Chapter 6
It had been years since Applejack had last slept in this late; where normally she raced the sun to the horizon, this day the sun had not only beat her to rising, but had left her behind entirely, impatiently racing to its noontime perch. Although she felt guilty for not having helped with the morning chores, it couldn't be helped at this point, and she took her time, stretching out as she woke, resting her head in her hooves. Applejack gave a warm little sigh as she stretched her wings -
Wings!
Applejack quickly panicked, jumping out of bed with a very undignified squeak, landing on all fours and ready to run. She whipped her head around suspiciously, looking about to see if anypony had been watching her sleep. Finding nopony right away, she regarded the window suspiciously - if the sun could have been seen, so too could just any pegasus have seen. Why, just regular weather patrols could have peeked in...
She gave a wry smile, and relaxed a little. Well, no time to worry about that. If they saw, then they saw. Heck, it might be better that way. That way they all can gossip and I can get back to...
Despite how well-rested she felt, Applejack's other secret weighed on her heart still, and she sighed.
Well... it's back to comin' clean to Apple Bloom, I guess.
Applejack sat at the edge of her bed, donning her usual disguise as she thought about it. The conversations from the last two nights had bolstered her heart; it had changed from a possibility to an inevitability thanks to Luna's caution, and from there to a necessity thanks to Celestia's help.
Still strange to think of myself being anything like them two, Applejack thought, as she lifted a brush automatically to brush her hair out. Tying it up, and putting on her old hat, she looked at herself in the mirror - an image of Applejack as her parents remembered her, back when Ponyville was just an inkling in their eye, a quiet town with a quiet farm on the edge.
Applejack looked at the mare in the mirror and on her bravest smile, doing her best to reassure herself. "Well... guess it can't be put off any longer. No reason to get all worked up, then.."
"I didn't mean to make her cry, Princess - honest. I didn't even know she... she had an interest. But... then she admitted to liking me, and before I could say two words in edgewise, she'd already flown off."
"I see." Celestia closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Her side of the story was much less... rational." She chuckled wryly. "What little I could get out of her, that is, whenever she was not throwing pillows at me and demanding I get out of her room."
"But I don't understand. She hardly even knew me, and she was askin' for my hoof..."
Celestia nodded slowly. "Luna's always been... capricious. She doesn't give in to doubt, and lives by her whims. Living in the present - such is her way with coping with immortality. But-" She smiled wistfully. "It's an improvement over duty and shame, at least..."
Rainbow Dash sighed, her breath making the water dimple as she watched. It was hard to focus on anything but what was right in front of her, but she put her all into it, and she was able to follow the
The pegasus was vaguely aware of a pink blur, especially when it pressed in against her with a brush or with hoofffulls of a lavender-y shampoo or a song bouncing forth from the blur's vicinity. However, the voice had stopped.
"Come on, Dashie. I can't help a frowny face if you're not trying! Now, I'll brush your tail out again, so go ahead! Have some fun!"
"I am, Pinkie, really," Rainbow Dash said, lifting a hoof and letting it fall into the water limply. "See? I'm splashing. Splash, splash, splash," the pegasus said, lifting her hoof up and letting it swirl the water. "I'm good at that."
Pinkie looked at Rainbow Dash, then her hoof, then back at Rainbow Dash. "Hmm..."
Rainbow Dash looked at Pinkie, disinterested; Pinkie looked at Rainbow Dash, hopefully. Then, Rainbow Dash shrugged and fell back down to her hooves, sinking into the water up to her nose. Pinkie shrugged and brushed the shampoo out through Rainbow Dash's mane, the undifferentiated rainbow mop breaking back into streaks of color as she brushed.
This is.. this is going all wrong. She should be feeling better. A nice hot bath should make everything better! And yet here she is being so mopey-dopey!
"Thanks, Pinks," Rainbow Dash sighed as she rose out of the tub. Pinkie was there in just a moment (with the extra super dooper floofy towels with the pompoms!), drying her out, but not. "Really, I appreciate it, but..."
"Buuut?" To Pinkie's sensibilities, that kind of 'but' should have been followed by "I'm done being a mopey Maurice now." Except, you know, as said by Rainbow Dash, so more awesome.
