• Published 19th Jan 2012
  • 3,336 Views, 154 Comments

Destination: Equestria - Zervziel



After an accident leaves her in another world, Amber Mayberry tries to find her way back home while drawing as little attention as possible. However events already underway in this strange, new magical land threaten to suck her in.

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Chapter 10

The horizon blazed with the yet to rise sun's light, silhouetting the distant mesas against the lightening skyline. At this time all of Equestria was asleep except for the two Princesses going about their duties as they had since the world's creation. Well, almost all of Equestria was asleep.

"Up and at 'em, everypony!" The clanging of the triangle slowly roused the sleepy ponies from their beds. Many got up and went about their daily chores getting ready for either breakfast or for the daily workload. However a few ponies were reluctant to rise, far too comfortable in the cozy beds to want to move. The orange pony pressed an ear to the closed door of one bunkhouse and upon hearing the telltale snoring of at least one of the slow-rising ponies, nodded to her younger sister. On cue the pony took a huge gasp of air and started playing the bizarre instrument. Ponies fairly bolted out of their bunks, awakened by the low droning and eerie wailing noses that now filled the air.

"Huh, that sure woke 'em up, Applebloom." The orange pony adjusted her hat, which been blown askew with the frighten ponies passing, with a quick nudge with the triangle still gripped in her hoof. "Though I think it might be illegal to wake up ponies with bagpipes these days."

The mare she spoke to was almost as large as her and was almost just as well muscled. Coated in olive fur with a reddish mane, many ponies at first glance thought the mare was a relative of a pony by the name of Cherry Jubilee from the town of Dodge Junction. This however was the sister of the famed Element of Honesty, Applebloom, an accomplished carpenter/architect in her own right as her cutie mark of a saw crossed with a pencil with an apple background could attest. Her fillyhood friends had often joked it made her look like a pirate. It was this filly who simply laughed and heaved the ungainly sack with pipes over her back with one last note wheezing out of the instrument.

"It's one way to get their attention." She replied with an impish smile. "I mean did you see how fast they got up once I started playing?" Her sister couldn't help but laugh. After a second, Applebloom joined in. Together they started walking towards the mess hall that had been erected to help feed the influx of ponies that the Apple family had hired on to aid with their harvesting.

As they walked, the younger looked back towards the wooden bunkhouses, which had been constructed for the same reason as the mess hall, with a slight frown on her face. Eventually she decided to speak her mind. "AJ, why did you bring all those ponies from Ponyville? You've always said in the past that our family has always managed to do just fine wth the harvesting and tending the crops. Why bring in ponies that aren't family in now?"

Applejack didn't answer immediately. Instead she reached up with a hoof and adjusted her hat one last time, the new hat not quite being broken in yet. While similar to her last one, this one had a band around it's top with apples on it. As refined she may be, Rarity could make a new Stetson hat far cheaper than the others and with greater quality. Applejack remembered her old hat fondly, but a short time back while on a mission given to the Elements of Harmony by Princess Luna, her hat had ended up in the armored belly of a drakewyrm.

The beast had been displaced from it's normal volcanic home by a rather aggressive iron dragon and had found it's way to the town of Trottingham, incinerating a large portion of a forest on it's way. After successfully turning the beast in the direction of an unclaimed volcano, Rarity had offered a rather forlorn looking Applejack to make her a new hat. To the farmpony, it was another symbol of her friendship and how ponies support one another when they need it.

With that in mind she answered, "To be frank, Bloom, we need the help." Seeing her sister about to say something, Applejack stopped her questions with an upheld hoof. "We need the help of ponies who can help us without it interfering with their own jobs. Which is why we're hiring instead of just inviting our family over to help. Most of them are harvesting too."

Applebloom's young face still didn't look convinced. Applejack chuckled. "Remember all those years back to that one Applebuck season where I thought I could do the entire harvest by myself and didn't accept help from no pony? It wasn't until Twilight pointed out all the damage I had done while trying to do everything myself that I decided to let my friends help?" Her sister nodded. "Well it's kinda like that. Only this time with it's not Sweet Apple Acres that needs the help, but Appleloosa."

Applebloom thought on that as they walked. At the threshold of the messhall, the fragrant smells of baking, apples, and the building's own piney scent set her stomach to rumbling. Deciding to drop the subject, she stepped into the forming line for breakfast. Few words passed between the two until Applebloom and her sister had grabbed some pancakes, some pastries and two glasses of applejuice and had sat down at one of the tables to eat. Before chowing down, Appljack gave her chair and the table an experimental rock with her hooves.

