> Funeral Pyre
>  by VioletsInSpring
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Beautiful Summer's Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The summer sun hung just high enough to coat the park in a warm hue. The light reflected off the pond, so Rarity turned to keep it out of her eyes. The gentle sound of faraway birds and foal’s laughter set the mood for a thrilling day with friends. She let the cool, tickling gale move her mane around as she waited for them to arrive.

Pinkie showed up first; she skipped over to the bench Rarity was waiting on. “Hiya, Rarity!”

“Hello, darling, how was Sugarcube Corner today?”

“Super! I cooked about thirty batches just of cupcakes today. I ended up making five batches of vanilla—pink frosting of course, four batches of double chocolate, three batches of vanilla swirl and nutty surprise, two lemon zests and cookie batters, and a whole bunch of others. We had an super long line of customers, I saw Carrot Top, Caramel, Strawberry Surprise, and Pear Butter today.”

“How is Pear Butter?”

“She seemed kind of distracted, I think.” Pinkie rubbed her neck. “Maybe Applejack will know why.”

“Perhaps.” Rarity nodded. “It sounds like you worked a lot today. Are the Cakes treating you well? I hope they’re not overworking you.”

Pinkie stood up straight. “T-they’re treating me great,” she said with a tight smile.

Rarity was about to ask further, when Applejack called out “Howdy, gals.”

“Applejack! How was bucking season today?”

“Long. Apple Bloom kept pestering me about that strange monster from the Everfree.”

“What did she call it again? The Firewolf? The Timberfire? The Fire Timberwolf?”

“The ‘Pyrewolf,’ she calls it.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t even know where she got the word ‘pyre’ from, honestly. But, she hasn’t seen it again since last week.” She shook her head. “I dunno, there’s some small burnt areas near the Everfree boarder, but nothin’ substantive.”

“Do you still think she’s lying for another foal?” Pinkie asked.

“Not really. She’s been distressed every day since she’s seen it, and she doesn’t seem guilty to me. At least, not anymore.” Applejack looked down at her hooves. “I think tonight I might apologize to my ma’ ‘bout the argument we had.” 

“I’m sure your mother knows it was coming from a place of concern.”

Applejack remained silent for a moment.

“You’re probably right. Honestly, I’m starting to worry Apple Bloom has whatever Cousin Crispin had.” 

“Wasn’t he fine until his twenty-fifth birthday in Manehattan?” Pinkie asked.

“Yeah,” Applejack replied hurriedly, “but what if Apple Bloom is starting early? What if this is a sign or something? What if we didn’t notice the signs for Crispin and this is a sign we didn’t notice? What if—”

“It’ll be okay Applejack,” Pinkie interjected, putting a hoof on her withers. “You’re noticing. It’s worth knowing about, but maybe if you notice early we can all prepare for it. And we can all watch out for signs ahead of time.”

Applejack turned up a little smile. “Yeah, that’s a nice thought.” She took a deep breath. “Yeah, we can make sure Apple Bloom is okay.”

Rarity sat in the silence and squirrel chitters and bird chirps and rustling leaves. Applejack went to slowly sit down on the bench. Pinkie started humming to herself.

But, once again, Rarity’s mind was drawn to her moral shortcoming: Applejack’s unladen head.

“Darling,” she said turning to Applejack, failing to hide a smile, “Are you sure Apple Bloom just isn’t getting heat stroke?”

“Heat stroke? Why would Apple Bloom be getting heat stroke now?”

“Well, she’s not wearing a hat.”

Applejack groaned. She put her face in her hooves, but it failed to cover her growing smile. “Not this again.”

“Dear, I’m simply saying that a hat would be great for her, nothing else.”

Applejack gave a deadpan stare, but her unyielding smile betrayed her. “Sure y’are.”

Rarity fluttered her eyelashes.

“You’re not gonna get me to wear a hat, Rarity.”

Rarity sighed dramatically. “Oh well, I’m sure someone will appreciate my craft someday.” She stared out above the trees. “Is the apple business going well here in Ponyville?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, I think so. We had a productive year last year. Granny keeps saying she thinks the Zap Apple harvest will be good this year, but I don’t really know why. I’m a—I think it might be that Apple Bloom saw the Pyrewolf and Granny’s interpreting that somehow. The harvest looks big this year, but I keep overhearing my parents talking about Filthy offering to buy the farm. He did last year, but last year we were a lot worse off.”

Rarity fluttered her eyelashes at Applejack during the ensuing pause.

“Oh, we did manage to shrug off that bat swarm that flew through Ponyville this year. I feel bad for Carrot Top. And all the other farmers.”

Rarity fluttered her eyelashes at Applejack again. She was stalling.

“I don’t feel bad for Strawberry, though. She definitely had it coming.”

Rarity continued fluttering her eyelashes. Applejack would cave any moment now.

Applejack gave her a smug grin.

“How’s your business going, Rarity?” Pinkie supplied.

“Oh darling,” Rarity said, drawing out every vowel, “I thought you’d never ask.”

Applejack, wearing an amused grin, rolled her eyes. Rarity pretended not to notice.

“Well, I finally decided on the emeralds for the Lower Manehattan Open this year. I think they do a better job of highlighting the neckline than the amethyst.”

“I thought you wanted to emphasize the wing… wingline?” Applejack asked. 

“I did, but I’m afraid I couldn’t end up making the wings mesh as well with the dress as I wanted to, so I ended up switching focus to the neckline. I’m sure that this one will give me the breakout I need.”

Pinkie’s smile went taut. 

Applejack furrowed her brows. “What happened to the Canterlot… uh… Canterlot New Artists Invitational?”

“Open, darling. And nothing good,” she sighed. “I got fine enough marks I suppose… No commissions yet, though.”

“Well, some will come through,” Pinkie said.

“The contest judging was over three weeks ago. I should’ve gotten something from somepony by today, at least.”

“Oh,” Pinkie said. “Well, maybe the Manehattan contest will be better than the… the CNAO!”

Rarity furrowed her brows and turned to Pinkie. “The cuh-now?”

“The CNAO! The C-N-A-O! The Canterlot New Artist Open!”

Rarity and Applejack chuckled.

“And if you don’t,” Applejack said, “we’ll be here for you when you need it.”

“Well, that makes me feel better, darlings.”

There was a brief lull in the conversation.

“Do you have any commissions right now?” Pinkie asked.

“One, but it’s for a scarf.”

“Ah,” she replied

Rarity saw a pony she didn’t recognize in the park. There seemed to always be someone new in Ponyville these days. “Applejack, have you talked to the Pear that’s come back to town yet? Bosc Barter, I think was his name?”

But Applejack wasn’t paying attention to her question. She was watching Strawberry Sunrise crossing the park on the other side of the pond.

“Did you have another tussle with the Flavescent Menace?”

“She kept yelling about how much better strawberries were than apples. We’ve barely even started selling stock and—already—she’s tryin’ to bring our sales down.”

“It is the end of Strawberry season,” Pinkie said. “She can’t have a lot of stock she can sell fresh. If she doesn’t sell now, she’ll be forced to sell it in jams. Sugarcube Corner doesn’t sell a lot of strawberry goods, and I can’t imagine her processed produce is any better. Plus, she did have a particularly bad time with the bat swarm.”

“Doesn’t give her the right to put down another farm.”

“Yeah.” Pinkie said quietly.

“Sorry, Rarity, what did you ask?”

“If you had talked with the Pear that’s come back in town.”

“Nah, I don’t think my ma’ would like it if I talked to much with them.”

“Has she talked with Bosc?” Pinkie asked.

“I don’t think so. She seemed agitated this week. My pa’ suggested she talked to him. She didn’t… say anything angry, but she didn’t look happy about it. I heard her say that she could talk to her when she wanted to.” Applejack ran her hoof along the grass. “I think my pa’ wants her to reconnect with her family. I… I saw her lookin’ at a photo of her and the other pears.”

“Maybe that’s what she was so agitated about this morning; maybe she was planning on talking with Bosc.” Pinkie said. At Applejack’s insistence, Pinkie described her interaction with Pear Butter that morning. 

“I dunno, she could’ve just as easily been distracted because she saw him at the market today.”

“You should inquire when you get home. She might need somepony to discusss it with.”

“Maybe. But I really don’t know much about the whole affair. I’ve never met any of the Pears and my parents barely even talk about what happened back then.”

“A fresh pair of ears might be just what she needs.”

“Or they could be just as bad as a rotten pear.”

Rarity hummed. “What about the Cakes, Pinkie?”

“I told you, they’re great!” Pinkie said, much more excitedly this time 

Rarity detected a too much enthusiasm for her taut smile and nervous chuckle. “Yes, you said that earlier. Tell me, what makes living with them so great?”

Pinkie’s eyes widened. “W-well, I do miss Maud.”

“Is that all, darling?”

“Y-yes, it—”

Pinkie’s entire body started vibrating. Pushing her off the bench and onto the ground.

“Sugarcube! Are y’all alright?” Applejack asked as the helped Pinkie up. She then looked up at the sky, seeming to notice something.

Pinkie grabbed her now stable head as her eyes seemed to refocus. “Yeah, I think—”

She started vibrating again.

Rarity ignored Applejack in favor of her friend’s apparent stroke. “Are you quite sure you’re alright?” 

“Y-yeah.”

“Is this a Pinkie Sense thing?”

“Yeah, it,” Pinkie replied, “it’s only happened once before.” Pinkie stared out towards Sugarcube Corner. “I think something really bad is about to happen.”

“What makes you think—”

“Does that smoke look like it’s over Sweet Apple Acres to you?”

Rarity looked up at where Applejack was looking. “I… I’m not sure.”

“I think so?”

“No, actually, I believe that’s over the Everfree.”

“Yeah… yeah. It’s probably a whole lotta’ nothing, right?” Applejack paused for a moment. “Actually, maybe I should go anyway. It could be some foal starting fires again and we could put this whole business—"

A whoosh drew Rarity’s attention.

“There’s no clouds there this morning! There should be some to the East over the White Tail woods. Prioritize darker and larger clouds, it looks like it might start to get…” The voice faded away.

“I gotta go.” Applejack said before sprinting off to Sweet Apple Acres.

Rarity and Pinkie looked at each other briefly. They sprinted along after her.
> ‎
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ground stung her hooves. Sharp rocks, strewn haphazardly on the park lawn, dug deep into her. Soon, the grass brushing against her fetlocks turned to the dust of the main thoroughfare of Ponyville. Town Hall blurred past as ponies gawked at her gallop.

She turned south, galloping along the long road to Sweet Apple Acres, past the schoolhouse, the Carrot farm, the Strawberry fields, her old treehouse. All throughout, the smoke loomed over her. As she drew closer, it moved from over the outline of the Everfree to directly over the east field of Sweet Apple Acres.

Barreling between the trees, she silently thanked her father for convincing her to start training for the Running of the Leaves early this year.

As she arrived at the fire, she started to look around for any water nearby. 

The blaze had already engulfed the trees in her vision, the smoke stretched far enough to suggest a tenth of an acre had already begun to go up in flames. Though she was still ten feet away, she could still feel the vibrant heat emanating from the funeral pyre. 

The cloudless sky gave no good omen. Once she had oriented herself, she realized the nearest water was by the—

Somepony behind her gave a muffled shout. “Applejack!”

She turned around and found Big Mac gallopping towards the fire holding a large wooden bucket. He splashed water onto one of the trees. The fire dimmed, leaving some charred leaves and wood. 

“Nearest water source is by the barn. Granny’s filling buckets and Apple Bloom’s bringing water too.”

“Where’s ma’ and pa’?”

“Haven’t seen them.”

Rarity and Pinkie arrived. Rarity seemed drained; Pinkie was huffing, but energized. 

“Come on, gang, back to the barn for—” 

“Oh my gosh! Is that the Pyrewolf?” Pinkie shouted. 

Applejack saw the creature Pinkie pointed out. Apple Bloom had not said it was larger than a normal Timberwolf. It stood hooves taller than the apple trees, but two heads smaller than the trees of the Everfree. It’s long, woody limbs moved stiffly and left massive burning pawprints in the orchard. It turned into the swampy, wet trees of the Everfree; each resisted the fire the creature brought.

Applejack’s hair stood on end and, for a moment, she couldn’t feel her own hooves. She found herself unable to turn away from the creature. It’s demanding and powerful presence captivated her.

The creature turned toward her, wood snapping and fire popping as it did. Half its jaw drooped from its head, letting applejack see a glimpse of the dark inside of its mouth. The black, hollow eyes stared right at her, and Applejack thought it might charge her down. She lowered herself to try and stand her ground, but she was certain the creature could see her subtle shudders.

The creature turned back away and retreated into the forest. 

“I told you it was real!” Apple Bloom’s voice pulled Applejack back to the fire and the farm.

Apple Bloom tried to lift her water bucket high enough to splash one of the trees. Applejack grabbed the bucket and splashed it onto the tree. “Yes, we all believe you and were very proud of you standing your ground. Now, let’s—”

A crack of wood, followed by a scream, echoed from inside the middle of the fire. 

“What was that?” Pinkie asked.

“It sounded like a scream,” Applejack responded.

“I didn’t hear a scream,” Big Mac responded. “Come on, we gotta go get more water if we’re gonna prevent any more damage to the farm.

“I know that was a scream, Big Mac.”

“Applejack—” 

But she had already jumped into the fire. She could hear Big Mac’s shouts for a few seconds before they stopped. 

