New Era Interactions 3 (Apple Edition)
Night Patrol 2 Chapter 25
By foxgear
The early morning sun shined over Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack Apple the ninth trotted through the trees, eager to start the morning apple harvesting. The relative mundane task is just what she needed after the literal war zone that the Royal wedding turned out to be. Granted, things did end happyish with the royal couple riding off in their carriage, Rarity diving desperately for the flowers, and Rainbow Dash performing her sonic rainboom since the Wonderbolts weren’t up for a show after the attack.
Still, despite all these happy and fun moments, the screams of terror and cries of pain haunt her. One of the most terrifying moments was seeing Celestia lit ablaze like the sun itself. She still felt the heat when the sun hit her coat just right. For the first two days home she outright avoided direct sunlight, hiding in the shade of the trees or simply harvesting at night. It was silly and she did eventually start walking in the sunlight again, but it had been a chilling moment where she wasn’t sure if she was going to live to see tomorrow. The cause of that fear the princess no less a symbol of comfort for all.
Princess Celestia. They defiantly saw a different side of her that day. Before the wedding, if somepony claimed to see Celestia scowling or doing anything other then smiling she wouldn’t have believed them. Sure, she knew the princess couldn’t be smiling all the time, maybe in private Celestia showed less public-friendly emotions, but when Celestia was starring down the Queen. Applejack shook her head, her thoughts straying toward what could have happened if Celestia hadn’t given up.
“She did and we made it through, that’s what counts,” She told herself.
On the other hoof though, it was a hard hit to the ego to discover they were no help to the princess. Yeah, they defeated Nightmare Moon, and Discord, and other missions like that dragon, but the invasion had been different. They had been useless. Not just them, the guards, everypony! For all this time they thought they were helping Celestia, but maybe they were just in the way. She had even told them to leave! And they didn’t listen!
Another tough pill to swallow was the reality of just how useless they were in that situation. After Luna and her…err... forces liberated the city. She and the others went to Celestia to speak their regrets and apologize for not fleeing like she ordered and getting the elements of harmony. Much like salt to a wound, it was painful to hear that Elements of Harmony wouldn’t have worked on the Queen Changeling. She wasn’t possessed by evil, she wasn’t an out of control spirit of chaos, she was just another monarch trying to do right by her subjects. Yes, what she did was horrible, but it was just her nature. There was nothing the elements could do the fix that. They could have blasted her and Chrysalis would have remained unchanged.
Another thing to get used to was the dragon ponies. Sure, she didn’t mind Spike, the buffalo and the like, but it’s still jarring to see the pony hybrids up close. They were so alien, yet familiar. What with their fangs, claws, scales and such. They were different and she’d have to get used to that. They all would.
Overall Applejack would say she came out ok with maybe a little mental stress from the ordeal, much the like the others. But there was one in their little band of six (seven counting Spike) that was taking the events of the invasion harder than the others and to no ponies’ surprise, it was Twilight.
Celestia’s student, who has come along way out of her former shell has been reclusive since coming home from Canterlot. Today would mark a week since the attack and barely any pony has seen the lavender unicorn leave her treehouse. From what she heard from the other girls Spike has been doing all the shopping and cooking, which was normal really, but he’s been very tight lip about what Twilight’s been up to all alone in that old tree. It was kind of worrying given past examples.
“Well, we’ll have to visit her this weekend. Make sure everything is ok…” Applejack’s monologue trails off as she arrived at her destination. The baskets were already out and full of apples. She was certain she had woken up first this morning. “Big Mac? Are you here?”
No answer.
“Applebloom?” Applejack called out doubtfully. No way her little sister woke up before her. Sure, she could have set out the baskets if she had, but Applebloom wasn’t strong enough to buck trees, especially not this many.
Cautiously she walked around the baskets, finding tracks. Judging by the size, imprint, and spacing it was a mare, about her size and age. Did one of her cousins come by? If so why didn’t they come by the house and say hi first? Continuing on Applejack circled around the filled baskets finding something strange about them.
Usually when bucking apples, one left two deeper imprints from bracing their front legs when kicking, so far none of the trees had these prints. Instead, she found one deep print, about three inches deep in the earth right in the center between the trees. Like somepony had punched the ground.
The leaves of the trees suddenly began to tremble, a red-tinted wind blasted through the branches followed by the sound of apples falling. Quickly Applejack ran towards the source, wondering what was going on. Her answer came quickly as she skidded to a stop in the next clearing. A red-coated green mane mare with two metal studs sticking out her back stood in the middle of the clearing, her body soaked with sweat, her right front hoof stuck in the ground. She pulled her scuffed and bruised hoof from the hole, a scream building up in her lungs as she sucked in air, her hoof glowing red with magic she cocked back her leg and released!
BOOM!
The red mare hit the ground, causing it to shake, a red wave of magic blew through the trees, apples falling by the hundreds into the baskets below. Wiping her brow, the red mare blew the steam rising from her hoof with a cocky smirk.
“Still got it. Not bad for a one thousand and nineteen-year-old,” The mare chuckled admiring the trees. As her body turned Applejack got a better look at her cutie mark. A music note with an apple on the end. She was an apple! But she didn’t recognize her and she knew all her cousins. The mare looked at her their eyes meeting.
