Protection Artistry by Way of a Troubled Apple (Closed: Taco)

[SteelEagle]

Mold and other growth, the great and eternal enemy once you started venturing deeper into the Everfree. Everything was overgrown to a certain extent and given to all the weird and wild stuff that lived there. All sorts of crazy molds and diseases resided there, which was why even though they were safe places in an unsafe land you were still better off not relying on them for shelter for too long. Even this place, as relatively mold free as it was, probably really unsafe for any long term habitation. She didn't want to imagination what sorta mold Fire had encountered out here but Applejack knew enough names and symptoms to know there wasn't a good one in the lot and she was thankful for the stars above that they found a place that wasn't overrun with it. Spooky yes. Absurdly dangerous, no. She could live with the first a heck of a lot more than the second. "Well Fire, Ah suppose this'll be better than that, at least for a wlittle while. Hopefully none of them chupathingies sniff us out, they make their rounds 'round these dwellings."

 

The subject soon came to her paramour, Rainbow Dash. Applejack could tell that slight bit of confusion after the revelation, and she smiled in response. She didn't blame ponies for being a bit curious, but after she was told, it was so obvious it was silly. The population was growing even with a relatively large gender gap and it wasn't like there was anything regarding multiple mares per a stallion! It was all magic. Not applied magic or a spell or a potion, but the simple magic of love, expressed in such a way as to produce a child. Maybe the fact that this was common knowledge amongst unicorns but was mostly absent when it came to Earth ponies and pegasi spoke to an education gap, or the simple fact it seemed obvious to unicorns due to their connection to the aether. "Good to know, Fire. Ah was startin' ta think  Ah'd have to lasso her up nice and good before bed...whether she was wanting it or not, hehehehe," she laughed impishly, delighting in that small nit of naughtiness. 

 

The fire was nice. Warm, soothing, the way it crackled in the midst of the storm outside was allowing her to relax as she allowed herself to fill up the bottles. She listened to Fire talk about her time out in the woods with her ex-stallionfriend. It involved being alone in the caves and if she knew anything about the wild influence of these woods then it was a wonder she wasn't nursing her own story about unusual pregnancies. She was mostly right though. If the other pony could handle the trek it was better to at least double up. Safety in numbers was the primary concern. She'd been in the Everfree alone often enough to know the worst danger it presented was to your own senses, and having somepony else there was one sure way to solve that problem without significant issue. "Well, Ah think that at least pairin' up is safer than not. Can't tel you how many times Ah wish Ah had somepony with me out here when Ah was all alone, an-" She began before the big crash jolted her from her seat.

 

She removed herself from milking and slowly inched towards the basement door. It didn't sound like it was anything friendly, but the mean creatures rarely entered here. There was a pregnant pause when suddenly a terrifying sight came bursting out of the door!

 

Spoiler

 

"It's a chupathingy!"

[tacobob]

 

 

 

 

“Chupathingies?", the red mare responded back with a grin, "Do you mean a Chupacabra? I heard stories about those beasties when I was a filly. Said they were nasty looking reptilian dog like creatures that suck the blood out of livestock." She resisted the urge to wave her front hooves at the farmer like a spooky specter while going 'Oo-oo!' as that would be very unprofessional.  "And since neither of us are cows, goats or sheep,  I believe such a creature would leave us alone if it know what was good for it." Not only did the officer have a few weapons at her side, it would be downright suicide for any creature to even try to threaten a pregnant mare.

 

While the old house was a mess and there was probably a few nasty creatures either lurking about inside or outside their temporary dwelling, Fire Walker was comfortable. She also felt a little better knowing that Applejack was getting an needed break and the officer did not have to nag at her. But how ready was she? Was there a chance she could give birth during their little journey? The Pegasus pony herself was born a few months before her scheduled birth and had a very miserable childhood. When she was old enough to learn, the filly had an incredibly difficult time learning how to walk. She looked like she was walking on fire.  And would the officer be up to the challenge? Could she help the farmer with the deliverer? She had witnessed a proper hospital birth, so she knew it was far more than just yelling 'push' like they do in movies. Of course she was going to push! Would she ever think to pull?

 

"My second colt-friend, a guy named Storm Catcher considered himself a country boy, but he was the true definition of 'all hat and no cattle'.", the mare shook her head as she spoke, "He was kind of an rump-head, but he had some skills. He could do wonders with rope. Guy could lasso a cloud and send it packing.Even had a cool trick where he would snatch a grey cloud and slam it into its brothers, causing all kinds of thunder." she stared at the fire as she spoke, "He tried the whole lassoing me up, but that did not work out like he wanted."

 

 

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With the loud noise upon them, Fire Walker managed to ignore instinct, and instead of jumping off the couch and popping out her little hoof-blades, she slowly made her way up from the couch. If needed, it only took a moment for her to draw a weapon. She managed to land on her hooves just in time to face the..

 

"Possum?", Fire Walker was not sure if she should laugh or not. "Looks like an extremely fuzzy little possum by the look of her tail. Although I'm not sure about the feet." There was also the matter of her buck teeth and do possums sport green fur? "Hello little gal.", she cooed in a very friendly tone, "I hope we did not wake you up." The officer reached into her bag and pulled out a small stack of crackers from her meal kit and hoofed them over, "Here you go."

 

While the strange little creature was adorable, the pony knew she could not let her guard down. Some of the nastier creatures out there could act all innocent until...CRUNCH! Off goes your head!

 

 

Spoiler

OOC: The one problem with message board RPs is that I always try to make my posts a decent size. As opposed to the more rapid-fire short posts from an PBEM (Post by E-Mail Game..Which I'm currently in an Pathfinder RP). Normally, I should have replied to the KABOOM and your adorable little Pokémon, but that post would have been really short.. So I added a little more to the conversation before the KABOOM just so she could reply to AJ...

 

[SteelEagle]

 

 

Applejack knew possums. She knew them well. She had a pet possum when she was a little filly (to be fair the list of animals she didn't have as pets was likely shorter than the opposite list). When Luna needed advice for a pet Applejack had listed off a pet possum due to their good nature and responsiveness as one of a few good options. She had helped bring back several breeds in the area. They were nuisances if not socialized well with ponies but if done well they were a superior deterrent to a lot of nasty critters that harmed farming concerns. This was all a fairly long way of saying that she knew possums well. And she knew how rare it was to find them in the Everfree as they lacked all the traits needed to survive out there while holding several notable disadvantages.

 

This wasn't a possum. It was in no way a possum. It had several possum like features, but she knew a possum when she one. And she knew a chupathingy when she saw one, and this was a chupathingy, even if she had never really seen a real live chupathingy with her own two eyes before. Sure it was absolutely adorable and probably not at all a vicious little critter like she expected, but she knew better than to get too close to Everfree wildlife. They put the wild in life, that was for certain. Fire presumed to get friendly with the chupathingy even though she didn't even know what it was. Didn't she know better than to run about with strange animals?

 

"Honey, I know possums, ad that ain't a possum," Applejack replied with a whisper. It was a real cutie though. She was expecting a more terrifying introduction to a chupathingy, but still, she was a bit wary. "Ah wouldn't get too close, even if she is a little cutie pie. Them chupathingies are mysterious and such. Some subsets of'm are supposed ta have some powers," she said in a hushed tone. She wasn't one to give in to wild claims but in the Everfree wild claims could become truth at any moment. The little critter looked at the two ponies with a happy, dopey expression on its fuzzy and warm features.

 

It made a chirping, trilling sound as it approached the outstretched crackers. It looked at them for a moment and then dove in, its warm, suckling mouth wet against the fire red mare who was offering it. It turned up to look at her and chirped pleasantly a few more times, smiling widely as it started to climb on her. "Well...it is mighty cute..." Applejack said, admiring the nature of the little one as it made Fire Walker's leg her personal toy. A few seconds later she turned her head back towards the basement and chirped a few more times. Soon, a half dozen pair of green, yellow, and teal eyes opened up in the darkness and a small group of six more chupathingies came bounding out, chirping just as happily as the first.

