Captain Applejack Harkness

by Inthretis

Story Time, Part 1

1848 AD
(230 years after Nightmare Moon returns)

“Applejack, time ta get some shuteye,” the elderly mare said softly to the young filly tucked into her bed, her form covered by the red and white blankets. Her hooves stuck out, waving back and forth. It was late, the moon was high in the night sky, its glittering cities visible as silver dots.

“Ah don’t wanna. Ah’m not tired yet,” Applejack said, her body fidgeting.

“Ah know, sugarcube, ah know. But you've got a big test tomorrow, and it’s important,” Apple Bloom patted the filly’s mane, warmly smiling at her granddaughter’s grumbling. Except she wasn't her granddaughter.

“But ah don’t wanna take an ah-cue test. It’s stupid,” the orange filly pouted, looking even more adorable. Applejack twisted to the side, moving the blankets around, “Every time we take these tests, everybody acts differently. Half mah friends won’t even talk ta me since ah scored average on the happiness test.”

Apple Bloom pulled a wooden stool and sat down, “How ‘bout ah tell ya a bedtime story?”

Applejack’s ears perked up at that, turning around to her ‘grandmother’. She looked up, “Really? You always tell the best stories. Can it be one from the old days?”

“Yes, but not my old days. Ah'll tell you the story of Chancellor Puddinghead,” Apple Bloom started, “Way way back, before Equestria was founded, there were the three tribes. The unicorns raised the sun and moon. The pegasi controlled the weather, and us earth ponies farmed the land.”

A little orange hoof rose up, “But ah already learned this in school,” Applejack said.

“Yes, but they don’t teach ya the whole story. Tell me, what did the unicorns fight with?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Their magic,” Applejack answered immediately.

“And the pegasi?” the old mare inquired.

“They flew around and caused storms an’ used lightning,” Applejack replied.

“Yes, now tell me what the earth ponies fought with?”

“With their earth pony strength!” Applejack responded proudly.

“Yes, that’s a lot of it, but there was more. They fought ‘em usin’ our better tools,” Apple Bloom said.

“Better tools?” Applejack tilted her head with slight confusion.

“There’s more to it than that, but ah think ah’ll start at the beginning,” Apple Bloom paused for a moment to pull out her metal flask before she took a swig of its liquid contents, “Two thousand years ago, back before there was the Solar Empire, before Equestria, there were the three tribes.

“The first tribe were the unicorns, who controlled the sun and moon before Celestia. They were the ones with most of the artisans and scholars of the olden age, before magic and science were separate. The second tribe were the pegasi, who ruled the skies and controlled the weather. They were the ones with the biggest military, the most soldiers.

“The last tribe, ours, were farmers. They spent their whole lives livin’ on the earth, growin’ crops and such. A lot of them worked under the pegasi and unicorns. But the thing was, some time in the years before Equestria was founded, a stallion rose from humble roots and founded a new nation.

“His name was Puddinghead, Chancellor Puddinghead. In his youth, he tinkered with his father’s old farm tools, and found a natural talent with them. His father smelted tools for a living, and his father before him, and so on. But Puddinghead was the first to think ‘Hey, this stuff we’ve got helps out really well. Why can’t we do more with this stuff?’

“And that’s what he did. By the time he was thirteen, he had built his first weed-whacker. When he was fifteen, he found a way to water an entire field in less than an hour. Of course he only wanted to build farm machines and other convenient things.

“But one day when he was barely sixteen, a group of pegasi came into his village, dressed up in armor and carryin’ thunderclouds were tryin’ ta start up a ruckus. Back then, lightning was much worse than any magic spell, cause many ponies got hurt badly if they got shocked, and fires started so easily. Anyways, these rowdy pegasi came in and started messin’ with the village, startin’ fires and pickin’ fights.

“Even though his old stallion told him never to go near pegasi, Puddinghead decided to help. The young lad decided to bring out his sprinkler and douse out the flames. When the hooligans found out, they cornered Puddinghead and threatened him with lightning.

“But Puddinghead was a crafty fella. He turned his sprinkler up on the pegasi as they began kicking the clouds, showering them with water. Every pony in the world knows what happens when you play with lightning while wet.”

Applejack whispered, “They got shocked?”

“Eeyup, the hooligans dun electrocuted themselves. When the village militia finally got to them, they up and fled. Puddinghead was thanked and all, but it got him thinking: just how did lightning exactly work, and was there a way to fight it? After many weeks of working, and at least three thunderstorms, he crafted the very first lightning rod.

