A Dream of Sunny Days

by Roranicus

XXVII Applejack

Manehattan has fallen. These were the words on everypony's lips. Panic had almost broken out when the news reached Ponyville. Apparently, an attempt at peace talks had gone poorly, which resulted in either Manehattan choosing to side with Luna or the Cloudsdale troops invading. What really happened was still a bit vague. The soldiers had been quick to reassure the population that both Prince Blueblood and Princess Rarity were fine and had safely returned to Canterlot. Applejack was at least glad that her friend was okay, although she had yet to hear from her.

While upset about the situation, Applejack already had too many problems to worry about. From farmers complaining about the weather, to soldiers scaring children, to the weather team complaining about cloud shipments, Applejack found herself having to solve every problem imaginable.

She massaged her temples as Bonbon sent the next pony inside her office. Hearing every citizen's grievances was quickly becoming her least favorite part of being mayor. While she had been eager to help at first, she was now often asked to deliver the impossible using resources she didn't have.

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "Carrot Top, what can I do for you?"

"You promised me my fields would be prioritized by the weather team this week," the carrot farmer said as she stormed in, her voice grating and dripping with annoyance. "Now I have snow all over my crops. The earth is frozen stiff; not even Big Macintosh can work the plough."

Applejack sighed. "I know, Carrot Top. Trust me, I know. What do you want me to do about it?"

"Get the weather team on it," Carrot said. "We could have a food shortage on our hooves if we don't fix it soon."

"The weather team is already on it. Haven't you seen the pegasi working over your farm?"

"And yet it still snows."

Applejack looked down at her desk as she sighed deeply. "This isn't normal weather. From what Blossomforth tells me, it's a byproduct of all this weather hustling the Cloudsdale soldiers are up to."

"We have that brand new weather factory the soldiers keep talking about," Carrot Top said. "You're telling me that nothing they make there can help with this situation?"

"Is this what you think? That our weather ponies are just ignoring your farm and being lazy?" Applejack snapped as she rose from her seat. "I know we have a problem, Carrot Top. Everypony knows." Applejack forced herself to breathe as Carrot recoiled in shock. "Look, I'm sorry. But all I can do is tell you the same thing I've told every farmer: start rationing food. We don't know how long this unnatural winter will last."

Carrot Top took a deep breath and avoided Applejack's gaze. "It won't be enough," she whispered. "With everything we lost in the battle, the need to supply the army, and now the rodent problems, we'll have a famine on our hooves."

Applejack sighed, then raised an eyebrow. "Wait, a rodent problem? This is the first I've heard of it."

"What do you expect when the one pony who can control the local vermin population gets herself thrown in jail?" Carrot said as she rolled her eyes. "Without Fluttershy to keep them in check, rats and mice have begun raiding our food storage."

"I'll see about finding a replacement," Applejack said. "I'll also talk to Boulderhoof, try to reduce the amount of food we give to the army. I don't care what the Canterlot bigwigs say; Ponyville comes first."

Carrot Top smiled, although a bit forcefully. "Thank you, Miss Mayor."

"Don't thank me just yet. Supplying all this food is how I managed to keep the griffons out of Ponyville. Boulderhoof has started talking about forced conscription, too."

Carrot frowned. "The Cloudsdale rebels are responsible for forcing this winter on us. If their army needs more volunteers, then we should supply them."

Applejack looked down. This kind of talk was becoming more and more common. "I'll talk to Boulderhoof," she said, not wanting to argue.

Carrot Top nodded and left the office. Applejack groaned and scribbled a few notes. One thing was certain; she had to take care of this food situation fast. It wouldn't do to rebuild the town only to have her citizens suffer from famine. She got up and left the room.

"Bonbon, do I have any more appointments today?"

"Caramel wanted to speak to you. I imagine he wants to complain about the soldiers again. Cheerilee also wanted to have a few words about Applebloom's grades," Bonbon said as she took a quick look at her notebook.

"Cancel both," Applejack said without breaking her stride. "I need to talk to Boulderhoof and put an end to this travesty."

"Wha... what do you mean?" Bonbon asked as she trailed behind Applejack.

Applejack kept walking. "I mean that we can't feed an army if we can barely feed ourselves."

"But the entire agreement we have with Canterlot is about us feeding their troops," Bonbon said, trying to keep pace. "You can't go back on it."

"I can't just ignore this problem and hope it goes away," Applejack argued with a sigh. She stopped and turned toward Bonbon. "We're not ready for winter because no winter has been scheduled. Even Boulderhoof should realize that."

"He won't just let you cut him off," Bonbon argued in a weak voice.

Applejack sighed. "He'll probably ask that we supply more troops, at least it's what I expect."

"And you'll agree to that?" Bonbon said with a gasp.

"What choice do I have?" Applejack said with more ire in her voice than she intended. "I can't ignore the war, I can't ignore the soldiers, I can't ignore the winter, and I certainly can't ignore our food problem. What would you have me do to fix this, Bonbon?"