“Well, hiya AJ! Nice to see ya!” The red mare gushed trotting towards her. When she got halfway, her mood seemed to deflate, her joyous smile dipping into a frown. Applejack could see the disappointment in the mare’s eyes as she rubbed her leg looking away. “Um right, you’re not her.” The red mare mumbled, Applejack barely hearing the words.
“I take it you mistook me for somepony else?” Applejack spoke encouragingly. She finally recognized the mare, she had been the one to come flying in through the window with those metal wings and shot up the place. She looked a bit different without her goggles, wings, saddle bags and other gear. She looked a lot younger too. Almost too young to be doing what she did. Applejack felt a little uneasy about the pony before her, who had killed so many with such ease. Even if they had been changelings. She smiled offering her hoof to the mare, “I’m Applejack, but you can call me AJ if you like. What’s your name?”
The red mare smiled, taking her hoof. “AppleJazz, but you can call me Jazz. And I know who you are, you’re the spitting image of my cousin Applejack, or I guess she’d be Applejack the first to you. You’re the ninth, right?”
Applejack scratched her neck, her cheeks flush with embarrassment at having her full name said. Being named Applejack the ninth sounded like she’s some noble mare or something. Which is why she tends not to use the ninth part of her name.
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“You don’t seem very enthused about it.” Jazz inquired getting up in her face.
“No, no, that’s not it,” Applejack said quickly backing away to get some personal space back. “I just never liked that my name sounds like a title. Too fancy for simple farm mare like me… hey, wait! How can you have known the first Applejack! You don’t look any older than me!”
Jazz giggled softly, “Easy, I froze myself in stone with the others and princess Luna woke us up. Simple as that. Gotta say the world is a lot fuller then it used to be. I’ve been trying to track down as many Apple settlements as I could find while on my vacation. I’ve flown to Appaloosa, Goldie Delicious’s house, I haven’t been to Eight’s house yet, but… OH! I almost forgot!”
AJ watched Jazz trot away to the saddlebags left against one of the trees. A pair of metal wings resting on the trunk. Jazz rifled through the bags pulling out something that made her heart stop and her mouth gasp in wonder. The Apple family’s greatest treasure, the Applejack the First’s hat! Hat in tow Jazz trotted back to her, presenting the closest thing the Apple family had to a scarred relic.
“When I told Luna I was going to be swinging by she gave me this to return to you.”
Applejack took the hat with her hoof, a frog in her throat as she stared at the worn leather and all its adornments. “But, this is Eighth’s hat.”
“Luna told me to tell you, that Eighth told her it was time for you to have it.” Jazz said cheerfully, but her eyes told a different story. There was longing in them. “Cousin AJ’s hat… hard to believe it’s still around.”
Applejack extended the hat back to Jazz. “I think this means a lot more to you, then it does me. Besides, I already have a hat I like.” She joked tipping her Stetson. Jazz took the old hat with careful hoofs and placed it on her head. Tears welling up in her eyes.
“Thank you, you have no idea what this means to me. I… I don’t know how to put into words. But thank you, you really are Applejack.”
She simply smiled, unsure how to take the compliment. “I try to live up to the name the best I can. But since we have that settled. Mind telling me what you're doing out here so early? I mean it’s obvious what you were doing, but why?”
Jazz tipped her head, looking confused. “Early? I thought I got off to a pretty late start.” She looked up at the sky. “It’s like seven, right?”
“Six forty-five,” Applejack corrected. Then asked. “What’s early to you?”
Jazz tapped her chin, “Hmm I guess we always tried to get up a little before sunrise, when we finally got clocks we would usually be up around five, of course, most of the mare folk would have already been up making breakfast for the stallions so they could get to the orchards by six. It helped that a lot of the ponies living in the castle at the time were on a night time schedule. What time do you usually get up?”
“I try to be up by six or six thirty.” Applejack replied scratching her neck. She thought waking up by six was bad enough as it is, but five? Jeez, that’s hardcore.
“You don’t have to sound embarrassed, times are different now I bet, we had to walk an hour to get to our orchards, harvest and then carry everything back before nightfall. So, we had to get up early to get the most out of the day. It took the entire clan and now you run this whole farm with just four ponies! That’s amazing in my book!”
“We get by with what we got, but you already harvested more then what we’ll need for the week. By the way, how’d you do that? Was that a kind of magic or something?” Jazz blinked rubbed her eyes and then blinked again looking at her like she’d grown a second head. “Is there something on my face?”
“Do you seriously not know how to use your earth magic?”
“Well, I know earth ponies are more naturally inclined with the earth and can help crops and plants grow in less fertile lands but it’s nothing that special. I use it on the trees here from time to time.”
Jazz walked over to a tree with empty baskets. “Show me how you usually harvest apples.”
Applejack obliged her, trotting up the tree. Getting into her usual stance she braced her front legs, rearing up she cocked her back legs, building power and then released! Her hooves hit the tree square on, just above the base of the trunk of the tree. Apples falling perfectly into the baskets around them.
“How as that?” She asked the red mare when she looked to gauge Jazz’s reaction she was a bit surprised to see a look of pure horror on the red mare’s face. “Um, is something wrong?”
“Wrong? Of course, something’s wrong! You just bucked a tree trunk with enough force to cave in a cyclops’ skull! Do you have any idea what you're doing to your hips when you do that? Why are you using that primitive technique?”
