7DSJ: The Apple Tree

by Shinzakura

March 27: I Missed of All But Now I See

Applejack made sure she got up earlier than normal. Going into the main house, she half expected to see her sister sleeping on the couch, but due to the situation at hand, sleeping arrangements in the main house had been changed and Apple Bloom was now sleeping in the same room as Granny.

As she moved towards the kitchen, she saw her aunt sitting at the table, looking over some documents. “Morning, Aunt Studious. How goes?”

“Oh, hi, AJ. Don’t worry about today; we need to take a day off work because your uncle and I have a meeting with the school’s dean of discipline this morning. I don’t think I need to tell you why. In any case, it’s going to impact the workday, so just go have fun. Enjoy your vacation – I know this is your spring break, and God knows at your age you deserve it.” Suddenly, her aunt uttered a sob.

“Aunt Studious?”

The woman looked up and was crying. “I don’t know what went wrong, AJ,” she moaned. “I’ve done everything I could to be a good mom for your cousin, and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

Applejack went over to hug her. “Ah know you’re trying. Everyone knows you are. She’s just going through some hard times right now. Ah have a friend back in Canterlot, who had similar issues – she was a bully and a brat, and in the end, she just needed someone to love and understand her. She was an orphan, but now she’s got a family who loves her and she’s much changed now.” Applejack could feel her aunt’s tears soak her shirt, but the teen just continued to embrace the distraught woman. “You’re doing all you can, and nobody can blame you for it.”

“Oh, Ah dunno,” a voice spoke. Both looked up to Summerfree standing there, an almost gleeful look on her face. “Ah can think of one thing yer not doin’.”

Before Studious could say anything, Applejack let her go then stormed over to the girl, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her to the door. “You and Ah’re gonna go have words.”

“But Ah ain’t had breakfast ye—”

“You’ll live.” The tone of Applejack’s voice brooked no argument.

A minute later, Braeburn came down, yawning. “Oh, hi, Ma. You okay?”

“I’m fine, Brae, why?” she said.

“Y’ look like ya been cryin’.”

“I was, especially since your sister pushed me to the edge.”

“Want me t’ talk to her?”

“No, your cousin’s doing that right now,” Studious told him, “and I’m not sure Summer’s ready for what AJ’s going to tell her.”

The conversation, such as it was, started with Applejack dragging her to the nearest orchard and slamming her cousin against a tree.

“AJ,” Summerfree began, “Ah’m not into girls, but if’n you want me that bad, Ah just might have t’ make an exception. How’s that sayin’ go? It’s better if sis—”

“You stupid selfish bitch,” the blonde seethed, cutting her cousin’s retort off. “Ah’ve met some wonderful specimens of humanity in mah life – note sarcasm – but you fuckin’ take the cake.”

“Ah’m not sure Ah like yer tone – Ah hereby withdraw any sexual favors Ah was offerin’.”

“The only favor you could offer me is to not get your blood on mah hands after Ah beat the shit out of you. Who the fuck do you think you are? Your ma and pa love you – your brother and his girlfriend, too! You got a perfect life, and here you are throwing it away like your shit don’t stink.”

“Ya don’t know me at all, you stuck-up city bitch,” Summerfree snarled back. “Ya think this life is easy? Getting up here in Bumfuck Egypt, smellin’ the cowshit an’ poultry crap in th’ air? World full o’ fuckin’ manure?” She glared at her cousin. “You probably got yer choice of whoever ya wanna fuck—”

“Get your mind out of the gutter for a minute, you idiot,” Applejack seethed.

“Awwww, is poor widdle Appuwjack a virgin? Ah know some guys who’ll be happy t’ take care o’ that problem.”

Applejack ignored her. “As Ah was saying, you have a great life here! But you’re shitting on it like no tomorrow! Are you that fucking stupid?” The blonde’s eyes were near pinpricks of rage. “You have a mother and a father who love you! They’d do anything for you!”

