Applejack Gets Lost

by MagicS

Wings of the Wind III

The night was an uncomfortable sleep.

It was difficult enough for her to fall asleep in the first place with her dealing with everything her “friends” had just told her. Add that to the lack of any sort of bed or furniture to sleep on and Applejack tossed and turned for hours on a ratty carpet over a hard stone floor. Eventually sheer exhaustion won out and she fell asleep.

When she woke up she had no idea what time it was, the lichen in the walls still faintly glowed but there were no windows to the outside inside the large cavern of the monastery. This far inside it could be any time of the day and it would be impossible to tell. Her internal clock was telling her it was sometime around late morning though, definitely later than a farm gal would normally wake up. Applejack yawned and got up off the floor, stretching a bit she tried to think of how she wanted to handle the day.

She didn’t have the energy to sigh.

Slowly she started to pick her hooves up, one lumbering after the other as she left her makeshift room and started to look for the disciples. This was still their home and they allowed her to stay here at least.

Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten so mad after what they’ve been through… but they still knew what they were doing, they didn’t tell me anything even with it being so dangerous…

Applejack didn’t plan on being a freeloader or staying here for too long. Again she’d have to get on the road at some point and try to find her way back to Ponyville. But if that crazy pegasus was after her she wondered if that was such a wise idea, surely Twilight or Starlight could deal with him but she didn’t want to risk any sort of danger. Even the thought of her putting Apple Bloom or one of her friends in harms way by accident was unthinkable. The off-chance that something could happen, unlikely as it was, kept gnawing at Applejack.

Night Storm couldn’t really know about me yet could he? Not unless he followed Quartz and thems trail to the Twin Towns or something…

Applejack blanched. She really hoped that wasn’t the case.

Her hooves carried her through a series of stone hallways, if there weren’t such recognizable cuts and cracks in the walls she could’ve easily gotten lost but she remembered well enough from last night how to get back to the great hall. Of course it was unlikely that the disciples were there at the moment. Maybe they had their old rooms somewhere, or a mess hall or something. Applejack decided it was best not to go wandering around and instead wait for them to find her so in the end she decided to simply walk back to the great hall.

She ended up pacing back and forth when she got there, restless. Walking from one end of the room to the other and counting the pillars. Waiting for somepony else to come in. Applejack wasn’t sure what she wold say or even how she’d react when she first saw them. She’d try and keep it civil.

Just gotta take a page out of Fluttershy’s book.

A few more minutes of pacing and Applejack heard the cluttering of hooves on the stone floor.

“I see you’re already awake.”

“Hello Quartz.” Applejack said, not turning to the voice. There was a moment of silence and then she heard him sigh behind her.

“You have a right to be angry. I don’t blame you for your reaction or how you’re feeling now, but at the same time we don’t really have this luxury. Even if you don’t want to accept our offer of training right now that’s fine, I’d just like to take you to the villages on the other side of the forest. We don’t really have any food here.”

And right on time Applejack’s traitorous stomach rumbled. Definitely loud enough for Quartz to hear.

Applejack rolled her eyes at her body’s betrayal and sighed. “Fine. I don’t mind.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m not… I don’t hate you or anything. I’m just a little upset.” Still speaking with her back turned to him, Applejack let her slumped body-language tell him all he needed to know.

“We’re sorry, all of us. I… I’m not going to try to make any excuses.” She could hear the genuine sadness in his voice, if she was looking at him she was certain she’d see it in those deep eyes of his too.

“It’s alright. I’ve had plenty of arguments with friends, and I’ve known a lot of bad ponies. You’re-” Applejack sighed deeply again and closed her emerald eyes before finishing. “You’re not bad ponies, sometimes good ponies just make bad decisions.”

---

The two of them walked side by side on a path that was made through the forest on the other side of the large rock that the monastery was built into. Former path would be more accurate though, it was overgrown with vines and weeds and animals trampling through it had left it uneven and dug out. So far neither of them had spoken since leaving the monastery. The morning sun had made the forest hot and humid again, the buzzing of insects was an ever-present background noise. Feeling some sweat coalesce at her brow and having no idea how far it was to the first village, Applejack decided she might as well speak up to pass the time.

“So what about the others? They even know we left?”

“I talked with them last night, I didn’t want you to feel swarmed by us. Being inside the monastery brings back bad memories for Obsidian as well, it’s better if she takes the time to relax and calm herself.” Quartz spoke with a small frown, his normally impassive voice and face tinged with the smallest amount of sadness. Anypony who hadn’t traveled with him like Applejack had wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

Applejack opened her mouth to offer her condolences for Obsidian but closed it just as quickly. She didn’t really know what to say anymore.

“Uh, so how much longer?” Ended up being the only thing she got out.

“Hm, not very. These villages you should know are very small, the smallest thing you could even call a settlement. I hope they’re doing alright since the last time I saw them.”

Less than an hour more of walking and they had made it to the first village, they probably would’ve made even better time if the path had been better taken care of. Quartz wasn’t lying either, it was small. The village was built at the edge of the forest and upon seeing that Applejack realized that the forest was on higher ground than the land around it, the village sat on top of a hill overseeing a walled-in valley with a small river going downhill and into it. The valley itself looked to be entirely covered in a thick jungle. The houses of the village were either made of sticks or built right into the trees themselves. It reminded Applejack a lot of the Kirin’s village.

There couldn’t be more than a hundred ponies living here. I don’t see any farms or anything, maybe they just forage from the trees?