She ran through the fire, turning left and right, looking for signs of life; wood cracked and splintered off, falling through the warm, suffocating air; already, dead trees littered the ground, some lucky enough to have lost only a few branches; Applejack found herself panting and coughing after a moment; a sickening crack from one of the nearby trees drew her attention and a massive branch fell beside her, barely missed her rear; it slammed down on her tail; she was stuck for a moment, and had to yank it out to free herself; it had caught fire; as she stomped on it, she heard a desperate squeak from nearby; a squirrel was agitatedly glancing around; she grabbed the squirrel and charged back in the direction she thought she came from; coughing all the way, the scurry in her mane annoyed her; she jumped out of the fire and back into the farm.

She heard splashing and a cough. Somepony grabbed her shoulders.

“What were you thinking, Applejack?” somepony shouted at her.

Applejack couldn’t respond for the smoke in her throat.

“You could’ve died in there!”

It was Big Mac.

“The squirrel,” she coughed.

“What?”

“It was the squirrel I heard.”

“Darn foolhardy thing to do for a squirrel.”

“I thought it was ma’.”

“Can you run?”

“Yea—” she coughed again, “yeah.”

Big Mac stared at her, she saw him through watery eyes. “Alright, but don’t kill yourself.”

Applejack nodded. 

She was slower than Big Mac, occasionally stumbling, more often coughing.

She saw a Pink blob in her vision. “Applejack!” she said.

“Keep going! The fire’s still hot.” She thought she might be misunderstood through her coughing.

Apparently she was understood well enough, as, after just brief hesitation, pink left her vision.

A small yellow and red splotch came into her moving vision. 

“You’re doing great, Apple Bloom!”

“Sis!”

But Applejack had already ran past.

Unmistakable white and purple came from behind a tree. Huffing and puffing followed in her ears.

“Apple—” Rarity eked out. “Applejack! You’re alright! Thank goodness.” She tried to catch Applejack in her hooves.

Applejack stopped in her hooves. 

“Rarity, the fire’s still going.”

“I’m… I’m just glad you’re alright, dear.”

“Have you seen my parents?”

“No, have you?”

“No, I think the scream was a squirrel,” she coughed out.

Rarity didn’t respond.

“Get going, fire.”

“Yes, yes. Right.” Applejack heard galloping as she too took off.

Red ran past her.

Applejack made it to the clearing near the barn. 

“There ya’ are! I was worried about’cha!”

“Water.”

“Drink.”

Granny led her to the trough. She splashed her head into the water, drinking, coughing up a bit of the leftover food from the pigs. She rubbed her face and eyes and shook her head. Her vision was still a little blurry around the edges, but much clearer.

“Have you seen ma and pa?”

“I was hoping you had found them.”

“They’ll turn up, right?”

“Focus on the fire now, dear. We’ll worry about that later.”

“But what if—”

“You’re not going back into that fire, Missy! That was dangerous enough the first time. Take this back to the fire.” Granny put a bucket in her mouth. 

Applejack paused. She nodded her head and took off back towards the fire.

She caught up to Apple Bloom, still dragging the water bucket behind her.

“I’m picking you up!” Applejack said through the handle of the bucket.

“What was that?”

Applejack lowered her head and charged Apple Bloom. The filly flew up, holding tight to the bucket, landing on Applejack’s back with a grunt.

“Hold on tight to that water. I’m gonna give you a warning before I stop and we’ll splash the water on the trees.”

“I’m strong enough to carry the water.”

Big Mac galloped past.

“Yes, but this’ll be faster.”

They rode in silence for a moment.

“What was the sound you heard?”

“A squirrel.” Applejack was glad Apple Bloom was too young to know when she was lying.

Pinkie galloped and Rarity trotted past, both out of breath.

“So it wasn’t ma?”

“No.” Applejack replied. “Why did you think it was ma?”

“I thought it sounded like her.”

Applejack didn’t respond.

“Was the squirrel okay?”

“Yeah, I brought it out. Should be okay, I think. Not really a vet in town though, I suppose.”

“What would’ve happened to the squirrel? If you hadn’t brought it out, I mean.”

“Nothing good.”

Apple Bloom didn’t respond.

“Alright, we’re coming up on the fire now. Get ready to splash the water. Hold on tight to the bucket, but splash it forward when I say ‘now.’ I’m going to count down from three, ready?”

“Ready!” Apple Bloom said excitedly.

“Three, two, one, now.”

Applejack stopped in her tracks, swinging her head towards the fire and letting the water splash. 

The water all splashed on one tree, dousing the fire in the large bought of water. 

“Nice work, Apple Bloom!”

Applejack saw Apple Bloom beam with pride as she took off back to the barn.

After a few moments of silence, Apple Bloom asked “what happens to the trees on fire?”

“They’re probably already gone. We—”

“Gone?”

“They won’t be able to produce apples anymore. That’s why we’re bringing all the water. We have to make sure no other trees catch fire. That’s the most important thing right now.”

Applejack saw the filled buckets in front of the trough granny had set up at.

“Granny! Have you seen ma and pa?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Not yet, deary.” Granny replied. “You’re doing a great job. Grab another bucket.”

“But shouldn’t we go find them?”

“They’ll be fine honey. They’re adults, they can handle themselves.”

Applejack wasn’t sure if Granny believed herself or was just a better liar than Applejack herself.

They grabbed buckets and started running back.

Applejack counted each trip. She ran, splashed, ran, picked up water, and reassured Apple Bloom in sixteen loops.

Eventually, the weather team came. The rain splashed down on the roaring blaze. The tenth of an acre was burnt to a crisp; but there wasn’t going to be any more damage to the farm. 

Unfortunately, Applejack still felt something ominous. 

She found Big Mac, Pinkie, and Rarity near the burnt out husk of the section of the orchard.

“Well, I guess you were right, Pinkie. A whole lot happened today,” she said

“Yeah…” Pinkie trailed off. “I don’t know that—”

Pinkie vibrated again.

Applejack’s stomach dropped.

“What could be worse than this?” She asked herself.

“What do you mean? Why did Pinkie vibrate?” Apple Bloom asked.

“We don’t know, sis. All we know is Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense is acting up.”

She and Big Mac shared a worried look.

A weatherpony, Cloud Kicker, came down from the sky. “Applejack, Big Mac,” he said, nodding at each of them. “We found something in the wreckage of the fire. We think you’ll want to—well, we need you to take a look.”

Applejack swallowed.

“Alright, sir.” Big Mac replied. 

“What are we going to see?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Uh, no Apple Bloom. Why don’t you stay with Rarity and Pinkie for now?” Applejack replied.

“I’m a big filly! I wanna make sure the farm’s okay.”

“And you will, Apple Bloom,” Big Mac replied. “We’ll come get your help as soon as it’s safe.”

“I helped out with the fire! I can handle myself.”

“Come on Apple Bloom,” Pinkie interjected. “I brought some cupcakes if you want.”

“But I—”

“You love Pinkie’s cupcakes, Apple Bloom.” Applejack said, a little harder than she intended.

“I know something’s wrong and nopony’s telling me!” Apple Bloom shouted.

In the silence that followed, nopony seemed to be able to respond.

“We’ll tell you all about it when we know, Apple Bloom.” Rarity finally said. “We just don’t know yet.”

Apple Bloom wasn’t satisfied, but didn’t protest when Pinkie and Rarity gently pulled her away. Applejack lingered on her as she left.

“What are we gonna tell her?” Big Mac asked.

“We don’t know anything yet.”

Big Mac stayed silent.

Cloud Kicker coughed. “Sorry, but we do need to get back to wrangling clouds in case there’s another fire today.”

Applejack felt herself heat up. “Why didn’t y’all have clouds waiting by the weather station? Don’t y’all usually keep a stock of clouds in case there’s a fire?”

“C-clerical error. No one was on duty for storing clouds, so we ended up without any.”

Applejack went to say something else, but Big Mac put his hoof on her shoulder. “You had something we needed to see?”

Cloud Kicker exhaled sharply. “Yeah, we found some… uh… well, a couple of ponies underneath a tree. The boys are trying to lift the dead wood off of them, but, well…”

Applejack found her mouth drier than she expected. She almost thought she hadn’t had enough water after the fire.

“I’ll come and help out.” Big Mac replied.

Cloud Kicker nodded.

“Go back and tell Granny what’s up. I can… I can lift the wood on my own.”

Applejack paused.

“No, I’m coming with.”

“Applejack, we both know what we’re gonna find. You don’t need—”

“They were my parents too, Big Mac.” Applejack said harshly. “I don’t need you coddlin’ me.”

“Applejack, I didn’t—”

“Let’s get going.” She set off into the dead wood and hollow branches.

Cloud Kicker pulled in front of her and Big Mac trotted up beside her. They walked in silence, initially.

“We… uh… might also need you to… identify… the bodies.”

Neither Apple said anything.

The burnt crisps of apple trees covered over them. Applejack found herself wishing the weather team had left the dark remains of rainclouds in the sky on their way to the corpses. Instead, she found herself blocking out the sun with her hoof.

Cloud Kicker pointed to a tree on the ground. There were some charred hooves poking out. Applejack and Big Mac got onto either sides of the tree. Some pegasi were already trying to lift it.

They quickly lifted the tree without much effort.



> In The Ashes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkie kicked a rock down the trail of Old Main. It rattled through the silence between her and Rarity.

“Have you seen her today?” Rarity asked.

“No, I offered to pay for a cupcake or something if she came by the shop today. But, she didn’t show.”

“Did she say she was going to?”

“Not really.”

Rarity hummed in assent.

The day was somewhat cloudy, but the cover didn’t block out the warmth of the sun. 

“I feel like the weather team is having more than one bad day this week.” 

“That makes two of us.” Rarity dabbed her muzzle, no doubt trying to hide her silent tears. “How are you planning to cheer her up?”

“This isn’t that kind of problem.”

“You can always cheer up anypony, darling. Applejack’s woes will be nothing compared to your skills.”

“I don’t think—”

“I can even help you out if you—"

“Her parents are dead, Rarity.”

Rarity flinched and choked out a sob.

“Applejack’s going to need time. Our job is to make sure she has people to talk to about everything and to give her a little bit of time every day to remember why she’ll be okay, even though she misses them.”

“Oh, alright,” she replied, pursing her quivering lips in determination. 

Pinkie hoped Rarity wouldn’t ask how she knew what to do.

Rarity took a few moments to compose herself. “You seem to know a lot about deaths in the family.”

Pinkie chose not to respond.

“Sorry, was that too much?”

Pinkie took a deep breath. “No, sorry. I—”

“You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to.”

Pinkie took a deep breath. Rarity would probably tease it out of her later, anyway. “Granny Pie died when I was pretty young. Maybe six or seven? She basically raised me until then. My sisters tried to cheer me up, but it didn’t make the process any easier.”

“I just… I just don’t want Applejack to be so… angry. She barely talked to me and…” Rarity stared at her hooves.

“She’ll be okay. Applejack’s strong. It just… takes a while.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“It’s okay, Rarity,” Pinkie said through a soft smile. “Applejack needs our help. And if this helps you understand how she needs help, I’m happy to be here.” 

They entered the farmland. Apples still clung to the nearby trees, the sunlight glinting off them. 

“I want to see the burnt trees.”

“…Why?”

“I feel like it might inspire me for a dress.”

“Is dead wood in fashion?”

“It could be.”

Pinkie looked at the looming, creaking trees. Their charred, weathered, and hollow forms cut through the fragile greenery and unreachable blue sky. 

Pinkie chuckled. “You’re right Rarity, you could make dead wood work in fashion.” She walked towards the dead wood.

Rarity pouted. “Don’t joke about my art. Fashion is serious business.”

“I’m not, my Granny just always told me to Giggle at the Ghosties.”

The stench of smoke mixed with burnt flesh wafted through the air as they entered the last remains of the funeral pyre. Rarity looked up at the wood above her head. The sparse branches, unladen by leaves and apples, were still plentiful enough to prevent even Rarity’s slim frame from avoiding their shade.

“I don’t quite know what you mean by that darling.”

“Just that things that shouldn’t be scary don’t have to be. To laugh at the world when you’re afraid, but not in any danger.”

Rarity stopped to look at one of the burnt husks of a tree. They had ventured far enough in to be surrounded by dead wood.

“It’s… brighter than I expected.” Rarity turned her head. “There’s still vibrant browns here that I didn’t expect. No greenery, of course, but still some brighter browns. There’s almost a red undertone as well.” She hummed.

Pinkie looked around. “What did you think of the Pyrewolf?”

“I was surprised the orange worked well with the brown undertones.”

“No, but… it was… weird.”

Rarity walked over to a new tree. “It was an animated, flaming pile of wood; of course it was weird.” She inspected a knot. “I wonder if any creatures nested here. I hope they got out in time.”

“I more mean that it… didn’t look right.”

“It was a terrifying creature from the nightmares of the Everfree, of course it didn’t look right.”

“No, I don’t mean it was terrifying, I mean it… didn’t look like a creature.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean at all this time.”

Pinkie sighed. “I’m not sure I do either.”

Rarity hummed. “I went to Golden Oaks to investigate the nature of the Pyrewolf.”

“Any luck?”

“Well Sorted had to forward the request to the Royal Canterlot Library.”

Rarity lost interest in the tree and turned back to Pinkie. “How much do you think the farm is going to lose from this?”

“I hope not much. It’s a fairly small part of the plot they own.”

“But, this is land that won’t be profitable for another five or so years, I think.”

Pinkie nodded. “Could be pretty bad for AJ. For the whole family.”

