> The Man in Black
>  by Eagle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> When the Man Comes Around
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


We all hope to go to Heaven.
-Johnny Cash


You ever thought of what might happen when you were on your deathbed? Ever thought of what you’ve done in your life, where you‘ve been, or where you’ll be going? Will there be anything to think about at all?

At 2:00 AM, on an average September afternoon, one man passes on. A man who’s lived a lifetime of achievements and wonders that few in the world have the chance to do. One who’s lived a life of sin and service.

John R. ‘Johnny’ Cash, a musician whose work has influenced the world, dies of complications with his diabetes in a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. What went through his mind in those final seconds? That’s anyone’s guess.

If John was anything other than a musician, he was a man of God. Despite all of the things he’d done, he never got angry or turned his back on his lord. He always accepted God into him and whatever his plan was. Well, a new plan has just been put in motion. 



A man is sleeping soundly under an apple tree, snoring loudly. He’s not as old as he should be, but not as young as he could be. The clothes on his back are all solid black; shirt, shoes, pants, jacket, and all. His only accessory: a single acoustic guitar.

“Mmmph, hm?”

The man awakens, sitting up from his slouched napping position against the tree trunk.

“Hm, what’s this here?” he asks himself. “I don’t exactly remember stoppin’ for a nap here. Wait, wasn’t I in the hospital, or was that just a dream? No, it couldn’t have been. It felt too real.”

He suddenly realizes just how good he feels; energetic, spry, young.

“By God, I’m younger! Around thirty years, by the looks of it!” He exclaimed. “But how is that? A man doesn’t get younger, he gets…older. Wait, oh…I remember now.”

It came back to him; sitting and suffering in that bed. Knowing his time was near and closing his eyes. Last thing he remembered was the bright light, along with a voice that told him something, though he wasn’t too sure what.

“I died, or…am dead. That would explain a good deal,” he said, looking around. “Though, this isn’t exactly what I thought Heaven would be like.”

He stood up, amazed by the newfound energy in his legs.

“June, you up here?” he called out over the orchard of trees. “What about you, Jack? Anyone at all?”

He stopped and slumped back down alone against the tree, a sad look on his face.

“I’m alone. Maybe I’m not in Heaven, maybe this is hell. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit,” he said, looking around again. “Na, hell’d be much worse. Purgatory, maybe? I dunno.” 

His confusion and depression ended quickly when he spotted a case on the ground. Leaning over, he opened it up and took out an acoustic Dreadnought guitar; perfect condition and well-tuned. A wide smile broke on his face as he held it.

“Well, I know God is still watchin’ me, he had the good grace to send my guitar with me!” he chuckled. “And I was told I wouldn’t have material possessions in the afterlife! Well, I can thank him for making an exception for me.”

He got back up and grabbed an apple from the tree and began to eat on it.

“Still, I wish I knew where I was. Or, at least what I’m here for,” he said to himself. “Well, for now at least, I’d rather let whatever’s out there come to me. And until then, I’ve got all the time in the world.”

He returned, once again, to his slouched position in on the tree; this time, with the guitar in his lap.

“And, I’ve got what I need to pass that time,” he said. “Let’s see now, what first? Ah, here’s one I haven’t done in a while. How did the chords go? Was it the A or…ah yes, the G goes here. One…two…and three.”




“I’m tellin’ ya’ll, I can handle the harvest on my own, this time,” Applejack said in a vain attempt to shoo away her friends.

“You remember the last time Big Mac got sick and you tried to do all the work yourself?” Rainbow asked.

“Yea, yea. Still, he should be gettin’ better soon. ‘Sides, there ain’t much left, just this little area over here,” she replied.

“Well, we’re still gonna help you, it’ll get done faster.”

“I stil-”

“Hang on, girls,” Twilight stopped them, “you hear something?”

The group fell silent and, sure enough, they caught onto a strange sound they hadn’t heard before.

“It’s faint, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before. It sounds…twangy…musical,” Twilight tried to find the right words to it. “Fluttershy, do you know any animals that make that sound? Birds, maybe?”

“No, I’ve never heard of it before, either,” she replied.

“Well, let’s figure out where it’s coming from, then we’ll know what it is,” Pinkie suggested, before she began to run around the orchard is search of the noise.

The rest of the group did the same, fanning out to try and find where the sound was originating from. Little by little, they found the general direction of it. As they came closer, they also noticed a very deep voice that went along with it.

“Ya’ll here that? Sounds like singin’,” Applejack stated. “Who’d be singin’ in my orchard?”

“Well, we’ll find out soon enough,” Rainbow said. “It sounds like we’re coming closer, I can kinda make out some words.”

“Here the trumpets, here the pipers,

One hundred million angels singing,

Multitudes are marching to the big kettledrum,”

“Weird song,” she said. “Over this way I think.”

They continued closer, the words becoming even clearer.

“And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree,

The virgins are all trimming their wicks,

The whirlwind is in the thorn tree,

It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks,”

Finally, they rounded a cluster of trees and spotted the singer. The groups stood there, stunned and trying to figure out just what it was. The singer also spotted the ponies and, though thoroughly surprised, decided to finish off the song first.

“In measured hundred weight and penny pound,

When the man comes around.”

The group trotted up slowly to him. The singer sat there with a happy smile on his face. He hadn’t really expected something like this; but, being in wherever he was, he was expecting the unexpected.

“That was…great!” Applejack said, being the first to speak. 

“Yea, we’ve never heard any music like that before!” Pinkie said excitedly. “Oh, and we’ve never seen…whatever you are around here, either!”

“Yea, what are your?” Twilight asked. “Who are you?”

“Hello,” the man replied. “I’m Johnny Cash.”

> Ain't No Grave
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Johnny?” Pinkie said. “That’s a funny name.”

“I don’t see how,” Johnny replied. “Well, my full name is John R. Cash, if that makes it better.”

“Hm…nope! Still funny!”

“Well, what’s your name, then?”

“I’m Pinkie Pie!”

Johnny chuckled a bit.

“Now see? That’s a funny name.”

“Hey, my name isn’t funny!”

“Relax, Pinkie,” Twilight calmed her. “He’s obviously not from around here, so maybe names are different where he’s from.”

“Seems that way,” Johnny said. “You mind if we go inside someplace? It’s pretty hot out here.”

“Sure,” Applejack replied. “Our farmhouse is just a ways away.”

“Thanks.”

He put the guitar back in its case and stood up, stretching his muscles.

“Wow, you’re pretty tall,” Rainbow observed. 

“I guess it’s just cause I walk upright, but let’s continue this inside.”

The group made their way back to the house. Cash spent the time looking around and finishing his apple. For the most part, it was just apple trees for miles.

He also saw that some of them had horns on their heads, indicating they were unicorns. One of the pegasi was also flying instead of walking. He wondered what else inhabited this strange land.

“Granny and Mac are sleepin’ right now, so it’s ok for him to come in,” Applejack said. “I’ll explain it to them later on, you want somethin’ to drink?”

“Water, please,” Cash asked, sitting down on the couch in the living room. “Thanks for the help.”

“No problem,” Twilight replied. “It’s not every day we discover an entirely new alien species.”

“Huh, so I’m the first human you’ve seen?”

“Is that what you’re called?”

“Yea. Well, we have lots a names, but let’s just keep it simple.”

“Then, yes. You are,” she said. “How did you get here, anyways?”

“I died.”

This answer seemed to take Twilight and the others aback.

“Really? Cause, you’re kind of…alive right now,” Rainbow said.

“Well, I did die back on my world at the age of 71. Now, I’m here,” Cash explained. “Though I’ll admit I expected something else, this seems nice, too.”

“What were you expecting?”

“I’m not exactly sure, but I had an idea. Clouds, seeing all my dead loved ones, a warm presence,” Cash said. “I’m not too sure, but I wasn’t expectin’ this.”

“Are you sure, mister?” Pinkie asked.

“Yea, I’m pretty sure,” he replied. “Maybe I’m a ghost right now.”

“Well, we’ll save that for later,” Twilight said. “Let me introduce everypony else; I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

John couldn’t help but chuckle again, gaining an annoyed look from Twilight.

“I’m Rainbow Dash; bestest, fastest, coolest flyer in Equestria!” she exclaimed, doing a loop in the air.

“You certainly are a firey one, ain’t ya?” Cash asked rhetorically. “Be careful; that pride can get you killed.”

“Killed? Geez, you think pretty dark, huh?”

Cash didn’t bother to respond.

“I’m Applejack,” the Earth Pony said, tilting her hat at him.

“Y’know, you remind me a lot of the folks back home,” Cash observed. “Culturally, I mean.” 

Before Applejack could ask how, Pinkie got up in his face.

“I’m Pinkie! But you already knew that, huh?”

“Couldn’t forget.”

“It’s going to be super fun having a welcoming party for you!” she said, jumping up and down. “You’ll have to make sure to tell me what you like. Oh, I get to be the first pony to throw a party for a human!”

“A party, huh? Well, I don’t see why not. Sure sounds like fun.”

“Great! This will be the best party you ever had, just watch!”

The next one to approach was a pure white unicorn.

“Rarity,” she said simply. “And I must say your clothing is quite…interesting; though it looks quite dashing on you, darling.”

“Well, thank you miss,” he said with a smile. “It’s always nice to meet someone so kind and ladylike.”

“Oh, well thank you, sir. Would you mind stopping by at my place of business sometime? Your clothing is very…intriguing.”

“All right, I’m sure I could.”

The last one shied away when Johnny turned to her.

“I’m…um…Fluttershy,” she whispered.

“You ain’t scared a me, are you?” the singer asked. “C’mon, take a seat next to me. I promise I don’t bite.”

Fluttershy whimpered, but slowly, timidly, took a seat on the couch next to the human.

“See, I’m not so bad, huh?” he said.

