2 – Setting Out
Chapter Two
Setting Out
⠀
⠀
It was only for two more days. Applejack tried her best to keep that in mind as she walked alongside one of the forest’s rivers. Fluttershy’s trip wasn’t even going to last a week. It was just four days away from the forest, and it was already half over. In just two days she would be returning home to Applejack. Fluttershy would be home, and she would see that nothing could beat Everfree.
But what if she didn’t feel that way? What if Fluttershy realized that she was happier outside of the forest? She’d come back, for sure. Everfree would always be important to her, and it wasn’t like she was just going to forget about the centuries she and Applejack had spent together after only a few days apart. But what if this was just the start of something bigger?
Applejack sighed and lay down next to the river. She stared at her reflection in the water and contemplated what would happen next. She didn’t care for any of the answers she thought of.
But after just a few moments, it became clear that Applejack wouldn’t even be allowed to mope about in peace – her reflection was being broken up by bubbles rising to the surface, which shot a surge of panic through Applejack. At least she had the good sense to back away from the water in time.
A colossal sea serpent breached the water’s surface, drenching the riverfront as her lithe white form rose higher, towering above even the trees. The sunlight refracted off the water on her scales, causing them to shimmer as if covered in a million small diamonds. She jerked her head towards one side as she reached the peak of her ascent, causing her long purple mane to cascade along one side of her face.
“Don’t you think you’re being just a bit dramatic?” Applejack asked.
Rarity held her place for a moment while glancing down at Applejack, before frowning and coiling most of her body back into the river. She propped herself up on the river’s edge and gave Applejack an irritated look. “Well, pardon me if I had hoped to enjoy the sun along with some pleasant company.”
“Oh, there’s no problem there.” Applejack looked down at her hooves, which were drenched, even with the distance she had put between herself and the river. “But just once, I’d like to try and stay dry while talking to you.”
“But staying dry is so overrated. It’s a lovely day, why not relax in the water with me?”
It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea. A relaxing swim would help take her mind off her problems, and she’d probably be a lot calmer afterwards. But even though she knew it would be for the best, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “Sorry, Rarity, but I’m just not feeling up to it today.”
“Oh, deer…” Rarity said, earning herself a glare for the pun. Rarity ignored it and pulled herself partly out of the water. “I hope there’s nothing serious going on?”
Applejack sighed. “No, it’s nothing. Just got some things on my mind is all.”
“Well then, I’d say the best thing to do would be getting them off your mind.” Rarity leaned forward, lying her head on her claws just in front of Applejack. “I’m all ears.”
There was some merit to the suggestion, sure. But the idea of telling Rarity about her problems with Fluttershy wasn’t exactly appealing. The three of them were as close as anyone in the forest was, and she would have a unique understanding of the situation. But all the same, talking about it with anyone didn’t sound like anything Applejack would want to do.
Deciding to just shrug it off, Applejack showed a smile. “Thank you, but it’s really not a big deal.”
Rarity frowned at that. “Applejack, please. You are one of my oldest friends, and I do wish you would at least realize that I can read you like a book.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Read a lot of books underwater, huh?”
“Never mind that now.” Without ever moving the front half of her body, Rarity used her tail to sweep Applejack up from behind. She hadn’t even realized Rarity was moving her tail end; the sea serpent was simply too long to keep track of.
Nevertheless, she did catch Applejack on her tail and drew her closer while also providing her a place to sit. Aside from the wetness, Rarity did make for a comfortable place to rest. With the matter of Applejack’s comfort taken care of, Rarity continued. “The point is that I can tell something is troubling you, and I would like to help.”
The worst part was that whether Applejack liked it or not, Rarity did have a point; there was just no way Applejack could pretend like nothing was wrong. That didn’t mean she had to completely come clean, however. “Alright, fine. Like I said, I’ve got some things on my mind, but also like I said, it’s nothing to worry about. I do appreciate the offer, but I’d rather just not make a big deal out of it.”
Rarity sighed and shifted her head so it was resting on grass. “I suppose that’s reasonable. But I do hope that you’ve at least told Fluttershy that this is bothering you.”
Applejack frowned. “Hold on, how’d you know it had something to do with Fluttershy?”