[tacobob]

 

 

The Everfree Forest was an odd place. Infested with all matter of ancient magics, curses and crazy artifacts, so there was always a good chance its magics could have mutated certain animals over time and made them into something unique.  Maybe they took a proper rooster, give it wings, scales and a long tail and gave it the ability to turn their prey into stone? Or even merged an common crocodile with a hard, rocky body? One of the guards even mentioned there were crazy, vampire rabbits with antlers that ate living creatures and drank their blood. Yeck. Still, those creatures were bound to look terrifying. This little gal, on the other hoof, looked like a foal's drawing that had been brought to life.

 

Still, she just had to heed the words of the farmer. She probably spent more time in these dreaded woods in one month than the red coated officer had endured her entire lifetime. She knew what to avoid and probably learned form experience to simply avoid all Everfree Fauna, no matter how cute they were. "These guys are actually called chupathingies?" She had assumed a pony with such a well defined as Applejack was trying to say Chupacabra.  That was a word that really did not resemble what it looked like.

 

"I'll stay away from the chup, but I could never be rude to such a cutie pie.", the guard added, still with a sweet tone to her voice. Maybe that was the creature's power, to make whoever looked at act like a silly foal, while real beasties could sneak up on their distracted target? She could see how these guys worked. Their mossy, green coats would allow them to blend into plant-life. And the sharp, buck teeth would have no issues slicing up vegetation. Their suction cup feet would allow them to easily climb trees, and their tails, which probably worked just like possums, allowed them to hang from branches.

 

Fire Walker quickly caught sight of the rest of the critter's herd, or colony or whatever a group of these guys were called. Each one cuter than the last. "I'd hate to cut your break short, but maybe we should get moving?", these little guys probably feed off the leftover food explorers left, so if they left some crackers behind, the 'chupathingies' would not follow. "I'll leave these fellas the rest of my crackers, then put out the fire and we could move on. I have a feeling this place is their home, so they probably won't follow us."

 

IF the Earth Pony agreed with her plans, Fire Walker will unwrap her pack of crackers and place them in a safe place. Once the little guys were feeding, she would quickly end the fire and then head back to the forest....Unless AJ had better plans?

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack was being overwhelmed by the sheer heart-rending cuteness of these chupacabras as they came out of the dark and made the two ponies their targets of affection. If the two mares hadn't been caught in such a fashion they likely could have made a better guess as to what was really happening, but it was too late. They were fooled. The spell played over them was adorable and insidious. But for now, harmless. Applejack was more wary than Fire but her mind was aflutter with soft thoughts devoted to motherly affection currently for all things small and bright. These critters were absolutely, heartbreakingly precious and Applejack just wanted to feed them. "Well..chupacabras, but...hehe, Ah always called 'em chupathigies as a foal. Had trouble saying it right. Guess it just stuck," she said, giving one of them a nice pet.

 

Fire had a decent enough idea. In fact it was definitely the right one. Giving these cute little balls of love their food and then leaving was definitely right. This was obviously the home of a family of these things. She wasn't sure if they had disturbed the family or if explorers had just made their peace with the little chupas. But Applejack didn't want to get i the way of the little chupacabra family and how absurdly adorable they all were. She didn't just not want to, she simply couldn't, like something was gonna force her to leave one way or another. "Yeah, that sounds about right like tha right idea, Sugarcube. Don't wanna leave'm with nothin'. Here little fellas, take ahn apple of mine," she said, fishing for an apple and placing it next where the crackers were supposed to be.

 

Applejack quickly gathered her stuff. There was no respite to be had here; back into the growing rain. They had to go. They couldn't share. They shouldn't have entered. It was very rude of them, wasn't it? In fact, it was so rude that Applejack felt compelled to bring a few more apples down to their level. When she did that she felt a lot better and had less compulsion to feed them. She packed her stuff and nodded to Fire. "Let's go, find someplace else for the day," she said, trotting out in somewhat of a hurry despite the weather. It didn't take long for Applejack to make good time out of there and soon they were out in the elements. She felt considerably better once they had done so, like something had been lifted from her mind.

 

Back in the shelter, if the ponies were there and not under the spell, they'd see the truth. A ratty, ruined structure devoid of warmth with a small gaggle of terrifying baby chupacabras. They hissed and crackled, taking the treats offered by the ponies into the basement- where they were met by a pair of dark yellow eyes, their momma oh so very proud of her little babies.

"So, uhh...where do we go now?" Applejack asked, her voice low.

[tacobob]

 

The animals in the Everfree Forest were a strange bunch. While they did not seem to be any smarter than those who roamed outside the mystic woods, they had evolved beyond the need to be cared for by ponies.  At least, this was what she had always been told by those who frequented the strange forest. This caused the officer to wonder why Applejack's 'Chupathigies' were hanging around an old house. Shouldn't they have been in some cave or underground cavern? Maybe they were chased away from their lair and made their home here? Or maybe their natural home was under the basement? Maybe someone was investigating the lower levels and managed to break into the natural cavern, thus alerting the creatures? And they ended up ditching their own need to hunt and now relied on passersby to feed them.  And being such a softie, Fire Walker could not ignore the pleas from such adorable little animals.

 

"Oh right, it's still raining." Fire Walker glanced up at the sky. Was it the correct choice to move on? She could not even consider doing anything that would make the farmer uncomfortable. Still, Earth Ponies were built tough. She could handle a little rain! After taking a good look at her companion. she noticed the mare seemed to be in good spirits. "Probably would have been unwise to get too comfortable there.", she muttered. There was always the chance they could have fallen asleep and would have become a meal for some wandering monster. First rule of adventure: always have somepony watching your back when you sleep.

 

Applejack had a question. 'Where do we go now?' This worried the mare, but she would not dare say anything to insult the girl. "Guess we just follow the trail.", While there was no gravel or stone path, she could see that the ground had been trodden on just enough to make some sort of pathway. "We haven't strayed too far from your usual route?" She asked as they moved on. "And whenever you need to stop and rest, please say so."

[SteelEagle]

Applejack wasn't going to show it or say it, but she was missing even the prospect of that great rest in the house. Her ankles were swollen and she needed to get some milking going before it hurt. All of that on top of the normal adventuring shenanigans and hootenanny. Not being able to take a good ol' rest was going to bit her in the rear, but she couldn't really think about it. They still had a ways to go and this forest was about to get mean. That was what the rain always seemed to signify anyway. The Everfree never took it easy on the ponyfolk and whe it rained- well, yeah, it would pour. Applejack was on her guard, as uncomfortable as she was. At least she wasn't suffering alone.

 

Fire Walker didn't seem to have a place in mind. Truthfully, neither did Applejack. She reckoned they'd just have to find a clearing and make camp there. Not as warm or fun as a house. She'd make it though and she wouldn't complain about it, either. "Well, if mah memory ain't goin' ta tha mud thar should be a safe 'nough clearin' ta rest up about an hour's trot away," she said, not trying to sound downbeat about the prospect of it all. She had really been looking forward to the rest. Oh well. She started pounding dirt (and mud), not wanting to stop for a thing. As far as she was concerned the future was bright. 

"We haven't strayed too far, Fire. A bit. Not enough ta make us lost or nothin'. Just a little ol' correction is all we need, then we'll be back on track," she said confidently as she trotted underneath some trees which, heavy with pollen, were equally sodden with rain. It was a fortunate combination that made Applejack anxious to speak.

Time for some talk. Recent event like, actually.
In fact, she felt like getting something off of her chest. She didn't know why. It certainly wasn't the rain-activated pollen in the air, no. Why, that was just a myth. Only a myth. Still...
"So, uhh, can Ah confide in ya somethin'?" Applejack asked, not fully aware of why she felt the need to do so. Not that it was a bad idea, the more she thought about it. Getting something off of your chest and out of your head instead of allowing it to fester was good for the mind, body, and soul.
Or so the pollen was telling her.
 