“Not to mention two fewer hooves to harvest.”

“Two fewer mouths to feed.”

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe there’s reason to be optimistic. Maybe—”

Pinkie felt her tail twitching.

A snap echoed from the tree Rarity had inspected.

The surprised look on Rarity’s face morphed into fear as Pinkie dashed to her and pushed her out of the way.

On the ground, Pinkie looked over at the splintered remains of the tree.

She pulled herself up, and offered a hoof to Rarity. 

“Thank you for that, dear. I’m quite glad I’m not nursing a broken limb today.” She rubbed her side and looked down at where she landed. “Honestly, it felt like I—

In her indent in the ground, she saw a small brass box.

She picked it up. “…landed on something.”

“Is… is that a tinderbox?”

Pinkie inspected it with Rarity. Once Rarity had dusted the ash off the box, the paint displaying Filthy’s General Store logo was still unscathed. The brass casing had no scratches, nor was any dirt or ash stuck to the sides. Opening it, the flint rock was still included, there was still some included tinder, and the fire steel held only a few noticeable scratches. 

“What is a tinderbox doing here?” Pinkie asked

Rarity looked up into the burnt trees. She watched them for a moment.

“Arson.”

Pinkie’s gut dropped. “But… but the Pyrewolf—”

Rarity turned to her abruptly, “Which you said looked wrong. Why? What was wrong about it?”

“I… I don’t know…”

Rarity hummed. “Well, do you think the Apples would have a tinderbox on them?”

“Well…”

“No, I’ve seen their Tinderbox. Theirs is old and kept in a wooden box. Unless they decided to upgrade this year, I don’t think it’s theirs.”

“Rarity,” Pinkie whispered, “you’re saying someone killed Applejack’s parents.”

“And I’m right. We found a tinderbox right where an arson was committed. Right in the middle of dead wood and ash. You can’t tell me it’s the… the Flaming Tinderwolf!”

“We’ve seen the Pyrewolf. That’s a perfectly good reason for the fire other than arson.”

“Which Applejack didn’t think was real until yesterday and which you said looked weird,” Rarity said as she poked Pinkie in the chest. “How did it look weird? You said, what, it didn’t look like a creature?”

Rarity’s pleading eyes urged Pinkie on. “Yes.” Pinkie looked away from Rarity. “But we still can’t tell Applejack or anyone about this. Not until we know something’s up.”

“She’s the only one who would know about the tinderbox. We have to talk to her about it.”

“I have to—,” Pinkie shouted. 

Rarity flinched.

She took a breath. “It’ll just be another way for her to keep herself from processing her grief.”

Rarity liked her lips. “Alright, we don’t have to tell Applejack till we’re sure, but we should at least look around for any more evidence.”

Rarity started brushing through the ash and sticks. “I’m glad you’re around to keep me from anything brash.”

Pinkie sighed and started sifting, too. 





The summer sun beat down. Pinkie wondered how much they could possibly find in ash and dead wood. The sunset had snuck upon them and Rarity had started mumbling to herself in frustration. “I swear, there should be something around here."

Pinkie caught a faint smell of acidic sulfur. “Do you smell that?”

“Smell what, darling?”

Pinkie followed the scent between the trees. The smell led her to something partially covered in the dirt. It felt round, long, and smooth. Pinkie lowered her head to the ground. Brushing away the ash and a piece of dead wood, she found a cord, three or four hooves long. She pulled it out of the debris, while Rarity stared at it in confusion. The ends were squished and stretched, almost like somepony had melted them. She wobbled the cord and it flopped readily. She sat down and used her two hooves to stretch it.

“A rubber cord.” Pinkie said pensively.

“What’d I say!” Rarity exclaimed. “Ah yes, a rubber cord, now it all makes sense.” She smiled contentedly to herself, then frowned. “Okay, wait, no. What’s the importance of a rubber cord?”

Pinkie looked out over the trees. She watched their fluid, swaying movements. She looked at Rarity, her tail swished, flowing as a single, unbroken object.

“It’s a puppet.” Pinkie said calmly.

“I thought you said it was a rubber cord, darling.”

“No, not the cord. The Pyrewolf!” Pinkie exclaimed as she stood up. “It’s movements weren’t smooth, like an animal, or even a normal Timberwolf, would be. They were choppy, like someone was pulling on puppet cords. Like this one!” Pinkie held up the cord to Rarity.

“I’m not sure I’m quite familiar with the operation of puppets, dear.”

“I tried out ventriloquism while I was in Manehattan,” Pinkie said quickly. “I helped out with a Summer Sun festival once; we made a giant puppet float of Celestia. The designer told me we had to use thick rubber cords like this one to prevent them from snapping when we moved the mouth or hooves.

“And it had to be here in the Pyrewolf, look.” Pinkie showed Rarity one of the ends. “The ends are all melty, it’s like the cord got too close to the fire, but only at the ends. It must’ve been in the puppet, but when the fire burned through some of the wood it melted the cord. If it was in the forest the whole time, the middle would be melty too!”

“My goodness!” Rarity’s surprise quickly flowed into curiosity. “You got all that from one rubber cord?”

“No, I had to see the puppet too.”

They giggled lightly to themselves in the remains of an apple orchard.

“We better go confirm our suspicions with Applejack,” Rarity said, walking towards the farm.

“Shouldn’t we see if we can’t find any more clues?”

“We’ve left Applejack alone long enough. If nothing else, we can come back to investigate further. At least then we’ll have an extra set of hooves.”

Pinkie looked forlornly at the woods.

She followed along dutifully. “We should make sure she’s eaten before we talk about this.”





As they approached the farm, they could hear the loud smack of hooves on trees. Deep guttural grunts echoed out from one of the nearby trees. Applejack came into view bucking. Many of the apples weren’t caught in the bucket on her back and many more already lay strewn on the ground. Rarity’s magic started to lift the apples, dozens at a time and put them into the buckets on the cart Applejack had started loading.

Applejack looked around. When she saw them, Pinkie noticed the empty expression on her face.

“How-dy, Applejack” Rarity said, her faux-Canterlot accent butchering the word.

“He-hey there… darlin’,” Applejack replied.

Rarity giggled.

Applejack didn’t. There were bags under her bloodshot eyes. She smelt faintly like salt and rotting eggs.

Pinkie looked up at the setting sun. “You’re out bucking pretty late.”

“I—” Applejack looked away. “I didn’t want to keep yelling at Apple Bloom.”

“Have you or your family eaten yet today?” 

“I-I’ve eaten.”

“What did you eat?” Rarity asked.

“Uh… apples.”

“Apples?”

Applejack’s brow furrowed and her voice raised “We eat apples all the time! It’s not unusual for the Ap—the—us to eat apples.”

Rarity flinched.

“Why don’t we get you some more food, all the same,” Pinkie said, diplomatically. “You’ve been bucking all day, and you must be hungry.”

Her face softened and she searched the ground. “I…” She looked at the farmhouse. “I gotta keep bucking. We… we don’t… have as many hooves. I… We need to do a lot of bucking if we’re gonna finish the harvest before the apples start to rot.”

“Yes, but the apples will be here tomorrow.” Rarity replied.

Applejack shouted, “How do you know they’ll still be here tomorrow?”

Rarity and Pinkie flinched back.

Applejack turned away. “I…,” her face scrunched up and tears welled in her eyes, “I’m gonna keep yelling in there.” She wiped them away.

“We know, dear. Just make sure to yell at us instead of anypony else.”

Pinkie puffed out her chest and raised her head. “We can take it!”

Pinkie and Rarity led Applejack to the farmhouse. Pinkie asked her what all she wanted to eat, but Applejack just shrugged. 

Pinkie asked where her siblings and Granny were.

“Apple Bloom and Granny are in bed. Dunno where Big Mac is.”

Pinkie left Rarity to lead Applejack and checked the barn. Big McIntosh was chewing on some hay, sitting on a bale in the corner of the barn. He stared into the ceiling and didn’t react when Pinkie approached him.

“Hey,” she said.

He blinked, looked at her, and nodded.

“I’m gonna make some food for every pony again. Do you want anything special?”

Big Mac thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“Nothing? I can go get groceries if I need to.”

Big McIntosh shook his head.

“Do you want me to bring the food out here? Or do you wanna eat inside the house?”

After a moment, Big McIntosh shrugged.

“I’ll bring the food I make out here. If you want to come in, you can follow me in or come in when you’re ready.”

Big Mac didn’t say anything to her.

“See you soon!” Pinkie said as she left.

Big Mac didn’t respond. But he didn’t have to.

Pinkie trotted back to the farmhouse. Rarity was sitting with Applejack on the couch. Rarity was talking about a dress she had seen. Applejack had on a blank stare.

Pinkie went upstairs. She could hear Apple Bloom crying in her room.

She knocked on the door.

“I’m—I’m sorry, AJ, I didn’t mean to—” she said through sniffles.

“It’s Pinkie. I came to make some food. Do you mind if I come in.”

“O—okay.”

“I don’t have to come in if you don’t want me to.”

Apple Bloom paused. “Can… Can I be alone?”

“Sure, I just wanted to know if you wanted anything special to eat.”

“Can… can you make Pancakes. I… I want some apple jam with them.”

“Of course! Breakfast for dinner is one of my specialties!” Pinkie said with a smile.

“Th… Thanks Pinkie.”

“Do you want me to bring up the pancakes?”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom responded quickly.

Pinkie went across the hall to Granny’s room.

She knocked on the door.

After a short while a scratchy, hoarse voice said, “Come in.”

Pinkie slowly opened the door. Granny Smith was sat on a rocking chair, staring out a window into the southern orchard.

“How are you?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s okay, you don’t have to know.”

Granny Smith kept staring out the window. A few leaves shook off one of the trees near the farmhouse as a squirrel jumped down.

“Do you want anything special to eat?”

Granny smiled as she turned, “I think pancakes sounds great, missy.”

“I’ll whip them up. Do you want me to bring them to you?”

“Nah, I’ll come down and see… see some friendly faces.”

Granny turned back to the window.

Pinkie quietly shut the door. 





Apple Bloom really seemed to love the pancakes. She let Pinkie open the door. After she had gotten a few bites, she at least had the energy to say how rotten the past couple of days had been. 

"First Pa couldn’t bring me to the park, then Diamond Tiara called me a liar, now AJ’s yelling at me and I don’t know why, and—and…” she trailed off, not knowing the words. “I just want my mama,” she said through the food in her mouth.

“I can bring you to the park tomorrow morning if you like?”

Apple Bloom took a deep breath. “Can we go Saturday, instead? I don’t think I’ll have the energy tomorrow.”

“Of course!” Pinkie said excitedly.

Apple Bloom didn’t say anything, but Pinkie didn’t expect her to.

Pinkie eventually left Apple Bloom to eat her pancakes in peace.

Big McIntosh didn’t acknowledge them when she went to drop them off, but Pinkie thought he’d eat them just the same.

At the table, Granny Smith said a few words. All about how much older she and Rarity looked since the last time Granny had seen them.

Applejack said even less. What she did say was angry and short. But not even Granny argued back.

Mostly, the conversation was carried by Pinkie and Rarity talking about nothing in particular. Avoiding their parents and Pinkie’s Granny. Focusing on bakery customers, dress stitching, cupcake recipes, Sweetie Belle, Gummy. Everything but anything.

Eventually, they had all finished their meal. Rarity and Pinkie promised they’d get the dishes done “right.” Granny excused herself. Applejack stayed quiet as the stairs creaked.

They waited a while as they washed the dishes.

Rarity whispered to Pinkie, “Is now the right time?”

“It’s the best we’re going to get.”

“Applejack, dear,” Rarity said louder as she approached the table.

Applejack grunted.

Rarity put the Tinderbox in front of Applejack as she dried a plate with the dish towel in her magic. “Do you recognize this?”

Applejack furrowed her brows at Rarity. “Why—” 

“I promise it matters, darling,” she said, putting her hoof on Applejack’s.

Applejack pulled her hoof away. “It looks like one of Filthy’s Tinderboxes he sells at Barnyard Bargains.”

“Yes, but do you recognize this one?”

Applejack breathed out heavily through her nose. “If this is some kind of strange gift, it sure is a twisted one.”

“It’s not a gift, darling. I just need to know if you recognize this one.”

Applejack stared hard at it. “Now that you mention it…”

Pinkie stopped washing dishes and turned back towards Applejack.

“It looks like a stupid, brass box,” she said pounding her hoof on the table.

“Can you—”

Applejack yelled loud enough for “Do you want to see my family’s Tinderbox or something? Are you comparing Tinderboxes for some dumb fashion reason? Do you need to compare the—I don’t know—hoof couture—er, no—contrast or glint or whatever to my pa’s rotting wood box?”

Rarity had flinched away from the table and dropped the plate.

But, Pinkie’s tail twitch let her catch it, just in time.

“No, dear, I just wanted to be sure your family hadn’t gotten a new one recently.”

“So this isn’t a gift, but you’re gonna get a different Tinderbox present later. Great,” Applejack said, slumping onto the table and rolling her eyes.

“No… we…”

“Spit it out, Rarity; I’m done playin’ games today.”

“We—”

“Do you know much about ventriloquism?” Pinkie interjected.

Rarity and Applejack seemed to suddenly remember Pinkie was in the room.

Applejack sighed. “No, now—”

“Has you ever seen a ventriloquism act?”

“What are you on about?”

“I found the tinderbox in the orchard,” Rarity said, “where the fire was. We wanted to make sure your parents hadn’t brought it with them.”