Bonbon looked down at her hooves. "I don't know, Applejack. Can't we ration food or something?"

Applejack shook her head. "It won't be enough. I'll at least see what Boulderhoof has to say. In the meantime, I want you to find a replacement for Fluttershy."

"It won't be easy to find a pony who can communicate with animals as well as she did."

"Our survival may depend on it," Applejack continued. "If rodents have started raiding our food storage as Carrot Top says, it'll make an already bad situation worse. I don't care what you have to do, just find me somepony who can get those vermin under control."

"Yes, Madam Mayor," Bonbon said with a nod.

Applejack forced a smile and nodded at her assistant before trotting away toward the camp at the edge of town. Boulderhoof would probably be there, using training as an excuse to bully the ponies under his command.

Light snow fell over Ponyville. Applejack wore a scarf and warm coat to make up for her lack of winter fur. While a few citizens were out and about, the streets were relatively quiet. Three young colts played in the snow, seemingly unaware of the famine the same peaceful snow bring in the near future.

Once Applejack left the edge of her town and entered the military camp, the level of activity increased drastically. Soldiers were busy training outside, although a few shivered in their armor as they stood guard. Winter obviously hadn't been considered when Canterlot started to mass-produce military armor. Applejack couldn't help but feel for the poor soldiers who would have to fight and train outside in such poor weather without adequate protection from the elements. Even a pony's natural fur wasn't enough for a prolonged stay out in the cold.

Applejack headed straight for the large wooden cabin at the end of the camp. While the soldiers had to spend their days outside, their superior kept a comfortable office in a well-isolated building in the back of the camp.

"I need to talk to Boulderhoof," she said as she stormed inside.

"Captain Boulderhoof is busy," the unicorn mare outside his office replied from behind a small wooden desk. She adjusted the collar of her soldier's uniform.

Applejack groaned in frustration. "Tell him the mayor wants to see him. I'm not going to wait around in my own town." While she normally didn't mind having to wait for the military captain, the threat of famine coupled with Fluttershy being imprisoned had all but obliterated her patience.

The unicorn sighed. "I'll ask if he can see you." She knocked on the door behind her twice and poked her head inside. She said something Applejack couldn't hear.

The soldier stepped inside to speak to her superior. Applejack let go of a breath and found a seat, her eyes wandering around the room. The small entrance lobby was spartan by any standards. A small desk next to the door to the captain's office and two chairs, one of which Applejack sat on as she waited, were the only furniture present. A rather poor portrait of Blueblood hung on the wall opposite her seat.

It only took a few minutes for two officers to leave the office alongside the unicorn mare Applejack had spoken too. "Go on in," the soldier said.

Applejack nodded her thanks as she stepped inside. Boulderhoof was leaning back on his chair. Applejack frowned as she remembered the captain didn't keep any other sitting space in his office. He seemed to enjoy forcing his subordinates to stand.

"This better be important," he said with a grunt. "You may be the mayor, but you can't just barge in here and interrupt military operations."

"Is a potential famine important enough?" Applejack said.

Boulderhoof glared at Applejack with a frown. "You're the farmer, not me. I'm sure you can figure things out."

"That's why I'm here. You want to make this quick? I will. We can't produce enough food to feed both the army and ourselves, not with this snow."

"We had an agreement," Boulderhoof said, staring her down. "You benefit from our protection, but have to show loyalty in exchange. You already failed to keep the changeling queen from escaping. Now you're telling me you can't even feed the troops that keep you safe?"

"We can't even feed ourselves!" Applejack argued as she leaned in his face. "I can't magic food out of nowhere."

"That's your problem to solve," Boulderhoof said. "If your citizens can't grow food, then perhaps they should serve the crown some other way."

"So if we can't feed you, we should fight for you? Has it ever occurred to you that your duty is to protect ponies, not the other way around?"

Bloulderhoof swiftly rose. "This is war! You fat, lazy ponies might have forgotten it. I think it's because we were too soft on you. You were allowed to live peacefully under our protection, always crying for more. It won't stand anymore. Either you double the food you give us, or each able-bodied pony who isn't working the fields will report for military duty."

"You can't do that," Applejack snapped. "I have a deal with the prince and princess."

"A deal that you failed to hold up to," Boulderhoof continued. "You lost the changeling queen, can't produce the food we need, and now rats are infesting every hole."

"Maybe we wouldn't have a rat problem if you hadn't arrested the one pony who can control them." Applejack was yelling, but she didn't care. This idiot was taking things too far.

Boulderhoof scoffed. "Of course, you'd be soft on a traitor. I have a better solution for your rat problems. We'll allow the griffons to set up camp here. At least they won't suffer from a food shortage with all these rodents running around."

Applejack gasped in shock. "These animals are a part of our community! Feeding them to the griffons would go against everything Equestria holds dear. You want to imprison Fluttershy, fine. Don't take away everything she worked for." She took a deep breath, trying to lower her voice. "Besides, you don't have the authority to overrule the deal I made with Blueblood and Rarity."