[tacobob]

 

 

Fire Walker’s heart seemed to sink a little lower as she watched the farmer for a moment. She still looked pretty beat. Would it be wise to return to the old hut? While those little creatures were adorable, they might expect even more food with their return trip? And there was always a chance there was something not-so-adorable waiting in the basement. Maybe it was for the best they continued to move on? The officer would need to keep one eye on her charge, making sure to catch any signs of injury or extreme stress. The officer really wish she had not assumed this was going to be an cake-walk, even with one of Princess Celestia’s champions at her side.

 

“A rough clearing? Lead the way. It’s just a shame there aren’t any caves nearby.”, during one of her little adventures in the dreaded forest, she and her companion were able to avoid a very unpleasant storm after discovering an entrance to a small underground cavern. This permitted the pair enough cover to get a good night’s sleep. “Once we find your spot, I could always make you an emergency shelter, be it an debris or spider shelter.” Just as long as there was decent wood or stout sticks that were not quickly drenched. She could do this. Survival skills were taught to all first year students in the R.E.A.  Hopefully once they had some sort of covering over their head, they could review their map.

 

The pair were able to find a canopy of trees to walk under. While some rain did manage to get through, they at least were no longer being completely drenched. This was a good thing. “You have something to confide with me? Go right ahead.”, the red Pegasus mare continued to trot along with the farmer, “As per the laws of the Royal Equestrian Army, what you say to me, stays with me.”

 

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack felt the concrete words flow out of her with little she could to stop them. The pollen in the air was thick now, visible to the naked eye. Her mind raced to identify them as alarm bells were being rung, but these thoughts found little purchase in her thought process. More alarming, more taxing, far more terrifying to her were the words she spoke haltingly, trying to not say them but finding that she could do no such thing. This had to be because of this dreadful pollen, but any warning as the pair continued on and Applejack spoke was choked on words of revelation and deep seated fears, and that was that. She'd know the truth about the pollen when she could get past it, but that didn't make it any less harrowing.

 

"...Well, ta start off...Ah feel sorta stuck in place. Ah mean not as much as Ah used ta thanks to mah foal on tha way, but- well, Ah mean, look at mah friends. Rainbow Dash is a Wonderbolt an' good fer her but when Ah met'r she could hardly go a day without crashin' all hard-like. Now she can't seem ta fail! Ah love her, but...Rarity, she used ta be desperate ta just get a good order. Now she has a whole line of stores an' each one's better than tha last. Plum happy fer her an' all, but she's come so far an' Ah...Twilight, Ah mean, do Ah even need ta say who she is now? But tha Twi I knew was such a bundle of neurotic worries an' tendencies an' so fret bout' most things Ah could swear she was gonna burst. Everypony Ah know seems ta be evolvin' or completin' some life goal. Ah'm just...stuck here, tha same as Ah ever was," she said as she made her way through a thicket of trees.

 

A lot of that was true. She did feel..envious wasn't the right word, but restless was. Her friends were all globetrotting success stories while ponies still wrote her off as a backwoods farm mare. It stuck under craw something fierce. Nopony seemed to acknowledge or care that the Apple family, the family she was the dang nerve center for. She wasn't an attention hog, but some decent acknowledgement that she knew more and did more for the Equestrian agriculture industry than anypony else. But nopony seemed to care about how or why food ended up on plates, only that it did, and no heed paid to those who did it. It was frustrating, and she wasn't too pleased that she was still being forced to talk.

 

"It just feels like Ah get passed on by. Makes me feel...well, not worthless by a long stretch, Ah love mah life when Ah get down to it, but I feel awful disrespected  lot of the time. If ponies talked ta Twi tha way they talked ta me, they'd be on tha front page of every newspaper in Equestria," she ended with more than a hint of bitterness. They were still passing in the pollen, which fell thickly between the two and around them, including Fire, and Applejack was none too pleased by the implications of it all.
 

[tacobob]

 

 

Fire Walker glanced around as the farmer spoke. She finally noticed the air was thick with pollen. With her enchanted armor and cloak, this should not bother her.  She did not feel any different. At least not yet. This was not something they could easily avoid as the stuff was everywhere. The light enchantments on her armor continued to keep her feeling well. Maybe she should relax and concentrate on listening to the mare, who she nodded to as an rather lengthy stream of direct honestly came from the earth pony. This was all from the ‘Element Of Honesty’, so this was hardly strange.

 

“It seems your friends had rather lofty goals they they were able to meet and conquer.” The Pegasus tried her best to blow away the pollen with her wings. She tried to push it away from Applejack and herself, but it just kept coming. If only she was a weather pony!  Thankfully, it was more annoying than harmful. This she kept telling herself. “What is with this? Have you ever encountered such dander?” Was she starting to breathe in the dirty air? She still felt the need to speak. “Have you ever given yourself such a goal? I’ve had a few minor ones along the way. Nothing overly ambitious like Princess Twilight or Miss Dash. But they were still goals.” Yeck. It was now on her wings. Hopefully they would find a safe place for a quick bath once this was through.

 

“Little goals like entering officer school, graduating and even losing my vir...”, she let out a cough, which was followed by another, “Er, before a certain age. Even standing guard with a princess...Or now it’s princess plural. Even goals such as getting married.” Wait a second! She had not even told her family this, nor her best friends! Applejack was an incredibly likeable gal, but was still probably slightly further down her list of telling certain things to, but she continued anyway. “Not sure if I’m marrying him for his money. I like to say bits aren’t that important to me, but there’s a little part of me that likes living the high life. He’s also incredibly handsome and he sort of breaks the stereotype of unicorns being bad in the sac..” Stop it! Stop Stop! We’re supposed to be talking about Applejack! She’s a good pony! Look at her. She's such a pretty pony!

 

“Erm, you’re probably not the type to set these. You see an problem. You fix it and move on. And from what I’ve seen you’ve accomplished so much in your life, from running a large farm, even after losing your folks at such a young age. And there’s that whole saving the world thing you do from time to time, and that apple cider...Sweet Celestia. I cursed up a storm a few years ago when my father had me wait in line to purchase a mug of your cider. A mug!”, she laughed, “And the line was bigger than any you would find at ‘Whinny World’, but when we got to the end of the line, he sure had the last laugh..As for you...” Holy moley! Was this stuff never going to end?  “Maybe ponies feel more comfortable praising royalty and celebrities than say a farmer. Which is a shame. But I have a feeling if you look into their eyes, you could probably see their respect..and..”

 

This was getting unbearable! “Is there anyway we can get away from this? Can you run?” This was probably dumb dumb stupid magic! The Everfree was full of it! And even if she knew to avoid blue plants, bushes with googly eyes and even what looked like statues of crcododiles, there was bound to be something new to encounter in the Everfree. The Pegasus concentrated her wings on the earth pony. She could not afford to be sick! "I feel so strange."

 

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack felt a bead of sweat trickle down her features, wetting her warmer in the middle of a cold rain that seemed to get the unusual dander matted deep into her pelt. She didn't want to talk. She could tell Fire didn't want to talk. The words they exchanged were honest and true, but also deeply personal and not something Applejack believed either would have shared with ponies who weren't the closest of friends. Fire was a swell mare and all, beautiful and warm, brave and charming in he royalty, but- huh, that was strange- but nonetheless, she wasn't RD. She wasn't Twi. She wasn't Rares. This was beyond the level of simple personal details and she was more than a little embarrassed by all this, as she was sure Fire was. She could only hope that one of them came up with a way out, fast!

