Equestria at War

by Krystal Dusk

Chapter 2 - The Apple Family

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Chapter 2

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The morning sun shone through the branches of the trees, creating streaks of light that made the apples glimmer in the dew. The air was sweet and her senses swam with nostalgia as she saw Sweet Apple Acres in the distance. Despite years of war, the farm looked virtually the same, save for the hundreds of grey tents surrounding the lowlands around it.

It was difficult to believe that her siblings alone had been able to harvest such a vast amount of trees, all by themselves. Work that had taken months now took but a week thanks to the hundreds of extra hooves that bucked away; the sounds of their hooves hitting against wood echoing rhythmically around her. Of course, back then, time was never an issue, and they could afford to work at their own pace. But the war demanded supplies at much higher efficiency and there was no time to lallygag.

A part of her wished there were Unicorns, or even Pegasi, among the workers, knowing that the harvest would be done much quicker if they had. But their kind was needed elsewhere, in the field of war; especially against an enemy that knew how to fly. Besides, another part of her was glad to be surrounded by her own kind, doing that which they did best, to work with nature.

With confidence and authority, Apple Bloom trotted through the field, remembering every patch of dirt on her way. It was as if she had never left those many years ago. The workers averted their gazes as she passed them by, afraid of being subject to her scrutiny. However, she was not there to check on their progress and she ignored them as she scanned the field. Her eyes drifting towards a small hill to her left, she saw a blonde mare kicking away at one of the trees at the top.

Her mind turned to gloom as she saw Applejack struggle with that one tree, barely able to kick more than a few apples of its branches. Apple Bloom set her jaw and walked hastily up the hill.

At the top, their eyes met. But Applejack turned her head and began kicking at the tree anew, now much harder. Apple Bloom noticed how the tree barely swayed and how Applejack’s breath deepen at every kick.

With some hesitation she finally said. “You should take a rest, Applejack. You know we have more than enough help with the harvest.”

Without stopping to kick at the tree, Applejack hissed beneath her breath. “I don’t need no military type to tell me what I can’t I cannot do with my own gosh darn farm, missy! Now, leave me alone, I have work to do, unlike some ponies,” she said while giving her a cold glance.

Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes as she could feel frustration grow within her. But, as she wanted to come to terms with her sister, she loosened her formal exterior and let her old accent re-emerged. “Sis, please. I’m just looking out for ya…”

With a loud bang, the tree cracked under Applejack’s hooves, making Apple Bloom wince and gawk in surprise. Half-broken, the tree bent sadly in the opposite direction and apples landed around them, rolling down the hill. Applejack swore beneath her breath and picked up one of the buckets with her mouth and headed down towards another tree, never acknowledging her sister.

With a controlled breath Apple Bloom remained by the broken tree, standing stiffly and watching as Applejack limped down the hill; clearly showing the damages of time. She opened her mouth to say something but didn’t trust her words to come out steadily, so she hesitated. Standing in indecision, she noticed the work had stopped around her, and only the bucking from far away could be heard in the distance.

Apple Bloom could not show weakness around the workers, she knew, so she drew another breath, collecting herself before shouting firmly. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me,” the shouted, coming out weakly even so.

Applejack stopped abruptly and seemed to hesitate, but she didn’t look over her shoulder and just continued down the road - to another tree that needed bucking.

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Ponyville had seen a lot of changes since her arrival. Setting up tents for the workers and military personnel; not to mention the construction of bulwarks and control towers on the roads and around town. There was a lot of personnel to accommodate, mostly military, but also the additional workers at the apple orchard.

Applebloom knew that if it hadn’t been directly requested by Princess Twilight, Applejack would have never have allowed such a transformation. Which hurt more than she expected it to. Their sisterhood damaged by years of separation.

Applejack would never understand what she had gone through, the decisions she had to make, she thought disgruntledly. She would never understand…

The sentence lingered in her mind as she walked through the field, stopping only to stare at the half-collapsed barn next to her. It was being repaired and she imagined the damaged must have been far greater back then. Who knew that the griffons would go this far? To pillage the countryside while they heading towards Canterlot.

With a sigh, she broke from her reverie and trotted inside the main building of the house. Though she had changed a lot, the house was exactly as she remembered it, and it would stay that way per her orders. To her, the house was to be kept as a memento of time lost and a favour to her sister. She wondered if she appreciated it.

