Applejack gains an unwanted admirer after the disaster of the Grand Galloping Gala.
(Some ships sail themselves. This is not one of them.)
After the Grand Galloping Gala, a certain snobbish prince is stricken with amnesia, with no recollection of what he has been doing with his life up till now. He only remembers two things: the golden-maned mare who rescued him from the chaos of the ballroom, and that she called him a "prince".
(BluebloodxApplejack. Written way back between seasons one and two, so obviously not quite canon. This shipping started as a bit of a joke, but I grew attached and wrote this for fun.)
(Beautiful cover art by the beautiful PandaWolfArt of dA. See it here!))
Madness had enveloped the ballroom of the Canterlot Castle. Animals from Celestia’s normally very peaceful menagerie ran amok, attacking guests willy nilly, driving them from the room. Applejack had managed to dodge harm so far, but many of the high class mares and stallions around her were not so lucky. Their glimmering jewelry attracted the animals’ attention, and most had already fled. All except one, who had been hit by a falling statue and was lying frightening still, not moving even while being pecked by a flock of perturbed toucans.
Applejack heard Twilight whistle and saw her wave for them to run. Applejack was about to race after them, but looked back at the unconscious pony. She vaguely recognized him, but it was hard to tell from under the blanket of angry birds. She hesitated, then rushed toward him, yelling at the top of her lungs and bucking the birds out of her way. She reached the pony, a unicorn stallion, and grabbed him by the collar with her teeth, dragging him out of the ballroom.
He opened an eye as she slammed the door shut to block the animals’ advance. “You… you saved me…” Applejack was barely paying attention. She had to get out, fast, before anypony realized she had been part of the cause of the riot. “Please… tell me your name…” the stallion pleaded, wobbling to his feet. Applejack turned to him, prepared to tell him to hush, when she realized who he was.
“Prince Blueblood?!” Applejack instinctively dropped lower to the ground, a fighting pose. The white prince looked at her in confusion, then smiled vaguely. He was bruised from the beating he had taken from the birds and debris. His horn had been broken, leaving only a jagged stump on his forehead. To her shock, he bowed shakily towards Applejack.
“Very well, it is an honor to meet you, Prince Blueblood. My name is… uh…” He tapped his head with his hoof, looking very confused. Applejack could see a rather large bump forming on his skull where the statue had hit him, but she didn’t feel inclined to sympathy. This jerk had treated Rarity like a personal servant, and worse, insulted her food!
“Ah ain’t no Prince, ye double-dealin’ varmit, you are! Mah name is Applejack, an’ t’ain’t like it matters cuz Ah ain’t never intendin’ t’see y’again!” She rushed past him, resisting the urge to buck him in the side, and fled the palace after her friends.
“Wait! But, Lady Applejack…” The prince shook his head in confusion. “What is a Prince…?”
“Applejack, Applejack! How was it? Howwasithowwasithowwasit?!” The moment she walked in the door her little sister, Apple Bloom, was bouncing around her excitedly.
“Apple Bloom! It’s late! You shoulda been in bed hours ago. Big Macintosh, didn’t Ah tell y’not to let her stay up all night?!”
Her brother was unfazed. “Eeyup.”
“Aw, but Applejack, Ah wanted to hear all about yer best night ever! Come on, pleaseeeee?” Apple Bloom fixed her with her best puppy-dog eyes. Applejack knew better.
“Ah’ll still be here t’tell ya in the mornin’. Now, t’bed with ya, missy. You too, Big Macintosh. Honest t’goodness Ah thought ye’d be more responsible than this!”
The three farm ponies went to bed, and Applejack’s dreams were swimming with the sight of those falling columns, and her little sister nonsensically skipping amid them…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“… the bold stallion gently extended his hoof to the beautiful mare, and they galloped into the sunset, and lived happily ever after.” Prince Blueblood closed the book carefully and replaced it on the shelf. He still had very little idea what was going on, who he was, or why most ponies saw him coming and walked away quickly. His only clue was the orange mare who had rescued him from the birds. Applejack… She had seemed to know him, to dislike him, but at least she had spoken to him. Everything before that was a blank. He knew something must have happened before that, but he didn’t recall it. The face in the mirror was still strange to him; in fact, he had spoken to a mirror for quite some time, as it had been the first pony that hadn’t trotted away when they saw him coming, before he realized it wasn’t a real pony he was talking to but only a silent copy of himself.
He had stumbled upon the library by chance, wandering the castle grounds, nibbling some grass or shrubs when he grew hungry, otherwise taking little to no care of himself. His mane and coat were filthy. When he found the empty library he had been about to leave when a book’s cover caught his eye. The Kelpie Prince. Wanting to know what a prince was, he had read it. The prince had been mean and selfish, then turned into a kelpie by an evil witch unicorn. After a while he met a princess unicorn, who had come to love him in spite of his appearance. His attitude changed to “that of a true prince; kind, brave, and loyal,” and he had changed back into a regular pony after the princess kissed him. He and the princess married and lived happily ever after.
Blueblood hunted for more books about princes, and found that as a whole, princes were good, kind, chivalrous, selflessly protected the weak, bravely fought off monsters, did great deeds for their lovely ladies, and always galloped off into the sunset.