"... but I just want to go back to bed," Rainbow Dash sighed, giving Pinkie Pie a hopeful look. "Do you mind if I crash here tonight?"
"Ah, sure, Dashie," Pinkie quickly agreed. "But are you sure you don't want some dinner? Or some cupcakes? Or to talk about what's bugging you? Or some talks over some dinner cupcakes?"
"... nah, I'm fine, Pinks," Rainbow Dash said, as she climed up onto a nearby couch. "I just need to... rest my head..."
And with that, Rainbow Dash was out like a light. Pinkie Pie looked at Rainbow Dash, who was already snoring gently, and huffed.
That was not how it's supposed to go at all! I'm supposed to get her cleaned up, and she's supposed to start smiling and say 'Thank you, Pinkie,' and she's supposed to admit all that frowny stuff and I'm supposed to help her and she's supposed to start smiling again!
Of course, the first thing that came to Pinkie's mind was Maybe I should throw her a party. After all, there were few things in life that could not be solved by a sufficient amount of parties! But she quickly decided against that course of action as she imagined Rainbow Dash feebly gesturing towards a snack table while saying, "See? I'm partying. Party, party, party. I'm good at partying."
No... this called for for something bigger, more powerful, than a party. She needed to be able to focus Rainbow Dash like a laser and make her pay attention. Not a party - although maybe a small snack table would help - she needed to give Rainbow Dash an intervention until everything bad didn't seem bad anymore, and to fill her heart back up with joy so Rainbow Dash could go back to her usual awesome self.
Decided, Pinkie Pie slipped into her best supply-procuring trenchcoat (with pockets bigger on the inside) and slipped off into the night. Pinkie Pie was going to give her best friend Rainbow Dash the best joy-tervention ever. But even for a party expert like Pinkie, it would be a huge task. And she'd need the help of all her friends to do so.
"You get some rest, Dashie. I'm going to need get some help. And some great, big hats."
"Then - and I hope you don't mind me askin', princess - how do you deal with immortality?"
"Oh, that is simple," Celestia smiled. "I play pranks. A little mischief goes a long way in surviving hot summer days, or cold winter nights."
"...what."
"To be sure, that is not the only way. Reading. Plays. High cuisine. Touring Equestria. The occasional companion."
"Wait a minute - companion?" Applejack tilted her head. "Occasional?"
"Only the noblest and most discrete, I assure you," Celestia nodded, a smile playing on her lips.
"But - that's just... weird."
"I doubt you have any illusions, but I advise you, Applejack; the traditions of mortal relationships do not quite align with the realities of immortality," Celestia said. "After all, there will always be a day when they realize that you will outlive them. The noblest of them will be honest, and you can still make it work afterwards, but they will always come to resent you..."
The polite term the professors used was 'determined'. Yes, that's it; Twilight Sparkle was a very determined student. Circumspect was another word that was used; detail-oriented sometimes was voiced. Frustrating? Obsessive? Not words they would state out loud, outside the private company.
And yet, here she was. The development of Ponyville from an undeveloped field into a vibrant community was one that had never been written down formally, and Lyra's inquiry only rekindled her interest. Checking her checklist, she sorted the cards that would form the index, creating titles for each section in different colors of ink. The socialeconomic status of southwestern midland pre-Lunarian Equestria each in red. The Canterlot diaspora in orange. The founding of Ponyville in yellow, outlined in black because yellow ink is hard to read on white index cards. The expansion of the rail system in green. The Main Street Expansion in blue. And present day Ponyville in purple.
"There we go. Sorted chronologically and chromatically," Twilight grinned, as she moved onto the next entry in her checklist, "Create subheadings for each heading." Under the subheading checkbox, was a checkbox for each heading, to check once she had each subheading exactly right. To create subheadings, of course, required a review of the primary sources, which would require creating entirely new, independent subchecklists. After creating enough index cards for each checkbox, she'd have to check that she created enough index cards, and then tally up the total as she finally returned to the main checklist.
Twilight giggled in glee, and rubbed her hooves together. This was going to be exciting!