Still, she was shaking quite a bit. He tried rubbing and scratching her head and neck, somewhat like a dog’s, to calm her down some. She stopped shaking, but still didn’t look at him any.

Johnny sat and listened and drank at the glass of water while Twilight continued to talk. Each one seemed to have an interesting personality trait that stuck out. Still, for some reason, he couldn’t get Twilight’s use of ‘everypony’ out of his head.

“Well, it’s nice to meet ya’ll,” he said when they finished. “I trust that ya’ll can show me the local customs.”

“Of course,” Twilight said. “First, we need to know some more about your species.”

“Well, we need to eat certain things for their protein; things like meat, fruits, vegetables, fish, etc. We need air and water, though I think that goes without sayin’. A few other things, but nothin’ immediately important that comes to mind.”

“Well, we don’t usually eat meat here, but I do know the Griffons have good recipes,” Twilight said. 

“You have Griffons here, too?”

“We have lots of different species here.”

“And are they all intelligent like you?” 

“Most of them are, yes.”

“But, no humans?”

“No, nothing like you.”

“Well who takes care of you?” he said. “I mean, who feeds you and rides you and everything?”

“We can take care of ourselves,” Rainbow answered. “And we don’t let others ride on us!”

“What good is a horse that you can’t ride on?” Cash said to himself.

“Well for one thing, we’re ponies,” she replied.

“Well, alright then,” Cash answered. “Ponies.”

“Correct; well, it can be broken down into unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies,” Twilight said. “But, our species is generally referred to as ponies.”

“If unicorns exist here, I’m assumin’ magic is real here?”

“That’s right,”

“Hm, well I guess I ought to keep my mind open here.”

He finished his glass and set it on a stand to the side, clearing his throat.

“There is one thing that’s been bugging me; what was that instrument you were playing when we found you?” Twilight asked.

“You mean my guitar?” he asked. “Well, I suppose it makes sense that ya’ll have never seen one.”

“Well, we have stringed instruments, but I’ve never heard of that one.”

“That’s ‘casue you need fingers to play it,” he explained, taking it out and showing it to them.

“That’s what you call your appendages?” 

“Yes, and they’re attached to my hands, which are attached to my arms.”

Cash brought his guitar to rest on his leg. He demonstrated how he positioned his fingers from one chord to another; his left hand gliding and switching between the different combinations. His right hand held the pick, moving up and down and sometimes picking individual strings.

“It sounds beautiful,” Rarity remarked. “How does it do that?”

“Well, each string is tuned to make a different sound,” Cash explained, running down each slowly to show them. “Pushing down on them at different points make different sounds, and there’s a ton of combinations to play with.”

“Could you play us a song?” Applejack asked eagerly. 

“Oh, yea! I love music and dancing!” Pinkie shouted. “Could you play us something? Pleeease, please please please!” 

“I don’t see why not,” Cash replied. “Hm, this one seems appropriate for my little situation here.”

“Ain’t no grave can hold my body down,

There ain’t no grave can hold my body down.”

“Well, that was…something,” Rarity replied. “It was a bit depressing.”

“I lived a rather depressin’ life, ma'am.”

“Who’s Gabriel?” Twilight asked.

“He’s an angel in my religion,” Cash explained. 

“So, you have religion in your world, too?”

“Yea, several,” he stated. “I’m part of a group called Christians.”

“So your species has several different religions?” Twilight asked. “Could you explain them to me?”

“I’ll save that for another time. How’d ya’ll like the song?”

Each had a different opinion; though all liked to one degree or another, they also agreed it was a bit depressing.

“Well, I don’t just do sad songs, I know some happy tunes.”

“Oooh, could you play a fun one next?” Pinkie asked.

“Sure, I know one to pick you up. This was one of my first songs, back from when I was just startin’. It feels like so long ago, I can hardly even remember now. Hm…alright, yea. Ok now.”

“It only costs a dime,

Just a nickel a shoe,

It does a million dollars’ worth a good for you!

Get rhythm!

When you get the blues!”

“Yea, that was great! I could dance to that!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“I gotta say, I’m really enjoyin’ this music,” Applejack admitted. “What do ya’ call it?”

“Country, though it can be broken down a bit more,” Cash replied.

“Well, I’m lovin’ every bit of it!”

“That’s nice,” he replied. “I always like seein’ folks enjoy my work.”

Indeed, they all seemed to enjoy it more; even Fluttershy was happily bobbing her head next to him with a warm smile.

“Ok, it’s getting late, and I really need to write to the Princess about this,” Twilight said.

“So your government is a monarchy?” the singer asked.

“Yes, what’s yours like?”

“The citizens usually elect the leaders. And those leaders are restricted by rules; in our country, at least.”

“Well, Princess Celestia is restricted by a few rules, but she’s very generous and kind,” she explained. “We do need to find a place for you to stay for now.”

“He can stay here,” Applejack said. “The couch is long enough for him, and he’s already here anyways.”

Johnny made a note that Southern hospitality must exist here, even if there was no South.

“Well, thanks for volunteering, Applejack,” Twilight said. “I’ll come back tomorrow, Mr. Cash. Sleep well.”

“You too, night.”

The other five left the house and exited into the night. Cash hadn’t even noticed how late it was, or how tired he was. He let out a long yawn, and Applejack took the hint. 

“I think it’s time we both hit the hay,” she suggested.

“Yea, I don’t think I can stay awake for much longer.”

“I’ll bring down a pillow and some blankets for ya’,” she said. “And I’ll probably have to explain this to the rest of the family. But, I’ll save it for tomorrow.”

“I think it’d be best to do it now,” Cash suggested. “I don’t want someone comin’ downstairs, seein’ me, and freakin’ out over it.”

“Yea, you’re probably right. I hope you don’t mind waitin’ a bit.”

“Not at all.”

As Applejack trotted up the stairs, Cash lay on his back on the sofa and kept thinking. He knew he was dead, but why was he here of all places? Was this somehow part of God’s plan? If so, what was it? And what about June and all the others he knew that had passed on; would he ever see any of them again?

Cash thought on for a long time. Eventually, blanket or not, sleep overtook him and his eyes shut. It wasn’t long before he was awoken again by the sound of creaking stairs. 

“Sorry it took so long,” she said. “The others just wouldn’t believe me at first until I brought ‘em to the stairs and they saw you sleepin’ there.”

She giggled a little.

“You should’ve seen the looks on their faces. But, anyways, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.”
“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem at all,” she assured him, handing over the pillow and blankets. “You need anything else?”

“No I’m fine. You go on and go to bed.”

“Alright then, you sleep good.”

“You too.”

Cash again lay back and pulled the covers over him. He did a quick check to make sure his guitar was on the floor next to him where he left it. He really didn’t want to lose that.

As he turned back, his thoughts were different. He began thinking about this world specifically. What else was out there that he didn’t know about? What would he do? What happens if you die here? Do you go to some other crazy world?

At long last, the singer swatted away the troublesome thoughts and shut his eyes. He focused on nothing but sleeping. It worked and again, he fell into a deep sleep.

> I Walk the Line
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Contrary to what he feared, Johnny didn’t have nightmares; indeed, he didn’t dream at all that night. It was one of those sleeps where you go in, see nothing but black for what feels like a few seconds, then wake back up. It was refreshingly peaceful.

He was also the first to wake up, with the sunrise beaming through the window. He felt much better having gotten the much-needed rest. He also noticed how quiet the house was. Not wanting to wake the others, he picked up his guitar and silently walked outside; sitting on a chair on the front porch and strumming his instrument.

He continued doing this as he watched the sun slowly rise. He didn’t really play anything, just sat and played a few patters and rhythms as he passed the time. That time was a couple of hours, though it only felt like half of one to him.

“There you are,” Applejack said, coming outside. “I thought you ran off somewhere.”

“Na, just watchin’ the sunrise,” he said. “Sides, I don’t really have anywhere else to go.”

“Well like I said, stay here as long as ya’ need,” she assured him. “Now come on inside and get some breakfast; I wanna introduce the family.”

“I could certainly use some food in me,” he replied, getting back up. “Ya’ll got pancakes?”

“Some of the best.”

“ Alright, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Applejack trotted back in while Johnny stared at the sun some more.

“What am I here for?”

Johnny found his spot at the table. Along with Applejack, there were three other ponies sitting there. A	 large red one, an old, greenish looking one, and a small yellow one. He was about to introduce himself, but the little one beat him to it first.

“Hey Mister!”

“Hey there. And what would your name be, little one?”

“Apple  Bloom!” she responded happily. “Were you really a musician back on your world?”

“Yep, and I guess I still am, technically.”

“Sound’s fun!”

“It was, or is. It somethin’ I’ve always been passionate about.”

“Is that so?” the older one suddenly piped up from the end of the table. “You ever had any other jobs?”

“Oh, yes ma’am. Several,” he replied. “I first started workin’ my family’s cotton fields when I was five.”

“Ah, so you know farm work. You wouldn’t mind givin’ us a hoof to help out ‘round here, would you?”

“Granny! You shouldn’t be askin’ our guest to work!” Applejack said. “He just dropped in here yesterday from another world!”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” Cash replied. “I’d probably ask anyways. I’d hate to impose.”

“Well, ok. I’m sure we can find somethin’ for you to do, right Big Mac?”

“Eyup”



The work was long, hard, and became rather monotonous; but, it was nothing he wasn’t used to. Though he wasn’t quite as good as knocking down the apples, his hands proved he was much more capable of moving things, such as the baskets, around and at a quicker pace.  During the lunch break, he decided to sit with Macintosh, the only one who hadn’t said anything directly to him through the day.

“You don’t talk too much, do ya?”

“Nope.”

“Figured you’d be a little more interested in the alien that just appeared in your home,”

“Nope.”

“Well, alright then,” Cash said before looking back at him. “Y’know, you remind me a lot of my oder brother, Jack.”

