Slice of Velvet and Pear

by David Silver

59 - The Last Roundup

"She's not comin' back?"

Twilight inclined her head at the filly. "That seems unlikely."

"It's been a week!" Apple Bloom stomped a little hoof. "She shoulda been back ages 'go!"

Twilight rubbed at her chin thoughtfully. "Well... It has been a while. Maybe it's time to check in on her. Let me ask a pony or two." She circled around to get to the farmhouse and the two matriarchs within. "Pear Butter?"

"You kin call me mom, if you're comfortable with it." Pear Butter closed with Twilight for a soft hug. "What brings you by?"

Twilight's expression brightened to a gentle smile at the embrace. "Apple Bloom's worried for her sister, and now I am too a little... Have you heard from her?"

"She sent a letter..." Pear coiled to fetch that letter.

"Is that why Apple Bloom seemed so certain Applejack wasn't coming back?" Twilight followed at Pear's side to the waiting letter. "Let's have a look... Family and friends, not coming back to Ponyville. Don't worry, will send money soon." Twilight shook her head. "That's all? She had to say more than that!"

"Fraid not," sighed Pear. "She's at the right age ah figured she was findin' herself. Didn't want to get in the way of that... She knows ah love her to pieces."

Twilight shook her head. "I'll get some backup and we'll fetch Applejack. There's no way we're letting this Apple get lost!"

"Thank you." Pear gave Twilight a new firm embrace. "Bring her back. Granny and Big Mac are losing sleep worryin' for her."

"How are you not?" She cocked a brow at Pear Butter.

"I have faith." Pear put a hoof at her chest. "Your mother reminds me without tryin' that ya have to have that to get through life. Sureness that it'll all work out... She's out there. She's not hurt. She'll come back when she's ready. But yer her friend, her sister even... If anypony could grab her and drag her home, it'd be you."

"I will do my best." They met, forehead to forehead. Pear Butter had practice doing that with a unicorn without being poked in the process. "At the very least, she should tell us what's going on."

"Bring her back... so I can tan her hide." Pear took a shaky breath. "After I hug her to death..."

Twilight trotted out of the house, on a mission. "Time to go."

Moon looked up at the sudden entrance. "Go where?"

"Applejack's having... maybe a personal crisis. We're going to help."

"Oh." Moon put the book she had been reading down. "Who will watch the library?"

Twilight's powering steps came to a halt. "Ah, hm..." She hadn't thought of that. "Somepony has to..."

"Does it have to be a pony?" Spike peeked out from the kitchen with a grin. "I could do it."

"Spike!" Twilight closed for a hug. "You are a lifesaver. Would you? I don't want to leave the whole town without access to their books."

"Of course not." He saluted properly. "I'll be ready! Go help Applejack. She alright?"

Moon moved to march-readiness beside Twilight. "She will after we intercede. Where to first?"

"We get the others." She led Moon out of the library to get the other girls. "And we head to the rodeo we last know she was at. She might have said something to them."

"Sound reasoning..." They were soon on a train, arriving at the rodeo grounds a short while later. Things were put away, the town already recovered from the event as if it had barely happened.

"Howdy, Twilight." One pony spotted her, waving with a smile. "Whatcha doin' here? Don't 'spect to see you round these parts."

Rainbow approached as if they had done something wrong. "We're looking for AJ. Where'd she go?"

The mare blinked with fresh confusion. "She said somethin' 'bout cookin' somethin' up and went off in a huff."

Rarity cocked a brow. "Cooking something up? She was supposed to return home."

Pinkie nodded firmly. "Unless she's cooking a really big celebration cake, she has no excuses!"

Twilight let the mare flee, covering her withdrawal. "We have to figure out where she could have gone... cooking up trouble?"

Moon tapped her hooves together in slow thought. "Cooking... Cooking!"

"Cooking?" It clicked for Twilight. "Cooking!"

Rarity looked between the two mares. "Darlings, you're not sharing. What did you two go and figure out?"

Fluttershy pressed her hooves together. "They look ready to share."

"I am." Moon leaned against Twilight. "There is only one--"

"--possible meaning." Twilight nodded with complete agreement. "Applejack is in--"

"--Canterlot."

"Canterlot?!" got out all the mares in unison.

Pinkie got to bouncing towards the train. "Then we know where we have to go!"

Rainbow zipped next to her. "Yeah! Let's get her. Seriously, Canterlot?"