“Lady Applejack called me a prince so… I must be like this!” Prince Blueblood was fairly certain this must be true; after all, all of the books said this was how princes acted. But one thing bothered him. Most princes protected damsels in distress, while he had been saved by a lady. According to the books this occasionally happened, with the same results: galloping off into the sunset. Princes, it also said, always repaid such debts of kindness by pledging their life to the lady who saved them.
Prince Blueblood smiled determinedly. He would find Lady Applejack and pledge his life to protecting and helping her, and then they would fall in love and gallop off into the sunset. After all, that was what a Prince did!
And it certainly was better than being avoided all the time.
Prince Blueblood found another book, a census record that seemed fairly recent. His fair lady had to be in here somewhere…
Applejack had been harvesting apples for only a few hours, but she was already exhausted. Her dreams the past few nights had replayed that awful moment at the Gala when the room began to cave in, only instead of that annoying prince being the one being attack by birds, it was Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, or Granny Smith. Sometimes she would be trying to get to them and the birds would turn their cruel razor claws on her instead, tearing her to bits. Other times they would constantly push her away, letting her get close enough she could almost touch them before being pulled back. The worst were when she got to them only to find… Applejack hadn’t slept well, not at all.
“Hi Applejack!” A sudden perky voice from right behind her startled Applejack to wakefulness and very nearly toppled her over. She turned around to see Pinkie Pie cheerily bouncing right behind her, full of energy as always.
“Howdy Pinkie Pie, sorry but Ah ain’t got much time fer talkin’. These trees have gotta be bucked…”
“Oh, ok, I just thought I’d let you know there’s somepony looking for you!” Pinkie turned in midair and began hopping off.
“Wait a… Pinkie!” The pony bounced back to her. “Who is lookin’ fer me?”
Pinkie gave her a wide-eyed stare. “I dunno.”
“What… but y’said…”
“I said somepony is looking for you. But I don’t know who, silly filly, I just have a really strong itch in my left hind leg, and that usually means somepony is looking for Applejack.”
Applejack looked at her disparagingly. “Uh… can y’be a bit more specific than that?”
Pinkie looked thoughtful. “Wellllll… it’s probably not anypony you know, because if they knew you, they’d know you’re out bucking apples! Because bucking apples is what Applejacks do, right? So it’s somepony who doesn’t know you like… ooh, like, like a stranger! Yeah, so now you know a stranger is looking for you! There you go!” Pinkie turned and began bouncing away again.
“PINKIE!” Applejack shouted. The pony flounced back, smiling. “What Ah meant was, is it a stallion or a mare, or is it a colt or a filly? What color are they, are they an Earth pony or a Pegasus or a unicorn? Ye got any Pinkie senses tellin’ ya anything like that?”
“Nope!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully. Applejack sighed. “Bu I’m sure that w-w-w-h-o-o-o-a!!” Pinkie Pie’s whole body began jittering from side to side. “A-a-a-a-p-p-l-e-j-a-c-k? This ones a d-o-o-o-o-z-y!”
Applejack had returned to bucking trees, barely paying the pony any mind. “If it’s some other pony decidin’ to believe in yer Pinkie Sense then Ah reckon it will be a doozy…” The jitters stopped momentarily. “No Applejack, that kind of doozy is shaking up and down; this kind of doozy is side to side. Whoever is looking for you must be really important. Of course every pony is really important in their own way but, ooh if this pony is so important we should celebrate them coming with a party! I’m gonna need a dozen balloons shaped like apples and a dozen more shaped like, oh but I don’t know what that pony will like, that makes it harder. I know! I’ll just get a bunch of balloons in all different shapes and he’s sure to like some! And there will have to be cake and ice cream and maybe some games. No wait, this is a serious party so we don’t need games we need dancing! What kind of music do you like, Applejack? I’m sure your extra-special visitor will like it too. Oh no, he could be here any minute and I haven’t even started making the cake, not to mention getting streamers! Bye, Applejack, I’ll see you at the party!” Pinkie Pie raced off, pausing only occasionally to jitter uncontrollably.
Applejack shook her head and continued working. Unless that ‘really important pony’ was Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, she didn’t see why she should mess up her schedule to go gussy up. She was almost done with the row of trees she was on when she heard someone call her name. Flipping a few strands of dusty hair out of her face, she turned to see who it was.
Prince Blueblood looked down bashfully, then remembered that princes were supposed to be confident.
“Yes, fair lady, I quested long and hard to find you and now, at last, our reunion has occurred!” He took a few steps towards her, but Applejack backed away.
“You were th’one lookin’ fer me? Horse feathers, if I’da’ known that I’da’ told Pinkie Pie not t’bother with a party.” She glared at the Prince, who looked hurt, emotionally and physically, covered in dirt and briars, and a total mess. He was still wearing the collar he’d had on at the gala, though it was considerably worse for wear, like it hadn’t been taken off in the week since. His horn was no longer bleeding but had formed a rather unattractive scab over its tip. Applejack felt a twinge of sympathy for the stallion. He seemed genuinely lost and confused, and he needed medical attention from all the cuts on his body… could a unicorn’s horn even regrow? She would have to ask Twilight. She stood up a bit straighter.
