South of Somewhere

by The Red Parade

Sunshine for Your Honor

Rainbow kicked at the dust beneath her hooves, watching as it clouded up into the air. The wagon depot was busy in the morning, with plenty of ponies shouting through the din and calling out to each other.

She pulled her cap lower over her eyes as a pair of ponies trotted by. Rainbow knew from experience that the Second Division had eyes and ears everywhere.

Her ears pinned back at that thought. Would she ever be safe, no matter how far she ran? Or would the ghost of the Second Division plague her no matter where she went?

“Hey, sorry ‘bout that.” Applejack’s voice pulled her from her misery. “Darned new hires, nearly lost my cart,” she muttered, adjusting her hat.

Rainbow glanced behind her to see that she was hauling a large four-wheeled wagon behind her, loaded with crates and boxes. “You need a hoof or something?”

“Naw,” Applejack said, waving a hoof dismissively. “It’s lighter than it looks, most of these here boxes are empty, just sold most of my crop. Come on now, let’s get a move on.”

The farmer led the way out of the depot, Rainbow hovering close behind.

“So, tell me,” Applejack called to her. “What did you do in Cloudsdale?”

Rainbow’s mind began to race. What if she’s heard of the Second Division and kicks you out… or turns you in? You can’t tell her. “I did, uh…” she glanced up at the sky briefly. “Weather! I was in the weather patrol!”

Applejack nodded. “Might come in handy, then. Celestia knows we could use some help out here. Droughts hit us hard every season, dust storms eat up our crops… mighty brutal.”

“How far out is your farm?” asked Rainbow.

“Not that far, reckon it’s a two or three day walk.” Applejack adjusted her hat and grinned. “Hope that ain’t too much for you.”

“Please, it’s nothing,” Rainbow replied. “I fly miles and miles on a daily basis.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. Lieutenant Rider had a tendency to… ride them, for lack of a better word, and give out punishments whenever he felt they were necessary. She shuddered at the thought: memories of whips and punches bubbled to the surface of her mind, along with screams of pain and anguish.

“Have you lived around here your whole life?” asked Rainbow, searching for any sort of distraction.

Applejack nodded. “Eeyup. My family founded Appleoosa, and the lot of us have lived there ever since.”

“Really? Sounds pretty neat.”

“Eeyup,” chuckled Applejack. “My cousin’s darned proud of it, He leads the Ranger Corps down here.”

Rainbow felt the hair on her mane stand up. “Ranger Corps?”

“They’re crafty bastards. Wouldn’t mess with ‘em, they’ll knock ya sideways,” Applejack mused. “I’d stay on their good side if I were you,” she added with a wink.

“Y-yeah. Sure.” Rainbow shuddered, glancing around them nervously. A few other ponies loaded with carts were trotting by, unphased by the beating sun above them. Ranger Corps. Wonder if they’ve got buddies up in the Second Division… I might be in trouble if they do.”

Rainbow’s train of thought was abruptly cut off by a shout from next to them. “Leaving so soon, Applejack?”

Applejack grimaced and turned to face the pony trotting towards them. To Rainbow’s surprise, the pony in question was not an earth pony but a pegasus. She tensed nervously, watching the scene in front of her unfold.

“Uh… howdy, Strawberry,” Applejack said, awkwardly tipping her hat in her direction.

“Don’t you ‘howdy’ me,” Strawberry snapped, jabbing a hoof at Applejack’s face. “You’re three months behind on your dues, Applejack. Three months!”

“Strawberry, I told you, the money’s comin’!” Applejack protested.

Strawberry huffed, flipping through pages in her clipboard. “That’s what you said last month, and the month before that!”

Applejack’s eyes fell to the ground, and she began rubbing her foreleg nervously. A crowd of townsfolk was gathering around them, eyeing the exchange with some morbid interest. Rainbow glanced around, unsure of what exactly to do.

“Strawberry… I’m mighty sorry. It’s just… y’know, times are tough,” Applejack muttered.

Strawberry shut her eyes and took a deep breath, pressing the clipboard to her forehead. “Look, AJ… I can’t keep giving you breaks like this. I had to cut out Winter Melon and Four Leaf, and ponies are starting to ask questions. You’re on thin ice, and there isn’t much I can do to get you out.”

“I know.” Applejack somehow managed to muster a smile. “Hey, you’ve done plenty enough. This is my own fault. You’ll get the bits, Strawberry, every single thing I owe. Apple Family honor.”

Strawberry nodded, tucking her clipboard back under her wing. “I believe you, Applejack. Sorry for pushing you like this, but it’s like you said. Times are tough for all of us.” With that, the pegasus ruffled her feathers and turned away, heading back to the heart of the market.

Applejack slowly exhaled, her posture drooping as Strawberry left.

“So, uh… what was that all about?” Rainbow asked.

“Oh, that was Strawberry Sunrise. She runs the farmer’s market,” Applejack said with a vague gesture. “I’m just… a bit behind on some of my dues. Ain’t nothin’ to concern yourself over, though.”

Rainbow nodded slowly, uncertain of what exactly to do.

After a few seconds, Applejack shook her head and started walking again. “Ain’t nothin’ to worry about,” she said again. “Come on now, we’ve got a long walk ahead of us.”