Harmony Arisen

by Panoramic Toast

Chapter 1: A World Divided

Chapter 1: A World Divided

Fire. It spread across the thick night sky, its bright tendrils dancing against the moonlight. Twilight Sparkle ran as fast as her tiny legs would carry her. In front, her father, Crescent Sparkle, desperately clung to her hoof. Her nostrils burned as the torrents of smoke and ash began to cloud her vision. All around them, houses and buildings were caught ablaze. The fires spread everywhere, engulfing everything in their gluttonous path. Her father was mumbling something to himself, but she couldn’t hear past the screams as ponies ran through the flooded streets, desperate to escape the wild flames. To her right, she could see a few teenagers carrying wooden bats in their teeth as they shattered the glass pane of a small store that had yet to be taken by the fire.

Crescent Sparkle held her hoof tight, swerving amongst the frightened, panicking ponies. She could hear gunfire in the distance now. All the sounds blended as they filled the air, transforming into a cacophony of pure chaos.

“Too many,” Crescent Sparkle said to himself. Using his magic, he lifted the filly Twilight into the air, still running, and placed her against his back. Twilight wrapped her forelegs over his broad shoulders as he began swerving to the left, pushing past the crowd. “Hold on tight, honey,” he whispered.

Twilight Sparkle held tight, shivering as they pushed their way through and into an alley. He ran through the wide gap, cut off on both sides by two brick and mortar buildings, not yet caught by the flames. He nearly stumbled as he made it to the end of the alley.

Her father stopped suddenly. She could barely see the three shadows as they walked from the end of the alley, blocking their path. They were cloaked by the darkness as they came out, brandishing knives with their magic. They didn’t appear to be much older than fifteen. They began screaming and shouting for their money as they surrounded Twilight and her father. Crescent began pleading with them to stop. He continued to shout that he had nothing. He begged for them to leave him and his daughter alone.

“Twilight, close your eyes,” he whispered with a terrified look on his face. Twilight was shaking, crying lightly.

“Daddy, what’s going on?” she begged.

“Twilight, close your eyes,” he repeated more sternly.

The three shadows walked closer. The filly Twilight was too overcome by fear. “Daddy, I don’t understand,” she continued to cry.

As he was about to speak, one of them lunged forward. Electricity surged from her father’s horn, spreading to the three attackers. They screamed. It was a high pitched shrill that sent a shiver down Twilight’s spine as she clutched harder against her father’s neck. And then it was over.

Their bodies fell limp against the ground, the life in their eyes gone from them. Twilight began to shake. “Daddy,” she sobbed, “what happened? Why aren’t they moving? Daddy.....”

Crescent levitated her down and in front of him. She continued to cry openly. He put his forelegs around her shoulders. “Honey, I need you to be brave. Everything’s okay. Please, I promise this will be over soon.”

Twilight sniffled and rubbed tears from her eyes. “What about Mommy and big brother? Are they going to be okay?”

He nodded and look off into the east, towards the tall brick buildings and high rising wooden homes of the city that she knew as the east district. “They’re over there; they’re in the city. Your mother and your brother are strong. They’re going to be fine.”

She continued to sniffle and tried her hardest to control her tears. He leaned in with a gentle smile. “I need you to brave for me, honey. Can you do that for me?”

She wiped her little foreleg against her eyes and nodded. “That’s my girl,” he said proudly.

Twilight smiled faintly as she was hoisted over his shoulders. She peered out onto the horizon. They were on the other side of the town. Metal beams and fenced off construction were to her left while the screaming, panicking ponies ran on the streets to her right, past the alleyway. She could still hear it. She could still hear the clicking as gunfire shot off in the distance.

Crescent Sparkle rode off, Twilight on his back, and headed west, towards the ruins of an old neighborhood. They rode through the grassy hills, passing around the diverging roads at the end of street which they started from. Ponies ran from the city in droves, trampling over one another.

Crescent Sparkle began to pick up speed as he arrived in the destroyed residential district. On the horizon, she could see the docks where hundreds of ponies were gathering.

They stopped as the ground below the cobblestone streets began to tremble. Twilight held firm while her father planted his hooves into the ground. After a moment, the shaking stopped and she looked up at her father, who was staring off to the east. “Daddy, what was-”

The air left her lungs she stared off into the city to the east, where her brother and mother traveled. Fires and smoke rose from the city, high enough to reach the heavens. She began to shake.