“He installed them across his village and found a way for the militia to carry ‘em around. For over three years, pegasi weren't much of a threat. Back then, pegasi used lightning in almost every fight, so ta suddenly not be able ta use it was surprising. Making things worse was the belief that the lightning rod was a myth, made up by shady unicorns so the pegasi would stop usin’ their best weapon.

“Fer the first time, earth ponies had themselves a runnin’ chance. Puddinghead and his whole village saw this as an opportunity ta change things. They started recruiting other towns and villages, took over land that was owned by pegasi and unicorns with earth pony serfs, and by the time Puddinghead was thirty years old, a new country was born.

“In that time, he came up with new and exciting ideas. Stronger alloys, swords and shields with a little magic resistance, even a better chariot design, he made it all. Puddinghead soon went into tactics and later, politics. Some historians say he could have invented the steam engine if he wasn’t busy corralin’ the new government,” Apple Bloom mangled the last word, pronouncing the ‘v’ like an ‘m’. She wheezed a little before taking another drink from her flask.

“Grandma, why do you always drink from that bottle?” Applejack asked, “Ah don’t think ah’ve ever seen you without it. What‘s in it?”

Apple Bloom coughed into her shoulder before answering, “It’s mah medicine. Ah gotta take it if ah wanna stay healthy.”

“Oh,” Applejack turned her head up towards the ceiling, “Will ah get some of that too if ah get sick?”

“Ah hope not,” Apple Bloom shifted on her stool, “It’s only supposed ta be taken fer really bad sickness. If ya need this, yer really in trouble.”

“But you take it all the time. Does that mean you’re really sick?” Applejack turned towards Apple Bloom, subconsciously showing puppy-dog eyes filled with apple tears.

Apple Bloom took her hoof and patted Applejack’s mane, “No sugarcube, ah just take it cause ah’m old, and this stuff helps me stay healthy. Ah’m not sick, not right now.”

“So what’s in it? Is it pan-ah-chee-ah?” Applejack wondered.

“Somethin’ like that. It’s kind of a long story, and it’s startin’ to get late, and you need ta rest fer yer test tomorrow,” Apple Bloom stood up and pulled the bedsheets up Applejack’s body, recovering her with cotton warmth after the filly shrugged the blanket off during storytime.

“But ah’m not,” Applejack yawned, “Tired yet.”

“It’s okay, sugarcube. ah’ll tell ya about it tomorrow night, alright? It’ll be my treat. Ah’ll even tell another story if you work hard on your test,” Apple Bloom kissed her granddaughter on the forehead.

“Okay grandma,” Applejack yawned again before shutting her eyes, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Applejack,” Apple Bloom replied before turning off the lights and leaving through the door, “And good luck.”

--0o0--

Another night, another bedtime story. Tomorrow was another day, filled with endless possibilities. No one was ever sure what could happen next. Enjoy today, strive for a better tomorrow. Or at least that’s what Applejack’s mom always said. Applejack didn’t really understand what she meant.

Her father on the other hand, made much more sense. Live day by day, one step at a time. Make time for tomorrow, but work hard now. Worry about today first before stepping into the future. Present first, then think about the past. When you’ve got enough information, come up with a plan for the future. When you plan for the future, plan out as much as possible. Better safe than sorry.

Golden Apple, before settling down with her husband, lived on the edge. She didn’t plan things, she went with the flow, and when the flow went against her, she plowed through with the strength of a steamboat. Applejack never understood that metaphor. After all, steamboats haven't been around for centuries.

That being said, Apple Bloom was an enigma. Everyone in Ponyville knew her birthday, and everyone was sure that she was the “Village Elder”, so to speak. But not much was actually known about her, other than her kind and nurturing nature, her knowledge of zap apples, her baking skills, and her ability in cart repair. The vague mystery was forgotten often, but it was still fun to come up with wild theories about the Apple Matriarch’s origins.

Some are basic: she’s an old mare in her late seventies who may or may not have run the mob in her youth. Some are unlikely: she’s an ex-Whitecoat doing some spying for the Empress in exchange for a better pension. Some are bizarre: she’s an alien with a blue cart that has more storage than it appears to have. Some make sane ponies go “What the heck is wrong with you?”: she’s a griffon-alicorn hybrid who borrowed an experimental starship from the 24th century, and is here to steal the souls of the wicked and/or green-colored.

Of course being a eight-year-old filly, Applejack didn’t care about the vague mystery surrounding her grandmother. She just loves her.