“Except get out o’ this shithole!” Summerfree shouted back. “You don’t know shit! You got out of here! You’re just some stuck-up city girl, here just t’ pretend to live this bullshit called country life an’ in a few days, you get to leave! Well, that’s what Ah want, and Ah’m makin’ sure Ah get what Ah want, y’ hear?”

“Ah don’t give a fuck what you want, Summer. What Ah care about is your parents, your brother, and Jade. They’ve been busting their asses trying to keep you on the straight and narrow, but you don’t give a shit! At least if there were some method to your Goddamn madness, it’d all make sense, but what you’re doing? Just burning bridges and acting the fool.”

A shrewd look came over Summerfree’s face. “Ah thought it’d be obvious to a city girl like yourself. All Ah gotta do is just push mah luck a little father and Ma and Pa won’t want me around no more. Maybe they’ll think Ah need t’ go somewhere where Ah c’n be controlled.”

“Like where?”

“Oh, Ah dunno…maybe bein’ made t’ live with ma granny out in California?”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “Wait – you’re doing all this because you think your parents are going to send you to Canterlot?”

“The city girl just got smart fer a change.” Summerfree gave a catty grin. “Think about it: Ah’d have a big brother type lookin’ after me, an’ his girlfriend, too. Now, don’t get me wrong: Brae an’ Jade mean a lot t’ me. But that don’t mean jack shit when they’re gone an’ Ah’m here all alone. So maybe if’n Ah become a Cali girl, Ah might just see the light, get mahself on th’ straight an’ narrow.”

“So you’re fucking over your family because you think it’s going to get you a fast ticket to living with us.”

“Ah don’t mind sharin’ a room, AJ. You an’ me are th’ same size, so we can trade outfits, too.”

Applejack shook her head. “You’re one seriously fucked up bitch, you know that?”

“So Ah guess Ah’ll have t’ room with Bloomie?”

“Ah tried being nice. But Ah’ve just about run outta that.” Applejack grabbed her cousin and slammed her against the tree trunk once more. “You don’t get what you want, missy. Not here, not now, not ever.”

“Ah don’t think that’s any o’ yer business. Way Ah see it? That’s fer Uncle Appleseed, Aunt Flower an’ Granny t’ decide.”

“Not happening.” Applejack flexed a fist where her cousin could see. “Since you ain’t listening, guess we’ll have to do this dance mah way: you’re gonna straighten up, or you’re gonna be bleeding out of a few places.”

Summer’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t got th’ stones.”

“You clearly weren’t paying attention the other day, were you?” To demonstrate, Applejack casually threw a punch at the tree behind her cousin. The blow was strong enough to rip off some of the bark and crack the first layer. “That enough of a reminder?”

“Don’t make threats ya can’t back up, sugarcube,” Summerfree said darkly.

Applejack gave a mirthless smile. “You have no idea of what Ah’m capable of, sugarcube. Ah’ve gone toe-to-toe with things you can’t even imagine.” Starting to see the first edges of light coming over the horizon, she started to walk away. “You’ve got school to go to, child,” Applejack said. “You’d best get going, or the next time we talk won’t be so pleasant.”

Summerfree waited until Applejack was out of eyeshot before she pulled another runestone from her back. Her eyes flickered with azure light and she pointed a finger at the tree she’d been slammed against. The tree turned into a large ice crystal before shattering into a million pieces. “Goddamn bitch,” the girl snarled. “Get in my way again and cousin or not, yer gonna regret it.”

She heard plaintive whining next to her, and though she couldn’t see him, she knew he was there.

“Ah know, Rascal,” she said softly. “Ah just want what Ah deserve, y’ know?” She felt something push gently against her; he was nuzzling her. “Don’t worry – when Ah go t’ Canterlot, yer comin’ with. Ah won’t abandon you, okay? Ah know what it’s like t’ be forgotten; not letting that happen t’ you, ‘kay?”

The wolf appeared and he was smaller now, the size of a horse. She climbed onto his back, and said, “C’mon, let’s get t’ school. May as well do somethin’ there.” Both turned invisible and raced off towards the city.

