10004,096 words

Envelope 1: June – November 999 A.B.M.N.

Author's Note:

Final Warning: This story is currently unedited and contains some M/M shipping. You have been warned.

Appaloosa has grown in the last one hundred years since its founding. A green oasis in an orange, rocky land where there is an apple tree right next to everypony’s home. The once humble settlement has grown up into a modern town that has one hoof in tradition and the other in the future. Pave roads and elegant lamp posts stood next to preserved buildings of the settlement’s golden age. A fountain that on the top stands proudly two figures that have to lead its citizens to peace and prosperity – a statue, cast in bronze of Braeburn Apple shaking hooves with Little Strongheart.

Flying through the streets of shops, restaurants and antique stores, a mare was making her way towards the town’s library. A structure with the foundation of the local desert rock, the wooden and glass building stood two stories tall in its traditional western style and warm colors. The Pegasus landed in front of the doors to the library, catching her reflection in the glass. Pushing a few strands of her morning blue mane out of the way of her bronze eyes and giving her yellow coat a quick dusting, she pushed through the doors open and trotted inside.

The Appaloosa library was quiet for the most part in the afternoons, the lofty spaces between the bookshelves and flat computers, with the light from the windows streaming through, gave the impression of a sort of temple from one of those old Daring Do books to the teenager’s mind. She walked towards the very center of the library where an old stallion with a short beard looked up. “Can I help you?” he asked softly.

“Uh… yeah,” she said as she stopped in front of the enormous desk. “I need some primary sources for my research, can you help me?”

“Primary?” the gray earth pony pushed his swivel chair towards a computer that was just as ancient as he was. He typed on the keyboard for a moment before returning his attention to the teenager, “And what exactly are you researching on?”

“It’s for my Psychology class,” she responded. “We’re assigned to make a case study on a historical figure but using primary sources. So I’ve decided to do mine on my great-great-grandfather, Braeburn Apple.”

“Really?” the librarian raised an eyebrow, “You’re related to him?”

She nodded, “My name is Jonagold Apple, sir. I’ve been asking everypony in my family to see if they have, well, anything on him like a journal or letters, or even a biography, but I’ve turned up nothing so far. But I was hoping that maybe the library has something on him that could give me an idea what he was like.”

“I see… Give me a moment…” the stallion typed away, narrowing down the results on the screen. “Huh… I never knew we had that.”

“What?” Jonagold leaned forward, “Please tell me you’ve found something.”

“As a matter of fact, there is a collection of letters in the basement. It says here: Original Letters from Braeburn Apple to Soarin Cloudline, 999 to 1004. Now that is interesting because I never knew we had that.”

“Could I see them?” the teen asked.

“You can,” he got out of his seat, “Though I must tell you that while you may look at them and even touch them with gloves on, you’re not allowed to take them out of the library.”

“I’ll take anything at this point,” she said.

“Very well, you wait at that table over there while I go down to fetch it.”

Jonagold did so, about ten minutes later, the librarian returned with a box that had some numbers on the side and a pair of gloves. “Here you go,” he carefully set the box down onto the table along with the white gloves. “All the original letters are right in here.”

“Oh thank you so much,” the young mare said, “I bet these would be perfect for my work.”

“Be sure to put whatever you find back before you leave in the order you found it,” he said before walking back to his desk.

Pulling the lid open, she found that the box had a series of yellow envelopes that had a layer of dust on them. Picking the first one from the top, it read in pencil, “June – November 999. A.B.M.N.”

“Okay gramps,” she said as she puts the gloves on, “Let’s see what you were really like.” Carefully letting the first set of letters slip through and onto the table, she noted that there were eight letters in total. She began to read the first one on top.

Dear Soarin,
Starting tomorrow, with Celestia’s blessing, we’re heading west for a whole new beginning! I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally have a land of my own that ain’t my parents. It’s all rather exciting that I’m gonna be independent for once, now I’m going to be the ones to help others achieve that goal. I wonder what this place we’ll be settling will be like we’ll be settling. The maps tell me that it’s all nothing but desert for miles around, but I don’t believe that. Why else would we settle in a place where none of us will be able to grow our apples? Besides, Princess Celestia herself has given us the okay to go there.
Before I hit the hay, I wanna take a moment to ask you how you’re doing on your end. Are they treating you well over there? Grant it, I’ve heard that Wonderbolt Academy can be difficult, but is that true? I know pretty well that you’re a tough guy, and that you’d never let ponies that scream in your face day in and day out to get you down. After all, being your dream and all to play a part in a team like yours is something you talked about when we were younger.
Though, truth be told, I would be lying to you to say that I haven’t been missing you. It may have been a couple of months since we’ve parted, but already I want to spend a little more time with you. Will you ever get the chance to take leave and come to visit me? I do hope you do once we’ve set up this new town. After all, from what I understand, there won’t be any trees to build our new lives on so we have to carry the lumber to the new location. I imagine that it’s gonna be a lot of hard work, but I’m not afraid to get my hooves dirty.
In all seriousness though, if you ever get the chance to come and see me, would you please do it? The folks that are heading out with me are good ponies, but they’re nothing compare to you. I miss your humor as well as your laugh. I miss having you around me, regardless of what we end up doing. It would be a breath of fresh air to at least read a response letter from you.
Yeah, if you find yourself that you can’t come soon, could you at least try to write to me? Anything from you is better than no word at all.
Your best friend,
– Braeburn.