"Good job on the furniture, Applebloom. These things are as solid as a rock!" Applejack gave her sister a proud smile. The mare smiled back, happy to see her hard work was appreciated after these long days of working. Her attention had been divided between designing and constructing the new mess hall and the bunkhouses and furnishing the furniture meant to go in them.

"Thanks, AJ. I figured I'd make them nice and strong so I wouldn't have to keep coming back to fix chairs and the like." That said, she promptly dove into her food with the intensity of a feeding frenzy of sharks. Applejack was about to admonish her when her own belly cut loose with a growl that sent several nearby ponies scampering under their tables in fear of a dragon attack. With a carefree shrug, the blonde pony simply joined her sibling in her ravenous attack on all things edible.

A short time later, after the two ponies had checked to make sure everyone was going about their task, Applebloom found herself checking the time.

"Hey, sis, what time is the train due in?" Following her sister's faze, Applejack looked over at the clock tower.

"Oh, our train should be rolling in just a short while. Looking forward to getting back home?"

"Mmmhmmm!" The younger pony acknowledged with an empathetic smile. The grin faded at the odd look on her elder sister's face. "What's wrong?"

Giving her head a shake that almost sent her new hat into the dirt, Applejack let out a snort.

"Just kinda worried about who's arriving on the train. I know that they're supposed to be partners, but I still don't trust those brothers. Especially not after they almost cost us our farm."

Applebloom prodded her sister's foreleg.

"Aww, come on. It can't get that bad. We already know what they're like. What's to worry about?"

Applejack was about to reply when an echoing whistle made it's way across the barren plains on the land. Soon a cloud of smoke appeared on the horizon. By now it was late morning so Applejack could just barely make out the metallic glint in the distance. Instead of voicing her lingering concerns, she turned to her sister who was absently trying to push her red hair out of her face. Applejack waved a hoof in front of the distracted mares face to get her attention.

"Hey Applebloom, go grab our stuff and meet me at the train platform. It looks like the Pony Express is back from its haul to Canterlot. I'm gonna go round up some ponies to help offload the train."

With a crisp salute, Applebloom galloped off towards their cousin Braeburn's house where they had been staying during their trip, house watching as well as organizing the newly hired ponies and providing them with housing being the main reason they had come.

Her sister now occupied, the orange mare galloped to the town's one train station in the hopes of roping in some off-duty locomotive pullers to help with the heavy lifting.

By the time Applebloom had rounded up the few belonging they had brought with them, Applejack had a team of five large stallions to help off-load. Soon after the two sisters met up again at their appointed meeting spot underneath the platform's awning, another loud blast sounded from the ever-closing train.

Now Applejack could make out the team of exceedingly muscular stallions pulling the black mass of the iron locomotive behind them. She smirked as a memory of a certain lavender unicorn who'd nearly had a fit at the inefficiency of the system was floated to the front of her mind. The farmpony knew Twilight had a point when she mentioned how illogical it was to have a team of stallions pulling the very engine meant to and fully-capable of hauling the train cars under it's own power. It was just that the Steam-haulers, as they were known, were exceedingly proud of their massive strength and before the new steam egines had been put into service, had hauled the goods to Canterlot along the tracks all on their own without the engine giving them that extra pull during the ride up the mountains. So instead of replacing the teams, the ponies had simply opted to have Steam-haulers pull for the most part, with the locomotive providing an additional push on the mountains. Doing so kept the fuel and maintenance costs for the engines fairly low.

Soon enough the train pulled into the station. The team Applejack had organized leapt forward to help offload what cargo the train had brought back. The mare aided in offloading empty apple crates and barrels. After dropping one crate into a pile, she shot an ill-tempered look at the black and red contraption that dominated one of the flatbed cars.

Sure enough as the passengers started to leave the train a familiar pair of ponies exited one of the passenger cars and made their way back towards the machine, waving to two of the off-loading team to help them. Applejack, seeing only one of the stallions start to make his way over, trotted over to help them with a smug smirk across her face. As she closed with the unsuspecting entrepreneurs, she started to think of the different questions she wanted to put to the two to make sure her family wasn't being cheated.

"Outta th' way, everypony!"

With hardly any warning, a large suitcase shot from the door of the last passenger car just as Applejack was crossing in front of it. The suitcase barreled into the unsuspecting farmer with enough force to shove her back several feet on her hindquarters. Momentarily dazed by the encounter with flying baggage, Applejack quickly regained her senses.