It was night again, and Applejack was grumbling about how she still had to go to be early, despite it being a Friday.

“Grandma, can ya tell me that story you said you were gonna tell me?” Applejack asked.

“Sure sugarcube, just let me adjust mahself on this here stool,” Apple Bloom moved the stool forward slightly. Happy with its position, she looked at her granddaughter.

“Before ah tell ya about my medicine, ah gotta ask: how old do ya think ah am?”

Applejack scrunched her lips and narrowed her eyes in confusion, “Yer mah granny. So… maybe seventy? Ah don’t know. Ah never thought about it before.”

Apple Bloom sighed, “Sugarcube, as of next month ah’ll be two hundred and forty years old.”

“Yer what? That can’t be right, mom and dad are only like thirty-something.”

“Well, ah have been fibbin’ a bit. Ah am yer grandma, ah’m just a bit down the line. Just add in about ten greats. Ah’m more like an ancestor really.”

“Wait a minute, if yer two hundred years old, how come yer not an alicorn?”

Apple Bloom frowned, “Ta be fair, us Apples tend ta live pretty long. Before me, we had Granny Smith, and she lived to be at least 150 years old. Before her, we had Appleseed, who was almost 180 when he croaked.”

“So… Wait a sec? What about Blue Flu? Anypony over eighty catches it, but yer here now!” Applejack eyes widened in horror, contemplating the loss of her grandmother.

“That’s what mah medicine’s for. It keeps the Blue Flu outta my body. If ah take a lot, ah might be a bit healthier too. It works pretty well, but there ain’t a lot of it,” Apple Bloom twiddled the flask in her hooves.

“But what’s it made of?” Applejack asked.

“Golden apple cider, made from the first golden apple grown in almost 300 years. ‘Course, this is really diluted, made in a way just healthy enough ta keep me alive, but not too much so as to be noticeable and ponies start asking questions,” Apple Bloom’s frown deepened, “That doesn’t mean ah’m gonna live forever. Ah got maybe twenty years before mah heart or lungs give out. Golden Apples can make ya live a long time, but they've got limits.”

“So… you are a really old pony who’s older than almost everypony else? But why?” Applejack’s confusion returned.

“Not really mah choice. Well, it is mah choice, but the reason ah haven’t stopped drinkin’ and lay down is because ah made a promise,” Apple Bloom’s somber expression continued.

“What promise?”

Apple Bloom took another drink of her cider before answering, “Ah promised that when the time came, when it’s needed, mah memories of the days gone by will be here. Ah am the last mortal pony to remember. Ah remember, and until ah can tell my story, ah’ll be here.”

The elderly mare looked at her granddaughter directly, “Ah remember so much and without me, there’s nopony left. Mistakes were made and it shouldn’t be swept under the rug. The legends of the past must be remembered. Our history mustn't be forgotten. Ah promised so many… They won’t be forgotten. They will not, and they deserve something.”

Apple Bloom looked out the window and the green and white moon above, “The truth must not be forgotten. No matter how you try to change it, rewritin’ the history books, changin’ memories, it ain’t right. It happened. And it will happen again.

“Applejack, ta change the present is ta change the future. But when ya start messin’ around with what really happened, then there’s somethin’ wrong. If something happened, and ya say something else happened, that’s lyin’. If ya ignore the truth, ignore one side, what’s ta stop ya from changin’ everything?

“The truth’s the truth. There is only one, and that’s the whole truth. In any fight, ya got one side and ya got the other, but there’s always the neutral side. For the truth, ya gotta know and understand all of the sides.

“For everything in the whole world, the whole of everything, there are two halves to it. Left and right, black and white, sun and moon. But you have to know that the whole isn’t just the opposites. For everything in the universe, there is some middle ground. When ya draw a circle and shade one side so it’s black, you get two halves. A black side and a white side. But what about the edge? What about the line in between? Do they belong to either side? No, they don’t. They are somethin’ different.”

The mare took a swig from her flask again, turning back to Applejack. Apple Bloom pulled something out of her mane. She held it out to her granddaughter, revealing it to be a gold coin, “How many sides does a bit have?”

“Uh, two? Flag and sun, right?” Applejack squirmed at the question. The bit in question was worn, it was dated 1619, and the sun depicted on one side, and the crescent moon on the other, “Ah don’t think it has three, because it’s a fifty-fifty chance when you flip it.”

