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// Chapter 26: Into the Forest  
// Story: The Story of Reik: The Communist Revolutionary: MLP 
// by Reik 
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IT HAD BEEN only a few days since they had been talking blissfully speaking to each other in town over some forgotten silly subject. Now, after so little time had passed. It felt as if they had been separated for months. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack conversed rapidly, at first with questions on the new world, they told of each other's experiences and positions. Then the conversation drifted to the subject of their friends and their positions in the new Ponyville. 

Twilight learned of Fluttershy's admission into the commissariat along with Applejack, Rarity's mission of creating the numerous flags and banners that covered the town. Twilight offered some thought to the mental image of Rarity in an ocean of red and black cloth creating dozens upon dozens of banners in a frenzy. She felt a tinge of guilt at the thought afterword's. Rainbow Dashes inability to fly came as frightening news to the purple pony,  but it was eased when Applejack assured her of Dash's recovery and admission into the work force under Fluttershy. What came as a somewhat foreseeable shock was Pinkie Pies admission into a makeshift detention area in the ruins of Canterlot. Evidently Pinkie had learned of commissars Magnus's lack of humor after creating a gauntlet of confetti cannons in his office. 

"Have you seen her, I mean, you're an official, have you been there." Twilight said, a concerned look on her features.

"Well, I've seen it, but I wasn't allowed inside." Applejack said, an equally concerned look on her face. "I don't think she's hurt or nothin, I think Magnus just wanted her outa his hair." Twilight looked away from her friend, turning her gaze instead to the barn floor. Most of the hay had been cleared away leaving only wood. Around her, some of the ponies and guards where clearing out the hay. Upon rediscovering her curiosity, she spoke without raising her head. "What are they doing with the barn?" Applejack gave the purple pony an inquisitive look. She hadn't expected such a question and found that she expected her friend to know by now. "A farm, they're makin a farm." Twilight pulled her head up and glanced around the barn, cold wooden structure as a lush green farm full of corn, watermelon, and lettuce. Her face contorted into a confused stare with the thought. "Uh, I don't see that happening Applejack." The orange pony beside her chuckled slightly. "Yeah, me neither, but Iris is so sure about it, an she's the one in charge ah this big party, so don't be askin me the details." Twilight turned her gaze back to her friend. Again, the dark coat and peaked cap forced her mind to make a double take to assure her she was talking to Applejack. "Iris, who's Iris?" She questioned. "Reik's right hoof mare, red coat, some kind ah circle cutie mark." applejack said with malice, Twilight took that her friend didn't like this mare. "Reik's right hand mare?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, one of his goons." 

Twilight was aware that Reik was not alone, she had seen him with another stallion in Sugarcube corner but she had not known of others in his circle. "How many goons does he have?" She asked. Applejack spent a few seconds getting the names in her head. "Iris, Vladimir, George, and Magnus." 

Upon hearing the names, Twilight inquired about each of these ponies. Applejack gave what she knew about each one. After disclosing what she knew on each one, Twilight nodded and went back to another thought. "How are they going to make a farm in here?" Applejack grew a grimace as she tried to remember the details of the construction. "The lights are gonna take the place uh the sun, an  they're gonna have rows of plants, in pots or somthin, I don't know much 'bout it, not my kind ah farmin for sure." 

Twilight cast her vision around the building once more. Envisioning the picture Applejack described. At first, it seemed odd. But as she imagined the orderly rows of plants sustained constantly by natural lighting in place of the now absent sun, it was an ingenious plan. No longer would they need to rely on the sun, no longer would food growth rely upon the seasons. This was a small example though, built in desperation, but if it could be made on a grand scale, Twilights mind swam with possibilities. How could Applejack hold this pony, this Iris in such low regard? The creator of this construct was an innovator, a great mind she wanted to meet. No more food shortages. No more fear of a great drought or massive rainstorm. Twilight could not understand how such an inventive idea could come from those she viewed as invasive and evil. A gentle sigh broke from Applejack and pulled Twilight from her thoughts. 