“Daddy,” she spoke with a quiver in her voice, “isn’t that where big brother and Mommy are?”

Crescent Sparkle didn’t move. His face remained transfixed on the city. Another explosion of fire roared from the city. His eyes continued to widen, his mouth agape.

“Daddy!” she whispered.

He didn’t move.

She began to cry. “Daddy, please....”

She was sobbing against his neck. “Daddy!” she cried out with all her strength.

The world began collapsing all around her. Darkness clasped around her throat, threatening to suffocate her. Everything was pitch black.

Twilight’s eyes snapped open and she gasped. Sweat dripped from every pore. She took a glance at her surroundings and took a breath of relief. She stayed sitting against the wooden floors as she calmed herself. Thirteen years later and still you dream of things that no longer matter, she scolded herself. She stood up and yawned, stretching all four legs.

The room where she stood was a rotunda of shelves, filled to the brim with books and tomes on nearly every available topic. She took a sideways glance at her bed, sheets thrown about. On the top was a book laced with gold linings and a worn black cover. Intermediate guide to magic and spell casting, it read.

She laughed a little. You spend too much time on that silly hobby of yours, she thought. You’re a librarian, not some mage.

She looked down at her cutie mark and felt a sense of sadness wash over her. It was true. Her place was amongst these books, inside the giant hollowed tree that she called home. She loved books and their mysteries within, but was this all that she was meant for?

She looked beside the bed where her assistance, Spike, lay curled in a tiny wicker basket. I wonder what he dreams of, she pondered curiously. She turned her attention to the rest of the library.

She forced a smile and began walking towards a stack of books on the floor. She needed more sleep, she noted. Unfortunately, there was no time. By day, she toiled in the library. She reorganized, restocked, double checked, and repeated. By night, she spent her time reading about spells and magic. It was like exploring a different life, a life that was never meant to be. She wasn’t anything special; she was just a simple unicorn at a library.

The balcony was open. Shining rays of the morning sun gleamed into the library’s second floor, trailing down the spiral staircase. She trotted up the door, where a faint breeze was entering the library. She sighed as she stared at the small wooden balcony. There was a scorch mark etched across the wood, most likely caused during one of her nightly practice sessions. She would have to clean that up later.

With a sigh and a yawn, she shut the doors tight, closing the velvet curtains. She returned to the center of the room, picking up a piece of parchment that was labeled, checklist. She levitated it towards her and could see that organizing the lower and mid shelves was already checked off. She must have completed it before she dozed off.

She only had to check and reorganize the daily stock of the upper level shelves, all five hundred, as well as check on the library's work and living supplies. To some, that would be daunting, but to Twilight Sparkle, it was just routine. She liked routine, she always had. Every day was the same, and every day brought the same smiles and the same distant longings for something more.

Twilight walked beside the stack of books that lay on the hardwood floor, wet with drool as a result of her unintended nap. She began talking to herself as she tossed them on the shelf one by one. “Daring Doo and the Temple of Doom by H.C. Myran. The Last Human by Lyra Hearstrings. The Tale of the Fallen Princess by Tyrioki Pegasisha. The Joy of Knitting by-TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”

Twilight jumped at the sudden call. “What?”

The voice that responded was feminine, and very annoyed. “Don’t you, ‘What?’ me, missy! Now, have you picked up the new supply of books from the post office?”

“No, mom, I thought you were going to get them.”

“I can’t! I’m going to be busy all day! I’ve got to schedule a plumber to fix the sink! I’ve got to check the registry of the books, an-” Her voice instantly changed into a much more quiet, polite volume. “Hello, welcome to Fillydelphia East Library! I’m Silver Tome, would you like any assistance?” There was a pause before she gave a perky,”Okay then!” She continued her rant towards Twilight. “And also, I-”

“Okay, I’m going!” Twilight yelled back, not wanting to hear any more of her mother’s nagging.

She used her magic to reach for her brown, winter coat, and wrapped it securely around her body. Twilight shivered for a split second while she put it on before relaxing under the soft, wool fabric.

Twilight turned to Spike, still sleeping. “You’re coming too.”

Spike mumbled to himself and rubbed his eyes, giving Twilight an aggravated look; Twilight returned the glare, tenfold. Defeated, Spike gave a disgruntled sigh as he grabbed Twilight’s white satchel, which had her own cutie mark embroidered on the side. “Thank you, Spike,” Twilight said as she took the satchel and fastened it around her stomach.

