptically. She looked to Mr. and Mrs. Orange, who had been standing by patiently. "Beg your pardon, Aunt and Uncle Orange, but do ya'll mind if I borrow Julius for a spell? I know it's Parents' Day and all, but it won't be long. I promise." The two looked at each other and shrugged. Mrs. Orange smiled and said, "Just as long as you bring him back in good condition!" "We'll be here at the parade of products all night," Mr. Orange added. "Just find us when you're done. Now go on, you two. Have fun!" "Thank ya kindly!" Applejack said earnestly. She then addressed Orange Julius. "C'mon, follow me. I'll explain everything on the way." Orange Julius didn't have time to ask questions before Applejack took off running. Anxious to hear out his favorite cousin, he followed after her. ~~~ As the two hurried through the crowd of the parade of products, Applejack spoke. "Listen up, pardner. I've got a gi-NORMOUS favor to ask of you, and I need an answer fast. Can ya lend me a hoof?" "Hmm, I don't know… The last time I agreed to do you a favor, I ended up squashed underneath a cow's butt." "No no no, it ain't nothin' like that this time!" Applejack assured. "I really just need you to do some talkin' for me, is all." "Just… talking? With who?" "Well, your family's pretty well-informed on the who's who in high society, ain’t it? So you must know about the Sparkle family, don't ya?" "Well, I know Celestia's star pupil has that surname. And, umm… Oh, the Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, used to have it, too. Used to be called 'Shining Sparkle'. Heh heh… no wonder he changed it, right?" Applejack normally would have laughed at that, but found herself more confused than anything. "Yeah, those two are brother and sister, but… haven't you heard of their parents? Starlight and Moonlight?" "No. Why? Should I have? Cuz I haven't…" "Well, cuz…" She stopped when she spotted the Sparkle family just up ahead. Like last time, Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle were arguing with the proprietor of an art gallery, while Twilight stood several feet behind them, sulking to herself. "Never mind. Just please, do this favor for me. You can talk to a couple ponies for a few minutes, can't ya?" "I'm a film producer. Talking is my job," he said frankly. "But… I still don't understand why you need my help." It was noticed that, as he finished his last statement, he was eyeing an attractive mare that happened to be passing by. Applejack was well aware of his weakness for beautiful girls, and knew that now was the time to use this as her ultimate leverage. "Forget the why. Just accept this proposal – do this for me, and I'll introduce you to the most gorgeous, successful, creative pony you'll ever meet." Orange Julius' ears perked up. He gazed at Applejack curiously. "Really? Who is she?" "A good friend of mine. And she would trust me to pick a good stallion for her, I know it," Applejack said confidently. "And she's TWICE as cute as that floozy you were just givin' googly-eyes too." Orange Julius' eyes grew just a little wider. "Oh? Well, uhh, w-what's her name?" "The rest is a secret…" Applejack assured him. She pointed her hoof in the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle. "…but if you can talk to those two ponies over yonder for just a bit, that secret'll be revealed!" "Works for me!" With a fervent grin, Orange Julius began to trot over to the booth before Applejack could even speak again. She, ecstatic that her plan was working so well so far, followed close behind. As they neared the booth, they both passed by Twilight. She looked up at them in wonder as they did. "Ah, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle!" Orange Julius said in a formal, enthusiastic voice as he approached. Starlight and Moonlight, who had both been engaging with the shopkeeper, both turned to him, surprised. At first, they wore expressions of confusion and annoyance, wondering who this young stallion was that had so rudely interrupted them. However, over the next few seconds, Starlight's face slowly transformed into one of recognition, then disbelief, and finally excitement. "Oh… Oh my! You're Orange Julius, of the Orange Family! Owners of Orange Bang Studios!" "That's absolutely right!" he exclaimed with a gracious bow. "And… y-you know who we are?" Starlight stammered. "Of course, how could I not? What with, umm… all the wonderful things you've done for the community! Once my lovely cousin Applejack told me you were here, I simply HAD to meet you." "C-cousin?!" Both Starlight and Moonlight looked at Applejack with shocked expressions. Applejack smiled proudly. "Oh, yes," Orange Julius continued. "The Oranges and the Apples share a long lineage. I'm sure anypony who's anypony knows THAT." Starlight giggled nervously. "Oh, w-why yes, of COURSE! I knew that all along…" Applejack