“Look here, Ah don’t like you all that much an’ Ah reckon yer hoity-toitiness means y’won’t like me, but we gotta take care of them there injuries a’fore they get infected. C’mon, Ah’ll take ya back t’the house.” She set off, and to her surprise he followed her docilely, not taking his eyes off of her for even a second. Applejack found it rather unnerving, but his eyes didn’t seem to be arrogant or angry, but quietly mystified and a little… adoring? Applejack shook her head slightly. She must be imagining it.
They reached the house and Applejack pushed the door open for him. The Prince seemed stunned. “But… Lady Applejack, it’s not proper for a woman to have to hold the door for a man! Allow me!” He held onto the door as well. Both stared at each other, waiting for one of them to go inside, and finally Applejack relinquished. Prince Blueblood trotted in after her, seeming pleased with himself. His pleasure, like the rest of his demeanor, wasn’t snobby, but rather like a colt who had been praised by his teacher for doing something right. Had it been anypony else, Applejack might have found it adorable.
“Y’stay here. Ah’ll go get th’bandages and some water t’clean out them cuts.” She fetched the first aid supplies and returned to find Blueblood standing exactly where she’d left him. “Sit down already. Yer exhausted.” The Prince sat gingerly on the floor, making Applejack sigh. “Y’can sit on th’couch. It’s what it’s there fer.” He stood, sheepishly, and settled onto the couch instead.
“I didn’t want to… get it dirty and cause you trouble…”
Applejack snorted. “It gets dirty a fer piece more than that. We put a cover on it so we can jist wash it when we can’t see the pattern no more. Now, hold out yer left hoof.”
The Prince looked at his front legs in confusion, then lifted one. His right one.
“No, yer left hoof. Don’t y’know left from right?”
He looked away, ashamed.
“Uh, no big deal. I’ll jist take care o’this one first…” She began carefully washing out the cuts. “So, uhm… ya… ya got hit pretty hard on the head at that party, didn’t ya?”
Blueblood looked at her with genuine bafflement. “I have no recollection of a party… what is a party?”
Applejack thought a moment. “It’s a… a time when friends get t’gether and have a good time.” Blueblood got quiet, thinking about this. “So… what do ya remember?”
“I remember you saving me from some awful loud things that were hurting me,” he said at length.
“And a’fore that?”
“N-nothing…” Blueblood’s ears sank sadly.
Applejack tied the first bandage carefully. “That’s alright; Ah mean, now y’can start yer life all over. T’ain’t many ponies who get a chance like that.” The Prince seemed encouraged by this, and bore with her doctoring patiently. Just as she was finishing Big Macintosh came in from the orchard and seemed mildly surprised to see a stallion sitting in his living room.
“Applejack, who is this here gentlepony?”
“Big Macintosh, this here is uh… Blueblood. He’s not from ‘round these parts and he was mighty battered so Ah figgered Ah’d patch him up a bit. Blueblood, this here’s mah big brother, Big Macintosh.”
Blueblood bowed to Big Macintosh. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Sir Big Macintosh.”
Big Mac seemed uncomfortable. “Jist Big Macintosh, please.” He looked at Applejack. “Does Mr. Blueblood got anyplace to stay while he’s in Ponyville?”
“Uh, no… but…”
“Then yer more than welcome to stay here. We got an extra room ye can stay in till ye find a place o’yer own.”
Applejack had to resist stamping her hooves in frustration. “Don’t ya think that…”
“I would be honored.”
“Applejack, be a dear and show ‘im to th’room.” Macintosh trotted past them to the kitchen. “Ah’ll tell Granny Smith t’make some extra apple fritter fer our houseguest.” He left the two alone, Applejack spluttering after him. She hadn’t wanted to leave the apparently amnesiac prince out while he was injured, but letting him stay at Sweet Apple Acres was a completely different barrel of apples.
“Ah guess Ah’ll show ya the room…” she grumbled. Prince Blueblood seemed excited by the prospect.
His excitement did not abate when he saw the room. It was very small, right above the kitchen, normally only used during the Apple family reunions. It had a cot with one of Granny’s homemade quilts, a window covered by some curtains Apple Bloom had made for an arts-and-crafts project, with a matching rug, and a single drawer dresser and lamp. Prince Blueblood looked about, nodding in satisfaction. Applejack tried not to let her irritation seep into her voice.
“Well this here’s it. If ya wanna wash off then we got a hose outside or y’can jump into the pond fer a swim. But it don’t reckon it’d be right smart to do so till yer injuries heal.”
Blueblood smiled at her. “Thank you for your generosity, Lady Applejack.”
“That’s another thing. Ah ain’t no lady. Mah name is plain ol’ Applejack, or Miss Applejack, iffen yer feelin’ a mite formal.”
Blueblood thought this over. “Very well, Miss Applejack, I thank you most humbly.”
Applejack scowled. “Ah don’t get it. Yer nothing but a snotty, froofy good-fer-nothin’. Why ye actin’ so… so nice about this here sitch-y-ation?”
Blueblood smiled at her benevolently. “Because, Lady Applejack, that is what princes do. Genteel demeanor and thankfulness for any act of kindness is part of a prince’s very nature!”
“Ye didn’t act like that t’mah friend Rarity at the Gala!” Applejack said, snorting derisively.
Prince Blueblood looked aghast. “I did not? Oh, how unchivalrous of me! A prince must be kind to every maiden, whether they are his lady or not.”