Rarity’s head shot right back up. “I only meant that it’s important to tell your lover when you’re upset. Tell me there isn’t really a problem between you and Fluttershy?”
Applejack winced. One of these days, she promised herself, she would finally learn to keep her big mouth shut.
Right when she was about to reply, Rarity cut her off. “No, there’s no need to say another word. Oh, I can see that there is, plain as day. I do hope it’s nothing serious, at least?”
If part of it was in the open, Applejack figured she might as well put the rest out as well. “Well, the thing is –”
“Oh, but of course it couldn’t be too serious. I mean, you and Fluttershy have been together for… well, I don’t really know, but certainly for a long time.”
“Yeah, but it’s just that –”
“In any event, I’m positive that you two will work through any problems you are having. I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you, but clearly communicating with yo–”
“Rarity?”
Rarity blinked. “Yes?”
“Do you want to know what happened or not?”
Rarity gave a sheepish grin. “Oh, er, excuse me. Yes, do tell.”
Applejack sighed and closed her eyes. “Well, I think… I think Fluttershy might want to leave the forest.”
After a moment of silence, Rarity laughed. She once again ignored Applejack’s glare. “Come on now, that’s just silly. Fluttershy leave the forest? You might as well say she plans on taking all the trees with her!”
“I’m serious, Rare. She’s out in some pony town right now.”
All at once, Rarity stopped laughing. She pulled herself further onto dry land, so that she was face to face with Applejack. “Right now? You mean to tell me that she’s already left Everfree?”
“Well… yeah.” Applejack’s ears drooped and she wouldn’t meet Rarity’s eyes. “She, uh, she’s coming back, though. In two days.”
“Was there some sort of emergency that she needed to attend to? I could hardly imagine what could be urgent enough that she would decide to leave the forest.”
Applejack’s head just sunk lower. “No, she’s… she went to watch a race over in some San Pala-something. One of those pony towns. A couple of griffons she knows talked her into it.”
Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. “Ah, I see. Our dear Fluttershy is too kind for her own good, I’m afraid. She really does need to learn how to tell her friends ‘no’.”
Applejack shook her head and finally looked into Rarity’s eyes. “She really wanted to go, Rare. She’s been talking about the outside world for a while now, and she’s been really excited about this trip.”
The muscles in Rarity’s face tightened as she gently shook her head. “But I don’t understand, why would she want to leave?”
“I… I don’t know.” No, that wasn’t right. Applejack had a pretty good idea of why, and she might as well come clean about it. “I think she’s just getting… bored.”
Rarity scrunched her eyes together. “Getting bored? But… but she’s Fluttershy! She is the heart and soul of Everfree!”
“But she’s not Everfree,” Applejack reminded her. “Her job is to guard Everfree, but in the past four hundred years, when has Everfree actually needed any guarding? In fact, when does anything much at all happen here?”
“I… I suppose that is true, but…”
When Rarity didn’t continue, Applejack did. “And, you know, that’s exactly what we all love so much about this place. It’s nice and quiet and we don’t have to worry about anything. But Fluttershy is… well, she’s extraordinary is what she is. And maybe she just wants a more extraordinary life.”
Rarity looked like she wanted to argue, but she didn’t. She collapsed on the ground, resting her head next to Applejack. “You don’t really think she’s just going to leave, do you? I mean, even aside from Everfree, she would certainly never leave you, of course.”
Although she was trying to sound sure of her statement, Rarity couldn’t shake the concern from her tone. And although she wanted to be reassuring, Applejack couldn’t find enough certainty even to fake it. “I… don’t know. I, well, I guess I just hope not.”
Rarity closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After just one more moment of melancholy, she rose triumphantly into the air. “Well then,” she said with a confident grin, “if it’s excitement she wants, then we’ll just have to show her that there’s plenty of that to be found here!”
“Excitement? In Everfree? Where in the world are we gonna find that?”
“Well… I don’t know yet. But you said she is returning in two days, so that means we have two days to find some!”
Applejack scratched at her neck. “Excitement isn’t just hiding under a rock somewhere, you know.”
Rarity narrowed her eyes. Realizing what was coming, Applejack tried to remove herself from the serpent’s coils, but she was too late. All at once, Rarity’s muscular tail wrapped around the small deer, and she was lifted into the air.
