//------------------------------// // The Start of Something New // Story: Down to Earth Family // by Zenaron //------------------------------// Chapter 15- The Start of Something New It was a beautiful day in the small town of Ponyville with the leaves in the trees starting to change into their many different shades of browns and reds. Applejack admired each one of these trees with a passing glance as she trotted through the bustling town a bit more of a skip in her step than usual, and she gave a slightly more enthusiastic “howdy” to everypony she met. Applejack was still on a huge high from her first date with Rainbow Dash and even though it didn’t go as well as she would have wanted it to, it was still an enjoyable experience and she could not wait to go on more. Applejack’s happy thoughts were interrupted by her arrival at her destination. She looked at the tall tree that Twilight called home and gave a quick sharp knock on the front door. Applejack was surprised to hear Twilight’s voice beckoning her to come in; Applejack was used to Twilight usually being asleep at this early hour and Spike being the one to answer the door. She turned the nob and opened the door and quickly trotted inside not wanting to keep her friend waiting. “Hey there sugarcube, whatcha doin’ up this early?” Applejack asked as she walked over to Twilight, whose nose was half buried in a large book. Twilight looked up at Applejack with a slightly perplexed look on her face. “Early? What time is it?” Twilight asked her voice slightly slurred. “It’s seven in the mornin’.” Applejack said with a raised eyebrow, but when she looked into Twilight’s slightly red eyes she realized why Twilight looked confused. “Wait, have yah been up all night studdin’ again?” Twilight groggily tried to think about it and found that her thoughts were in a fog and that she had to fight to keep her eyes open. “Probably, that would explain some things.” Twilight said before she let out a loud yawn. “I had to try and get this…giant thing working for Princess Celestia.” Applejack frowned slightly before she looked over at Twilight’s table and noticed the giant gold device towering above it. It was about seven feet tall and was a large golden arch that formed a circle that was attached to a golden base. “What in tarnation is this thing?” “It’s a magic disturbance locator.” Twilight said with a small wave of her hoof. “A magical what?” Applejack asked with a slight frown and a questing raise of her eyebrow. “A magic disturbance locator, Princess Celestia used to use it to search Equestria for trouble or whenever she got a feeling that something bad was going to happen.” “What’s the matter with it?” “Well nothing as far as I can tell, but it takes an incredible amount of magic to get the thing to work. And the main problem with that is the Princess wants me to find a way to make it run permanently.” “So you need to find a way of power it without anypony makin’ it run?” “Precisely, problem is that everything I’ve tried so far hasn’t been strong enough to make it run. I mean it takes almost all of my magic to make it work for longer than a few minutes, and that’s why I was up all night. I’ve been looking through all of my books to see if I can find some source of powering it.” “Well that’s all well and good sugarcube, but ah think that yah need to take a break and get your mind off of it. Maybe if yah don’t think about it yah just might have a break through.” Applejack reasoned with a kind considerate smile. Twilight thought about it briefly as she rubbed the bottom of her chin with her hoof. “Maybe your right, I probably should take a break.” Twilight relented with a short nod. Applejack’s smile brightened and she tilted her head toward the main setting room of the large library that Twilight called home. Twilight nodded her head in agreement and slowly trotted over to the nearest cushion and plopped down onto it. With her mind off of the task that she had been so focused on all night she finally realized just how tired she really was, she lifted her hoof up and tried to stifle another loud yawn and shook her head to try and wake herself back up. Applejack trotted over to one of the cushions across from Twilight and easily lowered herself onto it. “Oh I almost forgot how did your first date with Rainbow Dash go?” Twilight asked with a bright, lazy smile. “It was alright ah guess, the crusaders almost burnt down the restaurant but other than that ah think it went well.” Applejack responded with a small chuckle remembering the events of last night. “Well I’m glad to hear that you two had a good time given the circumstances, I knew things would work out between you two.” Applejack nodded in agreement before a sly smile appeared on her face. “Speakin’ of which, how are things goin’ between you and Pinkie?” Twilight’s smile faded slightly and she looked down at the floor. “I still haven’t been able to ask her how she feels.” Applejack reached over and placed a reassuring hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “Don’t worry about it ah know things will work out.” Twilight looked up to the sight of Applejack smiling softly at her. “Thanks Applejack, I needed that.” “No problem sugarcube, that’s what friends are for after all.” Applejack said with a slight tilt of her head. The two continued to sit in companionable silence for a while longer until Twilight let out another loud yawn. “I think I should probably go get some sleep.” Twilight said as she slowly got up and made her way up the stairs towards her room. “Alright ah’ll see yah later Twilight.” Applejack said with a wave of her hoof. Twilight turned and gave a slight wave of her hoof back before she magically opened the door to her room and a few seconds later collapsed onto her bed unconscious even before her head hit the pillow. Applejack smiled as she walked out the front door, hearing the faint sound of Twilight’s snoring coming from upstairs. Applejack softly closed the door behind her and trotted back into the town of Ponyville. She quickly maneuvered her way through the street until she reached her new destination. Applejack barley made it to the door of the sweet shop before it burst open and the pink party pony that she came to see stood before her, a large smile shining brightly on her face. “Hi Applejack what can I do for you? Do you want some cupcakes, or oh I know how about some fresh chocolate chip cookies that I just finished baking, or maybe you would like some…” Pinkie Pies rant was suddenly interrupted by Applejack stuffing a hoof into Pinkie Pies mouth. “Ah’m fine, ah just came by to talk with yah about somethin’ important.” Pinkie Pie started talking again even though all that could be heard was a few muffled noises. Applejack shook her head and took her hoof out of Pinkie Pie’s mouth. “Want to run that by me again?” “How important, is it super top secret important, or just regular important?” “Uh… ah think it’s more of the first one. Is there someplace we can go to talk that’s private?” Pinkie Pie nodded her head vigorously and pointed a hoof toward the stairs before she started to hop towards them. Once they were up the stairs Pinkie Pie suddenly turned and lifted a hoof up to her own mouth and let out a loud “Shhhh, don’t make any noise you definitely don’t want to wake the babies.” Applejack glanced around Pinkie Pie into the Cake twin’s room and saw them both sleeping soundly. She looked at Pinkie Pie and nodded her head in understanding. Pinkie Pie nodded back and carefully turned around and rose up on her hind legs and began to sneak past the open door with slightly over exaggerated care. Applejack shook her head and slowly trotted after her pink friend. Once they were safely inside of Pinkie Pie’s room she let out a huge pint up sigh of relief and whipped her sweat covered forehead. “Whew, that was a close one, so Applejack what did you want to talk about?” Pinkie Pie asked with a large smile. “Well ah was wonderin how you felt about our good friend Twilight?” Applejack asked in a nonchalant manner. “She’s my best friend and the most awesome egghead pony in all of Equestria.” Pinkie Pie said without missing a beat. “Really, so yah don’t have any special feelings for her then?” Applejack asked with a slight raise of her eyebrow. Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes slightly and looked away from Applejack and lifted a hoof and started looking it over with mild interest. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Pinkie Pie said in an almost board sounding tone. “Well that’s a shame because last time ah talked to her she really seemed to have feelin’s for you.” Applejack said with a slight shrug not technically telling a lie. Pinkie Pie’s eyes grew huge and she rushed up to only inches away from Applejacks face. “Really, you really mean it?” Pinkie Pie said loudly as she hopped up and down vigorously even though her head staid in place in front of Applejack. Applejack grew a sly smile on her face and chuckled softly. “Ah got yah sugarcube.” Pinkie Pie stopped in midair and she looked at Applejack with a confused stare for a few seconds before she realized her slip, then her eyes grew large and her ears flattened against her head. Pinkie Pie looked down at the ground and fell back down with a slight thud. “So you do have special feelin’s for Twilight.” Applejack said in more of a statement than a question. Pinkie Pie looked up a slightly sad look on her face and she nodded slowly. “Then why haven’t yah told her yet?” Pinkie Pie looked down and tried to gather her thoughts. “I’ve wanted to, and I’ve tried, but every time I almost do I think about what would happen if she didn’t feel the same way about me and how much that would ruin our friendship and…and I just can’t go through with it.” Pinkie Pie said before she buried her head into her hooves. Applejack quickly moved over to Pinkie Pie’s side and started patting her on the shoulder. Pinkie Pie looked up at Applejack with tear filled eyes