"Now that Manehattan has fallen to the enemy, I don't believe they'll be as lenient with you as they have been in the past," Boulderhoof said as he smirked at Applejack. "I'll be writing to my superiors with my recommendations. You can't hide behind Rarity forever. Sooner rather than later, you'll have to face reality." He sat back down. "So I suggest you feed the troops as you promised you would.

Applejack ground her teeth as she struggled to regain her composure. "I'll see what I can do about the food."

---

"More carrots?" Granny Smith asked as she passed Applejack a plate across the kitchen table. With the castle being so big, the family often opted to take their meals in the smaller kitchen rather than the exorbitant dining room.

"I'm fine," Applejack absentmindedly replied. The day's events had killed her appetite, and truth be told, she was tired of eating carrots all the time.

Big Macintosh raised an eyebrow. "You should eat."

Applejack sighed. "I'm not hungry. Besides, we shouldn't be cooking so many carrots. We have to ration food, remember."

"I'm sure you'll figure out something," Granny said with a gentle smile. "You always managed to come through, both for this family and for Ponyville."

"Not this time," Applejack weakly said as she shook her head. "Everywhere else we could get food from is either allied with Cloudsdale or facing the same problems we are. For all we know, this was Luna's plan all along: start winter and deny us food."

"Rarity won't let things come to that," Big Macintosh said, although his voice betrayed his lack of confidence in his own words.

"I wrote her a letter," Applejack said. "Unless she can pull another miracle, I might be forced to give Boulderhoof exactly what he wants."

Granny frowned and shook her head. After a moment, she shared a nod with Big Macintosh. "I think that's enough mayor problems for one day, Applejack. Sit down on your caboose and relax. The solution will come to you if you stop fussing over it."

Applejack took a deep breath and tried to force a smile that wouldn't come. "I'll try, Granny. I just don't want to be remembered as the pony who betrayed Ponyville."

"You'll be remembered as the pony who overworked herself over Ponyville if you keep it up."

"Alright, alright," Applejack said, letting go and smiling at her grandmother. "So what's Applebloom's excuse for missing family dinner tonight?"

"Sleepover at Scootaloo's," Granny said. "She's been behaving in school this week, so I figured I'd allow it."

"I suppose she deserves her break," Applejack said with a weak smile. "I really hate having to keep her from speaking her mind, you know."

"We all do," Granny Smith said as she placed a hoof on Applejack's. "Nopony's blaming you. You really are doing more than anypony could ever ask."

"Eyup," Big Macintosh said with a nod.

"At least I don't have to work on a carrot farm," Applejack teased with a grimace, prompting a round of laughter around the table. "I think I'll take a second serving after all," she told her grandmother with a smile, this one genuine.

As Granny passed the plate to Applejack, the door to the kitchen burst open, revealing a panicked Bonbon. "Quick, Applejack, follow me! Carrot Top's farm is under attack!"

"What?" Applejack blurted out as she stood and rushed to her assistant's side. "What do you mean under attack?"

"Cloudsdale soldiers," Bonbon explained between pants. "They came out of the Everfree without warning."

"Consarn it!" Applejack spat. "Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, stay here and hide. I have to go make sure everypony's alright."

"And what do you think you'll accomplish out there?" Granny asked in a shaky voice.

Applelack put her hoof down. "I won't hide while my town is in danger. Bonbon, take me to Boulderhoof."

"Y... yes Miss Mayor," the assistant said as she led the way.

They swiftly left the castle, galloping through the emptying streets of Ponyville. Thick black smoke could be seen coming from Carrot Top's farm. "Oh no," Applejack said with a gasp. "Our food stores."

"Carrot Top is our most productive farmer," Bonbon said, her voice weak. "What are we going to do?"

"Stop this madness for now," Applejack said as she redoubled her pace. "We'll face the consequences tomorrow." Truth be told, she knew that there would be no way out of this one. Cloudsdale had probably given Boulderhoof all the leverage he needed to force conscription. As for the famine, it was now inevitable.

Panicked ponies running in the opposite direction passed Applejack and Bonbon as they neared the farm. The sounds of steel hitting steel, the raging winds, and the screams of agony could not be mistaken. Pegasi soldiers flew in circles above the farm, pushing torrents wind against each other. While the Canterlot flyers were easily visible in their bright orichalchum armor, the Cloudsdale troops wore darker protection, making them harder to see in the night sky.

Roseluck, one of the many ponies fleeing the battle, ran into Applejack. "The soldiers are coming this way! We have to hide!"

"How did this start?" Applejack asked as she grabbed hold of the panicked mare. "What are the Cloudsdale troops doing?"

"I don't know," Roseluck said as she frantically shook her head. "They're burning everything!"

"Get yourself to safety," Applejack ordered as she let go. Roseluck was obviously too scared to provide any valuable information. Applejack turned her attention to Bonbon. "We need to find Boulderhoof and find out what's going on."