“His lady?” said Applejack suspiciously.
“Yes! A prince defends his lady against every harm, goes to battle in her name, and dies with her name on his lips! Fear not, Miss Applejack, for I shall never let a thing harm you!” He reared and beat his hooves in the air to emphasize his point. Applejack stared at him like he was crazy.
“Are ya plumb outta yer mind? I ain’t no princess! And I…”
“That matters not. According to most of the books I read, the prince’s damsel is often a pure-hearted villager who helps him through her kindness, just like you did for me!” He took one of her hooves. “Besides, once we wed then…”
“Now hold on just one second here!” Applejack said, pulling back from him like he was a snake. “Ah don’t know what nonsense yer spoutin’ but Ah can assure ya Ah’d never, ever fall fer a double-dealin’, apple-hatin’ varmit like yerself, much less get hitched t’em! Where’d ya get all this nonsense about princes anyhow?”
“Why, from the books about princes of course! There were plenty back at the… castle, I think it’s called.”
Applejack put her face into her hoof. “Those are jist fairy tales, Blueblood. They ain’t real.”
Blueblood’s ears sagged. “Then… then what am I supposed to act like?”
“Well… uh…”
“Do you know what I was like before?”
Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.”
“What was I like?”
“Ya were annoyin’, snobby, and unpleasant.”
“So… I should be like that?”
“No!” Applejack sighed. “Ya can be however ya want, really, but Ah’d recommend not goin’ back t’that particular attitude. Nopony really likes a snob.”
Blueblood patted his head, wincing when his hoof touched his broken horn. “Well, I’d much rather act like a prince than a snob. So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to act like that until I figured out what a real prince is like.”
Applejack resisted the urge to facehoof again. “Fine. Make yerself more presentable. Mah friend Pinkie Pie is throwin’ ya a party and it wouldn’t do t’be late.” She stomped out, worn out from the stallion’s curiosity.
Pinkie’s party was incredible, in spite of her short notice. There was a three-tiered cake, two kinds of punch, presents, and a DJ. Applejack hadn’t particularly wanted to go, knowing her ‘visitor’ was Prince Blueblood, but she didn’t want her friend’s effort to go to waste. Blueblood’s eyes were huge and excited, taking in everything like he had never seen anything so amazing before. Since most ponies had never met him and he, at Applejack’s urging, only introduced himself as Blueblood, most ponies took a liking to him right away.
“So this is your super-duper important special guest, huh, Applejack?” Pinkie Pie chirped, looking him over. Applejack waited for Pinkie to recognize him, but she didn’t. “He seems nice. My name’s Pinkie Pie, and this party is just for you...”
“Blueblood. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Pinkie Pie.” He bowed to her.
“Ooh, you talk so fancy! Well enjoy the party!” She bounced off to greet the other guests. Most of the mares and fillies were charmed by Blueblood’s attitude. All except…
“Applejack… is that…?!” Rarity’s voice cut over the crowd, eyes wide with horror. Applejack galloped to her to shush her before she could reveal Blueblood’s status. “What is he doing here? I am so sorry, darling, if I had known he would crash the party for your friend then I would have…”
“Rarity! Blueblood is the guest, an’ Ah didn’t invite him neither… but he don’t remember the gala or you or anypony so please, please don’t make a scene…”
Rarity was still looking at Blueblood with shock and disgust. “Very well, but only for your sake Apple Jack. If he puts one hoof out of line though…”
Applejack glanced back over to Blueblood. He was telling some story about a prince saving a princess from a dragon to the colts and fillies. He was very into his tale, rearing up on his back legs and making swooshing motions with his hooves to imitate the sword fight. The children all screamed as he roared like a dragon, then giggled delightedly. Applejack felt a small smile creep across her face. She could see Applebloom and her friends among the little fillies. After he finished, two of her classmates began roaring and chasing them around until Applebloom and Scootaloo “vanquished” them. She trotted over to Blueblood’s side.
“Ye ain’t a bad yarn-spinner fer a guy with no memory.”
“I beg your pardon, Miss Applejack. I was unaware I was making yarn.” He was looking ashamed at his display.
“No, no, a yarn can mean a story, ya know?” Rarity coughed discreetly behind her. Applejack hadn’t been aware she had followed her. “Uh… Blueblood, this here’s mah friend Rarity.”
The two looked at each other for a long moment. At first Applejack thought he might be remembering the unicorn mare, but after a moment he bowed gallantly to her. “Lady Rarity, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last. I understand that I may have behaved rudely to you before… before I can remember. I beg your forgiveness.”
Rarity looked miffed, then sighed. “Well, at least you have the class to apologize. I supposed the best thing for a lady like me to do is forgive you.” She got close to his face. “But if you ever, ever, try to pull a stunt like that again, you’ll rue the day you messed with Rarity. Understand?”
Blueblood nodded timidly. Rarity backed off. “Well Applejack, as much as I would love to chat, I have some punch that needs drinking… or something like that. Ta!” She was running away.
Applejack looked at Blueblood, who looked close to tears. “Come on now, sugarcube, no need to be upset. After all, I thought ya were a big, brave prince! Princes dun cry over a little tounge-lashin’!”