Applejack’s nose wrinkled at the ‘primitive’ comment. “Well, how else are supposed to get the apples down? Your leg isn’t looking much better from what I saw earlier.”
Sighing deeply Jazz walked over to another tree with empty baskets. She held up her right foreleg making a red aura of magic appear, then firmly knocks the hoof against the tree, the red magic traveling through the trunk up to the branches, apples falling by the dozens.
“That’s how. Use your magic, not brawn. This is a simplified version of what I was doing earlier. Applejack developed this so we wouldn’t destroy our bodies from kicking trees. I see that knowledge didn’t get pass down properly through the years though and we’re back to braking our hips.”
“Amazing,” Was all Applejack could say walking up beside Jazz. “Can you teach me how to do that?”
“Of course,” Jazz smiled. “Let’s begin with the basics of harnessing earth magic. Start by…”
The morning passed by quickly with Jazz teaching Applejack the basics of earth pony magic like the first Applejack had taught her so long ago. It was almost poetic really, teaching her cousin’s descendent magic. Jazz sat back observing Applejack’s progress, she was learning rather quickly but it was clear her magical stamina wasn’t up to the task.
As Applejack approached her fifth tree, hitting it with a magic-infused hoof, a quarter of the apples fall into the baskets. She hit the trunk again, making another batch fall, but the way Applejack’s shoulders slumped inwards worries Jazz. Before her very distant cousin could hit the tree again, she calls for her to stop.
“That’s enough. You're too new to using your magic to keep on.” Jazz shouted. “Besides, it's like you said before we have plenty of apples for now.” There were over fifty baskets filled to the brim with apples already.
Applejack pressed her body against the tree, panting hard as she slid to the ground. “I guess your right.” A loud bell noise comes over the trees. “Dinner time already? Time does fly.” She tiredly said struggling to get up. Jazz trotted over and helped her stand. “Come on, you can join us for dinner. We’ll come back with Big Mac and AB to collect the baskets after lunch.”
“I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense! You’re an apple and even if you weren’t you’d still be welcomed! Now come on!” Applejack yelled walking ahead on wobbly legs. Jazz smiled, picking up her things and followed Applejack to the yard, at least that was one thing that hasn’t changed. The Apples were still the Apples.
At the yard, Jazz was introduced to Applejack’s siblings. Big Mac and Applebloom and her grandmother Granny Smith. It was a rather awkward meeting. Applejack’s brother, Big Macintosh Apple, looked exactly like Rawhide. Well, he wasn’t quite as muscular as the miner had been and he still had both his eyes, but still, it was freaky, like seeing a ghost freaky. And she’s met an actual ghost pony.
(We never did find Shadow Spector.) She mused sadly. She was still pretty young when he went missing and he looked scary, but he had been a nice pony.
Next Applejack’s little sister, Applebloom. She was neat. Ok, she didn’t have much to say about her, she was a little filly without a mark. She didn’t resemble any dead friends or relatives (None I know at least. so no drama there. She was very inquisitive though. The little redhead has been asking non-stop questions. And still was even as Jazz turned her attention to Granny Smith. An elderly green mare. Again, no drama.
“It’s very nice to meet you all, I’m AppleJazz of the Apple Clan,” Jazz said doing a curtsy, that seems to throw them all off their game as they looked at her strangely. “Is something wrong?”
“Uh, no, it’s just weird for a pony to curtsy for a greeting around here is all.” Applejack explained. “Ponies might think you’re a noble in disguise or something. Folks around here can get some ridiculous ideas in their head sometimes from the smallest things.”
Jazz tilted her head, feeling a bit confused. “It’s just a greeting. We were all taught it in class when we were growing up. Princess Luna was insistent everypony learn proper manners no matter their class or rank.”
“You know Princess Luna!” Applebloom gasped excitingly. Then her face scrunched up. “Wait, but Princess Luna just got back and you're as old as Applejack, so how could you be in Princess Luna’s class? And since we're on the topic, how are related to us again?”
Applejack began to nervously rub her neck, “Right, well, you see it’s a bit complicated but she’s…
Jazz finished the sentence, cutting to the chase. “I’m Applejack the first’s cousin, I was born about ten years before Luna’s banishment and I lived through it. I’m Sargent AppleJazz of Night Patrol, at your service. I was present during Canterlot’s liberation. You might remember me better with these on.” Equipping her wings Jazz spread the metallic appendages wide for the family to see. Applebloom gasped the loudest in awe.
“That was you! You were awesome! The way you came through the window, firing those magic blast and things! Hey, what’s your cutie mark? How’d you get it?” The young foal chattered excitedly.
“Now just hold on a minute little bloom,” Granny said sternly, reining the young filly in. “They’ll be plenty of time to talk over dinner. Now let’s all go inside, the meals getting cold.”
Jazz followed the family of four inside feeling a bit uneasy as she sets her saddlebags on the floor, the metallic sound of her gem bullets clinking in the bags. Next, she unlatched her wings, slipping them into their holsters. Finally came her boots the ones Applejack had gotten from Luna, who had given them to her. She stood in the mudroom, feeling naked without her equipment.
The inside of the house was rustic, but modern to her as she peered around the kitchen, the family gathered around the table. She stopped short of joining them, feeling an intense heat coming from the metal square in the wall.
“What’s this?” She asked.
“That the oven,” Applebloom answered between her bites of steamed carrots.
