Secrets
The Secret Life of... Applejack
Bam! The tree shook violently, its branches swinging wildly from side to side causing ripe apples to rip free and plummet towards the ground. Applejack turned to see the tree bare of fruit and the carefully arranged baskets filled to the brim. She proceeded to carry each to an awaiting cart, until it too became filled with large, delicious red apples. Giving a small smile of satisfaction, she walked over to a nearby row where she found Big Mac bucking a tree. “I’m taking the last load in,” she said.
“Eeyup,” came his usual, simple reply.
“Ya gonna finish this row t’day?” she asked, noticing only a few trees remained to be harvested.
“Eeyup.”
“Well, don’t stay out here too late,” she advised. She loved Big Mac and didn’t want him to overwork himself.
“Nnope.”
Applejack turned and trotted back to the cart where she carefully hitched herself into the harness. She began pulling, the cart moving effortlessly down the gently sloping hill. At the bottom of the gulley, however, the cart that had hitherto been easy to pull suddenly became very heavy and she strained to drag it up the other side. After several minutes of struggle, she finally crested the hill and the various buildings that comprised the heart of Sweet Apple Acres lay ahead. Drawing the cart inside the barn, she unhitched herself and locked the main door behind her... another load of apples ready to be sold at market the next day.
Applejack trotted over to the well. A few quick pumps of the handle and water began pouring from the spout. She leaned down and took a couple of sips to quench her thirst before putting her head underneath. After a moment she stood up, and shook her wet ponytail, sending droplets in every direction. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as a gentle breeze enveloped her, Applejack felt refreshed and completely relaxed.
Raising a hoof to shield her eyes, she judged from the sun’s position it was late afternoon. In a few hours Celestia would lower the sun as Luna raised the moon. Night would reign and darkness blanket the land. Still, there was plenty of daylight left for Applejack to fulfill her duty. Walking down the dusty path from Sweet Apple Acres, she turned onto the old country lane and headed towards the forest....
The Everfree was not a place that most ponies dared venture. Dark and mysterious, it was less a forest and more a foreboding wilderness. Ancient trees grew large and wild, their branches weaving an impenetrable canopy that blocked most sunlight and barred any route of escape. Thick brambles and thorn bushes filled the ground, threatening to entangle and trap an unsuspecting pony. Heavy mists drifted through the forest, concealing all sorts of dangerous beasts... manticores, cockatrices, and timberwolves, just to name a few. But it was the legends that held the most sway – tales of a fallen kingdom, a descent into madness, an ancient evil, and powerful dark magic.
Despite the dangers Applejack pressed onwards, determined to reach her destination, though she continued to maintain an awareness of her surroundings. Carefully and quietly she made her way through the brush, cautiously avoiding stepping on any branches lest she draw attention to herself. Thorny branches scratched her sides and the uneven ground threatened to trip her, but Applejack would not be deterred.
After an hour of navigating the labyrinth, she reached a cliff and slowly descended its side. At the bottom, she found herself in a small clearing, just big enough to hold a few ponies. Standing there, she looked down and read the small plaque on the ground:
Applejack Apple
Daughter, Sister, and a True Friend
~~~
Applejack slowly pushed through the thick undergrowth of the Everfree Forest. Her progress was obstructed by heavy vines hanging from trees, large fallen trees strewn about, and dense brush growing on the forest floor. All her life she had been told to avoid the Everfree, yet now she found herself right in the middle of it. But it was for a good cause, she remined herself. Just a few hours earlier Apple Bloom had come home from school sick, stricken with some strain of the flu. Granny Smith said a special green flower that only grew in the heart of the forest could be used to make a soothing tea that would cure her sister’s plight. And so Applejack endeavored to find this flower, no matter how long it took.
Still, she hoped it wasn’t too long. The forest was dark, and not just due to a lack of sunlight through the canopy. Sadness and sorrow choked the woods, thicker than the Spanish moss hanging from the trees. The royal sisters had once ruled in harmony from the castle deep in the forest, but after the fall of the youngest sister, the once sprawling capital fell into disrepair, with nature reclaiming the ruins.
