For Want of a Rider iii/vi
For want of a Rider
part iii of vi
For want of an Apple
There comes a point where you reach saturation. Something inside you just clicks and says ok, enough of that. You need some space now. Nothing lasts forever, and some things can be repaired simply by providing space and time in appropriate quantities. This was something 'Apple Jackie Orange' knew in her heart of hearts. 'When you run, you need to know if you're running to or away from something.' It didn't occur to her that it was also possible to run in circles, that thought didn't penetrate for a long time.
So once upon a time a unicorn and an earth pony were friends. Who knows how long they knew each other? What does it matter if it was from Kindergarten or the third week of Junior year in College? Two ponies were friends, and they were divided by what they held in common.
The unicorn loved the pulse and feral beats music could unleash, the passion and the transcendental state a repetitive beat could induce, and she had no use for Symphonic music past learning that Loudwig von Beathoofen was so deaf that he had his musicians play loud enough for him to FEEL the vibrations. Can you dig that? Crazy.
The earth pony loved the flowing patterns and progressions of music, the crystalline clarity that could emerge from even deeply layered compositions. She had no use for 'Modern' music past the occasional gem of chord progression that provided a thrill of synthesis and proved her point in the breach.
But, they were friends, and so they tried ignoring their differences. They tried discussing the subject in such general terms that nothing inoffensive was said. They tried playing out role reversals - Moby conducting the Filly-harmonic Orchestra, Ponygang Mozart on a synthesizer, and other such silly things. These jokes led to an idea, or really the absence of a complaint. 'Why not?' why not take the best of both musics and see what amalgamation could wrought.
What it wrought was a band with only two long-term musicians. A friend of a friend heard about the band, thought it sounded like a laugh, and sat in on a session. Two or three sessions later they had found a way to fit in, and three or four sessions later their heads were filled with ideas. The pony would set out to form their own band, with the blessings and well wishes of the two friends.
Eventually though, complication wore down a smooth operation. Petty differences and minor misunderstandings grew, and perhaps a little bit of space could have healed things, a little time certainly wouldn't have hurt. But the two were friends, their friend wouldn't try to hurt them, so it was their own fault, really - and they swallowed complaints and soldiered on. There was a contract too, and money has always been corrosive to friendship. The contract came to an end, and the friendship would have ended too, except for the filly.
The filly, they had to admit in their heart of hearts that she was not as old as she made herself out to be, saw two friends, she saw freedom, and she was so earnest. How could they not take her on the road? The band was about discovery, personal choices, and a little subversiveness - so who did it hurt to take her along? The farm family that had let her run off to the Big City in the first place? The high society Aunt and Uncle who could neither unbend enough for her or bend her to them?
Don't think about it too closely. Listen to the sound of the cartwheels as they roll along the road. Listen to the roar of the crowd like a furious sea crashing against the cliffs of the stage. Listen to the sound of records and instruments shattering into pieces that cannot be restored, like some overblown metaphor nopony wants to listen to.
So, a box was opened on that last stage. Anger, frustration, misunderstanding, misdirected guilt, and the gnawing fear of loneliness were unleashed on that stage as if Pony-dora herself were in the audience. But there was one thing left in the box: Vinyl Scratch and Octavia were friends. And the first thing any foal does, as soon as they're born, is to seek light. The show was hurting the friends, so the filly tried to carry the show on her own withers. She succeeded by failing, and shamed the Devil, as well as a couple of College Mares miles from home.
The three divided what remained of the profits afterward. They set the filly on a train back to Ponyville after extracting a promise that she'd ride it the whole way - nopony discussed the fact that it was a promise likely to be broken, and gave her a black and white hounds-tooth newsie cap too small for Vinyl anymore. Parting was what the bard called it, sweet sorrow, but the ache of a wound fully healed, the sorrow of seeing a bird ready for migration. Did they ever meet again? Were they friends afterwards or just a collection of fond memories? Only time will tell.