"He's probably in the middle of the melee." Bonbon said, shaking her head. "We'll never reach him."

"I'm not gonna sit still while my town burns!" Applejack snapped as she slammed her hoof. "Come on, we're going in." She charged toward the battle, ignoring whatever her assistant would have to say in response.

Applejack galloped a few more paces and turned right after the flower shop. She stopped in her tracks as she found a group of earth ponies wearing dark, spiked armor charging right at her. "Consarn it," she barked.

"Grab her!" one of the enemy soldiers ordered as the entire herd galloped in her direction. Applejack positioned herself between the attackers and her assistant by reflex.

"Get out of here, Bonbon," she ordered as she bared her teeth at the charging earth ponies.

Instead of attacking her, they surrounded her. Their leader, a green earth pony mare with a vicious glare grinned at her, displaying a set of broken teeth. "Surrender and we won't hurt you. You're too valuable a hostage to kill anyway."

Applejack pawed the dirt with her hoof as she aggressively snorted. "You come into my town, burn my crops, and want me to surrender to you?"

"You mean Blueblood's town?" the mare said with a snort.

"No, I mean my town!" Applejack snapped as she bucked the soldier behind her. She felt her hooves hit something hard, and knew she had done the damage she had hoped for. Her victory, however, was short lived as two soldiers tackled her to the ground.

"Attack!" Applejack heard a new voice yell. She couldn't see what happened, but the erratic movement and dirt being moved around told her what she needed to know.

Applejack felt the weight that was holding her down diminish, allowing her to turn around and push the remaining soldier still holding her front left leg. She found herself in the middle of a melee between her Cloudsdale aggressors and a squad of Canterlot guards. She head-butted the pony who was attempting to hold her down before turning her attention to Bonbon, who quivered under an upside-down cart.

A unicorn stallion wearing a Canterlot sergeant's uniform jumped in front of her after pushing away a Cloudsdale earth pony with a magical force shield. "Mayor Applejack, come with me."

"I need to take care of this fire," Applejack replied, already prepared to get back on her way.

"It's too dangerous," the guard argued as he surrounded Applejack and himself in a magical shield. "I've been ordered to keep you safe. We'll handle the flames, I promise."

Applejack spat on the ground. "Fine, but we return the moment it's safe. I'm not leaving my town behind."

The guard nodded as Applejack helped Bonbon up. The Canterlot unicorns erected a shield, protecting the earth pony guards who pushed against the Cloudsdale chargers. Meanwhile, the sergeant took two of his soldiers with him as they formed a perimeter around Applejack and her assistant. Applejack picked up her hat and nodded at the sergeant.

"Go, go!" the sergeant yelled as he led the way, his two soldiers moving behind Applejack and watching their flank. Two enemy combatants attempted to give chase, but a brave earth pony mare wearing the Canterlot golden armor charged them both, pushing one to the ground and destabilizing the other long enough for Applejack's group to make their escape.

"Thanks for the rescue," Applejack said between pants as they turned behind Sugarcube Corner. "What's your name, by the way?"

"I'm Chestnut," the sergeant said. "And as I said, I've been ordered by Captain Boulderhoof to keep you safe."

Applejack frowned. "The safety of my town comes before my own. I can wait for the battle to calm down, but I'm going to be there to fight the flames."

"Fair enough," Chestnut said. "For now, let's hide inside the bakery."

The group made for Sugarcube Corner and Chestnut banged on the door a few times, to no avail. "We might have to break in," he mumbled with a wince.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "The Cakes are just afraid." She knocked a few times herself. "It's Applejack. Let us in." she yelled.

It took a few seconds for the door to crack open. "Quick, come in," Mr. Cake whispered as the group sneaked inside the bakery.

After a moment, Applejack's eyes adjusted to the pitch blackness inside Sugarcube Corner. "Stay away from the windows," Mr. Cake whispered as he led Applejack behind the counter. "We can hide in the basement."

Applejack shook her head. "I'm staying here. The battle will be over soon, and I won't hide a second longer than I have to. Go and stay with your wife. If soldiers come in, we'll tell them you aren't here."

The bakery owner nodded and disappeared through a door, prompting Applejack and Bonbon to sit on the floor near a window that allowed them to see the smoke coming from Carrot Top's farm. The occasional wave of pegasi could be seen in the sky, and the powerful winds created by the battle pushed against the exterior of the bakery.

Sergeant Chestnut ordered his two subordinates to different points inside the room, where they could observe what was going on outside. As for the sergeant, he stayed near the front door, ready to fight whatever intruder might burst in.

The sound of the wind banging Sugarcube Corner's wooden sign against the store's facade and the faraway screams of battle were Applejack's only companions. None of the ponies dared speak a word, all of them no doubt contemplating what would happen in the next few hours. How big of an attack was it? Could it be yet another raid by Lightning Dust, or was it a precursor to a much larger attack? With Manehattan now under their control, Luna's troops would no doubt become more bold. Perhaps they might even attack Canterlot itself in the coming weeks.