She paused and looked at her cutie mark again. They always told her that cutie marks were supposed to tell you your destiny. Magic is what her parents said it meant those many long years ago. If that is the case, why? Was her life’s destiny to be a librarian with a small talent for magic? Twilight resigned herself and continued walking.

Twilight Sparkle approached the spiral staircase and began descending down, glancing briefly at the walls, which held a variety of family pictures. There were a number that had a filly Twilight and an infant Spike alongside Silver Tome; albeit a much younger version. The oldest picture on the wall was of Twilight Sparkle as a young filly of only five or so, holding a newly hatched Spike. The two stood smiling next to Silver Tome, who too, was grinning from ear to ear in front of the newly opened Fillydelphia East Library. Twilight gave a brief smile at these pictures before she reached the bottom of the staircase, and could see Silver Tome sorting paperwork.

Her mother, Silver Tome, was an older unicorn with wrinkles running along the crevices of her face. However, she had a certain youthful nature to the way she moved as if she refused to succumb to the dullness and lethargy of old age. She had white, wavy hair, tied into a single ponytail. Her coat was a lighter shade of violet, and her cutie mark had a single library book with a brown cover, laying open for the world to see. Twilight walked past her mother and attempted to reach the front door.

“Bye mom!” Twilight said, taking a step towards the door. Silver Tome ran towards her. “Be careful out there! And be sure to be back within the hour. There’s still a lot of work to be done! Love you!”

Twilight’s mom gave a quick kiss on her forehead before turning around and resuming her paperwork. Twilight Sparkle checked to see that Spike was behind her and opened the front door.

When Twilight emerged from her house, the autumnal breeze hit her, sending a shiver down her spine. She tightened her coat and looked back to Spike, finally making his way out the door. She began walking on the cobblestone street.

It was a dark overcast today. Hopefully, she would be back home before it started raining. To her sides were stores built by a mixture of wood and cobblestone. They sold everything from furniture, pottery, and quills to expensive antiques and artifacts. Ponies came to and from, hurrying to avoid the inevitable rain. The streets were crowded today, more so than usual.

In between the alleys, she could see a few young colts gathered around a tin barrel, fire spewing from the top. They huddled close together for warmth. Further up, past the stores, a stallion with a white receding mane was begging on the corner where the streets diverged. He was missing a hind leg, supporting himself by a wooden peg.

“Money for a veteran?” he pleaded to a passing younger couple. They ignored him, not even going as far as looking him in the eye. Twilight warily approached his direction, glancing at her satchel.

With a sigh, she pulled a bit from her satchel and tossed it into his can. The old stallion smiled. “May Celestia bless you.”

With that, she turned the corner where the stalls and vendors were already set up. On the horizon, she could see the towering structures being built farther north. Above them all, stood a large cathedral with the celestial sun emblazoned onto the top of the building’s tower. Next to it, there were large beams of steel and metal in the shape of buildings and businesses in the process of construction. She smiled at the prospect of progress.

As of late, the country was suffering from the economic collapse caused several years prior. Luckily, the king had been able to contain the situation and keep the government in tact. Unfortunately, that meant little to the millions of ponies that now went without a job. Twilight was just thankful that the library was government funded or she, Spike, and her mother might be in a similar situation as that old beggar.

Twilight made her way past the wooden stands where they sold all manner of trinkets and devices. She stopped and approached a stand labeled, The Fillydelphia Press Tribune.

Twilight walked to the newspaper stand, and approached a scrawny, white pegasus colt. She spoke in a polite voice. “Hey, Featherweight! How are you today?”

“I’m doing great, Miss Sparkle! Would you like a copy of today’s news?” asked Featherweight with a crack in his voice.

“I sure would!” Twilight enthusiastically said as she levitated two bits from her satchel and tossed them over the counter, towards Featherweight. Featherweight smiled and handed her a bundled up newspaper, held together by a thin rubber band. Twilight snapped off the rubber band and began scanning the headlines as she leaned over the counter.

KING TO HONOR ONE THOUSAND YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Today, his majesty, King Filthy Rich will meet on the court of Canterlot Castle to honor the memory of Solaria’s beloved Princess Celestia: hero of the Discordian War and former ruler of Equestria. Today marks the millennial anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of the regal sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and with it, the fall of Equestria.