As Applejack reentered the house, she saw everyone at the table, looking at her. “Something up?” she asked.

“You didn’t hurt her too much, did you?” Studious asked, a worried look on her face.

“Of course not,” Applejack told them. “Ah have better control than that; Ah’m a blackbelt and Summer’s got, what, nothing? Mah whole plan was to put the scare in her.”

Stayman looked at his niece. “Unfortunately, she don’t scare easy.”

“Yeah, Ah noticed. Do any of you know why she’s doing this?” Stayman, Studious and Braeburn shook her head and Applejack recounted her conversation with her cousin out in the field. Everyone in the room began to look in surprise.

“What? We don’t have the room for another person in the house,” Cornflower said aloud once her daughter was done. “Don’t get me wrong, if it came to that we’d welcome her, but our house is pretty crowded as is with six people living there.”

“Besides,” Appleseed added, “Ah’m not sure her comin’ to Canterlot is a good idea, anyway. Ah don’t think that’s what she needs.”

An angry look in his eyes, Stayman agreed. “Oh, you got that right. If anythin’, Studious an’ Ah’ve been talkin’ ‘bout sendin’ her t' Fort Coffee Military Academy. Believe me, neither of us want that, but we gotta think about her best interests.”

Studious nodded. “Trust me, I really don’t want to dump our problems off on you. Again.”

Granny Smith looked at her family. “We’ll get this straightened out, even if’n we gotta do it th’ hard way.” She then looked at Applejack. “Ah hate t’ put this on yer shoulders, sugarcube, but…yer both th’ same age, an’ sometimes, sad as it is, knockin’ some sense into someone means knocking some sense into someone.”

Standing a respectable distance away, Sweetcream Scoops leaned next to her boyfriend and asked, “Did I just hear that right? Did Granny just sanction AJ to beat the shit out of Summer?”

Macintosh nodded, though the even look never left his face. “Eyup. An’ look at her eyes. It’s breakin’ her heart just to put both her granddaughters against one another.” He then looked at her. “‘Tain’t civilized at all, Ah know. But it’s that er Summer ends up in th’ pokey. Or worse.”

The sensation shook Jade awake. She didn’t believe it, the moment she sensed it, but it was unmistakable.

There was an Element on Earth. And not the chemical elements her chemistry textbook crowed about. No, it was one of the Elements. The wondrous, incredible devices created by her Divine Majesty, long may her reign be eternal.

Had her prayers finally been realized at last? She sincerely hoped so…and at the same time, dreaded it.

She got out of the bed, her body naked and pristine. She’d been here five years by her count, and she still didn’t quite feel comfortable in clothing. Sure, she understood why they existed, but she wasn’t completely used to wearing them. Truth be told, if it wasn’t for everything keeping her here, she would’ve considered moving to somewhere with a clothing optional neighborhood. She caught a glance of herself in the mirror and couldn’t help but smile. She knew she was devastatingly gorgeous by human standards, though in truth she only cared about one particular human’s standards when it came to that.

I guess the old saying is true: Mares in love think in odd ways, she told herself as she stepped into the shower.

About thirty minutes later, she sat at the table, eating eggs, bacon and toast, prepared for her by one of her familiars. She wore a shirt she knew was Braeburn’s favorite, as well as a pair of jeans that she liked, because it had her cutie mark all over them – that had been by coincidence, given that humans didn’t have such things. At the moment, she was reading a report that one of her other familiars had sent, a report on her human, Earth-born counterpart, still living in Arizona with her family. The human Jade Lily was, as far as Jade could tell, very different from her. For one, Jade herself detested rap music; she had a particular fondness for classical and new age music, though she liked some of the rock Braeburn listened to. According to the newest report, the other Jade’s mother, Petal Meadow, was expecting.