saw this as her cue. "I'm sure ya did, Mrs. Sparkle! By the way, may I speak with Twilight for a few minutes?" "Sure, sure," she said with a casual flick of her hoof. She turned back to Orange Julius. "So, you know of mine and my husband's work with Marketing is Magic, Inc., in Canterlot, do you?" "Why, certainly!" Orange Julius replied with some uncertainty. Applejack leaned in close to him. "Keep it up," she whispered. "Be back in a few." With that, she left him and his two admirers to chat while she doubled back towards Twilight. ~~~ Twilight stared at the scene before her with a raised eyebrow and slack-hanging jaw. "Applejack… What's all this about? And who's that stallion talking to my mom and dad?" "I'll explain later," Applejack said, urgency in her voice. "Right now, I want you to tell me more about your parents. Just gimme a brief bio of what they're all about." The confusion in Twilight's expression doubled. "Umm… why?" "If I tell ya why, you won't tell me anything. So please, just do what I ask. I promise my intentions are the best." Twilight didn't like the vagueness of Applejack's reply, but hesitantly nodded anyway. "Okaaay… What would you like to know?" "Oh, I dunno, start with their work. They said they work at Marketing is Magic, Inc., in Canterlot. That's a whopper of a big company, ain't it? What do they both do there?" "Well, my dad is Head Marketing Consultant. And my mom is, umm…" She stopped and bit her lip. "Oooh… I really shouldn't be telling you this. My mom would eat me alive if she heard me…" "She won't," Applejack promised. "Now for the love o' milk n' honey, tell me!" "OK, OK! She's… a receptionist." Applejack blinked a couple times in silence. "…That's it? A receptionist?" "Yeah..." "You mean, like, some kinda high-rankin', super-executive receptionist?" "No. Just… a receptionist." Applejack snickered a little to herself. "By golly! Hearin' that mare talk all big 'bout herself, you'd have guessed she OWNED the whole darn company! But you're tellin' me all she really does is sit at a desk answerin' letters all day?" "Pretty much, yeah," Twilight moaned. "In fact, as long as I'm telling you all this, I may as well say the only reason she even got that job is because of my dad. And even then, the only reason my dad got HIS job is because of a close friend…" "Hmm, so neither one's even qualified for the jobs they got?" "Technically, no. My mom is actually way OVER-qualified for hers. She graduated from Silver Saddle University with Masters' degrees in Psychology and Business Management. And my dad? Ugh, hardly! He didn't even finish college. All he has is his diploma from Sack o' Nuts High School!" "Goodness me…" Applejack mused. "I never woulda guessed…" "They wear their façade well," Twilight said lowly. "But I think to them, that's all they have. That, and their children… I mean, they've never said this out loud, but I'm positive the only reason they push me and my brother so hard to be successful is because neither one of them feels like they truly are, and so they want to experience some success through us. Especially my mom. Think about it - to have undergone such a lofty and expensive education, only to settle for an unfulfilling desk job… She's just desperate to justify it all, I suppose…" "Yeah, at YOUR expense," Applejack said in a disgusted tone. "That's hardly fair. Why can't they just let you follow your passions as you please? Why do they want you to sacrifice that just for some fake PR?" "I wish I knew how they came to believe what they do," Twilight said sadly. "But I'll tell you this - and this is something you HAVE to keep a secret – they both actually gave up their true passion to take their current professions…" "Their true passion…?" Applejack asked quizzically. She turned her gaze to Mrs. and Mr. Sparkle's flanks, and observed their Cutie Marks once again. They represented a cluster of three stars, and a moon within a moon, respectively. "Astronomy…" Twilight answered, almost in a whisper. Applejack had to take a moment to let that sink in. "You're pullin' my tail! You're tellin' me these two stuffy wannabes are really into astronomy!?" "Hard to believe, I know, but it's true. It's what they both went to school for, originally," Twilight explained. "In fact, it was by being partnered together for a stargazing project that they first met and fell in love." "Hmm…" Applejack thought for a good few seconds. "Well, I can see where you get YOUR love for the subject…" "Oh, yes…" Twilight said with a soft smile. She turned her gaze upward, toward the starry night sky, and appeared to be letting positive memories rise up within her mind. "I remember one night, when I was a filly. My dad set up a little red telescope on the lawn, and the three of us just spent hours looking up into space. They knew where every impressive sight was up