Upon quickly glimpsing the cover, she nodded and tossed over several small coins. With a quick “Thank you”, she left with Spike following closely behind.

As they were were walking along the alleyway, Spike looked at the newspaper hanging from her satchel.

“Twilight,” Spike began, “what do you think happened to them? Do you think they really just left?”

“The regal sisters?” Twilight shook her head. “I doubt it. The sisters were strong leaders. Celestia practically redefined diplomacy and her sister was a fearsome mare of war. I don’t see ponies like them leaving that behind after working so hard to get there. Also, even if they did leave, they surely would have made plans to ensure order. When they dissapeared, noone knew what to do!”

“Isn’t that Filthy Rich’s great-great whatever ended up becoming king?”

She nodded as she weaved through chattering ponies. “I’m glad you checked out those books I gave you.”

“Only because you wouldn’t stop reading them to me,” he said flatly.

Twilight laughed as she looked forward and her smile turned to a more serious look. “General Amadeus Rich. Head of the Solarian military and personal advisor to both the princesses. He really was in the best position to take charge. There was no other known alicorn and no royal willing to take over.”

“But, Twilight...isn’t he the reason he the reason that the Equestrian split happened? Isn’t he the reason things are like they are now.”

Twilight sighed. “Him coming into power wasn’t the reason for the uprising. His title was.”

“His title?”

“King,” Twilight said with seriousness in her tone. “Until then, king and queen were simply forgotten words. The princesses made sure that they never used them. Think about it, the last ruler that shared that title was Discord, god of chaos. I’m sure the very thought of returning to back then didn’t conjure very good thoughts.”

“And that’s why they…”

“Yes,” she said with a nod. “That’s why everything started. That’s why the pegasi in Cloudsdale revolted. After that, it was pretty much a chain reaction. The Equestrian Civil War. Millions dead. Millions more leaving the Equestrian continent and heading east to form the Eastern Union. The war didn’t end until nearly a century later with the creation of Solaria and Lunaria and the invention of the earliest forms of gunpowder. By then, the princesses had pretty been become legends, some even worshipping them as deities.”

Spike nodded. Twilight was about to continue when a giant gust of wind forced her to grab hold of her jacket. Twilight looked up. Overhead was a ship, about the size of a two or three story building; it was smaller than airships usually were. Twilight heard rumor that some of the larger classes of airships were able to accommodate nearly a thousand ponies.

From their angle, they could only make out the thick, black iron hull of the ship. Most likely, its sides were of a similar material. She had seen one close up when she was very young. They were shaped very similarly to most sea ships back in the times before the Great War, minus the sails as they now relied more heavily as steam engines.

Although scarce at first, airships were beginning to gain commercial use by merchants and shipping companies as well as transportation services. However, most civilian airships were made from from wood. Iron and steel was reserved for use by the military and still dominated in terms of production.

As it passed, she could see the golden sun of Solaria painted onto the side of the ship. Below it on both sides, steam rushed out from the small exhaust pipes as it flew over the city, its massive shadow engulfing the town whole. “Must be heading to Baltimare,” Twilight remarked.

“Baltimare?” Spike asked.

“Yeah, its the biggest military shipyard along the coast. Although, it doesn’t appear to be a warship. No, it looks like a carrier ship. Most likely delivering cargo.”

With a shrug from Spike, they walked towards a green street sign which read, You Are Now Entering Fillydelphia’s West District.

As Twilight walked past the sign, she could hear jazz music playing in the background. Twilight look around to discover a large wooden radio sitting next to a pile of crates. Over the radio, an older voice spoke, "Good evening, Fillydelphia! Today marks the one thousandth year since the disappearance of the regal sisters as well as the rise of the Rich royal family and the ensuing war for control of Equestria that ultimately ended in Equestria’s split into two sovereign nations: Solaria, the Solar Empire and Lunaria, the Lunar Republic."

Spike turned to it and was about to speak as an older mare in a tattered coat walked and sat beside it. His mouth drooped as he frowned.

Twilight noticed him and spoke with a warmth in her voice. “Things will get better, Spike.”

“You really think so?” he asked cautiously.

She nodded. “Of course! It won’t be easy, but I’m sure we’ll manage. Solaria’s been at peace for nearly ten years. As long as we have that, we’ll be fine. I’m positive that the king is already working on finding a solution.”