 

Applejack blushed. She was gonna try and flush some of that very personal information Fire was giving her out due to the respect she afforded the REA member, but that didn't mean she didn't hear it. Well, they all had achieved something, she reckoned. But at least Fire's goals were actual goals, and not obligations or familial fates like Applejack's had been. The dander compelled her to speak true and honest, no matter how much she didn't want to share "I set mahself plenty of goals. Just never have tha time. Runnin' tha farm ain't a goal, as happy as it makes me- it's what Ah was always gonna do, from tha day Ah was born. Ah'm not- Ah'm not unhappy, and Ah know Ah've done lots. But Ah feel like everything Ah've done has been because its what Ah was supposed ta do, not because Ah chose to," she began, jumping over a log.

 

She continued, begrudgingly. "Ah mean, you had goals and ya achieved 'em. Officer, experiencin', umm, intimacy bah a certain...maturity. Gettin' yerself a rich stallion. Me? Maybe mah goals were too lofty, considerin' where Ah grew up. Ah wanted ta be a professional wrestler, be a big timer. Ah even was part of a federation in tha heartland, but it died off, an' tha farm needed me so Ah couldn't go ta Manehattan. Ah wanted ta be a professional hoofball player. Heck, when tha barnstormin' teams'd come in they'd get inta biddin' wars for me. But Ah had ta abandon that dream too, 'cause of tha farm. A-and don't get me wrong, Ah love mah home. Ah love mah life. But Ah'll live ten decades more an' be doin' what Ah do right now. Ah'm not sad just...Ah dunno, restless, Ah suppose," she said, sighing at the end.

 

She didn't want to talk anymore. "Ah don't know what's happenin'! Maybe- some of tha rumors are right, them pollen that make y'all speak true, and just plain speak- Ah can run, but Ah dunno where it ends!" She said, starting a furious gallop fueled by embarrassment.

[tacobob]

 

 

“Yep. I doubt there’s any other explanation for this.” Fire Walker generally preferred to keep her mouth closed when she ran or flew. But nope! Stupid Everfree magic was prying her jaw open like a crowbar. “One thing I noticed.” the mare was coated with the wet, soggy pollen. Sweet Celestia! If only there was area with hidden springs or even an Jacuzzi right about now. “Whenever I walk by your farm, there’s either you or your incredibly gorgeous big brother...” shoo! Do not think about the stallion! Do not ponder about why he’s called ‘Big Mag’ Pull back! Pull back!. “Who, If I wasn’t already seeing a guy, I would absolutely..”, she let out a yelp as something flew into her mouth! Was it a moth? A butterfly? Ho-Boy! If that little yellow Pegasus friend of Applejack’s found out, she would not be happy. Thankfully a round of coughing and hacking up whatever she swallowed, did knock her off her track along with whatever she had managed to get caught in her mouth.

 

“Erm.”, she continued to run along with the farmer, “You ever consider hiring other ponies to help on the farm? I could see getting help during the summer from bored teenagers. Even a unicorn or two would be useful during the other seasons.” * She probably swallowed some of that nasty pollen by now. While it would be pretty hot, maybe the R.E.A should have gone back to full plate armor for their uniform. Even if the armor were as heavy as a dead donkey, she would at least be fully sealed into it and would have avoided getting the stuff on her and making her talk! “Heck, I’m sure Princess Twilight could summon up an golem or automation to help as well. We used to use one for training back at the base.” Which started off well, but somehow the enchantment spell got tangled up with the spirit of an long dead officer who was still very cranky after being accidentally killed during a training exercise. Things quickly went all ‘pear shaped’ after that. Thankfully, nobody was killed and the spirit was sent to his rightful place.

 

The officer’s sharp Pegasus eyes quickly caught an opening. “Lady Applejack!”, she bellowed, “There appears to be two openings out of this little patch of woods. Right or left. Pick one and I’ll follow you!” Hopefully one of those paths led back into the route the Earth Pony would normally take.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

* OOC: One thing I noticed in one of the earlier episodes of FIM...The girls help Applejack catch up with her ‘apple-bucking’. While the others try their best at one tree. You see Twilight de-Apple like 99% of the orchid in two freaking seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

Oh sweet Celestia, this pollen was really doing a number on them both. Applejack wasn't that flustered by her, err, admiration of her big brother. Everypony in Ponyville and many beyond that had a passing interest or more in stallions had fawned over him since they were little. She had gotten over being flustered by other pony's interest in him around the same time she got over cooties and being awkward around colts. But when she had to speak the truth, she had to speak the truth. "What's more shockin' than being into mah big brother is tha fact that you're Squall. Ah dunno 'bout him. every time Ah see him, he seems to be talkin' about 'imself or actin' like he's tha best thing since Celestia. Ah'm not sure how y'all handle it," she said, immediately blushing. She wanted to run away from this topic and run away fast.

 

Fire brought up farm business and how she could deal with it, and Applejack shook her head. She had farm hooves trying it all out before and she had received plenty of help from friends but in the end of the day it went south. "If only it were so simple, Sugarcube. Celestia knows Ah've hired good farm hooves and received help from mah closest a'friends. It starts good, mind you. Why, Twilight could de-apple a tree in just a few seconds. Made me feel obsolete! But tha truth of tha matter is that Earth pony magic is real, and Sweet Apple Acres only ever really works when Apples are workin' her. Most of them apples went bad or spoiled faster, and all them trees came back slow. And when we just hire farm hooves, it just goes so dang slow," she said, jumping over a log as she continued her gallop. They were both keeping pace well enough as the pollen continued to coat them. It didn't stop her from trying her best to get out.

 

"Ah guess Ah just need ta face tha facts of tha matter. Ah love mah home and mah home? She loves me somethin' fierce, an' thar ain't no force in Equestria that can separate. Hopes an' dreams, responsibilities an' obligations, love an' loss, Ah'm thar from swaddle ta coffin," she thought about it all and sighed. There were infinitely worse options available to her. "It sure ain't a bade fate ta have, mind ya, but sweetie, you shoulda seen Gala Justice in the ring. Ah was a dang sight ta behold!" She laughed heartily as she jumped over a log, wondering where her costume was now. She'd probably have to go Manehattan to buy it back, but it'd be a heck of a lot of fun to get back into it.

 

They reached a fork in the road. Fire had done her level best to pick a route out and she had delivered...well, she had delivered options. Right or left. Knowing how this forest worked, one likely led to a jacuzzi and the other into a razor jaw filled swamp. Applejack wasn't tired to the bone just yet but she'd appreciate a fierce round of resting. She also needed to milk soon; she had been so prepared that her body was just going through the motions, sans release. It just wasn't fair, damn chupathingies. "Ummm...left," she offered, switching angle quickly. She tripped somewhat, face into the ground and picking up pollen and dirt, as she continued running and picked herself back up, charging down a path and hopefully out of pollen.
 

[tacobob]

 

 

“I do love my Swifty.”, even with all the magic pollen fluttering about and getting into everything, the mare could not help but smile, “He’s a bit of a silly stallion, but he can be somepony that can do a good deal of, er good when steered in the right direction.” She did not seem to be upset at all about the farmer’s tone, “He’s a guy who has been rich his entire life, and maybe even a few of his past ones, so I believe he’s become rather bored with his existence, so he slinks into fantasy. Which I usually do not see any problems with, considering the occasional little adventure I sometimes find myself on.. And yeah, sometimes he ges a little into his role sometimes.” The Pegasus mare had given up on trying to drive away the pollen with her wings. The more she had tried, the worst things became.

 

“And more importantly,”, her smile shifted into an grin, “He’s an incredible kisser. Like ‘yow’!”, she jumped up a little, causing a good deal of pollen to shake from her body. Moments later, she was covered up again, “I never thought much of unicorn stallions. They always seem to be so dainty, so fragile. This does not count for my Swifty.” She seemed to be as proud as a mare could be, even with all the nasty pollen stuck to her armor and clothing.