"Ok, who launched a darn suitcase at my face!" the orange pony demanded, as she reached down for her hat which had flown off. Oddly enough, the hat didn't stick to her hoof as expected. Bringing her hoof up to eye level, she inspected it. No, she hadn't thrown a shoe; the thin "U" shaped piece of magical imbued iron was still there. "Oh ponyfeathers. Looks like I need to replace this thang. Wonder if any of the others are low as well." She tapped her back hooves against the ground. For many ponies the shoes on the rear hooves were spares for when the magic wore off of the front hooves. All it took was a quick trip to a farrier or failing that, finding a unicorn to help remove and then replace the shoes. Applejack could do without them for the moment. Grabbing the hat in her teeth, she gave it an expert flip into the air and allowed it to lazily float down onto her head.

"Ok, who launched that suit case at me?" She demanded again as she approached the car. Her only answer was a wheezy cackle as an elderly lead gray stallion hobbled off the train. "You did that on purpose, didn't you, Uncle Cider?" The accusation practically dripping from her voice was unmistakable.

Before the irate mare could say anymore a golden-blur rocketed off the train and collided with her.

Dazed by the most recent blow, Applejack looked up at her assailant.

"Hiya, cousin!" The blurry face above her quickly came into focus to reveal the ever-grinning face of Braeburn.

"Git off, ya lump! I can barely breath!" Applejack could barely wheeze the phrase out, her diaphragm being compacted by her non-to small cousin who'd parked himself on top of her chest and stomach. Laughing good-naturedly, the stallion hopped off his cousin-turned-celebrity. For the second time in as many minutes, the mare found herself levering herself off the ground, ignoring Braeburn's offered hoof. Adjusting her hat, which had miraculously stayed on this time, she greeted her cousin properly. "So are you finally back in town, Burn? Anything interesting happen on the trip?"

"Oh nuthin." He chirped flippantly. "Just an ordinary trip to Canterlot to help drop off the last load of apples and to pick up our partners over there." Sure enough, Braeburn's hoof was pointed at the red and pale yellow colored brothers, who was conversing with the single stallion that'd come to their aid. Some part of Applejack's mind noted how they looked like they could be kin to Applebloom.

"Oh right. Those two." Applejack's face was grim. Turning to her cousin, she gave vent to her worries. "Braeburn, what makes you so sure those two can be trusted?" The pony's eyebrows shot up at this. "I mean, we almost lost our farm to them varmints and now you want to make them your partners?" Now Applejack was walking slowly towards Braeburn her voice slowly rising in intensity. "If they had merely thought to serve the ponies of Ponyville the cider they had made before speeding up the process while making even more off OUR recently lost apple trees, we'd have been homeless and jobless!"

Suddenly, Braeburn's normally cheery face faded into a cold frown. The change was so sudden it took the farm mare by surprise to see her normally unflappably happy cousin's personality to take such a turn.

"We are not fools, AJ. When the town decided to go into business with those two, we all knew the risks, but it was agreed among us to let them at least try." Now it was Braeburn's turn to advance on his cousin, his voice remaining quiet but with definite steel in his tone. "Those two are definitely ponies to be watched. Fortunately a certain pony who's apparently got a vendetta against them warned us of their ways."

Applejack was surprised at the outburst, but quickly recovered and attempted to regain the upper hoof in their argument. "Now wait just a second-" She got no further as a resounding crash echoed through the area, everypony present quickly looking towards the source.

The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 8000 now sat half on and half off the flatbed train car, the FlimFlam brothers trying their best to levitate the heavy metal machine with the help of the burly helper earth pony.

Applejack watched the scene unfold before facehooving. "Oh for the love of Celestia. Braeburn, you mind putting this discussion to the side for now while we get this fixed up?" Braeburn favored her with a chill look before suddenly breaking out into his characteristic face-splitting smile before trotting over. Shaking her head, her normally bound blond ponytail having come loose during the repeated impacts. "That colt is so weird at times."

Just as she started trotting over to aid, she caught a glimpse of another mare as she walked by. Applejack normally wouldn't have noticed the cream colored mare who was busy admiring the town, but the presence of a horn on her head caught her eye.

"Hey you!" Applejack called as she tried to get the mare's attention. The mare looked around startled at being addressed. Applejack could have sworn she saw a wild look in the mare's eyes as she looked around, but the unicorn's long blue mane made it hard to tell. "Hey, you there! The unicorn!" The unicorn's head turned to face her. Now that the orange pony knew she had the mare's attention. "Get your flank over there and help them move that thing!" The mare nervously nodded and trotted over to the FlimFlam brothers.

Figuring that the unicorns, Breaburn, and the Steamhauler had the situation in hoof, Applejack trotted over to retrieve her and Applebloom's luggage. Grabbing the packages and bags in her mouth, she quickly boarded the train. After putting her bags up and checking to see where she and Applebloom would sit, the earth pony started to make her way off the train to gather her sister.