“Applejack,” Rarity said in a harsh tone. “I am certain that I misunderstood you. You did not just imply that we are going to sit idly by and allow Fluttershy to leave us without so much as an attempt to change her mind.”
It was not a question, and there was only one acceptable answer. “No, of course I didn’t mean that. I just think that –”
“Because if you did say such a thing, it could only mean that you do not care if Fluttershy leaves the forest.”
“Now that’s just foolishness!” Applejack snapped. “No one in all of Everfree wants her to stay more than I do!”
“Are you sure of that?” Rarity arched an eyebrow. “Because that just may require you actually do something to prove it.”
“Of course I am! I’d do anything for her, you know that!”
“Anything?”
“Yes!”
“Good!” Rarity set Applejack down and once again assumed a positive expression. “Now then, let’s put our heads together and see what we come up with!”
What they came up with amounted to a lot of nothing. The two of them spent hours trying to find some way to reignite Fluttershy’s love of Everfree. But for hours, every idea they came up with was impractical, or would endanger other inhabitants of the forest, or would just be too obvious that they had set it up.
And truthfully, the idea of winning over Fluttershy by trickery wasn’t really something Applejack wanted to do. She did want to show Fluttershy that life in Everfree could be just as exciting as the outside world. She wanted to show her that she could be just as exciting as any griffon, or pony, or whatever else was out there. But she wanted it to be because there actually was something worth sticking around for, not because she made Fluttershy think there was.
In the end, they decided to split up for the day. They had time, after all, and perhaps Applejack would think of something as she went further into the forest’s greenery, or Rarity would as she swam along the riverbed. They made plans to meet in the morning, then they said their goodbyes.
But as she walked through the forest, all Applejack saw were trees. There was nothing in all of Everfree that could be new to Fluttershy, no way that Applejack could still impress her. When was the last time that anything exciting happened in their forest? Things like that only happened elsewhere. In places like Griffonstone, or Ponyville, or White Tail Woods.
Applejack stopped in place, almost afraid of the thought that had crossed her mind. White Tail Woods. There was nowhere in all of Equestria more terrifying, and nowhere more impressive, than White Tail Woods.
The ancestral home of the deer had a thousand stories about it, if not more, and Fluttershy had always been captivated by them. That was something no pony town could ever compare with. And as a deer, the woods were part of Applejack’s history. No griffon could hope to find their way through White Tail Woods, but Applejack could. It was like Granny Smith said; she’d just need to let her heart guide her.
And of all the stories surrounding White Tail Woods, Applejack knew exactly which one would guide her. She was going to find the Emblem of Anqa.
With a newfound determination, Applejack changed direction and continued at a run. Even though she did trust her heart to guide her, she figured it wouldn’t mind if she also got something to point her in the right direction. Fortunately, she knew just where to go.
The Apple family orchard was close to Thicket, but it wasn’t part of the city. Although most deer lived in Thicket, it would be impractical to house a whole orchard within its walls. This had its ups and downs, but proved fortunate for Applejack’s current situation. As she entered the orchard, there wasn’t another deer in sight, which meant Applejack wouldn’t have to explain her plans to anyone.
She made her way to what was roughly the center of the orchard, where the largest of the apple trees stood. It paled in comparison to the trees of Thicket, but it was taller, broader, and older than any wild apple tree would have been. It was Granny Smith who initially tended to the tree, when the Apple family first moved into the orchard, using her talent with magic to carefully grow the tree into something that could support a house for her family.
Applejack’s parents had built a home in its branches, and the Apple family had lived there ever since. Applejack herself also shared a house with Fluttershy in a weeping willow located outside of the orchard, but that didn’t make her fawnhood home any less her home. Although some of the forest’s inhabitants believed that they could only ever have one true home, the deer held a more organic outlook. Her home was wherever her heart lay, and her heart was not bound by walls. Her family lived in an apple tree, so that was her home. Her lover lived in a willow, so that too was her home.
And because the apple tree was her home, she didn’t have to worry about showing up at the house unannounced. She walked up the familiar ramp, which went around the tree in a spiral, and entered the house at the top. At least no one seemed to be home.