 

Thankfully, the earth pony shifted into more of a family friendly tone. Farming! While the officer knew of the magic her kind could manipulate, there was one thing that bothered the mare. “Only Apples? I think you’re just starting to come up with excuses, but if only your family members can work on your farm, how much of an ‘Apple’ do they need to be? First cousins? Second cousins? There’s a reason I don’t date officers, as there’s a very good chance we might be related. Woah!”, the very brave solider let out an not so heroic yelp as she narrowly avoided an log.  “What you need to do is ask some family if they can lend you a apple-bucking leg or two during the busy seasons. You’ll have more time to play with your kid and to also deal with non-farming stuff."

 

As the pair ventured through the left path, it was clear to see that they were free of the pollen, but it was still raining rather heavily. While it did help to wash their clothing and armor, it probably was not the best idea to be outside during such a storm. Fire Walker felt an incredibly odd as the last bit of the magic pollen was washed away. She had just told Applejack more than she had told anyone in her life. This might be awkward. Maybe it would be wise to simply pretend it never happened.

 

While these thoughts stewed about in the young mare's mind, something managed to catch her eye. “I think that’s a cave.”, she glanced over at a rocky wall with what looked like an entrance, “Should we brave it? I know the Everfree bears are a good deal less friendly than your average Equestrian Ursidae. Maybe even smarter.”

[SteelEagle]

Good for Fire. Applejack sure wasn't opposed to her finding a special somepony, nor was she necessarily opposed to Swift finding something or somepony he loved more than himself. But it was still such an odd pairing. He was a self-absorbed stallion whose enduring competence in every field was as annoying as it was useful, as he never seemed to be at a loss for his expertise. He wasn't shy in letting you know that, too. She was extremely courageous and competent in all fields she applied herself in seemed like, but was far more humble and inviting a mare than he was a stallion. It was a match made in Squall's personal heaven, much to everypony else's chagrin. Luckily she had already spoken about how strange she found the pairing, so Applejack didn't blurt anything else out just yet.

Subject came back to Apples and farming. Fire didn't know about what the others did it seemed, which wasn't all that uncommon. A lot of ponies just thrust the Apples into being Sweet Apple Acres and that was that, when Sweet Apple Acres was simply the largest one of the bushel. “As long as you've got Apple blood in ya, it works. That's why them Orange family farms are run so well, too. Same with tha Grapes. All related ta us in some large way, and our shared ancestry branches are the strongest in their family trees. Ah wish Ah could call for their help. Mah family runs dozens of orchards an' farms across Equestria. Start pullin' them to Sweet Apple Acres for aid there, then we need to start doin' it for everyone. Would throw off rotations somethin' fierce, probably ruin a few of tha smaller ones. When Ah have mah foal, well, that there is an exception ta tha rule,” she stated matter of factly as she finished getting over the final obstacles.

Applejack had very little issue with them. They were nothing compared to rodeo obstacles, but she had been extra vigilant because of the extra Apple in her bushel. Still, she was getting exceptionally tired. It was hard to see because even a tired Applejack was essentially a self-fueling engine of work and effort but that didn't mean she looked at the cave as anything less than an absolute requirement. There was always the chance for bears, true, and with it having rained it only increased the odds of other dangerous critters having gone inside to escape the elements. But she was undeterred. She needed to lay down, milk, and rest. It was getting to the point where it was all just a very uncomfortable day indeed.

“That cave should do the trick right up and nice,” Applejack respond, trotting into the cave with her head on a swivel. There were some spiders to avoid in their webs. A rock scorpion. She thought she saw a few snakes on the sides. But really this was the Everfree and most of these critters were deathly afraid of the pair of ponies, or at least far more than the ponies should be afraid of them. Applejack looked around. “Set up some tents, make a little ol' fire. Could be nice and cozy here, for a while,” she said positively. Well, as positively as one could muster about the setting.

[tacobob]

“That’s one of the things I like about my job.”, Woah! The mare came very close to giving her ‘nogg’n a flogg’n thanks to an tree branch that was just a little too close to the officer’s path. She had been so busy keeping her eye on the farmer, a gal who even with all the added weight was still able to move like an hoofball ‘speed back’, to bother to even look where she was going for most of their run. “Er..I have a schedule that almost never changes. I know ahead of time when I’ll be working and where, so I can plan around those days for my fun. In farming, I have a feeling even with the scheduled weather ponies, you still have to deal with other things. Sick animals. Tree issues like diseases and those horrible little vampire fruit bats. Worker problems. Thieves. Constant market fluctuations. It’s not like what you see in foal’s books, where the farmer spends his day petting piggies and watering a single seed.” Hopefully the need to keep gabbing would eventually end, since Fire Walker was pretty sure she swallowed at least six bugs and five leaves during the whole affair.  “At least you have winter.”  Of course, Applejack would have to done everything right during other seasons. Make sure they sold enough crops and products to keep the farm running, and they managed to save enough food for themselves as well.  Not to mention their animals.

 

“That cave should do the trick right up and nice,”

 

 

Free of the weird, magic pollen, the Pegasus pony followed Applejack into the cave. What sort of beasts would they find? Hydras? Manticores? Cave trolls? Nope. So far, they only spotted some gross old bugs and a cute little snake. Following the ol’ scouts rules, she checked for tracks and even any guano on the floor. If she were to set a fire, she wanted to make sure the smoke would not bother any bats. Thankfully, the cave appeared to be rather roomy and possibly lead further into caverns.

 

“I have a few things to do while you relax. Shouldn’t take me long.” She needed to set up a proper fire. After that, there were their little tents. Easy to set up. A great big pain in the flank to break down. While there were two tents, she would be able to combine them into one. There was also a little privacy curtain if the farmer needed it. This would be followed by a series of little alarms she would set up around camp. A couple around the tent to keep any nasty critters from sneaking up on them from the ground or in the air. The alarms would also be set so that they made just enough noise to alert the pair and not in the entire cave.

 

Once she was sure the farmer was resting, and there were no evil monsters lining up to eat the pair of ponies, Fire Walker started on their camp.

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack relied on the Guard's knowledge of making a fine perimeter in any scenario and busied herself with more maternal, or soon to be maternal, concerns. She helped with her tent or part of it anyway and when it was ready and private she made a quick dash inside and got herself set up. She was burgeoning with milk and needed relief. Twilight had bee kind enough to give her some sort of ultra tight seal bottles so it wouldn't start to go bad for a while, allowing her to not waste even the tiniest bit of milk. Apples wanted to make sure their youngin's had the best possible upbringing possible, and there was no substitute for momma's milk.

Applejack was afforded this opportunity thanks to Fire, who did an exceptional job in getting camp all sorts of prepared. It helped that the Everfree was being kind and they weren't being attacked by any weird critters. Everfree compliance was strange to say the least, but pleasant nonetheless. The cave was cold and damp but not outrageously so, and was much, much dryer than the rain-soaked forest outside. It was as relaxing as she could have hoped for inside and even a bit comfortable. In good time the fire would start and the warmth would seep into both mares, expunging the cold from mind and body. Applejack heaved a mighty sigh of relief.

“Well, can't say that was the easiest day of travel ever, but at least we made some pretty good progress! If Ah'm reckoning correctly, tha rest of tha way is somewhat easier. Nothin' too nasty on them paths Ah know. If ya wanted, you could make yer way on back pretty soon,” Applejack offered off-hoofedly as she changed out bottles, starting new ones, “not tryin' ta push you out or nothin', of course. You've been mighty good ta tag along with!” She ended positively. It was very true as well. She was happy enough to have a guard but Fire had proven more than that, she had been good company period. Of course the last few minutes before they had arrived had been...awkward.