First things first, though: She had to reorganize all her sources. (Organization!) They were in complete disarray ever since Lyra had come to her with that crazy theory, and she had to put everything back. Almanacs were floated to the almanac shelf, minutes of meetings were slid back into dusty old crates, and postal records were neatly slid back into their binders. All her loose materials were sorted and checked, and checked in reverse order for accuracy. She was just about ready to continue with her preparations when she looked over one oversight - the impromptu binder she had thrown together when confronting (er, verifying research with) Applejack.
However, there was something odd when she looked at the documents. As she went to resort each note out, she started to see a trend in the pictures.
Huh. I don't recall seeing that pegasus before...
As she looked, she started to notice another trend - group shots of the Apple family with a pale-coated unicorn or pegasus, generally wearing a hat similar to Applejacks'. In the descriptions of the images, where available, the unicorn or pegasus was credited as an "out-of-town relative of the Apple family." The images spanned nearly a century of Ponyville history, but save for the wings and horn, the appearance was generally the same - especially the three-apple cutie mark.
Twilight believed in simple facts. She believed in science, in testing, in verifiability. But as she looked from ninety-year old agricultural records to sixty-year-old yearbooks to thirty-year-old newspaper clippings to ten-year-old photographs, Occam's Razor failed her, as what it left in its wake was too far-fetched to believe.
"Family is not the word I would use."
Hearing Celestia speak so coolly about the nobility was, to be frank, upsetting to Applejack. Granted, living her life subject to them, she had about as much love for the nobility as she had for the apple worm, but they were more than a tradition - they were an institution in Equestrian society. And even as much as she resented the nobility, she respected Celestia, the head of the nobility, as the pillar all Equestria drew strength from.
"Isn't that cold?"
"Perhaps. But distance is healthy. There are many out there who will not see you as Applejack, the honest, the farmer - but as Applejack, the twenty-eighth house. Their gifts will come with a ribbon attached, each designed to give you guilt if not outright obligate you to action."
Celestia shook her mane out softly, and opened her eyes again, looking Applejack in the eyes. "Then again, you have a unique perspective in this matter, don't you? Not only have you disguised yourself as a mortal, you have lived as one. And... it has been many millennia since I have seen my own parents. Perhaps, in this, you are wiser than I am."
"Sure's been a while since we last came out here..."
Applejack had to laugh as Apple Bloom ran over the path, the smaller filly almost rolling over the gravel path. It was still clear after all the years, but it hadn't been tended to, potholes dipping into it and tree roots rising above it. Eventually, everything else in this clear
"You said you were going to tell me the truth about Mom and Dad today."
"That's true," Applejack nodded slowly.
"Well, first, I've got some questions, Applejack," the little filly said. "The first thing is... whut were they like? I hardly remember 'em... at all..."
Applejack sighed. This was the hardest part. "Well, your dad... he was real strong, biggest stallion anyone's ever seen, and with a heart ten times that size," she smiled. "Apples are my job, but they were his passion... everything I ever learned about apples, your pa taught me."
"I know that much," Apple Bloom said, with only a bit of irritation. "Granny Smith's done told me all that. But what was he like?"
"Huh. Well, he was... well, I'd say he was real dour. Never liked to speak unless it was important, and when he did, he only said enough to make sure the important bits were out first - he didn't like wasting time, his or anyone else's."
"Doesn't sound like he was a lotta fun."
Applejack considered. "Not really. But he liked his puns, and he'd take his time settin' them up. When he had a good line, he'd take his time setting you up for it, days or even weeks - and then bam! Lay you out so hard you'd get a case of quiplash."
Apple Bloom giggled softly. "Doesn't seem all bad, then."
"He was a pretty good cook, too - insisted on making fresh bread every Sunday, and he loved making pies. We used to sell pies at the market, you know, he could keep a dozen pies goin' at once and pop them into the iron cart they'd all still be hot and fresh by the time he an' Big Mac had carted 'em down."
"Huh. Sounds nice," Apple Bloom agreed. "How come we don't sell pies no more?"
"Huh... well, we still do now and again, but never quite as many. Your pa was the best pieman any Apple did see. Without him, we just weren't as good, so we started makin' fritters and caramel apples instead."
