“Kala-El? Is everything alright?” Archive asked, rousing Applebloom from her daydream.
“Huh? Oh, sorry Archive. I’ve just… got my mind on things.” Applebloom said.
Archive sat down within his screen in order to adopt a more friendly posture. He found that making his avatar mimic pony body language made Kala-El much more open with him.
“Bit for your thoughts?” He said.
“Where did you hear that saying?” Applebloom asked.
“You said it in passing during your twelfth visit to the fortress.” He answered.
Applebloom cocked her head. “How... many times have I visited you now?”
“You have visited the fortress 36 times, including today’s visit.”
Applebloom’s eyes widened. “Really?” She knew she wanted to keep her promise to visit Archive, but at the same time she had only discovered the fortress hidden within her crystal just a few months ago. That she had spent so much time in the fortress…
“Applejack must be worried with me flying off all the time.” Applebloom said, a slight look of guilt on her face.
Archive frowned. “I apologize if I am causing any strife or discomfort with your family. This was never my intention.”
Applebloom shook her head. “Not your fault Archive. You never twisted my foreleg to be here, I visit you because I want to.”
Archive nodded but his frown remained. “And while I am appreciative of that, I must ask why you visit me so often if it causes your family to worry? Surely their happiness is worth more than mine?”
Applebloom raised an eyebrow at his words. “Happiness isn’t something you can place a value on, Archive. Nopony deserves happiness any more than anypony else.”
Applebloom looked down. “But you’re right; I probably do spend too much time here. I’m behind a lot with my job. Applejack’s being lenient ‘cause she’s my sister but if I were working anywhere else, I’d be fired.”
Archive nodded. “But that still leaves the question of ‘Why?’”
Applebloom nodded as she tried to come up with an answer to Archive’s question. She thought back to her conversation with Diamond Tiara during her party. Her story about her cutie mark and what it meant.
“Archive, do Kryptonian ponies get cutie marks?” Applebloom asked. Archive knew what she was referring to thanks to describing the meaning of the image on her flank when he inquired during one of her visits.
“No. I suspect your ability to possess a cutie mark is due to Earth’s magic.” Archive adopted an inquisitive face. “In fact, magic was sparse on Krypton. We were aware of its existence, and even made use of it at times, but we were a more technological society on the whole.”
Applebloom’s eyebrow raised in confusion. “But then how do ponies know what they’re supposed to do?”
“I am afraid I do not understand the question.” Archive said. “On Krypton, we simply did what we could to make the best of our abilities.”
Archive started to grow worried. “What has brought upon this line of thought?”
Applebloom looked down towards the chamber’s crystal floor. “Ponies ‘round here… They think having a cutie mark means you have a destiny. They think having a cutie mark gives you a purpose in life.”
Archive nodded. “An admirable philosophy.”
“Is it?” Applebloom asked. “Is my ‘destiny’ just… fixin’ things? Is that all I will ever do with my life?”
Applebloom got up as she started to pace across the crystal floor of the chamber. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I enjoy my job but… I have all this power. All this potential.”
She looked at Archive with pleading eyes. “I would never say this to my sister’s face… but I think I’m being wasted on that farm.”
Applebloom’s pacing picked up speed as she grew more distraught. “And… And I feel terrible just saying that. I don’t care if I’m an alien or that I’m adopted, I AM an Apple. Farming is in my blood (metaphorically speaking). I should be proud of my job!”
Archive waited patiently for his friend to calm down. He knew so little of this planet or the ideals and philosophies of its natives aside from what Jor-El programmed into him. So he wasn’t sure what he could say to alleviate Applebloom’s concern.
“Have you spoken of these feelings to your family?” He finally decided to ask.
Applebloom scoffed. “And say what? That I think being on that farm is pointless?”
She looked back down at the crystal floor, the reflection of a saddened yellow face stared back at her.
Still, Archive persisted. “It’s obvious you hold your family in high regard. Wouldn’t their opinions on the matter offer valuable insight?”
Applebloom’s ears perked up at this. She had to admit it, Archive made a good point.
“What about you? What’s your opinion in all this?” She asked.