Spike gave a weak smile as Twilight returned it.

Her smile stopped when she saw a familiar building in the background. It was a tall round structure with a thick blue roof. Blue Brick’s School for Gifted Unicorns, was written against the top in bright shining letters. Twilight scowled bitterly as a pair of unicorns, a mother and a small child walked through the tall pointed gates.

“Have a great day!” the mother said as she kissed her daughter.

The child laughed a adjusted the strap on her back pack. “I will! Today, Miss Finklesworth is going to teach us how to teleport!”

It felt like a jab to her stomach as she watched the child happily enter. She would have given anything to be accepted into such a place. You and your mother will never be able to afford it in your life. Let the filly enjoy herself, she scolded herself. She sighed in defeat and stopped in front of a large chalk white building with the words, “Fillydelphia West District Post Office” painted on the front.

Twilight walked towards the unpainted metal door, and opened it to see a crowd of ponies lined up to to speak to ponies in blue collared shirts. “I can tell that this is going to take a while. Great, mom’s not going to be happy.” said Twilight, heaving a sigh.

Twilight walked behind the line, and looked around, trying to find some entertainment in her surroundings. The room in which she stood was rather small since it was only for customer service and bigger deliveries. To her right was a hallway which led to row upon row of metal P.O. boxes and ponies going about, trying to find their own.

On her left, she could see a map that stretched across all the known world. On the left hand side of the map, was a large mass of land titled, “The Equestrian continent” along with a split down the center. On the left side of the continent, it read, “The Lunar Republic of Lunaria”. On the right, it read, “The Solar Empire of Solaria”.

Across from The Equestrian Continent, to the far right and past the ocean, stood a landmass with numerous splits and curves, and a single title above which read, “The Eastern Union”. On it, the nations were labeled: The island nation of Britannia, the smaller island nation of Ire, Prance, New Saddle Arabia, Zebrica, Germaneigh and the now assimilated nations of Austro and Hungaran, Ponland, the hulking nation of East Lunararia, I'xnaugh: kingdom of the changelings, and the tiny nation of Griffonia.

With a weary sigh, Twilight pulled out the newspaper and skimmed the headlines.

TENSIONS GROW IN THE EASTERN UNION

Tensions are growing hot in the Eastern Union as Germaneigh continues to aggressively spread its influence further east, conquering the bordering nations of Austro and Hungaran. Some say that they may have their eyes set on Ponland.

The autumnal winds roared as Applejack raised her hind legs and twisted her body back. Her back hooves compressed closer to her torso, building up pressure. In mere seconds, all of that pressure was unleashed in a powerful kick as her legs connected to the tree, shaking it from the base.

The tree shook, forcing apples to rain down upon her, landing perfectly in her wooden bucket. “That’s the gist of it,” Applejack said as she wiped the sweat from her forehead, adjusting her tan stetson.

Applejack lowered her gaze, facing Applebloom, who was smiling with excitement.

“Do ya think I might get to be that good at it?” Applebloom asked, lifting her tiny legs and attempting to kick a nearby tree. Her hindlegs missed, forcing her to fall and roll against the grass.

Applejack sighed and stared out into the fields. Row after row of trees stood before her, apples hanging plentifully from their branches. It was going to be a good harvest, she hoped. It has to be.

She turned her attention back to Applebloom. “Maybe,” she said with a smile. “Maybe one day, if you keep working hard at it. who know? Maybe you’ll even get your cutie mark from it.”

Applebloom smiled and exclaimed, “I will!”

Applejack smiled as she looked at the rickety wagon containing several barrels of apples, nearly a month of work. “Hey, Applebloom,” she said. “I haven’t taken you to town to sell in a while have I?”

“It’s been forever!” she said, excitedly jumping up and down. “I haven’t been since before Big Macintosh left! School doesn't start till winter, anyhow.”

Applejack walked to the wagon and strapped the harness around her waist. “Well, we better get going then,” she said. Happily, Applebloom ran to her side as Applejack walked carefully towards the dirt road that parted the grassy fields of Sweet Apple Acres in two.

Applejack and Applebloom walked along it for several minutes, happily pointing out the odd creatures that walked along the empty fields: loose cows, stray dogs, and wandering ponies who walked and waved as they passed the two along the dirt road.