Applejack sighed. Was there anything she could have done to avoid this? By agreeing to feed the Canterlot army, she'd made Ponyville a target. What choice did she have though? Even Rarity wouldn't have been able to protect her had she chosen neutrality.

A scream coming from right outside the bakery broke her reverie. "Somepony help me!"

Bonbon stood up with a gasp. "That's Lyra's voice!"

"Consarn it," Applejack barked as she mirrored the gesture. "We have to help her."

Chestnut shook his head and blocked her path. "You're not going out there. My job is to keep you safe."

"And my job is to keep my citizens safe," Applejack retorted as she pushed him away. "I'm going out there." She rushed to the front of the store and saw Bonbon's mint-colored friend running away from three earth pony soldiers from outside the window. "We could really use your help, Sergeant."

"Be reasonable. We don't know how many soldiers are out there," the sergeant argued.

Bonbon slapped the sergeant in the face. "That's my best friend out there!" She rushed for the door, Applejack following closely behind. "Hold on, Lyra, I'm coming!" Lyra turned her panicked, pleading eyes toward Bonbon and Applejack. A large, orange-coated stallion tackled her to the ground. She desperately tried to wrestle her way out.

A strong gust of wind pushed Applejack and Bonbon aside as they ran outside. Applejack realized too late that three pegasi had been hovering over the bakery, flapping their wings and pinning them to the ground.

A bright flash of light accompanied the dying wind. Chestnut bared his teeth from the entrance as he blasted one of the pegasi with his horn, prompting the other two to recoil in surprise.

Applejack didn't hesitate. She rushed toward the large earth pony who held Lyra to the ground, flat on her belly. He yanked her tail aside, and the look of panic on Lyra's face alongside the predatory lust in the soldier's eyes exposed just how low this stallion had fallen. "Get off her!" Applejack yelled as she punched the stallion in the face.

The large earth pony soldier was stronger than Applejack had anticipated. His head recoiled slightly from the blow, but he quickly answered with a violent push. She saw Bonbon wrestling with another soldier from the corner of her eye as she fell. Lyra crawled to the foot of a tall building, whimpering.

Applejack attempted to get back up, but her opponent kicked her in the stomach, making her gasp for air. She tried to get up once more, but he forced her face in the dirt with one of his hooves.

She attempted to kick him off, but from her weakened position, he easily avoided her blows. She saw one of the Canterlot soldiers impaling a Cloudsdale pegasus with his spear while Chestnut protected him from an enemy gust of wind with a magical shield. Applejack swallowed her pride and managed to breathe in enough air to call out. "Sergeant, help!"

Chestnut turned his gaze toward Applejack and summoned a blast of magical energy from his horn. He winced in pain as a small ball of magic collided with Applejack's assailant. From the expression on Chestnut's face, he probably had very little strength left in him for more spells.

The large earth pony flinched from the blow and let go of Applejack's head. She didn't press her luck and rolled away from him before getting back up. Her enemy was still shaking his head from the magical blast when she spun around and bucked as hard as she could, striking his head and knocking his helmet off.

Her hooves had left a visible mark on his face and he struggled to open one of his eyes. He screamed as she bucked again, this time hitting him in the chest. Applejack felt a surge of satisfaction at the dent her blow left on his armor. He doubled-over in pain, allowing Applejack to turn around and land blow after blow on his face. She struck him again, and again, until her hoof bled.

Nopony tried to stop her. She found her enemy breathing with difficulty, blood oozing from multiple wounds on his face. She kicked him between the legs one last time for good measure before turning her attention back to her surroundings. One of the Canterlot soldiers lay impaled with a Cloudsdale spear lodged between his ribs. The other was making sure an enemy pegasus was really dead. As for Chestnut, he stood panting over the bodies of the other two enemy earth pony soldiers. Bonbon held a crying Lyra in her hooves.

"I'm sorry about your soldiers," Applejack awkwardly offered to the Sergeant. "Thanks for your help."

Chestnut grunted but didn't reply. Both he and Applejack turned their attention toward the general direction of Carrot Top's farm. No more pegasi flew in the sky, only black smoke remained.

"It looks like the battle may be over," Chestnut said in a flat voice after a moment of silence.

Applejack sighed. "Gather as many ponies as you can. We still have a fire to take care of."

---

Shortly after the battle came another snowstorm. While these were usually unwelcome, this time it helped the ponies fight the flames. Sadly, it all came too late; a significant part of their reserves of hay, oats, carrots, and potatoes had been lost to the flame. A lot of what survived was covered in snow and rubble, the buildings where the barrels were stored having collapsed. Applejack ordered a full account of the damage and of their remaining food stores, but knew it could take a few days to obtain any reliable information. After spending most of the night extinguishing the fire and making sure ponies were safe, everypony in Ponyville needed some much deserved rest.

