My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Last Roundup
A/N: Hey, fans, so here is the next chapter, and I'm letting you all know that since Christmas falls on a Tuesday this year, I won't be able to post that day since I'll be busy with work and family activities. So, there will be back-to-back updates on Wednesday and Thursday to make up for the delay, and I hope you all will have a wonderful Christmas!
Read, review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.
CHAPTER TWO: APPLEJACK NOT COMING BACK?
It's been a week and the six ponies were looking forward to Applejack's return. They were currently in the barn at Sweet Apple Acres, and they were getting a surprise party ready for the return of the orange pony.
"Oh, I hope Applejack is surprised by this surprise party!" Fluttershy remarked as she and Rainbow Dash put up a banner on the base of the loft.
"Well, that is the point," Rainbow Dash pointed out as they added a red ribbon to the banner.
"I know," the yellow pegasus agreed, flying to the floor, "but I hope she isn't so surprised she's startled, because while being surprised can be nice, being startled can be… very startling."
Just then, Pinkie Pie popped up. "Surprise!" she shouted and blew on a party whistle.
Fluttershy went into fainting goat mood and gasped, staring at the pink pony as confetti fell around her. "Oh, Pinkie, you startled me."
"Sorry!" Pinkie Pie apologized, helping the yellow pegasus up. "I was just practicing my "surprise!" for when we surprise Applejack with this super cool party for becoming rodeo champion of Equestria!" She walked away and then reappeared suddenly. "Surprise!" she shouted and blew on the party whistle again, resulting in her friend going into fainting goat mode and falling to the floor with a thud.
Twilight Sparkle was peering through the door and hissed at the pink pony. "Quiet, Pinkie, I think Applejack's coming!" And she hurried to hide behind a bale of hay with her twin.
"Everypony hide," Sunrise Blossom ordered and the gathered ponies hid themselves around the barn.
"Don't worry, Twilight, Sunrise," said Pinkie Pie, joining Apple Bloom in a box. "Got my lips all limbered up!" And she made various noises with her mouth before hiding.
Moments later, the door opened and a pony entered the barn.
"Surprise!" the ponies shouted, coming out of hiding and Big Macintosh blew on a kazoo.
"Surprise!" Pinkie Pie called out and realized that she was too late. "Shoot!"
The pony who'd entered the barn wasn't Applejack, instead it was Parcel Post. "Wow, this is the best surprise ever!" he exclaimed. "How did you know it was my birthday?"
Twilight Sparkle escorted him out of the barn, took the letter from him, and slammed the door. Parcel Post pouted until the door open and Pinkie Pie gave him a slice of cake before shutting the door again, and he smiled.
Inside the barn, the ponies gathered around the purple unicorn, who was reading the letter.
"Who's it from, Twilight?" Apple Bloom asked. "What's it say?"
"It's from Applejack," Twilight Sparkle informed them and she read the letter aloud. "'Family and friends, not coming back to Ponyville.'" The ponies gasped. "'…Don't worry, will send money soon.' That's all there is." And the ponies gasped again.
Apple Bloom's bottom lip began trembling. "Applejack's… not comin' back?" she asked, clearly upset and Sunrise Blossom hugged her to give her some emotional support while they tried to figure this new problem out.
"What do you mean Applejack's not coming back?!" Rainbow Dash demanded. "She loves Ponyville!"
"And she loves Sweet Apple Acres!" Granny Smith stated.
"And she loves her family!" Apple Bloom added.
Rarity gasped. "Something just dreadful must have happened to Applejack to make her not return!"
"Maybe she's hurt, or sad, or scared!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
"So, what are we waiting for?" the blue pegasus demanded. "Let's go find her!" And she flew to the door with the yellow pegasus right behind her, and Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Sunrise Blossom, and Twilight Sparkle followed suit.
"Don't worry," Sunrise Blossom assured Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom. "We'll search all of Equestria if we have to. We'll bring her back."
Apple Bloom smiled tearfully. "Y'all are the best."
"Thank you, girls!" Granny Smith called out as the six ponies headed for the train station and she turned to her grandson, who was tearing up. "Our little bushel just lost one apple."
Big Mac nodded and sniffled, remembering the last time Applejack had left with no intention of returning when she was younger.
The six ponies rode the train to Canterlot and they went to the stadium, where they split up and asked the ponies there if they had seen Applejack. After getting a lot of 'no's, they were about ready to give up when a pony spotted their photo of Applejack, confirmed that she'd seen the orange pony, and she directed them to Dodge Junction.
Riding the train once again, the six ponies were eager to find their friend… well five of them were eager to find Applejack while Pinkie Pie was eager to find a restroom at their next stop.
"I hope this lead doesn't turn out to be a dead end," Rainbow Dash said, looking out the window. "I don't wanna go home empty-hooved after promising we'd find her."