This seemed to grab his attention.

“How?”

“I’m not too sure, be honest,” Cash admitted. “You just…remind me of him. Though, I don’t really remember much, since he died when I was younger.”

Cash turned and hung his head and stared at the ground, leaving a long silence between the two.

“How’d he die?”

“He, uh. He got pulled into a head saw at the mill…damn near cut in half,” he explained, with the explanation and wording surprising the stallion a good deal. “He suffered for a week before he finally passed on. Just fifteen years old, too…”

“That’s…brutal,”

“I felt so guilty about it,” Cash continued. “I always hoped that I’d see him when I died.”

“I’m sorry. Really, I am. I couldn’t imagine losing AJ or Apple Bloom.”

“It’s alright, I know he’s in a better place now,” he assured Mac. “Let’s get back to work, looks like it might storm later.”

“Yea, we don’t need the farm floodin’ with all our produce in it.”

“It floods?”

“Once it did,”

“Well how about that; my family’s cotton farm flooded a couple times.”

“Really?”

“Yea, even wrote a song about it.”

“I might have to take a listen later.”



Work finished up in time for the rain to come. Dinner was filled with the Apple family asking questions to Cash. Most of them were about the similarities between their cultures. 

“So we really sound like your family back home?” Applejack asked.

“Yea,” John answered. “Well, you remind more of people from the state of Texas.”

“And what state are you from?”

“Arkansas, though I spent a lot of my time in several different places.”

“Where else?”

“Tennessee, for one. I’ve even been to Germany.”

“Germany? You didn’t mention that state.”

“Oh, it’s not a state, it’s another country altogether.”

“Really? What’s it like?”

“Real pretty, especially durin’ the fall months. Big forests, old villages, it’s all quite nice.”

Cash got up from the table and stretched out, popping his joints.

“Well, if ya’ll don’t mind, I’m gonna hit the sack,” he said. “Been a day of hard work, so that means some hard rest. Ya’ll sleep well.”

“Hey mister!” Apple Bloom called out. “Can you play one of your songs? I haven’t gotten to hear one yet.”

“That’s right, I’m the only one here that’s heard you,” Applejack said. “You mind playin’ the family a quick song before you go to bed?”

“I suppose. You two don’t mind?”

“No, I don’t” Granny said. “I’d actually like to hear yer music. Applejack wouldn’t stop talkin’ about it.”

“Uh, Gran-”

“She went on and on about how deep the song was and how nice yer voice sounded while singin’.”

“Granny!” Applejack said, blushing and causing Johnny to chuckle.

“Oh, alright. Ruin all my fun. What about you, Mac? You mind?”

“Nope.”

“Ok, then,” the singer said, taking out his Dreadnought. “One song, then I’m goin’ to bed.”

“Well, that was very nice,” Granny said. “I haven’t heard music that nice since I was a little filly.”

“Yea, that was great!” Apple Bloom cheered. “You should sing for ponies more often.”

“Heh, well we’ll see about that,” he replied. “For now, I’m just goin’ to bed. I have a feelin’ tomorrow’s gonna be interestin’.” 

> Highwayman
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The next day, he awoke in the same way. Just like the day before, he walked outside and played guitar as he watched the sunrise. This time, however, the first one to meet him was Twilight, walking up to the house.

“Mornin’”

“Good morning. How’s everything been?” she asked.

“Oh, just fine. Nothin’ much goin’ on. I kinda prefer the quiet now and then.”

“That’s nice,” she said. “Do you have anything major planned for today?”

“Not that I know of, no,” he answered. “Why?”

“Princess Celestia wanted to meet you today.  She’s waiting at the library for you.”

“That’s ya’ll’s leader, correct?”

“Yes, that’s her.”

“Alright, then,” he said, putting the guitar away and poking his head through the door.

“Hey, AJ. Twilight’s takin’ me to meet your Princess. Ya’ll need any more help today?”

“No, we can handle it,” the response came. “You just make sure to make a good impression on her.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be very polite.”



Johnny followed Twilight into town. She spent the time telling him about all the things about Celestia and what she could do; raising the sun, immortality, etc. However, Cash was paying more attention to the town he moved through. All of its inhabitants seemed to be missing. 

“They aren’t scared of me, are they?” he thought to himself.

“Well, here we are,” Twilight said, bringing him back to reality.

“Uh, the tree you mean?”

“The library is built inside the tree.”

“Ah, I see; very clever.”

Waiting inside for them was a large, white alicorn. She was about his height, with a long mane that seemed to flow as if a fan was constantly in front of her. Again, Cash had a surprised look on his face.

“Ah, you must be the human Twilight told me about,” she said. “Mr. Cash, correct?”

“Uh, yes ma’am.” 

The three stood there for a moment, sharing a silence, before Twilight finally talked to John.

“Johnny, why aren’t you bowing?”

“Huh, I didn’t know I had to.”

“Didn’t know!?” she jumped. “I told you on the way here that she’s the princess goddess that controls the sun and you have to bow when greeting her! Weren’t you listening?”

“Oh, uh, no, not really,” he said, causing Twilight to get an angry look and Celestia to chuckle to herself. “Sorry, I was daydreamin'.”

“Well, now you know.”

“If it’s ok, I’d rather not,” he said.

“Wait, what?” Twilight asked, with a confused look.

“Well, she may be a goddess to you, but she’s not to me,” he said. “I mean, of course I respect her, but I have my own god.”

Twilight wanted to say something. Not necessarily angry or hateful, but something to make him listen so her teacher wouldn’t throw him into the sun. Fortunately, Celestia spoke up first.

“That would be fine with me,” she said. “I can understand if you worship another deity.”

“Well, thank you ma’am. That’s very kind an undertsndin' of you.”

Twilight relaxed and mentally let out a sigh of relief.

“So, you have no way of returning home; is that correct?” Celestia asked.

“Well, no. I mean, I died and woke up here, so I don’t think I would be able to go back. People might start getting’ scared when they see a corpse crawl out of the ground.”

“True,” she replied. “Well, I see no reason why you can’t stay here. Just so long as you don’t cause any trouble, but I’m sure there’s no need to worry about that.”

“No ma’am.”

“And all the requirements for your stay have been met?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Excellent,” she said. “And one more thing, you said you were a musician, correct?”

“Yes ma’am, I play a music form called country,” he said. “From what I’ve heard, none of ya’ll have heard it around here.”

“No, we haven’t,” she replied. “Did you play in a band?”

“I have played in bands before, yes.”

“Would you mind playing some of this, please?” she asked. “So that I can hear what it is like?” 

“It’d be an honor, ma’am.” 

Celestia sat there listening, intrigued by the sound. She spent most of the time trying to decipher the lyrics and meaning of the song, as few songs they had actually had words to them. As it ended, she caved and decided to ask him.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand the meaning of the song. What was it about?”

“It’s about the soul of a man who has different incarnations over time,” Cash explained, “a Highwayman, Sailor, Dam Builder, and a spaceman.”

“Interesting; I wonder if that is what happened to you,” she suggested.

“I have no idea, ma’am,” he replied.

“Well, thank you very much, sir,” she said, walking over to the door. “If you need help with anything, feel free to call and ask for my help.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Take care, Johnny Cash,”

And with that she left, leaving only Twilight and the singer there.

“Well, I guess I ought to be getting back,” he said. “The Apples might need my help with work.”

“Oh, wait! Pinkie wanted you to come by Sugar Cube Corner for something,” Twilight said.

“Pinkie, huh?” he replied. “Now what could she want me for?”

“Uh…I don’t know!” she replied quickly. “Maybe we should go and find out.”

It didn’t take much for Johnny to guess what was going to happen.

“Alright, let’s get goin’.”



“Hello?” Johnny called, walking into the pitch black building. “Anyone home?”

“SURPRISE!” Pinkie yelled, jumping into his face again. 

“Yea, I figured,” he thought to himself.

The rest of the lights came on to show the town was all stuffed into the building. Everything that was needed to throw a party was there. Johnny even noticed they had gone so far as to include a fresh steak for him,; albeit, it was being kept separate from the rest of the food, and the other party-goers were trying to avoid it.

“So were you surprised?” Pinkie asked.

“Well, you kinda told me you’d be throwin’ me a party,” Johnny said.

“Oh ,shoot! I forgot I told you.”

“It’s alright; this is still very nice of you to get all this for me,”

“Oh, it’s no big deal,” Pinkie replied. “Every new pony, er…person, gets a welcoming party!”

She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the center of the room.

“Everyone, this is Johnny,” Pinkie said. “He’s an alien who died on his world and came here. And he’s a musician, too!”

Some of the ponies became confused on her explanation of her description of him, but they all greeted them happily all the same.

“It’s a pleasure to meet ya’ll,” he said.

Each one looked rather different, so he wouldn’t be having trouble with the names.

“Hey, Pinkie said you played music, right?” one of the ponies in the crowd asked. “Would you play us some music from your world?”

The rest of the town amply agreed.

“Alright,” he replied. “It’s been a while since I performed for a crowd, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Taking out his guitar, he sat down on one of the tables, as the chairs were too small.  The rest of the party quieted down and gathered tightly around him, eager to listen to this new form of music. Johnny noticed this, and couldn’t help but feel young, really young, again.

“Hello,” he said, beginning his usual opening lines to his performances. “I’m Johnny Cash. This song here is about travelin’ around my home. And well, now that I’m on another world altogether, I guess I’ve really been everywhere!””

Most of the names of the places were missed by the crowd; but, they seemed to get the general idea, and applauded at the end.

“Thanks,” Cash responded. “Ya’ll really know how to make an alien feel welcome.”

The rest of the party went off fine. Johnny, most of the time, was being swarmed by ponies. They asked about his home world, what his life was like, how he came up with his music. He answered them all, which became rather exhausting, until the party died down and he finally found some peace. He was just finishing his steak when Pinkie came back to him.