“Technically, yer right. But here’s the question: What about the rim? Which side is it on? You never land a bit on the rim, but it’s still there. There is a middle side to everything. It’s not only black and white. There’s red, yellow, pink, gray, and all the other colors out there. There’s also no color, and rainbows, and ultraviolet.

“Mah point is, you need ta know every side. A lie forms when ya ignore one side in favor of another, or when you throw away all the sides, get rid of all the colors and choose pear. Do you understand?”

Silence reigned while the gears turned in Applejack’s head, trying to sort things out. After a full minute, she spoke, “Ah think that, ah got some of it. Like when you talk about history. But some of the things don’t really make any kind of sense at all.”

“It’s okay. One day you’ll understand. Don’t rush it. It’ll come when it’s time. What matters is that you remember,” Apple Bloom got off her stool and tucked Applejack into bed, placing the blankets so the filly is nice and warm. She then kissed Applejack on the forehead.

After she did so, Apple Bloom turned off the lights, and began to leave the room, “Goodnight and sweet dreams, Applejack.”

“Goodnight grandma,” Applejack replied before closing her eyes.

--0o0--

The past week was uneventful. Nothing major happened, although there were rumors of a Lunar military offensive in the southern hemisphere, as well as a Division 6 counterattack. Division 6, colloquially known as “Space Fleet”, has been fighting the hydragon menace for decades. While the fleet battles were often advertised as a valiant and glorious effort, everyone knew that being drafted into Space Fleet was pretty much a death sentence.

Once in, you go through basic training at the academy for four years before being enlisted onto a ship. Five years of service, followed by three more years if you get renewed (you almost always were), and then if you lived, you were dropped off with a nifty government pension. The average lifespan of a ship in combat was four years.

Applejack was had just finished getting ready for bed, having brushed her teeth and climbed under her blankets. Apple Bloom soon entered the room and sat down on her stool.

“Ya ready fer another story?” Apple Bloom asked.

Applejack nodded, “Yeah, ah'm tired of tryin’ ta conn-tam-plate on mah life. Mom kept sayin’ how ah was too young ta understand.”

“You were, but that wasn’t the point. One day, you’ll understand, but not now. Maybe in a few years. But for tonight, ah’m gonna tell you about the tale of Nightmare Moon,” Apple Bloom began.

“Ya mean how she was banished to the moon and came back to bring eternal night?”

“Good, that’s right. And you remember the story of how she returned?”

“She came back durin’ the Summer Sun Celebration, and came here to Ponyville! And then Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and mah ancestor Applejack saved the day!” Applejack listed off the names, smiling brightly as she said the last one.

“Good, good. Now ya remember how you were named after yer ancestor, and how ya look a lot like her. ‘Course, ah don’t tell many folks, but… Ah was there that night.”

Applejack’s eyes widened, “You were!?”

Apple Bloom smiled slightly, “Ah was about yer age, actually. Ah was eight years old when Nightmare Moon tried ta bring eternal night. It started out like your average day. Ah woke up early ta help prepare the banquet, and that was the day ah met Twilight Sparkle.”

Applejack’s eyes widened, “Is it true, the stories about her?”

Apple Bloom smiled and took a drink from her flask, “Yeah they were, though she was such an awkward pony back then. She may have been insanely powerful, but you could disarm her by holdin' up a book. She was kinda funny too. Anyways, ah convinced her to stay with us for brunch, and then she and Spike stuffed themselves full, it almost made me laugh.”

Applejack cocked her head, “Who’s Spike?”

Apple Bloom’s smile faded slightly, “He was an old friend. In fact, he was Twilight’s first friend. Probably the best dragon ah ever knew.”

The filly’s eyes widened, “You knew a dragon!?”

“Calm down, sugarcube. Spike was one of the best friends ah ever had. He was sweet, dedicated, and smart enough ta be prime minister. A long time ago, he was THE Dragon. There weren’t any others in Equestria, and everypony knew him,” Apple Bloom sighed, “Ah still can’t believe ah outlived him.”

“Can ya continue the story?” Applejack pleaded.

The old mare smiled again, “Sure. The two of them, Spike and Twi, they stuffed themselves with our pastries and pies. After they left, things returned to normal. We baked, set up tables, all that was done. The day went by normally. The only other different thing was that ah went ta bed and woke up an hour before the sun rose so we could attend the celebration.”

“You could leave the house before the sun rose?” Applejack asked in disbelief.

“Things have changed, Applejack. Equestria’s changed. Everythin' changes, whether for the good or bad. Unfortunately, we got bad this time. Anyways, mah sister and ah went to city hall to watch the sunrise. It was dark, and that was the first year ah was old enough ta stay awake long enough ta see it happen.