******
The railroad bull caught her twenty miles outside of town. 'Never fails, does it? I just got comfortable and here comes the management.' "Alright punk, you picked the WRONG train to sneak a ride on. When I catch you, you'll be through!"
'What is it with guys who love the sound of their own voices?' Jackie rolled over and took in the large gray minotaur standing against the open train car door. 'Is... is he.. posing? Wut th' buck?' "Oh hello sir, is there any possible way I could be of assistance to you?" she lay on the High Society Manehattanite accent thickly, some of the toughs would let you be until the next town if you made them laugh. ... Some of them thought they could demand more, and that was when they found out what years of wandering and odd jobs of hard labor did for close quarters combat skills.
He looked confused, but the momentum of his speech kept him from considering the situation. "If you are in doubt, let me be clear, get the buck out!"
"So's we're cleah 'bout it, mate, ah yew speakin' in hryhmes 're catch phras's?" the Eostralian accent was always good for a confused expression.
"Uh, I like to consider them mottoes, words of wisdom I dispense along with indiscriminate justice." Ok, he was slowing down. Either he didn't know how to deal with non-sequiturs or wasn't comfortable actually touching transients. He shook his head and made a face of determination, snorting. "You. Train. Off. Now."
"Are you kidding? Train's got to be going over thirty miles an hour right now. Look, your job is to make sure ponies like me aren't messing with the cargo. I ain't touched nothing, I'm clean - ah know what a shower is thankyouverymuch, and I'll be only too happy to hop off your little express here at the next stop." 'Time to stop playing around and bring out the big guns.'
"No, my JOB is to make sure that punks like you don't think they can get a free ride on the Pony Express. If I let you ride to the next stop, you'll think you can do that again. 'Once is forever in policy and warfare'."
"All's fair in love and war." 'That might not have been-' "Wait, wait, uh... 'you can break my body, but you can never break my spirit." 'Congratulations Jackie, you actually managed to find a worse line.'
The minotaur stood stock still, every muscle in his body seemed tensed, his breath seemed to be steaming out of his nostrils, which were wide open. 'Ok, here't comes...' Jackie braced herself, knowing that in close quarters like this she was better off trying to reduce the impact of attack rather than gamble on avoiding the blow entirely and pay full price if she failed. The attack was faster and more horrible than she could have imagined, he held her in an iron vice of a grip, she could hear her shoulder blades creaking against one another as he sought to crush the breath from her body.
Before she could bite for his eyes as a last act of defiance, he held her up in the air turning her gently to look her in the eye. A beatific smile graced his face, nearly a mile wide if it was an inch. "That was the most inspiring thing I think I've ever heard." He set her down, and put her straw hat back on her head as an afterthought. "Can, can I use that?"
"Wha?"
"The broken body/spirit line, do you mind if I use that?"
"Uh, feel free. Con-consider it a gift." 'I've either drunk too much or not enough, and I'm certain I'm sober right now.'
"All my life, I've done what others have told me to. Don't go in that China Shop Will, stop trying to wrestle with racoons Will, how on earth could you spend your entire college fund on a Tony Robbin seminar Will? Well no more! I am a new minotaur as of today!"
'In for a bit, in for an apple.' "Hey, if you're going to do this, you need an angle."
"A what?"
"You've got half a stage persona going already with the wrestler talk."
"What? This is how I always talk."
'Oh for the love of... ' "You got 'ta take this seriously."
"W-what?"
Jackie quickly slid a box over so she could climb it and shove her head against the Minotaur's thick skull. "SAY WHAT AGIN, I DARE YA'!"
"Wh-ok, wha-ahhaa howw do I do that?"
"You ever heard of Third Pony?"
"The literary technique, the band, or the Emperor before Sun Hoof?" 'Well if that don't just beat all... '
"I guess the Literary thing, it's a style of speech to me. ... what's your name, by the way?"
"Uh, Iron Will is named, Iron Will?"