Blueblood straightened up and nodded. “You’re right, Miss Applejack. And as a Prince, I shall not be deterred, but be a better prince than ever before!”
The party gradually fizzled out until only Applejack, Blueblood, and Pinkie were left. AJ began helping her friend clean up when a latecomer came galloping into Sugarcube Corner.
“Pinkie, Applejack, I’m so sorry I’m late, I was just looking at some very interesting books about transmutation and time got away from me…” Twilight Sparkle paused, realizing there was another pony present. And unlike the rest of Ponyville, she knew who he was. “Prince Blueblood?! Is that you?”
“Prince!?” shouted Pinkie, her hair going wild. “If I’d a known you were a prince I’d have thrown you a super extra duper special party instead of just a super duper extra special one! Oh well, there’s always tomorrow!”
“No, Pinkie! No party!” Applejack shouted. “Blueblood here is a prince, but it wouldn’t be good if evera’pony know that!”
“But why not? I mean it’s not every day you get to throw a party for a super duper allie opper important pony like a prince!”
“But we don’t want no one t’know Blueblood is a prince, kay, sugarcube? Ponies’ll treat him different than everypony else an’ that ain’t good fer his ego.”
Pinkie scrunched up her face, thinking. “Okie dokie lokie! If you say so Applejack.”
“But Applejack, why is Prince Blueblood here? He should be in Canterlot… unless this is an official royal visit! Is Princess Celestia coming?! Is that what this party was for?!”
“Calm down a second, sugarcube,” Applejack said, trying to use a calm voice. “Blueblood ain’t here on no royal visit. He don’t even remember anythin’ from before the Gala. I was hopin’ you could check his horn, t’see if it’ll regrow.”
Twlight looked at the stallion critically. “Let’s go back to the library and I’ll see what I can do.”
Pinkie assured them she could finish the clean-up without help, so Applejack and Blueblood followed Twilight Sparkle to her home. Blueblood complimented everything, and was very excited when he found a book about princes he hadn’t read. Twilight sighed.
“Spike! We have a guest!” The small dragon slid down the banister.
“Hey Twi, I was… holy guacamole! Prince Blueblood?!” He suddenly clenched his fists and jumped at him. “How dare you show your face to me after the way you mistreated Rarity!” He struggled vainly at Blueblood’s leg, causing no real damage.
“Peace, Sir Dragon. I mean your lady no dishonor, doubly so now that I see the fiery defense of her noble knight.” Spike stopped and looked at him in confusion.
“But… but she told me! She said you were a royal pain!”
Twilight was pulling books of the shelves with magic. “Blueblood is suffering from amnesia, Spike. He doesn’t remember being a jerk or any of that.”
Spike looked at the unicorn suspiciously. “Alright… but I’m watching you. Any more cuts on Rarity and you’re gonna get it, got it?”
Blueblood nodded. “I understand perfectly.”
Twilight had found the book about unicorn horns and was reading rapidly. “Well, good news is, your horn will regrow!” Applejack sighed with relief. “The bad news is that it will only regrow if you get your memories back.”
“What? Why can’t it jist grow back normally?”
“Well, Applejack, a unicorn’s horn is an integral part of their nervous system. The magic that flows from the brain is routed through the horn, linking the two hemispheres. Since Blueblood’s horn is broken, the flow between the two sides of his brain is impaired, and he has lost his memory. Only by restoring the flow to its proper strength can the horn be rebuilt.”
“So what yer sayin’ is…”
“No memories, no horn.” Twilight snapped her book shut. “Maybe I can try to restore his memories. I think I have a spell for that.” Applejack shrugged.
“It’s worth a shot, I reckon. Blueblood!” The stallion looked up from the book of fairy tales. “We’re gonna try to restore yer memories!” The stallion nodded and carefully replaced the book of fairy tales before trotting over.
“What must I do, Lady Twilight?”
“Just stand right there and relax, alright? My magic should do the rest.”
Blueblood held still as Twilight’s horn began to glow. The glow grew stronger and stronger until the whole room was awash with brilliant light. Applejack had to shield her eyes for a moment, and when she looked again, Blueblood was still standing there, eyes squeezed shut, but with no horn.
“Did it work?” Applejack asked. Twilight shrugged. “Blueblood, what d’ya think of apple turnovers?”
“The ones that your grandmother made were exceedingly delicious.”
Applejack sighed. “I guess we’ll jist have t’wait till he gets his memories back the hard way. Thanks, Twilight.”
Twilight sighed. “Don’t mention it…”
“Sis! Sis!” Applebloom came careening in, followed closely by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. “We saw the giant flash of laight! Are y’all right?”
“We were jist tryin’ to restore Blueblood’s memories, Applebloom. Don’t worry yerself none over it.”
“Ugh! I hoped maybe we could get out cutie marks from it!” Scootaloo turned around. “Let’s go girls.”
“What is a cutie mark?” Blueblood tilted his head to one side, confused.
“What’s a cutie mark?! A cutie mark is only the most important thing like, ever!” Scootaloo jumped up on a table, making Twilight glare. “A cutie mark appears when you find your one, your only true talent that you totally rock at! Without it, you get called blank flank and people don’t know what you’re all about!” Scootaloo saw Twilight and jumped off the table, laughing nervously. “We haven’t got ours yet, but we will never stop…”
“… until our cutie marks are here!” The three all laughed. Sweetie Belle moved forward timidly.