Stepping off the welcoming mat, she heard Granny Smith’s nasally voice shrill through her mind.

Apple Bloom! dry those hooves, will ya. I ain’t cleaning to floor twice today.

Taken aback by the clarity of the voice, she let her hoof hover over the floor, listening intently for more.

When none came, a sad smile grew on her face and old memories began flooding in. Now, with her hoof cleaned, she could see Granny Smith’s ghostly appearance in her mind’s eye, arguing with Big Mac. She remembered the argument well, not how it started, but how unnecessary and drawn out it had been. With Big Mac answering with his two-word vocabulary and with Granny Smith’s senility…

Somehow, she could not finish the thought and her breath stuck in her throat. Maybe it was not such a good idea to leave everything intact after all, too many memories from the days of old.

As she felt something grace her side, she winced in an extended motion as one of the staff walked passed her in the hall. Flustered, she quickly collected herself and pretended to stare at something through the window. When the mare disappeared around the corner, she clobbered herself in the forehead and cursed beneath her breath.

Why am I all jittery all of a sudden?

Taking a controlled breath, she turned and saw Applejack standing by the stairs, watching her from the second floor. Feeling particularly humiliated, Applebloom thinned her lips and stiffly turned round the corner, entering the kitchen where a map of the region had been laid out.

Other ponies in uniforms stood in attention as she walked inside, but she quickly waved airily with her hoof, urging them to continue with whatever they were doing. Applebloom glanced down the map and watched with satisfaction the different markings on the map, signifying outpost and other bulwarks set up under her supervision. Engineering was her forte, always had been, and it was no surprise that she was accepted into the Engineer Corps. Though she never expected to rise through the ranks quite as far as she did, commanding not only the workers, but soldiers as well.

The war had changed a lot in her, she had to admit. Perhaps most out of the CMC. She recalled the day when she heard of the attack on Ponyville. She and her friends were stationed in Canterlot at the time. She wanted to be with her family then, she really did. But her friends needed her too and she believed she would do greater good at the heart of the conflict.

Secretly, she was there to make up with this betrayal, and for the genuine urge of seeing her sister again. Besides, she could not do much for them in Baltimare, seeing as she was an earth pony and all.

Maybe it was naive of her to think that Applejack would forgive her for abandoning her in her grief.

With a shake of her head, she was determined not to let the gloom take a hold of her heart again and she turned her attention to the Everfree Forest that was marked on the map.

“Where are you Zecora?” she whispered to herself.

Deep in thought, she was dispelled as a stallion rushed inside and stood attention at the door. “At ease,” Apple Bloom said without taking her eyes off the map.

“Commander, we’ve got reports of a new wave of refugees approaching from the south. What are your orders?”

Applebloom narrowed her eyes and hesitated on the table. She knew the reason for the Zebra influx and she sympathised with them, however, there were simply not enough supplies to go around; their customs too different, and their numbers too many. It was either them or us, and that was the sad truth of it.

As she hesitated, she could feel Applejack’s eyes peer down her neck. “What is it, Applejack?” she said wearily, not in the mood to deal with her sister.

“What are you going to do?” She asked blankly.

“What do you think? I can’t risk the rebels gaining reinforcements. They will have to go someplace else,” she answered without hesitation.

“There is nowhere else, and you know it,” Applejack said calmly, her face remaining blank.

Apple Bloom let out a long breath, refusing to look at her sister. “Look, I am not going to argue with you. You have no authority here, so go back to bed and let us handle this.”

“Is that any way to talk to your sister?”

Apple Bloom craned around and scowled at her sister. “So we are sisters now? humph, I hadn’t noticed.”

“You can’t drive them away Apple Bloom. Think of Zecora, she’s your friend.”

The table cracked under her hoof as she heard her utter the name and she turned to face her sister. “She ceased to be my friend the moment she joined those rebel scum!” she hissed inches from Applejack’s face, whose expression remained unchanged.

With a soft voice, Applejack said. “You know what the right thing to do is. If you are still me sister, you will know this too.”

Apple Bloom grit her teeth and walked hesitantly around the room. The messenger at the door stood anxiously and watched before he mustered the courage to ask. “What are your orders, ma’am?”

With a quick and defiant glance at her sister she finally said. “Drive them away. Our country’s motto may be compassion, but at desperate times calls for desperate measures.”

Comments

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

I think you need to give more back story on everything.