"I don't know how we'll break it to the Apple family," Fluttershy agreed.
"I know," Sunrise Blossom agreed. "Apple Bloom will be really upset if we don't come back with Applejack."
"I don't know how we'll break it to Ponyville!" Twilight Sparkle added.
Pinkie Pie was crossing her legs, and she was looking fit to burst. "I don't know how I'll make it to the next stop!" she moaned.
"I told you not to drink all that soda earlier, Pinkie," Sunrise Blossom reminded her.
Twilight Sparkle glanced out the window and saw an upcoming town. "This is Dodge Junction, girls," she reported as the train stopped at the station and they exited the train. "Applejack is supposed to have come here after the rodeo ended. Let's fan out and try to find her."
Pinkie Pie raced ahead of them and stopped in front of the outhouse. "Ooh, pickles!" she moaned and frantically began knocking on the door. "Hurryhurryhurryhurryhurry! Hurry it up in there!"
Just then, the toilet flushed and the door opened, hitting the pink pony in the face as Applejack, who was wearing her saddlebags, exited. "Huh, some ponies. Sheesh."
Pinkie Pie dashed inside and shut the door. Moments later, she opened the door and went bouncing out. "Applejack!" she shouted, getting the attention of their friends. "I found her, I found her, I found her, I found her, I found her!"
Hearing the pink pony's shouts, the five ponies spotted the orange pony and they immediately surrounded her with a group hug.
"Oh, Applejack, thank heavens!" Rarity exclaimed, relieved to see that she was all right.
"We're so glad you're safe!" said Fluttershy gratefully.
"I found her, I found her, I found her, I found her!" Pinkie Pie shouted, still bouncing when she froze midair. "Be right back." And she dove into the outhouse, slamming the door shut once again.
Applejack smiled uneasily at her friends. "Uh, hey, everypony. What's up?" she asked.
"Why didn't you come back to Ponyville?!" Rainbow Dash demanded.
"Yes, why are you here?" Rarity agreed looking around as Pinkie Pie rejoined them.
"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, concerned.
"Do you have any snacks?" Pinkie Pie asked eagerly.
"Tell us what happened, Applejack!" said Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom together.
Before the orange pony could answer, a pony with very pale yellow skin, crimson red mane and tail, light green eyes, and her cutie mark was red cherries, came out of a building and spoke. "Applejack? Are these some of your Ponyville friends?" she inquired.
The five ponies looked at her. "Yes, ma'am."
"And you are?" Rarity inquired.
"Why, I'm Cherry Jubilee, boss of Cherry Hill Ranch," said Cherry Jubilee cheerfully. "Hasn't Applejack told ya? I saw her compete at the Equestria Rodeo. Never saw anypony win so many ribbons in all my life."
"Aw shucks, Miss Jubilee," said Applejack, blushing. "You don't have to go into all that."
Cherry Jubilee laughed. "Oh, she's so modest," she commented. "Anyway, I can always use a pony with quick hooves and a strong back. So, when I heard Applejack was looking for a change of scenery, I snapped her up as quick as I could and brought her to Dodge Junction. Well, I'll let you catch up with your friends. See you back at the ranch." And she trotted away.
""Change of scenery"?" Rainbow Dash repeated and confronted her friend. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"S'no big deal, guys," Applejack said, walking away from them. "I thought cherries would be a nice change from apples, so I took the job and came here. That's it. End of story."
"That's it?" Pinkie Pie repeated, disappointed. "Well, that's a terrible story!"
"Sorry, but that's all there is to tell," Applejack insisted. "Thanks for checkin' on me, but y'all can go home now. Tell my family hi, and that I'm doing a-okay."
The blue pegasus flew past the orange pony and blocked her way. "Excuse me, AJ, but we didn't travel all over Equestria searching for you to come home without you!" she announced.
"And when Apple Bloom learned that you weren't coming back, she was really upset," Sunrise Blossom added, confronting their friend. "And even Big Mac was tearing up."
Applejack hesitated for a moment when she heard how upset her siblings had been, but then she pulled herself together. "Well, I didn't ask you to come lookin' for me!" she snapped. "There is nothin' to tell and I am not going back to Ponyville!" And she stormed away.
"I don't care what she says," Twilight Sparkle stated, frowning after their retreating friend. "Applejack's not telling us something."
"I'm with you, sis," Sunrise Blossom agreed, frowning. "Applejack storming off and refusing to come home clearly means that she's hiding something."
"Twilight and Sunrise are right," Rainbow Dash agreed. "We gotta get her to spill the beans."
"What?!" Pinkie Pie yelped. "She had beans? Ugh, I told her I was snacky!" And her friends groaned again, having to explain that's not what the blue pegasus meant.
A/N: Why is Applejack acting like that? Well, you'll just have to find out after Christmas next week. Merry Christmas, everyone! R&R everyone!