"That's pretty good." Jackie hid her facehoof on the inside. "Now, what you do is..."
Two hours later the train pulled into Colt Junction. Two riders departed from the train. The orange one trotted into town to find an opportunity or two. The Gray one returned one set of Pony Express Railpony Uniform parts - nonstandard, extra-large - in to the Station Clerk, received half a week's pay as severance, and stepped into the pages of history.
And that's the legend of how the Greatest Motivational Speaker in all of Equestria got his start.
Equestria is a big place however you measure it. As the Dragon flies it is wider Latitudinally than it is tall in Longitude, and it is fairly 'tall'. An earth pony's navigation takes terrain into consideration and finds north-south travel more difficult, which is why a road map of Equestria looks like the skeleton of a deflated ball in side-section. Jackie Orange - Apple Jackie to some - saw about as much of that land as a single pony could. She left stories behind her when she left, sometimes at a run, and sometimes with reluctance, but always moving on to the next place, the next stop on her seemingly endless journey.
There comes a point where you reach saturation - I've said this already, haven't I. Far be it for me to repeat myself, but it is even possible to have too much 'new', too much space, and too much time spent without anypony else around who loves you. I suppose that's quite possible. What would have happened if Jackie hadn't seen the letter? We'll never know, because she did see it.
Dear sister Applejack,
Hi, this is your sister Apple Bloom. Big Mackintosh says 'hi' too. I want you to know that I've read every one of the letters you send home on occasion. Even the one asking Granny about contradictionscontraceptives which I was told I'm far too little to hear about, but it didn't make any sense anyhow so I figure it's ok.
I feel like I know you, from stories Granny and Big Brother tell me - and from your letters. But, I don't, do I? What I have are reflections of what you're like. I even wrote to Aunt and Uncle Orange. Do you know they weren't even sure you're still alive? That's silly, I know you still are - Twilight's 'Teleport Scroll' spell wouldn't work on a dead pony. She said so.
What I I want to ask you if you'll come and visit. I'd really like to meet you, the real you that makes so many reflections. Wait! don't throw the letter away, please? I'm asking you for help, Ponyville has been chosen to host the next Summer Sun Celebration. Twi says it's going to be the milnemi Millennial anniversary of the first one so it's an even bigger deal than normal. The whole family almost is coming, it's a Family Reunion. And you're family, you're MY family, and Big Mackintosh's, and Granny Smith's, and ... please come?
Your little sister and biggest fan,
Apple Bloom
Jackie wanted to throw the letter away, desperately. 'Where did this even come from?' she asked herself, dodging the real question, what was she going to do about it. As she was trying to formulate a reason she absolutely could not go to Sweet Apple Acres just then, something clicked. 'Ok, enough of this. I can't keep doing this anymore.' Pick your favorite metaphor for relief, it probably applied.
'Well, it's true, you really can't go home, can you?'
The farm was the same, Granny Smith seemed like as to outlive her progeny's progeny, 'no, no wishful thinking. You're here now, and you'll accept whatever comes next.' What came next was a reunion with her family, her real family... plus one. She had taken pains to arrive before the extended Family Reunion was scheduled. But... who was this Unicorn, tossing rotten apples with her fancy magicks to make the filly that could only be Apple Bloom catch with a bucket on top of her head?
Petty concerns were turned aside when the filly in question caught sight of the orange mare. Of course she dropped the bucket, of course she ran full tilt towards her erstwhile sister. And of course the Unicorn caught the bucket with more magic before it hit the ground, but Jackie wasn't watching her - not really. She certainly didn't see a wistful smile on a purple face.
"Applejack! It's you! It's really you! I mean, you look like what I thought you would!" 'Land sakes, was I ever this young?' Little Bloom danced around her in a fit of happiness that threatened tears on all sides.