“See, Mr. Blueblood, your cutie mark is right here.” She pointed to the mark on his flank. “It looks like a… um… A star!”
“That’s not a star, that’s an explosion!”
“Star!”
“Explosion!”
“Star!”
“Explosion!”
“Uh, guys, it’s a compass.” Applebloom tilted her head to one side. “But what in the hay does a compass cutie mark mean?”
“That you never get lost?” Scootaloo said.
“That you can lead people!” Sweetie Belle chipped in.
“Girls! Please don’t pester Pr… Mr. Blueblood. He’s had a very traumatic experience and needs some re…”
“Hey, Mr. Blueblood, is it true you lost your memories?” Sweetie Belle asked, ignoring Twilight. “I can’t imagine what that would feel like…”
“’Tis not so bad, my ladies.” Blueblood had kneeled down to their level. “But now I too am intrigued about this cutie mark which I bear. Perhaps you can help me uncover its true meaning.”
“Sure!” said Applebloom and Sweetie Belle.
“No way!” yelled Scootaloo. “Girls, we gotta get our own cutie marks first, then we can help Blueblood.”
“Awwwww…”
“We’re sorry…”
“Worry not, fair ladies!” Blueblood struck a heroic pose. “I will try my best to rediscover my talent if you quest to discover yours!”
“It’s what the Apple family calls harvestin’. We plant all the trees so we always got somethin’ t’pick, except durin’ winter.”
“Fascinating! What do you do with all the apples you harvest?”
“We eat some… we sell most of ‘em though. Need money t’run a farm, after all.”
Blueblood thought about this. “Money is… gold, yes?”
“Well, yeah, an’ silver and copper…”
“I have gold.”
Applejack paused. “Y…y’do?!”
Blueblood nodded. “I… I believe the book I was reading back there was about me. It was about the noble house of Blueblood.”
Applejack stared at him. When he had said he was pursuing her, she had immediately dismissed it, but if he had money… they could fix the plow, the roof, Granny’s hip! If she just agreed to marry him right now… No. Applejack shook her head slightly. Marrying a pony, any pony, for money wasn’t right.
“Well, when y’git back t’Canterlot you’ll be glad t’have it, I reckon.”
Blueblood didn’t reply. They finally got back to the farm, and Applejack traded her nicer hat for her old one, then hitched to cart and walked to the orchard. Blueblood protested her pulling the cart, but she pointed out the harness was made for a pony of her size, so he couldn’t pull it for her. When she got to the first tree of apples she stopped, unloaded her baskets and gave the tree a sharp kick. The apples fell into the neatly arranged baskets, with only a few escaping and rolling away. Blueblood watched in fascination.
“So this is ‘buckin’?”
“Yep! Gotta finish this row a’fore dark.” She picked up the basket and hauled it to the cart. Blueblood helped her put it in the cart, watching her buck several trees before piping up again.
“May I attempt, Ms. Applejack?”
Applejack looked him over. Unicorns were more fragile than Earth ponies, but he did have a lot of muscle under that fur… Applejack nodded. The stallion was clearly excited as her approached a tree and slammed into it with his back hooves, making the apples scatter everywhere but in the basket.
“I… I failed you…”
“T’ain’t a problem, Blueblood. Jist help me pick em up and put em in the baskets a’fore bugs get to em, then try again.” She began scooping the fruit into the basket quickly, Blueblood joining in. After a few minutes they both dumped the harvest into the cart.
“K, now yer obviously strong enough t’get the apples down, but y’gotta hold back jist a tad or else it’ll cause a mess.” Blueblood looked from her to the tree nervously, then gently tapped it. The apples swayed but didn’t fall. “A little harder. You still gotta show em who’s boss!”
Blueblood gritted his teeth and smacked the tree harder. The apples fell into the baskets neatly. He looked at her, eyes shining. “Good job… now try doin’ it about a hundred taime’s a day.”
“You are indeed most tenacious to complete such a task, Ms. Applejack.” He helped her load the baskets into the cart. “Perhaps if I assist you we may finish sooner?”
“Ah reckon so. Much appreciated, Blueblood.” The two began working, and the work did get finished faster. Applejack realized having an extra set of hooves around the farm may not be a bad thing at all.
After a dinner of apple and carrot salad, Applejack climbed the stairs and reached her room, glad the long, hectic day was over. Hanging her beloved hat on a hook on the wall, she lay down on her bed and almost instantly went to sleep.
She was back at the Gala, amid the falling pillars and crazed animals. She saw the flock of birds swooping around a still, red form and rushed towards them, shouting Macintosh’s name.
“Sis! Help!”
She turned just in time to see them mob Apple Bloom. When had she gotten there?! Applejack attacked the birds, using her hooves and even teeth in a vain attempt to get them off, but it was hopeless. By the time the birds flew away, Apple Bloom was gone. So was Macintosh. She had lost them both!