It was supposed to be a quick in-and-out stop, but there were centuries of memorabilia stowed away within the house. Time passed Applejack by as she searched, but there was nothing for it but to keep looking. Well, that and wish that Granny kept things a bit more organized.
“Hi, Applejack!” an excited voice said from behind her, causing the doe to wince.
Well, so much for being able to get out unnoticed. Applejack fixed her mouth into the best I’m-not-doing-anything-suspicious smile she could muster, then she turned around to greet her sister. “Hey there, Apple Bloom. You the only one around today?”
Apple Bloom looked quite a lot like Applejack did when she was a fawn, although her coat was more yellow than orange. She wore a red bow around her neck, which accentuated the reddish hue of the fur on her underside and atop her head.
“Yeah, Granny and Big Mac went into town. I had to stay and look after the trees.” Apple Bloom frowned at the tiny barrel that hung around her neck, as if she needed to remind Applejack of her thoughts on that particular chore. The barrel held elixir, a luminous blue liquid that allowed deer to interact with plant life around them. The Apple family had maintained their orchard for centuries, using elixir to manage it efficiently.
These days, that task fell to Applebloom, much to her dismay. Applejack tried to soften her mood with a smile and a nudge from her nose. “Aww, come on now, strawberry. Taking care of the trees is important work, and they’ve never been in better hooves.”
Apple Bloom waved a hoof dismissively. “You’re just saying that so I feel better about it.”
“Nope! You’re much better than I ever was.” It was true, really. Apple Bloom was easily the most magically gifted member of the Apple family since Granny Smith. Possibly more so, considering her knack for both deer elixir and zebra potions.
Apple Bloom showed her young age with a roll of her eyes. To be fair, Applejack had also hated the chore when she was younger, so it was hard to fault her little sister.
Apparently deciding to find a more palatable topic, Apple Bloom walked past Applejack to look in the cabinet that she’d been rummaging through. “So what are you looking for?”
Applejack turned back to the mountain of stuff and thought quick. She didn’t want to outright lie, but she couldn’t explain the whole story. She decided to hope that part of the truth would be sufficient. “That old map Granny Smith has of the areas outside of Everfree.”
Applejack turned away and just hoped Apple Bloom wouldn’t ask –
“What do want that for?”
Well, it had been a long shot. “I, uh…” Applejack glanced around nervously. “Well, Fluttershy has these new friends that don’t live in Everfree, so…”
“Oh, you want to ask them where they’re from?” Without needing an answer, Apple Bloom turned away and motioned for Applejack to follow her. “I think I saw it in the attic.”
Although Applejack was thankful that she didn’t need to directly lie to Apple Bloom, she couldn’t shake the guilt that came from deceiving her. But even if a lie by omission wasn’t any better, she couldn’t very well tell the truth. She’d never make it to White Tail Woods and back before Fluttershy returned if she had to convince her family to let her go.
So doing her best to ignore the guilty feeling weighing her down, Applejack followed Apple Bloom up to the attic. If the rest of the house was cluttered, the attic was nothing short of a complete catastrophe. “How’d you even find it in here in the first place?”
Apple Bloom dove headfirst into a box as she answered. “I just saw it one day when I was looking for something to do with Sweetie Belle.” She rummaged around for a bit before pulling herself out and looking into another box.
Applejack started aimlessly going through other boxes. Many of the things she uncovered were interesting in their own right, but nothing useful.
“You know, I bet Granny would know exactly where it is,” Apple Bloom pointed out.
“I’m sure you’re right about that, strawberry, but I’m kinda in a bit of a hurry.” Applejack found a spare barrel and fixed it to her neck. She wasn’t as skilled with elixir as Apple Bloom was, but it could still find a use.
At least and hour passed with no progress. With over half the day gone, Applejack began preparing herself for the inevitable conversation with Granny. One the bright side, she really would know exactly where the map was. Of course, that came at a cost since it’d be almost impossible to convince her without lying.
But just when Applejack was ready to give up, Apple Bloom announced, “Found it!”
Applejack turned to see her running over with the map. “Perfect! Thanks a ton, AB.”
“No problem, AJ.” Apple Bloom noticed the barrel as Applejack took the map. “Putting on a show for your new friends?”