“Hey, Johnny; I’ve got some important ponies you’ll want to meet!”

“Who are they?” he asked.

“They’re both musicians, too! They heard your singing and wanted to hear some more!”

“Really?”

“Yep! They’re both really popular.”

“Alright, send ‘em over.”

Knowing what to expect, he got his guitar out again as Pinkie brought the two other ponies over. One was a white unicorn with shades covering her eyes. The second was a normal earth pony with a grey body.

“Nice to meet ya’ll,” Cash greeted.

“Nice to meet you, too,” the white one said. “I’m Vinyl Scratch.”

“Octavia,” the other said. “Your music is very, interesting.”

“What kind of music do ya’ll have here, anyways?” he asked.

“My specialty is in Orchestra,” Octavia said. “Vinyl mostly plays dubstep.”

“You ever heard of them?” Vinyl asked.

“Orchestra is alright, a bit too fancy for me, though,” he said. “And dubstep is that electronic music, right? I just never really got into it. I prefer it when the song tells a story.”

“That’s why your songs have words?” Vinyl asked. “I don’t see much in that, you can just read stories in books.”

“Yea, but music has a certain way of putting it,” Cash explained. 

“Would you mind giving us another demonstration?” Octavia asked.

“Sure,” he said simply, getting his guitar.

“That was certainly interesting,” Octavia said. “Would you be willing to come by our house for an audition?”

Cash nearly jumped to his feet at this.

“Yea ma’am! I’d love to!”

“Perfect,” she responded. “We can see if your new music is workable. Can you come in the day after tomorrow?”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Are you sure about this, Octy?” Vinyl asked. “I mean, it feels kinda…old.”

“Not everything has to be as new or loud as your dubstep, Vinyl,” Octavia responded strictly. “I know talent when I see it.”

“Pff, if you say so,” the unicorn responded. “He’s on you now.”

“Don’t worry about Vinyl, you just need to show her you can be successful,” Octavia told John. “Until then, Mr. Cash.”

> Man in Black
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, what do you want to do, exactly?”  Johnny asked Rarity as she led him through the doors of her shop.

“You have a very important interview tomorrow, darling,” she said. “I want you to look your best!”

“Well, it’s more of an audition,” Cash said. “Besides, I’m more worried about soundin’ good enough for ‘em.”

“That is important, but you still only have that one set of clothes,” she replied. 

“Well, that is true. I could probably use some more.”

He walked in, taking a look around.

“Why do you wear clothes all the time, anyways?” she asked.

“Hm, well for one, I don’t have a coat of fur like ya’ll,” he explained. “Other than that, let’s just keep some clothes on my back, alright?”

“If you insist,” Rarity said. “Now, I’ll need to take some measurements. First, what kind of colors would you like?”

“All black, if you’ve got it, please.”

“All black? That’s not really in right now. You should try something a little lighter, like a light blue; maybe something a little…warmer?”

“No thank you, ma’am,” he insisted. “All black will do just fine.”

“Are you sure, darling? Your appearance would be much more welcoming.”

“Positive.”

“Oh, if you insist. Step over here and I’ll measure you.”



Johnny had to admit that it felt better to get into a fresh set of clothing. He changed out while there, and carried the rest in a bag at his side. He also had to make sure about asking about washing them. Rarity was walking back with him to meet the other five again to see what he’d look like.

“Hey Johnny,” Applejack greeted him. “What happened to gettin’ some new clothes?”

“You’re lookin’ at ‘em!” he said proudly, pulling on his shirt. 

“What? Why didn’t you get any other colors?”

“Yea, you should get something happy-looking!” Pinkie said.

“That’s alright; I’ve got my own reasons for wearin’ these,” John told them.

“Reasons for wearing black clothes?” 

“Yea.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“Ah, I was hopin’ you’d ask that,” he said, taking out his guitar again and sat down on the ground.

“Oh, so that’s why,” Twilight said. 

“But other than that, I just think it’s a good color to perform in,” Cash explained, getting back up putting his guitar away.

“Were things really that bad in your world?”

“Well, yes and no. There were, but there were also lots a good things, too. I just wanted to bring attention to the less-fortunate.”

“It all sounds so terrible though,” Twilight replied. “I’m just having a hard time imagining that things like that could happen.”

“Ya’ll don’t have any kind of war or poverty or injustice?”

“Well, yes we do,” Twilight answered. “But, it’s not too widespread.”

“But it’s still here, ain’t it?”

“Well…yes.”

“So it still matters, right?”

“I guess so, yea. I just…never thought too much on it.”

“And what about now?”

“Well, maybe I should look into it more.” 

"Well until then, I'll keep wearing black for them," he finished. 
> The Gambler
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Well, the clothes Rarity made for him did make him look a good deal better; she’d even been kind enough to make them for free. He’d also washed up a good deal, gotten a fine haircut, and shaved his face clean. All in all, he looked rather professional, which was what he wanted. 

The building he’d been directed to looked rather simple. It wasn’t a recording studio like he had expected, rather it looked the same as all the other houses; two-story, wooden, cozy. He checked the paper he held in his hand, making sure the address was correct, and decided to knock on the door. 

“Coming!” a voice inside, what sounded like that grey pony from before, answered. “Oh hello, Mr. Cash. Thank you for stopping by today. Do come in!”

Johnny did that, having to duck under the small doorway. He had learned the hard way that everything here was about one size too small. But, he had gotten used to it, and the ponies had been helpful enough to make the more necessary items in his size.

“Well, I wasn’t about to reject a job offer of what I’m best at,” Johnny replied.

“And remember, this is the interview. Go on into the living room and have seat a on the couch; make yourself at home. I’ll be with you in a minute.” 

Johnny did just that, walking into the room and sitting on the couch, taking up most of it easily. Setting his guitar down, he laid back and shut his eyes, releasing a deep breath. One of his hands went over the hair on his head.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he was afraid. These ponies never really had music like this before, what if they didn’t like it? He really didn’t want to miss a chance on his passion. Starting out at the bottom of the chain again felt odd.

“Hey.”

Johnny looked over to his side and saw Vinyl sitting there. With his brain running a mile a minute, he hadn’t even noticed the white unicorn sitting at the other end. Unlike before, her shades were off, revealing some dark red eyes, and giving off a much more friendly expression. He was a bit surprised at seeing her here, but just guessed she either had been invited to watch, or just lived here, as well.

“You nervous?” she asked.

“Honestly, yea; I am a little,” he admitted. “It feels weird startin’ all over again.” 

“Well, just play like you did at the party.”

“Yea, thanks.”

Octavia came back in carrying a platter with cups of tea on it, setting it down on the table. All three took one, with Johnny gulping his down in one swig. He wanted to make sure his throat was clear for this.

“I hope you don’t mind coming to my house to play, but the accommodations are more comfortable than at a recording studio.”

“No, I think it’s a fine place.”

She tried to sit down in-between the two, barley squeezing in between them. 

“It’s probably more comfy when your musician doesn’t take up the entire couch, huh?”  Johnny asked.

“Actually, we’ve never asked anypony-or one-else to audition for us,” Octavia explained. “There just aren’t very many musicians around here.”

“Really?”

“Nope,” Vinyl responded. “I’m just a DJ and Tavi pays with Royal Canterlot Symphony. But around Ponyville, there’s just not much else.”

“Well, I’m honored to be your first discovery,” Cash replied.

It made him feel a bit better knowing that they were, more or less, new at this, too.

“You can go ahead and begin playing whenever you are ready,” Octavia stated. 

“Alright, so that’s it? You just want me to play a couple songs?” 

“Yes, please. Any you like.”

“Alright; lemme’ think. Hm…na. Maybe…wait, too confusing. Uh…aha! Ok, I got a couple ya’ll might like!”

“Uhm…well that was very…interesting…and nice, too,” Octavia said. “But, I’m afraid I don’t-”

She wasn’t able to finish, as Johnny had already started on the second song.

“Whad’ya think of that?” the musician asked as he finished.

“Well, I um,” Octavia was having a tough time asking about it, though Vinyl put it into perspective easily.

“I don’t get it.” 

“Which part?” Johnny asked.

“All of it, I’m afraid,” the grey earth pony explained. “What we’re you singing about, exactly?”

“Cars,” Cash said. “Y’know? Like…automobiles.” 

“Is that one of those things you had in your worlds that we don’t have,” Vinyl asked.

“Ya’ll don’t have cars here?”

The two shook their heads left and right.

“Damn,” he swore in his head. “Welp, I just blew it; unless I can fix it fast. Think, what’s somethin’ they might have here? C’mon, think!”

“You mind if I try one more song?” he asked.

“Not at all,” Octavia replied.

“Thanks ma’am,” 

He relaxed at being given a second chance to prove himself. Still, he was thinking a bit too much; every time he thought of a song, it was immediately dismissed for some menial reason. He thought hard, trying to come up with the perfect song that didn’t exist. 

“Hmm, ya’ll play cards around here?”

“I don’t, but Vinyl does a good deal,” she replied, a hint of anger in her voice.

“Yea, I’m one of the best at it!” Vinyl claimed proudly. “I can’t remember the last time I lost any bits in a game!”

“So they do gamble here, good,” John thought.

“Didn’t my coltfriend beat you last week?” 

“Yea, but I won them back!” the DJ claimed, “and then some!”

“Oh, of course,” Octavia said, rubbing a hoof on her head.

“Alright, this might be easier to understand,” Cash said, hoping for the best.

“That one did sound better,” Octavia complemented. 

“Yea, I actually understood what you were talking about,” Vinyl added.

“Ok, that seems to have gone pretty smooth,” the musician thought, letting out a mental sigh of relief. 

“And it did seem to tell a story. It felt like his whole life revolved around cards.”

“And he played the game of life like he did cards,” Cash added, “with risks; and some cheatin’ here and there.”