Shouts brought a behemoth of a Red Stallion to investigate. Said investigation made him drop the straw he had loosely been holding in his mouth. "Well look at you." She wasn't sure who she was talking to, wasn't sure it mattered. The stallion walked toward her, tentatively at first, but ending in a gallop. Instead of the bone crunching takle she'd anticipated, Jackie found herself scooped onto her brother's back like a filly, the real filly clinging to her and laughing loudly and freely.
Moments found the trio outside the door of the farmhouse where the Apple Matron stood. Unfamiliar eyes would have found her expression reserved, but family knew welcome when it was offered. "Welcome home, child." If there hadn't been crying before, there was now.
She was out of practice Applebucking, but in good enough condition to pick it up again pretty quickly. The work was good, gave the mind something to focus on. Something other than the fact that she was here now, like the last several years of her life - the time she had spent growing to an adult - had never happened. Underneath the aching lightness of family was a deep weight of panic that for now was content to lie like a lump at the bottom of her mind.
Haphazard reporting from her sister filled in many of the gaps in her knowledge of Ponyville. 'So Cherilee did end up as a teacher? Good on her.' She puzzled about the bakery, 'Why in tarnation would you make cakes in the shape of a fish? We're miles from the nearest sea.' And frowned at references to the Unicorn.
"So, tell me again, 'Bloom, why is this Miss Sparkle here?"
"Oh, she came a few years ago when we had the problem with those caterpillars. Mackintosh heard about some big government program to help out public works and historical landmarks. He asked Granny, and she figured there's not much more historical in Ponyville than Sweet Apple Acres."
"Following you so far, I seen the CCCC in progress b'fore. Even worked on one'r two of their projects... remind me to tell you about the Grand Colty Dam sometime, but those projects don't normally last more'n a couple years. Why is she still here?"
Applebloom stopped and considered the question. "Well, I guess she just... found a place here. She... well I was pretty little when she first got here, so I don't remember it the best - but she had a bad time of it at first. Then the day of the Cloudboom, you've heard of the-"
"Yeah, I certainly remember that day." A wistful smile played across Jackie's lips.
"Well, she got her Cutie Mark that day. And she says it was thanks to the trees. Our trees, here in the Orchard."
"Unicorns... normally get marks in... did you say she got her mark the same... nevermind, the - unicorns - normally don't get plant related marks."
"Well, her's is a tree, but it's like a pretend tree. Like when you look at the night sky and there's supposed to be a snake and a pony, and all sorts of stuff up there, but what there really is is a bunch of dots you have to squint at and say 'sure, that could be a king with a crown on' or something? Her's is like that."
"A constellation?"
"No, not part of the town guard, a minimalistic representation with symbolic significance." The last sounded rehearsed.
"So, and this is the last I want to talk about it, she lives here - on the farm?"
"Sure does, rents out a room. Of course we just take the rent out of the bits we pay her. Well, we sort of pay her, but she eats here, and she gets books from the library, and she doesn't spend much other than to buy scrolls and quills and ink but ost-ostensibly she-"
"Ok, thank you fer indulging your sister's curiosity. What say we race down to the bottom of the hill and see how Mac's doing with the Galas?"
The day was fine, evening cleanup was an exercise in nostalgia, and dinner was a luxury of apples and apple related products. The Unicorn was very quiet, sat back from the table slightly, and avoided eye contact with Jackie. Not that she cared at all. Not that she really noticed when the Unicorn corrected Applebloom about her grip on her fork. 'How's a Unicorn even know what propper Earth Pony etiquette? Not likely she'd dirty her hooves when she's got all that magic. Hmph'
Dinner conversation was light. Discussion about the results of the harvest so far, plans for tomorrow and into the week, estimates of when which family members would arrive. Good, honest workpony stuff. 'How long has it been since I heard this kind of talk? Even working on construction crews we never talked about the work like another family member, but the farm is as much family as Mackintosh-' And that was when it hit her. 'Bloomberg' the first tree she had sprouted, planted, and tended to - and that she hadn't thought of in more years than she had hooves.
