A chariot flew through the air, pulled along by a pair of pegasi. The ponies sat in the box, riding with it.
Luna stood near the front. Her eyes were closed and wings extended as felt the air flowing past her. It felt like she was flying.
Fluttershy sat in the box, leaning against the side. Dark goggles covered her eyes, keeping her nocturnal vision protected from the bright light of the day. Her attention was split between keeping an eye on Luna to make sure nothing happened and the third pony with them.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Twilight Sparkle slumped over the chariot's side. The normally purple-coated unicorn had an sickly green tinge to her.
"I think I'm going to be sick," she groaned out. "It feels like we -- " she paused a moment to gag, "-- are driving along a bumpy road. Stupid turbulence. Why couldn't we have taken an airship instead?"
"There's only three of us," Fluttershy replied. "No reason to use a ship that's meant to carry dozens of ponies for that. Besides, this is faster."
Fluttershy smiled as she looked ahead, watching the flight. The smile vanished when she heard a rather unpleasant sound coming from Twilight.
"I sincerely hope that doesn't hit anypony on the ground," Twilight said with a cough, wiping at her mouth.
"Uhm..." Fluttershy shifted a moment, thinking. "Maybe it will help if we get your mind on something else."
"What about her cutie mark?" Luna suddenly asked.
"My cutie mark?" Twilight repeated, turning to look down at it. On her flank was a compass rose: two four-sided stars placed on top of each other. The top one, for the cardinal directions, was a dark red color, similar to the color of her magic. The one below it, pointing in the intermediate directions, was a golden yellow.
"It's not that interesting," she explained. "I just got it one day when I was doing some research on old legends of Equestria in The Canterlot Library. What a compass rose has to do with reading about monsters from long ago is beyond me."
"Maybe this is your chance to find out," Luna said as she turned to face them. "Maybe you'll become a great adventurer who will save Equestria from evil monsters." Her brow scrunched down as she started making vicious (though not really) roaring noises. Twilight and Fluttershy both had to bite their lips to stifle their giggles.
"I'm sorry, Luna," Twilight finally said, "but I don't think so." She looked back over the side of the chariot. "I sit in libraries, read books, and practice spells. I'm no adventurer. And with my brother being a lieutenant in the royal guard, my family already has one hero."
"Wait," Fluttershy said. "Who's your brother?"
"Shining Armor."
Luna let out a gasp.
"Twilight's brother is Cadey's boyfriend!"
"Cadey?" Twilight repeated.
"Luna has an older sister named Celestia," Fluttershy explained, "who is taken care of by an alicorn named Mi Amore Cadenza. She normally just goes by Cadence though, and Celestia and Luna call her Cadey."
"What?" Twilight cried out. "My brother has a girlfriend? And he hasn't told me?! How long?"
"Well...I...uh..." Fluttershy shifted, adjusting her goggles and wiping at her forehead. "Oh look. We're here. We should be landing shortly and should get ready. Please. If you don't mind." She then turned to face forward.
Twilight let out a huff of annoyance and did the same. Her eyes suddenly went wide as a realization began to sink in.
"Oh no," she cried out. "Oh no. Nonononono."
"Is something-"
Before Fluttershy could ask any further, the chariot hit the ground, and bounced back up into the air. After several seconds, they did it again, though not as high. Then they had a third bounce, and a fourth, and a fifth. Finally the chariot stayed on the ground before coming to a full stop.
"Welcome to-"
The rest of the ponies statement was cut off as Twilight pushed past, running as fast as she could. The mare managed to make it behind one of the apple trees before getting sick again.
"What the hay?" the pony she had pushed past said. "What was that all about?"
The pony was a mare with an orange coat and blond mane and tail. From the base of the tail to the middle point of her back, a series of metal nodes traced up along her spinal cord. The nodes connected to large mechanical pieces that covered her flanks and shifted into artificial hind legs. On the panel of her flank where the cutie mark would be was a copper colored gear shaped like an apple.
"Sorry about that," Fluttershy said. "She's not used to flying in a chariot."
"Ah, I guess I can understand that then," the orange mare said. "As I was sayin': welcome to Sweet Apple Acres. I'm Applejack." She held out a hoof.
"Fluttershy." She took the proffered hoof. "This is Luna, and the pony in trees is Twilight."
"Nice to meet you." Applejack smiled as she shook hooves with Fluttershy.
"What's that on your back legs?" Luna asked, reaching out to poke at the metal that covered the flank and became the machinery that was the lower legs.
"Luna!" Fluttershy cried out, wings splaying out in surprise. "I know you're curious, but you can't just ask ponies about certain things like that. It might be a sensitive subject to them."
"It's alright," Applejack said, turning to ruffle Luna's mane. "Oh, but where are my manners." She turned to the chariot. "If you two want, there's some cold apple juice in the house so y'all can have a drink before flying back to Canterlot."
The two pegasus ponies looked at each other, then at Fluttershy. The pair tried to keep their formal appearance of a guard, while trying to silently plead with the batpony. Fluttershy looked at them, uncertainly.
"They're waiting for your permission," Luna whispered.
"Oh," Fluttershy cried out. "Sorry. Go ahead. Oh, and thank you for the ride."
The two let out satisfied whicker before detaching from the chariot and trotting toward the house.
With a groan, Twilight Sparkle returned from behind the trees.
"Feeling better?" Fluttershy asked.
"When this is over," Twilight said, "I'm taking the train back."
"So," Luna called out, getting Applejack's attention again, "what about your legs?"
"You're a stubborn one, ain't ya?" Applejack let out a chuckle. "Well, when I was 'bout your age, I got hurt pretty badly while in Manehattan. So a doctor there gave me mechanical legs. They gave it some fancy term though."
"Bio-mechanical augmentation and prosthesis?!" Twilight called out, eyes wide.
"That sound 'bout-"
"You're that Applejack?"
"That Applejack?" the orange mare repeated.
"You know her?" Fluttershy asked.
"No," Twilight replied. "Well... it's more I know of her. I've read about her in some of the medical books in the library." She motioned toward the pony of interest. "Applejack was one of the first pony test subjects for Bio-mechanical augmentation and prosthesis, as well as the only foal. She was also the first whose body did not reject the mechanics. Some ponies speculate that it was her age and earth pony strength that made her resilient enough for it to work."
"So does that mean that only earth foals can get metal legs?" Luna asked.
"No," Twilight replied. "At least not as much. It's still in the testing stages, but they are starting to have functioning augmentations for adult earth ponies and even some pegasi."
"Okay," Applejack called out, cheeks turning pink. "That's enough of that. How 'bout I show you to your rooms then give you a tour of Ponyville?"
"That would be nice," Fluttershy answered with a smile. She shifted as she suddenly remembered something. "Oh."
Stopping, she turned and opened one of her saddlebags. Looking through it, she pulled out an envelope that was sealed with wax. She pulled the envelope out and gave it to Applejack.
"We were told to give this one to the Apples when we arrived."
Applejack took the envelope and opened it, pulling out the letter inside. Her eyes read over it quickly.
"Aw, ain't that nice," she finally said. "Granny Smith is gonna be so thrilled to have such a nice letter from the princess. Come on, I'll introduce you and show you to your room."
She then started toward the house, followed by the three visiting ponies.