The whole day had been overall sorta strange. The Everfree played games with you all day, every day. Luckily Applejack was experienced enough that she wasn't taken by surprise by any of them, but that didn't mean that Fire's company wasn't appreciated. Luckily, once Applejack arrived at the destination, she had plenty of time to make it back and could thus take superior, safer routes. Fire didn't need to follow the pregnant mare anymore, better suited to doing more Guardy things and being a heroine and such.
And- well, Applejack wasn't going to say it, but she didn't think she needed to be guarded anyway. She was a big mare; she could handle her own business. She had been feeling this way since the start but...well, it would have been rude to refuse. And it would be rude to insist. And Fire was a good, honest mare who did a good, honest job.
It was just...honestly? Applejack didn't want to be foalsat simply because she was sired.

 

[tacobob]

 

 

It did not take long before Fire Walker had built yet another fire. Her own supplies, combined with a good sized patch of dry land and stones made for a well put together fire pit.  Her eyes did catch what she believed were lettering on a few of the stones. Were they once part of a sign? The stones looked very old. What could they have been from? She made a silent vow to find as many books about the Everfree as possible. What exactly happened here? She had seen the ruins of the old castle, but had there been civilized life here before? Villages? Towns? The books would be at least a break from her usual silly romance or adventure novels she normally liked to hoof through.

 

With the fire set, the mare made sure to break out her kettle. A nice cup of tea would be perfect after the weirdness that the pair had gone through. And while an flask of Rockwington whiskey would have done a far better job, she usually avoided drinking whole on the ‘job’ unless it was part of the very assignment itself. Once that was dealt with, there was the tent. It came in a nice cloth bag and was easy to remove. While she could have set the thing up with her eyes closed and her legs all tied together, the Pegasus mare did not refuse the Earth Pony’s help. And before she could even wonder what the faded logo on the tent’s bag meant (What the heck was a Stable Tack? Tet?) the rather cozy temporary home was open for business! She made sure to lay the sleeping bags as far apart in the tent as possible, as to give the mare enough space for ultimate comport.

 

As she set up the ‘alarms’, her ears perked up as Applejack spoke. She was offering her a chance to return home? The others had warmed the officer about this. The farmer was one very proud pony and if she believed for just a second she could finish this alone, she would! “If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to stick with you as I’m a bit of an stickler when it comes to finishing an assignment. And besides, I’m really curious to see what these Fire-dance seedlings of yours look like and even the cove they are in." Not like she would have any use for these, as TV dinners were practically invented for her family. Turn on oven, put foil covered box in, wait a few minutes and wala! Terrible, horrible food! Anything beyond that and her little Pegasus mind would pop. Still, she could not believe a pony as clever as Applejack would dare take such a trip alone. Even if she believed that she knew everything about these dreaded woods, the Everfree always had a surprise in store.

 

"There.", with the alarms set up, the mare made her way back to the tent. "If anything tries to get through the perimeter, we will know before it even gets near." Hopefully this would not be the case as the pair deserved a good nap. "I'm making tea. If you need anything, please just ask." She let out a yawn as she found a nice spot in the tent to sit and rest.

 

 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

She couldn't, or wouldn't, begrudge Fire her desire to see this mission out to the bitter end. She was REA to the bone and they didn't quit, though Applejack would have greatly preferred her to take such a stance at a later point in time. She could handle the rest of this trip by herself after all. She was pregnant, not disabled even if the intent on helping her wasn't attempting to send that message. Not that she couldn't blame Fire either for wanting to see the fire dance seedlings do their thing! Truly was one of the hidden, beautiful wonders of the Everfree. Now if only they could just get the rest of that hogwash around it to just calm down for one day, that would be just dandy. Life wouldn't or couldn't be that simple though. “Ah understand, Sugarcube,” she replied evenly before yawning. Looks like she was a bit more tired than she thought. “Just wanted ta let you leave if y'all wanted ta head home. Happy ta have you, though,” she said, taking a deep breath.

 

Tea sounded good. “Sure, Ah'll have a cup,” Applejack responded positively, though there were still a dozen or so drinks she would have preferred. A nice apple cider would have been wonderful. Juice even. Some Apple-scented milk could be pretty amazing. An Apple smoothie. An appletini (not while she was pregnant, of course). An appleshake. Apple-scented flavored water, yum. She was experimenting with apple tea, but it was not to be for now. “Shoulda packed mah experimental Apple tea. Ah ain't got it just right yet, but soon! Hehehe, Fluttershy won't want to drink anything else,” she giggled impishly, sure that she was slowly becoming the one and only drink provider for all of her friends. It was inaccurate, but a fun fiction to inhabit for now. It would be good to get something delicious in her system for now, seeing as it seemed like the whole day had conspired against refreshment and relaxation. Pretty average Everfree all things told.

 

Applejack took her cup, offering thanks to the mare for thanking it. She took a sip- “good stuff, Fire. Where'd ya get it?” she asked, though she had a few guesses. It wasn't like the tea industry in Equestria was that big, right? Hehe. Good stuff. She took another sip. She unlatched herself from the milking and sighed, feeling greatly relieved. She quickly cleaned it all up and slowly put the milk away, clearing herself some space to stretch out and yawn. “Well, today wasn't so bad. Didn't even run into any timberwolves! An' here Ah had a fun lil' contraption all planned out for 'em,” she yawned, “but still a busy day! Ah'm gonna hit tha hay, Sugarcube. Need anything?” She said, smile still wide as she wanted to make it more than clear that she didn't need any help- in fact, she was so not in need of help that she could help the fully able bodied REA mare!

[tacobob]

 

The mare nodded her head as the farmer spoke. One could almost assume Applejack had never seen an horror movie before. The one who wanders away alone usually gets eaten up by the film's monster. And this was not that far from the truth as the officer had an assortment of unpleasant encounters after she had been separated from squad during an mission near the Crystal Kingdom. Terrible terrain, freezing cold weather and real monsters joined forces to make the Pegasus pony's life extra miserable. The R.E.A made sure to press the 'Never Go Alone' slogan into their new recruits and it stuck with the mare. She wanted to keep an eye on the farmer and keep her safe, but she was not keen on going back alone, even if it was the 'safe' route. Thankfully, this matter was settled for now, so there was no reason to speak anymore about it.

 

"You'll like this.", she casually removed a small package from her saddle bag with a wing as she spoke. The mare smiled cheerfully as Applejack spoke of her friend. The gentle former supermodel almost reminded Fire Walker of the guy she got the little security devices from. Incredibly clever, but never left his basement. Managed to get the devices from him via her best friend, who was his sister. Poor thing had two oddballs for siblings. A goofy self-proclaimed adventurer and a guy who was terrified of the outside world. "I also have sugar and cream If you need it."

 

Once the tea was served, Fire could not help but smile as she clearly enjoyed her pick. "Found the tea and the 'porta-a-kettle' In this cute little shop in Ponyville. Sold nothing but tea and tea related products there. Clerk said her ginger tea works wonders against morning sickness and is really good for your stomach." With the farmer taken care of, the officer poured herself a mug as there was talk about the 'timber-wolves',"The weather probably isn't the best for such creatures to be out and about.", she had faced such beasties before and they boggled her mind. She assumed they were simple wood golems. A clever unicorn who was good with tools could craft and animate just about anything. But timber-wolves seemed to feel pain and even bleed some sort of odd mist. Were they part of the woods? Created by the Everfree itself?

 

Once their little 'tea-time' was finished, Fire Walker collected the cups and kettle, "Do I need anything? Only thing I want is an good night's rest and an uneventful evening. Pleasant dreams." She paid little mind to the farmer's tone. The Royal Equestrian Army always starts what it finishes! And as the Royal Air Force would say, 'I spread my wings, and keep my promise.' And her promise was to see things to the end!