“Fascinating,” Octavia replied.

“So, you think I could do some playin’ round here?”

“I do see the potential,” she replied. “But of course, the masses decide if you will be successful. Vinyl knows a good deal of places where you could perform at. We can start you off there, and then see where it goes.”

“Would ya’ll really do that!?” 

“Sure, I’ll hook you up,” Vinyl assured him. 

Johnny nearly jumped to his feet in excitement. He had gotten another chance to do what he did better than anyone; play country to ordinary folks. And what’s more, it was in a land where ordinary folks had never heard of it before; though whether that was good or bad remained to be seen. He also couldn’t help but wonder if that was the reason he was here. 

“I can’t thank ya’ll enough!” he exclaimed, trying and failing to hold in his joy.

“It’s quite alright,” the cellist said, giggling a bit at the human’s reaction and ear-to-ear smile that would give Pinkie a run for her money. “Just make sure to capitalize on it; be ready, don’t get too jittery, and…pick some songs that we can understand.”

“Yes ma’am!” he said. “I’d better get goin’! I’ve got a lot of work to do!”

“I’ll swing by and let you know when you’re booked,” Vinyl said as he packed his guitar and headed for the door.

“I’ll be ready!” he assured them at the entrance, with Octavia giving him some final words before he bolted out.

“Good luck, Johnny Cash!”


> Ring of Fire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You look wonderful, dear. Please stop worrying,” Rarity assured the musician.

Thanks to Rarity and her boutique, Johnny was rather well dressed for his first performance. Not too classy, but classy enough for a performance; all in black, of course. He’d even gotten a fine haircut, which alone did wonders for his looks. 

“It ain’t that, it’s that I’m worried about the reception I’ll get,” he explained. “Octavia was right about what she said. If the masses don’t like the sound, then I guess its game over.”

“Well, she also told you not to worry,” Rarity retorted. “Now please, just relax. You’ve done everything you can, haven’t you?”

“The only thing I need is for her to bring me the new set strings, and I’m not even sure if that’ll work.”

“Octavia is great with stringed instruments, Johnny,” Twilight said. “And you let her study yours long enough for her to memorize how to make them, if anypony can make them, she can.”

“Yea, so just stop worrying,” Rainbow said. “There isn’t anything else you can do, right? All you’re doing is hurting yourself.”

Johnny thought about it for a minute and decided she was right, though he didn’t really need to think that much to know it, just to realize it. He had practiced, prepared, and picked out the songs he thought would work out best. The only thing that would come from fretting over things now would be more problems.

“Thanks, Rainbow.”

“No problem,” she replied.

“Alright, I guess I’d better get goin’ or I’ll be late,” he said. “Wish me luck!”

“Hey, aren’t you going to invite us to your first performance?” Pinkie asked, popping up in front of him and blocking his exit.

“Ya’ll really wanna come see me play?”

“Sure we do, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “You might be an alien, but you’re still our friend. I-I mean-we wouldn’t miss your first show for the world!”

“Well, that’s very kind of ya’ll. I feel better knowin’ ya’ll will be watchin’ me.”

“You didn’t really think we wouldn’t come, did you?” Twilight asked, leading the way out the door into the night. “What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t support you?”

Johnny and the group moved through town, which was rather quiet since it was nighttime. During the walk, he couldn’t help but notice that Applejack was walking a bit closer than usual. He decided it was just his paranoia getting to him again and continued to focus on the walking, which wasn’t all that long. 

The club Vinyl had got for him wasn’t really a club; to him it resembled a bar-grill restaurant, or just a bar in general. He figured it was fine; hearing about the kind of clubs Vinyl performed in, he didn’t think it was the best place for him anyways. This kind of playing suited him well for a starting gig. And, he always did enjoy playing at local joints, like back at his home in a small town outside Nashville, Tennessee. With a name like ‘Ponyville Pub’, it didn’t take much to guess that this was as local as it got.

The inside seemed quite nice; a little darkened with for the performance, but not too much. It seemed quite clean, with everything being well organized and kept. All in all, for a first job, it was pretty nice. 

“Mr. Cash!” 

Looking around, he spotted Octavia, seated at a table with a colt he hadn’t met before.

“Hey, how are you doin’?” 

“I’m good, thank you,” she said. “Allow me to introduce my coltfriend, Smooth Sailing.”

Johnny didn’t have a hard time guessing his job.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, in the same accent as Octavia’s.

“You too, sir,” John replied. “Vinyl didn’t come?”

“She was busy tonight, but she wanted me to tell you good luck,” Octavia explained.

“Well, do thank her again for me.”

“Of course. Before I forget, here are those strings for your…guitar, correct?”

“Yes, thank you so much!” 

“It’s no trouble at all,” she assured him. “You’ve got plenty of time before your performance, so take your time changing them out.”

While the six went and found a table for themselves, Johnny found an open area where he could focus on re-stringing his acoustic. To his amazement, the strings were near-perfect; especially for one who hadn’t even seen a guitar until asked to make them. It took a while, but when he was done, it sounded much smoother and fresher. Having played guitar for so long, tuning was no problem, being able to do it by ear. 

When he was done, he sat and relaxed. The ponies inside had all looked and stared at him at one point or another, but he didn’t really blame them. The stunned look on their faces seemed rather funny to him.

“How you feelin’?” Applejack asked, taking a seat next to him.

“Much better now, just a little tired,” he answered.

“You want me to get you somethin’? Maybe some coffee or a pill or-”

“N-no!” he jumped, gaining the attention of a few guests for a little bit before they went back about their business. “I mean…no thank you.”

“There somethin’ wrong?” she asked. “Was it somethin’ I said?”

“Yea, actually,” he said. “Back home, I…kinda had a drug addiction…to pills, specifically.”

“Oh,” Applejack replied, her eyes widening. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean anything by it!”

“It’s fine AJ,” he assured her. “You didn’t know; I guess I shoulda told ya’ll when I got here.”

Johnny’s use of her nickname caught her by surprise; he had known about it for a while, but never bothered to use it until now.

“So, are you still...on it?” 

“No, not anymore, thank God.”

“How’d you stop?”

“A lot of things, but the biggest was my wife June,” he explained. 

“She must’ve been real sweet.”

“She was amazin’. I’d threaten her so much when she’d get rid of my stashes, but she kept doin’ it all the same, all for me,” Johnny explained, a sad look on his face.

“Was she…um…still around when you passed on?”

“No, she died before me. I was hopin’ to meet her when I died, but I guess I got some more work to do before I see her again.”

“I’m sorry, sugar.”

“It’s fine. I think she’s watchin’ me right now.”

“Really?”

“I hope so; I’ll need all the help I can get tonight.”

“Well, I think it’s ‘bout time for you to get started,” Applejack suggested.

“Yea, thanks for the talk, AJ.”

“Anytime, darlin’,” she said, going back to her table.

Johnny could’ve sworn she’d been acting weird lately, but decided to save it for another day and focus on the present. The manager announced Johnny, who didn’t really listen. Getting up, he made his way across the room to the stage, which was really just part of the room that had been cleared for him.

He could feel the eyes on him as he walked across. The prospect of an alien musician performing an unknown music had packed the little building with ponies from all over, so it wasn’t quite as local as usual. Taking a standing spot, he adjusted the microphone to where it could reach him, which was at its full length, and said his hello.

“Hello, I’m Johnny Cash,” he announced. “It’s nice so many of ya’ll wanted to stop by and take a listen to my music.”

There was a small round of respectful claps.

“So, I decided to get a few songs together, I hope ya’ll enjoy.”

Gripping his guitar, he prepared to play. He thought the first song would go well, but he wondered if it would sound strange with just him playing and singing; he’d only been able to get a few trumpet players for his second one. He remembered singing this same song with June all those years ago.

“June, if you are watchin’, please help me here, darlin’.”

The crowd seemed to react well to the first song. There was another respectful round of claps. The biggest reaction came from Pinkie and the others at their table, cheering for him.

“Woo! Go Johnny!” she yelled.

“Nice work, partner!” Applejack added.

Johnny thought he heard a light ‘yay’ from the direction of the table, but it was hard to tell over the others.

“Thanks, thank you,” he said, motioning for the trumpet players to join him. “This next song was one of my bigger ones, and it’s got a bit more energy to it. Hope you enjoy the Ring of Fire.”

This song got an even greater reaction. The first time the crowd had been getting used to the sound, this time, they were enjoying it. This time, the claps were joined by cheers and whistles, lasting for some time.

“Alright, I can tell ya’ll enjoyed that one.”

He was interrupted by another applause of approval.

“Ok, well I got one more to play for ya’ll tonight.”

The final one had been much slower, but it fit well. It was enough to get another massive applause from the crowd. Most stood up and cheered for some time when it was over.

“Well, I’d like to thank you for the warm reception,” he said, his speaking causing the ponies to quiet. “I hope I’ll get to perform some more for ya’ll one day-”

“More!” one in the crowd asked. “The last one was too short!”

“Well, if I feel like my song is sung, I don’t care if it’s short,” Johnny chuckled.

“One more!” the crowd chanted. “One more! One more! One more!”

“Oh, alright. I’ll give ya’ll a little encore for bein’ so kind.”

The last song was the slowest of them all, but it’s reception was just as good as the others. A final, long applause followed for a couple minutes. All in all, it was a pretty good night.

“Alright, I got to get goin’,” Cash said. “Thank ya’ll! Good night!”

He pushed his way passed a few ponies, wanting to talk with Octavia first.

“I think we can call that a success, huh?” he asked.

“That was much more than a success! With that kind of reception, I think you’ve got a very bright future here, Mr. Cash,” she replied.

“So, you think you can get me booked again?”

Octavia sat there and thought for a minute, thinking deeply.