“Give ‘em back!” she shouted at the birds circling above. “Give back mah family!!!” The room began to shake as the ceiling collapsed…
“Wake up! Miss Applejack, wake up!” Applejack’s eyes shot open to reveal Blueblood. He had been shaking her, and quickly removed his hoof from her shoulder. “I… I apologize for entering your room without permission, but I could hear you screaming across the hall and was concerned that…”
What happened next surprised them both. Applejack wrapped her hooves around him, hugging him tightly. It was partially to shut him up, but part her needing to cling to something real, something comforting. Blueblood was flustered but hugged her back awkwardly, trying to balance on his hind legs. Unfortunately his sense of balance was bad, and he crashed to the floor, dragging the unwitting Applejack down with him.
“Are… are you alright, Miss Applejack?”
“Ah’m fine, jist knocked my head on the floor. Ah’ll live!” She laughed as he tried to right himself but became entangled in the quilt that she had pulled to the floor. He grinned sheepishly as she began helping him pull it off.
“What’s goin’ on in here?”
The voice made them both jump. Big Macintosh was standing in the doorway, his face calm except for a single raised eyebrow.
“Oh, uh, Big Macintosh! Didn’t hear ya come in. I was jist havin’ a nightmare an’ Blueblood was checkin’ up on me.” Applejack rubbed her head where she hit the floor, smiling contritely at her brother. Macintosh looked at Blueblood sharply.
“Then Ah reckon Blueblood was jist leavin’.”
Blueblood had finally unraveled himself and stood, nodding meekly at them both. “Good night, Miss Applejack… Big Macintosh…” He hurried past him to his own room. Big Macintosh glared as he trotted past.
“Was that really necessary, Big Macintosh? He didn’t do nothin’ wrong!”
Big Macintosh looked at her levelly. “T’ain’t proper for a stallion o’ his age t’ be sneakin’ into a filly’s room at night.”
“I ain’t a filly, Macintosh! And Blueblood was only concerned fer mah safety wuz all!”
Macintosh frowned. “Ah believe ya, Applejack. Ah’m only concerned fer yer safety too.” He turned and left, telling her good night, and Applejack tossed the quilt back up on her bed. She was irritated at Big Macintosh’s lack of trust in her, but it wasn’t like being angry was going to change his mind. Better to worry about it in the morning, after she’d had some sleep to clear her head.
The next morning she woke up, having mostly forgotten the previous night, and went to breakfast feeling cheerful. She had a lot of bucking to do, but she had agreed to meet with her friends for lunch at Sugarcube Corner, so she at least had something to look forward to.
“Mornin’, Blueblood.” The stallion was setting the table under Granny Smith’s watchful eye. He set down the plate carefully before speaking.
“Good morning to you as well, Miss Applejack. Will you be ‘bucking’ again today?”
“Yup! Yer more than welcome to join me; Ah’d like to be done with a few rows a’fore lunch.” Blueblood nodded eagerly.
“Applejack, y’caught yerself a real prize here.” Granny Smith winked at her.
Applejack blushed and looked away. “T… t’ain’t like that, Granny Smith.” She quickly ate her breakfast and rushed out the door, but not before seeing Big Macintosh’s disapproving frown and Blueblood’s sorrowful eyes...
Applejack slammed her hooves into the tree’s rough bark, knocking the apples free into their baskets. Granny Smith had reminded her of all the uncomfortable chatter the night before. She didn’t… she didn’t think of Blueblood that way. He was, at best, a friend. A friend who just happened to be a stallion. She sighed. Rarity was always bubbling about “the most eligible bachelors in Equestria”, but Applejack had never given marriage or having a special somepony any thought. To her, stallions had always been fellow workers or family, never an object of romance. But Blueblood… there was just something different about him. When he looked at her, his eyes slightly adoring, she felt something… but what? Finding no answer in this tree, Applejack set about dragging baskets to another.
She heard somepony approach and didn’t have to even turn to know it was Blueblood. “Miss Applejack?”
She didn’t respond.
“I… I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused you.” Applejack continued to silently work. “From henceforth I… I will not bother you any longer.”
Applejack hmphed.
“I will leave Sweet Apple Acres and return to Canterlot. I am told…” He sounded a bit choked. “… that the Princess is very powerful and may be able to restore my memories. Regardless, I will remain in Canterlot, where I cannot trouble you or your family any longer.”
Applejack finally stopped bucking to look at him. His face was pained, and she could swear he’d cried between the house and here. He had a small knapsack draped across his shoulders. “Blueblood…”
“Good-bye, Miss Applejack.” He turned and ran.
Applejack stood as still as if she’d been rooted to the spot. Part of her wanted to chase him and tell him he could stay, it wasn’t that big of an imposition. The other part said she should simply continue bucking and let him go; he wasn’t worth the trouble. And a very small part of her, deep inside, just felt like crying. After a few minutes of standing still, she turned mechanically back to the tree. She had work to do and anything she’d felt… or thought she felt… didn’t matter.
A little before noon Applejack loaded the wagon and hauled it back to the barn. She left it to sort in the afternoon and washed off quickly with the hose before trotting to town. Sugarcube Corner smelled deliciously of baked goods and happiness, but Applejack could not match her friends’ cheerful chatter.
“By the way Applejack, where’s Prince Blueblood?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “I found some books he might like, about fairy tales.”
“Ah… Ah wouldn’t look t’see him again, Twi… he done gone back t’Canterlot this mornin’…”
“Aw, that’s a real shame!” said Pinkie Pie brightly. “I even made enough cake for him too! When will he get back, huh, AJ?”
