//------------------------------// // First Meeting // Story: Applejack Through the Ages // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// They were an odd sight, moving across the countryside in their carts pulled by teams of yolk-wearing oxen. The ponies of the land saw them coming over the rainbow bridge in the everfree forest, and didn't know quite what to make of them. To most, these creatures were simply another new arrival in Ponyland- like the elves or gnomes, another reminder that the age of equine dominance was finally over. But some saw a potential in them, that few others could envision. One such pony was, at the moment, flying over one of the many small human caravans crossing these untamed lands in search of a home. "I say, Edwina!" The portly gentleman in breeches declared, pointing a finger at the blue Pegasus flapping about overhead. "But doth that not seem like one of the enchanted ponies who rule this land?" "I say Wantall, you are quite right!" The slightly chubby woman in a gaudy red dress agreed, covering her eyes from the sun, as she looked skyward. "I have heard that they possess the wondrous ability to understand human speech!" "Pony, I say pony! Please do fly down here!" The male human called out to the blue-and-pink Pegasus mare. "We have some oats we'd like to give you, pretty pony!" "Neeeigghhhhh!" Sugar Apple couldn't quite understand what the monkey-like creatures were saying, but she understood by their gestures that they were asking her to descend. Circling warily on wings that she really wasn't used to, the unstable Pegasus slowly approached the ground, coming in for a landing that was almost more of a crash. The two humans were upon her in an instant, petting and stroking her mane, and fawning over her with kind words. they slipped a feed bag full of delicious oats over her mouth, then began to discuss amongst themselves what to do with the mare with the pink candied apple cutie mark. "Ohhh, Isn't she the sweetest looking thing!" The woman exclaimed, as more of the humans from the caravan gathered around her. "And those wings! Could you imagine what we could do if we had ponies that could fly?" "Hmmmm, if you we could convince her to stay with our horses in our corral, we might be able to breed her with our herds! We'd be the envy of every other family here in the new land!" This mare, carrying the name Candy Apple, studied the two chattering simians curiously. Upright, bipedal, five fingered... if she had not already seen the other humanoid races, Candy would probably find this rather strange. But there was definitely something different about these refugees from another world. From the way they tried to coax her into the line of horses they were guiding along behind the caravan, they didn't seem to fully understand that she was intelligent. But they did treat the mare with kindness, and did not try to put a harness or saddle on her. "The ponies in this land, they look most peculiar." Wantall commented, studying her face. "Their heads aren't shaped like other horses, they have flatter noses and more human mouths. And their eyes and faces look almost... human!" "They are a strange and magical race, that is certain." The woman agreed with a smile. "A pity we can't round up a whole herd of them for breeding. But seeing how they are smart and all, that wouldn't really be right." All of the human settlers soon lost interest in the marvelous steed that had appeared from nowhere, and soon got the caravan moving again. Candy Apple trotted up towards the horses, and tried to strike up a conversation with them. "Howdy, y'all!" She greeted one stallion- a taller, brown fellow by the name of Thunder- "Name's Sugar Apple, and ah wanted ta welcome ta Ponyland!" The horse nodded, and whinnied something along the lines of; "You...new... pony... wings...?" It was a very primitive dialect, almost guttural and feral. These equines were unintelligent, primitive brutes who had no comprehension of self, and even less brains than the animals of this world who had once been pets to the ponies. Few of those animals were left now, wiped out in the wars ,and replaced by mute savages who found their way across the bridge like these humans had. It wouldn't be long, Sugar mused, before ponies were the only talking and thinking animals left in this world. "Yes, I'm a Pegasus. We're winged ponies." Sugar replied, trying to speak as slowly and simply as possible. "Tell me, do you freely serve these creatures, or are you their slaves?" "Master... feed... take care....me... work." Thunder replied simply, not even grasping the abstract concept of slavery. It astounded the mare, these creatures really were nothing but domesticated livestock. The humans were not wicked in keeping them, then. But would this be how the bipeds would see Ponyland ponies as they settled these lands, and try to domesticate them? She had to travel with this group, and make sure that that that did not happen! "Um, excuse me, miss horse? " A little girl from the caravan asked, walking up to the winged pony timidly, and looking at the ground. "But, my name is Windy, and I saw you fly up to the wagons, and I thought you were a pretty pony, and I was wondering if I could ride on your back and fly with you, maybe?" The mare did not understand the child's words, but quickly understood her intent when the child gently climbed up onto her back. Sugar began to rear up at first, annoyed that this creature wanted to use her as a mount. But then quickly stopped herself, horrified at the thought that she'd even contemplate hurting a little human filly for simple childish ignorance. The little girl then leaned forward, and hugged the Pegasus, which seemed to have an inexplicable calming effect on the mare. Humans were going to be a fact of life from now on, and so was these humans trying to get rides on the magical talking ponies. They would willingly be the human's mounts, she decided, but it would be an equal partnership of friends, not the relationship of master and slave. She had to learn these creature's language as soon as possible, and build a bridge a gap between their two species. "Cm'on, my little pony, let's go!" The little girl pointed at the already moving caravan. Nodding, Sugar Apple opened her wings, and took off into a wobbly flight across the sky towards the moving wagons. As the little human on her back held on in silent amazement, the Pegasus could only think back to the events that had led her to become an entirely different kind of pony...