Archive thought for a moment before responding. “You are right in that you have unbridled potential. Your father certainly knew this when he sent you here.”
Applebloom thought in silence for a long time before she got back up to her hooves. “I should go home Archive. My family and I… have a lot to talk about.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flying at a brisk pace across the quiet waters of the arctic north, Applebloom tried in vain to shake off her nervousness.
“It’ll be fine.” She told herself, pulling her white parka closer to her body. “They’ll understand. They have to understand… I hope they understand.”
Applebloom was about to simply continue flying towards home when a distant sound suddenly hit her ears.
“Was that… an explosion?”
Far off into the distance, far enough so that she could only see it with her heightened vision, there was a large ship trailing the waters.
Its upper deck was engulfed in flames… and Applebloom could hear cries of help from inside.
Without thinking, she immediately flew straight towards the ship at high-speeds. As she neared the burning ship, she used her x-ray vision to see inside. She found the surviving crew members huddled in what looked like a mess hall, cut off from escape by a fallen support beam blocking the exit.
Applebloom quickly dived towards the side of the ship. “Alright, time to see if this works.”
During one of her many visits to Archive, the computer informed her of a potential ability she might have gained from Celestia’s sun. If her father’s research into her biology was correct…
She removed the opaque goggles from her eyes as she started to stare intensely at the hull of the ship. With time and some concentration, Applebloom was shocked but delighted to see a steady stream of heat emanate from her eyes. The heat was mild at first, tempered by the cold winds around her, but it built up little by little.
Finally, the metal hull of the ship was pierced by Applebloom’s gaze. Working fast, her eyes traced a circle and the beam followed suite. Cutting off her heat vision, the circle of metal fell victim to gravity as it collapsed inside the ship’s interior.
Inside, ten very shocked sailors gasped as what appeared to be a flying earth pony enter their ship through a brand new door.
Without a word, Applebloom flew straight towards the sailors as she scooped up six on her back and wrapped her forelegs around four, two in each leg.
With hardly any effort, she hoisted the now terrified sailors up and out the hole to safety before dropping them on a solid mass of ice.
“Are y’all alright?” Applebloom said, mentally cursing herself for letting her southern accent out. She counted herself lucky her parka and goggles covered the majority of her face.
One of the sailor ponies, a red-maned stallion who was visibly still shaken by the whole ordeal, stammered an affirmative “Y-y-yeah.”
Applebloom looked them over, noting that none were badly injured in the fires. “Are there any more sailors trapped in there?” She asked, being careful this time to hide her accent.
“N-no.” The sailor pony said. “We’re a skeleton crew just meant to test out a new engine system.”
Despite the ordeal, the sailor allowed himself a very small smile. “It ah… didn’t work.”
Applebloom smirked. “I guess not. Do you boys know of any port towns around here? Any form of civilization?”
At this point, a different sailor raised his hoof to gain Applebloom’s attention. “There should be a fishing village not too far from here. We should be able to call for a lift back home from there.”
“Say no more.” Applebloom said. “Stay here for a second. I’ll be right back.”
With that, Applebloom willed herself to go higher into the air. From her new vantage point, it was easy enough to spot the fishing village mentioned by the sailor. Taking a quick second to memorize its location, Applebloom lowered herself back down.
The sailors looked up at their savior expectedly as she drifted down to meet them.
“Hold on tight, I’m gonna push you to the village.” She said, placing her hooves on the edge of the slab of ice.
The sailors did as she instructed and sat down in the most stable positions they could so as not to slide off their makeshift lifeboat.
As Applebloom pushed her charges to safety, the ship she had rescued them from began to sink into the icy cold waters. Before it was submerged completely, one could just make out a symbol emblazoned on the fore of the ship in the shape of a stylized ‘L’.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The arctic north neighboring Equestria was home to the nomadic Snow Dog tribes. Unlike their cave dwelling Diamond Dog cousins, Snow Dogs enjoyed civil relations with the ponies of Equestria thanks to trading their various fishing products with a number of Equestrian fine goods and wares.
