Timeline Sparkle: Trails and Tribulations

by Symphonicdysonince

Chapter 7: Trial of Honesty, Part 1

I sat, hidden, amongst the bushes ringing a clearing in the Everfree Forest. I had been following one of my Queen’s “advisors” around, waiting for the proof I needed. Needed to get rid of him. I didn’t trust him. None of the Queen’s friends trusted him, but she practically let him run her kingdom.

My target was a grey earth pony with his mane cropped close to his head, his shaggy coat knotted in many places. He was standing in the clearing, waiting for something. We did not have to wait long.

A light brown pegasus crashed into the clearing, leaving a long furrow in her wake. Is that how my Queen taught you to land? For shame…. I think to myself. Apparently the stallion had the same opinion, as he started to berate the pegasus’ sloppy landing.

The pegasus, hanging her head in embarrassment, was finally given a chance to speak. “I was watching the old castle we found a moon back, like you asked,” she began, “and something happened. I heard a noise from the far side of the castle, and I flew over to take a look. There I saw a purplish earth pony standing over a pile of stone shards, which started to rise and drape themselves over her neck. I think I heard her say something about it being the Dawn Amulet, and how it can help defeat Him.” She paused to catch her breath.

“I was on my way to tell the Queen when I saw you here, Agis.”

Agis smiled, “That’s good to know. I’ll let the Queen know myself. You had better get back to the castle in case our mystery mare comes back.”

I turn, and, after making sure I was a good distance away from the two ponies, I bounded off through the woods. I must tell the Queen about this. There’s no way Agis would tell her something as important as that! He might use it to cause a coup! Off I ran, to warn the Queen about this new power, as my mind started to wonder.

Just what does this Dawn Amulet do? And what does this mare plan on doing with it?

---

“Is anypony watching us?” I ask Cheerilee.

“….No, not that I could see. Nopony has been keeping tabs on us this past week.”

“Good.” I flowed out of the amulet and into the ground as Cheerilee sang. For the first moon, Applejack had made sure that somepony was awake and watching us to ensure we weren’t slacking off in our duties. Usually, it was Applejack herself.

Now, it seems she trusts us to do our job without supervision, but we were still careful, just in case. I never left the amulet without Cheerilee singing, and I would never show myself out in the open until she ‘sang’ me back. For the past week, I had been scouting out the farm, making notes on when ponies fell asleep, when they woke up, and who had night wall duty. Cheerilee, for her part, stayed near where we were to work that night. Not a very interesting job, but she would jot down all the information I told her, and she kept up the illusion that I was there as well.

But that was the past week. Now, it was time to put my plan into motion. I finished up the row of trees that we were given to do, then I flowed through the ground to the farmhouse.

---

Ah stepped out onta mah front porch, taking a deep breath of the sweet, apple-scented air. Ah open mah eyes and look around the farm. Ah take a moment ta take in the sights of the farm as Ah trot towards the eastern orchards. The sky was never so blue, Big Mac finally had that new plow he’s been wantin’ for the past moon, an’ Granny Smith was just comin’ back from droppin’ Applebloom of at school.

….. Wait, somethin’s not right, Ah think ta mahself, stoppin’ in the middle of the path.

Granny past me on her way ta the farmhouse. The farmhouse without the crude extension we made for the Brothers’ workshop…. Ah turn back ta the front of the farm, headin’ ta the gate we built ta ….Alright, where’s the moon-sent gate?! Or the walls for that matter?
Ah stepped out onta the road an’ turned ta look back at where the gate should’ve been. The worry Ah was feelin’ was becomin’ clear on mah face.

“Applejack? Are you okay?” A voice behind me asked. Ah turn ta find mahself lookin’ at lavender unicorn with a two toned magenta streak in her mane an’ tail. “Is there something wrong?” She asked with her head cocked ta the side.

Ah shake mah head. “Nah, nothin’ ta worry yourself with.” I reach out a hoof. “Sorry, where are mah manners. M’name’s Applejack, an’ this here’s-“

“Sweet Apple Acres.” The mare interrupted me. “I know where we are.”

Ah drop mah hoof, an’ back up slightly into tha farm. “Ah’m sorry, Ah don’t think Ah got your name, miss…?”

“Who I am is not important right now. The question you should be asking is: Who are you?”