At least Apple Bloom was saving her from thinking of the excuses herself. “I, uh, I doubt they’ve ever seen anything quite like deer magic.”
Apple Bloom looked at her quizzically. “You never show off like that, though.”
“I’m not showing off,” Applejack said automatically.
Apple Bloom just laughed. “Yeah, you are. I guess it’s just Fluttershy rubbing off on you.”
Applejack was tempted to argue, but she knew better. “Fluttershy doesn’t show off, she’s just playful.” Well, she would limit her arguing, at least.
“Yeah, with her amazing magic that only she can do,” Apple Bloom said.
Applejack just huffed in reply. Once they were out of the attic, she set about finalizing her preparations. She got a bag and tucked the map into it, filled her barrel with elixir, and gathered some food. She wondered if there was anything else she might need, but she had no way of knowing what would be useful. Besides, there was only so much that she could gather without looking suspicious.
“I think that’ll do it,” Applejack said as she pulled the bag shut.
“Say hi to Fluttershy for me!” Apple Bloom said.
Applejack nodded then approached the door, but she stopped before going through it. “Did you finish all your chores today?”
There was a noticeable silence.
Applejack sighed. “Go on. There’s still daylight left.”
Apple Bloom groaned but did as she was told. Applejack set off in the opposite direction, deciding to put some distance between herself and the Apple family orchard before consulting the map. It wouldn’t do her any good to get it if she was just stopped by Granny Smith and Big Mac on the way out.
After walking for twenty minutes, she decided it was safe. With one more look around to make sure the coast was clear, Applejack carefully unrolled the aging map. Her eyes flicked around it as she studied it closer than she ever had before.
She had suspected that she would need to pass through Ponyville but was relieved to find that wasn’t the case. All she had to do was follow one of the forest’s numerous rivers westward. The journey between the two forests was all flat grassy land, meaning she would have nothing to worry about until she actually reached White Tail Woods.
Considering the time, she almost decided to just head to the willow tree and make a fresh start in the morning. She might have done so if she had started a day earlier, but she was cutting it close enough already, so there was no way she could waste time.
She decided she would at least get to the edge of Everfree before calling it a day. Anywhere in the forest provided a certain amount of security, and she had slept under its canopy plenty of times before.
At least she was able to make good time while in Everfree. She found the river and stuck close to it, moving west while keeping it on her right side. She was tempted to go looking for Rarity, who would be able to get her anywhere the river went with no problems, but she had been in a completely different part of the forest. All the rivers connected, but Applejack had no idea where she was or how long it would take her to navigate from one river to the other. It was just as well; it would be better if Applejack handled this on her own.
Unfortunately, she would have to forge the river. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem; it was gentle enough, and she was certainly not averse to swimming. But between the map and the food, swimming was well out of the question. Applejack knew the river continued unbroken throughout the entirety of Everfree, and the map showed that it would continue much further. Even though the land had might have changed since the map was drawn, it wasn’t a chance she could take. And besides, there was at least an option for crossing so long as she was in the forest.
She had hoped she wouldn’t need to touch her supply of elixir until she was in White Tail Woods, but it was unavoidable. She opened the tiny barrel and poured a small amount of the shimmering liquid onto the ground, then closed her eyes in concentration.
Applejack really didn’t have her little sister’s talent with magic, but it was something all deer possessed. She could practically feel the elixir seeping into the ground, leaving a patch of greenery wherever the fluid had touched.
Plants only ever grew in the most direct path to suit their needs. Unless, of course, one knew how to ask politely. Applejack concentrated on the newly-formed plant life, guiding it outward. It was slow at first, but the vines built speed once they were fully formed. She led them to the river, then across to the other side. Strands of vine intertwined to form a bridge, digging into the ground on the other side for security.
Applejack opened her eyes and smiled at her work. It was small as far as bridges went, but it was big enough to support a single deer without a problem. Without a doubt that it would also be sturdy enough, Applejack crossed safely above the water.
Once she was on the other side, Applejack poured a little more elixir onto the vines. The bridge no longer had a purpose, and the deer did all they could to live in harmony with the forest. It was unthinkable to permanently alter it every time a single deer needed to cross a river. So closing her eyes to concentrate once more, Applejack guided the vines to unwind. They returned back the way they came, retracting back into the ground. All that was left was a small patch of particularly lush growth in the places the elixir had touched.