and smiled. “Thanks Applejack I needed that.” Applejack nodded and helped Pinkie Pie back up on her hooves. “But what should I do?” Pinkie Pie asked with a pleading tone laced in her voice. “Ah think you should tell her how yah feel.” Applejack said plainly. “But what if I can’t go through with it, and what if she doesn’t feel that way about me?” “Ah know it’s hard, but yah just have to get past all that and tell her how yah feel, because if yah don’t then yah’ve already lost.” Applejack said with a very serious look on her face. “But no matter if you decide to do it or not, ah just want yah to know that ah’ll stand with yah.” Pinkie Pie smiled a little more at that and she leaned in and gave Applejack a big hug. “Alright I’ll do my absolutely very best to try and tell her.” Pinkie Pie said before she broke the hug. Before Applejack could reply they heard a loud bang and then crying coming from down the hall. Pinkie Pie let out a sigh and grabbed a large bag of flour with her teeth and heaved it onto her back. “Sorry to cut this short I’m on baby duty today, but I’ll talk to you later.” Pinkie Pie said with a wave before she walked out of her room and down the hall towards the twin’s room. Applejack followed Pinkie Pie out of the room and watched her break the bag over her head covering her in the white powder. Applejack shook her head and quickly made her way out of sweet shop and started to make her way back home. On the road back to Sweet Apple Acres Applejack started to think about all the wonderful things that had happened over the past few weeks. How she and Rainbow Dash had found Scootaloo at the cemetery, how Rainbow Dash had decided to take Scootaloo in, and how after the inspection Applejack had to step in. Not to mention the fact that Rainbow Dash had finally admitted that she loved Applejack just as much as Applejack loved her back. Applejack’s smile grew wider as that thought came into her mind. “Yeah that’s it squirt just like that.” Applejack heard somepony say from one of the hills close by the road. She thought the voice sounded familiar and after a short walk off the path in the direction the voice came from, she found that she was correct and that standing on top of the hill was Rainbow Dash giving Scootaloo a flying lesson. “Now just a little more power and…there, you’re doing it squirt!” Rainbow Dash yelled loudly as the small pegasus started to lift off the ground. “I’m doing it, I’m really doing it!” Scootaloo said excitedly as she started to get more and more altitude with each beat of her wings. “Yah sure are sugarcube.” Applejack said as she stopped next to Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo smiled with delight as she made a soft landing in front of the two older mares. “Did you see me Applejack I flew wasn’t it awesome?” “It sure was, hey ah need to talk with Rainbow Dash about somethin’ important so why don’t yah head back to the farm and I’ll be there shortly.” Scootaloo let out a small groan and kicked some dirt. “Alright…Is Rainbow Dash coming over for supper tonight?” Scootaloo asked with a hopeful look on her eyes. “Ah think that’s up to Dashie.” Applejack said as she glanced over at her mare friend. “Totally, I wouldn’t miss it for the world Scoots.” Rainbow Dash replied as she reached down and ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. Scootaloo giggled and playfully swatted Rainbow Dash’s hoof away. “Great, I’ll see you there Rainbow Dash.” Scootaloo said as she ran down the hill towards Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and Rainbow Dash watched the small filly run down the hill both of their faces beaming with pride. “So what did you want to talk about?” Rainbow Dash asked as she turned to face Applejack with a curious raise of her eyebrow. Applejack turned to face Rainbow Dash and went on to tell her what Twilight and Pinkie Pie had said to her earlier that day. “Wow…so it sounds to me like we’ve got our work cut out for us.” Rainbow Dash said with a nod. Applejack nodded in agreement before she brushed up next against Rainbow Dash and gave her an affectionate nuzzle. “But ah think we can handle it.” “Totally with you and me as a team there’s nothing in all of Equestria that can take us on.” Rainbow Dash said with a bright cocky smile. Applejack smiled and shook her head. “Remind me why it is ah put up with you?” “Because I’m the most awesome pony in all of Equestria that’s why.” Rainbow Dash said as she playfully bumped into Applejack. Applejack got up and gave Rainbow Dash a kiss on the cheek. “Yeah somthin’ like that.” Applejack said as she trotted past Rainbow Dash and playfully flicked her nose with the end of her tail. “Ah’ll race yah back to the farm.” Applejack said as she sprung into a gallop down the hill. Rainbow Dash watched her for a few seconds admiringly until her brain caught up with what Applejack had said. “Hey wait that’s not fair!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she charged down the hill after her.