“Where’s the smoke stack? The firewood?”
“Those went out of style a long time ago, sit down before things get cold, we have plenty to eat.” Encouraged Applejack pulling the chair beside her for Jazz to sit on.
Silently Jazz sat down, a big helping of grilled vegetables, roasted apples, and juice spread out before her. She took a piece of grilled onions and pepper slowly chewing it, enjoying the taste, then takes a sip of juice.
“Do you not like it?” Applebloom asked, looking worried. Jazz shook her head. “Then what’s wrong? Why are you eating so slow?”
“There’s nothing wrong with a mare eating slow Applebloom,” Granny chided. “Not your place to be judging how ponies eat.” Granny then looked at her. “Sorry about that Jazz, she doesn’t understand she can be mighty rude without thinking.”
“Its fine, the food is good. Really it is. But I’m afraid I’ll only be able to eat so much of it.”
“Why is that?”
“Hush child,” Barked Granny.
“It’s ok, I don’t mind explaining. It’s my wings, they can only lift a certain amount of weight, given all the gear I carry, that means I have to maintain a certain weight to be able to fly. So, I can’t really indulge in big hearty meals.” Jazz explained remembering Nightingale’s lectures for maintaining a proper flying weight. Because her wings do all the flying she doesn’t get the workout like a regular pegasus would. Nightingale, an actual pegasus figured this out when one day her prosthetic wings couldn’t carry her anymore after gaining ten pounds from a feast. She was very fussy about her weight ever since.
A hush fell over the table as they indulge in their meal. Jazz eating slow to get all the favor she could get out of each bite and fill up faster. It sadly didn’t take long for her to get full with her stomach so small. It made her picky about what she eats since she can’t eat a lot.
“So, after dinner and we get the apples picked up, how about we go into town?” Applejack suggested. “I’m sure there’s a lot of new things for you to enjoy there. Must be tough waking up after sleeping for a thousand years. You might even make some friends.”
Seeing new inventions would be exciting. From visiting some of the other Apples it was clear modern utensils wasn’t one of the things they kept up on. That made sense though. The Apples have always been a rather simple and stuck in the past family. Liking the old ways as opposed to the new. The only reason the clan was so ready to accept Luna’s help and Gadget’s inventions a thousand years ago was because they wouldn’t have survived without them.
(Still didn’t stop them from moving on once things got good and Applejack settled.) Jazz grumbled to herself. She wasn’t mad at her family for packing up and moving on. After all, she chose to stay with Applejack and then at the castle with Sixes and the others. The apples were pioneers and once an Apple settled down and started a herd of their own, the rest moved onto the next place. It’s how they spread across the land, and they still are to this day.
“Sounds like fun,” Was her answer finishing her muse. Though she wasn’t in the market for new friends just yet. She didn’t need to voice that. What will be, will be. Nothing wrong with making new friends. (Right, Dusk?) She wondered silently, thinking of her missing friend. Wondering where the tawny unicorn ended up.
“There she is, Ponyville!” Applejack beamed with pride as she led Applebloom and AppleJazz over the hill overlooking the town. “I’m sure there are a mighty bit of exciting new things for you to see there. Maybe not as many as Canterlot, but enough to entertain you for a day or more.”
“Yeah, we got all kinds of exciting stuff!” Applebloom added excitedly. “We got arcade games, restaurants, plenty of stores to tickle your fancy, and a bunch of other stuff!”
Jazz nods, enjoying the excited smiles of her cousins as they enter the town. Really it was amazing, the buildings, shops, and smells. And the ponies! There were so many ponies! Sure, she’s seen Canterlot with its thousands of ponies, but this was more impressive to her. Ponies, hundreds of ponies living in a town out here and thriving! It was truly amazing.
In the past, if a village reached a hundred residents that’s considered impressive. Course if a village did manage to reach that size it would have been considered a city then. And then it would be subject to higher taxes. So not many ponies were willing to put in the efforted needed to grow a town that big.
Here though, there must be over several hundred ponies! Maybe a thousand if she includes the rural farm areas. Still despite her joy at seeing such a thriving rural community. It concerned her that there were no guards. Not even goldies (EUP). The town had literary no protections!
To add to the encroaching danger, the Everfree forest had defiantly expanded over the last thousand years. She would know. She used to patrol this area. The town was probably only a few miles away from where her family first tried to settle. If the Everfree kept expanding, a hundred years this town would be overrun by the monstrous trees. Speaking of those trees.
“The road is gone.” She said aloud stopping in the middle of the street. Her gaze fixed in the direction she knew the old castle stood and where the path they had cut through the trees had been. In fact, the forest recovered very well from when the Griffons chopped it down during their siege of the castle. One of the darker times in her life. Being huddled in the lower levels while the patrollers fought off the invaders.
“What road? We’re on a road.” Applebloom stated looking confused, while Applejack follows Jazz’s line of sight.
“She means the old road going to the castle of the Two sisters, Sugar cube. You get halfway into the forest you’ll find an old cobblestone road overtaken by roots and weeds. My friends and I followed it a little way when we went to fight Nightmare Moon.”