“Now just wait a minute here,” Ah stomp a hoof inta the dirt, “ya come here, an’ don’t even take the time ta introduce yourself.” Ah level a glare at her. “Ah won’t let anypony onta my farm without knowin’ if I can trust ‘em. So, unless ya got a good reason ta be here, ya might wanna git goin’.”

The mare sighed. “Fine. I’ll leave, for now. I will be back.” She turned an’ trotted a little ways down the path, then looked over her shoulder. “Oh, and Applejack?” A pair of wings spread from her back. “It’s time to get up now.” With a powerful thrust of her wings, she took of inta the air as cracks burst along the ground from where she had taken off.

And with the sound off shatterin’ glass the world faded to black….

---

Cheerilee and I just managed to get to the barn when Applejack threw her window open, looked around at the farm, and gave a relieved sigh. She briefly stared off into the farm with a wistful expression on her face before shaking her head and disappearing inside her room, shutting the window as she did so.

“What did you do?” Cheerilee asked.

“I showed her how things could’ve been,” I replied as I spread my wings and flew us up to our bed, “in the hopes that that will bring her closer to her Element.” We settled in for a good day’s rest. Until somepony needs something from the barn, that is.

“Why didn’t you just tell her she was the Spirit-of-Whichever-Element-She-Is?”

“Because it’s something that she needs to figure out for herself, or else her connection to her element will not be as strong.” I block off my thoughts so that Cheerilee didn’t the I think? I mentally added.

“And you’ll be doing this again tomorrow night?”

“Of course.”

---

Again, Ah wake up in mah room. Again, Ah walk up the path ta the front gate. Again, Ah pass Big Mac an’ Granny Smith. Again, Ah find mahself in front of the farm.

An’ again, Ah find mahself glarin’ at a lavender unicorn.

“Why are ya here?” Straight ta the point this time. “This has been goin’ on now for the past few weeks. Why? What do ya want from me?”
The unnamed mare just stood there, weatherin’ my questions. Just like she’s done for the past week. Ah was startin’ ta get tired of these dreams. Ah’m not even sure Ah’m dreamin’ half the time, everythin’ feels so real.

“Why don’t you answer mah questions?!”

“Applejack, I completely understand that you are going to stubbornly ask me these questions,” she finally spoke, “when the answers are all here. If you could only be bothered to look for them.” With that, she unfolded her wings an’ took to the air. She hovered just outside shoutin’ distance, keepin’ a watchful eye on me. Makes me feel nervous when she does that.

Ah turn, castin’ a critical eye over the farm, tryin’ ta use this hint she gave me. Ah spent the next few, Ah don’ know, hours, lookin’ over every tree in the farm Ah could see. Ah got through the entire west orchard, an’ Ah still didn’ see anythin’ out of place.

Ah was just crossin’ the main path when Ah heard those six words that fill me with both dread an’ relief. Relief that this dream is over, and dread ‘cause Ah know Ah’ll just be goin’ through this again tonight.

“Applejack. It’s time to get up.”

---

Ah made my way out of the south orchard. Another night, an’ Ah still haven’ found anythin’. Except that mah old club house had been repaired instead of torn down for scrap, an’ there were three filly-sized red capes hanging from the wall. Those Ah had taken down an’ brought with me.

Ah glared up at the silhouette of the…. Alicorn, Ah guess. Ah mean, she does have both a horn an’ wings. “Hey, you! Ah need ya ta come on down here a sec!” Ah saw the Alicorn tilt her head briefly, but she did not begin to descend. “Hey! Ah’m talkin’ to ya!”

Ah know ya know what’s goin’ on here. Ah thought to mahself. Why won’t ya just tell what ya want me ta know? Ah shake mah head with a sigh, an’ walk back ta the farmhouse. It an’ the barn were really the only places Ah had yet ta search.

Ah started in the barn, but Ah couldn’ see anythin’ different between it an’ the barn Ah see every day, exceptin’ that this one was in much better shape. Ah made mah way inta the house, lookin’ for anythin’ out of place. Nothin’ in the lower floors, an’ nothin’ in mah siblin’s rooms. Ah decided ta check may room before Ah would even think of goin’ inta Granny’s old room.

