//------------------------------// // Reunions? // Story: The Dreamcatcher // by Show Stopper //------------------------------// Chapter 4 Reunions? Anne’s patience was getting thin. To anyone who knew Anne, that statement would have sounded ridiculous. Anne was one of the most patient people she knew. After all, she had grown up spending hour after hour every day going through the repetitive motions of apple harvesting and maintenance. She could also stare down another poker player for 5 minutes if she thought it would get them to fold. That was how she’d won her tuition from the Head Dean at USC. Yes, Anne was a patient girl, but she had a weakness, a weakness that was making itself very apparent at the moment. “Honestly, I cannot believe that these horrible brown cloaks are the only form of ‘disguise’ she had. How can anyone have nothing fashionable in their entire wardrobe? And it’s not even well made! The stitching is far from neat and the material is uncomfortable besides!” Anne gritted her teeth and suppressed the urge to groan. Fashion! If there was one thing that Anne couldn’t stand, it was when people prattled on and on about fashion. As it turned out, it wasn’t any less annoying when ponies did it. Ruth had started complaining about the cloaks as soon as they were out of hearing range of Zecora’s hut. “How much longer?” Anne asked Applebloom, trying to ignore the incessant chatter going on right behind her. Applebloom turned to her, the grimace on her face showing that they had similar opinions about Ruth’s blabber. “Shouldn’ be too long now,” she replied. “Sweet Apple Acres is just over that next big hill.” Anne nodded, relieved that they were so close to their first destination. “I hope the others keep themselves out o’ trouble,” she muttered. After the girls had (for the most part) come to grips with their now probably soiled reputations, Zecora had led them all to her hut. Once there, she had produced three long, brown hooded cloaks, explaining that they could conceal three of the girls whenever they went into town. She’d said that they should remain hidden in the Everfree until they figured out what to tell Ponyville. Everyone had thought it was a good idea, until Applebloom had intervened. “What about their families?” she’d asked. “I can’ lie t’ Big Mac. An’ besides, don’ they deserve t’ know what’s goin’ on?” Eventually, they had decided on a plan; Applebloom, AJ, Ruth and Talon would go into town to find the Elements of Harmony’s families while Rebekkah, Faith and Diane went back to the clearing. The first group would tell the family members what had happened and return to figure out what to do next. AJ, Ruth and Talon had donned the cloaks and Applebloom had led them out of the forest and to the road that led to Sweet Apple Acres. An’ now, thought Anne, I’m stuck listenin’ t’ Ruth go on about fashion while I get ready t’ convince Applebloom’s family that I’m from another world. What am I even supposed to say? “Howdy y’all. Sorry t’ inconvenience you, but I was pulled from my world int’ this one an’ I need t’ borrow your sister an’ granddaughter’s body for a bit. Thank you kindly.” If someone said that t’ me, I wouldn’ believe ‘em in a million years. An’ even if I did, “There it is!” Applebloom’s shout interrupted Anne’s thoughts, and she looked up to see Sweet Apple Acres. Her jaw dropped. What a sight it was! Acre upon acre of beautiful apple trees, stretching as far as the eye could see. And all types too: Baldwins, Cortlands, Criterions, Galas, Golden Deliciouses, Red Deliciouses, Granny Smiths, Macouns, McIntoshes, Staymans, Winesaps, and a few that Anne had never even seen before! Well, don’ that beat all, thought Anne. I ain’t never seen anythin’ more beautiful than that in all my life. I sure wouldn’ mind stayin’ here for a while. Sitting near the orchards was a large, two-story barn. A large red pony with an orange mane and tail was working in the small vegetable garden next to the barn. Applebloom pointed to him and said “That’s Big Macintosh, th’ strongest pony in all o’ Ponyville! Granny Smith’s gone int’ town today, bu’ he’ll be able t’ tell her what’s goin’ on when she gets back. Come on.” She started trotting down the hill, the three cloaked and hooded ponies following close behind. Big Macintosh looked up from his weeding when he saw his youngest sister leading three strange ponies in cloaks over to him. As soon as she was close enough to hear him without him needing to shout, he said, “Applebloom, weren’t you goin’ over t’ Zecora’s t’ help her with somethin’? You know it ain’t nice t’ keep others a’waitin’.” Applebloom nodded once. “I know Big Mac, but this,” she gestured to Anne and the others, “is what she wanted help with.” Big Macintosh raised an eyebrow curiously. “What do you mean, Bloom?” Applebloom looked over at Anne and nodded her head, gesturing for her to step forward. Anne stepped forward, hesitated a brief moment, and lowered her hood. Big Macintosh’s jaw dropped. He starred at his sister’s face for a few moments in silence, before finally meeting Anne’s eyes. Anne didn’t see the hoof move. She didn’t see the transition of expressions from surprise to rage. She didn’t even feel herself pulled off of her hooves. All she knew was that one moment she was staring into Big Macintosh’s