Confusion mixed with the anger on Applejack’s face. “What am I supposed to do with that?”

“We… don’t think the fire was started by a monster.”

“What are you talkin’ about? I saw it with my own eyes.”

“I think it was a puppet,” Pinkie interjected.

Applejack sighed harshly. “Why on earth do you think it was a puppet?” Applejack said quietly.

Pinkie pulled out the rubber cord and, stuttering, explained her reasoning.

“I… I guess it’s some weird evidence, but… that doesn’t mean…” Applejack trailed off. 

Rarity went to speak, but Pinkie put a hoof on her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, Pinkie saw Rarity look at her.

“Okay…” Applejack replied. 

The front door creaked. 

“Let’s go talk to the guards. If it is an arson, I want professionals looking at it.”

“Arson?” Big McIntosh asked, his eyes firmly trained on Applejack.

“Yeah, Rarity and Pinkie found some weird stuff in the orchard where the fire was.”

“You can’t honestly tell me you think it was arson. You saw the monster, same as me.” His voice was cool and calm.

“It was a puppet.” Pinkie interjected.

Big McIntosh turned to Pinkie. She got the distinct feeling she had upset the man of the house again. “That’s an awful big puppet. Awful dumb thing to light your children’s toy on fire too.”

“Let her explain, Big Mac!” Applejack shouted. “I thought it was crazy too but—”

“No, go ahead, we have to buck all these apples, the two of us, but make it just me for the week while you go off on a fool’s errand—”

“It’s not a fool’s errand! If you’d just listen to her—”

“They’re gone AJ!” Big McIntosh shouted through tears. 

“I know! And they’d’ve been fine if you had come into that fire with me!”

He got real quiet and barely said anything above a whisper. “Pretending it was some kind of—of murder isn’t going to bring them back.”

“Fine, be a coward about this. Your sister—your sister—is going to find out what happened—without you. It’ll be just me again. Ignorin’ the evidence won’t mean it’s not real. Go ahead, ignore the weird Tinderbox in the orchard. Ignore the puppetry cords. Ignore the fact that nopony—and I mean nopony!—has ever heard of a Pyrewolf in the seven decades we’ve lived here!”

But Big McIntosh had already climbed the stairs and slammed the door upstairs. Rarity put a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. Applejack leaned into a hug with her and began to cry. Pinkie hugged them both.
> Running Low on Fuel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nopony said much after Big Mac stormed upstairs. All three of them had spent the rest of the sunlight sifting through the ash and gray. They, unfortunately, found nothing else in the graveyard of apple trees.

A lieutenant let them into the guard house. “What brings you here today, ladies? Hopefully nothing major?” he said, his eyes lingering on Applejack. 

“We’d like to talk with Captain Spear Point,” Pinkie replied. “We’d… like to report a suspected…” Applejack saw Pinkie glance at her, “crime.”

“Call it—” Applejack started.

But the lieutenant grabbed his baton and interrupted her. “Is it ongoing? If it’s ongoing, we’ll go now and I can report to him later.”

“No, no,” Rarity replied quickly, nervously eyeing the baton, “it’s a completed crime that we’d like investigated.”

The lieutenant sighed and forlornly stored his baton. “His office is over here,” he said languidly.

The lieutenant knocked on a door with Captain Spear Point’s name written in obnoxious gold letters in the middle. 

“What is it Lieutenant Nightstick? I’ve got a lot of paperwork to do before I go home tonight.”

“Crime to be reported.”

“Did you ask if it was ongoing?”

“Uh, yes, sir.”

“Let ‘em in.”

The lieutenant opened the door and they filed in to the cramped office. Paperwork littered the desk, but the smell of ink was oddly absent. 

“What can I help you with today, madams.”

“Well…” Rarity began, “we believe there’s been an… incident—" 

“Call it what it is,” Applejack growled. 

Rarity flinched.

“We think my parents were murdered yesterday.”

“Ah, yes, the fire. So sorry about your loss. Though,” the Captain licked his lips. “I seem to remember hearing there was a monster responsible for their death. Something about a firewolf… or…?”

“The Pyrewolf,” Pinkie completed.

“That’s what we thought yesterday,” Rarity said.

“And you think differently today because…?”

“We found these.” Rarity put the tinderbox on the table and Pinkie, the cord.

“…Not sure I see what these have to do with—”

“It—“ Applejack shouted. She quickly cut herself off and lowered her voice. “It’s not our tinderbox. We—Rarity found it in the orchard where the fire happened.”

“And you know it hadn’t been there before the fire because…?”

“We know because—” Applejack said, “well, we don’t know, I suppose but—”

“What Applejack is trying to say,” Rarity interjected, “is that Pinkie assures us that—in her expert opinion—the creature we saw was a puppet.”

The Captain turned to Pinkie, who explained her reasoning.

“Well,” the Captain said, “I can see how that might appear puppet-like.  But I’ve seen a Timberwolf or two in my day. They seem pretty mechanical and stiff when they move too.”

“No, they don’t,” Applejack said firmly. “I’ve lived next to the Everfree my entire life. I’ve seen Timberwolves every year at Zap Apple season. They’re not stiff. The wood bends when they walk.”

Spear Point humed. “I…” He rubbed his neck. “Listen, I understand why this might seem like hard evidence, but what you’ve got here is a rubber cord that one pony says means a giant weird monster is actually a puppet. The Everfree is poorly understood. Not to mention, there’s not really anypony who hates the Apples in town. Maybe a few arguments and grudges, sure, but nothing that goes far enough to justify murder.”

Applejack’s tongue caught in her throat.

“Really Captain," Rarity fluttered her eyelashes and spoke with a sultry voice, “you going to leave a helpless lady all on her own?”

Applejack glared at Rarity, but didn’t say anything.

“My hooves are tied.”

“So what?” Applejack shouted, “you’re just going to—to—to ignore this?”

“Unless you can give me any concrete evidence or direction for investigation, I’m afraid I can’t send men into that deathtrap.”

“You—you—” Applejack’s mouth ran dry, and she stormed out of the office. There was some silky voice behind her, but Applejack didn’t know what it said.

The lieutenant looked up from the book at his desk. He mumbled something to her.

“What a good help you are,” Applejack muttered, walking out of the guardhouse.

She tried to push the door but it wouldn’t budge. Against her will, it swung into her and she stumbled outside. The cool evening air shocked her before a hoof settled against her back.

“Are you alright, dear?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does, you—”

“What? Are we gonna find something else? Are we going to find something important again by chance? Or by flirting with the Captain?”

“Flirting is a perfectly acceptable way of gathering information,” Rarity said with a huff. “And we’re going to find clues intentionally.”

Applejack scoffed.

“Come along.”

Applejack noticed Pinkie Pie walking up alongside her. Pinkie gave her a soft smile as they walked along the path. 

“Rarity, we—we’re not detectives.”

“We are now!”

“Wh-where are we even going.”

“We’ll convene at the Boutique,” Rarity replied. “It would give us enough privacy to determine suspects. We’re not going to figure out this case without a good discussion.”

“Why don’t we go ask at Rich’s Barnyard Bargains™ who recently bought a tinderbox?” Pinkie asked. “Then, we can use it to come up with a list of suspects!”

Applejack stopped in the street.

Rarity made a hard turn towards Filthy’s store. “I think it’s better if we read the list after we generate suspects, but we should probably have the list.”

“Girls,” she shouted. They turned back toward her. Pinkie gave her a soft smile, which didn’t quite reach all the way to her eyes. Rarity’s confident appearance was betrayed by a smudge from her eyeliner. Applejack said softly, “what are we doing? I—we don’t—we’re not going to solve an arson with a tinderbox and a bit of rubber.”

“Of course not, that’s why we need to investigate.” Rarity replied.

“No—” Applejack groaned. “You’re not listening to me. Just because you’ve been reading a lot of—of Shadow… Shadow Shovel novels—”

Rarity raised a hoof to speak. 

“—or whatever his name is—”

Rarity lowered her hoof.

“—recently doesn’t mean we can solve a real arson—if it even is one!”

“We totally can,” Pinkie replied. “We don’t have to get everything perfect, we just have to give the guards a direction to investigate, remember? And if we actually do figure out the mystery, all the better.” Pinkie’s soft smile reached a little higher on her face. 

“She has a good point, darling. Though, I won’t deny I love the idea of solving the mystery ourselves.”

For a moment, Applejack believed her. 

She sighed and looked back at the guardhouse. “Alright, I’ll go along with it for now. But only because I think that Captain’s a lazy jerk who won’t do his job.”

“If you’re going to do something right,” Rarity replied, “don’t leave it to the guards.”

“Celestia knows they don’t help when a monster comes by.”





Filthy’s signature tone rang out as they entered the store. The enchanted puppet of Filthy had always seemed gaudy to Applejack. It rang out a repetitive tone in a mimicry of a pony’s voice.

Applejack thought it was a little gauche today.

The clerk looked up from the book he was reading.

“Evening, Felt!” Pinkie exclaimed. 

“You’re here late,” Felt Cover replied. “What brings you here?” His eyes turned to Applejack. His face tightened and he suddenly sat up much straighter. “M-miss Applejack, what are you doing here? Mr. Rich isn’t here right now, he-he went home a few hours ago. But I’m sure—”

“We’re not here on business, Felt Cover,” Rarity interjected. She put her hooves on the counter. “We just want some information.”

“Well,” he swallowed, eyeing Rarity as she inched toward him.  “I can’t give you proprietary information without Mr. Rich’s go-ahead, but I can give you whatever might help you…” he looked at Applejack, “make apples?”

“We’d just like to know who you’ve sold tinderboxes to recently,” Rarity said as she twirled her hair, “in the last… say… month?”

“That… that’s an oddly specific question. I can’t just give you—”

“My parents are dead,” Applejack said coldly. It was just loud enough to cut him off. 

“I—I heard and—and I’m very sorry for your loss—”

“And we think they were killed.”

“I… I thought that there was a fire…?”

“Yeah, and we think somepony started it.”

Rarity held up the Tinderbox. “We found this in the remains. It’s clearly new, and we don’t think anypony else would have left it in that corner of the field. It’s… too convenient.”

“Well…” The clerk rubbed his neck, “I… I suppose you are Mr. Rich’s business partner. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind giving you this information. Let me check the log books.”

“Make sure to check if there were any stolen too,” Pinkie interjected.

“Good thinking, Pinkie,” Rarity replied. “Write it down; we don’t want to see the list until we’ve brainstormed some suspects.”

“Uh… okay, I guess.”

The silence of the next few moments was only broken by the scribbling of a quill. After a moment, Pinkie and Rarity started meandering through the shop. Applejack didn’t feel like looking, so she sat down and looked out the window in the front door. A loose nail dug into her side, but Applejack chose not to move.

Straight Books, Filthy’s accountant, peeked into the room. “Applejack? I thought I heard you.” He had on a sad smile, “Sorry about the… tragedy.”

Applejack grunted.

“Yeah… do you… um… know if Mr. Rich ever asked your parents about the missing apples?”

Applejack’s confusion must have been written on her face.

“The missing apples,” he replied. “Last month, I checked the apple stock and there were some missing. Filthy said he’d talk to your parents about it.”

“Now you listen here,” her voice was gravelly and slow, “my parents were honest folk.” Although she had stood up, she could still feel the nail against her thigh. “Apples are honest folk. They brought the produce right to Filthy, just like they always do,” she was shouting now. “So I don’t wanna hear about how they didn’t bring enough—”

Rarity started pulling her out the door. “Right, well, I think it’s time for us to go. Much to do, sleep to be had; Pinkie, would you be a dear and meet us at the Boutique when you’re ready?”

The bell rang on the way out. Straight’s eyes were wide and his mouth was taught. Felt ducked behind the counter. Pinkie gave her a soft smile and waved as they left.





Rarity’s boutique was dark as they entered. Rarity wiped her hooves and started down the hallway.

“I…” Applejack began. She wiped her hooves against the rug languidly. “I’m sorry I…” Applejack sighed. “I’m not even sure what to apologize to you for. Something, I think.”

“It’s quite alright, dear. Nopony will blame you for being irritable.” 

“Yeah, well… it’s not good business practice to upset your purchasers.”

Rarity chuckled. “I’m going to put some tea on for us while we wait for Pinkie. Do you have a preference today?”

“Maybe I should apologize for embarrassing you in public like that.”

“Nothing of the sort. Tea?”

Applejack made a grunt as she walked over to Rarity’s sitting room.

“Earl Gray it is, then.”

Applejack sat down on Rarity’s fainting couch. It was surprisingly comfortable when Rarity wasn’t acting melodramatic.

A toy puppet lay on the other end of the couch. It’s still, lifeless eyes forced Applejack to look away after a few moments. Her eyes rested on Rarity’s sewing machine. It was nicer than her mother’s. Pear Butter rarely sewed, usually only bags and tarps that split at the seams. Rarity’s needlework, by contrast, never frayed.

Applejack heard the front door open.

“Applejack’s in the sitting room, dear. I’ll be in soon with some tea.”

Pinkie sat down on armchair across the tea table from Applejack. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine… I… I wanted to apologize…” Applejack paused.

“What for?” Pinkie asked softly. “Being unhappy right now?”

“I… don’t rightly now.”

“Never apologize for being unhappy about this.”

Applejack stared again at the sewing machine.