One young Snow Dog sat on the edge of one of his village’s many piers into the open ocean. A simple fishing rod, little more than a stick with some twine, rested in his paws as the pup attempted to catch himself a snack.
As he sat patiently for a fish to come along and snag itself onto his hook, the pup noticed faint ripples in the water coming from the open ocean ahead of him. Looking up, he saw what appeared to be around a dozen ponies in silly outfits riding on a slab of ice being pushed by another pony who was flying in the air without wings.
The pup stared at the sight for a second longer before rubbing his eyes, shrugging, and returning his attention to his line.
“Ponies…”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applebloom pushed the ice boat onto shore. The sailor ponies climbed off as they got bearings.
The red-maned sailor turned to Applebloom. “I don’t know who you are, but we would have been dead if you hadn’t come save us.” He offered a hoof to Applebloom. “So, on behalf of all of us, thank you.”
Applebloom shook the sailors hoof. “Are you going to be alright from here?” She asked.
The sailor nodded. “There’s a heli-pad a little ways off. We can call our company for an evac and get ourselves home in a few days.” He gave Applebloom a reassuring smile. “We’ll be fine. You’ve already done plenty for us.”
Applebloom nodded. “Take care.” She said before turning to leave.
As she flew away, a younger sailor turned towards his red-maned crewmate. “Who was she? What was she?”
The red-maned sailor watched Applebloom fly into the distance until she was a speck on the horizon. “Nothing short of an angel.” he said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time passed before Applebloom landed a good few acres away from her family’s farm. Before she made her way to the house, she gave the large plot of land they owned a sweeping glance. She took in the ordered and organized rows of apple trees that became more sporadic and less uniform in their placement as they got further and further from the barn.
The barn itself was a humble and simple design despite its large size. Applebloom smiled as she remembered Granny Smith telling her how her father, Jonah Gold, made the barn as large as he could to accommodate all the little colts and fillies running around.
Honeycrisp was done after three.
In more ways than one, Applebloom was happy she had lived and worked on this farm all her life. But she still had so much life left to live.
Saving the sailors on that ship woke something up in her. They could have died but instead are alive because of her and her powers. How can she go back to being a simple handymare after that?
With a small sigh, Applebloom walked the rest of the way to the barn. As she stepped through the door, she saw her family crowded around their old-fashioned radio as a news broadcast exposed a familiar story.
“A tragedy was averted earlier today when a cargo ship owned by the Canterlot Royal Navy found itself dead in the water with a fire raging through its decks.”
As the broadcast continued, Granny Smith noticed Applebloom enter the house. “And where have you been missy?” Granny said grabbing Applejack’s and Big Mac’s attention from the radio.
With all eyes on her, Applebloom knew the last thing she should do right now is fib. “Keep listening. You’ll find out.” Applebloom said, trying to force a smile.
Applejack and Big Mac exchanged worried glances before returning their attention to the radio. Granny Smith did the same, but not before flashing a knowing smirk to Applebloom.
“The ship in question was tasked with testing an experimental engine developed by the infamous LexCorp of Maretropolis. In the midst of the ship’s voyage, a failure with the engine caused an explosion leaving the ship in disrepair and its small crew in danger.”
The newscaster’s voice took on a much more positive tone as she continued the story.
“In any other circumstance, this is the part where we would have a touching eulogy for these brave sailors. But the crew of the now defunct ship still live to tell the tale. Mere moments after the ship was lost at sea, the entire crew called for an evacuation in a Snow Dog settlement about half a mile away.”
There was a short buzz of static as the recording was transferred to a different one. The ambient sounds suggested the recording was taken outside.
“I’m here now with the captain of these brave ponies to get their story on their miraculous survival. Captain Sea Strider, how did you and your crew escape the burning ship?
Applebloom recognized the voice on the radio as the red-maned stallion among the sailors.
“I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I didn’t have nine other ponies to confirm it for me. But when that engine died and the fires reached the crew deck, we all surely thought that was the end of it. But instead, a ray of red light pierced the hull of the ship, cutting a hole right through it.”
“A ray of red light?”