"Aw. That's too bad. I bet they were good."
"That they were," Applejack grinned, rubbing Apple Bloom's hair. "But you were real little. Even a fritter would have been a challenge for ya."
Apple Bloom bushed away Applejack's hoof and smiled. "And momma? What do you remember about her?"
Applejack froze for just a moment - but it was long enough for the filly to notice. "What is it, AJ...?"
"Well... let's start this way," Applejack said, smiling softly. "Why don't you start with everythin' you remember about her, first, Blooms."
Apple Bloom smiled, and sighed. "I remember, she was... real pretty. Pretty big, too, not big like Big Macintosh big, but... real strong. Like nothing could ever stop her."
"That sounds about right," Applejack conceded with a little grin.
"I had a dream 'bout her... just last night, actually," Apple Bloom continued. "I saw her for a little bit, then..." Apple Bloom looked towards the top of the hill, and sighed. "... then she jus' left. She looked a lot like you, AJ, 'cept bigger. And more like gold than orange." Apple Bloom looked over her shoulder. "Do you remember momma at all?"
The older mare smiled softly, and gave a nod. "A little. You were the light of her life, you know - she used to say every day with you was a blessing."
Apple Bloom tilted her head, curious. "Yeah, moms do that... but what she was like?"
"Right to the point, heh?" Applejack smirked. "Well... if I had to describe your mom in one word... it was 'worried.'"
"Worried?"
"Eeyup. Worried about herself, worried about her husband, worried about the farm, worried about the future. Oh, she was pleasant, and she worked hard, but she was always paranoid all the time. I guess.. I guess you could say she kept a lot close to her chest."
"Ah." Apple Bloom giggled. "So he was boring, and she was crazy."
Applejack squinted at the smaller filly. "Hey. That's your ma and pa you're talking about there, Blooms. Show some respect."
Apple Bloom giggled a little, and shook it off. "Nah, I'm just jokin'. It's easier to remember them, a little." The smaller filly sighed. "But... that doesn't answer why they're gone."
"Well... it all started here, really," Applejack said as they rounded the crest of the hill. "Take a look at this..."
Apple Bloom climbed to look down the hill - and her eyes flew open wide. "Oh, wow..."
Before them, the forest opened up into a magnificent river valley, easily the size of Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres together. It was a light forest, not as old and dense as the Everfree, but almost as untouched; there were only two signs of habitation. First, an abandoned gazebo set beside the river, having long since been bleached from the sun. Above the valley, an old railroad trestle crossed the valley, flowering vines having long since displaced much of the old wood, turning the rail bridge into a trellis.
"Oh my gosh! That's just-" Apple Bloom gaped, then grinned, jumping. "That's awesome! Oh, how long ago did they make this?"
"Near to a hundred years ago, now," Applejack smiled. She paused to carefully consider her phrasing - "And it was abandoned back when I was a filly," she said, watching as Apple Bloom almost bounced, heading down the path eagerly. Applejack had to pick up the pace to keep up with the younger filly.
"I can't believe that it's still standing, after all this time," Apple Bloom beamed, grinning like she had just won the six-legged race. "Oh wow - I don't see a bolt anywhere. Did they just slot everything together? Like a giant set of Linking Logs? That's amazing!" However, after a moment, Apple Bloom frowned, narrowing her eyes and turning back to face Applejack. "Now, wait just a minute. This is cool and all, but what's this got to do with Mom and Dad?"
Applejack smiled. "We used to go out here all the time, you see. That's basically how it all started."
"How whut all started?"
"I'm getting to that," Applejack stated with some frustration. "This is real tough, okay? So let me get 'round to it on my own time."
Apple Bloom cringed softly. "O-okay."
Although Applejack relented, she still stayed defensive. "I don't mean to snap, but... I've never told anypony about this..." She hung her head, and sighed. For a few minutes more, the two of them walked along the path in silence, coming closer to the center of the valley. As they came into the shadow of the train bridge and the path started upwards, Applejack finally spoke up again.