"Ah really miss Celestia, she'd know what to do, she would pull us out of this, I wonder where she is."
Celestia.

The word echoed in Twilights mind for a second. She could tell it meant something important. She knew that the alicorn had spoken with her before the invasion an something important. The importance of the conversation drifted just on the edges of her mind. Unable to be fully understood. As Applejack lamented over Celestia's absence Twilight struck her head with her hoof in frustration. Applejack looked to her friend in confusion. Twilight sifted through her thoughts for the answer. Coming upon it in a brief moment of beautiful clarity.  

The Everfree forest. She needed to meet with Celestia. Meet and tell her what she had seen. Twilgiht lashed out and grabbed Applejack pulling her close and speaking in a frantic whisper. "The forest, I need to get into the forest, Celestia is there, I need to get there now." For a second, Applejack stared at her now franticly breathing friend, allowing the words to pool in her thoughts. Finally they sank in wholly and the mare broke into a broad grin. "She's in the forest! Where, tell me, she can help us right?" Twilgiht shook her head rapidly before speaking. "No, only me, they'll get curios if any other pony goes with me, and you need to stay behind and make sure nopony follows me, can you do this?" At first Applejack was saddened to hear this but her sadness was overtaken by conviction.

"Ya, now, before more come to put the lights in, you go and talk to Celestia, plan to get these reds outa Ponyville, I'll make sure none notice, ok?" Twilight smiled broadly at her friend nodding. 

The pair silently went to the back of the barn, avoiding the stares of any curios pony. Near the back, behind a stack of crates and a pile of scrap metal cleared from the floor, Applejack gently eased open a small door that led outside the barn. 

Checking the outside for any guards, Applejack eased it closed and looked back at Twilgiht, whispering. "Ya know where yer headin?" Twilgiht nodded quickly and whispered back. "Zecora's hut, I know the way." Applejack smiled and quickly removed her coat, it was heavy and caused the Orange pony to rise slightly higher in stature upon removing it. Trimmed with red, Twilight recognized the work of Rarity. 

"Here, ah don't want y'all to freeze, and if you stay low, it'll help ya blend in." Twilight took the coat and adorned it, already feeling its warmth and weight. She smiled back to her friend and, quickly regretting not giving some other form of compassion or friendship, broke into a run out the back of the barn. Into a freezing world slightly lessened by the coat and darkened by the sunless sky. 

IRIS WAS AT the head of the line, one of both guards, citizens, and her assistant Horus. They carried the lights required for the barn and several bags of dirt that where to serve as the soil for the plants in the farm. The wind whipped at her coat and the mare had her goggles down over her eyes to protect them from the chilling cold. At her side, Horus and a guard had no such protection and showed no sign of distaste for the cold. Only herself and the normal ponies around her seemed deterred by the weather. Again, the odd zombie state of these brainwashed ponies unnerved her and she cast her vision away from them towards her destination. 

The barn loomed in the distance and she called to a guard next to her to advance ahead and open the doors for them. He immediately obeyed and in with a quick sprint, the armor clad stallion was at the entrance hefting the doors apart. Iris stopped at the door and motioned for the parade to enter. She glanced at every pony, noting each individual and item and crossing examining it with her memory of the line when they left the supply wagon at the other end of the farm. No missing individuals and no missing equipment. Efficiency at its finest in these conditions. 

Being the last in, with the help of a guard, she pulled the barn doors shut, confused by the ease with which just one guard was able to open them  and how difficult she found it herself. The mare quickly spun around and brushed the snow from her coat. The unpredictable weather was turning nasty again and she was happy to be inside away from it, yet the winds pounded on the barns walls and where clear for all to hear. Turing her gaze around the barn she scanned her new workplace, examining what and who she had to work with. Her eyes finally fell on Applejack, she wanted to question the orange ponies lack of a commissars coat but instead decided it best to not make a scene and move forward with the operation. The two paced towards each other and exchanged awkward greetings, more for show of mutual kindness than of sincerity.

"Ready to make history comrade?"  Iris questioned with a grin. Applejack gave no return smile and spoke. "I'm ready to work."