“If I knew what it was, I’d tell you. But for now, that’s the best I got. Anyway, after the hole was cut out a pony wearing a thick white parka flew in. The first odd thing I noted about her is that she wasn’t a pegasus.”
“Not a pegasus? But she flew.”
“And not a trace of any sort of wings. I think she was an earth pony cause I couldn’t see a horn either, but even then I’ve never see an earth pony pick up and carry ten full-grown stallions like we were nothing.”
“She just… picked you up? All at the same time?”
“And afterwards, she dropped us onto a slab of ice and pushed us to a nearby Snow Dog village. The rest, you know.”
“So a pony with no wings flew you to safety and, with no magic, carried ten sailors all the way to an out of the way port town?”
“I understand you’re skeptical but I have nine other ponies who will all tell you the exact same thing.”
“Then who, or what, was this mysterious pony?”
“One of my crew asked me that same question. I’ll tell you what I told him: Nothing short of an angel.”
There was another short buzz of static before the audio returned.
“And there you have it Equestria. Whoever this mysterious pony is, we have ten families thanking her right now. I’m Century Scoop signing off.”
Applebloom saw the shocked faces on her siblings fade as realization started to dawn on them. She waited for the other hoof to drop.
“Applebloom…” Applejack started to say. “I’m so proud of you!”
With that, Applejack scooped up her sister in a tight hug. Big Mac gave the teenager a rub on the head while Granny Smith simply smiled.
That… was not the reaction Applebloom was expecting.
She nudged her way out of Applejack’s hug. “Y-y’all ain’t mad?”
Applejack looked confused at her sister’s question. “Mad about what? Applebloom, you’re a hero!” She said, gesturing to the radio.
Applebloom looked down towards the ground. “Not really mad at what I did. Maybe… what I’m going to do.”
The other three Apples exchanged worried glances. “And what are you going to do?” Granny Smith asked.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time passed as Applebloom confided in her family. She told them of how she felt she was being wasted on the farm. She told them of how she felt the need to use her powers for a noble cause.
In essence, she told them she wanted to leave.
The other three farm ponies were absolutely silent as Applebloom talked, taking in every word.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is…” Applebloom began. “I can’t just sit around and fix farming equipment when I can do so much more.”
Granny Smith was the first to speak. “And… where exactly do you plan to go?”
Applebloom lowered her head in though. A good question, she admitted to herself.
“Maretropolis.” She said. “Most of it’s already set up. Sweetie Belle has a job as a nightclub singer there and she and Scootaloo have been trying to get me to move into their condo.”
Applejack gave Applebloom a stare. It was difficult for Applebloom to determine just what kind of emotion she was expressing. She didn’t look angry or sad but she was still giving her little sister an intense look.
“And what are you gonna do for money?” Applejack said. “Ain't much call for a farmer in a big city like that and ain’t a lotta pay being a superhero.”
“Scootaloo has a job as an intern for a newspaper called the Daily Planet. It’s how she funds her sports shop. She’s promised to get me through the necessary channels for an interview.” Applebloom leaned back a little as she went in for the kill. “In fact, she’s told me in a letter that their currently understaffed and that she’s been making some strong pushes up the ladder. Between the need for more workers and the little bit of pull Scootaloo has, I’m basically guaranteed a job.”
Big Mac, surprisingly, had his own two cents to offer. “Applebloom, we can all tell this is important to you. I think regardless of what we say, y’all gonna do it anyway.” Applebloom looked away as she couldn’t quite bring herself to confirm Big Mac’s statement.
“So let me just say this…” Big Mac continued. “What exactly do y’all think is gonna happen?”
Applebloom cocked her head, obviously confused by the question.
“What I mean is: You go to this city, you put on a costume, and you start calling yourself a superhero. What happens next?”
Applebloom already had her answer. “Whatever I need to do. If I find somepony in trouble, I’ll help them. If I find somepony causing trouble, I’ll stop them.” Applebloom stood up as her resolve strengthened. “I won’t pretend it will actually be that simple, but it’s more than what I’m doing now.”
Applejack stood up herself so she could meet her sister’s eye. As before, her expression was completely unreadable. “So you're basically planning to put Equestria on your shoulders?”