“How would you like to go on a tour, Mr. Cash?”
> A Boy Named Sue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So does this mean you won’t be stayin’ with us no more?” Apple Bloom asked, obviously scared that her friend would leave now that he had gained fame.

“Ya’ll were kind enough to take me in when I first came here, even though I was totally new ‘round here,” John explained. “Course I’m not leavin’ ya’ll.” 

Apple Bloom immediately perked up, now knowing that her friend wouldn’t be leaving her. Johnny thought he also heard I sigh of relief come from Applejack; her attitude was starting to confuse him, lately. Either way, he was saying his goodbyes for the time being and getting on a train with Octavia at to the first stop of the tour, Canterlot.

“You promise?” 

“Promise,” Johnny said, kneeling down to pat her head and sending her back to the rest of the group. 

“Good luck, Johnny,” Twilight shouted from the platform to the train. “And say hi to the Princesses if you see them!”

“Ok, take care!” he called back before boarding the train. 

Johnny took a seat next to Octavia; and as expected, it was a bit small for him. All the same, he could deal with it. It didn’t help that he preferred to carry his guitar with him rather than put it with the rest of the luggage; but, being he felt it was worth it to ensure nothing happened to it.

As he settled into the tight fit, he also noticed the reaction of the other passengers. Some were starring, others were whispering something. It was not just because he was a human, but from what he heard, it was because of who he was.

“You see him?” he heard the two mares in front of him talking quietly. “The one sitting behind us, that’s Johnny Cash!” 

This was a familiar sight to him, though he hadn’t seen it in so long. 

“So that’s him,” the red one observed, peeking back behind her seat to see.

“Yea, I saw him playing earlier this week; he’s incredible!” the yellow mare next to her whispered loud enough for most to hear her. 

“Well, thank you very much, ma’am,” Cash said.

“Oh, could you hear me?” she asked, blushing slightly. “I’m very sorry!”

“Hey, it’s no big deal; I always enjoy meetin’ fans,” he said, smiling.

With that sentence, many others in the car who had been watching got up to meet him.

“Um, I’m really sorry to ask this, but…could you play a song?” she asked. “My friend here didn’t get a chance to hear you play that night.”

“I wouldn’t mind at all,” he said, taking out his guitar.

He started off slowly, eventually strumming out a concise pattern.

“Oh, thank you so much!” she squeed happily, though she had no real clue as to what the song was about. 

“My pleasure,” he said. “But if ya’ll don’t mind, I need to talk to my friend concerning some business.”

“Looks like your fame is spreading a bit,” Octavia observed.

“I’m used to that,” John replied, placing his guitar back. “So, what kinda place am I playin’ in tonight?”

“The Princess actually set up a stage in the castle garden,” the pony stated. “Everypony in the city is allowed, which should help spread your name a bit more.”

“Every resident in the city?”

“Don’t worry, you might be famous, but it hasn’t spread that quickly. You only played in one spot, remember? It shouldn’t be too crowded.” 

“Hm, ok. What are the people like?”

“Ponies, you mean.”

“Do you really have to correct me every time I mess up with that?” he asked. “Can’t you just leave it? It's not as easy as it seems.”

“Fine, if you insist,” she replied. “Most of the ponies of the city are of the higher class, but I’m not really sure how many of them will want to see you.”

“Eh, I don’t think rich folks would get the message anyways,” Cash said. “Most of my stories are about the lives of normal folks.” 

“You never know, Mr. Cash.” 



Johnny had to admit that the gardens of the castle were lovely. Filled with flowers and hedges trimmed into shapes; it would have been nice to walk through it on a quiet afternoon. Tonight, much of the vast area had been covered by the medium-sized stage and seats.

At first, Johnny thought they would not come to listen; thinking that they had already heard about the songs he did play and decided it was nothing special. Peeking from the stage’s curtains to get a glimpse, he was greeted by a sea of ponies. Most did seem to be rather well-off, but he saw an ample amount of what he guessed was middle-class. 

“Nervous, Mr. Cash?” he turned around to meet Celestia, as well as another, darker alicorn with her.

“Nah, I’ve gotten past that,” he said confidently. “Oh, and Twilight wanted me to say hi.”

“Thank you,” she replied, before turning to stand in-between the other alicorn and the human. “Mr. Cash, I would like to introduce my sister; Princess Luna, ruler of the night.”

“Tis wonderful to finally meet thee,” she said, the old wording taking Johnny by surprise. “Our sister spoke most highly of thee.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” he replied. “Must be a lot a work runnin' the night.”

“More or less,” she replied.

“I’d like to keep chattin’, but I think I’m due on in a minute,” he stated.

“Of course, we wish you the best luck, Mr. Cash,” she said, trotting off with her sister.

“Oh, and thanks for lettin’ me play here!” he called out.

“It was no big deal,” Celestia said. “I’m sure we’ll all enjoy it.”

With that Johnny stretched out his muscles and took his place in front of a microphone on the stage. He plucked each string once to make sure it was in tune. Lastly, he took a long sip of water from a glass provided and wiped his hand over his forehead.

“Ladies and Gentlecolts, I am very happy to present to you this astonishing event,” he heard Celestia’s voice. “Here from his home, and the only human in Equestria, musician John R. Cash will be playing some of his native music for us.”

It irked him that she had to use his name so formally; but, he’d correct that soon enough.

“I do hope you all enjoy the show. So, please give a warm welcome to Mr. John R. ‘Johnny’ Cash!” 

The curtain rose up, followed by a very respectful, very formal, round of claps.

“Hello, I’m Johnny Cash,” he said, using his classic opening. “I’m happy to be the first one to introduce ya’ll to Country music. I do hope ya’ll will enjoy it. So, sit back and relax, and I’ll tell ya’ll a little love story.”

Johnny really hadn’t expected to crack that pompous, high-class shell so easily. About half way through, many were already clapping wildly. It was like the song had released them from this constant formal attitude they felt forced into. It made him feel good. 

“Thanks, thank ya very much,” he yelled over the cheers. “I’m gonna take a quick break, then I’ll be right back for one more.”

Johnny stepped off to the left of the stage and was immediately approached by a blue-coated unicorn stallion. He wasn’t wearing anything except a saddlebag, which told Cash that he was not one of the rich ones. He also seemed to be young; probably in his mid-twenties.

“Hey, Mr. Cash!” he shouted, despite being right in front of him.

“Hey there, how can I help ya?” 

“Would you mind if I got an autograph?”

Cash blinked in surprise; it had been so long since anyone had asked him for that.

“I-I’m sorry-” 

“No, it’s fine,” Cash stopped him. “Just wasn’t expectin’ somethin’ like that so early on.”

“I was actually in Ponyville the night you were performing,” the pony explained. “I had to come see you in my home town!”

“Heh, alright,” John said, chuckling. “You got a pen and some paper?”

The unicorn produced a piece of small paper and a quill & ink from his saddlebag, magically holding it in front of him. Johnny picked up the quill and began to scribble on the paper. He was surprised how it could be levitated and written on and not need a hard surface to lay it down on.

“Let’s see here,” he said. “To my friend and fan- what’s your name?”

The unicorn looked down slightly.

“It’s…uh…RedRose,” he said quickly and quietly.

“Pardon? I didn’t catch that.”

“Red Rose,” he said shakily, looking back up. “Sorry, it’s just…I don’t know if you know or not but…it’s kind of a mare’s name.”

“Ah, I see now,” Johnny realized.

“Yea, my family has always been florists, and…I’d rather not say why my dad named me that…well it was…he,” the stallion stopped to put his words together. “Sorry, I understand if you think it’s silly.”

“Not at all,” Cash said. “It’s you stick with your family. That’s what’s important, not the name.” 

He went back to the paper.

“To my friend and fan Red Rose. Drive On. Johnny Cash.”

He replaced the quill and the three items hovered back into the bag.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Feelin’ better?”

“Kinda, yea.” 

“Tell you what, you get back to yer seat, and reeeally listen to the next song. Ok?”

“Ok, thank you.”

Johnny walked back on stage and took another chug of water. Already, some were clapping in approval of his return. He, once more, took his spot in front of the mic.

“I’d like to dedicate this to a boy in the audience called Red Rose,” he said.

Some in the crowd chuckled, and Johnny saw the unicorn hid his face in his hooves. 

“Now don’t laugh, now,” he commanded. “I’m no stranger to odd names. In fact, I’ll tell ya’ll a story about a boy who had a girl’s name in my world. And you know what his name was? His name was Sue.”

The crowd seemed a little stunned from the brutal reality of the story; that and the couple of swears. Still, they applauded it all the same heavily. One of which, he saw, was his friend Red Rose.

“Thank ya’ll!” he yelled. “G’night!” 




> The Ballad of Ira Hayes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What’s this place called again?” Johnny asked Octavia from his seat on the train.

“Appleoosa,” she replied. 

“I know, I meant greater area in general.”

“The Mild West.”

“Well, there’s another interestin’ similarity,” he said.

“What would that be?”

“Back in my world we had a big desert area called the Wild West, because of the dangerous conditions.”

“That is interesting; why was it so dangerous?”

“Well, there were always fights between cowboys and Indians, for one thing.” 

Octavia put her hoof on her chin and thought deeply for a minute.

“I wonder if your Indians are similar to our Buffalo; the settlers here have fought with them a good deal before."

“I don’t believe I’ve heard that story yet.”

“To get to the main reason, the pony settlers there began planting apple trees on their ancient stampeding grounds.” 

“And they haven’t gotten along since, right?”

“No, not really; Twilight and her friends were able to help them reach a compromise, but there are still plenty of die-hard ponies in Appleoosa that hold a grudge against them.”

“Yep, that sounds like us,” Johnny said. “Y’know, this place ain’t quite as bright n’ cheery as it seems at first; it’s a lot like my world.”

“There’s no such thing as a utopia, Mr. Cash,” Octavia responded. “We do what we can.”