there… Clusters, planets, galaxies… and pointed the telescope at them so I could see them up close for myself. I still remember that being the night that my fledging mind opened up to all the great wonders and mysteries of the universe. That sense of wonder was something we all shared, all loved…" Her skyward gaze then slowly lowered, until she was looking at the dirt beneath her front hooves. "Their focus changed gradually over time, though. I recall them having an argument once that astronomy was a dead-end field of work, and that if they actually wanted money to be able to support the family, they would need to pursue something else. One thing led to another, and now, so many years later, we are where we are..." Twilight's face was despondent as she swallowed a lump in her throat. "You know, there's actually supposed to be an alignment of stars tonight. A really special one called the Violet Veneer, where a red star is positioned directly behind a blue one, resulting in a beautiful violet glow. It only happens once every thirty years, and in fact is supposed to happen in about twenty minutes. I… kinda, sorta thought about asking my mom and dad if they wanted to see it with me…" "Well, why didn't you?" Applejack wondered. "Well, the thing is, you can only see it if you have a telescope…" Twilight said. "And frankly, I have no idea where that little red telescope of ours is anymore. I'm pretty sure my mom threw it out a long time ago…" Applejack understood, and gestured that she didn't need to hear anymore. "I'm sorry it all had to happen that way, Twilight." "It's OK," Twilight uttered. "It's not like there's anything we can do to bring back the past…" "But there's always the future," Applejack said. "And it might just be closer than you think..." Twilight looked at Applejack questioningly. The smirk she was wearing implied she was planning something, and was very proud of it. "What do you mean?" "You'll know soon enough, sugar cube." Applejack gave her friend a sly wink. "And you've told me all I need to know for now. Now hang tight – I'll be back in a jiffy!" In the blink of an eye, Applejack sped off and slipped between two sales booths, disappearing from sight. Twilight was left standing there, bewildered, wondering what Applejack had on her mind, and still completely clueless as to who this orange stallion was that was chatting excitedly with her mom and dad… ~~~ Applejack found herself in the shadowed, secluded alleyway between the rows of sales stands. She glanced back and forth, making sure no pony was within sight or earshot of her. Feeling confident she was alone, she raised her hoof to her mouth and let out a high-pitched whistle. "HI APPLEJACK! You rang?!" Applejack was delighted to see Pinkie Pie drop out of the sky and land right in front of her. Her smile was as toothy and shiny as always. "Sure did," Applejack confirmed. "I can always depend on you to show up quicker n' a dog slidin' on hot grease!" "Tee hee! Yup! So what are we doing behind all these tents? Are we gonna sneak underneath them and then pop out and surprise everybody working inside? Cuz that sounds SUPER fun!" "That does sound fun, actually... But no, Pinkie, I have a favor to ask. You keep stuff hidden all over Ponyville in case of emergencies, right?" "Yes indeedy do! I hide balls, eye patches, pencils, cockatoos, guitars, PS3's, onions, hacksaws, plans for world peace-" Applejack held up a firm hoof to stop her. "Yeah yeah, that's all hunky-dory. But Pinkie, do you happen to hide telescopes?" "Telescopes? Hmmmmm..." Pinkie Pie pouted her lips and scratched her chin thoughtfully. Applejack held her breath, praying for a 'yes'. However, Pinkie Pie eventually shook her head. "Nope. I don't keep telescopes hidden around. Why would I? That'd be silly!" Applejack groaned in disappointment. Pinkie Pie, however, smiled even brighter. "But I always carry one with me!" With that, she reached into her ear and pulled out a modestly-sized blue telescope. She handed it excitedly to Applejack. "Oh my, thank you so much!" Applejack remarked, taking the telescope in her mouth. "That's really thoughtful! And, err… disgusting." "You're welcome!" Pinkie Pie chirped. "So what are you gonna do with it?" "Oh, nothin'. Just gonna initiate the next step of my plan to make sure everypony has a good Parents' Day!" Applejack said proudly, putting the telescope into her bag. "Speakin' of which, Pinkie, I also called you here cuz I was hopin' to learn more about YOUR ma n' pa. Would you mind tellin' me a little more about 'em?" Pinkie Pie's glistening smile twitched ever so slightly. "Huh? You want to know about… MY parents?" "Well, yeah! I mean, for starters, where are they?" "Where are they…?" Pinkie Pie's voice suddenly became quivered and distant. "Well they're not HERE, that's for sure. Cuz they're NEVER here. Never ever