Jazz closed her eyes, remembering back to the days of old, a small smile dancing on her lips. “Yeah, our settlement used to be on the edge of the Everfree, much like this town now. It had been colder back then, the land much more hostile. Monsters would roam and kidnap our kin for food. I had been one of the ones taken. By horrible beasts call stone Cyclops. Princess Luna and Cousin Applejack come to save us, and it was that night when I was returned to the warm embarrass of my family. Luna led us by moonlight towards the castle that would be our new home for many years. I would stand in the courtyard, waving as Patrollers left for their routes, walk with my uncles when we went to harvest our trees. I can still hear the ‘click, clack’ of the stone as hooves marched upon it. We fought every year to keep it from the Everfree. Shame to see it now, completely overrun.” She smiled, her eyes gleaming in the sunlight as she made out the tallest peak of the castle just over the canopy. “But we’ll take it back one day soon. It’s our home after all.”
“Isn’t Princess Celestia and Luna’s castle though?” A fourth voice questioned. The apples all jump, Jazz dropping into an aggressive stance as she glared down the pink earth pony that had suddenly appeared! She hadn’t heard her approach at all! “Oh, hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! My Pinkie sense told me there was a new pony in town, so I came to greet you! Unfortunately, my traveling music trailer is in the shop. But I can still sing if you want, some music usually starts playing anyway.”
Applejack stepped in front of her, getting between her and the pink pony. “Jazz, this here is Pinkie Pie, a friend of mine and the local party pony/pastry chef/town weirdo. She’s friendly, so you don’t need to be looking so cross at her. We’ve all come to accept Pinkie is an oddity.”
Jazz peered closer at Pinkie, feeling a strange sort of magic coming off the pink earth pony. She was certain she’s felt this kind of magic before but couldn’t place it. And then it hit her. “Pie? Are you of the Pie clan?”
“Yes, sire bob!” Pinkie replied cheerily. Jazz’s ears flopped down as she grinned haplessly.
“That explains a lot. I don’t need to hear any more than that. Are you still guarding the mirror pool?”
“Yep! It’s right over th…”
“Don’t tell ponies where it is!” Jazz snapped covering Pinkie’s mouth.
Pinkie giggled. “Oops, sorry. But back to my question.”
At this point, Applebloom joined in the debate too. “Yeah, Jazz it’s the castle of the two sisters, so doesn’t belong to Luna and Celestia?”
“It did, Celestia signed over the deed to Sixes about… well over a thousand years ago. We renamed it Night Hallow. I’m guessing it didn’t stick.” The three earth ponies shook their head. “Well, that’s disappointing. But I digress, we own the castle now. I’m sure Sixes has already sent a team to inspect it. But that’s work and I’m on vacation, so what do you girls do for fun around here?”
Pinkie gasped getting right up in Jazz’s face looking very, very excited. “The better question is what we don’t do?”
“That has a way more than one meaning and I’d like you to clarify because I don’t swing that way.”
“Swing what way?” Pinkie asked innocently, while Applejack covered Applebloom’s ears. “Like swing a bat? (DEEP GASP) Do you want to play baseball?”
“What’s baseball?” Jazz asked, cocking her head as the three mares burst into giggles. “I’m serious, I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“Don’t worry cuz,” Assured Applejack, “We’ll get you up to speed on all you need to know.”
They led her to a strange cage-like structure, ponies with clubs in their mouths hit white balls thrown at them by strange machines. The place was called a Batting cage and it was a place where one could practice for the game of baseball by hitting the thrown ball. She sat back, watching Pinkie, Applejack, and Applebloom swing bats with their mouths. Well AJ and AB did, Pinkie used her hair.
Sitting on the grass watching the three mares play was fun enough for her really. She felt strange about that. Maybe it was from sitting with AJ and watching Whiskey and Ale play. Maybe she just didn’t want to chip a tooth. Really those balls were flying at like fifty miles per hour and they were hitting them with the bats between their teeth. Ouch, that must hurt the gums.
“You sure you don’t want to try Jazz?” Applebloom yelled from her cage. “It’s really fun!”
She waved at the little filly, smiling, “Another time. I’m enjoying myself enough. Lots of new things to take in.”
“She right!” Exclaimed Pinkie. “There will always be time for baseball later, we should introduce her to the rest of the girls! Wouldn’t that be super fun!”
“Yeah, I can introduce her to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo too!”
Applejack looked at her, “Does that sound ok, Jazz?”
“That’s fine by me…” Jazz said getting up. She was more interested in new technology then ponies, but maybe Applejack’s friends could lend some insight or something to this new time. The fact the town was so unprotected still hampered her thoughts.
The girls exited the batting cages and begin to trot down the main street. Applejack’s eyes shifting towards the frequently. The orange mare suddenly stopped yelling up to a blue pegasus resting on a cloud. “Slacking off again Rainbow?”
The blue pegasus waved her off, “Yeah, yeah, I can get this done in…”
“Ten seconds flat. I know. Listen, I got somepony I want you to meet.” The blue pegasus sat up, showing off a wild mane of rainbow hair as she looked skeptically down at their group. She hopped off the cloud, slowly descending towards them and gently landing before them.
“Well, whoever it is, there’s no way they're cooler than me.” The pegasus bragged arrogantly. In a strange way, it reminded Jazz of Nightingale, yet not. The mare was far too immature. The pegasus followed Applejack’s point hoof, green eyes meeting magenta. “Another cousin Applejack? Jeez, let the rabbits catch up.”
“Rainbow,” AJ grumbled darkly. The pegasus brushing past the earth mare to get in Jazz’s face. Was there no such thing as personal space anymore?