"It was peaceful and quiet that day, and we didn't have nothin' left to do, so we decided - just the three of us - we'd have a picnic right there, in the ol' right-of-way up there." Applejack pointed out the old bridge, right as it came to round the crest that opened out over the valley. It was all gravelly for draining the rain, so it never got overgrown, and there was always a nice breeze comin' up the valley so the train tracks made the perfect spot to dine."
Apple Bloom smiled gently. "Sounds just about perfect..." Then, her face fell, her eyes averted with a soft sigh. "I wish I could have been there."
Applejack chuckled. "You weren't no bigger than three apples in a blanket at that time. We left you with Big Mac and Granny Smith, although-" Applejack's voice cracked - "we had planned on taking you 'fore too long."
Apple Bloom nodded, and lifted her head, still somewhat subdued.
"Anyhow... this started like any other picnic, just the three of us. It had rained the day before so everything was clean still had a bit of dew to it, but our picnic spot was nice and dry." Applejack smiled. "I remember your father had baked some bread that day, so we had fresh bread to go with fresh apple butter. Just walking there smelled delicious."
"That sounds awesome," Apple Bloom agreed, finally giving herself a small grin.
Applejack nodded, taking a look up. She stopped moving - but she took a deep breath, and started talking again. "Well, your mother was in a particularly good mood that day. And - to be honest, your mom needed a break from bein' 'momma.' So she was bein' the silliest you ever did see, bouncin' around and goofing off. She decided to make that old bridge her 'stage' and started showin' off for us..."
Apple Bloom's eyes went wide, curious, bouncing on her hooves impatient. "And then whut, AJ?"
"And then, in the middle of one of her spins... her hoof hit a rail. And it must have been slick, because she... kept spinning with it, over the edge and off the-"
Applejack froze. She hadn't thought about it for years, but now, looking up to the rail bridge, she could see the moment again in almost perfect detail - including the surprised look on her face as she went over.
"Did... Did she..."
Applejack looked down at the river, then to Apple Bloom, and nodded shallowly.
"I... I figured as much." Apple Bloom looked up at the bridge - the dropoff was quick. Even a filly her age could do the math. "Did she scream? Did... Did it hurt?"
Applejack's mouth hung open. Of all the questions she was expecting, that wasn't on the list. "I... no. She just had this confused look, like she had only stumbled, then..." Applejack winced. "... no. It was fast. But... she was scared."
Apple Bloom nodded, finding herself back into the emotionless place she had found herself just the day before. She came over and wrapped her hooves around Applejack, and squeezed tight; the older mare leaned back against Apple Bloom and tried her best to keep the sniffles under control.
"I... I should have been there... I should have done somethin'. I shouldha... But I didn't..."
"I... I don't know, 'cause I wasn't there. But I think..." Apple Bloom gave another tight squeeze. "I think you did all you could."
"That's just it. I didn't," Applejack said. "I shoulda told her to stop goofin' around! And when she went close, I could have... I could have run to her, or ... I could have ..."
For a moment, they just rested there, in memoriam; neither was completely dry. "I was too scared to move," Applejack finally admitted.
"It's okay, Applejack. She forgives you. She's mighty proud of you, where she is, I just know it," Apple Bloom reassured, squeezing.
Applejack nodded, and sighed. "And... well, that was when your pa just... broke. He stayed around a few weeks more, but he was a broken stallion. Barely did any work, barely said anything, and he'd look at any random thing in the farm and just... close up. Near as we figure, he couldn't stop thinking of her. One day, we woke up and he was just gone..."
"He... he just left?"
"Near as we can figure," Applejack nodded, opening her eyes. "Don't know where he went... don't know if he's coming back. But we can only hope," she smiled, squeezing. "And, even after alla this time... I'd be grateful to see 'im again."
"Now, that doesn't seem right. He was family! He had no right to run an' just... leave us..."
Applejack turned, and gave the smaller filly a soft squeeze. "Well, Blooms, you gotta remember... Mac and I were quite a bit older. And he..." After a soft sigh, she continued. "Your pa was only related to us by marriage... he had his own blood to tend to him, over in Neighbraska. They could help him more'n... more than we could."