With the river forded, there was nothing left to do but follow it. She now kept it on her left side as she continued to move west. She had to ignore the uneasy feeling that came from being on the edge of the forest.
She couldn’t ignore all of it, however. It was disconcerting how the day grew lighter as she went on. It would be getting dark again soon enough and she knew she should be thankful for the extra light, but that light came at the cost of fewer trees. A glance upwards revealed how much thinner the canopy was already, and it would only be getting worse.
Applejack stopped and looked around. “What am I doing?” she asked herself aloud. She was getting involved with something she knew she shouldn’t be. Although finding the Emblem of Anqa would be an amazing accomplishment, dying in the attempt certainly wouldn’t be.
With a sigh, Applejack sat to take a small break and contemplate whether or not she should even bother continuing. She pulled an apple out of her bag to eat while she waited. “Hmph, sour apples,” she grumbled as she ate. Remembering Rainbow Dash’s comments caused her to scowl, even days later.
‘Why would Fluttershy want to be friends with someone like her?’ Applejack asked herself.
‘Because she’s actually interesting,’ she answered back. Rainbow Dash may be rude, but she was also exciting. She was a gateway to a life more interesting than the forest could ever be.
Applejack finished the apple and threw the core away. She stood up and continued walking, following the river westward. She didn’t stop to question if she was doing the right thing again.
Eagle-eyed viewers may have picked up that none of the artwork in this story really seems to be related to the story itself. All of the pictures predate this story, and I've just been picking them out of the Noodle AU tag on Pasu's Tumblr to give some visual representation to the characters. Some good stuff there, is what I'm saying 
Speaking of her art, here's a sketch she drew with Thicket in it (and here's how it appears in the official MLP comics) for an idea on deer architecture.
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The illustrations were simply great
both of them, and I really dig Rarity's design 
I wonder what will happen to Applejack once she reaches White Tail woods...
8000702
Pasu's certainly done an amazing job on all the Noodleverse artwork.
Aren't they though
Let's just say the adventure tag will finally make sense
Hehe, I like this characters.
The interactions are fun.
So, it is one of those stories. AJ will go to great lengths, adventure and peril to prove Everfree can be exciting. But Fluttershy in reality has no intention of leaving the forest, and is perfectly happy of how things are. Geez, you just want to see something different, and suddenly bam... your love one thinks you want to abandon your home forever.
Btw I think your title in the story document is wrong, still says chapter one.
8000702 Thank you very much!
(Yes I am Pasu) Hopefully I'll draw more of the water noodle soon so that rabbit can use another picture if needed 
8001697 Oh, happy to know you
Kricky showed me many of your great works, I added you to my follow list. I'll be looking forward to that also 
8000826 Oooh
8001525
Fluttershy: "I decided to try a new manecut. What do you think, deer?"
Applejack: "I don't know who you are anymore!"
lol yeah, somedeer might just be a little resistant to change here
And thank you for pointing out the error, that's fixed now 
8001697
I already have the pictures picked out for chapter three 
No need to draw anything on my account
8003224 As if you didn't know I had plans on drawing her anyway? =P
When is chapter 3 being uploaded? Is this because of the time change last weekend?
8018903
Unfortunately, I'm forced to take a bit of a break in my writing (more details here, but basically it's some irl stuff). I'll be updating chapter three as soon as I can, though.
The idea of the Apple family as deer is just so perfect! I love how it keeps their family dynamic intact. All the species choices work so well with the characters. Rainbow as a griffon is particularly good, especially with what their general character and culture are shown to be. And Lady Rarararara as a sea serpent continues to be my fave. It's just so glamorous!
10496719
I'm glad you like the species choices. I always thought if Pasu had made the AU later, Pinkie would've been a yak instead of a griffon, but I also like her and Dashie coming from the same place.
Gives me something to work with for Rainbow's story in this seriesI like how you included the elixirs from the comics. It ties into Apple Bloom being Zecora's apprentice well.
11392696
Yup, that was the idea! I had fun figuring out how the elixir worked, since that's not explained well in the comic