“Hey,” Pinkie said. Applejack turned to face her. “You don’t have to do this. Rarity and I can handle doing this and we won’t stop until we find out what happened. If you need time before you’re ready to do this—”

Applejack shouted, “I’m not—“ but stopped herself. She looked down at her hooves and took a deep breath. “Sorry, I… shouldn’t have gotten angry at you. You’re just trying to help. But, I don’t want to stop. I… wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I don’t find out… why they’re gone.”

“They would. Forgive you, I mean.”

Rarity entered with the tea set in her magic, bringing some crumpets with her. Rarity poured the tea for each of them on her way to sit on the couch, placing the cups in their hooves.

Pinkie started drinking; she never had trouble with temperature. Applejack stared into the liquid, waiting for it to cool.

“Well, let’s get started?” Rarity pulled over a pen and notebook. “Who wasn’t on good terms with your parents. Or the Apple family in general?”

“Well… I mean, like the guard said, not really anypony. But…”

“But?”

“Well, I guess Strawberry and I argue a lot. But… I don’t think she’d do anything like this.”

“A suspect is a suspect. We’ll eliminate them when we get far enough along.”

“Didn’t you say yesterday Filthy was trying to buy the farm?” Pinkie asked. “Maybe he wanted to convince you to sell or something.”

“That doesn’t sound like—”

“Ah-ah. No bad ideas until we’ve done all our brainstorming.”

“But—”

“Oh, isn’t Bosc in town still?” Rarity asked. “The pears had that rediculous feud with the Apples.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

Rarity fluttered her eyelashes at Applejack.

Applejack sighed. “But nothing.”

“Good.” Rarity hummed. “Any land disputes recently?”

“No, not since the Pears moved to Vanhoover. The Carrots are amicable, and nopony owns the Everfree.”

“What about disgruntled customers?”

“Only Strawberry seems to hate apples even close to that much.”

“Yes, but any customers feeling mistreated?”

“No, never. The Apples are always honest with their produce.”

“Surely there must have been somepony. Everypony gets a disgruntled customer now and then.”

Applejack thought for a moment. “Not in my memory.”

“Well then… maybe… any disgruntled lovers? Of… Big Mac… maybe?”

“If Big Mac had one, he never told me. And he won’t tell me for this.”

“Pinkie, do you know anything about his romantic life?”

“Why would—”

“Since I’ve been here, he hasn’t had anything resembling a date at Sugarcube Corner, the Hay Burger, or Café Hay.”

Applejack couldn’t figure out how to respond.

“Caramel, Texas Style, and I sometimes get coffee and gossip about who’s dating who at which restaurant. Caramel’s money has always been that Big Mac would go on a date at Hay Burger.”

Applejack fidgeted on the couch. 

Pinkie gave a sheepish grin, “sorry.”

“No, it ain’t you. Though, I definitely know where not to go on a date if I’m trying to hide it from you.”

Rarity chuckled. After a moment, Pinkie squeezed the cushion on the couch next to her. 

“I meant that as a joke, sorry.”

Pinkie gave a nervous giggle.

“Right, well,” Rarity said. “You can’t think of anypony else that might’ve held a grudge?”

“Nope.”

“Imagine everypony you know is the pettiest pony imaginable.”

“I’m already imagining that for Bosc and Filthy.”

“Well then, Pinkie, would you do the honors of showing us the list.”

“Drumroll!” she exclaimed excitedly. She began stomping her rear hooves on the ground with a smile. She pulled a sheet of paper from her mane and read. “Tree Hugger. Also there was a Tinderbox missing.”

“Well… I suppose I shouldn’t have expected anything better. You don’t think Tree Hugger disliked the Apples?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Ma went to go visit her about a month ago, but I don’t know why.”

“Did she seem unhappy when she came back?”

“Not really… maybe a little… pensive? I guess? But she wouldn’t tell me why.”

“Well, I guess we have our list of suspects then. Any thoughts on who we should talk to first?”

“We can’t just go up to them and accuse them of arson, Rarity.” Applejack said flatly.

“No, but we can discreetly ask them what they were doing around that time. Maybe we’ll tell them we’re writing a eulogy for their funeral.”

“I don’t want to lie to them, Rarity.”

“You won’t. I will.”

Applejack didn’t feel like that was much different, but didn’t say anything.

“You had some feelings about Filthy and Bosc, AJ?” Pinkie asked.

“Filthy’s a good family friend. He eats our food, we eat his. I don’t think he’d do anything so… ugly. He wanted to buy the farm, but he’s our business partner. He wouldn’t want to jeopardize that.”

Pinkie nodded along.

“The Pears never liked us, but ma was still a Pear. Even before the marriage, there wasn’t any intentional vandalism or anything. Pa… pa flooded their farm on accident, but he spent a lot of time fixing up their silo and farmland. Not to mention they’ve been gone for almost two decades now.”

“Hmm… well, I suppose we can start with Strawberry then. But I won’t cross them off the list yet.”

“So what, meet tomorrow morning?”

“It might make sense to wait until after you’re done apple bucking.”

Applejack shook her head. “We have to go as soon as we can, if evidence gets destroyed and we can’t prove anything, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“Well then,” Rarity said with a clap, “we’ll meet at Sweet Apple Acres. The strawberry fields are closer to the orchards anyway.”
> Firewood (1/3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkie leaned over to Rarity. “Are you totally sure this is a good idea?” she whispered.

The cloudy sky hung over them as they made their way to the Strawberry fields. Rarity was wearing a wide-brimmed black hat with a pastel red ribbon tied along it. She had tried to convince Applejack to wear a similar one, but Applejack still didn’t want anything on her head. Pinkie would’ve agreed, but didn’t want Applejack to feel like the odd one out. 

“What? Investigating a murder?”

“No, having Applejack come along.”

“We need to know when things stop lining up, and the best person for that is Applejack. She knew her parents best.”

“But she’s still… grieving. She needs to process this and she’s not right now.”

“Applejack wants to work on this. We need to—”

“What’re y’all talkin’ about back there?”

“Oh, nothing important darling, just trying to convince Pinkie to discreetly measure your head.”

Applejack rolled her eyes and turned back to the road. “Still not wearin’ a hat, Rarity.”

“Of course, darling.” She again whispered to Pinkie, “don’t worry too much. We’ll be there for her when something goes wrong.”

Pinkie’s stomach didn’t unknot itself, but she kept silent.

Strawberry was weeding when they found her. She seemed confused to see them all, but didn’t immediately shout at Applejack. Pinkie was grateful for that.

“Strawberry, darling, do you mind if we talk to you inside for a bit?”

Strawberry eyed Applejack for a few seconds.

“We’re not here to argue,” Pinkie said. “We just want to ask you a few questions.”

Strawberry pulled her eyes away. “Alright, come along. I’ve got a lot of work to do today.”

They meandered into Strawberry’s home. Rarity commented on some of the décor, making small talk before they asked her. Applejack was silent. Pinkie watched her for a few moments, but Applejack seemed like she was trying very hard not to pay attention. Like she was trying not to say something.

Strawberry sat down on a small couch and gestured to a few seats for the rest of them.

Applejack collapsed on the couch. Rarity sat down delicately.

Pinkie noticed a dusty horse dummy on the mantle. “I didn’t know you practiced ventriloquism.”

“Oh, sometimes I guess. I don’t practice during the season though.”

Pinkie nodded along. 

“What all did you want to ask me about?” 

Rarity began, “Applejack here is writing a eulogy…” an awkward grin came over Rarity’s face.

“And…?” Strawberry asked, rolling her hoof.

“W-well—”

“Applejack was trying to… to… consider other perspectives on her parents.”

Strawberry raised an eyebrow at Pinkie.

“She… she thought you might… have that. You… don’t often talk to her parents and mostly experience them through her. So… we—she wanted to know what,” Pinkie said, “you thought of them.”

Strawberry looked skeptically at Applejack. “Really? From me?”

Applejack licked her lips and took a deep breath in. “Eyep.” 

“Odd way to turn over a new leaf in our relationship.”

Applejack glared at Pinkie. “It sure is.”

Pinkie tried not to look back at Applejack.

“Well… I don’t suppose I knew them very well. I think when I bought the land here we talked a bit about taxes and the like. But… as I’m sure you know well, Applejack, I’m not a fan of apples. So… I guess I didn’t appreciate their gifts. It… I dunno. I think that’s why we stopped talking as much. Sometimes I thought it was because they got busy raising you kids, but… well, it’s not like we talked about much other than business. I…” she looked over at her dummy. “I kinda regret not bringing you more strawberries and jams and such. I had plenty of time, I guess.” She chuckled to herself, “maybe then you would at least like strawberries more.”

Applejack coughed.

“Well, dear, I’m sure that was… very helpful for Applejack to hear,” Rarity replied. “As a sort of framing device, she was wondering where you might’ve been two nights ago.”

“Ah, when it happened,” Strawberry said. Her eyes widened quickly, glancing between the three of them, “sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine. Just answer.”

Strawberry looked at Applejack for a moment. “Alright, well… I mean, it wasn’t that interesting. I was just… doing some farm work.”

“What specifically?” Applejack asked.

“I really don’t think this would be that interesting for a eul—”

Applejack stood up, the chair rattling as she did. “Were you on the farm—our farm—that night?” she shouted.

“Darling—”

“Were you?”

“AJ, don’t—”

“What is this? Why are you yelling about where I was that night?”

“My parents are dead. You tell me.”

Strawberry stood up herself. “Is this some kind of—of—accusastion?”

“Applejack—"

“Yes, yes it is.”

“Oh, of course,” Strawberry rolled her eyes. “What, you blame yourself or something?”

“Don’t—”

“I will. You lost them, think there’s something you should’ve done, but didn’t. And now you need to find a convenient scapegoat. So there’s some kind of—what—investigation? To find somepony to blame?” Her eyes looked between Pinkie and Rarity. “Did you know about this? Or did she—”

“Don’t change the subject. Where were you?”

“Here!” Strawberry put herself inches from Applejack’s face. “I was here. Picking weeds. It’s the season after strawberry season. I have to pick weeds. I have to fertilize plants. I have to monitor their growth. I have to prevent fungi. I have to do anything besides caring about your parents!”

Applejack choked out a sob and rushed back out the front door.

The door creaked slightly as Pinkie and Rarity sat awkwardly in their seats.

Strawberry sighed.

“We’re deeply sorry—”

“She’s pretty angry at everypony right now—”

“We planned on doing all the talking—”

“She’s yelled at Rarity and I and we—”

“We don’t really think—”

“AJ doesn’t even think—”

“That you were involved—”

“Stop.” Strawberry interrupted. “I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said all that. I…” she rubbed her forehoof, “I didn’t… well, I did mean what I said. But… I didn’t… I don’t want to have meant it.”

“That… that’s alright darling.” Rarity replied as she slowly sat back down.

“Maybe… maybe we shouldn’t have brought her along. We… we just wanted to hear what you… you might’ve seen.”

“Maybe… Do you really think somepony killed Applejack’s parents? I thought it was a monster or some such from the Everfree.”

“Yes, we’re quite sure of it.” Rarity replied, straightening as she did so. “There’s… too much equine evidence.”

“Well… I can’t say I’d be able to forgive myself if there was something I could’ve done to help. What do you need to know?”

“Do you know any other puppeteers in town?” Pinkie asked.

Strawberry chuckled. “You always seem to know how to cheer a mare up, huh, Pinkie?” She looked outside. “I suppose you’re not very good at this.” She pursed her lips. Pinkie didn’t dare break the silence.

“Apologize to Applejack for me, when she’s willing to hear it… I know we don’t see eye to eye, but I know now wasn’t the right time and that wasn’t the right subject.” She took a slow breath. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little worried about the farm right now. That swarm of fruit bats ate a lot of my crop this year. I filed some forms about it… but I don’t know that I’ll get any insurance money.

“The little jam I ended with has been hard to sell.” She sighed and sat back down. “Bosc has been crowding my market. Pears and Strawberries are both luxury fruits, I suppose.” She laughs hollowly. “I might finally have to sell to Filthy. I know my parents wouldn’t judge me for it, but I don’t want to leave Ponyville. I really liked the life I built here.

“Sorry, you didn’t come to hear me moan about money troubles.”

“It’s alright, dear.”

“You didn’t let us in to get accused of murder.”

Strawberry laughed. It petered out. “Well, I need to get back to plucking weeds.”

“We… we should probably go talk to Applejack.”

“Goodness, we just left her alone didn’t we! Well, thank you for letting us chat with you. Don’t be a stranger.”

Rarity trotted out the front. Pinkie followed, but turned to wave at Strawberry, who smiled warily at her. Pinkie closed the door gently as she left. She galloped to catch up to Rarity. “I still don’t feel like that was a good idea.”

“Applejack coming with us was the only reason we got anywhere in that conversation.”

“But—”

“Applejack is in pain now. No matter what we did, she would be. If nothing else, she’s going to get… justice. And I think that’s going to help swimmingly.”

“But—”

“But nothing! It’s all going to be just fine in a few days.” Rarity held her head high. Pinkie didn’t believe Rarity was so confident, but knew Rarity was telling her to drop it.

They approached Applejack off Strawberry’s property. She stared into the clouds above, languidly swaying in the wind.

“How are you doing Applejack?”

“Fine, I guess. How’s Strawberry?”

“A little upset,” Pinkie replied, “but she seemed alright after… a moment.”

Applejack hummed.

Rarity put a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “We… you can stop if you like. Pinkie and I—”

“No. Where are we going next?”

“Don’t you want to take a snack break or—”

“No. Let’s go.”

Applejack got up and started over to town.