startled eyes, and the next she had been thrown against the wall of the barn and was pinned there by a huge red stallion with cold fury in his eyes. Applebloom gasped while Talon and Ruth threw off their cloaks and got ready to fight. Big Macintosh noticed none of this; he just leaned in close to Anne, never breaking eye contact, and asked, his voice colder than the middle of winter “What did you do t’ my sister?” Anne just stared back, absolutely terrified. She looked into the stallion’s eyes and saw a determination she could barely fathom; he would go to hell and back for his sister: his sister who he loved and cherished, his sister who he’d been worried about for days, the sister whose body a stranger now possessed. In the face of such determination and fury, Anne was unable to speak. Talon, however, had no such problem. “Let her go!” she commanded. “Let her go now or we will be forced to hurt you!” Big Macintosh slowly turned his head to look at Talon. He stared into her eyes and snorted angrily. “You ain’t Twilight either, are you?” he growled. “I c’n see it in your eyes.” Talon tensed her muscles, preparing to leap at Big Macintosh. “No, I’m not. Neither is the pony you are holding your sister. We’re here to explain what happened to them, but we can’t do that in a hostage situation. Now, let my friend go, before I have to hurt you.” Big Macintosh stared at her for a while, before finally releasing Anne. He walked over to Talon, glaring directly into her eyes. “You can’ even use magic, can you?” Talon blinked, confused. “Tha’s what I thought.” He snorted and turned back to Anne. “So, you want t’ talk? Then talk. What happened t’ my sister?” Anne looked up at Big Macintosh, still afraid, but able to speak now that she wasn’t pinned. “Th- th’ truth is, we ain’t exactly sure. We jus’ know that we woke up in these bodies a few days ago.” Anne told their story so far as best she could, with Talon and Ruth chiming in to add a few details here and there. All the while Big Macintosh glared at the stranger that occupied his sister’s body, expression never changing. “An’ then we came over here t’ talk to you and, well, you know the rest.” Anne looked down, afraid that the stallion wouldn’t believe her. She didn’t see why he would; the tale sounded so far-fetched when she told it out loud. Heck, she thought, it sounds far-fetched in my head, an’ I know that it happened! Why on Earth would he… “I believe you.” The words startled Anne out of her thoughts and she looked up at the pony who had spoken them. “I was watchin’ you th’ entire time you were talkin’. An Apple can smell a lie a mile away, an’ you spoke th’ truth.” His expression softened slightly as he looked at her. “I won’t apologize f’r suspectin’ you, I think that’s my right as a brother, but I do apologize f’r slamin’ you int’ the barn.” Anne smiled slightly. “It’s alright,” she replied. “I’d probably do th’ same if someone was impersonatin’ one o’ my sisters. Let’s just start over.” She held out a hoof. “Hi, my name is Anne Smith.” Big Macintosh stared at the offered hoof for a moment, before reaching out and taking it with one of his own. “I’m Big Macintosh, but you can just call me ‘Big Mac’.” He broke the hoofshake and smiled down at Anne. “Everypony does.” Anne’s smile widened. “Well then, nice t’ meet you, Big Mac. Let me introduce you t’ my friends.” Anne led Big Mac over to Talon and Ruth. “This here is Talon Swift, smartest gal I know. And this is Ruth Johnson, biggest pain in th-” “A pleasure to meet you, mister Macintosh,” Ruth interrupted, holing out her hoof to shake. “I must say, your apple orchards are amazing! I’ve never been to a farm myself before, and I must say, this has been a rather pleasant experience so far.” Talon snorted. “Even the part where Anne got slammed into a wall?” Ruth grinned evilly at Anne. “Especially that part. It’s always nice to see her knocked down a peg or three.” Anne glared at Ruth before turning back to Big Mac. “Anyway, we’d better get goin’. We still have to tell a few more family members about this whole mess. It was nice meetin’ you, Big Mac.” Big Mac nodded. “Eeyup, you too, Miss Smith.” “Please, call me ‘Anne’,” she said, turning away with the other three. They headed out of the acres and off towards Ponyville. When they were a good distance from the farm, Applebloom let out a huge sigh of relief. “Well,” she said, “that could’ve gone a lot worse. I thought Big Mac was goin’ t’ break your legs or somethin’.” Anne, Talon and Ruth laughed for a moment, before they realized that the filly wasn’t laughing along. “Wait,” said Anne, “y’all’re serious?” Applebloom shrugged. “He looked like he was goin’ to. I ain’t never seen him so mad. He’s always been protective of me an’ Applejack, but still…” Anne shook her head. “Like I told him, I would’ve done the same thing. Family’s important, an’ you have t’ look out f’r them.” She lowered her voice to a dark mutter. “Even if they don’ think so.” “What was that?” asked Applebloom. Anne shook her head sadly. “Nothin’, nothin’. Just old wounds that ain’t healed yet. Let’s pick up the pace; I want t’ get back t’ the others by nightfall.” She sped up to a gallop and the others followed close behind. Just old wounds, Anne thought to herself. Old wounds tha’ won’t heal f’r a long time to come.