But more than anything else, Applejack couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t alone. All day long she sensed that someone, or something, was watching her. When she fed the pigs, something felt out of place. When she looked over the cornfield, there seemed to be unnatural movements. And when she was bucking the trees in the orchard, she thought she heard rustles amongst the branches. Maybe she was paranoid, but at least now, in the in the middle of a forest filled with dark magic and mysterious beasts, the feeling seemed justified.
Nevertheless, Applejack continued looking for the green flower. Granny Smith didn’t give her much else to go off of. Applejack didn’t know if the flower had thorns, grew on a bush, was located near –
Crack!
Turning, she caught a glimpse of a dark form fading into the shadows of the forest. Whether it was a timberwolf, manticore, or something worse, Applejack didn’t care. She bolted off in the other direction, running as fast as she could. She didn’t know where she was or where she was going, but nothing would stop her. Her path blocked by heavy brush, she lowered her head and plowed through, with thorns cutting her sides and branches snapping. She burst forth on the other side into the sunshine, and found her hooves passing over the precipice....
The form entered the small clearing. Before lay a lifeless mare, bloody and broken. The form cautiously approached to inspect the orange earth pony. The mare opened her eyes, filled with blood, and looked up at the form, asking in a weak voice, “Twilight? Is that you?”
A moment later the form of Twilight Sparkle reached down and cradled the mare’s head in her hooves, “I’m here Applejack.”
The pony whispered, “Twilight – Ah can’t feel my legs.”
“Applejack –” cracked her voice.
“Ah’m scared.”
“It’s alright,” she replied, trying to keep her voice calm and soothing.
Taking a labored breath, she said, “Twilight, Ah need you to do something fer me.”
“Anything Applejack.”
Struggling with all her effort, she said, “Ah need ya to look after Granny Smith. Make sure she takes her medicine and gets her rest. Keep an eye on Big Mac. He tends to overwork himself. An’ watch over Apple Bloom. She needs a big sister. Promise me Twilight – promise me.”
Looking down at the mare on her last breath, the form reassured, “I promise.”
A slight smile broke out across the mare’s face, then she closed her eyes and her head went limp.
~~~
Applejack stood before the grave. She never wanted this to happen, any of it. She had been sent to Ponyville to spy on the Elements of Harmony. Her mission was to conduct surveillance on the ponies, to learn their secrets and gather useful intelligence for the next invasion. She wasn’t supposed to be seen, much less interact. But instead her actions had led directly to the death of a pony, one whom a whole family – no a whole town – depended upon.
She had done her best to fulfill her promise to the dying Applejack. Through her observations, she was able to imitate the pony’s mannerisms to avoid raising suspicion. She made sure Granny Smith took her medication and didn’t overexert herself. Everyday she spent her time helping Big Mac work the farm, everything from bucking the trees to plowing the fields to conducting repairs. And she watched over Apple Bloom, keeping a watchful eye on the filly.
But over time her impersonation had become less of an act and more of a way of life. Applejack’s mannerisms had become so familiar they had become hers. She grew to enjoy farm work and Sweet Apple Acres had become home. The Apples – Granny Smith, Big Mac, Apple Bloom – had become her family. Applejack’s friends had become her friends. She loved and cared for all of them, and couldn’t imagine life without them.
She had visited the grave many times before. She came to apologize, to explain what had happened so long ago. The first several times she broke down, crying and telling how sorry she was. After all her visits, she never found forgiveness she was seeking, but she had learned to accept what happened and was determined to do everything she could to make up for it.
Applejack stood before the grave, and began, “Apple crop comin’ in nicely. Looks like a bumper crop this year. Should bring in a nice sum for the farm. But Ah really came by ta tell ya that Apple Bloom got her cutie mark. She earned it this mornin’.” She paused momentarily, fighting back a tear. “Oh, you would be so proud....”