Hearing a sudden gale of familiar laughter, she was greeted by the sight of her sister suffering from a case of paralysis via giggles. Turning to see what had her sister laughing so hard, a sight greeted her that quickly had Applejack snickering at first. A split second later, the farmer was on the ground beside her sister laughing as well.

At the back of the train, the unlikely team of a trio of unicorns, her cousin Braeburn and the unmistakable hulk of the Steamhauler pony, were still trying to free the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 8000 from it's predicament. Flim and Flim's green aura surrounded the rear half of the machine, which contained most of the larger components. The lighter half was already off the train and the main problem the ponies had was to get the rear half off the train car without damaging it and without crushing anypony.

The task should have been fairly easy with the magical might of three unicorns, but as Applejack watched, holding her sides, the unicorn mare from before was on the train car, balancing on her hind legs miraculously as she heaved and pushed on the immobile machine. The spectacle drew in a few of the town ponies passing the station. What was slowly making the surrounding ponies laugh were the face's the mare pulled as she continued her valiant efforts to move the one and a half ton machine with nothing but her own hooves.

Despite the mare's antics, Flim and Flam made use of the few times she managed to make the machine bounce as leverage to slowly ease the gargantuan hunk of metal and wood off the train. Wiping the sweat off her face with a hoof, the mare parked her flank on the rear of the machine. A mischievous grin shot between the two brothers as the machine finally settled to the ground with a jolt, toppling the unsuspecting unicorn off the back. Stifling yet another laugh at the mare's expense, Applejack trotted over to offer the unicorn a hoof up.

"Nice job at unloading that hunk of metal. What's yer name, partner?" Applejack, asked as she extended a hoof for a quick shake.

"Oh, It's Mayberry." Came the response.

Applejack noted the mare's odd look at her extended hoof. With a sigh, she lowered it. "Wouldn't it have been easier to just unload the dern thing with your magic instead of acting like the class clown?" Applejack's irritation working it's way into her tone and face, quickly replacing any hint of mirth the pony had just displayed

Seeing this change the mare, Mayberry, quickly slumped in place. "I-I don't know any. My parents never taught me and I never had any official classes."

Mayberry waited for the answer. She wasn't proud of it, but she knew that the best lies were usually the truth. A quick study of this newcomer made the unicorn feel uneasy. This orange pony seemed pretty formidable to her. "I bet she could kick in a car door with those legs." She mused quietly. Amber waited for the earth pony's reply, noting the warring emotions on her freckled face.


Applejack couldn't believe it. A unicorn with no magic? That was like a pegasus that couldn't fly. Leaning forward, she squinted at the mare. With a hoof, she moved the mare's mane out of the way so she could see the horn better, earning her a glare from Mayberry at the intrusion of her personal space. The pearlescent spiral horn seemed intact. It was a little long for her size. Applejack knew from Twilight that the length of a unicorn's horn was no indication of magic potential or casting ability. Seeing nothing wrong with the horn and knowing grabbing a unicorn's horn and yanking it was just asking to either get gored in the eye or getting one's teeth bucked out, Applejack released Mayberry's mane with a weak grin.

Despite her amazement at a unicorn not knowing how to use magic, Applejack couldn't help but feel a stab of regret at her words. "Good job, AJ." She thought to herself. "She's probably sensitive about that and I just made a show of it in front of everypony."

When she looked over at the crowd, Applejack noticed a familiar if unusually ecstatic looking face, a thought entered her head. "Now, don't you fret none, darlin. I have just the friend to help you out." Applejack proclaimed as she motioned to the pony she'd noted a second before, one of the Ponyville hirelings, over to her. This new mare was also a unicorn.

Mayberry looked up, the tone in the cowpony voice giving her hope. "Really?" Magic was the one thing in this new world she really wanted to learn about, but hadn't felt that she'd ever have to chance to. She couldn't help but feel optimistic with the confidence this orange pony exuded.

"Sure! My friend here can teach you the ins and outs of basic level magic in no time!" Applejack couldn't help but grin. "So say hello to your new teacher." The unicorn at her side grinned maniacally.

Mayberry decided to imitate the earth pony's earlier hoof gesture. Extending her right front hoof in she introduced herself. "Hi! As you heard earlier, I'm Mayberry. Who are you-" Her sentence was cut off as the mint green unicorn bolted forward. Planting her snout into the larger mare's neck she inhaled deeply taking in the scent of the cream colored fur. Looking up at the mortified Mayberry the same manic grin plastered across her face, the unicorn spoke up.

"I know what you are!"

AN: Sorry for the long wait, mates. Will try to beat back the rest of this writers block.