Applejack, however, didn't feel any urge to go to bed. She wouldn't rest until she knew exactly what was going on. While some soldiers were still helping out around town and patrolling Ponyville looking for Cloudsdale stragglers, most had returned to camp. The damage to the town's food store had been substantial, but it could have been much worse. The attack had mostly been contained to Carrot Top's farm, outside of a few undisciplined soldiers who ran inside the town with the hope of stealing valuables or committing other crimes. For what little it was worth, the Canterlot troops had managed to defend Ponyville.

She met with Carrot Top in the farmer's house to discuss the situation. The snow storm still raged outside, and they could barely see anything outside the windows.

"So give it to me straight. How bad is it?" Applejack asked.

Carrot Top sighed. "We're talking famine. The Cloudsdale army has spent the last few months raiding farms and supply routes everywhere from Gale to Ponyville."

"Taking out Equestria's most fertile lands," Applejack completed. She threw her hat on the floor in frustration. "I don't know what to do. The only reason Luna would do this is to starve us out. She's bringing this unnatural winter, and she knows we can't last without food."

"We have to end this," Carrot said as she stared at the storm outside the window. "I don't care what you do, but we can't feed Ponyville for more than a few months with what we have left. Less if we have the army to worry about."

"I don't know where I can find food," Applejack said weakly. "I'll write to Rarity, let her know that we just can't do it."

"What does it mean for us?" Carrot asked with a gulp. "Canterlot is counting on us to feed their troops."

"I imagine they'll start sending our ponies to war," Applejack said, unable to keep tears from welling up in her eyes. "After this, I don't think Boulderhoof will give me any choice."

Carrot Top walked to Applejack and placed a hoof on her shoulder. She took a deep breath. "Luna sent her goons to burn down my farm. She's caused nothing but misery. If the army wants us to go out and fight, I say we go out and fight. You said it yourself — she wants to starve us out. This is bigger than Ponyville, Applejack."

Applejack sighed. Was it even worth fighting this battle at this point? The war was raging, and her town had been attacked a second time. "I'll talk to Boulderhoof," she said as she headed for the exit.

Navigating the storm proved difficult, but she knew she couldn't rest before she had her answers. She could barely feel the morning sun's rays through the thick clouds, and heavy snow blew into her eyes. Luckily, she didn't have to walk far. Years of farm work hardened her body to the point where no amount of snow could keep her from her destination.

The storm had slightly subsided by the time she reached the camp. Heavy snow still fell from the sky, but at least the wind no longer impeded her movement. She found guards shivering in the cold, although anypony not on duty was understandably resting inside the barracks.

"Where's Boulderhoof?" she asked one of the guards.

"Interrogating a prisoner," the soldier said. He sounded exhausted, and couldn't even stand upright. Would her citizens be forced to endure conditions such as these after Boulderhoof's conscription?

Applejack shook her head. Such thoughts would have to wait for later. "Take me to him."

"I... I can't abandon my post. He's right behind that building, right there."

Applejack nodded her thanks and headed in the direction the soldier had pointed out. As expected, Boulderhoof was there alongside five of his soldiers and a tied up prisoner. Applejack frowned as she got closer and realized it was the same large, orange-coated earth pony who had assaulted Lyra during the battle. He was bleeding in the snow.

"Madam Mayor," Boulderhoof said with a grin. "We were just about to find out what went through these idiots' brains when they decided to attack Ponyville." He kicked the prisoner in the ribs, prompting an audible yelp.

"Just give it to me straight," Applejack said impatiently. "I've had a long night."

Boulderhoof grabbed the prisoner by his green mane and forced him to look at Applejack. "Name and rank?"

"Pumpkin," the prisoner said after spitting some blood. "Private Pumpkin."

"See? That's not so hard," Boulderhoof teased. Applejack realized that this was probably the happiest she had ever seen the Captain — bullying a tied up prisoner. "And who was your commanding officer, Private Pumpkin?"

"Captain Lightning Dust," he said, his voice weak and resigned.

"The one and only," Boulderhoof said as he returned his attention to Applejack. "She was responsible for most raids in the region, you know. I think we took out a good chunk of her forces. You should be happy."

"I'll withhold my enthusiasm until we can feed the town," Applejack said before looking down at the prisoner. "Answer me just one question. Why? What's the plan, starve us out? How does trying to rape one of my citizens factor into Luna's grand plan?" She could barely contain her rage. The temptation to join Boulderhoof in brutalizing this sorry excuse for a pony gnawed at her. I have to be better than this.

One of the soldiers kicked the prisoner after a few seconds of silence. "Answer the mayor," Applejack used all of her self-control to keep her expression straight.

"Fine, fine," Pumpkin said after spitting more blood. "We were trying to take out your food supplies, Lightning's orders. Make ponies afraid of supporting Canterlot." He winced as he tried to smirk at Applejack. "That mint-coated friend of yours sure won't forget me any day soon. It's not like griffon patrols are doing any differently in the lands we control."

Boulderhoof grabbed the prisoner up and shoved him against a wall. "We didn't ask for your opinion." He punched him again, prompting Pumpkin to spit out a broken tooth. "Was that all your forces attacking Ponyville?"