Dear Braeburn,
I’m really sorry I could respond to your letter right away, these exercises have been draining to the point where I couldn’t do anything else but flip face first into my cot. I’ve been starting to feel guilty that I haven’t spoken to each other since I got into the academy. You’re right that I should really write more. It has been a while since we’ve last hang out.
Since I’m writing this, I’ve got some bad news on my part. I’m afraid that I won’t be going on leave anytime soon. There’s training that needs to be done and trying to impress the Drill-Sargent with what I got. It’s really tough, well, becoming a Wonderblot I mean. There’s a strict schedule we all have to follow, wake up at six sharp, tidy up the bed in under a minute, do flight laps a couple times before breakfast, train some more, stop for lunch, train some more, have dinner, train some more, have Drill-Sergeant Spitfire tell you what you did wrong today, do some more training before taking a shower, hit the sack by midnight.
Everything here has to work out like clockwork. If you miss a step, you get to do extra exercises that slow your assigned team down. So everything must be perfect if you want to get on the Drill-Sergeant's good side… which is almost never.
If anything, I’m actually jealous of you right now. I know that you still have to do some work, but I’m willing to bet you that it’s not as difficult as this. That you can raise with the sun instead of before, that you can take breaks without being told, and that the place you're settling is a good deal peaceful than the academe.
I’m trying to keep things together as it is, and I would love to read some mail from you. Just give me something to reassure me that what I’m doing is worthwhile; just say something as simple as “you’re stronger than you know,” would be enough. In a place like this, a good friend would be just the thing I need.
Waiting to hear from you,
– Soarin.

Jonagold hummed, making a mental note to find out to see who this Soarin was. She flipped the letter over to the next one and continued reading.

Dear Soarin,
Thank you so much for replying to my letter! I’m rather relieved that you were able to get it.
Like you, we’ve been busy too set up the town. As I’m writing this, we are for the moment in the middle of nowhere. (And I do seriously mean nowhere.) All around us, there is desert, cartas, and sagebrush as far as the eye can see. The only saving grace so far is that there is a well of drinkable water. For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been raising buildings left and right. So far, we’ve been just buildin’ our homes. Mine is about half way done, it just needs another floor and a roof to make it complete. I would say that it ain’t too shabby, since I’ve placed my claim on a hill, giving it a good view of the town that is yet to be, and the orchard that is perfect for planting.
I must say that when I read your letter the other day, I did feel mighty sorry for you. Being up there with a tight deadline for everything, I suppose it would make anypony go a little crazy. But I know you Soarin; I do believe that you can get through this with no problem. You dreamed of having a better life, well don’t sour it now, just hang in there as much as you can until it passes over. While I may not know to the full extent of your training, I will say that if I can build a home with what I have, I can get through boot camp with no problem. Just remember that you can do hard things if you just work hard enough.
While I am a little disappointed that you can’t come down here, I do understand – I’m not exactly ready to show anypony of this new settlement just yet. I tell you what, do what you need to do to get through this, and when you find the time to write back, do so. I would love nothing more than to hear how you’re doing. After all, I’ve been missing having you around. But we’re adults, and we both have some hard work that needs to be done.
Soarin, I have a confession to make: even with these ponies that are looking forward to making a new life out here, I can’t help but feel rather lonely. I know it sounds weird, but have you ever been someplace crowded where ponies are havin’ a good ol’ time but you’re not. It’s as if that you don’t exactly feel a connection with anyone. I don’t know if this is making any sense, but that’s what I feel at the moment. Even as I write this, I could sense that you’re probably thinking, “Uh, just get a marefriend.” If only that was so simple.
I do hope things will get easier for you over there. Do try to keep in touch; while I can’t hear your voice now, I can easily imagine it when I read your letters.
Your friend from nowhere,
– Braeburn

Jonagold raised an eyebrow, what did her great-great-grandfather mean in that paragraph? ‘If only that was so simple?’ It was clear to her that he had some sense of insecurity, but over what exactly?