“Now when the mayor introduced Celestia, ah was so excited. Ah was jittering around quite a bit, but when they opened the curtain… ”

“She wasn’t there,” Applejack finished.

Apple Bloom nodded and continued, “At first everypony was confused. Then somepony shouted ‘She’s gone!’ Everypony started murmuring things ah can’t really remember. But then, she appeared.”

“Nightmare Moon,” Applejack stated.

“Yeah. When she declared nighttime eternal, it the first time ah ever truly felt fear. Sure, ah was sometimes afraid of the dark. Maybe spooky stories about timberwolves or vampires, but right there and then, something very real was there. She was an alicorn.

“Ya remember the old song about the Supermare, right? The greatest fear imaginable: What would happen if our princess turned against us? What then? An alicorn is immensely powerful, entire armies could be wiped out. One alicorn can move the sun with a flick of their horn. If were ever to fight against one, even with the best mages, soldiers, and weapons, we would surely fail.

“It was horrible, watching Nightmare Moon take down those guards with her lightning. They survived, but were defeated so easily. Nopony could stop her. Ya couldn’t stop an alicorn.

“At least, until we had the Elements of Harmony.

“Six pieces of jewelry, each one representin’ the virtues that founded our country. Six artifacts of immense power, able to turn the embodiment of chaos to stone and banish an almost goddess off the planet!

“The rest of the night, until the sun rose, ah spent the whole time hidin’ with mah brother while mah sister went out ta stop the alicorn herself. At the time, mah brother was preparin’ fer the worst. He gathered a lot of our supplies and planned ta leave town the next day if we didn’t hear from AJ.”

Apple Bloom smirked, “Boy was he surprised. Less than six hours later, Twilight and the others came back with two princesses in tow, the sun raised, and the evil defeated. National heroes, saviors of Equestria and the world! It was incredible, and the celebration lasted all day. Yer namesake became a legend.”

“Ya mean Applejack, right?” the filly asked.

The mare’s smile widened, “The pony you were named after did many great things. Expanded our farm, saved Equestria a few times, and hung out with a world class designer, Wonderbolt, and an archmage. One day, she just up and vanished. No hint or warning. She left a note and that was it.

“We named ya after her when we you were born because, honestly, yer her spittin’ image. Same eyes, same mane, same coat, even the same freckles. Of course, those freckles could just be yer mom’s, and the coat could have come from yer pa. But we decided to go with it, and slap on a little extra ta differentiate you.

“Of course, bein’ the strange ponies they were, yer parents decided ta name ya ‘Darkness’. Ah changed it at the last minute so ya wouldn’t get saddled with an entire fate filled with evil and dark stuff. Harkness doesn't mean anythin’, so ya get ta choose yer destiny,” Apple Bloom smiled at her granddaughter, “And all of us in the family are sure you’ll live up to mah sister’s name.”

Applejack squirmed around in bed for a while before looking at her grandmother, “Ah’m named after my great-grandaunt because ah look like her. And mah last name can be whatever ah want. And ya think ah can live up ta her feats. If she was so amazin', what was yer sister like? Ya know, outside the whole savin' the world and representin' harmony.”

Apple Bloom looked off into the corner, remembering the days gone by, “She was stubborn, loyal, independent, and a hard worker. She didn’t always tell the truth, but she was the most honest mare ah ever knew.”

“But what’s the difference between tellin’ the truth than bein’ honest?” Applejack was thoroughly confused.

“Bein’ honest is ta tell the truth when you can lie. To tell the truth when it’s needed. Ta be true to yerself. Yer not really honest when ya got no secrets. If you can’t lie, then what’s the point? To be able to work up the courage and will to tell the truth, even when it’s tough. Ta see all sides and then tell everypony when it’s the right time. There is much more that ah can’t explain, but that’s most of it.

“It’s somethin’ special, like all the elements are. Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter, Kindness, and Magic. There are so many different aspects to it, it’s hard to completely explain. Ah can’t do it, if ah said ah could, that’d be lyin’. So many facets, like the gems that each one had.

“One day, you’ll understand,” Apple Bloom patted Applejack’s mane before tucking her into bed. She wrapped her granddaughter in the warmth of her blankets, and got off the stool to kiss her forehead. She then turned off the lights and closed the door as she left.

Author's Note:

Part 2 coming very soon!

Comments

[Sea_Swirl]

this is confusing but I still like it!

[Aatxe360]

Conviction.