Pumpkin spat a mix of blood and spittle in Boulderhoof's face.

"Wrong answer," Boulderhoof said as he threw the prisoner back in the freezing snow. He nodded at his soldiers, who kicked him repeatedly.

Applejack frowned. "Is this really necessary?"

"After what he did, I would have thought you'd be lining up to beat him, too," Boulderhoof said in a slightly mocking tone.

"Then you know nothing about me," Applejack replied, turning her gaze away from the camp and the brutal scene.

"Wait, wait, I'll talk," Pumpkin said after a particularly nasty-looking kick between his legs. "That wasn't all of our forces in the region, but a good chunk. We have more coming though, so don't start celebrating just yet."

"Rookie troops taking over for experienced raiders?" Boulderhoof said with another grin. "I think we can celebrate a little bit." He turned to Applejack. "See? We got Lightning Dust on the run. She probably lived with these soldiers for so long, losing them'll demoralize her. Remember, if you want to hurt an enemy, take out what matters the most to them."

"Just do what you have to to keep my town safe," Applejack said as she rolled her eyes. "And I'll do what I can to salvage our food stores and protect them from the rats."

"Good," Boulderhoof said with a nod. "Expect an announcement in the coming days. Every family will be expected to supply their strongest ponies for military service. This includes your brother. We'll hit them back, and hit them back hard."

Applejack shook her head. "Not before I have a few words with Rarity. I'm not letting you force ponies into this war."

Boulderhoof scoffed. "I would have thought this attack would have ended your stubborn streak. Write to the princess all you want. In the meantime, we'll be losing time while Cloudsdale prepares another attack."

"We'll talk about it when you're done brutalizing prisoners," Applejack said, struggling to keep the anger out of her voice. "I have a family to get back to." She turned away, but sighed and returned her attention to the captain one last time. "Thank Chestnut for me. He saved my life out there." She didn't wait for a reply as she kept on walking.

She stormed out of the camp and back toward the castle. The snow didn't show any sign of slowing down, and Ponyville's dirt roads already proved difficult to navigate. She made a mental note to have Bonbon handle this problem and have ponies at least clear out the main avenues.

The Palace of Harmony was eerily silent as Applejack entered its spacious halls. She made her way to the second floor, where her family kept their living quarters. She entered the room they used as a living room, only to find both Granny Smith and Big Macintosh staring at the floor in silence.

"I'm glad the two of you are okay," Applejack said. She looked around the room and her heartbeat raced. "Wait, what's with the glum faces? Where's Applebloom?"

Big Macintosh silently picked up a piece of paper from the coffee table and handed it to Applejack. She carefully unfolded it and began reading.

Dear Applejack, Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh

I know you don't care much for Princess Luna, but I do. She's been coming into my dreams, as well as Scootaloo's. Now, she's sending us on a mission. We're going to find Pinkie Pie, and figure out some way of rescuing Rainbow Dash. I think we might be able to find Twilight, too.

Please don't worry about us. Many ponies in Equestria used to have bad dreams, and they will help protect us.

Love,

Applebloom

"This... this doesn't make any sense," Applejack managed to mumble as she dropped the note on the floor. "Rainbow Dash is dead. Why would Luna just take my little sister like that?"

"I don't know," Granny Smith said, her voice barely a whisper.

Applejack's heart raced again. She started pacing back and forth in the room. "She attacks my town, burns my food, kills my citizens, and now takes away my little sister." She screamed as she violently bucked a nearby mirror, shattering it into a thousand pieces. "I've had it! Nopony decent would use children this way! I'm going back to see Boulderhoof." She took a deep breath and stared at the storm still raging outside. "Ponyville is joining the fight."

Comments

[tom117z]

One: You'd think at least one person would twig that civil war + winter = wendigo, I mean they only have a play about it every single year.

Two: Applejack's going to feel a little silly (understatement of the century) when she finds out that Twi and RD are both alive and both prisoners of the griffons.

[Roranicus]

7949044
Just because something is a part of popular folklore doesn't mean people believe it to be true. We have a ton of christmas stories we hear every year, but most of us assume them to be tales made up to teach a lesson. Of course, Equestrian religion could come into play here, but that's a whole different can of worms I figured I'd stay away from, lol.

[coldsilverd]

7949044
Well, with number one, everyone thinks that the play is just a story, that Wendigo's aren't real. And it's believable; Nightmare Moon and Discord were legends until revealed. So not much of a stretch that they'd believe that a story they see every year has elements of myth within the story.

[Circut Breaker]

7949044
7949059
7949063

As we all know, myths have an annoying tendency to not stay as such.

Me? I'm just counting the minutes until that.

[tom117z]

7949115 I'm just waiting/hoping for Twilight to get free, get to work fixing things and giving some serious 'reason you suck' speeches in the process.

Twilight is best pony.