Dear Braeburn,
I know it’s been a while but good news! I’ve finally become a member of the Wonderbolts! Isn’t that great? What’s more is that now all my training is over, I’ve been granted some time off so we can finally catch up now. I’m so looking forward to seeing the little town you guys have created. A week ago, I’ve seen a newspaper with your picture on it. Good job at creating Appaloosa bro! You should be proud of yourself.
Since I’m writing this, I want to tell you thanks for your letter. While it was short, it was enough to help me pass. I wanna thank you for what encouragement you’ve given me. This academe has been quite the ordeal for everypony, I’ve seen firsthoof of a couple of ponies that dropped out. But you were right, as difficult as this was, I could do it. The thought that somepony out there believes that I can accomplish the impossible was enough for me to keep enduring, keep pushing, keep going until I archive my dream. I can’t thank you enough Brae, I promise that we’ll hang out very soon.
I’ve read about the part when you described being lonely, to answer your question, no, I don’t find it weird. I felt it too when I have those moments of peace at night before I go asleep. Perhaps you just need to give it some time, after all, you’ve moved into a settlement and I’m sure that there’s bound to be other ponies coming to town that want to live there as well. If I were you, I probably give new ponies the grand tour, just to get acquainted with everypony, you know?
Though, something that you’ve written in your last letter has gotten me worried. You said that I would respond getting yourself a marefriend and you added with, “If only that were simple.” What do you mean by that? I’m not exactly sure what you were talking about. You can tell me anything you know, I’d be glad to help.
I am looking forward to hanging out with you soon. Don’t worry buddy, I’m coming.
Your friend,
– Soarin

The young Pegasus blinked as she flipped through the last few pages. Did she miss something? In the last letter that Soarin wrote, he was struggling to get by in the Wonderblots and now he is in? It was then that she came to a realization. 'Aw crap,’ she thought, ‘Some of the letters are missing! Great! Just what I need.’ She sighed, hoping that there’s enough in the box for her paper. She continued on with the next letter.

Dear Soarin,
Before I start this letter, let me just say that I’m mighty proud of you! Congrats Soar! When you get the chance to come down here, we should celebrate! The Salt Lick Saloon has just opened its doors a week ago, so maybe I can pay for your drinks. The fellas here would be glad in meeting ya.
Appaloosa has been growing in leaps and bounds. Slowly but surely, more ponies are coming to our little settlement, bringing with them more wood and some luxuries from their homes. There’s even talk of setting up that newfangled telegraph so that, if it works, it would make things easier to send messages to all over Equestria. Wouldn’t that be great?
Not to say that we haven’t run into any problems. We have actually. You see, as soon as we’ve started planting our trees, we’ve quickly found out that this desert isn’t uninhabited. Turns out, what nopony bothered to tell us was that there’s a Buffalo tribe in the region. They’ve stampeded right through our farmland, crushing many seedlings along the way. Now luckily we were able to get just enough trees to start growing, but most of us are worried. We don’t know who this tribe is nor what they want. So until then, some of us have been keeping guard of our new orchard day and night to be sure that none of the crops gets uprooted.
I guess that it’s about time I’ve addressed the hydra in the room, isn’t it? Even before I sat down to think about how to write this here letter, I wasn’t exactly sure how to make any sense to you because I could barely grasp it myself. Perhaps I could say that it’s complicated, but let me at least try to explain. Now it’s not like there ain’t any single mares running around in Appaloosa, there are. Don’t get me wrong, there are some pretty looking gals walking around. But there’s something I’ve noticed though, none of them here… well… clicked with me – if that makes any sense. And it isn’t that none of them are anything but nice; many of them are as we work together building this town. I think even a few have flirted with me once or twice, but I confess that when that happens, it’s only… uncomfortable.
Please do me this favor, if you do find an opportunity to come and visit me that would be appreciated. I would be more than overjoyed to know when you’ll be coming around.
Your friend in the middle of nowhere,
-Braeburn.

Jonagold raised an eyebrow, she wasn’t quite sure, but from what she read, it sounded like there was a little more to her ancestor then how the history books depicted him.