here. Never… ever… ever…" Her shining smile remained unchanged as she spoke, but the rest of her face began a subtle transformation. Her eyes began to drift in opposite directions, and her brow scrunched in a not-so-concealed frustration. "Well, uhh, I think we've already established that they're not here," Applejack said, feeling a creeping nervousness set in. "But, umm, could ya tell me where they actually are? Or what they look like? Or anything?" "Saddlem and Gomareah…" Pinkie Pie answered with audible disdain. "That's where they dwell, always. Where they wallow in sin and excess, full of themselves and partying in the darkest pits of all ponykind. Saddlem and Gomareah…" A shadowy pall fell over her face like a curtain, turning the cheery pink color of her coat several shades darker. "Why did I introduce them to partying? Why?! Ever since I did, it's all they've known. They abandoned their rock farm and their daughters, all so they could drift further away into a fantasy land of fun and pleasure. And as they drift away…" She craned her neck to the side and stared blankly off into space, lost in her own disturbing and troubled thoughts. "So do I…" Applejack couldn't help but feel disturbed and troubled herself. However, her concern for her friend's well-being overcame that. She had seen Pinkie Pie this way before, on that fateful day when she and her friends had turned down their invitations to Gummy's afterparty. Applejack understood right away – this twisted, morose side of Pinkie Pie was born as a result of her feeling neglected by her parents. It was something that must have lived within her and taunted her always, rearing its ugly head anytime she felt she was ignored or abandoned by anypony, especially those who she felt were supposed to be there for her, such as her friends. On top of that, Applejack thought, Pinkie Pie's constant need to smile and appear joyful may have been more of a front to conceal her inner turmoil than she may have ever realized. It broke Applejack's heart to learn this painful truth, and longed more than ever to help her. She grabbed Pinkie Pie by the shoulders and tried to stare into her in her distant, scattered eyes. "Pinkie, I know this is hard for you, but I wanna help you. Please, tell me more. What do your folks look like?" "I… they…" Pinkie Pie stammered to get the words out. Her mane was slowly starting to melt from a lively mass of cute curls into a cascade of straight, low-hanging hair. She raised her hoof and began to rummage through her mane, as though digging for something. She soon pulled out a paper and handed it to Applejack. "I drew a picture of them. Of us. When we used to work all day and night on the rock farm… We were tired, and dirty, and poor… But we were together. And thus, happy…" Applejack took the paper and observed it. It was a crude, sloppy crayon drawing of a filly version of Pinkie Pie, standing between a stallion and a mare. Her mother and father. Her father was light brown with a greying mane and beard, and sported an Amish-style hat and tired eyes. Her mother was white-coated and homely-looking, with her grey hair tied up in a bun and reading glasses set over her eyes. They also bore rock-themed Cutie Marks, with his being a pickaxe and hers being a group of three stones. All three ponies were smiling and waving. While it was a very happy scene, Applejack couldn't tell if this picture was a representation of a real memory, or one Pinkie Pie had just invented in her head. Her heart broke all over again. "Say Pinkie, do you mind terribly if I hang onto this?" "No. Keep it…" Pinkie Pie replied softly. "I have many more pictures. Many, many more…" "Thank you," Applejack said, slipping the drawing into her saddlebag. "Don't worry. I'm gonna put this to good use, I promise." "There's no use…" Pinkie Pie insisted. Her body swayed from side to side, powered by some nervous twitch within her gut. "No use…" "Hey now, you stop talkin' like that!" Applejack demanded. She grabbed Pinkie Pie by the shoulders again. "Now tell me, are Saddlem and Gomareah far from here?" "Mommy… Daddy… It's Parents' Day. Please be here… Like you always used to. Please, be here…" "They could be if you would listen to me!" Applejack swore. "Now I'm not gonna ask again! Are Saddlem and Gomareah far from here?!" Still staring blankly into goodness-knows-what, Pinkie Pie slowly lifted a limp hoof and directed it to the south. "There… beyond that black horizon. Just a few miles past… the rock farm." She squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to hold back an onset of tears. "Oh, our old rock farm...!" Applejack gently eased up her pressure on Pinkie's shoulders. "That's all I need to know, Pinkie. Thank you. I swear, I'll do whatever I can to take this wrong and turn it into a right. Somehow." "That's silly, Applejack," Pinkie Pie said morosely. "It's