That news made her feel sad and homesick. She didn’t know what her family life was, back home. She didn’t even know if her parents were still alive. After all, she hadn’t seen them since the day she’d been apprenticed to Lord Starswirl, a boon if there had ever been one. Her father had been a simple blacksmith and her mother just like every other mare at the time, so Jade’s talent at spirit summoning had been practically unheard of, and very much in demand by Lord Starswirl. He’d told her that she had great things in store for her future.

Jade looked around at the house and the life she was living, realizing that her master’s words had been both a lie and a truth. The lie, obviously because she was here on Earth. The truth, because she’d met the love of her life, the man she knew she’d marry…even if he wasn’t exactly a stallion.

That done, she noted she still had about an hour before she had to drive to school and that meant getting her homework done. Today’s was political science, a comprehension of which that still bothered her over the years. It would be so easy if humanity just had an alicorn to turn to for governance and rule, but they weren’t that lucky.

She looked in a mirror by the table and saw her reflection, her true reflection, the African-American girl gazing at the gray-eyed, mauve-and-lavender-maned unicorn mare with the verdigris coat. Each day, she looked in the mirror less and less, forgetting about the mare she once was. Each day she looked towards the future, and the life she had here on Earth.

Now, if I can just figure out why Congress is elected, not composed of the nation’s nobility….

Borrowing a bike from Braeburn, Applejack decided to ride around the general area and look at the fields. She’d seen them from a distance, and she’d helped clean one up in the aftermath, but she hadn’t seen one up close and personal in the wake of immediate destruction. Something about the whole thing bothered her, especially after what she’d heard about several of the neighbors having the same problems as well. She wasn’t sure what she could do, but maybe if she got a good look at things up close, she could get some sort of answer.

Maybe I can even get Sunny to help, somehow, if it’s magic related. Chances were that no magic was involved, though; unexplained runestones aside, there was likely a logical reason behind all of this. No clue if she could use said logic to come closer to a solution, but that way it would be far easier to explain than magic.

She biked down the far side of County Road 1493, when she was passing an old familiar house: that of the Cobbler family; Mrs. Cobbler, in particular, used to babysit her when she was just a kid. And right now, said woman was coming out of her house, a look of consternation on her face.

“Hello, Mrs. Cobbler!” Applejack called out.

The woman looked up. “Hello, Missy!” she replied. “Sorry, but y’ don’t look too familiar. Y’ new ‘round these parts?”

Applejack came to a stop and got off the bike. “You don’t recognize me because Ah’ve grown a little since the last time you saw me.”

The woman leaned her head closer, as if to get a better look. “Oh mah stars an’ garters! Little Applejack Apple! That you?”

“Yes ma’am,” the teen replied.

“Wow, you done grown up right! C’mon in, girl! It’s been forever since Ah seen ya!”

A few minutes later and after some small talk, they’d caught up. Applejack felt her face was in perpetual blush from all the compliments that Mrs. Cobbler was giving her and the old lady even offered to introduce the teen to her grandson, who was going to be visiting from his Marine base next week. Applejack didn’t have the heart to tell Cobbler that she was going to leave next week, so she said nothing.

“Well, it’s a good thing yer here, Jackie!” Cobbler replied. “Ah could use some help with th’ rhubarb fields, if’n ya don’t mind.”

“Not at all, ma’am,” Applejack replied. “What’s wrong?”

“Ah keep plantin’ new rhubarb, an’ the plants keep dyin’! Weird, too: they just rot away, like it’s constantly rainin’, but it’s been a bit dry this year.”

The teen nodded. “Mind if I take a look around?”

“Please! Ah can use all the help Ah c’n get!”

Applejack went outside and walked over to the rhubarb field, which she could tell from the rotting stench. Forcing herself to ignore the smell, she looked at the decaying plants, and the minute she touched the ground, she felt a surge of something arc through her hand. She looked at her hand and saw it glow orange. She knew that aura – it was her own innate magic, placed within her when Princess Twilight channeled the magical forces of her world through Applejack and her friends. That Twilight had warned her that the magic might have been permanent and it was somewhat surprising to find out the alien princess had been right.