Rarity whispered to Pinkie, “this might have been a really bad idea.”
> Firewood (2/3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack fidgeted in her seat. The tea Filthy’s servant had brought them was already cool. Pinkie had already finished hers. Occasional squeaking could be heard from above, and Applejack wondered exactly how many servants could be walking around this old house. And how many loose floorboards Filthy would allow. 

Applejack finally picked up her tea. She had planned to leave it, so she’d have something to do if she got angry at Filthy. But if she sat here any longer… well, Applejack didn’t want to think of the outburst she might have when Filthy finally got here.

Pinkie and Rarity seemed to be inspecting the ceiling. Applejack stared at them for a few moments.

Rarity noticed first. “Something wrong, dear?”

Applejack shook her head.

Rarity looked like she wanted to say something, but Pinkie sat up. “Mr. Rich?”

Applejack turned to the entrance to the sitting room.

“I’d like to start by apologizing for my tardiness. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.”

“Not at all,” Rarity replied. “The tea we were provided was really quite delightful. Green Tea, I presume?”

“Nothing gets past your palette.” Filthy sat down opposite them all. “How are you, Applejack?”

Applejack didn’t trust her voice. “Fine enough, I guess.”

Filthy hummed. He didn’t say anything for a moment. “Is the farm doing well?”

“It’s doing… fine… some Apples are coming up to help out, for a while. They’re coming for the… funeral. The harvest should go well.”

“I know there are… extenuating losses… but… with regards to the actual orchard, how is it doing? Are… well, how is it?”

“We… I don’t…. we haven’t finished surveying the damages. It… seems bigger than… bigger than… I don’t know what, but I… we… don’t know which trees were killed yet. My.. my Pa had the most knowledge about which trees were where.”

“Can you—”

“We have a… a ledger.” Applejack paused.

“A ledger?”

“Of all the trees. Where they are and how old they were.”

“Well,” Filthy licked his lips. “I hope the damages aren’t substantial. If they are… I… I hope this doesn’t come off as … insensitive. But, I’m still willing to offer a very generous deal. If you need to sell that is. Oh, but do take your time deciding, I can wait as long as need be.”

Applejack remembered Filthy holding Apple Bloom, feeding her, as her parents took a brief nap. Applejack was still running around screaming, but her parents could take a break, if only for a moment. 

“Thanks you, Mr.—Thanks, Filthy. You’ve… Granny was right to… to make you a business partner all those years ago. I’m… glad ma and pa got to meet you. I’m… glad you were… we were… you’ve been so good to us all these years.”

Filthy nodded solemnly. “Thank you, Applejack. Kinder words than I deserve.”

The silence was only broken by further squeaks from above.

“Now, what brings you all here? I would presume it was a… family visit, if your grandmother and siblings were here. But as it stands…”

“Well, Applejack was planning on writing a eulogy.” Rarity replied. “She… wanted to know what the important people in their lives thought of them. And what they were doing when… it happened.”

“Ah, yes.” Filthy looked out the small window behind Applejack. “They were good, dependable ponies. I couldn’t have asked for better business partners. Let alone better friends. They were pillars of this community, and we shall be all the lesser for their loss. I…” Filthy picked up his tea, and stared at a small wooden mantlepiece. Her father’s cutie mark was engraved into its face. “I wish I had had more time to prepare this.” He chuckled lightly to himself. “And I think they were much better parents than I or my wife. Yes, I… I think they were proud of all three of you.”

Applejack nodded languidly.

“As for… the other night… I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but I believe I was having dinner with my family. Diamond Tiara gave us a lovely anecdote from this last weekend regarding her and Silver Spoon playing with their dolls. I believe they decided the dragon was in danger this time.”

“Well, Mr. Rich. I believe this has been… rather beneficial for us. Wouldn’t you agree, Applejack?”

“Yeah, I, uh, we should probably get going. Lots of… other ponies to talk to today.”

“Yes,” Filthy said standing up. “Well, it was good seeing you anyway.” Filthy motioned for Applejack to come near.

Applejack acquiesced and they embraced. For a moment, Applejack felt like she was in her home as her parents talked business with Filthy.
> Firewood (3/3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Did we learn anything from that?” Pinkie whispered to Rarity.

Rarity checked behind her, to determine both if Applejack was still following them and how closely.

Applejack stared vacantly at the ground in front of her.

“I don’t know yet,” Rarity whispered back.

“Should we suggest we call it for the day? AJ looks…”

“Tired,” Rarity responded. “Just one more today. Then we’ll have enough information to solve this thing. I know it.” She turned back to Applejack, “Applejack, darling, how are you feeling?”

Applejack grunted in response.

“We’re almost to Bosc’s stand, so not much more before we can start brainstorming what happened.”

Applejack’s look didn’t settle Rarity’s stomach. Rarity gave her a smile and turned back to the road.

“You sure that continuing is a good idea, I really think—”

“Yes, it is, darling.” Rarity whispered back, sharper than she had intended.

“Sorry…” Pinkie responded, looking at the bush alongside the road.

“I’m sorry dear,” Rarity sighed, “I shouldn’t be so short with you. I just… I really feel that this’ll work. I need… Applejack needs our help and… and this is the best way for us to do it.”

Pinkie didn’t respond for a moment. “Applejack’s going to need time to be okay. But she will be.”

Rarity hummed.

They travelled in silence to the Ponyville market. As they approached, Bosc, busy solemnly studying a jar of pear jam, looked up at the trio. She was immediately drawn to Applejack, lip quivering. She set down the jar, hoof shaking, and took a deep breath as they arrived.

“H-howdy y’all. Uh… sorry, sorry about what happened. To your… to Bright Mac and Pear Butter.” She coughed. “I…” she chuckled hollowly, “I’d offer you a pear, but I know you’re probably a bigger fan of apples.” She smiled at Applejack, but her eyes still had tears in them.

“Thanks,” Applejack replied, slowly. “I, I’m sure… well, did… did you end up talking to my ma… since y’all l—moved to Manehattan?”

Bosc looked over at Sour’s lemon stall. “I… y’all don’t wanna hear about that, do you?”

“Applejack’s writing a eulogy. She… knew you were family and thought she might incorporate it into the eulogy.”

“I… I’m sure you know it wasn’t… good terms.”

“We just wanted to hear what you have to say. AJ wanted a more complete picture of her parents and… you were her family before AJ,” Pinkie said.

“Well… alright,” Bosc replied. “I suppose you probably know the story from back in the day?”

Applejack nodded.

“Well… that was the last we spoke until I came back to town. I think it might’ve been the last any Pear spoke to her. I came back to Ponyville kinda on a whim, honestly. I guess I wanted to come back and see what had changed. What might’ve been the same. And… I did want to see Pear Butter.” 

Bosc stared silently into space for a moment. “I never worked up the nerve to talk to her, but, while I was selling pears and jams and such, she came to me. We talked for a little. About how our lives had gone.

“It was… as awkward as I was afraid it would be. She… wanted to ask about Grand Pear, her father. I told her he was doing well. He still wasn’t ready to come back. Or venture out of the farm. I wish he had been.

“I thought maybe she wanted to come back. To rejoin the family. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t… We got into an argument. It was about the same thing it always was. It didn’t matter then, it doesn’t matter now. She stormed off.”

She wiped some tears from her eyes and sniffled. “I… I’m sorry I didn’t come. I saw the smoke. It… looked like it was over the forest. I thought it was. I… I didn’t know. I—”

“’Scuse me, I gotta…” Applejack interjected. 

“AJ, are you—"

“I don’t…” She looked at Rarity and Pinkie as tears ran down her cheeks. She backed up before limping off.

Pinkie turned to Rarity, “I’m going to follow her.” She followed closely behind Applejack. After a moment, Pinkie put a hoof on Applejack’s back. Applejack didn’t relent.

Rarity turned to Bosc. “I’m very sorry about that. She’s—”

“Don’t worry about it. I… I’ve lost my fair share of family members too.” She picked up one of the jars of jam, watching its contents. “I’m sending a letter to the Pears. Hopefully at least a few of them will come down to pay respects. Then, maybe we can put this whole rift behind us.”

“Applejack will appreciate that.” Rarity wasn’t sure, but she thought it the best thing to say.

“Go to her. She’s… your friend. She needs you much more than I need you, right now.”

Rarity thought about staying anyway, but nodded and galloped towards Applejack and Pinkie.
> Firewood (4/3?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkie sat down on the park bench next to Applejack. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” Applejack said.

“It’s okay to be tired.”

“I… I’m trying not to talk so much. I think… I think I’m gonna shout if I talk too much.”

Pinkie nodded.

“Don’t let me yell at Rarity. I don’t—”

“She won’t be mad at you if you do.”

“That doesn’t mean I want to yell at her. I mean… I guess we yell all the time, but…”

“You don’t want to be mad at her,” Pinkie finished.

Applejack stared at one of the trees in the park.

Rarity galloped up to them, panting. “Sorry I’m late, I… wanted to ask a few more questions of Bosc. She was happy to oblige.”

Applejack didn’t say anything, she was looking down at her knees.

“Do you know what we do next, Rarity?”

“Well… I think maybe we start talking about what we know, I suppose.”

“You suppose?” Applejack said, her gaze remaining downward. “Rarity, I don’t know what we’re doing anymore. We’ve been looking around for, what, a day now? Where are we in this ‘investigation.’”

“I feel like where getting somewhere,” Rarity replied, ever confident in her decisions.

Applejack asked sternly, “Where?” She stood up from the bench, her scrunched up, burning face invading Rarity’s space. She shouted, “All I’ve seen so far is that all the ponies that might’ve had a reason to do it had absolutely no reason to do it.”

Rarity’s confident smile faltered. Pinkie was paralyzed by indecision.

Applejack looked into the sky and shouted “Nature is just out to get the Apples this year! Just like last year! All for no good reason!” She muttered, “First the bats and now this.”

Applejack looked down at the ground beneath her hooves. She stomped hard.

Pinkie felt her left foreleg go numb. “Um… guys? I think there’s about to be a surprise of some kind.”

Applejack rolled her eyes at Pinkie. “What do you mean surprise? Like, a birthday cake?”

“No, that wouldn’t be a surprise, I don’t think.”

Rarity asked, “What about—” 

“Bosc’s birthday isn’t for another three months.” Pinkie replied. “Maybe… maybe we’re close?”

“Why,” Applejack asked, staring her down, “‘cause your Pinkie Sense told you?”

“Well… yeah. It’s never lead me astray before.”

Applejack and Pinkie didn’t break eye contact immediately.

“Oh my goodness!” Rarity interjected. Both Applejack and Pinkie looked to her. “Of course that’s where we need to go!”

“Rarity, I don’t want to go on another wild goose chase without a good reason.”

“But don’t you see? It’s just like Shadow Spade always says.”

Applejack snorted.

Rarity ignored her. “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth!” she exclaimed. “We’ll have to go to Tree Hugger’s!”

“Tree Hugger? But she’s not even a suspect!”

“She bought the tinderbox.” Rarity said with a smirk. “And she spoke with your mother. That’s two reasons it could be her.”

Applejack sighed. “Alright, we’ll go talk to her.” She gave Rarity a thin frown. “But, if this doesn’t go anywhere, I’m not doing anything else. This is… more than I can handle right now. I… need to get back to work on the harvest.”

“Of course, darling.”





“Rarity,” Pinkie whispered a few paces in front of Applejack, “I really don’t think this is a good idea anymore.”

The small hut had vines and trees growing into and out of its fractured walls. Smoke occasionally puffed out of its windows. Animals flew in and out of the trees and bushes nearby. Pungent smells from uncleaned grounds wafted around the grounds.

“Your Pinkie sense just told you it was a good idea.”

“No, my Pinkie sense told me there would a surprise and I thought it was maybe related to the case.”

“Just one more. I can feel it.”

“I think we should call this off.”

“Bit late for that, darling,” Rarity said knocking on Tree Hugger’s door.

“What’s going on with you two?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, nothing worth worrying about.”

“You’ve said that twice already today.”

Tree Hugger opened the door. She blinked at them twice before saying anything. “Uh…” she laughed. “Good afternoon? I… wasn’t expecting company.”

“Hiya Tree Hugger!”

“Do you mind if we come in?”

“Come in where?”

“To your house,” Applejack said.

“Do what?”

Pinkie looked at Rarity and Applejack. They looked back.

“We can come back later if now’s not a good time, darling.”

“No, now’s great, let me clean up a little.” Tree Hugger closed the door delicately. Shuffling could be heard from inside.

“I don’t think we’re going to get anything useful out of her today,” Applejack said.

“Might just be the ripe time for a confession, darling.”

Pinkie said, “I don’t think that happens in real life.” 

Tree Hugger opened the door. “Come on in,” she said, “take a seat wherever you like.”

The inside of the small hut had a musty smell. The room was messy and dark, lit only by the cloudy day outside.

“I hope I’ve got everything I need for you today,” Tree Hugger said.

“Oh, we’re just here to ask you some questions,” Pinkie said.

“Oh, just some questions? That’s good.”

“So, as I’m sure your aware,” Rarity said, “Applejack’s parents died recently.”

“Yeah, I feel really bad for her. I figure she needs something to cheer her up. Are you putting together something?”

“I’m… over here,” Applejack said from the armchair.

Tree Hugger blinked a few times. “Oh, hi Applejack, I didn’t see you there.” She chuckled to herself. 

“We… Applejack was putting together a eulogy,” Rarity said. “She thought you might have something to say, since she knew you had talked to Pear Butter about a month ago.”

“Oh, yeah I did.”