"Is something wrong, dear?" Granny's tone of alarm was Jackie's first warning that she'd been wearing her thoughts on her face. She had spent so long schooling her expressions, that when she let her guard down she must have been broadcasting everything but the actual words she was thinking.
"I... Bloomberg, I forgot about Bloomberg. I'm, please, excuse me." She didn't wait for a response, she was out the door and down the path before the cries of 'Applejack' could even start.
There he stood, strong and tall. A proud tree with a robust root system and sturdy branches that would and had weathered whatever storms the Pegasi would throw at them. 'Are, are you going to welcome me home too?'
"Welcome home, Jaquiline." Jackie froze in disbelief. 'I never imagined a voice for you, but if I had it would have been a mite low-' Jackie flipped around in a whirl of hooves.
"What in tarnation gives you the right to sneak up on a pony like that?" Eyup, there she was, the Unicorn.
"I was worried when you leapt from the dinner table."
"Thank you for your 'concern' but as you can see, I'm perfectly fine." Jackie huffed, trying to catch her breath.
The Unicorn just looked at her, expression somewhere between perplexion and and disbelief, sliding into annoyance.
"No, you're obviously not. Want to talk?"
"Not to you, I don't."
"Me? What did I do?"
"That's what Ah want to know."
Her expression was definitely sliding towards annoyance.
"Well? You going to explain yourself?" Jackie challenged.
"We seem to have gotten off on the wrong hoof. This is important for Apple Bloom."
'What?' "What?"
"Your little sister, she needs a good role model. I can't give her everything she needs in that department."
'Oh, hohoho. I see where this is going.' "You're a cuckoo."
"Uh, what? Excuse me?"
"Little bird, 'bout this big. Has this Nasty habbit of putting it's eggs into other birds nests so the Mama bird ends up taking care of the imposter."
"Keep it together"
"Sorry? Didn't quite catch that?"
"I wasn't talking to you."
"Oh? Talking to yourself? That's a sign of craziness."
"I. Am. Not. Crazy."
"Ain't that what a madpony would say? How'm I supposed to know the difference?"
"I'm really, hah, really starting to resent your tone."
"I already resent your everything." She took a step toward the invader.
"That doesn't even make sense. It's not a proper sentence."
"Who cares about 'proper' when you can get your point across?" Step.
"Civilization only holds on as much as we're willing to hold up it's tenets."
"APPLEJACK!" Mackintosh's cry filled the orchard. The two ponies backed away from each other, Jackie took the opportunity to raise her hoof, gesturing at her eyes and then at the Unicorn's chest.
Farmyard diplomacy consists of seeing problems before they explode. Mackintosh was no pyrotechnics expert, but he knew a powder keg when he saw two of them bumping into each other. Loyalties warred, but it would do neither pony any good for the Family to take sides. 'Keep it simple, keep things running' not the most inspiring thing his father had ever said, but it was the principle Mackintosh had come to live by. As long as the ponies were alive and not actively coming to blows, they'd sort themselves out, given space and time.
Apple Bloom was at the center of ... whatever it was. She was also aching to get to know her big sister, and it didn't take any fancy mathematics to be able to divide four and come up with two pairs. So Twilight worked with Mackintosh and App... 'Jackie' worked with Bloom. Simple, keep working. Keep work simple. Simple couldn't last though, life always got complicated.
It was, in fact, the day before the Summer Sun celebration that things came to a head. At the time the crowd of ponies all working the farm had seemed like a perfect way to keep both parties separate. Hindsight disagreed.
Twilight's obsessive compulsion to organize made her an excellent Sorter. A-Jackie's tenacity and stamina made her an excellent Bucker. A sorter needs apples to be bucked to work. Centralized sorting is more efficient for work organization, that way everypony only has to deliver their apples to one place. That means EVERYPONY delivers their apples to one place.
