Chapter 2—When AJ Met CJ
I swear this train ride is one of the smoothest I've been on and I've been on many. I take a peek out the window and see the rolling plains of Dodge Junction ready to give way to the edge of the Everfree Forest. Even after all this time, I still can't help but wonder how Zecora manages to find her way around that place without getting lost. Speaking of Zecora, I wonder if she's going to be at the party?
“Hon,” Cherry says, “I'm going to the bar for a drink. You want anything?”
“Water will be fine.”
Cherry lets out a giggle indicating she isn't surprised that I asked for water. Y'see, I'm not much of a fan of, ahem, adult drinks. That does remind me of when the rumor of our Apple Family Cider containing alcohol spread around Ponyville. Of course, the family stopped that rumor in record time although we never found out who started that rumor. Not to mention, and I'm kinda not proud of it, that I'm not one to hold my alcohol, but that's another story for another time.
“Okay then, one water and one cherry lemonade.” Cherry heads off for the bar while I lean back and reflect on how all this came to pass—the rodeo, the failure, meeting the woman who I would ultimately become my wife, everything. Where would be the best place to start?
I guess I could begin when I was going through my training regimen for the Equestria Rodeo. It was one of the last days remaining before the competition and I was going through my last time through the hurdles and hay throwing. As I was training, I remember Applebloom watching me. My little sister wanted to watch and who was I to tell her no? I even let her wear my hat was I worked out.
“Applejack,” I remember her saying, “you're sure to knock everyone's hat off at the Equestria Rodeo competition!” I have to admit those simple words made me feel even more confident that I was then that I would win the competition, as I was the three-time champion at the time.
However, my modesty stood in my way. “Aw shucks, I sure hope so,” I answered.
I don't remember the exact words, but Applebloom reminded me I had more blue ribbons than anyone in Ponyville and that she couldn't wait until I came back as the Rodeo champion of Equestria. I have to admit that those words brought a blush to my face. I'm glad to no one else was around to see it.
The next day, there was a spectacle for me at Town Hall, which was such a wreck that looking back, I'm surprised it wasn't immediately torn down—then again, it just about was. And before you ask, yes, I am aware it was Derpy who was responsible. To be honest, I'm glad she did for if not, I may not be where I am today.
I can still hear the chanting as clear as if it happened yesterday: “Applejack! Applejack! Applejack!” It was such an honor to have this that it was obvious I was more determined that ever to win the prize money to fix the hall. And I obviously can't forget the speech Mayor Mare gave for me that day. Now it's been a few years since that day so I don't recall exactly what she said, but from what I remember, it was about my participation in the rodeo.
Looking back, I do think that Mayor Mare, bless her heart, tends to blow things out of proportion in my mind. Everyone at the time knew I went to the competition each year, but I just didn't have the heart to tell that to the mayor. Anyway, I wanted to give back to the town other than selling apples, so I volunteered to give the prize money to help fix the town hall—back then, it needed the money far more than I did. I also remembering thanking the people of Ponyville for supporting me and that I would make them proud. In fact, I just remembered the words I said to the people there:
“I'm not much for speeches. Buuut! This here is the nicest send off anybody could ask for. Y'all have been cheering me on in every rodeo since I was a a little girl. So it seems only fittin' to use my winnings to fix up town hall. I promise to make Ponyville proud.
It all ended with the cheers and applause with everyone that attended that day. Had I known what would happen at that rodeo, I may have been a bit more careful to say those words...
That night was the night before I was to leave for the rodeo and I can't recall a time where I spent more time awake than asleep. It seemed like every hour, I was waking up to toss and turn in my bed to get comfortable when I can usually fall asleep easily. Even though I had competed in these competitions year after year, this was the one time that I didn't get comfortable enough to sleep for the entire night. I wonder if that was some kind of sign that this was going to be different....nah, I don't really believe in that superstitious nonsense.
Despite my not-so-good night's sleep, I got up at my usual time—just before dawn—but instead of getting ready to do my chores, but to pack up and get ready to catch the train to the rodeo. The Equestrian Rodeo lasts a week, but to me, it feels like only a few days. Y'all could say that the rodeo is kinda like the Equestrian Games for us farmhands. In fact, if my memory recalls correctly, for this particular year, the winners would be allowed to compete for the Games. However, I didn't know about any of this until I got to the Rodeo so I couldn't tell anyone about that. I don't think I need to say it raised my already high levels of enticement and nervousness to levels that wouldn't be seen until the day I walked the altar.
Y'all probably know this, but in case you forgot, that morning was the morning I was to leave for the rodeo. As expected, my family and friends were there to see me off. Granny Smith told me to show them other riders what “a real rodeo rider is like.” To this day, I still get a laugh at that comment. Pinkie Pie, being the hyperactive girl she is, said to have fun and not be nervous and something about eating taffy. You know Pinkie, she tends to ramble so fast that nobody can recall everything she says. Twilight kept it simple and told me to do my best—not much as I can say about that. That was about when the conductor announced that everyone going to Canterlot needs to get on board, which was my cue to get going. I said my final goodbyes and headed toward Canterlot thinking about how everyone will react to me bringing home the prize money.
Of course, we all know what happened. Y'all know as well as I do that we all have our days that we call “one of those days”, right? Well, unfortunately for me, I had several in a row and those days were the days of the rodeo. In case you forgot, I'll just say that I didn't get a ribbon better than second place. Of course, that meant I had no prize money for Town Hall. I remember that as everyone was heading to their homes, I slowly walked to no place in particular, hanging my head in utter shame. What was I supposed to do? I had a bunch of ribbons to show for it and not one was a first place. This meant my string of first places was over. There was no way I could go back to Ponyville empty handed. Everyone would be upset at me for not keeping my promise.
As I walked wallowing in my misery, I had a voice call me.
“Excuse me, young lady?”
I turn toward the voice and I saw a woman with big red hair running a booth. From what I saw, she was selling cherries and judging by the bushels her helpers were loading, she didn't sell all her wares.. The woman ran up to me and said something that I did not know would change my life for the better:
“You're Applejack, right? Do you mind if I talk to you?”