Pinkie watched as Tree Hugger unfocused a bit.

“What did you talk about?”

“With who?”

Applejack groaned and rubbed her face. She raised her voice, “What did you and my ma talk about?” 

“Oh, right.” Tree Hugger chuckled. “She wanted to ask about the bats.”

“The bats?” Pinkie asked.

“Yeah, she had to chase them off her farm the previous night. I originally wrangled the swarm after they ate some of Carrot Top’s crop. I was planning on relocating them, but I needed a cave they could live in. I got them some fruit to keep them pacified while I searched. I kept it stocked, and for a while they were fine. And then, as I was sleeping one night, they disappeared. At first, I was kinda worried. But when they didn’t come back, I thought they had found their own place nearby. Then, Pear Butter came.

“She wasn’t very happy she had to chase away the fruit bats. I’ve been looking for them, since they still seem to be too close for comfort. But I still haven’t found them. They’re probably in a cave I haven’t been able to find.”

“So that’s it? You just talked about the bat swarm?” Rarity asked. “Nothing else? You weren’t cross with her?”

“Nah, she had every right to be mad at me. I could’ve seriously hurt their living. Way I hear it, I probably did hurt Strawberry’s, Sour’s, and Rind’s. Probably some others I haven’t heard about.”

“So, what?” Applejack stood up, shouting, “everypony’s just going to have to deal with the loss of crops?”

“Huh?”

Applejack let out a yelp of frustration.

“Will everyone just have to deal with the loss of crops that the bats caused?” Pinkie asked.

“Oh, no. There’s paperwork getting bounced around that might mean everypony gets a rebate for the eaten fruit. Hopefully it gets approved. If it does, they’ll just have to prove that the bats did eat some of their crop, which shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Wait, why doesn’t anypony know?” Rarity asked.

“Know what?”

Applejack slumped back into the arm chair.

“Why doesn’t anypony know about the rebate from the bats?” Pinkie asked.

“I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. I don’t know if it will get approved.”

“Alright, this was helpful,” Applejack said. “Let’s go.”

“One more thing, first,” Rarity said. “Did you…” she gave a dramatic look at Tree Hugger, “lose a tinderbox recently?”

Pinkie saw an old, worn, handmade tinderbox on the windowsill, just behind Tree Hugger’s head. “Uh, Rarity—"

“Oh, yeah, I had to buy this one from Filthy’s a few days ago.” She held up a tinderbox from the table.

“Do you know where you might’ve lost it?” Rarity asked.

“Nah, I’ve got no real idea. I’ve been around a lot recently.”

“Rarity—”

“So you have no way of knowing where the tinderbox is? Have you been on the Apple’s farm recently?”

“Rarity—”

“No, why?”

“Tree Hugger, I think I found your tinderbox,” Pinkie said.

Applejack was glaring daggers at Tree Hugger, who seemed not to notice. She stood up, and was breathing heavily.

“Yes, we do believe we have,” Rarity said with a smirk.

“Really? Where?”

Rarity’s magic lit up and she opened her saddle bags. “Right—”

“There,” Pinkie interjected, “behind your head, on the windowsill.”

Rarity and Applejack froze.

Tree Hugger turned around. “Oh.” She grabbed the tinderbox. “Huh, I’ve been looking all over the countryside to find this baby.” She started laughing. “I even looked for it where I was looking for bat caves.” She fell onto the floor, convulsing in fits of laughter.

Rarity closed her saddlebags and snuffed her magic. Applejack’s shoulders slumped and she started for the door. Tree Hugger’s laughter died down.

Pinkie got up to leave. Rarity thanked Tree Hugger for her hospitality. 

Outside, they walked in silence back towards town.

After a few moments of walking, Applejack said, “We won’t be getting a rebate. I expect.”

“Don’t say that, darling. I’m sure the paperwork—”

“All the fruit that was eaten was on the trees that burned down.”

“Oh.” Rarity said lamely.

They walked in silence for a few moments.

“Big Mac was right.”

Pinkie put a hoof on Applejack’s back, but it was shrugged off.

“I’m going home. There’s still daylight. Maybe I can get some bucking done.”

“Applejack, I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault, Rarity. We were all wrong about the arson. Nothing but nature hating Apples this year.”

Pinkie said, “We can—”

“Don’t,” Applejack said. “I… just… We’re not detectives.” She walked off, languidly, home. Rarity and Pinkie stayed in the cloudy day she left behind.

“This is my fault,” Rarity said softly.

Pinkie hugged Rarity, which Rarity leaned into. “No, it’s not.” 

She started crying softly. “I didn’t need to drag her into this until we knew.”

“We did what we thought was best.”

“No, we did what I thought was best.” Rarity sobbed. “I should’ve let you stop me.”

“I could’ve pushed harder.”

Pinkie let Rarity cry into her shoulder, hugging her tight. She tried not to cry herself. 





Pinkie and Rarity eventually made their way to the gazebo outside of town. Rarity had cried herself out, her makeup had run down her cheeks, it still smeared her face. They sat on the benches as Rarity stared into the Everfree.

“You know, I still don’t believe that was a monster we saw. Do you?”

Pinkie thought for a moment. “No.”

“Too bad we’re out of leads. Unless we want to try and find any traces of a burning creature in the swampy and damp Everfree. I doubt there’d even be a single mote of ash.”

“I guess… sometimes a criminal is too good to leave a trace. Or maybe we just… aren’t good enough detectives to solve an arson.”

“No… I suppose not,” Rarity said. She paused for a long moment. Then, she sat up straight and her eyes brightened. “Pinkie I have an idea.”

“We are not getting Applejack. She’s been—”

“No, I know. We can do this without her.” Rarity started trotting into town. She shouted behind her, “Come along, we’re going to go talk to the guards again!”

“Are you sure you don’t want to fix your makeup first?” Pinkie shouted, running to follow.

“A perfect first stop!”
> Snuffed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack had found the cart in the barn. She thought Big Mac might’ve been bucking already, but he had probably done all he could already today. The bucking felt good. Each buck sent shockwaves through her. She was probably bucking too hard, and her rear hooves chipped as she bucked. The pain in her hooves grew with each buck, but it felt right. 

“Applejack?” Big Mac said behind her.

Applejack turned around. “Howdy.”

“You…” Big Mac began. “Granny and I have been looking at the books.”

“Nothing good, I expect?”

“Enope.”

“How bad?”

“With the loss, even if we have a good crop this year, we’re not going to make enough money to be able to pay taxes this year.”

Applejack nodded.

“I think we should sell to Filthy.”

“But Granny doesn’t?” Applejack asked flatly.

“I think she wants to keep what’s left.”

Applejack sat down. “I don’t disagree with her.”

“I want you to mediate.”

“I’m barely old enough to be an adult.”

Big Mac didn’t respond.

Applejack sighed. She looked out over the trees towards the East fields.

“Alright, I will.”

After a moment, Big Mac walked slowly up to her and sat down in front of her. “The investigation go well?”

“Fool’s errand.”

Big Mac looked away.

“I’m… sorry I didn’t go in with you.”

“Nah, we didn’t turn up anything in the investigation.”

“I meant into the fire.”

Before Applejack could respond, she heard a refined voice call out. “Applejack? Big Mac? You over there?”

“Over here, Filthy.” Big Mac replied, standing up. Applejack followed his direction.

“I was coming over to inquire about the offer I mentioned to Applejack. I wanted to make sure both you and your Granny heard it from me.”

“We appreciate that, Filthy,” Applejack said.

“I know money is tight right now.”

“It is,” Big Mac said.

“But it is still our farm.”

“I’m sure it’s a very difficult time, for all of you. And I don’t mean to put pressure on you now. I just wanted to formally reoffer this.”

“Well, I—”

“Hiya, Applejack! Hiya, Big Mac! Hiya Mr. Rich!”

“Pinkie?” Applejack replied. “What are you doing here?”

Pinkie walked out from behind some trees. “Not just me, silly.” Behind her were Strawberry, Tree Hugger, Bosc, and Straight.

Applejack’s stomach sunk at seeing them all.

“Straight? What are you doing all the way out here?” Filthy asked. “I thought you were on stocking duty today.”

“No, Felt is on duty today. My shift ended a little bit ago, and Pinkie offered me a cupcake if I came with her.”

“Pinkie,” Applejack growled, “what is going on? I thought—”

“Can’t tell you Applejack! I don’t have most of the answers.”

“Well then—”

“Rarity’s on her way now.”

Applejack felt the stinging pain in her hooves. She looked at Big Mac near her, a look of confusion on his face.

“Alright Pinkie,” she said, sitting down, “we’ll wait.”

Applejack went back to bucking a few trees. She did so slowly, stopping to watch her guests every once in a while.

Bosc’s eyes were shifting back and forth. She was fidgeting occasionally.

“You’re… Bosc, right? The Pear in town?” Big Mac asked her.

“Oh, uh, yeah. I… hope it’s okay I’m here.”

Big Mac didn’t respond.

“You must be their son… uh, Big McIntosh?”

“Eyup.”

“How… how’re you holding up?” she asked sheepishly.

“Fine.”

“That’s good.”

Applejack gave a hard buck, everypony jolted to look at her.

She didn’t say anything to them.

A few birds chirped nearby and the apple tree she was under rustled in the breeze.

“Sorry about earlier this afternoon,” Tree Hugger said.

Applejack grunted.

“Oh, you were fine today.”

Tree Hugger nodded slowly.

Applejack gave a harder buck. The crack made even Big Mac jump, and he glared at Applejack. 

Applejack tried not to meet his gaze.

“Pinkie, what’s taking Rarity so long?”

“I’m sure she’ll be here soon. She… she’s probably galloping here now.” Pinkie gave her a soft smile.

Applejack bit her tongue. She moseyed her way over to a new tree. Crouching down, she prepared to buck.

“Did we have to be somewhere with such a strong apple smell?” Strawberry asked.

Applejack flinched, and her buck missed the tree. She fell onto the ground, which everyone turned to see. “Alright, that’s it, Pinkie—”

“Yoo-hoo!” Rarity called from behind a few trees. She was still wearing her wide-brimmed hat, and her immaculate makeup. How she managed to keep herself so put-together Applejack would never understand.

“Rarity! There you are,” Pinkie said.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long. But, I had to get the guards here from the other side of town.”

Each of them came trotting. The Captain and Lieutenant spent a moment taking off their helmets.

Applejack noticed Rarity seemed to be a little out of breath, rather than pausing exclusively for dramatic effect.

“Ah, Mr. Rich. I’m glad you’re already here. I think this will make it all much more convenient.”

“I’m not sure I follow,” he said.

“Rarity, I thought I said I was done with this.”

“Indeed you did, darling.”

“Then why,” Applejack shouted, “does it seem like your about to claim you’ve solved the arson?”

“Doesn’t seem like you’re done with that, AJ,” Big Mac interjected. 

“I have as much an idea why she’s here as you do.”

Big Mac didn’t respond. 

“Believe me, Applejack,” Rarity said, drawing her attention, “I don’t believe for a second that I can prove anyone here committed the arson.”

Applejack groaned.

“Sorry to bother you, Rarity. I’m just a little confused why you had me bring all the arson suspects, then.”

“I’m sorry, suspect?” 

“Not this garbage again.”

“Wait, was that why you came to my cottage today?”

“Wait, why am I a suspect?”

“Sorry, what’s going on?”

“You can’t really think I did this.”

“Was that what the tinderbox was about?”

“I swear, Mr. Rich, I didn’t do anything like this! I would never jeopardize your business relationships!”

“This is just because I don’t like apples, isn’t it.” 

“I—”

“I assure you,” Rarity said loudly, “no one here is being accused of arson. In fact,” Rarity paused, “you are all witnesses to the crime I believe I can easily prove culpability for: destruction of property.”

Applejack exhaled loudly. “Is this some sort of weird legal hubbub? Listen, Rarity, I don’t care what crime you call it. The arson is the arson.”

“Of course it is, dear. But I’m not proving anything to do with the arson. Rather, what I can prove is who convinced a swarm of bats to destroy the property of many farms around Ponyville.”

Applejack’s confusion only grew, but before she could respond, Strawberry interrupted her.

“Wait, that was intentional? Who in Celestia’s good name would go through all that trouble just to get rid of somepony else’s crop? It’s not like you can sell bat-digested strawberries or something.”

Rarity smirked. “All in good time, darling.” She turned to Tree Hugger. “Dear, could you remind us what happened to the bats you were looking after?”

“It was you?” Strawberry shouted. “You knew about the bats?”

“Wait, I can—”

“I lost more crop than I could handle! I—”

“Yes,” Rarity interjected, “you did, but why don’t you let Tree Hugger explain.”

“Well… I…” Tree Hugger swallowed. “I found the swarm of fruit bats last month, but I kept them near my cottage and kept them well-fed. I… I didn’t want them eating anypony’s crop. So, I always gave them more than they needed. And—and I’ve got the paperwork to prove it.”

Strawberry still eyed her suspiciously, but refrained from saying anything.

“Straight, I know we’ve upset you a bit, but could you confirm that there was fruit missing from Filthy’s storeroom?”

“Wait, did you use that fruit to lure out the bats? To steal my crop?”

“I—”

“You absolute—”

“Strawberry!” Applejack shouted. Strawberry turned to her. “Can we please just let him finish? He seems more nervous than a cornered mouse without you yelling at him.”

Strawberry opened her mouth, presumably to bite back, but exhaled slowly instead. After a moment, she nodded.

Straight, however, was still a stuttering mess.

“Take your time, dear.”