It was only a few more minutes until they could see the outskirts of the town. The town’s clock tower stood high against the rising sun. Just as the clock tower struck 9:00, the morning bell rang out across the sky. Below the clocktower, she could see the the small wooden buildings and shops as ponies ran to and from. Above the town’s entrance hung a wooden sign. Welcome to Waltana.

Applejack grinned at the familiar sign. She had lived in Waltana nearly her entire life. It wasn’t a big town, but it was still her home. She knew nearly every pony by name. Even as she walked past the sign, she could hear several shouts.

“Hey Applejack!” one shouted.

“Good morning,” another said, tipping his hat as he said it.

Applejack smiled and returned the greeting as she walked past the familiar shops and past a pair of playing children who were covered in dirt and the filth. Applejack frowned as she watched them. This wasn’t the normal dirtiness of childhood play, she knew. This was the filthiness of children who had been without running water for several days. As they played, she could even see their tiny ribcages sticking out past their coat.

It was getting harder and harder to survive in this town. It had been like this ever since the money problems began. It didn’t help that Waltana was next to the second largest town in all of Ponland, losing trade to the prosperous towns nearby. It didn’t help that the possibility of war was always around the corner.

Applejack felt pity for the poor fillies and colts. She wished she could give them something, anything, but she knew that she barely had enough to take care of her own family. Hesitantly, Applejack moved forward, walking past the smelly, starving children as she approached the town square, a space encircled by several smaller shops and houses. It was there that a small wooden stand stood. From the top of the stand, supported by two wooden beams, hung a small sign with a crudely drawn apple on the top of it. Under the apple, the words Sweet Apple Acres were written.

Applejack carefully unloaded the cart alongside the stand as Applebloom helped her removed the barrels and place them along the ground.

To her surprise, it was only minutes before she was approached by her first customer, a peppy looking mare with a tan coat and a poofy blue and pink mane and tail. She smiled as she approached them.

“The usual, Miss BonBon?” Applejack asked.

“Of course!” she said with a warm smile. “Ten; I just can’t seem to start off my day without your delicious apples! I told my friend, Lyra, about it and she said that I may have a problem,” she said with a laugh.

“You’re friends with Lyra? As in the Lyra Heartstrings, the author?” Applebloom asked, her eyes gleaming.

“Sure am!” she said. “Although she lives up in northern Ponland, I still manage to see her a few times a month. Anyway, you’re Applebloom aren’t you? You’ve gotten much bigger since I’ve last seen you!”

Applebloom blushed at the comment and they began to chat back and forth about this and that. Applejack continued to smile and nod, having forgotten the usual chattiness of BonBon during her routine visits. After about a minute of her usual chatter, BonBon handed in her bits, and Applejack safely deposited them in a bag that was located on the inside of the apple stand. Applejack and Applebloom waved goodbye to the talkative mare, and patiently waited for the next customer.

It wasn't too long after, that ponies began to line up. It was the usual morning. Even in the midst of a depression, ponies still had to eat. Applejack continued, smiling and making pleasant conversation as she served the next hungry customer. Although Applejack sometimes tired of the stress involved in dealing with anxious customers, Applejack loved the everyday conversation, and the smiles on the faces of happy ponies as they devoured her homegrown apples.

The next several hours went by quickly as she exchanged coin for apple, happily greeting her customers. They all left with a smile as Applejack grew more and more tired. Applebloom’s excitement had waned down drastically to a lukewarm smile and nod.

It was getting late in the evening when they were approached by their final customer, a hooded stallion with a dark mane. He approached them scowl as he gazed at their sign and carefully examined them.

Applejack pushed Applebloom back with her foreleg as she looked him in the eyes. “What’s the matter?” she asked.

“It’s just...I don’t normally purchase from those with Apple family blood. I was inspecting to make sure that they were...sanitary.”

Applejack frowned. “I don’t take too kindly with that kind of talk. We work hard to make sure that our products are the very best.”

“Oh really? Is that why you Apples ruined the economy here?” he asked with a smug grin. He turned to face Applebloom. “Poor little spawn. You should put her out of her misery. When Germaneigh comes, they’ll take no pity on her. They won’t take pity on any of us.”

“Germaneigh?” Applebloom asked, fear dripping from her mouth as she spoke it.

Applejack gritted her teeth. “Go!” she shouted, pointing her hoof at him. “And don’t let me catch you on Apple family property again, neither!”