“But I’m sure even more could be done.”

“Yes…perhaps,” she sighed. “Though I will admit, the west in general is rather harsh; lawlessness, bigotry, and not to mention our worst prison is out in the sweltering place.”

“Really?” Johnny asked, intrigued.

“Yes, stuck in the middle of the desert so any escapees would have a difficult time getting through it,” Octavia explained. “Everything that comes and goes from it gets transported on a single rail line.”

“Sound’s awful; you think you can book me there?”

Octavia’s jaw dropped at this.

“Surely, you must be joking; only ponies committed for the worst crimes go there!”

“I’ll explain it to ya’ if you get me a chance to play there,” he said. “Now back to the Buffalo, will I be meeting any of them?” 

“You will probably run into some in town, but I wouldn’t count on performing for them,” Octavia explained. “The place you are playing at doesn’t allow them.”

“They don’t?” Johnny asked, surprised.

“I’m afraid not. I personally disagree with it, but like I said, there are still plenty of angry settlers there, and they are in positions of high power.”

“I guess I’ll just have to do somethin’ about that then, huh?” 

“What do you mean, Mr. Cash?”

“You’ll see, don’t worry; I just can’t stand injustice is all.”

“Please don’t get into any trouble.”



“What do you mean you won’t perform!?” the manager yelled.

Just a minute before going on stage and this human has the nerve to demand something as outrageous as this.

“It’s simple; you let Buffalo come in to watch, or I take my music elsewhere.” 

The earth pony glared angrily at the musician.

“You think I need you? You’d better take that back before I kick you out!”

His threat was quickly de-fused as the audience started chanting Johnny’s name as a pony announced his name.

“Don’t need me, huh?” 

“Ugh, I don’t know what you see in those-”

“And no derogatory stuff,” John added. “They’re gonna get treated like all the others out there.”

The light-brown pony turned dark red with anger; but with the confused crowd still chanting his name, he didn’t have much of a choice.

“Fine!” he snarled. “Just…get out there and play! Hurry up, before the crowd starts walking out!”

“And remember that I’m up on a stage, I can see everythin’,” Johnny added. “I can tell if you’re keepin’ ‘em out; if I notice that you are, I’m walkin’ then and there.”

Johnny didn’t wait to listen to his raging; he still had a show to give. The crowd gave a hearty cheer as their entertainer finally appeared. Johnny took a seat on a stool under a light and scooted up to the microphone.

“Sorry ‘bout that, ya’ll; had a bit of a disagreement, but it’s all sorted out now,” he said. “If ya’ll don’t mind I’m gonna start with somethin’ a little slower while we let my new friends in.”

As Johnny finished up, he saw that the manager had indeed let the Buffalo in. The crowd was a little surprised at this, perhaps because they knew how much the manager of the place hated them; and there certainly were a lot of them tonight. Apparently, Johnny’s reputation was moving out faster and farther, as enough had come to fill up the other half of the club. The crowd still gave a series of claps as he finished.

“I can see the looks on yer faces, and I know what ya’ll are thinkin’,” he said. “Well, I requested that they be let in.”

A shot of surprise spread through the crowd, with many whispered conversations popping up.

“The reason is that, believe it or not, I know a similar group back in my world, and I was always disgusted by how mis-treated they were,” he explained. “Different species or not, it’s the same basic problem; I couldn't put up with it back home, and I won't let it run wild here, either.”

There were a few claps from the crowd, but it was silent for the most part. Johnny guessed by the looks on the faces of those he could see that it was from surprise; maybe between how awful Ira’s life was and how they could compare it to their own world. Either way, all eyes were on Johnny on stage, or the building fell into a deathly quiet.

“So…yea,” Johnny said. “It wasn’t all that great back home, either. But, I worked to help them, and I just want to help here, too. There’s plenty that can still be done.”

Slowly, the audience began clapping in agreement. Maybe this was why he was here; to help with the same problems he had faced on his world. It would make sense, as he had the experience to do it. Or, maybe it was just for the music. He decided to save it until the show was done.

“Thanks,” Cash said. “Welp, let’s keep the show rollin’.”

> Folsom Prison Blues
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re insane; you have gone completely insane,” Octavia complained as the train stopped at the prison’s station.

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” Cash replied.

“I’ll be watching from a safe spot, you’re actually going in there; who would even want to do that?”

“Me, I guess.”

She and Cash began walking into the prison.

“But why? All the ponies here are ruthless criminals.”

“They still have feelings, y’know.” 

They entered the prison, which seemed like a normal prison back on earth. Cells ran along the walls endlessly, their residents holding the same hopeless, empty look on their faces he had seen before. It was also rather dimly lit, and probably would’ve been worse if sunlight was not making its way through the barred windows.

“This is as far as I’ll go,” Octavia said. “I hope you’ll understand if I’m a bit too nervous to follow; I’ll just watch from a little guard room overlooking it.”

Cash sighed, but more-or-less understood.

“Alright, but you mind if I ask why?”

“Like I said, these ponies are here for a reason,” she explained. “I’m not sure what you plan to accomplish by doing this, but I doubt that I could be of any help.” 

She turned to a guard, who proceeded to lead her up a flight of stairs.

“Good luck, though!”

Cash continued on his own down the hall, guitar in hand. When he thought about it, he could see how someone with her personality would fail to understand his idea. Indeed, if he really was the first one from the outside to even visit them, maybe it made since that all the ponies thought he had lost it. But if he could actually reach out and connect with these inmates and show that they have a soul then maybe, just maybe, they would understand, too.

“Johnny Cash?” the guard observed. “This way.” 

The guard led him into the prison’s large cafeteria. Having no windows, it was rather dark and sad-looking. The tables were lined with inmates all eating or conversing amongst themselves. Everything went quite as the human entered, which he had become accustomed to. 

“What’s that supposed to be?” one of the inmates asked, apparently unimpressed.

“I’m a human; name’s Johnny Cash.”

“Why are you here?”

“Well I heard ya’ll have it pretty rough in here, so I figured I might come visit.”

Before another reply came, the inmate closest to him stood up.

“Cash, you mean that music alien that appeared out of nowhere?”

“That sounds about right,” Cash replied.

“Yea, I heard a few good things about you,” he said, starting to walk over to him.

Before he could get very far, one of the guards shoved him back in his place; pointing his spear at his face.

“Do not approach him or I will be forced to act!” he ordered.

“The hell is the matter with you!?” Johnny yelled. “Back off!” 

Johnny grabbed the weapon and pushed it away from the terrified pony. The guard looked at him; part of him was angry, the other part was confusion. Who in Equestria would want to stand up for this scum?

“I don’t think I’ll need an escort,” Johnny said in an irritated tone. 

“Fine,” the guard huffed. 

“Thanks, why did you do that?” the prisoner asked.

“Because he over-reacted,” Johnny answered.

“No, that’s pretty much how they always are; in hindsight, I guess I should’ve seen it coming.”

“Always?”

“Always.”

“Christ, I didn’t think it’d be that bad.”

“It’s the worst prison in Equestria, what were you expecting?” the inmate asked glumly. “Why exactly are you here, anyways? I mean, you don’t know any of us, and I’m the only who’s ever even heard you’re name.” 

“I came to play a few songs for ya’ll,” he answered. “I used to do it a lot back where I came from.” 

This caught a good deal of attention, with most of the prisoners looking over at him. Cash saw their faces go from cold, confused, and uncaring to bright and hopeful. That showed him there was something left in them, something that only a real, living being with thought and feelings could have. 

“Really?”

“Yea…but you mind if I ask why ya’ll are so excited? You were the only one that’s ever heard of me before now.”

“Well, the guards don’t let us play any music to begin with, so anything that we can get is welcome, which is basically nothing.” 

“No music?” Johnny asked, stunned.

“Not a peep of it; we can’t even sing ourselves. Only thing we ever hear is one of the guards yellin’ at us or that…bloody train’s whistle,” he said with venom in every word. “That whistle, it’s a nightmare; all it does is remind us of how easy it is to get back to civilization, and yet we can never get on.”

That just made Johnny angry again; what in the world was the point of banning music? Even if it was just the inmates singing, what could it possibly hurt? And then the whistle; that story sounded pretty familiar to him.

“Well, ya’ll can consider this a little gift from me; you feel free to enjoy yourselves, I’ll take whatever heat the guards throw at ya.”

“Really?” one of the other prisoners asked.

“Really,” Cash assured him. “So, how’s about I get things going; where’s my stage?”

“Over there, I guess,” the pony indicated.

Moving through the crowd toward the front of the room, Johnny saw a rather small stage; if it could be called that. There was nowhere to sit down, and the mic didn’t look like it was properly set for him; the lighting over it was not much different than the rest of the glum room. There was also no cage to separate him and the prisoners, but he didn’t mind that.

He didn’t know if the guards setting up did this on purpose, or were just being lazy because it had something to do with an inmate’s enjoyment. Either way, it would never stop Johnny from going up, fixing what needed to be fixed, and go on with his show. And even in this hellhole, filled with an audience who had never heard his name, the criminals began to cheer.



Finishing off strong, John saw the audience going totally insane with joy. He was glad there was a small light in the back to show the shock on the guard’s faces; they must have thought a riot was going to start, and it was rather humorous. He was far from done, though.



“Alright, ya’ll might be wondering why I was so eager to come here for ya’ll; well, it’s because I did this exact same thing back home. I was the first to go and play at a prison, and I did it because I knew everyone locked up in there was still a citizen, still a living being, regardless of their crimes; they still had feelings, and I think this place here is the same as the one back home.” 

And that was that, with those last words Cash walked down from the stage to be swarmed by the thankful inmates. Every one of them was thankful, more than they had been in a long time. The guards themselves were still amazed; the prisoners had never been so active, or thankful, or generally happy. Maybe there was more to each of them than originally thought.