nice of you to say, but… silly." Applejack tried to ignore Pinkie Pie's doubt. She released her shoulders and stepped back. "We'll see, Pinkie. In any case, I've got only one more question for ya… Do you know if Rarity and her family are still at their booth?" "No… They abandoned it," Pinkie Pie spat bitterly. "They neglected it… Left it behind… All so they could have fun and party at the dunk tank…" There was a moment of silence after Pinkie Pie finished speaking. However, all of a sudden, Pinkie lifted her head with wide eyes. "Dunk tank… Hey, the dunk tank! That sounds super-duper FUN right now, doesn't it, Applejack!?" Then, all in one instant, Pinkie hopped up in the air as her coat was flushed bright pink, her hair bounced back up into a mountain of youthful curls, her eyes shone with joyful exuberance. "Yeah, the DUNK TANK! I've never done it before, but I'll bet it's awesome! Both to be the dunker AND the dunked! Don't you think so, Applejack? Huh? Huh? HUH?!" Applejack suffered a bit of mental whiplash from Pinkie Pie's immediate change back to her normal self. "Uh, well, I suppose-" "Totally! C'mon, we should go! To the dunk tank! AWAY WE GOOOOOO-!" And with that, Pinkie Pie zoomed off as a pink blur, and within two seconds, was out of sight. Applejack was left dazed and confused, but at the very least, also with the info she wanted. On top of that, she had a (mostly) reliable sketch of what Pinkie Pie's parents looked like. This, she knew, would be the key to fulfilling the "Get Pinkie Pie's parents to the festival" stipulation of her plan. Where it fell in her plan, exactly, was still undecided, as was how exactly she was going to pull it off. However, such details would have to be sorted out later. Right then, she had other things to get done. Feeling for the blue telescope in her saddlebag, she nodded to herself and began to head back to where she had come from… ~~~ When the art gallery once again came into view, Applejack saw that the scene was now slightly different. Starlight and Moonlight were speaking with each other excitedly, but Orange Julius was not. He, in fact, was now speaking with Twilight. And Applejack could tell by the flirtatious grin on his face, as well as the nervous posture of Twilight, that it was more than just a "friendly" conversation. A siren suddenly went off in her brain. "ABORT! ABORT!" she screamed in her head, running over to the scene. "WRONG GIRL, JULIUS! STEP AWAY FROM THE GIRL!" All present at the gallery turned to see the frantic Applejack running in their direction. She stopped almost directly in between Twilight and Orange Julius, causing them to step apart from each other. "Howdy, ya'll!" she exclaimed. "I'm back!" "Uh, *ahem*, Applejack," Orange Julius said, clearly upset, "What are you doing?" "Nothin'. Nothin' at all!" She put on a plastered grin, and turned to Twilight's parents. "Say, Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle! Did you happen to know that the Ferris wheel over yonder was actually provided by the Orange family?!" Both of them looked over at the large, neon-lit Ferris wheel that stood directly across the way. It stood at least forty feet tall, and shone bright among all the attractions of the festival. With her jaw agape, Starlight shook her head. "Goodness, no! I don't believe Orange Julius mentioned that. Is it true?" Orange Julius flashed a puzzled and shocked glare at Applejack. She, in turn, put on a stern face and nodded, urging him to go along with what she was saying. With a sigh, he put on his own fake smile and addressed the Sparkle parents. "Indeed, we did. How foolish of me to forget to mention it! It's state-of-the-art, and so much fun to ride!" "Sure is!" Applejack added. "In fact, ya'll should give 'er a whirl! Don't ya think?!" "Uh, umm…" Starlight stuttered, "W-why, yes, we should! If the Orange family provided it, it would be most respectable to do so! Wouldn't you say so, Moonlight, my dear?" Moonlight, looking just as eager to please Orange Julius, nodded enthusiastically. "It's settled, then!" Starlight announced. "Let us ride on the Ferris wheel! Twilight, dear, are you coming? Or do you wish to keep speaking with Mr. Julius?" Both Orange Julius and Twilight were prepared to answer, but Applejack spoke up faster than both of them. "No, she don't! She's goin' with ya!" "I am?" Twilight asked, dumbfounded. "She is?!" Orange Julius asked, annoyed. "Yep, she is! No question!" Applejack assured. She stood close to Twilight, who at once looked puzzled and relieved. "I have no idea what's going on here or what you're thinking," Twilight told her under her breath, "But I'll take any excuse to not have to talk to this guy anymore. He's creeping me out!" "No worries, darlin'. He ain't for you anyway," Applejack whispered back. Then, with a sly smile, she pulled out the blue telescope