Still, Jazz offered her hoof, “I’m AppleJazz, nice to meet you, Rainbow was it? Kind of on the nose isn’t?”
“Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow corrected. “And you may not believe this but you’re looking at the greatest flier since Firefly.”
“Firefly?” She replied questionably, while Rainbow nodded, looking proud. Too bad she was about to shatter the smile. “That’s your standard? I mean if you want to shoot for above average she’s fine, but greatest flier? Jeez, I think I even outranked her and I’m number eleven!” Jazz laughed, only for it to slowly die out as she noticed all the awkward stares. “Um, what?”
“You’re a better flier then Firefly? Bullshit!” Spit Rainbow, literary, the Pegasus spit on her cheek. Disgusting. “Prove it, right here, right now! Oh, you can’t! Because you’re an earth pony and you don’t have wings!”
To which Jazz equipped her wings, much to Rainbow’s shock. It was ego enhancing, really. “Still want to put me to the test? I did after all save your ass once already during the wedding, but if you don’t remember, I’ll be happy to give you a refresher.”
“Now, now, none of that,” Applejack interrupted. “Dash, don’t get so uptight, Jazz is here on vacation and I just wanted to introduce you. Besides, it looks like you don’t have time anyway.”
“Why’s that?” Rainbow demanded, Applejack merely pointing up to a grumpy looking stallion, Rainbow’s boss. “Oh, I’m still on the clock, right. Well, we’ll finish the later! At…um… five! Bet on it!”
“Sorry about that Jazz, Rainbow’s a little tough to handle sometimes. She’s nice enough though, once you get past the ego.”
Jazz shrugged as they begin to walk again, she’s meet Rainbow’s type before, nothing to really get upset over. “Her type doesn’t bother me that much, so don’t worry about WHOA!” Jazz’s world does a three-sixty as she found herself flipped onto her back with another pony beneath her. A very, very, very soft voice mewed out an apology from below. Rising quickly of the pony she just bulldozed, Jazz was a bit surprised to see a yellow pegasus laying on the ground covered in critters? What?
“You ok, Fluttershy? You took quite the tumble there,” Applejack says helping the yellow pegasus up. “Jazz, this here is Fluttershy local critter caretaker and the kindest pony you’ll meet in your life. Fluttershy, this here is Jazz, one of my distant cousins, she helps saved us at the wedding.”
At the mention of the wedding Fluttershy’s back went rigged, her legs began to shake and she began to glance frantically at everypony near distrustfully. Clear signs of changeling trauma. No surprise there. Honestly, Jazz was surprised she didn’t see more of it.
“Sorry about that, I’m AppleJazz, nice to meet you.” Jazz reached out her hoof, smiling widely and awkwardly as Fluttershy buried herself into her long pink mane, so she was only looking at a big thing of pink fluff.
“I’m Fluttershy… nice to meet you…” Fluttershy said in the softest voice Jazz ever heard in her life. She did not lift her hoof for a shake. That was ok, some ponies weren’t shakers, that’s fine. A little rude, but fine. She took a breath.
“I see you have a lot of critters there, are they yours? Somepony else’s? Are you a vet?” Jazz asked as crickets begin to chip. She looked behind her to see it was Pinkie making the noise. “Ok… yeah. Alright, I’m done let’s move on.”
“Fluttershy there you are! I’ve been looking for you!” An elegant voice said, Jazz looks toward the source and sees a blast from the past as a carbon copy of Allure trotted up to them. Same white elegant silky coat and same silky mane though styled differently. Which reminds her.
“You must be Rarity,” Jazz said barging in between Fluttershy and the unicorn while rifling through her saddlebags. “I have something to give you from Princess Luna for a favor you did her. Um, let's see, um yes here it is!” Producing the items from her bag Jazz held out Allure’s earrings and a letter addressed to Rarity.
“Oh, why thank you, darling!” Rarity accepted the items, pocketing the earrings in her own saddlebag, while tearing into the letter, her joyful smile, growing even wider! “Oh, this is wonderful! Princess Luna has asked that I make her a dress for an upcoming concert! No, no, wait…” Rarity produced a pair of red cat-eye glasses. “Ok… she wants a dress made for herself and the performers, Octavia and Vinyl melody! Oh, local stars, how wonderful!” Rarity coughed, composing herself before continuing. “The concert is in celebration for Night Patrols return. How lovely. Oh, there’s more, I am to make a dress for Captain Spitfire, Platinum, and AppleJazz. Details and contacts listed below.” Rarity looked up from the letter. “I presume your Applejazz? Given your similarities to Applejack and the apple mark upon your flank? Also by this lovely sketch, the Princess provided.”
“Aye, I am.” Jazz replied, admiring the sketch of her. Who did Luna hire to do that?
“Am I to assume you don’t care for Froo-froo things?”
“I’m not in love with it, but I don’t mind dressing up for the Princess.”
“Alright, I’ll start with you, right now.”
“Wait, what?” Jazz suddenly found herself being dragged by a blue aura of magic! “AJ HELP!”
“Sorry Cuz, it’s out of my hooves now.”
Having previous experiences with Allure Jazz merely resigned herself to Rarity’s whims. Really it just made things easier and go a lot faster. So, when Rarity began fitting her for a dress Jazz simply let her do her work, trying her best not to move or do anything to slow things down. She could deal without the constant chatter though. Not that Rarity’s idle chatter was annoying, she just didn’t feel like talking while being a living mannequin. Rarity seemed to catch on to this fact and slowly turned her chatter to things only relating to the fitting.