“So, what are you here for?” Cash asked one of the many inmates he was talking with.

“Robbery.”

“Hm, and you?”

“Illegal trafficking; that’s all I really want to say about the details of it.”

“And how long are you here for?”

“Life,” the pony replied depressingly.

“Life? That seems pretty harsh.”

“Crime laws are very strict here, Johnny, and we broke them; we’re all here for a reason.”

“Yea, but you know that it’s bad now, right?”

“Doesn’t matter,” the inmate said. “We’re stuck in here no matter what.”

“No chance, huh? Sounds more appropriate for murder.”

The inmates all seemed surprised by this.

“Murder? That hasn’t happened in…as long as I can remember…I actually don’t think it’s happened in my lifetime. I don’t know what the punishment for it is, but I’d have to guess it’s real bad,” one of the criminals explained. “Does it happen often where you come from?”

“Yea, kinda; you didn’t hear that part of the song?”

“I thought I misheard you.”

“Christ, this place is strict.”

“Yea, but it’s a lot better since you came to visit.”

Johnny had to admit that everything did seem a lot better. The prisoners seemed happier, and even the guards were talking with a few of them. It looked amazingly, and ironically, peaceful; like it was never a prison to begin with.

“Mr. Cash!”

Johnny looked to his side to see Octavia, being escorted by the prison’s warden.

“Could we talk for a moment?”

“Sure, I’ll be back in a minute, boys,” he told the prisoners before following the two outside the cafeteria.

“That was just incredible!” Octavia said. “The way they aced, and the way they look; I didn’t think it was even possible for them to be like that!”

“I have to agree, they all seem rather happy and cooperative as well,” the warden said. “Maybe we were wrong about them, and you.” 

“They’ve still got a soul, y’know; I’m just glad I can help ya’ll realize that,” Cash said with a smile.

“Things certainly won’t be as bad, I’m sure,” the warden promised.

“Great. Ms. Octavia, if you just gimme’ a minute to say goodbye, we can get going.”

“Actually, I don’t mind if you stay and talk for a little while longer,” she said. “In fact, I think I’ll join you.” 


> Further on Up the Road
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Fillydelphia! All off for Filly!”

Johnny rose from his seat on the train again, grabbed his guitar case, and strolled down the aisle. Octavia followed behind him as the taller man made his way through the car. The two stepped off the train and onto the ponies grouped on the crowded station. 
Though some of the ponies there recognized Cash, they seemed respectful enough to leave him be for now, which he greatly appreciated. He was finding it increasingly hard to be left alone no matter where he went. He was used to it from his former life in the spotlight, but total peace became a valuable thing.

“I’ll be off to my own business, then,” Octavia said. “There are some old friends I’d like to meet again that live here. Are you sure you can find your way? It’s a big city.”

“I’ll be fine. You run along and I’ll go take care of my show,” Johnny responded. 

“Alright, good luck!” Octavia chirped.

Johnny had taken notice that she seemed a bit more confident in him, and generally happy, after the prison show. She usually at least walked him to where he was scheduled to play to assure he did not get lost, which Cash did not mind all that much, considering it was a new world. It felt like a mother letting her grown kid go his own way, though with less reluctance. 

He turned in the opposite direction and exited the platform, walking through the station and out to the street. The whole time, the ponies there were respectful enough to leave him be; he heard his name whispered once or twice, but never really went up to him. Only one actually called out to him directly when he exited the building.

“Hey Johnny!” a rather familiar voice called loudly, despite being relatively close by.

Looking in the voice’s direction, the musician noticed an Earth Pony he had not seen in some time.

“Applejack? Hey!” he replied happily, stepping over and kneeling down to give her a hug. “How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been dandy,” she replied cheerfully. “Just workin’ on the farm and what all, you know; though I’ve been hearin’ a lot about your little adventures.” 

“Well I’ve got plenty to talk over, but I do have somewhere to be,” he replied. “Why don’t you follow and I’ll tell you along the way?” 

“I’d be honored, sugar cube,” the farmer said in a honey tone. 

“How have the others been?” Johnny started off as he began walking down the street. 

“They’ve been doin’ fine,” Applejack replied. “It’s just been a while since we saw you, so I figured I’d head on over to your next stop to talk a tad. I asked the girls if they felt like comin’ but they were all too… busy, yea.” 

“That’s a shame; tell them to take care.” 

“Course I will,” the pony replied. “But back to your trips, I’ve been dyin’ to hear about ‘em.” 

Johnny began to recollect his little journey over the course of the walk, telling her about the many things he had seen and done. To him, it all seemed to have happened so quickly, as if they were pictures passing on a slide show. By contrast, his old life on Earth felt far off, a painful memory of what once was; he tried not to dwell on it much, but could not help himself sometimes.

And yet as Johnny talked, he noticed Applejack seemed to be off in her own little world. Defining it as a ‘conversation’ would be generous, as she barely said anything beyond ‘wow’ or ‘ooh’ or other exclamations along those lines. She seemed to spend most of her time just staring at Cash as they walked, never really bothering to look forward. At one point she actually ran into another pony, causing both to stumble to the ground. She got up, apologized sincerely with a light blush becoming evident, and continued the same staring process.

Reaching the tavern he was playing at was not a problem; in fact, they got there a little bit early. There was still about an hour until the show itself, so the two went to the back and found a little wooden bench to sit on. They continued the process of conversation, with Applejack not having to worry about running into ponies. 

“Sounds like you’ve been fittin’ in well,” Applejack complemented when Johnny had gotten through most of his stories. “I’m glad to hear it; means I won’t have to be worryin’ over yer head.” 

“I don’t think you ever had to, AJ; your country’s been plenty kind in letting me in,” he replied. “But thank you though.” 

“Well shoot, somepony’s gotta worry over you,” she replied.

“Heh, in that case I’m glad it’s you, AJ,” Cash chuckled.

“Really?”

“‘Course.”  

Applejack nudged closer to the musician until she was practically on top of him; though Cash did not notice as he was doing a quick once-over of his instrument before the show.

“Johnny, you mind if I ask you somethin’ important?” 

“Go on,” he replied.

“What do you think of me?” 

Johnny stopped messing with his guitar and gave her a confused look.

“What do you mean?”

“Just… what comes to mind when you think of me?” 

Cash took a minute to think of some things. 

“Well, you’re nice, you’re hard workin’, you got a nice family, and apples, of course.” 

“Can you think of anything else?”

“Um… you’re a pony?” Cash replied, a bit confused.

“No I mean… would you be willing to think anything else… of me I mean?” she asked with the blush returning.

It took a second for John to decipher the message, but the surprise was still there all the same.

“Oh AJ, don’t tell me…”

“Sorry, sugar cube; I just think you’re real great is all,” she said, shying away a bit under her hat. “You’re real nice, and talented, and handsome and everything. I just… I like you is all; plain as that!” 

Cash really had to stop and think about this critical moment in his stay here. God knows what would happen with each response, as there would be hell to pay with both. He only wished he had more time to decide; having to answer to a pony with a crush on him was not exactly in his contingency plans.  Either way, he knew what the answer had to be.

“Sorry AJ, but I can’t.” 

The farm pony’s face turned into one of complete loss and failure. Her face became unbearably sad, with her ears flattening down and her mouth hanging open in a bout of disbelief. The hardest part for Johnny was watching the tears slowly build up in her eyes until they began to trickle out, falling down her orange cheeks like many individual rivers running through the land. 

“W-what?” 

“Don’t get me wrong, you’re a real great girl, but I can’t.”

“Why not!?” she shuttered.

“Well, you’re a pony for one thing. I don’t quite know how that’d work out.”

“Does that really matter!?” she replied. “W-we both act the same ways! A-a-and we’re both friends! And you get along with the family! Ah don’t get it! Ah don’t get et!” 

Her drawl became noticeably heavier from the breakdown, with her accent running wildly out of control.

“Ah… ah mean, you ain’t with nopony else, are you?” she asked. “Don’t ya want somepony that’ll love ya?”

“I already have someone, AJ,” he replied.

“Who!?” she asked, a bit jealous. 

“June,” he replied. 

“What!? But she ain’t even around no more!” 

“I know she isn’t, but she was the one I loved,” Cash replied solemnly. “She saved me AJ, and I can’t fully repay her for that.”

“But wouldn’t she want ya to be happy?”

“Yea, but I am happy,” Johnny replied. “Be honest, I’m still plannin’ on meetin’ her again at some point.” 

“Ah don’t wanna leave ya! Please!” Applejack cried, stuffing her teary face into the man’s jet black jacket. 

Johnny sat there with her for a bit more, running his hand over the back of her head and through her mane to try and calm her down. When the call went out to start in five minutes, Applejack finally looked up at his face again, still crying from her now bloodshot eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but could not bring herself to it, bursting back into tears. Tearing away from his form and running out the back door. 

“Applejack!” 

It was too late, as she was already far gone. Johnny had truly meant what he said; June had done so much for him, and he still loved her so much that he could never think of going with another. But that did not stop the wave of guilt and sadness that washed over him, and it hit like a tsunami. He knew exactly how things had to be, that much was clear; it was dreadfully clear. 

“Mr. Cash, are you alright?” the manager, a light green Pegasus mare asked him. “It’s time to go on, will you be ok?”

“You saw that?” he asked in a neutral tone.

“I heard it, yes,” she admitted, rubbing her yellow mane. “Are you going to be alright? Do you need me to cancel?”

“No, its fine,” he sighed. “I’ll give the folks a show, but it’ll just be one song.”

“I understand,” she replied. “Thank you.”

Cash stepped onto the stage to the usual bout of cheering and shouts. He did not say anything, simply taking his seat on the stool and bringing his guitar to his leg. The audience seemed a bit surprised by his depressing tone, but they were not too sure of what to make of it. Regardless, he quickly strummed out a song for them.