 

As she started to clean up, a little squeak could be heard from one of her pouches. "What the?", she carefully opened up the pouch. This was the one she normally kept her crackers in and to her surprise now rested inside was a bat. "A South Equestrian Squeak-Bat.", she whispered. They don’t normally sleep in caves, but preferred to settle in attics. They were very good natured and many ponies kept them as pets. They also did not belong in the Everfree. "Come on little fella. Shoo." The little critter shook his head and pointed to his right wing. It looked like he got into something of a scuffle. "Right.", she sighed as she started work on a tiny little wing-sling. "You look like an old friend of mine. I'll call you Dander." He did look a good deal like Dunder down to his fuzzy brown coat and scruffy mane. She would fix the bat's wing and then get some sleep. 'Dander' nibbled away at his cracker and soon the mare would join the farmer on a trip to Luna's land 'o' slumber.

 

[SteelEagle]

 

The tea was really pretty good. She didn't give that tea shop enough credit it seemed, though she could readily admit she perhaps wasn't always entirely fair. They had, after all, denied her apple-scented tea application before. “Thanks, Fire,” she said, gulping hers down pretty quickly. She was thirsty, as thirsty as she imagined her foal was gonna be judging by how much milk she was producing lately. She normally wasn't one for rushing things but she wanted pretty desperately to get to the birth so she could experience that joy. And judging from her time when she took care of a mostly infant Apple Bloom, a lot of trouble too. But the good kind of trouble. Fun, heartwarming, all day and all night sorta trouble. “Ah take my tea rather plain unless Ah got mah applescents with me. Thanks for tha offer, Sugarcube,” she said. Had to keep her taste buds pure, right?

 

Tea time ended pretty easily. Soon Applejack was cleaning some leakage up and preparing herself for bed, imagining that her needs were very much the same as the REA mare. “A good night's rest is just what tha doctor ordered, Ah reckon. Safe ta say that tomorrow should be smooth sailing, by comparison at least,” she laughed retreating into her tent. “Goodnight-” she began before seeing, or hearing, the bat. For a moment she was worried- fruit bats had devastated the old Pear family holdings the Apples had taken over after they left. But no, this fella was just a normal, non-fruit bat, bat. “Aww, he's a cutie. Dander's a good name,” she said with a chuckle, unaware of the joke in the name. It would be nice to have some company! Made her wish Winona was Everfree worthy. Poor dog would be too busy chasing poison bunnies.

 

She yawned.
“Goodnight, Sugarcube.”

Applejack cuddled up pretty close, rubbed her burgeoning foal, and went to bed quickly.

 

.......

 

She yawned loud and long, stretching her limbs. Her nose twitched as it caught the scene of the early morning dew forming around the cave from the wet air being driven in lazily. She shook her head free of the pillow she had closely held onto. Her mane was all out of sorts and she was sore all over, so yeah, everything was as normal. She pulled herself up and relaxed a minute or two more, ready and willing to just stay here and not be ready and willing to start the day. As quickly as that thought came to her it passed. She combed her mane and stretched out, leaving her tent some minutes after she had woken up to start the day.

 

It was still early. The sun was only now cresting over the defiant Evervfree and the slick shades of orange and red it cast down were only lightly piercing the tree cover around the cave and sending a single ray into the cave itself. Applejack quickly got her food out- guess what, apples- and had a light breakfast. She considered getting a quick start to the day but figured she didn't want an overprotective REA mare chasing after her. Bad look for an Equestrian! She made her patented apple strudel pancake surprise. Well, patented in as much as she invented it three weeks ago to eat every single day of her life to fend off the increasing hunger pains and cravings she felt. Others thought it was a mite excessive, but excessive was in the eye of the beholder and her eyes behald a feast fit for a queen. Or a pregnant mare, and as the case was, she fit the bill. She waited for Fire to wake up, saving some for her.

[tacobob]

 

 

 

“Good night.”, the guard let out an yawn, which was echoed by her very new fuzzy, batty companion. As she slowly drifted away, plans started to rush about in her head. What would happen if some creature sounded the alarms? There was not a lot of room in the cave for maneuverability. There were some stalactites, which could be used to quickly take down even a large foe. There was also a chance that the beastie might believe a pregnant mare was helpless. That would be the imagined creature's final mistake. She could also....Her thoughts drifted away into dreams. These mostly involved the future. What did it hold for the officer? She dreamt of wedding bells. Would they be able to get away with having a simple ceremony? The more she had considered it, the less she believed this would happen. Both families were very large and well off. They would want something grand. Something similar to Captain Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, just without the murderous changelings. And please let there be a wedding cake. So many weddings forgo the cake for something not-so-cake'y: Pies. Cake-Pops. Waffles. All heresy! Backing up a little bit, there was also the bachelorette party! Pressy and Zelda and the rest of the girls would probably take her to the 'Wild Stallions' over at Las Pegasus. This would probably be a bit more pleasant than what poor Swift would deal with on his side. A bachelor party with her father, and all of her brothers. Ho-Boy. Further into her future....There were kids...bills...the P.T.A....dance recitals. A tour through wine country. Smell the grapes, which smell a good deal like apples!

 

Fire Walker awoke to the smell of apples, combined with pancakes! She also realized the gravity of the situation! She overslept! Oh the horror! Sargent Amber would not be pleased! But there was no use to for freaking out. None of her alarms had gone off, and it was common for farmers to wake up before the dawn. She also had a feeling her new pet had been sleeping on her back, and sure enough, Lil' Dander was still there, snoozing away. After scooping the little critter up and placing him on of her her soft saddle bags, she got onto her hooves. And already she could see her hair as it was strewn about. She did not have time for a braid, so a quick double-ponytail would do. Once she looked somewhat presentable, the mare slowly made her way out of the tent and into the temporary 'dining room'.

 

"Morning." For probably the first time in history, their little cave did not reek of soggy moss and bat guano but festive apple-pancakes!  The Pegasus pony glanced over at the entrance and she was happy to see that it had finally stopped raining. They could at least continue their journey without the threat of getting soggy. "Hope you had a decent night's rest.", breakfast conversation was generally the worst for her. Growing up, it mostly consisted of grunts and 'erms'. Her siblings would be wolfing down their assorted sugar-based cereals, while her parents would have their snouts in the paper whiling guzzling their coffee. She brought along two small insulated water-flasks. After hoofing over a bottle, she glanced at the extra cakes. Once it had been confirmed that those were hers, the the mare quickly gave thanks and holy-cheese-Louise, these were really good! Beyond any of her ready-to-eat meals she had. This was breakfast!

 

"So, what can you tell me about our next stretch of the trip?"

[SteelEagle]

Applejack smiled warmly as the mare dug into breakfast. “Ah slept well enough. It was a good, quiet sleep, uninterrupted as well. Ah'll take that out here! How'd you and yer friend there fare?” She responded with aggressive mirth, her excitement at the day's prospects bulging out of her. The breakfast didn't hurt. Applejack didn't pack heavy, but she packed well enough for a mare like her. She didn't need special fancy outfits or unique gear, just the basic tools of the trade for this region of the Everfree. Of greater immediate import was the fact she always made sure to pack in the right cooking materials. The pots and pans were actually wooden sheets, the outsides of which were coated with bark from a whitetail wood tree species that was fire resistant, but heat transferring. You pressed in on the sheet to make a pot or pan (they could only go one way once made), cooked with it, and then could pack it all away.

She didn't get to use it very much anymore since it was delicate enough to not be fit for camping with little ones or cooking for families and since both of those activities dominated her past and were going to become the entirety of her future, she was more than a little happy to have a final chance to really use them. Indeed, this adventure was the last chance she had for a lot of things! She had consequently done even more research than she would have otherwise. When Fire asked what was coming up next in the journey, Applejack could thus respond even quicker and more excitably (betraying some of her words) than she would have otherwise.