Such as is this too tight or too loose? Did she like this color pattern or this one? Frills, no frills? Equestrian style, Europona style, or Nippon style dress? Any patterns or designs? Questions like those that Jazz replied promptly too. A vision of Allure’s last dress for her in mind.
“It’s just fine, purple with yellow lightning bolts are fine, no frills, Nippon style, shortcut, please. I don’t want anything dragging on the ground for ponies to step on.” Jazz answered promptly. Rarity seemingly joyous that she wasn’t fighting her. While Rarity went about her work Applejack, Applebloom, Fluttershy, and Pinkie chattered among themselves.
“So, Darling, I seem to recall seeing you at the wedding. I must ask, who was it that design those sleek uniforms for you? The style, form, and fittings were perfect! Such inspiration! I simply must know!” Rarity asked excitedly, her needle quickly swizzing through the fabric making Jazz nervous she was going to get poked or worse sewn to her clothes!
“A unicorn named Allure, I’m sure Luna spoke of her when she came to get the earrings, yes?” Jazz said fidgeting a little, that needle was getting close!
Rarity seemingly unbothered by her close sewing rambled on while working. “Oh, yes! She did say the earrings belonged to my ancestor. I’m afraid we didn’t get much time to discuss her, but I am quite pleased to see she made such forward-thinking designs! I once did a bunch of costumes for a group of reenactors. Ugh, they wanted authentic uniforms. Which I had no problem making of course, but those old stuffy and wool made uniforms were just so uncomfortable. I felt so bad for the ponies having to wear them, and on such a hot day too.”
“Allure was definitely ahead of her time, but she also had Starwind to help her. He invented so many things it’s unbelievable. His apprentices went on to make some really cool things too.” Jazz mused remembering the old inventor. She tried really hard to be there for him when Dusk disappeared. In a perhaps misguided attempt to fill the void created when Dusk disappeared. In the end, she seemed to only cause him pain. There were a few times he’d mistake her for Dusk and he’d look so sad when he turned around and saw her. Eventually, Fury told her to leave him alone. And so, she did.
Then Sixes’s brought home Platinum.
Out of all of them, Starwind spoke Prench the best. The Prench mare was placed in his workshop, where he could work and teach her Equestrian. He made her prosthetic legs right in front of her, teaching her engineering as well. Platinum became Starwind’s first apprentice. And that had made her jealous. Jealous and angry at herself that she, Dusk’s best friend, couldn’t help her best friend’s father, but a complete stranger could. It had frustrated her to no end and she questioned everypony she knew to ask why?
“Ok, done! How does it feel? Jazz? Hello? Miss Jazz?”
“Uh?”
“I said I’m done,” Rarity repeated. “You can step down now.”
“Oh,” Jazz looked in the mirrors before her, showing off every angle for her check herself. “It’s very nice. Defiantly five-star work.” Jazz said hopping down from the stand. “Can’t wait to wear it for the concert. I’ll be sure to tell the others to get over here ASAP as soon as I get back…” The store doorbell rings, Jazz freezing when she heard the irregular, (Pat, Pat) steps of something on two legs. A high pitch boyish voice called out in the store.
“Rarity! I could really use your and others help!” The voice owner’s shouted entering the fitting room. “Oh, hi girls! Found four of you right of the bat, lucky me. Hey, who’s the red Applejack?”
“DRAGON!” Jazz flew out of her dress her wings flying off her saddlebags and attaching to her stubs, magic blazing wildly around her as she brings her wing blades down to bear on the little dragon’s throat!
“JAZZ WAIT!” Applejack screamed, appearing beside her. “This is Spike! He’s a friend!”
“He’s a dragon!” She snarled back. How did they not see the danger right in front of them? “How can you let a dragon live among you! Have you gone soft in the head? Do you know what his kind can do?”
“Spike wasn’t raised by dragons, he was hatched by Twilight!” Applejack retorts. It took Jazz a full minute to process what her cousin was saying.
“She’s right!” Spike shouted in a panic! “Twilight hatched me from an egg that Princess Celestia’s school had for some test or something!”
Jazz paused, her mind winding back to a very certain mission Nightingale and Fury did. “That egg, it wouldn’t have happened to be purple with purple poke dots, would it?”
“That’s the one,” Spike said proudly. “How did you know?”
“No reason!” Jazz said quickly retracting her wing blades. “Yep, no reason at all, none, so don’t ask any pony about it. Or tell any dragons.”
Spike looked skeptically as he stood up, as did the others, luckily the dragon had something to say. “Almost getting decapitated aside, you girls have to help me! I’m really getting worried about Twilight! She’s acting really weird, she’s reading strange books and she’s away tired too. I caught her a few times coming home in the morning from somewhere and she won’t tell me where!”
“Well, maybe Twilight got a special somepony?” Rarity hesitantly suggested, her friends looking flatly at her. “Right, right, this is Twilight. Boys are the last thing on that mare’s mind.”
Applejack coughed into her hoof, “Rarity’s fantasies aside. Most of that does sound fairly normal for Twilight, Spike.” The dragon’s face droops.
