Applejack Through the Ages

by Paradise Oasis

Dragon issues

Onward the three Pegasus raced, the Stratadons hot on their hooves as they soared over the unicorn run. Sugar Apple rose and dove to avoid birds and other aerial obstacles, which didn't even seem to slow them down one little bit. Looking back, Sugar noticed her two companions were having trouble keeping up- though she noticed floater was only holding back to keep an eye on the princess.

"Stranger, quickly! Bank to your left!" Floater called out, as she and the princess rolled in that direction. "Or the flames of fury shall surely scorch you!"

Sugar Apple did a side roll, only to see the stratadon's flames roar past her. She could feel the heat of the flames on her back hooves, and felt a slight singing fire on the tips of her wings. The other two ponies finally caught up with her, pushed on by their fear of ending up charbroiled equines. Finally flying over a small mountain rage, the Pegasus could make out what appeared to be a small city in the distance. As the group drew nearer, Sugar Apple could make out several towering pagodas and stone walls that stood on the plains below.

"Unicorn archers! To your positions!" Floater cried out, as they swooped down over the towering city walls. "Gem-hime and I are under Stratadon attack!"

The archers stationed on the walls quickly jumped to arms, and sent a volley of arrows flying at the winged reptilian monsters. a few dropped like stones when the pointed shafts struck them, but the majority turned and fled before the terrible assault that threatened to knock them out of the sky. Sugar Apple landed on one of the elegantly paved stone streets of the city, gasping for breath as she watched the terrible battle unfold above.

It was long before the invaders were finally turned back by the defender's assaults, and the Pegasus warriors proceeded to give chase at them across the sky. As she looked over at her two new friends, she saw the pony called Floater came trotting over to her.

"Arigato, most honorable stranger. I am eternally grateful for your effort in helping in getting our dear Gem- hime home." Floater told her gratefully. "Please, accept our most humble hospitality during your stay in our community."

"But... I didn't even do anything to help..." But her words died away, as several servant ponies gathered around to assist the three mares. "Oh well, looks like I've been roped into yet another misadventure." She looked towards one of the servant ponies. "Where the heck am I, anyway?"

The servant turned, and bowed to Sugar Apple. "Most honorable gaijin, you are in the mighty fortress of Hoofkaido."

...

"I don't believe it!" Sugar Apple muttered in disbelief, looking around. "This place is incredible!"

Pagodas and drum towers, lion dog statues and neat and tidy zen gardens... the entire city was a perfect example of order and harmony. The servant mares had whisked her away to the town's hot springs, bathing and cleaning her with the finest scented oils and perfumes. They dressed Candy Apple in the frilliest and laciest undergarments, then covered her in a soft and silky violet kimono, covered in cherry blossoms print. They then did her mane up into an elaborate bun with sticks woven into her hair... giving Sugar Apple the most complex and elaborate appearance he had ever had during any of her lives.

"Wow, you gals sure did a good job in getting me all dolled up." Sugar said, admiring herself in a mirror. "Do all mares look this fancy in your town?"

"Hai" They all responded in unison, bowing to the Pegasus as if one pony.

They escorted Sugar to the royal hall, and seated on the floor before an elevated dais where the princess and Floater were seated. And after an elaborate tea ceremony, she was finally able to speak with the two ponies she had first met out there on the field.

"We are again grateful for your assistance, Sugar-chan. Glittering Gem is the daughter of our dearly departed shogun, and the only source of authority since her passing." Floater sighed, bowing her head yet again to Sugar Apple. "As her royal retainer, it is my sacred duty to protect our Gem-hime from any threat, and it can often be extremely difficult to carry out this task on my own."

"Glad to be off assistance, daimyo Floater." Sugar Apple stood and bowed back, hoping she used the correct title in describing floater. "So these dragons -stratadons- have been harassing your community, and carrying ponies off into the night?"

"Hai, they have carried off several of the hemin ponies, who were out gathering our crops from the fields." Glittering Gem explained. "My own loyal subjects were taken, and my Samurai stallions proved unable to protect them."

"Our own Gem-hime tried to go out and face these fierce ryu on her own, but failed to match up to their ferocious strength." Floater added, shaking her head sadly. "We did not wish to call upon the ruling kisaki of all Ponyland at the Royal Paradise, for we would lose face by asking the capital for aid. But our citizens are disappearing, and we cannot risk their safety for our foolish pride."

There was something familiar about this floater, that Sugar Apple couldn't quite put her hoof on. Maybe it was the balloon cutie mark, or the sharp and blunt attitude she had displayed when they were running from the dragons. All Sugar knew was that she wanted to help this pony and her herd, and stop the innocent from suffering and the hands of the dark lord.

"Maybe I could do something to help." The Pegasus mare offered, looking back and forth between her two hosts. "I've had some experience with dragons, and-"

"Oh no no, most honorable Sugar! We could not ask you to do such a thing!" Glittering Gem declared, raising a hoof in protest. "You are our honored guest, and we wish for you to enjoy your stay in our honorable community."

"Every emissary we have sent to Midnight Castle, the stronghold of the daimyo TIrac, has failed to return. It is far to perilous a journey for such an esteemed mare as yourself!" Floater agreed, siting down and taking a sip of our tea. "Besides, it is our hope that you will attend and enjoy our upcoming bon festival, where we shall mark the passing of summer into fall, and honor the spirits of our ancestors. Please, go and savor the experience, as our royal guest."

"Thank you, most honorable ponies." Sugar Apple replied, mimicking the super-polite way all the ponies around here spoke. With a sigh, the long slumbering Pegasus realized that helping Hoofkaido was going to be far harder than she had first thought.

Comments

[FleetlordAvatar]

Heck of thing to wake up to after 300 years.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

6384640 You said it!

Wonder just what kind of shenanigans that AJ's gonna find herself in this time?

[StarzGecko]

More?

[Zubric]

6397517 Well i dind't know that considering i Just found the fic and didn't dig any deeper.

[Paradise Oasis]

6397710

Is ok!^^ It's hard sometimes to balance what info the reader needs for a given story vs. useless info that needs to be included from the shared universe it exists in.