A Decade Lost

by Neonz

15. The Big Apple

The train exited the Canterlot station slowly, just like how it did ten years ago. Although, Twilight had never left in this direction before. She'd never even been to Manehatten. How they were going to find Apple Bloom in such a large, unfamiliar city was a mystery to Twilight, but Scootaloo seemed unconcerned.

Since it was an overnight train, they had a private cart with bunk beds set up for them to sleep, and they'd been served dinner. Scootaloo stared out of the window in wonder as the last of the sun descended over the horizon. The fading red sky reminded Twilight that she should ask Scootaloo some questions before they went to sleep.

“So...” Twilight said, and Scootaloo looked up with a smile. “How come you and Apple Bloom lost touch with each other? You were inseparable as foals.”

Scootaloo tapped her chin. “Well, Apple Bloom got her cutie mark first of the three of us. Me and Sweetie were so excited for her, but Apple Bloom actually wasn't all that thrilled. The year had been really hard, what with you leaving, her grandmother passing away, Applejack getting hurt...” Scootaloo looked back out the window to the fading landscape. “Applejack kind of freaked out at her because her mark wasn't exactly an apple. It was a hammer and nails – the hammer had a little apple on the handle, though. She was always pretty great at building stuff when we were trying just about anything else to find our special talents.” Scootaloo grinned. “The answer's right there in front of you sometimes. But anyways, she basically said she wasn't destined for farm work and took off to Manehatten.”

“And she never came home..?” Apple Bloom leaving for Manehatten reminded Twilight of how Applejack earned her cutie mark. It may have been a rash decision, but it did make some sense. Except, Applejack found out pretty quickly she wasn't destined for big city life. Maybe Apple Bloom found the opposite.

Scootaloo shrugged. “I'm not sure. I left Ponyville shortly after she did. My parents had kind of crazy careers, so they weren't around much. I love them, but looking back, they weren't the best at being parents. When you died, they got kind of freaked out at the fragility of life or whatever and took me to travel with them permanently. Apple Bloom was already gone, Sweetie Belle's parents were planning on moving to Canterlot because they were worried about Rarity, so it seemed like the right time for me to go, too.”

The news of the three young crusaders separating all because of what she'd done made Twilight's heart ache, though Scootaloo seemed unbothered. Twilight supposed where Scootaloo was so young, it probably felt like a lifetime ago. “And then you ended up in Cloudsdale?”

Scootaloo chuckled. “Well, there was a lot of in-between. Got my cutie mark by chasing weather patterns. I could tell a really dangerous thunderstorm was forming over the ocean, so I went and grabbed some local pegasus ponies and directed them on where to send it. I'd never have gotten the chance to take the lead like that in Ponyville, not when Rainbow Dash was so good at heading the weather ponies. Guess that's one good thing about my parents going to crazy dangerous locations and taking me with them.” Scootaloo shrugged. “Anyways, the only school for weather management is in Cloudsdale, so that's how I ended up there. Me and Rainbow Dash both worked at the weather factory for maybe a year together before she joined the Wonderbolts. That's how we reconnected.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “So, uh, do you actually have any idea where to find Apple Bloom in Manehatten?”

Scootaloo nodded slowly. “Yeah. Manehatten is one of the cities I organize the weather for, so I'm pretty familiar with it.” Scootaloo paused to drag out the purple saddlebag she'd taken along with her. “Didn't want to freak Sweetie Belle out by mentioning it – not when she had so many other things on her mind – but Apple Bloom's actually been looking for me.”

“Looking for you?” Twilight echoed, surprised. “After all this time? Why?”

Scootaloo started digging through the saddlebag. “Well, to be honest, I don't think she knows she sent the letter to me specifically...” Scootaloo pulled a scroll out of her saddlebag and offered it to Twilight, who levitated it closer to read it. The outside of it said “to be read only by the pony in charge of Manehatten's weather”:

“ We have a business proposition to discuss. Meet me at the Mane Event in Manehatten. This offer has no time limit, but you will find that the longer you wait, the more the weather team will pay for it. Come alone and tell nopony else, or there will be consequences.

• Apple Pounder”

It was signed with the insignia of a cutie mark – a hammer and nails with a small apple on the handle. “Apple Pounder?” Twilight questioned.