---

"My faithful student." Celestia touched cheek to cheek with Moon Dancer. "As always, a pleasure. I hadn't been expecting you."

"Yes, it is a pleasure." Luna smiled at her fellow maybe autist. "What brings you here?"

Moon inclined her head at Twilight and the others. "We're here following Applejack. Have you seen her? Sorry to bother you."

"You're no problem at all, I assure." Celestia looked towards a door. "Applejack's cooking has been... divine, to be honest. What did you require her for?"

Rainbow flew right past Celestia, zooming for the door, at least until crossed spears slammed in the way for her and Pinkie to crash into. The two guards that wielded them frowned at the two, denying them entrance.

"Oh my..." Fluttershy looked to Celestia. "She left without telling anypony where she went. We're anxious about her... to be , um... Sorry."

Luna set off for the same door. "We will visit her. We had no idea she had run away from home."

"Not a clue. She had gotten right to work." Celestia and Luna led the way through the castle. "It was something of a surprise, her turning up without a word, asking if she could take the job."

"We agreed." Luna nodded as if that were the obvious answer. "A chef of that quality? As if sister mine could even consider refusing."

Celestia colored, but kept her pace even. "She's earning her bits, and she should be..." She stepped through a door, having to crouch a little to slip in. "Here."

There was Applejack, but she was far from alone. She was working busily as part of a crew of chefs to prepare some manner of treat in collaborative work.

Applejack spotted them and backed a step with a cringe. "Be right back, little filly's room!" She fled without a further word.

One of her coworkers frowned at where Applejack had been. "Not in the middle of a dish." They grumbled, but got back to work, at least until he spotted Celestia. "Your Majesty! How can we help?"

Pinkie landed in front of the pony with a big smile. "Friends with AJ? She's really nice, but she ran away and we need to find her. Where'd she go?"

"Um..."

Celestia nodded gently. "You can talk to her."

"Alright." He seemed to relax with the permission given. "She said she had to use the restroom. Poor timing. She usually waits until there's a break, like the rest of us."

Twilight approached with a hoof to her chin. "That's not like her. She hates leaving a job incomplete."

Moon nodded. "It does not fit her usual pattern. Has she been performing abnormally?"

Celestia waved a hoof. "We just said, she's been a fine cook, a model one even. I wonder what's troubling her. It would seem you are either exactly what she needs... or exactly what she does not."

Luna thudded against her sister. "Don't say it like that. Moon Dancer." Moon looked up to Luna. "I find it difficult to imagine you came for no reason. If you are here, it is because you are required. Find her."

"Agreed." Moon set off to the little filly's room. She knocked on it lightly. "Are you in there, Applejack?"

"We just want to make sure you're alright," added Twilight.

"What's the deal?" demanded Rainbow Dash, less sympathetic in tone by far.

"Jus' a moment." Things grew quiet.

Rarity rolled a hoof. "Even I don't take that long. Darling, do you need help?"

"Ah'm fine!" came through the door muffedly.

Rarity frowned at the door. "So you're coming out?"

"Jus' a moment..."

"Goin' in!" Rainbow kicked open the door to reveal the rump of Applejack, just about finished with squeezing out the window to freedom. "Hey, get back here!" She grabbed Applejack by the back end and got kicked for the trouble with a painful thud. She was sent flying as Applejack fell free and out of sight.

The girls took chase, bursting out the window after Applejack in a merry chase through the streets of Canterlot. Rainbow divebombed the fleeing country mare. "Quit it! No way are you getting away!"

Applejack grabbed Rainbow, pivoting with the force of the dive to hurl her away with it. "Stop it! Ah ain't goin' back!"

"But why?" Pinkie was right in front of Applejack. "Did something happen?"

"We are your friends." Moon slowed with Twilight next to her. "We want to help if we can."

"But... Ah..." She grunted with frustration, but her friends wouldn't leave her be. "Consarnit... It was my turn to help!"

Rarity inclined her head, heaving from the chase. "Darling... You can help by not... running anymore, please..."

Moon gestured to the others with a sweep of a hoof. "They have helped me. I have only helped them a little."

"Liar." Pinkie stuck out her tongue. "I didn't forget! You helped me."

Twilight nodded. "And me, but today is about Applejack. What were you trying to do?"

Applejack huffed softly. "Not gonna let me go, are ya?" But none of the mares looked ready to back down. "Look." She kicked away a bag she had been holding, letting its medals spill out.