As the two of them came into the village they were quickly spotted by the ponies that lived there. Some looked on in confusion wondering who these new ponies were while a few spoke in hushed whispers to each other. A group of foals that had been kicking around a ball stopped and looked on in awe, apparently this place might have been so out of the way that Applejack and Quartz could’ve been the first outside ponies they’d ever seen.

“So, uh, do you think some of em recognize you?” Applejack whispered to him.

“Most definitely. My face isn’t easy to forget. I’m hoping things have cooled off but they might still hold some old grudges. It was only a few years ago that they lost family to Night Storm.”

“I’ll speak up for you I suppose. If it comes down to it.” Applejack looked around as they walked further into the town, coming to a circular area bordered on one side by the river and the other the forest. A sundial was built in the center.

More ponies were milling about, going in and out of their small hovels.

“So what are we looking for anyways?” Applejack asked Quartz, it seemed like they had just been wandering aimlessly through the village.

“I was looking for the village head to ask for food but I don’t see him.” Quartz as well was looking around the small village. There weren’t many places that a pony could hide here.

“So you and your friends are back?”

Applejack and Quartz turned around at the voice, a heavyset earth pony stallion looking at them. He had a gray-green coat and a short black mane and beard. His eyes were not welcoming but not exactly angry either. Obviously he wasn’t happy to see Quartz but he didn’t seem to have the intention of starting anything either. She and Quartz were merely unwelcome guests.

“Tree Bark was it? Where’s-” Quartz started before being cut off.

“Passed away, peacefully at least.” Was the brisk answer.

“Sorry to hear that.”

“Old business. So what brings you back here? You know ponies aren’t going to be happy to see you. Especially if your friend isn’t far behind.” Tree Bark’s eyes narrowed at them.

Quartz’s face hardened a bit as well. “Even sarcastically I’d prefer you not calling him that. We just wanted some food, we’re back at the monastery for a bit.”

Tree Bark stood still for a minute, keeping his eyes on Quartz as if he was trying to see if Quartz would get tired of waiting around and just leave on his own. Applejack was about ready to speak up and ask herself when Tree Bark finally answered. “Alright, we never hurt for food around here. I don’t want to be spiteful to you crazy ponies, even if you’ve brought us nothing but trouble.” He walked past them and motioned for them to follow.

Nothing but trouble? Quartz said they helped out a lot around these villages before things went bad. Applejack frowned to herself at the thought. Mad as she was at Quartz she didn’t like anypony being treated unfairly.

The two of them still followed along after Tree Bark, getting more than a few looks from other ponies as they did.

“I was thinking of going to the other two villages today if we didn’t find any food here.” Quartz told her as they walked. “Both of them are down in that jungle below, but I guess visiting them can come another day. I’d rather us just take this food back to the others for now.”

Applejack nodded. Tree Bark led them to the end of the circular area where a large rectangular hut was situated, the doorway covered by a cloth flap.

“You can take what you need. If anypony bothers you just tell me.” He told them as he pulled open the flap.

Applejack and Quartz walked by him into their storage room. As they entered Tree Bark raised an eyebrow at Applejack.

“Who are you anyways? I don’t remember you.”

“Oh, pardon me. My name’s Applejack, I’m not from around here. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier.” She grinned, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

Tree Bark just looked at her and shrugged. “Well whatever, if you’re traveling with this guy I guess you know what you’re getting into. Just be careful, trouble follows him.” As Applejack and Quartz started looking through the crates of food piled high in the chamber he let go of the flap and walked off, the sound of his hooves hitting the ground growing lighter.

Applejack took a glance at the doorway and their villager friend walking away from it.

Trouble follows me too, wish it didn’t.

---

The two of them got busy scrounging up all the fruits and vegetables they figured the five of them would need for the next few days. There were a lot of tomatoes especially. Naturally Applejack wished they could have gotten some apples but she didn’t have any expectations anymore about being able to find one in these parts. And of course she was right to have no expectations. Oranges, blueberries, bananas, but no apples. Grumbling to herself, she fit as much as she could in one of the burlap sacks that had been lying in the storage room. Quartz figured it was fine to use them and they’d bring them back anyways.

Pushing the flap out of the way the two of them exited the hut and began to go back on their way out of the village when something in the corner of her eye caught Applejack’s attention.

She hadn’t seen it before when they were going in cause she was focusing on Tree Bark but now she could see that there was something across the river. She stopped and squinted at it, trying to make out what it was.

Sticks in the ground?

There were numerous sticks placed into the ground, as she looked harder she noticed that some of the sticks had ribbons tied to them, or a hat placed on them, or some other item.

Oh…

Applejack continued to stop and stare until Quartz noticed she wasn’t coming with him. Looking back he saw her eyes glued across the river and followed her gaze. Quartz frowned and closed his eyes, not wanting to interrupt Applejack from whatever was going through her mind.

Applejack’s eyes didn’t move even as she knew Quartz was waiting for her, and that there were likely other ponies in this small village that had spied her and were staring. She thought about them, the little fillies and colts she had seen playing earlier, Tree Bark, all of the villagers who while unhappy to see them here didn’t give them any trouble. Letting them go about in peace.

“Hey Quartz.” Her face and hooves stayed frozen even as her mouth moved. “That offer to train me, I’ll take you up on it.”

Comments

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

Simple, but effectively dramatic scene.

[Maud of Sterner Stuff]

I really like how this chapter ends. Applejack may not know these ponies like those she met in Cross Way and the Twin Towns, but seeing something like that must make her want to ensure that they live in peace.

[RoboRed]

Combat skills get!