Applebloom shook her head. “No, I’m planning on doing what I can with what I can do. Which, if we’re all being honest, is a heck of a lot.”
Applejack closed her eyes. She sighed before looking her sister in the eyes once more. “Like Big Mac said: Regardless of what we say, you’re going to do this. So let me just say this, if only for your peace of mind.”
Applejack started to slowly walk up to her sister as she continued. “I pride myself on my honesty. If you believe some of the egg-head philosophers up in Canterlot, they would say I’m the living embodiment of honesty.”
Applejack shook her head in annoyance. “I’m not sure I agree with that, but I still consider being truthful to be one of the greater virtues of pony-kind. Which is why, as much as I want to convince you not to go and stay here, I can’t.”
Applebloom looked confused at this statement prompting Applejack to continue. “If I forbade you from leaving the farm to do what you feel you need to do, I would be the worst kind of liar. The kind that lies to herself. I would be a hypocrite.”
Applebloom’s eyes widened as she realized what her sister was saying. “Because you felt the exact same way before.”
Applebloom heard the story years ago. How her sister felt there was more for her life outside the farm, how she left to find a better place.
“But… you came back though.” Applebloom said, not sure why she was arguing against herself. She supposed she just wanted to cover everything that could be said on the matter. “You decided the farm was the best life for you.”
Applejack nodded. “Your right. I had a grand and amazing life set up for me and yet I still chose the farm.” Applejack placed a hoof on Applebloom’s shoulder. “But that was my choice. Ain’t nopony said it had to be yours.”
Applejack took another step as she pulled Applebloom into a tight hug. “And you owe it to yourself to see this through and make that choice as well. You never needed it… but you have my blessing.” She said as tears started to form in her eyes.
Granny Smith and Big Mac added themselves to the hug.
“Mine too.” Granny Smith said.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac added.
Applebloom smiled, her own tears starting to fall, as she scooped up her entire family in a big bear-hug, lifting them off the ground.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A few months passed after that as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo made all the necessary arrangements for their friend. Finally, the day arrived when Applebloom was to leave Sweet Apple Acres for Maretropolis.
She was up bright and early in the morning, double-checking her luggage to make sure she wouldn’t be forgetting anything before she heard a knock on her door.
“Come in.” She said. Her door opened as Applejack walked in, a sad smile on her face.
“Just came up to say goodbye.” She said. “I get the feeling I’m not gonna see you again for a long time.”
“Oh, Applejack” Applebloom said, pulling her sister into a tight hug. “It’s not like y’all never gonna see me again. I’ll visit, I promise.”
She pulled away to give her sister a wide smile. “After all, I’m always just a short flight away.”
Applejack wiped her eyes before she reached behind her. “I also came up here to make sure you took this with you.”
Applebloom cocked her head as her sister pulled out a familiar bundle of red cloth.
“Applejack… Is that…?” Applebloom started to say.
Applejack nodded. “I figured… that this would be a good reminder for why you’re doing this. A… a symbol.”
Applebloom reached for the cloth, unfolding it to reveal the same shield that had ingrained itself to her memory.
The red ‘S’.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After giving similar farewells to her brother and grandmother, Applebloom took to the skies with her luggage trailing behind her in the air.
But instead of heading straight towards Maretropolis, as she told her family, she instead flew as quickly as she could (which was very quickly) to her Fortress of Solitude. She reminded herself that Archive talked about having something to show her before she left.
When she reached the crystal structure, she flew straight into its entrance and straight towards Archive’s chamber.
“Archive? I’m here, what did y’all want to show me?” Applebloom said, facing the mirrored crystal wall.
Archive’s visage appeared on the wall, a warm smile welcoming Applebloom to the fortress.
“Ah, Kala-El. I’m glad you came by.” Archive said.
“I can’t stay long.” Applebloom admitted. “Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are waiting for me. They want to take me for a night out on the town.”
She gave an embarrassed smile. “Scootaloo called it a ‘traditional Maretropolis welcome’.”
Archive smile widened. “Then I’ll be quick. Do you remember when you confided in me your desire to use your Kryptonian abilities to become a sort of ‘costumed hero’?”