Scootaloo shrugged. “Might be an alias, or she might have changed her name to match her cutie mark. But I swear, that is exactly what her cutie mark looked like. I wouldn't forget something like that.” Scootaloo sighed. “To be honest, the letter kind of freaked me out, but I thought it was better to ignore it – then Crimson Gust got his wing broken on the job last week. Freak mugging, I thought – Manehatten isn't the cleanest of cities – then the same thing happened to Cloud Sweeper just two days ago. I didn't tell anyone about the letter, but my crew is pretty shaken. I'm not gonna have anypony left to work Manehatten unless I go sort this out.”

Twilight read the letter a few more times over. “You think Apple Bloom attacked the weather ponies? But why would she do that? And how?” Twilight was having trouble envisioning that sweet little filly as anything other than the beloved baby of Applejack's family. The hostile words of the letter didn't line up with the image.

“I dunno...” Scootaloo admitted. “I find it hard to believe myself, but Sweetie Belle's always been weird when it comes to Apple Bloom. She obviously knows something that I don't. I trusted her and never pushed pursuing Apple Bloom after she stopped responding to letters. Well, until now. I tried to ask Sweetie about it today, but she still wouldn't give me any details, just insisted that I shouldn't go visit her. Maybe I should have just shown her the letter... but I didn't want to risk putting her in danger.”

Twilight glanced back from the letter to Scootaloo. “...But you're okay with showing it to me?”

Scootaloo shuffled a hoof. “Look, you're the strongest pony I know. I remember how crazy your magic was. And I was serious when I said Apple Bloom really looked up to you...”

Twilight groaned, flying the letter back into Scootaloo's hooves. “This is insane. You lied to me. I wouldn't have come if I thought it would be dangerous!”

“I'm sorry,” Scootaloo said, averting her eyes as she stuffed the letter back into her saddlebag. “It's okay if you don't want to, I'll go alone. Just, our goals overlap.” She looked back up pleadingly. “I really want to help Applejack, too. She saved my life, Twilight. Me and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle – and she was permanently injured doing it. I've tried before to reach out, but she pushes me away – she just thinks I'm trying to do a favour for Rainbow Dash.” She flapped her small wings feebly. “Really wish I could at least do something about the weather in Ponyville, but it's out of my hooves. Dash can't fly down there either. I got them to continue service until a year ago, but the mess there now has got to have destroyed what was left of the Apple's orchard.”

The gnarled, leafless apple trees flashed through Twilight's memory. Maybe a year ago they were healthy enough to sustain Applejack, but that wasn't the case anymore. “You shouldn't go alone,” Twilight decided. Although, that is what the letter insisted she do. “I'll go with you, but if things turn bad, I'm teleporting us out.”

Scootaloo smiled appreciatively and turned to the bunks. “Thanks Twilight,” she said before climbing into the top bed. “Should probably get some sleep. G'night.”

Twilight settled herself into the bottom bunk and stared out the window. If this was what she needed to do to help Applejack, then she would do it...

...

The unicorns of Canterlot talked of Manehatten as either a filthy haven for downtrodden earth ponies, or as the business haven of Equestria, where the best of the best could make the big times. That was really about all Twilight knew about it – it was so far from Ponyville that curious tourists usually chose the closer and grander Canterlot or the equally far and thrice as exciting Las Pegasus over it.

The towering skyscrapers, bustling taxi carriages, and flashing advertisements were an immediate assault to Twilight's senses. She trotted nervously behind Scootaloo, who was weaving in and out of the crowds while staring at the sky. She kept muttering things like “that cloud should be over the west end” or “the wind really should be more to the northeast”.

One of the recurrent advertisements popping up was for the Carousel Boutique. They passed at least one billboard, sign, or poster for it on every street they walked down. As they finally walked past the storefront, Twilight tapped Scootaloo to stop so she could openly gape at it – it was at least twice as large as the one in Canterlot. This was further emphasized by the two carousels that Twilight could see rotating through the transparent glass walls.

“Crazy, right?” Scootaloo affirmed as Twilight stared at the collection of dresses, hats, scarves, and any other article of clothing imaginable. “Hard to believe this is all Rarity's work. Although, Sweetie says Rarity's husband runs the Manehatten branch.” Scootaloo chuckled as Twilight tried to take in every gemstone, every high-class pony, and all of the security guards just in front of the entrance. “You want to go inside?”

“N-no,” Twilight said, tearing herself away, but smiling a little despite herself. “It just makes me happy that one of us is doing so well.” Maybe a little too much so, but it was better than the alternative that plagued the rest of her friend group.