Apple Bloom sighed in defeat. "I s'pose that's true. But..." Suddenly, Apple Bloom squinted, and looked sideways to Applejack. "Waaaaait a minute..."
Applejack tilted her head in confusion as Apple Bloom cautiously pulled away from Applejack's hug. "What's up, Blooms?"
"Something just doesn't add up here..." The little filly got angrier. "You're not speaking right. You keep- You keep qualifying it. You're sayin', your ma. Your pa. That doesn't make any sense... unless..."
Applejack stood up, unready. "Now, listen, Blooms, I-"
"Hold it!" Apple Bloom shouted. "Don't... don't go another step. You're not my sister, are you?"
For a brief moment, Applejack hesitated. Simply dropping her disguises - showing Apple Bloom the full truth, without any warning - crossed her mind. But instead, she sighed. Another later of half-lies peeled back, but more remained - more would always remain.
"I'm sorry I haven't been... completely honest with ya," Applejack started. "But I can promise ya, it was for good reason."
"Why? So you can trick me?" Apple Bloom rose back, taking a step up the hill and away from Applejack. "Was that story you told even real?"
"Of course it's real! Why would I make something like that up?"
"I dunno! Maybe you want... I dunno, maybe you want to steal Granny Smith's inheritance!"
Applejack paused, and tilted her head. "Seriously, Blooms?"
However, the Crusader spirit had risen in Apple Bloom, and she flailed. "Or-or maybe you're some evil impostor trying to steal the deed to Sweet Apple Acres land so you can bulldoze it all and build a series of strip malls an' chariot stadiums..."
"Apple Bloom, that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard..."
"Oh, is it?" Apple Bloom took another step back, raising her voice. "Because you just told me my momma just... that she just danced off a bridge! I don't know what's more ridiculous! And 'sides," Apple Bloom said crossly, sticking out her tongue. "She was my momma, not yours. You're not even blood..."
"I am blood. Just not... quite so close," Applejack said, exasperated. "Technically, I'm..." Applejack paused to do some linguistic calculus. "Erm... I'm your great-aunt, I think..."
"My aunt? What a likely story," Apple Bloom sneered. "And I don't care how great you are..."
Applejack facehoofed at the misunderstanding, but didn't bother to correct it. "Well, so what, Blooms? Let's say I am some complete stranger from - from Prance. What changes?"
"What changes? Why, everything changes!"
"I don't think so," Applejack smirked, taking a step forwards. "I'll sleep in the bed close to the stairs, and you'll sleep in the room far from the stairs. I'll work the fields, you'll man the press. Granny will tend to the house, Big Mac will tend to the machinery, I'll sell apples, and you'll study in school. Just like always. Just like our family always has."
"I..." Apple Blooms' mouth hung open, and she paused for a moment - Applejack hanging on, hoping her 'sister' wasn't going to overreact any more. She tried not to sigh visible as Apple Bloom's face softened, and something approaching a smile lit on her features. "... I guess nothin'll change, really."
"There you go," Applejack smiled. "So... you not mad at me?"
"Not really, I guess," Apple Bloom said, sighing. She looked down to Applejack, and stepped down, carefully. "Sorry I got all mad about all that..."
"Nah, it's okay." She smiled, and gave a little grin. "I guess you don't have anything else world-shattering to tell me..."
Applejack's face froze.
"... AJ? Whut's up?"
Applejack laughed nervously, before shaking it off. "Well, I guess you can say I do have a secret or two," she admitted. "And one of 'em directly affects you, so... I'm gonna come clear with ya on that one, too."
"Huh?" Apple Bloom tilted her head. "Whatcha talkin' 'bout, Applejack?"
"Well... I promised your mother something, long ago."
"Whut kinda promise?"
"Well..." She smiled softly, and shook her head. "Really, I promised your mom and dad that, should ever something terrible happened... I'd stick around and take care of ya."
"Well, sure you'd do that. You're my sis-" Apple Bloom's eyes dawned in realization. "Wait. Then that means..."
Applejack chuckled quietly . "That makes me a bit more than a sister, sugarcube." She relaxed, and gave a smile. "Apple Bloom... I'm your godmother."