Applebloom nodded, remembering the conversation they had after she told her family of the same thing.
Archive gestured to one of the walls of the chamber. “Well… I believe you will like what I am about to show you.” he said as an opening in the wall appeared.
Curious by this new unexplored chamber, Applebloom ventured through the newly created door and gasped when she saw what was inside.
“I do not pretend to be familiar with your customs, but I suppose a ‘costumed hero’ would need some sort of costume.” Archive said.
Applebloom looked the ‘costume’ in question over. It was just… here. Just displayed here in this big empty chamber. As though it was waiting for her.
“Archive…” Applebloom said. “What is this?”
Applebloom could practically hear Archive’s smile widen. “Technically, it’s a simple standard-issue Kryptonian research suit used by your father during his scientific expeditions. But I imagine it will be most helpful for your own ‘expeditions’.”
Applebloom gave the ‘research suit’ a thorough look-over. The majority of the suit was a deep, royal blue with the exception of padded red sections on each of the hooves. The material was sturdy yet comfortable to the touch, like some kind of quality leather armor. Yet even Applebloom could tell the suit was stronger and tougher than any leather in Equestria by a hundred-fold.
But, of course, what truly drew Applebloom’s attention was the familiar crest on the suit’s chest.
“Archive… this… this is…” Applebloom couldn’t say another word. She instead took the suit from its pedestal and began to slip it on.
The knowledge that the suit originally belonged to her father made it surprising to Applebloom concerning how well it fit her. But she later realized that the suit itself was changing to fit her body-shape.
Walking back into Archive’s chamber, she looked herself over in her digital friend’s screen.
While she certainly loved it, she still had to scrunch her face at her reflection. Something… wasn’t quite right. It was if something was missing.
A metaphorical light bulb appeared above her head as she ran to luggage and began to dig through her clothes. Finding the item she was looking for, she ran back towards the mirrored wall.
With a grand and flourishing motion, Applebloom draped the red cloth over her shoulders. It would take time to fully incorporate it into the suit itself, but the sheet of red over her back did wonders to complete the image.
Archive’s smile never left his face as he saw Applebloom trot alongside his screen, showing off her new apparel. “Well? How do you feel?”
Applebloom’s smile widened as the red ‘S’ on her chest glinted in the mirror.
“Super.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Super!” Black Granite said, complimenting his students grapple
Diamond Tiara had certainly learned a great deal from her new mentor since she arrived in the minotaur lands just a few short weeks ago.
Upon arrival, she sought out an infamous individual believed by many to be the greatest hand-to-hand fighter among the minotaurs (and that is saying a lot). She eventually found her target, the legendary warrior Black Granite, and asked him to take her on as his student.
While Diamond was no slouch when it came to fighting, she was still a child compared to Granite when she first started her training under him.
But in just a few short weeks, she had managed to master both minotaurian wrestling as well as bipedal boxing.
“Let’s call it good for today.” Granite said, still in his student’s headlock.
Diamond allowed herself a slight smirk. “Worried about your reputation?” She said, tightening her hold.
Granite gave out a hearty laugh… before grabbing Diamond by her head and casually tossing her towards a nearby pillar.
With a loud ‘crack!’, Diamond hit the pillar spine-first before flopping on the hot sand beneath her.
Diamond sputtered sand out of her mouth as she tried getting back up on her hooves. “That… wasn’t very nice.”
Granite merely shrugged. “Consider that another lesson. You’re good kid, probably the best student I’ve had yet.”
Granite’s jovial attitude dropped for a quick second. “But there is no better teacher than experience, and I still have a good thirty years on you.”
Granite’s near permanent smile returned in an instant as he helped Diamond Tiara up to her hooves. “Still though, for a pampered and prissy pretty pink pony, you’re not that bad of a scrapper.”
Diamond, despite the pain in her back, returned her teacher’s smile. “I choose to take that as a compliment.”
Granite gave her a pat on the back that was much more forceful than necessary. “Come on; let me buy you an ice cream. You can either eat it or put it on your back.” He said before giving a boisterous laugh.