“You won’t,” he said as he turned away. “Once Germaneigh comes, they’ll take this whole town. And it’s all because of you damn Apples.”

Applejack continued to shout until he was a proper distance away before turning to her sister. She paused as she tried to think of the words. Applebloom looked frightened. “I’m sorry that you had to hear that Applebloom,” she said softly as she placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“Why...why did he say all that? Is it because of Jedediah Appleton? Because he stole money from the old king?”

Applejack paused briefly to see the fear in Applebloom's eyes. The hatred of the Apple family was nothing new to Applejack.

Applejack bit her lip. “Yes and no. The Apple family's been around since before the Equestrian Civil War. Heck, Jedediah getting caught was all the way back when Ponland was still a kingdom! Since then, the family kept getting bigger. Maybe it’s because Apples tend to be business ponies and farmers. If things go wrong, we’re usually the first to blame. And in times like war, all it takes is a little blame to cause a lot of ponies to get real angry real quickly.”

Applebloom paused a moment before she spoke. “Then...is it wrong to be an Apple?”

Applejack shook her head. “Applebloom, the Apples were some of the first ponies to enter the new continent. It was during the First Equestrian Civil War, right after Luna and Celestia went missing. Your ancestors got on a boat with about a million others, headed east, fought off the griffins that were living here, and set up their homes. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like something to be proud of, if I’ve ever heard it.”

Applebloom nodded before asking, “Then….what about that stallion? What’s to stop others from doing the same thing? What if they want to hurt us?”

She sighed. “Things are different here. Granny Smith spent years building up trust with everypony in this town. Not only that, but for every bad Apple, we got good ones like the Seeds, who are raising good families and making everypony proud.”

There was a silence before she asked her final question. “What about Germaneigh? That stallion said that they were coming here.”

She leaned down and wrapped her forelegs around her little sister. “I don’t know what Germaneigh’s gonna do,” she said softly. She released her and stood up with a confident smile. “But whatever happens, I ain’t letting them touch us, you can count on that!”

Applebloom smiled as Applejack loaded the empty barrels onto the wagon and strapped the harness around her waist as she faced Applebloom. “We better get going,” she said. Applebloom smiled as she walked beside her big sister, walking through the town square, past the entrance shops, and onto the dirt road.

It was only minutes later that they spotted the familiar sign that read Sweet Apple Acres. A little past it, she could see a red barn whose exterior paint had faded due to time and usage. Still, Applejack had always saw it as a sign of longevity. The barn had been here since the farm’s foundation, long before Applejack was even born.

As she got closer, she could smell the awful stench of barnyard animals happily playing in the fenced off portion of the nearby fields, located next to the barn. On the side of the barn was a small white house. Applebloom and Applejack approached the house and unhooked the harness of the wagon in front of the door.

Applejack and Applebloom walked around to the side of the house, faced a white door, and loudly tapped her hoof against it. They waited as a set of hoofsteps slowly approached the door. Applejack waited and heard the clinking and clanking of metals, and the rustling of locks as the door swung inward.

She was greeted by an elderly voice with a thick accent. “Applejack! Applebloom!” she said through a wrinkled smile.

Applejack smiled as she walked in. “I’ll probably have to count again, but at the rate we’re making money, we should be able to pay off the farm for another month.”

Granny Smith beamed at the news. “Darn tootin’! Them city slickers think that just ‘cause we ain’t loaded, we wouldn't make it, but look at us!” Granny Smith continued on her joyous rant about how she had shown all the others who doubted that the Apple family would last this long. Applejack ignored her rambling, and she sat down against table, taking off her tan stetson as she turned on the giant, mahogany radio standing on the kitchen counter.

As the radio came to life, Applebloom happily sat down while the smell of apple fritter spread across the kitchen, her grandmother happily adjusting the temperature on the over while Applebloom anxiously licker her lips.

The static over the radio cleared up as a voice became clear, cutting through the house. “In today’s news, ponies are questioning the sudden rounding up and displacement of Germaneigh’s unwanteds. There’s word that they’re taking them by the hoof full and placing them in vans, sending them to destinations unknown. Furthermore, this coincides with the news that Germaneigh continues to meet with The Lunar Republic. Some are questioning the unusual frequency of their visits.”

Comments

[Clockwork Dawn]

You have my attention. Seriously this is gonna be great, i can tell.

[no longer on]

One word: DAYYYYYMMMMMMM!!!