Apple Bloom's eyes flew open wide in surprise. "Godmother? That means..."
"That just means I made your mom 'n dad, a promise, and I'll try to live up to it."
Apple Bloom squeaked in surprise. "You mean you're my.... mom?"
Applejack shook her head quickly, although she couldn't quite hide her blush. "Naw - I'm just here for her," Applejack said quickly. "I wouldn't ever try to-"
A blur of red and yellow collided with Applejack, knocking the wind out of her, and they both went rolling down the hill. When they finally stopped, the filly was wrapped tight, her voice caught somewhere between laughing and crying and her heart not caring where.
"... Momma..."
With a smile, Applejack stroked down Apple Bloom's mane, and gave her goddaughter a tight hug. "Well... I reckon so, if you wanna get technical about it."
"The problem with the truth, Applejack, is that it is weak - at first. Ponies will think nothing of it when it is fresh, because it seems evident from that which came before - no matter how sudden. Yet as time goes on, the truth gains power - for good or ill."
Rarity generally took her sweet time getting out of bed in the morning - opening after noon was not unusual. But there is something about having a wide-eyed pronking pink pony in your bed looking into your eyes that inspires you to rapid waking. A little screaming, too, if truth be told. The pink pony screamed back, which certainly made certain she would not be getting back to sleep tonight.
"Pinkie Pie, whatever could be so important that you can't wait until... I don't know... after breakfast?"
"Rarity, you have to come quick - you're the only one that can help."
"Me?" Rarity waited a moment and caught her breath - hyperventilating wouldn't help her pronunciation at all. "Of course I'll help, dear, but whatever could I help you with?"
"This is a hat emergency!"
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I had to go back and reread this...
Nice to see you have an end in sight for it.
~Regidar
Some revelations, good. I was worried you'd pull another fakeout.
An interesting story and heart-breaking in a way. Twilight's research shows that Applejack is far, far older than anypony previously suspected. It is possible that she is the Applejack who once walked the Dream Valley with Megan of Earth. I wonder if she's told AB the whole truth or only the truth she thinks she is able to handle. If so, she should be careful for no lie is forever and the longer it is left standing there, the more damage it causes.
2880849
I have to admit I'm not familiar with the term 'fakeout'.
2880890 It's like when you move like you're gonna punch someone, but stop like an inch away and pull back, or when it seemed like Applejack was going to tell Applebloom the truth but then decided not to.
I shed tears of happiness for update.
Excellent chapter btw. A few errors here and there, but the format jumps out and grabs at me.
Glad to see an update to this story.
Ahh. Bloomy's about to get a Stetson, ain't she? XD
By the end of today the Like button for this story wil be thoroughly abused.
2881570
I no that. but didn't luna kiss applejack while she was in pony nonalicorn form? if that doesn't make any sense I don't know how to explain it. It has to do with when she kisses applejack and what rainbow sees.
2881618
That was actually an editing error on my part, which I fixed. She's fairly clearly an alicorn at that moment - or at least, she should read that way.
You MUST Update! YOU MUST!
I want MORE~
2881691. Too bad~
2881618 It said before that Applejack was in alicorn form, she was at the river, alone, and Luna was asking her how she got wings and a horn.
2881666 But even if it didn't say that at first, didn't it say that later?
Also, you owe me a muffin.
I felt my eyes watering when applebloom said momma. You have a great way with emotions and I envy that.
Wait, wait. I thought Applejack was her biological mother? Wasn't this whole thing supposed to be her coming out and telling Bloom? Did she lie again or did I miss something that was vague surrounding the "mother" issue?
We need a giant hat NOW!
2884031
Sombrero! ...... OLE!!!
The true beginning of the deep friendship between Pinkie Pie and Rarity.
Hats; we need hats and we need them now.
This is an excellent story, I'm glad I stumbled upon it. Please, sir, can we have some more?
Um, follow the what?
Again, this clear what?
Well, this is certainly an engaging tale. Funny how alicorn Applejack seems to be a thing, much more than, say Princess Fluttershy. Odd.
In any case, I look forward to wherever you're taking this. I have to admit, though, I'm surprised by this chapter. It seemed like you were implying that Applejack actually was Apple Bloom's mother... though that may have just been how I was reading it.