Putting her hand over the field, she felt the charge to and fro, depending on where she held her hand over the field. Finally, she felt a jolt strong enough to nearly knock her off her feet, and she started digging with her hands. She didn’t dig far before she found a strange-looking stone, like one of the ones that her aunt had around the house.

She suddenly felt a jolt of power rush through her, and as her body tingled, she could feel her hair lengthening, her ears seemingly shifting positions. In her hand the stone glowed a light blue, and was steadily pouring a stream of water down onto the already-soaked dirt.

“Jackie? Y’ want some lemonade?” Cobbler shouted from the house, a distance away. “Just made it fresh!”

“That’d be nice, Mrs. Cobbler!” Applejack shouted back, letting go of the stone. She could feel her body returning to normal as she “ponied down” (or whatever it was called; leave it to Pinkie to come up with weird terminology), and the stone seemed to become inert. She picked it up once more, and while she didn’t transform again, she could feel the energy within the rock, waiting to be reactivated.

She shoved it in her pocket; she’d have to look into it more. And as Cobbler approached with a pitcher and glasses, Applejack stood up and said, “Ah think Ah can fix this, ma’am. Where do you keep your gardening tools?”

“Jade honey, you okay?” Braeburn asked her.

“Yeah, sorry, just distracted,” she told him. “Mom called me this morning and said she’s going to be stuck in the capital for another week,” the unicorn-as-human lied. She hated lying to the boy she loved, but what could she say? That her “parents” were really just magical constructs that she created?

“Sorry t’ hear that. You got good folks.”

“So do you,” she said, leaning next to him as they sat in one of the apple fields, gazing at the stars. She loved doing this with him, and normally, she’d focus mainly on that. But tonight, she was also using her magic to search for signs of the Element. It was here, close, somewhere around Heavener Apple Orchards, and if that was the case, somehow, as inexplicable as that was, one of the newcomers was a Bearer.

But that’s impossible! Only one can wield the Elements! she thought to herself as her mind raced. Could it be Scoops? Or Cornflower? Or even one of the Apples? The thoughts swam in her head and she tried to focus on them and her boyfriend at the same time.

She sighed. This would be so much easier if she told him the truth. But then she feared she’d lose him for sure. The one guy in school who didn’t care if she was a black girl – even if technically, she really wasn’t – and she was terrified of losing his love if she told him not only that she wasn’t really black, but she wasn’t even human.

There are days I hate my sworn duty, Jade muttered mentally. But I have sworn fealty to my lords and ladies, and I must follow my pledge.

Still, she could have some fun with it. “Sweetie? It’s been about five whole minutes and you haven’t kissed me,” she said coquettishly.

“Ah can fix that, darlin’,” he told her as his lips met hers. They joined in that dance of love, and as her mind focused on the love she had for him and vice versa, a flash suddenly flickered in her mind. Reaching out with a truesight spell, a second later she swore at herself. It was so damn obvious, and now that she saw it with magical senses, it was clear as day.

The tree behind her glowed with the after effect of orange power, having taken a hit from Elemental magic.

The Elements were here.

Comments

[namar13766]

Well now...I was right and wrong.

[ThePoneDrome]

Ahh, so she's sensing the Equestrian magic coming off of AJ. Gonna say, it'd be pretty weird if an Element plopped down onto earth.

[Nealend86]

Now I want to see AJ pony up and fight some weird magic shit and knock Summer down a few pegs.

[Starlight Nova]

...Shouldn't a Christmas story take place in December?

[Shinzakura]

7826140
For those who've followed me for a while, they know my Christmas stories are when I take a week and hammer out a quick new story, with a chapter every day. It's a Christmas gift, given that I tend not to hammer out short, quick chapters often.

[Basement Dweller]

Looks like the relative flow of time between Earth and Equestria is even more disjointed than I thought. Makes me wonder if their timelines even run consistently in the same direction - if not, then the mirror could be used for time travel.

[ItsPetahhhh]

have we just found the way to beat divine right?

[BigLurker]

7826501 That might be a prototype mirror Starswirl created before working on the big one...