Scootaloo shrugged her onwards. As they walked, the grand buildings slowly lost their sparkle. Buildings of marble transitioned to buildings of wasted brick, windows were increasingly boarded up, and ponies stopped smiling at them as they passed by. Far from it – most stared at them and then quickly averted their gaze when they made eye contact. It took Twilight several encounters before she realized they were staring at Scootaloo's tiny wings. Twilight wondered if she got that sort of treatment a lot, but didn't feel comfortable asking.

Scootaloo stopped at a street corner and glanced back and forth. “It's here. Corner of Brayberry and Marestone.” Twilight blinked and looked up. 'The Mane Event – Salon and Barber' – the name was twisted in unlit neon lights, though they blinked a few times while Twilight was trying to read it. She'd never have spotted it from the street. Scootaloo pushed the door open and led them inside.

The space reeked of cigarette smoke, and was so small and dark that it took Twilight's eyes a moment to adjust. Once they had, she started at the gaze of about ten earth ponies, eyes all locked on her and Scootaloo. “Youze lost or somethin'?” A purple, black-maned stallion asked, approaching closer. A few others in the back muttered amongst themselves. “Or youze need a manecut?”

Scootaloo bravely shook her head. “We're looking for Apple Bloom.”

“Apple who?” the stallion grumbled.

“Who said that?!” A gritty female voice exclaimed from somewhere in the back. Twilight looked up to see a pair of scissors be tossed onto a manedresser's workstation, to the irritation of the blue-maned mare sitting in the barber's chair. A large brown earth pony stepped out from behind the station. Her straight red hair was parted to one side, and she blew it out of her bright green eyes as she started walking over. Her cutie mark appeared to be a pair of scissors. “Yo, Bullet, Spite,” she grunted, and the purple stallion and a dark green mare obediently stood and flanked Twilight and Scootaloo. Twilight glanced behind her warily, then looked to Scootaloo for guidance, but Scootaloo's eyes had widened.

“Babs?!” she exclaimed, gaping at the brown mare. “Babs Seed?!”

The mare hesitated, looking Scootaloo and Twilight up and down. “Do I know you?” she asked, eyes narrowed.

“It's me, Scootaloo!” she implored, her eyes shifting from side to side at the two earth ponies on either side of them. “From Ponyville – I was best friends with Apple Bloom. We were cutie mark crusaders together!”

Babs looked stunned for a moment, then regained her composure and shook her head lightly. “Aye. Ya do look kinda familiar. How in the hay did youze find this place?”

Scootaloo pulled the letter out and handed it to Babs. “I recognized Apple Bloom's cutie mark. I'm head of the weather patrol for Manehatten.”

Babs accepted the letter and looked between it and Scootaloo, her expression finally settling into confusion. “You? The head of weather for Manehatten?” She flicked Scootaloo's wings with a barking laugh. “With those things? Can ya even fly?”

Scootaloo shrugged as the two ponies behind her guffawed. “Not well. I never said I maintained the weather. I'm just in charge of it.”

“Huh,” Babs said, giving another short laugh. “Well, ain't I seen it all now. And who's the broad with ya? Can't fly, but youze can read, I hope – says 'come alone'!”

Twilight raised a hoof uncertainly, but Scootaloo beat her to answering. “This is Twilight Sparkle. Apple Bloom will want to see her, trust me.”

Babs rolled her eyes. “Maybe youze really can't read – it's 'Apple Pounder', now. She ain't gone by Apple Bloom since she was a blank flank.”

“Ey, boss,” the stallion spoke suddenly, jabbing a hoof toward Scootaloo's flank. “Gonna want to look at this.”

“What now?” Babs walked around, her eyes widening at Scootaloo's cutie mark. “That mark, that's...!” Her expression sharply turned serious, and she whirled on the stallion. “Where is AP anyways, Bullet?”

The stallion shifted uncomfortably. “Still in negotiations. Bigwig from Carousel Boutique still giving 'er trouble.”

“Fancy'll crack,” Babs said with a grin. “He always does – you gotta go pull Apple Pounder outta there, tell 'er she's got more important shit to attend to.”

The stallion galloped out, and Babs shrugged to them. “You two, with me. Chopper, you take over my customer.” A beige mare trotted over to the blue-maned mare, who Babs led them past and down a creaky stairwell.

The hall beneath was unlit, and Twilight automatically cast a light spell onto the end of her horn. Babs squinted back at her and huffed, but didn't say anything. There were a series of rooms both underneath the hair salon and extended past it. There were more stairwells leading into what must have been different units, or possibly even different buildings. The ponies in the rooms stopped talking and watched them as they passed.