Dear Braeburn,
Okay buddy, since I have some time to squeeze in this letter, I do have good news. As it turns out, we do get to go on leave when Hearths Warming comes around. I know that it probably be a couple months away, but concerning with all the training, learning new maneuvers, get our timing just right, and the tours we’ll be going on… at least there is an open window of opportunity in which I can take the train down towards Appaloosa. I am genially sorry for all of this dude, really, I am. I guess I was so focused on achieving that dream that I didn’t anticipate what the cost of it would be. But now you have my promise that I will be able to keep.
After all, I’ve been missing you lately. Between meals and just before I fall asleep, I’ve come to realize that I’ve been missing listen to you talk. I know it sounds a touch creepy, but I guess I’m missing out our talks. Still, I can’t wait to see you down there to see how ya been.
I hope you get to resolve that problem with the tribe soon. Though I wish I could offer something to make things easier for you, I just can’t. I do wonder why those buffalo are doing that though. You know the old saying, “Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, but three or more then something is going on.” If this is happening more than once, then maybe they’re not doing this for no reason. Not everypony does that without some reason, right?
As to your other “complicated” problem… if I can be honest with you, I’ve been having the same kind of problem with the Wonderbolts. We’ve got a couple of hot mares on the team, no denying that – but, I haven’t met the one that’s my type, you know? Oh, we’re pretty good team players once you know what the rules are and all. We’ve been socializing too, yet… none of them have made me go, “Oh, I wanna date that one.” So no, you’re not exactly alone here. Perhaps when I can come down to that town of yours, maybe we could sort this out. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll end up chasing some tail, if you know what I mean.
Please write more often, I’d like to hear more from ya.
Your pal,
-Soarin.
(P.S. From the time I’m writing this letter, we’ll be going towards Manehattan in a couple of weeks, after that to Canterlot, then Vanhoover, but after that, I’m not certain. Thought I let you know.)

‘Okay,’ Jonagold thought, ‘so both of them are experiencing the same problem of can’t get a date, but they’re way too busy. But they sure do miss each other.’ She flipped on to the next letter.

Dear Soarin,
You don’t have to apologize if anything, you celebrating our town’s first Hearth’s Warming would be perfect! What better way to catch up then do it in time for the holidays? Besides, for the first time in months, I do have some good news to share.
From the surviving trees that have been growing, the weather is pretty much the same all year long – summer hot. Which means that if we’re lucky, we might be growing enough apples so we can plant and harvest all year long – that would mean that if there any apples on Hearths Warming, I could make my family’s apple cider we like so much.
In the meantime, I’ve been keeping myself busy when I’m not planting apple trees. Remember that fiddle that I used to play? Well, I’ve been thinking of picking it up again as a sort of hobby. I figured that I might as well give myself something productive to do. I did say of possibly forming a buckball team, didn’t I? Just figured that as soon as we get just the right Pegasus and Unicorn to play, maybe we could show the town some real fun, that, or become a coach for the young ones.
On the dating side, I’m still single so far. Although it has been a couple of months since I’ve moved here, already I’m getting those questions from my neighbors. You know the kind: “Seen anypony special lately Braeburn?” “Where’s your marefriend?” “You still single?” “When is a young fella like you ever gonna settle down?” I just get a bit irritated when I hear them to be honest. I mean, I have been busy with settling this town you know. That and other things too! As nice as having a special somepony, it’s just not realistic given the current situation. Perhaps when all these problems are sorted out, the tribe isn’t threatening to trample our crops, then… who knows.
I’ll be looking forward to seeing you in Appaloosa; I promise that you’re gonna like it here.
Oh, and before I forget, would it be possible of sending a couple of photographs of those places your team is going to? I’ve wanted to know what those places are like.
Your busy friend,
-Braeburn.

Dear Braeburn,
Everypony on the Wonderbolts can’t wait for Hearths Warming to come around. Even Captain Spitfire is itching for some time off. I’m excited to tell you that there is an opening for me to come down to see you. It will be on the week of Hearths Warming that I will take the train towards Appaloosa so we can really celebrate!
I don’t know about you, but I could really use a real vacation. One that doesn’t require me to do this many backflips and this many dives into the audience before steering upward just in time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s really fun once you get it all down, but I just need a break from it. So you could probably imagine me just counting down the days that I would be free to see ya.
The stuff you’ve said in your last letter sounds incredible to me. I can’t remember the last time I had your guy’s cider or even played buckball for a while. Probably gives me all the more reason to look forward in coming over to visit. I wonder if it would be possible for you to bake those apple pies since I know you’re pretty good at making them, I can practically imagine myself swan diving head first into that sweet goodness.
Also, thanks for clearing things up with the whole dating thing. Buddy, I completely get it, you’re really busy with setting up the whole town. Considering my being new to the Wonderbolts, I don’t have time to date anyway. After all, I’m still learning the ropes and whatnot. I guess that once I move up in ranks a little… who knows?
I’ll be seeing you real soon buddy,
Your pal,
– Soarin

Jonagold flipped the last letter over, after placing them back into the envelope, she pulled out the next one in the box. This time it was marked: “January – March 1000 A.B.N.M.”

“Huh?” the teenager looked at the last envelope she’d read through, “Why is there no December?” But she pushed her curiosity aside to open up the next one before gently dumping its contents onto the table.

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