Applejack Through the Ages

by Paradise Oasis


A Picture and a Story

A Picture and a Story

"Come on Applejack, try to keep up!" Scootaloo yelled back,as she and Pinkie Pie ran ahead. "We don't want to be late for Story Time!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" The older mare replied with a laugh, galloping after them at a quick pace. "I'm not as young as I used to be, ya know!"

"Aww, AJ! You don't look any older than the rest of us!" Pinkie replied with a laugh. "Besides, I'm sure Storybelle will wait for us to get there!"

"It's okay, Pinkie! Listening to stories isn't really my thing, anyway!" The red mare gasped, finally catching up to the other two. "But, why didn't we invite Rainbow Dash along? Apple Spice told me she's a member of story club, too!"

At that question, Scootaloo turned her head away, a scowl on her face. Stepping up, Pinkie Pie explained; "Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo... don't exactly get along very well. So when Scoots decided to come along to this weeks story club, Rainbow Decided to sit this one out."

"Oh, well, I'm really glad you decided to invite me along." AJ replied, trying to change the subject away from a subject that wasn't really her business. "It's been a really long time since I've been to a library, let alone had anyone read to me!"

The two mares led her towards a large lighthouse with a large pinwheel on top, making the whole place look like a windmill, on the edge of lake Ponyville (another addition to the town, added during her absence). Knocking at the door with her hoof, The three ponies were greeted by a pink mare with a multicolored mane, and the very building they had just come to for a cutie mark.

"Hey there, Storybelle!" Scootaloo greeted her, waving a hoof. "We're here for story club!"

"Ah, Scootaloo, so good to see you!" Storybelle replied, smiling. "And I see you've brought miss Applejack with you! Please, would all of you come inside for storytime?"

AJ followed the other two inside, and was taken aback by the Lighthouse's interior. Towering shelves filled with row after row of books, leading straight up towards the ceiling. Her old dear friend Twilight would've loved this place, Applejack noted, except for all the pink heart shaped furniture.

"Wow, this is amazing!" AJ commented. "I've rarely seen so many books all in one place!"

"Glad you like it, Applejack!" Storybelle giggled, as she started to trot up a winding staircase in the center of the lighthouse. "Now if you could all please follow me up to the story loft?"

AJ started to follow the others up the stairs, when she heard a soft *click* on the far side of the room. Turning to see the noise was, she thought she saw something dart behind the couch. Going over to look, she heard another *click* from beside a small table, and again when AJ turns, she swore she saw the figure dives behind a bookshelf.

This place is weird She thought to herself. Shrugging the whole thing off, Applejack begins to ascend the steps, when she notices a giant dragonfly zip down from the story loft above, and flying right in front of her face curiously.

"Whoah, what a really big bug!" reflexively grabbing a book from the shelf, AJ swatted at the large insect, the book caught him by surprise, coming down on the rainbow-colored dragonfly with a loud *squish*.

"Ew, Storybelle should really get this place sprayed for pests." AJ noted. seeing the others had already made their way up to the loft, she raced the rest of the way up after them. When Applejack entered the small canopied balcony halfway up the tower, Storybelle was already sitting in front of the other two ponies, starting a song that AJ assumed was a ritual to start a meeting of story club off;

"Come on everybody, lend your little ears
gather round gather ground
I promise you, my dears
It's the most amazing story
you're ever gonna hear!
The most amazing storrryyyy..... you're ever gonna hear!"

"Than you all for coming this week, girls!" Storybelle exclaimed, looking over the other ponies. "It's really great to have you all here, and I'd like to welcome our newest guest, Applejack!"

"Thank you, it's really great to be here!" The red mare replied bashfully, scratching the back of her neck with her hoof. "So I guess you read everyone a story for story club?"

"That's right! Now, lets see what this week's story is going to be..." The mare looked towards the stain glass ceiling above them, while a wind suddenly picked up outside, and spun the large pinwheel outside the building. The enchanted wind then blew in though the stain glass somehow, swirling about Storybelle, and spinning the pinwheel on her cutie mark. This odd little bit of earth pony magic seemed to tell the librarian which of the great books she should read.

"Ahh! Today's story is called 'Under the Sparkling Sea, and it's about six friends who go under the waves to visit the Sea Ponies!" Storybelle then looked around, and started calling for her assistant. "Gossamer? Where are you, Gossamer? I need you to get this weeks storybook!" Storybelle tapped her hoof against the arm of her easy chair impatiently. "Gossamer! I swear, that dragonfly is never around when you need him!"

While the four mares waited, AJ again heard the soft *click* behind them, followed by a loud *whirrrrr*! Turning around, she was certain she spotted a pink form disappearing behind Storybelle's chair. AJ was about to say something to the others,when Pinkie Pie put a hoof to her lips, shushing her. The red mare was now sure the other mares had heard the noise, too.

"Actually, Storybelle, I think it's time we told you a story!" Pinkie called out in annoyance, "About a little earth pony, who pretends to be shy, but is really a peeping pervert!"

*Click! Whirrrrrr!* From behind the big seat cushion Pinkie was sitting on, before the figure darted away again.

"A mare who's special talent is snapping photos, but who uses her camera to hide and snap secret pictures of ponies all the time!" Scootaloo called out in angrily. "She has no consideration for other pony's privacy, and has even shot pictures of the stallions in the Ponyville community pool shower room!"

*Click! Whirrrrrr!* Came again, as the pink blur zipped behind the wicker chair Applejack was sitting in.

"She was really annoying the ponies around her, who were starting to get mad at her dirty tricks!" Applejack continued, not knowing the pony they were talking about, but joining in to help flush out this mystery stalker. "And they were getting ready to give that pain-in-the-flank mare a good pounding for her actions.

*Click! Whirrrrrr!* Came again, as the pink form dove behind Storybelle's chair. Reaching back quickly, the librarian yanked a pink mare with a purple and yellow mane out from behind the chair with her hoof.

"Fluttershy, I should have known!" Storybelle snorted, angry looks on her and the other two's faces.

"F-fluttershy!?" AJ asked in shock, seeing the slight resemblance between the shutterbug, and her old kind and gentle friend in Ponyville.

"H-hey girls...." The timid pony with the butterfly cutie mark whimpered. "J-just thought I'd stop in for story club... h-have you started yet?"

"Oh, I'm just about to get started." Scootaloo snorted, cracking her hooves. "You like shooting pictures, Fluttershy? Here, let me give you a few good shots..."

Outside the story loft, the ponies of Ponyville could hear the loud sounds of three angry mares pounding and kicking on another mare, and the loud screams that filled the air around them.

"OUCH...OW....OWWIE...OW.....AIEEEEEEEEEE!"