“I know, but… she’s never acted like this for this long, she’s been like this since the wedding! The last few days she hasn’t even come down to eat with me. And we always eat together. I had to force her to come downstairs today.” Spike bemoaned. “Please, maybe you girls can get through to her.”
Jazz watched as the other mares look beside themselves. Applejack looking the most worried. “Well,” AJ said after a long pause. “I would be lying if I wasn’t concerned myself. Actually, I was thinking of going and seeing her tomorrow, but if things are really that bad. Well, best not to let these things fester. Alright girls, let’s go roundup Rainbow and head on over to Twilight’s!”
A resounding, “YEAH!” shakes the boutique as the girls file out the door with Spike.
“Hey, Jazz, could you take Applebloom home? I don’t think things would get too out of hoof, but… well, if Twilight’s running on empty, she’s bound to be a bit grumbly and you know how a pony can get when they’re like that.”
“Well, you have no way of actually knowing I know that, but sure, I’ll take AB home. I’ll swing by afterward and see how things are going. Sometimes a stranger is more help than a friend.” Applejack gave her a strange look. Which was understandable. She made the same face when she was told that. AJ left with the others, leaving her and Applebloom alone. “Well, let’s get you home, kid.”
“I can get home by myself,” She said defiantly. “I’m not a little filly. I wish AJ would see that.” That last part was whispered under breath, but Jazz heard it all too clearly. And kind of agreed, but then again it wasn’t that long ago when she had the same thoughts as Applebloom. So, she was biased.
“Well, I was going to fly you home, but if you want to walk… Oaf!”
“Let’s get soaring!” Applebloom declared loudly. Also, she was heavier then she looks! The filly about took out her back!
Jazz stepped outside, unfolding her wings, “Alright, let’s get going! Hang on!”
The flight back to Sweet Apple Acres was a rather short one. Traveling at 234 wing power tends to do that. Applebloom only seemed slightly disappointed by the short ride. Landing in the yard she deposits the little filly into the care of Big Mac and Granny Smith. Big Mac looking longingly at her wings. Maybe she’d give him some info on getting prosthetic wings if he desires to go through that painful process. She should defiantly make sure they can make wings powerful enough to lift him off the ground first before getting his hopes up.
Saying her goodbyes Jazz raced back to Ponyville, keen on meeting this Twilight. She knew who she was, though she never met her face to face. Celestia was all too happy to point out her student during the celebration. The fact Twilight hatched the egg interested her a lot. And she knew it would interest Sixes and the other Commanders a lot too. They went to a lot of trouble to get that egg from the dragons, lost some patrollers in the mission too. They didn’t know what plans Celestia had for it, only that she wanted it to help find something. Following that logic, Twilight had to be that something or pony. Celestia was looking for.
“Let’s see if you're worth the lives of ten rinin, Twilight Sparkle.”
Veering into Ponyville Jazz circled toward the big oak tree in the center, which was also the town library. Good thing she asked Applebloom for the location, something everypony else failed to mention. Currently, all the lights were on, from the windows she saw silhouettes of the four mares Applejack introduced her to today, plus Applejack herself. And Spike. She saw his fin travel across the window. Their movements seemed rather frantic. Meaning Twilight was probably not home. She flew across the street with the front door in view and talked to the nearest pony.
“Did Twilight Sparkle come out of her home tonight?” It was beginning to get dark, the sun hanging low in the west. It’d be hard to track her soon. The pony she asked, a stallion, shook his head, saying he hadn’t seen her. “Thank you.” She flew to the back of the of the tree. Finding that there was a back door.
Landing she inspected the ground. Finding no tracks. Taking to the air again she observed the surroundings. There wasn’t a lot of building behind the treehouse. The few there were, were fairly spread out making it easy for somepony to walk past unnoticed.
Slowly she flew ahead, keeping her eyes moving side to side. About fifty yards away, directly across from the treehouse she found four imprints, just magically in the middle of nowhere near the forest. With tracks leading into the forest.
“She teleported out of her home, suspicious, but kind of impressive. A jump like that would cause a lesser mage to faint. Still, why go into the Everfree forest? At night no less?” Jazz mused. There was only place to go in the Everfree after all and that was the old castle.
“Jazz? What are you doing? Have you seen Twilight?” Applejack asked leading the others towards her.
She replied, “No, not yet, but I know where she’s going.” She pointed into the forest, a gasp escaping from the group. “So, who's up for a hike in the most dangerous woods in Equestria?” Much to her amusement, the group sighs deeply.
“Not again.” They exasperate, yet they all proceed towards the woods.
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This was worth the wait. Emotions were everywhere. Outstanding job!
~Icy Night
8998321
Sorry for the long wait. things just got crazy for a while
This chapter, plus some of the earlier ones, do sometimes bug me how the Mane Six are constantly being one-upped or talked down about by the Night Patrol. So, it’s good to finally see someone complement one of them, even if it’s just “ooh, you can teleport far”.
Still holding out hope for the sonic rainboom to finally show them that the present characters got what it takes.
8998363
I don't know if this would be a spoiler or not but will the Night Patrol ever recognize Rainbow Dash and Daring Do?
11372990
I think so? I feel like a put a scene where they do. But sometimes I get confused which version of events got written in the story verse what I think did. But I'm pretty sure a few select ponies recognize them. Sorry for not having a clear answer, it's been awhile since I've gone through my own story.