Straight took a minute to calm down. Eventually, though, he was able to confirm the missing fruit.

“Can you also tell us about the puppet in Filthy’s shop?”

“Y-yeah. He had it installed a couple of years ago. He… said he was having a puppet phase, I think. He had it done by a puppeteer in… Canterlot, I think?”

“Intriguing,” Rarity said.

Applejack felt the thoughts forming in her mind, but she didn’t want to ask. She didn’t want it to be real.

“Applejack, darling, did you hear some squeaks in Filthy’s home?”

“Yes—”

“How interes—”

“—But I thought they were ponies moving around the house.”

Rarity’s eyes flashed wide for a moment. But they settled back into smug confidence just a moment later.

“Pinkie, did you hear any squeaks in Filthy’s home?”

“Yes, though I don’t think they were boards squeaking. Boards sound hollower than what I heard.”

“What did you think they were, then?”

“I just thought Filthy had some secret he didn’t want to share.”

“I, for the record, also wasn’t initially able to place to sound. But it certainly wasn’t any board I’ve ever heard.”

“That certainly is a very specific accusation,” Captain Spear Point said. “But could you clarify what you’re accusing Mr. Rich of?”

“Well then.” Rarity took a deep breath. “I hereby formally accuse you, Mr. Filthy Rich, of the destruction of property on Sweet Apple Acres and Sunrise Fields.”

“And Carrot’s field, and Sour’s orchard, and Strawberry’s field and Rind’s patch,” Pinkie helpfully supplied.

“Yes, and those. I believe that you’ll find the bat swarm in Filthy’s attic.”

“There should be an albino bat as part of the swarm,” Tree Hugger said.

“And, I believe you should search for documentation regarding large puppetry pieces of the Flaming Timberwolf.”

Spear exhaled. “I’m not convinced about that creature. It’s more likely just an unrelated incident than some conspiracy.”

“But,” Rarity’s confidence quickly waned from her face. “He clearly has a motive if he’s destroying crops using bats. Surely that's enough?”

“Don’t forget about the tendon and the tinderbox!” Pinkie said.

“While it is all very suspicious, it’s very possible the Flaming Timberwolf is a phenomenon that the Everfree produces.”

Rarity tried to speak a couple times, but nothing came from her mouth.

Applejack sat down, not quite sure what she wanted: Filthy not to be responsible or to know how her parents died. She was sure, however, that she wasn’t getting either.

“Miss,” an elderly voice said panting, “Miss Rarity… I’ve got… I’ve got your research for you.” Well Sorted said, huffing and puffing into view. 

“My research?” Rarity asked. “Oh! Yes, from Canterlot!”

“Yes, I tried to follow you from town. But these bones aren’t what they used to be,” he said. He unfurled a letter. “Now, a pair of research assistants at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, researchers in the field of cryptozoology, scoured tomes and records for such a creature. While all kinds of snuffed Timberwolves were found, no Pyrewolf or any creature matching that description was found. They go on to say they’d like to come down and record any credible statements of such viewings and would like to investigate themselves.”

“My goodness, they did that in only a few days?”

“Apparently, they’re very interested in new accounts of cryptids.”

“Filthy,” Applejack interjected, “why?”

His face hadn’t changed at all during the entire conversation. He still had on his usual slight, content smile. Still stood up straight. Still had his clothes unwrinkled.

“I’m sorry, but I have no idea what all you’re talking about. These claims are clearly farcical. In fact, I am wildly scandalized that anyone would make them about me—I do so much for this town.”

“Yeah, you work with our family. You ate our food. You sold our food. You did all that, and yet you still found it in your heart to kill my parents!”

“He what?” Granny Smith asked from behind some trees. “Is it true?”

“Well, ma’am, it seems it might be that way,” Lieutenant Nightstick said.

Granny Smith stared at her business partner for a few moments. “I can’t believe you. You absolute scumbag! You killed my son! You killed my daughter! In law. Oh, who cares, they’re dead now. I… I’ll… I’ll do something.”

“Granny,” Big Mac said, “why don’t we sit down.”

“No! I don’t want to. I want this stallion’s hide!” She began to sob.

“We’ll do what we can, ma’am,” the captain said. “Nightstick, go present the evidence to Judge Gavel. Get a few warrants and bring some men into the Everfree. Send another group to the mansion.”

“Aye-aye, sir.” The lieutenant flew off towards Ponyville proper.

“You can probably also sue him,” Bosc said, “might recoup some of the damages to the farm.”

“The rest of you can leave now,” the captain said as he left with Filthy in tow.

Strawberry was the first to leave. She muttered something about the stench of apples; Applejack didn’t have the energy to argue with her.

Straight looked a little unsure what to do. But, eventually, he excused himself and wandered off the farm.

Tree Hugger apologized to Applejack’s family for the circumstances. She asked them to stop by, and hoped she could come to the funeral.

Bosc stayed behind, but didn’t make any moves to say anything. Instead, she stood awkwardly inspecting anything she could.

Rarity walked over to Applejack. “I hope that wasn’t too intrusive for you.”

“I’ll manage,” Applejack said flatly. “Why’d you bring Bosc?”

“I came of my own volition, actually. I got a letter today. A lot of the Pear family wanted to come to the funeral. We… I know we haven’t been on the best of terms, but I think they genuinely wanted to come to pay respects to Pear Butter and Bright McIntosh.” She paused a moment, then added, “I can hold them off though, if need be.”

Applejack looked at her family. Granny’s face, still wet with tears, was scrunched up in anger. Big Mac looked worriedly between Granny and Bosc. Applejack herself wasn’t sure she wanted to say anything.

Granny Smith took a deep breath. “It’s probably best if we let bygones be bygones.”

“Well, I’m glad we can… make something of this.”

“Yes… I think they’d be happy with a conclusion like this.”

They shook hooves, both a little hesitant. 

Rarity put a hoof around Applejack in front of the awkward, heartwarming scene.





Applejack pulled on her long black dress. She thought the collar was too tight, but Rarity assured her it was traditional. If there was one thing Applejack wanted for this, it was certainly traditional.

The heavily clouded sky felt right for today. The weather team had graciously agreed to bring the clouds for the funeral, to help with the mood.

Rarity sat down on the bench next to her. “Only a few more hours.”

“Yep.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better than yesterday, I think. Not by much. But maybe a little.”

“Did Pinkie’s cooking help at all?”

Applejack chuckled. “We cooked together. I think that helped. I also promised Apple Bloom I’d finally bring her to the park tomorrow.”

“How’s she handling it? I haven’t seen her in a few days.”

“Eh, not well. I think she’s at the point she understands why she’s so sad, but not exactly what to do about it. I’d help her through it. But…”

Rarity nodded.

They watched a few children playing in the park in front of them for a moment.

“Do you think I made the right decisions? Talking to everyone? Accusing him like I did?”

“Well, it was very dramatic, so it was certainly you.”

“Oh, you.”

They chuckled together.

“I’m glad we figured it out, of course. But I don’t feel like I helped all that much.”

“We couldn’t have done it without you. We wouldn’t have even had suspects.”

“I think you could’ve figured it out faster if it weren’t for me.”

“Oh no, I needed to focus on the bats. I was too focused on the arson. I wouldn’t have even gone to Tree Hugger’s if you didn’t seem so desperate.” Rarity blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“I know what you meant.”

They didn’t look at each other for a moment.

“How’s dressmaking this week?”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter. Why don’t you ask me tomorrow?”

Applejack smiled and shook her head.

“Pinkie thought the investigation might’ve been doing more harm than good for you.”

Applejack exhaled lightly. “I wasn’t really… thinking about my parents. I got a little caught up in trying to blame somepony. Especially Strawberry.”

“I’m sure Tree Hugger was difficult as well.”

Applejack nodded.

“How’s everypony feeling?” Pinkie asked from behind them.

Both she and Rarity jumped. 

“Goodness Pinkie!”

“Landsakes, don’t sneak up on us like that!”

Pinkie giggled to herself. “No promises!” She smiled broadly. “So, how are you feeling.”

Neither she nor Rarity spoke.

Pinkie sat down gingerly.

“The dressmaking business isn’t going as well as I thought it would; I’m struggling to find clients both in and out of Ponyville. I have to send dresses to contests. I have to pay to ship them. I have to pay for entries. And don’t get me started on judges. All they do is complain, never even criticize.” Rarity sighed. “I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. Maybe, if I moved to a bigger city, I’d get more customers.”

Applejack’s stomach lurched a little.

“But, I think the grass will always be greener. Besides, I still feel like I have a life I’d like to keep here in Ponyville.”

Applejack and Pinkie both smiled. 

“I think the farm is going to have a tough few years. The suit against Filthy might go well. It’ll take a while. And it’ll be awful expensive. Not to mention Filthy will probably have the best lawyers money can buy. Or at least close to that the best. It might be hard to replant the orchard without an influx of cash. Maybe some of the Apples will be able to help us swing it, but money’s still going to be tight.” 

Rarity and Pinkie nodded.

“I do wish I knew why he did it… He was such a close family friend.”

“He did want to buy your farm, dear.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t tell me why wanted to buy our farm so bad.”

“Hm… I know it’d be harder for me to make the dresses I do if I couldn’t find the gemstones I needed.”

“Apples aren’t gems, Rarity. Plus, he usually got the cream of the crop.”

“You can make a lot more profit when you own a larger portion of the business, Applejack.”

“I suppose… I just… can’t quite believe he did it.”

Pinkie started to ask, “Do you—”

“No, I remember the evidence. I just… didn’t think it would be him.”

“Sometimes ponies do things for reasons we can’t understand,” Rarity said. “That we’ll never understand.”

Applejack adjusted her collar. 

“How about you, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked Pinkie.

“Oh… ya’know…” Pinkie pawed the ground, “I’m doing just fine.” Her smile looked a little too tight.

“Are you sure, darling? When your Pinkie Sense told us about… the incident… you seemed to think it had something to do with the Cakes.”

“Well… it’s not really that impor—”

“Course it is. You’ve spent too much time helpin’ out me and my family to just brush this off.”

“I…” Pinkie pawed the ground with her hoof. “I’m not sure living with the Cakes was such a good idea.”

“Oh dear, did something happen recently?”

“No… it’s not… them, per se. I just… I feel weird staying with them, I guess.”

“Are they good to you?”

“Yeah, but…”

Applejack rolled her hoof.

Pinkie let out an exasperated breath. “I don’t know what it is, exactly.”

“Do you miss your parents?” Rarity asked.

“Of course she misses her parents.”

“Y… no… not really,” Pinkie said. “I miss Maud.”

Applejack wasn’t sure what to say to that, so instead she kept silent.

Rarity kept silent, too.

“I’m… sure it’ll be alright.” Pinkie said flatly. “Are you ready for the funeral, AJ?”

Applejack took a deep breath. “No,” she said, “But, I think that’s what funerals are for,” Applejack said as she stood up.

“You know, you two, we really did a good job on this mystery. Maybe we should make a detective agency.”

Applejack guffawed. As she wiped tears from her eyes, she noticed Rarity frowning at her. “Aw shucks, sugarcube, we barely did anything. You were great, but I’m not a detective, at least.”

“I meant it when I said I couldn’t have done it without either of you.”

“I’d do it again,” Pinkie said. “I’d prefer something less sad, though. Maybe a jewel theif?”

“There might be some money in it for the farm.”

Applejack considered the offer. On the one hand, she didn’t feel like she had the skills. But, on the other hand, the farm had bills to pay.

“I’ll think about it. But, I want to talk with my—with Granny and Big Mac about it first.”

Rarity nodded, at least placated for now.

The clocktower chimed twelve times.

“Come on,” Applejack said, standing up, “we need to get to the funeral.”

“One more thing, darling.”

Applejack turned back to Rarity.

“I thought you might want to wear a hat, finally.”

“This again?”

Pinkie was clearly hiding a smile.

“I’m not wearing some silly black hat. Hats don’t fit me.”

Rarity clutched her chest. “Oh, darling, you wound me. To think, I would suggest something so garish. And to think I would be accused of such a crime by my dearest friend.” Rarity went limp on the bench.

Pinkie’s laughter left her rolling in the grass. Applejack rolled her eyes.

“Oh, and what would you have me wear, drama queen?”

“Why, I was thinking,” Rarity pulled a familiar brown stetson out of her bag, “you would wear your father’s hat.”

Applejack’s felt her fur stand up. “Rarity, I can’t wear Tallulah… it’s… not mine.”

“Oh, isn’t it?”

“Wouldn’t… wouldn’t Big Mac have that instead? Or, what about Apple Bloom?”

“I have it on good word that it was left to you in the will. Something about it ‘fitting your head right’.”

Applejack hesitated. “I… I don’t know. I feel like…”

“It would be a good way to synthesize the future and the past of the Apple family, don’t you think?”

Applejack watched the soft material sway in Rarity’s hooves. Her father always said it was a sturdy hat. Apparently, he wore it for twenty years.

“Alright,” Applejack relented, “I’ll wear it. But don’t think I’ll keep wearing it after today.”

Pinkie giggled a little.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, I’ll tell you in a month.”

Applejack wasn’t happy about the ominous warning, but, feeling late already, began trotting off toward Town Hall.

“I can’t believe I’ve finally done it, Pinkie. Three years and she’s finally got a hat on.”

“Yep,” Applejack said, “All it took was a massive unspeakable tragedy and I’ll have it on for three hours.”

“Don’t remind me that you’ll take it off.”

The three chuckled as they made their way into town.