Applejack looked away. “He ain’t comin’ back, Pinkie,” she muttered.
“Well that’s weird… I thought he…”
Applejack slammed a hoof onto the table, overturning her plate and making Fluttershy squeak in fear and cower under her chair. “What we all thought didn’t mean nothin’! He’s gone an’ it don’ matter now!”
They all looked at her for a minute with varying degrees of confusion before a voice pipe up from under the table.
“Um, Applejack… I don’t mean to seem… nosy or anything but… maybe you do miss Blueblood, just a little?” Fluttershy poked her head out from under the tabletop and looked at her in concern. “I mean, I’ve never seen you so… angry…”
Applejack was about to protest when she realized Fluttershy was right, she was angry. “But that don’t mean it’s cuz o’him!”
Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. “Applejack, don’t try lying to yourself. It’s not like you. You do miss Blueblood, even if just as a friend and not a…”
“He ain’t my special somepony!”
“Please, Applejack, darling, if you like him, then just say so. It’s perfectly natural.”
“Whether you like him like that or not, if you don’t do something soon he’ll be back in Canterlot, and you’ll never know for sure.” Twilight nudged her towards the door. “Go on, you can catch up to him if you hurry.”
“But… but Ah…”
“For Pete’s sake!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Just go already!”
Applejack nodded at them all and ran out the door.
The road to Canterlot was oddly dusty as Applejack rushed along it, her hooves stirring up small clouds of dirt. The Pegasus ponies were supposed to have had a storm yesterday, but it had been delayed due to two ponies hurting their wings in a collision. The heat made everything hazy, but Applejack could vaguely see a white figure far down the path.
“Blueblood!”
He didn’t turn. He was too far away, and couldn’t hear her. She pushed herself, trying to close the gap. “Blueblood! Wait!”
It did no good. Surely by now he could hear her, but he didn’t turn, didn’t acknowledge her. Applejack felt a mix of anger and despair wash over her, and poured all her energy into running. She heard voices from above; the Pegasus were assembling the clouds to make up for the storm. The darkening skies made seeing the white stallion easier against the dirt road, but the ensuing rain would turn them into slush. She had to reach him now, or it would be too late. Taking a final gulp of air, she shouted his name one more time, launching herself at him to close the last few feet.
“Blueblooooood!”
The stallion stopped and turned to look at her. Applejack was panting, her sides heaving to draw in enough air. The gathering storm clouds made the air seem heavy, unbreathable… she looked him in the face, and his cool expression made her suddenly ashamed of her dirty coat and messy mane.
“Ye… y’cain’t go… y’just cain’t… not laike this…”
The rain began falling from the clouds above, damping the swirling dust around her. “Y’cain’t just run away… Big Macintosh didn’t mean… nothing by what he… said…”
“I left because I did not wish to be a burden on your family.” Something in his voice was different, and Applejack realized it wasn’t just his voice. His horn, which had been just a stump before, was now fully regrown, as if by magic. “I am a Prince, and your family is not exactly equipt to put up with a pony of my personage.”
Applejack stared at him, flabbergasted. She still couldn’t seem to catch her breath. “What the hay are y’talkin’ about? Are y’sayin’ we’re too poor for ya?!”
Blueblood looked away. “It’s better if you tell yourself that, La- Applejack.”
“That ain’t… that ain’t what this is about… is it…?”
Blueblood lowered his head, and she could see droplets running down his snout, though she wasn’t sure if it were tears or rain. “I remember now… I remember who I was. Who I am. And I do not like it.” He looked at her. “I will always remember my stay here as a happy time… one I do not want to sully with my true nature. So I decided to leave while I could still contain it.”
“Hogwash!” Applejack took a step closer. “Yer runnin’ away cuz yer scared! Yer scared of bein’ with ponies who ya care about and who care about ya and then makin’ em upset and them hatin’ ya!” She took a huge gulp of air. Why couldn’t she see him properly? The rain must be getting in her eyes. “Ah know it! Ah know because Ah… Ah’m scared too. Ah’m scare to lose the ponies Ah care about… Granny Smith… Big Macintosh… Apple Bloom… mah friends…” The rain was blowing at her back, making her sopping wet mane billow towards him. “… and you, Blueblood… Ah’m scared t’lose you.”
Blueblood stared at her for a moment. Her coat covered in wet dust, hooves muddy, mane awry, sides heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Her hat had flown off as she chased him, and she looked oddly vulnerable without it. “Yer family, Blueblood. Apples… stick together…”
He lifted one of her muddy hooves and kissed it delicately. “A lady should not be out in this weather. Allow me to escort you home.”
“Will y’stay?”
Blueblood did not answer right away, but unraveled the knapsack he was carrying and magicked it over her head to block the downpour. Its contents, his old suit he had been wearing, spilled out onto the muddy ground, and he made no move to collect them. “I believe I told your sister and her friends I would not give up on my quest so long as they did not give up on theirs. Until they have suddenly decided that they don’t want cutie marks, I must keep my word and remain here.”
“That’ll never happen, y’know. They’re right determined.”
“Well then I guess I’ll be here for a very long time.” He smiled down at her. “After all, keeping his word is part of what a prince does.”