Ah saw mah unmade bed when Ah opened mah door. Ah walked over an’ quickly looked under the bed, pillow an’ mattress. Findin’ nothin’, Ah tossed the capes onta the bed. Ah looked through mah closet, an’ –surprise, surprise- found nothin’. Ah flopped onta the bed with a frustrated sigh. Just what does that Alicorn expect me ta find? Ah mulled this thought over for a moment. She could’ve at least told me what it’s supposed ta look like. I could be lookin’ for anythin’. With another sigh, I rolled onta mah side ta stare at the wall. It could be a discolored apple, a loose floorboard, an odd piece of jewellery on mah nightstand, anythin’!

…. Wait, what?

Ah got up ta take a closer look. There, on mah nightstand, was what looked like a medal of some sort. It had an orange jewel set into a flexible gold back set. I held it up ta the light comin’ in from mah open window ta get a better look at it. “How did Ah not see ya earlier?”
“I was wondering the same thing.” Ah jumped like a startled cat, whippin’ mah head around ta look at the window. The Alicorn was lazily flappin’ her wings, restin’ her head on her crossed hooves on the window sill. “That had been there every night we’ve had to go through this.”

“Okay,” Ah hold up the medal once more, “so what is it?”

“That is the-” The dream world violently shook. The Alicorn looked at me with a sigh, “It looks like you've overslept, Applejack. It’s time to get up.”

---

The sun had started to rise by the time Twilight returned to the Amulet. “What took you so long tonight?” I asked.

“She has pieces of the puzzle that is her Element, she just needs to put them together.” I got a pulse of a sheepish feeling through our connection. “Although I think we should hold off on these dreams for a while. She deserves to get some actual sleep after all this.”

“That is a statement I can agree on.” I mutter to myself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, let’s just go to bed ourselves.” I trotted over to the barn, coming from the rear. I slowed as I neared the front. “Hold on. Do you here that?”

“… That sounds like Applejack. Who is she talking to?”

I crept towards the front of the barn until I could hear her clearly.

“- An’ then, last night, Ah found this weird medal of some sort on mah nightstand.” A brief pause. “Ya do believe me, right?”

“… Eeyup.” So she’s talking to Big Mac. “What does this have ta do with th’ barn, AJ?”

“Ah think these dreams are connected to that Dawn’s Light Amulet thin’ that Cheerilee brought onta the farm.” Another pause. “What?” Pause. “Don’ give me that look. Ah never had these dreams before she came here, an’ now Ah do. What else am Ah supposed ta think?”

“… Ah think tha’ your sub-conscious regrets not joinin’-“

“IT’S NOT-” Applejack paused, sounding like she was trying to calm down from something. “It’s not that. Whatever it is, it’s not that. All Ah want ta do is just talk ta Cheerilee an’ learn more about the Amulet, okay?”

Another pause, broken by Big Mac, “At least let her sleep, AJ. She just had a long night. She was still out there ten minutes ago.”

“Ah… fine. Ah’ll let her sleep.” We heard them walking away. “If’n her breakfast is still on the table, could ya bring it out ta her?” Their voices faded as they rounded the corner of the house. I quickly darted into the barn, and Twilight flew us up to our makeshift bed in the loft.

“What are we going to tell Applejack?” I thought to Twilight. “Are we going to come straight with her?”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea right now.”

“Why?”

I swear I heard her sigh, “She’s bonding with her Element. Remember how you reacted when you first saw me? I’m worried that that kind of reaction would shatter the tenuous bonds she’s forged so far.”

“So what are we going to do?”

“Right now? Sleep.”

I rolled my eyes as I lay down on my pile of hay. “I meant about Applejack.”

“Nothing. We’ll just do nothing. Deny anything she may ask about me, and stick to our story about the Amulet.”

I gave an agreeing grunt before trying to get some sleep. That hope was briefly shattered when Big Mac came in to give me my meager oatmeal breakfast.

*^*
I watched Big Mac leave the barn with an empty bowl. I had heard the exchange earlier between the Apple siblings, and saw Cheerilee enter the barn. This was an interesting development. I’ll have to include this in my next report.

Author's Note:

So. Many. Italics!
I apologize for all those who start to suffer from eye strain after reading this chapter.

Once again though, read, review, critique (and spare the pleasantries!).