[Circut Breaker]

7949186 Kick ass and chew bubblegum, and Pinkie's not sharing?

[The Great Derpsby]

7949059
7949044
The point is still valid, though. If people in our world suddenly found presents under their trees that nobody remembers putting there, at least some would start to rethink those stories.

[Roranicus]

7949422
True. I'd say that it would depend on what explanation is offered. For example, if signs of break-in are found. There would definitely be a certain amount of people who'd choose to believe in Santa.

That could make a pretty cool story though. Present show up, and people freak out about it, wondering how it happened, and what the motive is.

[Fwelin]

7949063
Except they don't; it's made quite clear in the episode that the events of the play are considered to be the actual historical events behind the founding of Equestria, albeit simplified for the purposes of it being portrayed in a play.

Applejack: "Its a reenactment of the founding of Equestria."

It's unlikely that very many ponies consider Windigoes to be a myth, especially since unlike the concept of say, Santa Claus, nothing about Windigoes or the events in the play are out of the realm of what they would expect to be possible in their world. They seemingly have some degree of historical records stretching back then, as well, given the details of Starswirl's life Twilight and others have been shown to know, someone who had been alive around said time period.

[coldsilverd]

7949611
True. In that case, there would probably be the belief that the Wendigos couldn't possibly return. Stupid logic, but the ponies have been wrong about a lot of enemies who couldn't possibly return (Celestia didn't believe Discord could possibly escape). "The Wendigos were defeated, therefore they can't return." Like I said, stupid logic. There is also Occam's Razor to consider: the simplest answer is usually the correct one. The simplest answer would be blame the other side, since both have weather manipulation abilities and are dead set on killing each other, not a possibly returning mythical creature (using the term 'mythical' loosely here).

Also, consider this: Celestia edited Equestrian history. No one knew about the existence of Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna, which is pretty damn big piece of history. Same thing with Discord; Twilight, the bookworm and scholar, didn't know about one of the most chaotic periods in Equestrian history, or at least it's cause. Since that is the case, there are large parts of Equestrian history that can be called into question because the ruler who lived for centuries/millennia could pick and choose what would be remembered. In other words, none of Equestrian's history can be taken at face value, including it's founding.

Don't forget, this is an Alternate Universe as well. Take things with a grain of salt.

[tom117z]

7949666

No one knew about the existence of Nightmare Moon

Nightmare Night. Celestia didn't get rid of ALL traces.

[terrycloth]

Wasn't Pumpkin a Blueblood supporter? Is this a false-flag operation?

[Roranicus]

7950996
He was always a Luna supporter. I first introduced him in the first Fluttershy chapter. He's one of the drunks at the tavern. Later, he meets Pinkie and Shining on the road to Gale, where he wants to join Luna's army.

[Dapper Guy]

Luna certainly has the momentum on her side now and it is going to snowball down. Pegasi are more weather resistant than regular ponies, now with a ground base for operations, she's gained a huge advantage. BB and Silver may have escaped, they look incredibly weak since they were nearly captured it won't be long until they both run out of escape strategies. It was clever, yeah, but open hostility is blooming in the public and that has always weakened standing empires before.

[The Great Derpsby]

7951176
On the other hand, she has the disadvantage that her soldiers are visibly doing horrible things to the populace. The Griffons are doing so as well, but they're still more or less a step removed from Canterlot in public perception, even if Blueblood hired them; ponies can always argue that without Luna's open threats, the Griffons wouldn't even be in Equestria. On top of that, Ponyville—Princess Twilight's hometown—is joining the fight against Princess Luna now. We know Luna didn't murder/abduct Princess Twilight, but most ponies don't. To them, Luna has tried to destroy Ponyville twice now.

I wonder if Luna is getting desperate. She's throwing away any remote claim to the moral high ground, and unless there's a huge Cloudsdale army marching on Ponyville right now, Lightning Dust just managed to lose a lot of soldiers by not pulling back from fighting. Something Soarin specifically told her not to do.

[coldsilverd]

7951737
Well, in the terms of moral high ground, it's not necessarily that Luna is losing it or getting desperate; it's her own soldier's interpretation of orders that is. Communications between Cloudsdale and forces in the field are extremely limited, and officers can easily misinterpret orders, or purposely misinterpret orders if they fee like it. It's not like Luna and Soarin are getting daily reports on their force's activities to keep officer's like Lightening Dust in check. This was exactly the reason why Soarin was hesitant to make Lightening Dust and officer in the first place.

[Roranicus]

7957184
This is actually a pretty good description of the story.

[Golden Fang Ryu Shenron]

Applejack's heart raced again. She started pacing back and forth in the room. "She attacks my town, burns my food, kills my citizens, and now takes away my little sister." She screamed as she violently bucked a nearby mirror, shattering it into a thousand pieces. "I've had it! Nopony decent would use children this way! I'm going back to see Boulderhoof." She took a deep breath and stared at the storm still raging outside. "Ponyville is joining the fight."

Whelp, that's it. Applejack has been pushed to her breaking point! Now Ponyville is joining in the war!