Babs trotted into an empty room, feeling around for something in the corner of the room. “Matchbox, matchbox...” she muttered. Twilight glanced at the unlit torches around the area, and with another glow of her horn, lit all of them simultaneously. Babs jumped at the sudden light. “That works, I guess.” Under the light of the torches, she located a desk and peered inside the drawer. “Just wait here, Apple Pounder'll be here in a few. Can I offer youze a dart?”

“A what?” Twilight asked, at the same time that Scootaloo said “no, thanks.”

Babs glanced between them, shrugged, then held the end of a cigarette to one of the torches and took a long drag. “This is gonna be one of those days. I can feel it,” she muttered, and held the cigarette in her mouth as she trotted to the door and exited, closing it loudly behind her.

Scootaloo paused a few moments, then cautiously approached the door and checked the handle. “Locked,” she muttered, causing a wave of claustrophobia to descend over Twilight, though she felt confident she could teleport them both outside if needed.

“You know that pony?” Twilight asked quietly while glancing around the room. It was small and dusty, with a rickety table and four chairs in one corner, a desk in the other, and torches alongside walls that had grey paint peeling from them. Several nails stuck out obviously from the wall.

Scootaloo nodded. “Babs Seed. She's Apple Bloom's cousin.” Twilight wasn't expecting that, but she could sort of see the resemblance now that she thought about it. She had the same eyes as Applejack, and the same mane colour as Apple Bloom. “I haven't seen her since we were foals, though. She's from Manehatten. Guess Apple Bloom must've reconnected with her when she moved here.”

“I knew Applejack had family here, but I didn't realize...” Twilight trailed off and Scootaloo nodded solemnly. “Applejack said they were high-class ponies. They had a lot of money and a lot of social influence.”

Scootaloo glanced around the room. “Guess you can see why.”

Twilight flattened her ears and started pacing the room. She wondered idly how deep the Apple family had encrusted themselves in whatever this was. It was hard to accept it as organized crime. This could at least explain why nopony from Applejack's extended family had come to her aid. Everypony for themselves in Manehatten... that was how the saying went.

But now Twilight was literally locked into a meeting – if not for Applejack, then for Scootaloo. She couldn't imagine what Apple Bloom would want with the weather ponies, but nothing seemed out of reach now.

Maybe Apple Bloom wouldn't be able to help them, after all – if they could leave Manehatten unscathed, that might be victory enough.

Author's Note:

Forgot to mention in the previous AN that I'm sorry for doing Soarin dirty like that. When this fic was planned he was not a character we knew much about.

Comments

[Leviathan Eclipse]

You absolute LEGEN- wait for it... DARY MAD-LAD!

[MrZoat]

That's amazing. Both Twilight and the author vanished for ten years.

[SPIKE2022]

Before I read, is Spike in this story?

[NotAChild]

11746200
Trauma caused him to go coo coo

[Neonz]

11746200
Technically he will be, though the majority of Spike is just in mentions. That’s why he is not tagged as a character in this fic.

[Toodle Pip]

This Story is pretty wizard!

[Leviathan Eclipse]

11750076
Ah! That makes sense. Thank you for the clarification, and also thank you for being an absolute legendary mad lad. 100% commitment to the bit. Not to mention an amazing word smith.

[Neonz]

11750192
Thanks, lol. Definitely was not my intention to go ten years between updates but glad it worked out.

Weird fact - I had to create the drama with the Cakes in order for the drama with Rarity to make biological sense (this fic assumes that both the Cakes had recessive unicorn genes, since that’s the only way it works), but the weird gene dominance headcanon I used in this fic actually ended up working in both instances of canon “mixed race” kids. (Scootaloo - pegasus from an earth pony / pegasus; and Big Mac’s kid - earth pony from an earth pony / unicorn mix). Maybe there really was drama in the Cake family. Sure seemed it from Mr. Cake’s explanation at the hospital in Baby Cakes. 😂

[NotAChild]

11750607
I remember your story 10 years ago, was using a now deleted account. Seeing you coming back after 10 year blew my mind

[Leviathan Eclipse]

11750607
Wait.... Big mac's kid? Mix of earth and unicorn? But fluttershy is a pegasus... or was that a typo?

[Neonz]

11750771
Sorry for confusion - I meant in canon, his kid in “The Last Problem” with Sugar Belle. Not in this fic.

[Flicker Flame]

I can’t believe your hiatus took exactly 1 decade lol. THE IRONY