and discreetly slipped it into Twilight's own saddlebag. Twilight stared at it for a second, then at Applejack, surprised and confused. "Applejack… What is this-?" "You'll know what to do, hon. Trust me," Applejack said. She pointed to the highest point of the Ferris wheel. "When you're at the very tip-top o' that thing, as close to the stars as you could possibly get out here… You'll know." Twilight would have questioned further, but the demanding glares from her parents beckoned her. She also, somehow, felt that she didn't really need to ask what Applejack meant. With a smile, she nodded knowingly and headed towards her parents. As a group, the three began to walk towards the Ferris wheel entrance. Applejack stood watching for a few seconds, very pleased with herself. A shout from Orange Julius, however, broke her train of thought. "What the heck, Applejack!? Why'd you interrupt us like that?! I was layin' the MOVES on that girl!" Applejack sighed and looked at his upset face apologetically. "I'm so sorry, cuz. But that wasn't the girl I was wantin' to introduce you to…" "I don't care! That was Celestia's pupil! She's freakin' royalty! And she's WAY cute!" "Well forget about her, cuz you ain't gettin' her!" Applejack shot back. "It ain't in line with my plan!" "What PLAN?!" Orange Julius asked, fully exasperated. "You keep talking like you have some big agenda you're working toward, but what IS it?!" "As I said before, I'll explain later. Now if you'll excuse me, stay put. I'll be right back." With that, Applejack took off in the direction of the Ferris wheel. Orange Julius threw his front hooves up in the air. "Oh, for goodness sake! Fine, but I'm not gonna put up with this much longer, Applejack! You'd better make this worth it for me!" Applejack only heard about half his message before the sound of the crowds drowned him out. ~~~ What happened in the next few minutes, happened so fast that Applejack had barely been conscious of any of it. Upon reaching the Ferris wheel, she had spotted Twilight and her parents climbing into a bright red gondola. She put up the "Out of Order" sign that she found nearby, thereby discouraging any other ponies from boarding the ride. She then ran around to the control station on the other side, and convinced the ride operator to leave by telling him where the deep-fried cookie dough stand was. After he took off, she figured out the ride controls quickly, and steadily controlled the rotation of the wheel. She stopped each gondola at the boarding station one at a time, and had its passengers disembark. All gondolas, of course, except the bright red one. When its occupants were the only ones left on the ride, she spun the wheel until it was at the very highest possible point. Once there, she stopped it, and put on the brakes. The red gondola, with the Sparkle family inside, remained suspended there, just as she had hoped. "I'll be back to get you down soon, Twilight," Applejack whispered. "Til then, you know what to do!" Then, with a wave of her hoof, she climbed out of the control panel and left the Ferris wheel behind. ~~~ When Applejack reached Orange Julius again, she found him anxiously tapping his hoof and looking ready to leave. "Sorry for the delay," she said. "But you've fulfilled your end of the bargain now, so I'm ready to fulfill mine. Ready?" He pouted his lips. "Well," he groaned, "I've waited this long, haven't I?" Applejack smiled warmly. "And I really appreciate it. Now come on, follow me." She began to gallop hurriedly forward. Orange Julius galloped up by her side. "So… You've dragged me away from my parents, made me talk to two of the most annoying ponies on the planet, and pulled me away from one of the best catches I've met in a long time," he said begrudgingly. "So Applejack, you're sure that this girl you're gonna introduce me to is worth it?" "All that, and more. I promise!" Applejack replied with no hint of doubt. And as the two continued on their way, with Applejack leading them towards the dunk tank, she reopened her mental scroll that contained her still-developing plan, and made some more edits in bold: ~~~ - Find Orange Julius - Use Orange Julius to get in good with Twilight's parents - Introduce Orange Julius to Rarity as a reward for the previous step - Find Rainbow Dash and ask her to fly to Saddlem and Gomareah to track down Pinkie Pie's parents - Offer to help Rainbow Dash with her situation as a reward for the previous step - Find Fluttershy and get her away from Brawn Bones so she can see her stepmother - ? - EVERYPONY HAS A GOOD PARENTS' DAY! ~~~ "That'll do for now," Applejack said to herself. "Details be darned, I'll make it all work somehow!" She was so absorbed in her own thoughts right then, however, that she didn't even notice Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh beckoning her as she passed…