Applejack Gets Lost

by MagicS

Right or Left

Walking.

So much walking. The sun had gone down and come back up again. While Applejack had gotten some nice rest at night, even though it was a bit too cold, now she was overheating again and there was nowhere around to get any shade.

At least she had her hat.

For a second she thought she heard thunder in the distance, but there wasn’t a sign of storm clouds in any direction. Maybe some pegasus was messing around somewhere. A Rainbow Dash kind of pegasus that liked playing pranks on other ponies.

I’m definitely gonna have a story for everyone when I get back at least.

Applejack shook her head and continued to carry on, the dirt expanse all around her not getting any smaller. Shortly after the hills she had walked over after the canyon the grass seemed to just die out like this whole area had been hit by the biggest drought Applejack could think of. It wasn’t quite like the Badlands Applejack decided but it was still pretty desolate. The lightest wind kept kicking up dust everywhere, blowing it into her face, mane and coat. Every now and then she saw a few dust devils in the distance.

“Hope Applebloom hasn’t gotten into any trouble while I’m gone.” Applejack couldn’t help but worry for her little sister even though she’s matured quite a bit. It was just her worrying nature.

I’m being silly, Sweetie Belle and… well Big Mac and Rarity will be sure to keep her out of trouble. And she’s done so much good with all that crusading lately.

There weren’t even any flies buzzing around in this wasteland, she almost wished there were since swatting them away from her face would give her something to do and something to think about instead of just being forced to look ahead at the nothing in the distance. Maybe she should’ve just tried going back through the canyons instead of going forward. Honestly doesn’t seem like things could’ve gone worse if she did that. Well, no sense crying over spilled applesauce.

Shucks, now I just want an apple. Just one single apple.

Applejack sighed at her errant thoughts, it wasn’t doing any good to think about what she couldn’t have. Any sort of food would be unlikely right now and an apple would practically be a miracle. A big, juicy, tasty apple…

No! Keep your mind on walking Applejack! Think, Pinkie Pie would probably sing a song or play a game to pass the time. Twilight would probably be cataloging this new place she found herself in or whatnot.

The farmer chuckled to herself. “Twi would probably have a “wilderness survival” checklist to go through or something silly like that. Saddlebag, check! Canteen, check! Compass, check!” Applejack continued before slowly losing enthusiasm. “Tools… check. Spare horseshoes, uh, check. Map...”

Aw hay, now I just look silly for not having any of this stuff.

“But it was just a routine delivery!” She spoke out loud to herself. “How was I supposed to know I’d get lost. Uhh, not that I’m admitting that I’m lost. Just somewhere that looks momentarily unfamiliar. I aint lost.” Applejack frowned to herself, easily imagining Big Mac staring her down with a single raised eyebrow. “Yeah, yeah, you just laugh it up why don’t you.”

Belatedly Applejack realized she was walking on what was clearly a path. It was almost imperceptibly different from the dirt around it but it was still clearly a path. Old and well-worn but probably one that hadn’t been used in years. Applejack kept her eyes glued to it as she walked forward, this was a start at least, it meant she was definitely going somewhere and hopefully even somewhere she knew. It was certain that she wasn’t walking away from where the path started since the only thing behind here were the canyons and mountains she already traveled through. She figured there must be a town or something where the path started up ahead.

“Just gonna be a matter of time now. I’ll walk into Appleloosa or Dodge Junction looking mighty silly.” It was good to stay positive she figured.

She noticed that the path was curving slightly instead of going straightforward like she initially was. Stopping for a second and shrugging in resignation she continued to follow the path, it had to be better than just randomly going straight after all. That’s something Rainbow Dash would do.

The sun was starting to dip in the sky but there still weren’t any clouds to give her a reprieve from its harsh light just yet. She’d have to wait until it fully fell over the horizon before she could cool off.

Taking her hat off and fanning her face felt good at least.

Applejack looked up at the sky briefly. “Does she have to make it this darn hot all day? I’m frying out here. I didn’t think I was even in a place that would get this hot, it’s not even a desert either!” She kept following the path, wondering if Twilight would be offended at her complaining about Celestia’s control of the sun.

And up ahead she saw something.

It was just the smallest little dot in the distance at first but as she kept getting closer the details became easier to make out.

A signpost.

“Well I’ll be! I knew I’d find something to get me right back on track.” Not being too hasty she kept her hooves marching slowly, no sense exhausting herself when she knew the first sign of civilization was just up ahead. Civilization and some nice crisp apples too she hoped.

As she got closer to the sign she also came to notice that the path she was on split off to her right and left while also still continuing forwards, the simple signpost was stuck into the middle of where the paths intersected, and simple was putting things lightly. It looked like someone had hacked off a tree branch and just jammed it into the ground while nailing two arrow shaped pieces of wood on top. Applejack wondered how the thing hadn’t fallen over yet.

Rubbing the back of her head she kept on walking towards it, at least she could tell there was something written on the arrows, now she could find out where she was and where the closest town was. Although a quick glance to her right and left showed the same desolate nothingness all around her. Wherever she went didn’t seem like it would be too different.

After walking a bit more she had at last come to be standing before the signpost. Looking up at it to decide which direction to go now.

“Is this some sort of joke?” Applejack flatly said to herself, eyebrows knitted together.

On the arrow pointing to her right was the word “RIGHT” painted on. And the arrow pointing to her left read “LEFT”.

Applejack stood there, frowning at the sign, saying nothing, doing nothing. Half-expecting some foal to come out of a hiding spot and laugh at her confusion. She didn’t feel as mad as she should have after walking all this way and having the first pony-made thing she saw be someponies idea of a joke. It was more a feeling of “Really now?” if she could put it into words.

Again she sighed, she had been doing a lot of that lately, and just shook her head. At least she was still on this path and it definitely had to go somewhere. Now that she was standing here at the crossroads she figured she could at least look around to see if she could see anything different from here.

And to her right.

Nothing.

And to her left.

Nothing.

Looking ahead to the direction she was already going in she saw a rock about 50 feet ahead of her. That was about it.

“Well that’s just about fine by me.” Applejack walked past the signpost and bucked it lightly, making it shake in the ground. “Stupid sign.”

Nothing she could do about this. At least the sun had almost reached the edge of the horizon now, she could walk a bit further and then get some nice rest. Applejack thought that now she could even just barely see some hills far away, not a town but still something to look at besides the nothing that was all around her previously. Applejack brought a hoof to her mouth and yawned, it was such an uneventful day, and so hot, that she was already tired even though it was hours before she would normally sleep.

That stupid sign was still bugging her, it would’ve been better if there was nothing there at all.

“Hey wait a second...” A sudden thought came to Applejack and she looked back over her shoulder at the sign she was leaving behind.

On the back of the arrow that she had previously seen “RIGHT” painted on was the word “LEFT” and on the other arrow was the reverse.

Applejack’s eyes narrowed.

Comments

[MagicS]

9271108
Thank you for your comment, my first one! These first couple chapters are kind of like that because it's just Applejack walking alone to set the scene/atmosphere of the story and she's mainly just thinking or talking to herself, so it stays a little description heavy here without a lot of breaks. As there actually starts to be real dialogue and things happening in the story that will change the make-up of the chapters.

[Gentian]

Congrats on your story getting approved. You can still bring it up in conversation.

[Princess Lulu]

pranked by a sign

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

That sign made me crack up. I love AJ's exasperation.

[redmar]

That's a rather useless signpost and it does seem like some kind of prank.