It didn't really matter if Twilight had been too picky about Jackie's apples, or if Jackie was just so raw that even a single apple rejected from her barrel was going to set her off. It was probably a little of both. It was Jackie who knocked the barrel over, and it was Twilight who used Jackie's hat -a ten gallon, vanilla white, stetson with a chocolate leather band- to catch the flying apples. The tackle seemed to happen by mutual agreement.
Shouts were called out by observers - most of whom had never met either pony, or only remembered 'Little Applejack'. Apples flew this way and that. Knocked, kicked, throw, and magicked. Dust and dirt flew in a choking cloud that prevented most of the conflict being seen - but it could be heard.
The mercy was that somepony had the sense of mind left to scoop up Apple Bloom before she could really see the fight. Another mercy came in the form of a yellow pegasus, the Weather Captain... Hurricane or some such. The pegasus looked at the fight, and eyed an inquiry at Mackintosh. He could only shrug and shake his head back and forth. She retrieved a dense black cloud and poured a monsoon's worth of water on the fighters.
Jackie's humiliation wasn't complete without catching sight of her terrified sister staring at her in disbelief. It would have been easier if Applebloom had asked 'why?' but she couldn't even manage the words. Jackie looked around her, saw her family and old friends all looking on in concern and the shame of the situation overwhelmed her. Something just clicked, it was too much.
She was gasping for air before she realized she was running. 'Running away again, that's all I'm good for, isn't it?' She could tell she was wallowing in self pity but she didn't care. She didn't even hear the shout of triumph from the white unicorn she only nearly ran down in her escape.
Hours later, she was cold, hungry, miserable, and reduced to hiding in her fillyhood clubhouse. The sound of hooves was obvious as a pony approached. The tension came out of her shoulders when she saw her brother. 'Ok, even if they tell me to leave and never come back, at least Mac has the decency to do it himself. I'll accept whatever Granny's decision is.'
"You quite done?" Her brother called up.
"Ah bin done fer hours."
"Not talking about the fight. I kin hear you sniveling from here."
"Ah'm not cryin'." He didn't dignify her blatant lie with a response.
"You want to come down here, or do I need to get a crick in my neck talking to you like this?"
She felt feverish and flushed as she negotiated the aged wooden plank that served as stairs.
"Hwoo, thank ya' kindly Ma'am, that was starting to smart something fierce."
"I'm, I'm so sorry for causing trouble."
"Causing trouble seems to be what family is for. So's fixing each other's messes." He raised a hoof, unable to decide if a hug would help at this point. "You can't disown us, and we'll never turn our backs on you, sis." Well, if she was going to start crying again he might as well join in.
"Ah ha aha, haa... you want to know the funny part? It's not that I was afraid you'd gone out and replaced me first chance you got." Her brother frowned at her. "Hey, the heart ain't logical, I never said it was a sensible fear. What's funny is, I was mad at her... Twilight? 'Cause I was afraid I deserved to be replaced." The next few minutes were the simple part, more tears, gentle reassurance, and a return to something like normality.
The hard part, but the part needed to continue forward, came next. "Jackie?" She looked at him, "there's somepony you need to talk to." The look of horrified betrayal as she scooted away from him hurt more than he cared to admit, but he made his retreat regardless.
There she was... difficult to see in the gloom, even with that pink streak. "W-what?"
Twilight flinched,"I-I'm sorry. If I had known, I would never have... it was too late by the time I realized you existed. I, I have a brother - an older brother. I'd never forgive anypony who tried to take him away from me I-" She was sobbing? SHE WAS SOBBING? What right did she have to... 'be an innocent victim of circumstance? Every one ah could ever think of.'
The pressure was there again, that click. 'That's enough of this.' And she left... her anger, her fear, most of her resentment, and... her guilt. Jackie let them all go, like a tide of sewage washed away by floodwaters. "You know what?" Twilight's head came up, unsure what to expect. "You got a pretty good right hook. Needs a little work, but I doubt you've had much cause for practice."