Moon examined them, but did not understand. "You performed well. Congratulations are in order."

"Ah... No." She lifted one medal closer to Moon. "Second place. Ah didn't win. Not one thin'... Ah... Ah let the whole town down... Ah'm makin' money here, cookin'. Planned to send the bits back when I paid what ah promised everypony."

Rarity lifted a medal with her magic. "You managed to get quite a few of them, dear. This is quite the achievement."

"Ah... tried my best, ah did... But I still failed. I didn't get the bits ah promised." She began gathering up her medals. "So, ah'm fixin' that. Ah'll... be back when ah got it all."

"Silly."

Applejack frowned at Pinkie's outburst. "What'd you say?"

"I called you silly," Pinkie repeated without a hint of remorse. "We'd rather have an Applejack than a million-thousand-kajillion bits! It's not even a fair trade, duh. So, I'll take one Applejack, please." She put down a shiny bit in front of Applejack. "Please deliver to Sweet Apple Acres."

Applejack swatted the coin away, "Right 'ppreciate the thought, but the town hall needs fixin'. Granny needs a new hip, the farm could use the bits in a thousand places... Somepony has--" She came up short, a hoof against her snout. "Yes?"

Moon drew her hoof away. "You are not alone. You have friends." She pointed to the other ponies there. "We would be glad to help, I think?" They all started to nod, to Moon's relief. "Yes, we would be glad to help. You are a friend, and family. You tried to do it, and could not. That is when you need friends the most."

Twilight nodded rapidly. "And you shouldn't be embarrassed about it. We all have those moments when we need a helping hoof. You've come for me when I needed it, Applejack. Let me return the favor once in a while." She flipped the bag shut with her magic. "Now, what's this I hear about you getting a job with Celestia?"

Moon looked back at the castle. "A very prestigious position. Please, tell us about it."

The conversation turned to Applejack's time as a chef of Celestia's. She had gotten one thing right, and was proud to share her tales.

Author's Note:

This episode got over and done fairly speedily, but it feels done. Did I miss any major beats?

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Comments

[TheGJ90]

Well, looks like Rarity didn't get left in the desert with Pinkie Pie this time around.

This chapter was short and sweet all at once. Now, on a scale of Honky-Dory to Oh Nelly, how hard is Pear Butter gonna tan Applejack's hide for running off?

[Booster Spice]

Celestia can now pay premium for personal made and delivered foods straight from the royal labled food supplier, Applejack.

Then Filthy Rich can mark up the jars of preserve that carry the legally permittoed, Princess Approoved stamp?

And Flim and Flam can keep trying to get round Twilights and Moondancers anti fraud spells?

[PonyFan4927]

11651659
Ah reckon if Applejack wasn't a grown mare her mum would make her rump glow as red as her Cutie Mark.

[Venerable Ro]

Well Applejack had a better fallback than a random cherry plantation, always good to see a story building on established character development.

And maybe they can check with Celestia in the subject of municipal funding, Ponyville really shouldn't be reliant on rodeo prize money to keep the town hall in repair.

[Tangent]

The best thing about Applejack taking a job in Canterlot instead of Dodge Junction, is that she can choose to either commute or visit home frequently. Ponyville isn't all that far by train, and a Palace job probably means that she makes enough that she could do a round trip daily if she wanted to.

[Tangent]

11651772
The sad thing about Flim and Flam is that they occasionally have really good ideas, but they are so committed to the Art of the Con that they are actually self-defeating whenever they actually get their hooves on something that works.

The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 was actually an astonishingly good device, though a potential Garage Queen with all the unneeded design creep features it had. The quality control sensor and separator it had would have netted them far more than the mere season or two that they might have been able to get from running Sweet Apple Acres into the ground (because they aren't farmers, they are conponies). The only reason their machine failed was because they turned their quality control filter off.

And, thanks to the Time War between Twilight and Starlight, we know that if Flim and Flam had acquired Sweet Apple Acres, they actually would have run the orchard into the ground to the point where they would have to resort to selling the trees for applewood lumber...

Not that I think Pear Butter would have let granny bet the farm in this continuity. In fact, there's a good chance that Flim and Flam's "borrowing" a "few" apples for their demonstration might have backfired on them. After all, Borrowing implies returning what they borrowed. And they didn't exactly wait for a proper response when they asked - they just asked and took the apples they needed as if they had actually gotten permission.