2888245 I thought that at first. Honestly, the way she told the story it's still ambiguous enough to give her that leeway if she ever wants to admit the truth.
The problem is Applejack is never lying and that makes it hard to point to any particular thing she says and say "ah-ha!". She's just not telling the whole story. Even her disguises aren't lies as such, they're just revealing different parts of her to different ponies are different times. None of them see the whole of her, and none of them see the whole truth. It leaves everything she says open to layer after layer of interpretation.
2888245
Both myself and Blue Shift wrote alicorn-Applejack stories at once; I wrote this one and Blue Shift wrote "The Assumption of Applejack or Appletheosis." (Of course, Blue Shift has the advantage that she was able to keep to a regular update schedule.
) And that started a thing! 
Amusingly enough, there's a group out there, "X Becomes An Alicorn." After Twilight Sparkle, the most popular is actually Rainbow Dash.
The least popular is Rarity; Shining Armor, the Great and Powerful Trixie, and Derpy have all been alicorns more often than Rarity! 
Poor confused Rainbow! Can't wait to see where this goes. And I definitely want to see Alijack's effect on nobility! >:D
2926052
If I may ask... why so... head-splodey?
2926156
It's a good thing.
Are you sure circumspect is the word you want? It means being able to subtly approach things indirectly. Does that actually sound like Twilight Sparkle? I suppose she is willing to secretly research things, but I'd hardly call her subtle.
3035083
LOL
This story has piqued my curiosity please keep making more chapters to enrapture my fce and brain.
Please continue this story.... It's quite good and I enjoyed reading it very much.
oh, it's on Hiatus, well to
the read later listPurgatory it goes.2887119 Five months later... those two sentences still aren't finished.
It would probably be best to cancel this story in light of new episode in the show.
You know, considering that Alicorn Applejack isn't canon, so...
Please finish this.
Please.
When more story?
2887119 Eight months one week later still unfinished....
Q: Long hiatuses?
A: Annoying but tolerable.
Q: Failure to correct glaring mistakes after they are pointed out?
A: Unforgivable. Author clearly doesn't care about their work so why should I?
Final Solution: Unfav story, Dislike, blacklist author.
Need more story soon. Will be more soon?
If this wasn't on hiatus I would read it.
You do know how to end it. Would you, please?
5034218 Due to the site update, I went through my Favorites list (to swap most of it to the new Tracking list), saw this, and reread it. That Author's note is really heartbreaking to see on the last updated chapter when it's over a year old! I just hope you come back to this someday.
There aren't many 'X is an alicorn' stories that are this engaging and down to earth. Heck, there aren't that many 'X is an alicorn' stories period! (As distinct from 'X becomes an alicorn'.) I really like the way you show the characters; the thing I felt was most iffy was that Twilight was easily derailed by Applejack's denial of Lyra's hypothesis when there was still quite a bit of evidence pointing to something—and yet she is still on the case, so that's not a big thing. There seem to have been quite a few dream sequences flying around, and I wonder if Celestia's visit to Applejack wasn't another phantom encounter, but either way it wasn't too gratuitous.
Favorited for the solidly built world, convincing characters, and original concept.
4471414 Unless unfinished stories absolutely gnaw at your soul, I don't think you'll regret reading this one even with no update on the horizon. It doesn't stop on that much of a cliffhanger IMO, though there is, of course, quite a bit of stuff still up in the air.
5116864
Stories that don't update gnaw at my soul. I actually very rarely read a story that is already finished. I like stories that update. That give me something to look forward to.
Still my favorite Alicorn Applejack story.
6788311
Seconded. It does not help that I am also a fan of AppleMom .
Well. *bumps* I hope this would be continued.
I hope.
More! This is amazing! I have read a lot of Alicorn Applejack stories, but this is by far the best. And you left it so unfinished!!!
I like the characterization, but especially the later chapters really become too convoluted and confusing to properly follow what's going on.
Huh, ok I’m surprised. Thought she’d be the mother honestly. Loving this so far!
So you now know how it ends Author. How about telling the rest of us? It was getting good.