Twilight's mind raced, was this happening? "M-more than you might think, my my B-brother's in the Royal Guard."
"That so? That's pret-ty impressive. Mah Daddy did a tour, ages ago. Look, I still don't like you-but that doesn't matter. What's your name?"
The unicorn seemed to understand what was happening, she presented her hoof. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. Wha-"
"Well Howdy Twilight Sparkle, Name's Apple Jackie Orange, and it is a pleasure to meet ya'. Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres." She shook the unicorn's hoof for all she was worth, trying to work out all the last of their conflict.
Twilight had to use magic to stop her hoof from shaking up and down. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you Jackie, welcome to Sweet Apple Acres."
They weren't friends, but it was a fresh start. Second chances are precious because they are so rare.
Artwork by: Inspired_Light
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I.. I'm so sorry. Please undestand that there wasn't any other way to write this part.
This was very good, there is nothing to apologize for. There's plenty of conflict in human nature that happens just because of irrational behavior, and this was a fine depiction of it. You could have copped out and invented things for Twilight to say and do just to give Jackie a rational reason to act the way she did, but you went the more natural route. Commendable.
They say you can't go home again. Not because home has changed or vanished, but because your experiences have changed you and made you something different, no longer the person who left.
...
Did someone else write the beginning chapters?
I am hoping, desperately, that the next chapter rekindles that fire.
So far... the writing comprehensibility and creativity has gotten... -sigh-
At the very least, this chapter is not as bad.... as the one before...
Fingers crossed...
The whole family almost is coming
it was Twilight who used Jackie's had -a ten gallon, vanilla white stetson
The sound of hooves has obvious as a pony approached
Well, if she was going to start crying again he might as well
1. Is almost... Unless that's how Applebloom structured it anyways
2. Hat.
3. Was.
4. She
1880933
I'm starting to wonder how I ever got any of this published.
1. C'mon, she's a kid - me you can criticize (I deserve it) - but a little filly shouldn't be held to the same standard.
2. Noted
3.
4. Oh... I guess it's not very well specified, but Macintosh was debating whether to try and hug his sister or not - the waterworks convinced him he should.
I am reading this now, and I really have to say that I am enjoy this immensly, a really good story thus far.
Secondly, there is a canon-ized way to spell Apple Bloom <--- It's like that... PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! *shies away*
In my opinion Jackie is the most deviated from the cannon characters so far
2841111 Not that hard, since she doesn't have many defining characteristics in the show. I took apples and honesty away from her, so what's left?
2841124
Yeah... I always find it hard to write for Applejack, because she has almost no characteristics that aren't more refined in other characters. It doesn't help that basically there's a more adorable filly version of her that AJ herself has raised to have the same values and morals as her.
Also: Heh... Captain "Hurricane" Fluttershy. *snicker*
Is it a coincidence that as I started reading this chapter, the song 'who says you can't go home?' started playing in my head?
I am loving this so fa-
Wait.
What.
Errr...
Isn't Twilight purple?
That aside, I still love the story to bits, and I'm sad it's been finished. Now to finish reading it!
Well, nice chapter.
I
My
__________________
Cap. [group / organization].
________________
Fix tags.
_______________
Applebloom >> Apple Bloom
___________________
Quite a few lines need spacing in dialog.
________________
What's left for Applejack, is her dertmination and strength. We see both on display here.
As the Dragon flies it is wider Latitudinally than it is tall in Longitude, and it is fairly 'tall'. An earth pony's navigation takes terrain into consideration and finds north-south travel more difficult,
-Do you ever explain why these things are true?
-And when you say "Equestria" do you mean the country, or do you use that word for the world as a whole her? Before the introduction of The Crystal Empire I don't thing we knew which it was in canon...
Holy shit we got mentioned in fanfiction
Wow. Applejack became a drifter and a freighthopper, huh? That's really something. Definitely not a kind life, but sometimes you just fall on a rut and break your ankle.