“Nothing too interesting, Ah'm afraid. Barrin' some sorta wandering pack of timberwolves, the most important part of tha day is gonna be crossin' Emerald Eye River. Shouldn't be too hard getting to it, but it's a favorite huntin' ground of rocs, so we can't risk a flight over. If memory serves me right, there should be a large shack with a number of rafts in there- sort of an honor system sorta deal for adventurers in these parts. River runs fast and the other side is a big cliff. Gotta find ourselves a nice place to land! Should be a few miles downstream, marked by another shack. At night, tha waters reverse themselves, so we can make our way back here easily.

The river is a bit strange and dangerous if you let it be. It gives off some sorta vapor that gets y'all head all warped and dependin' on a whole host of factors, it can make you act in really strange ways. Stories 'bout ponies getting' more than a little angry, frisky, having dangerously extended fits of tha giggles- you know it, Ah've heard it! Twi things there might be some sorta magical creature or creatures that ride the bottom of the river and feed off of emotions, sorta like changelings, 'cept less focused and far less...cruel,” she got silent, staring at the food silently for a bit. Memories were treasured by Apples, but that meant you had to live with the traumas associated with heroism, or the targeted nightmares delivered by cruel villains. Reflection was painful, even in the best of cases. She shook her head and took a quick breath, smiling once again as she moved onto more vital topics.

“You keep yer head or you give in gently, and it all seems ta pass you on by quick enough. If you lose yourself strugglin' however, well, there just ain't no tellin' how long it can last. Past the Emerald Eye is nothin' of any great note. Ain't tha season for tha Mane Snappers ta be foolin' around, so y'all just hafta look out for yer standard beasties. Keep yer head on right and on a swivel and you should be fine. Then we reach the destination pretty quickly. Them seeds take a bit to harvest properly. Most dangerous part then will be ensurin' nothin' in the cove wakes up, or at least nothin' we care about. After we talk ta Ma Seed and get 'er approval, we trek on out. Easy as sellin' cider to a wonderbolt,” she snickered, scarfing her food down aggressively. The day was still young, but her tail was already whipping around in excitement. The sooner they got down there, the sooner they could get the seeds!

[tacobob]

 

"He's doing much better.", the slightly groggy mare rubbed her eyes as she glanced over at her new little bat-friend. Along with a couple of bandages, he now wore a small cast on his right wing. Dander gave an affirmative squeak before he wobbled over to a pancake that had been reserved for him. "When I was working on his wing, I found a couple of tiny little splinters lodged in random spots. He might have been swatted at by a  timberwolf, or just crashed into a tree.  Poor fella. I'll probably drop him off at Lady Fluttershy's once we've returned to Ponyville." Fire Walker could not help but smile at the farmer who appeared to be in high spirits even after all the craziness that had happened during the previous day.

 

"Slept well. I would hardly call this cave an 'Mareiott', but it served its purpose. I'd give it only one star, but the chef there makes one heck of a breakfast." Even without the crispy hay strips and toast, it was still a pretty good little meal. She decided against mentioning the dream she had. While it was quickly fading away,the officer recalled walking through a cave filled with gems.  Grim ponies with milky eyes slowly picked away at the cave walls with picks. There was also a strange looking creature who stood on two legs and was covered with a robe. Along with this odd beastie and the blind ponies, there was also Applejack. And the two began to battle.  The well dressed creature was no match for Applejack who quickly bucked it into an bottomless cavern. Heavy hooves! That was like a fever dream, just with the fever.

 

Fire Walker listened to the farmer as she spoke of their upcoming adventures. Timberwolves were something she had dealt with in the past. There were generally pretty formidable foes, especially as they could reconstruct themselves. A unicorn skilled in combat magic could make short work of them, but since they did not have such a pony at their side, they would probably be better off just running away. Did she just say roc? Or maybe rock? That can't possibly be a roc! This would require a follow-up question. Being the polite sort, the officer would wait until Applejack finished with her talk'n before she spoke up. Honor system rafts? That's almost adorable. And the rest? Sweet Celestia, she was doing all of this just for some seeds? Fire never considered herself as tough as the toughies or as smart as the smarties, but she could handle herself and considered herself to be braver than the average pony, but this farmer's got stones!

 

"Right.", it was now her turn to ask questions, "When you say...Roc....Are we talking animated rocks with faces? Or do you mean one of those incredibly large birds that usually tend to bother our friends in Saddle Arabia? As for those mists, they almost sound what happens to a pony when they drink. We're all different. I tend to bounce back and forth between being silly and somewhat philosophical. I know a few angry drunks and a few who get a little too frisky for their own good after a couple." Poor Miss Ilinalta. Sober, the unicorn was as proper and studious as one can get, but slip her a shot of something, and she transforms into one of those Las Pegasus dancers. "The river creatures sound like 'Emotion Leaches'. Could be wrong. They tend to feed on their victims. They absorb the moods and pass on the moods of its previous victims. And did you say you were going to talk to 'Ma Seed'?

 

 

[SteelEagle]

"Tha flyin' kind, sadly. Thar ain't too many of 'em but just enough ta make flyin' a risk in this part of tha Everfree. Haven't a clue as to how they got up here. Maybe strong winds blew a weaker Roc all tha way- wouldn't be tha first time somethin' like that happened, though not ta somethin' that heavy," she responded to that question, wondering what that poor Roc must've been thinking. Well, she thought about that for a second before remembering that poor or not it could crush her. "Of course, thar's some Rocs in tha Badlands and in Painted Pinto, so maybe it ain't anything as dramatic as that," she added, though absed on what ponies had said they were very much Saddle Arabian types. Better to see one of them than a pack of Timberwolves though. Rocs weren't likely to attack those on the ground in the Everfree, too much work for not a lot of reward. Timberwolves didn't care- they hunted you in packs. A lot of trouble.

 

Onto the mists, Applejack had to laugh. "Hehe, Ah guess so. Ah tend ta make this trip alone so Ah dunno what Ah look like ta others. Heard tales that y'all may start acting different but you are completely aware of it, too. Like it forces you ta act a way, even if you don't wanna. So yeah, just like drinking," she smiled, "and them emotion leaches or whatever they are, nopony's ever seen'm. Could just be an sub-species, but thar elusive lil' buggers. Not that anypony really wants ta go huntin' for 'em. Anythin' that can twist yer emotions around ain't somethin' ta mess with, no matter what reward is offered for 'em," she said confidently, aware that the rewards that had been offered were never followed upon for a plethora of good reasons.

 

And time to talk Ma Seed. "Well, some ponies don't think she exists so Ah understand tha confusion. She's not a pony, not a plant either, don't think she's anything Ah can understand. Maybe a ghost? Forest spirit? AH dunno. Anyway, tha patch of seeds we go to its watched over by her. She's a silent type, but won't allow anypony ta leave if they do somethin' ta offend her. So we take enough seeds but not too much and be real careful about her garden and be all friendly like, and all will be well. Go in there with an attitude, end up a flower- well, according to legends. Not sure Ah buy that one, but there sure are a lot of pretty pastel flowers in her garden," she ended with a laugh, marveling at the creativity of myth. "No big deal, really."

 

In due time they were both done eating. She relaxed for maybe a minute more before it was time to hit the road. "Alright, let's get going," She said quickly, hopping to it with great swiftness. Applejack gathered her camping materials pretty quickly. They had to make good time. She hammered her pots and pans back into their carry conditions, undid her tent and bedroll, and packed up in pretty good order. After a few minutes she was done. She stretched out a bit more and yawned. She was awake and energetic sure, but that didn't mean that an infectious yawn couldn't escape. She then started a healthy trot out into the woods, the smell of the previous night's storm fresh in her nostrils and keeping her spirits up. The rain was refreshing and nice even here in the dangerous Everfree.

 

Nothing of any real import was happening, at least for a while. It allowed her to think of other things. "So, his wing was damaged- probably by a tree? Huh. Most bats don't tend ta get themselves in such trouble. Little rascal, ain't he?" She said with a trailing laugh. "Shoulda brought Winona. She'd be havin' a hoot with all this wild stuff."