*A flower blooms once*
*I wait and play for you now*
*That you return soon*
Chapter 3 – Prayers and Blades
(Hanayo's PoV)
Hanayo walked into the village, trying to find some trace of Aketoki, or any of the buildings she could recognize as buildings belonging to noble clans or some Daimyō of the village. However after three weeks of wandering, searching for her beloved Aketoki, looking anywhere she felt even a small glimmer of hope for seeing him again, she had no choice but to admit that there was no way she would find him.
If he was searching for her, which she knew he would be doing as well, then they would not meet unless luck was on their side. As of yet however, luck was opposed to their union it seems. Fate had conspired against them, luck had turned against them, and now hope had all but abandoned her.
She had done all she could to keep on living, facing the fear that Aketoki might be dead, having woken up in this strange land with no memory of how she had gotten there. She had expected Hogeki and his ninja to be nearby, but when she awoke she found herself alone.
Alone, without Aketoki, the one she loved and sacrificed so much for the chance to be with.
She would have traded anything she had right now, down to the clothes on her back, if it would bring her the knowledge that her Aketoki was alive and looking for her as well.
"But that is not what will bring me to him." She says as she finds herself walking into the village's square near what appears to be an artificial waterfall.
She watched as the pool of water sprouted a cascade of water into the air, before it fell back into the pool at a constant rate, never emptying and never spilling. It was amazing the wonders she had seen in this strange land, flying ponies, tall buildings, this artificial waterfall, mountains of books upon shelves.
All of it so wonderful and so amazing that had it not been for the local's barbaric appearance, she would have thought this was the Emperor's city. Yet because of the local's appearance wherever she went, she had to keep reminding herself of what she was and where she was from.
"Really, what kind of proper female allows herself to be publicly seen naked?" She thought bitterly as she no longer found the artificial waterfall fascinating. "Ugh… and the males…"
She shook her head, trying to keep the images of all the naked males out of her mind. It had taken all of her training to keep herself calm while ignoring the stares of all the males and females watching her as she walked by. They acted as though they'd never seen a Naginata or a Koto before.
She didn't have to worry about falling for one of these males, while some of them were definitely refined, and others looked wealthy or physically fit. None of them could hope to hold a candle to her Aketoki Nimaji. She only had to remember watching him the night before he left Takasaki to join the Hojo Campaign, to wipe away any thoughts she had about these barbarians.
She remembered watching him training in the fields, just out away from her family's home at the edge of Takasaki. She could still remember seeing the moonlight glinting off of the only heirloom he had from what was left of his family, a katana, with his clan's insignia inscribed into the blade. She watched him prepare himself for hours; long after her father had gone to bed, training his mind to be ready to fight off any opponent.
Finally she could bear no more of simply watching him, and so she snuck out the door with her own Naginata and asked to join him as a sparring partner. That was when she decided to tell him that she would marry him, even though she already knew that this was the whole reason he was going to fight for the Hojo. So that when he came back, victorious and alive, achieving great honor on the field of battle, her father would welcome him into her family with open arms.
And she would be able to let him hold her close to him, without having to use the excuse of a sparring match to cover up their reasons for being together this late at night. That was the only thing keeping them apart back then, his lack of family honor, and lack of personal honor to his clan name. That didn't matter to her though, through the sparring matches they had long into the night for many a months, she learned to love him.
He was always a good friend of hers when they were children, learning of their heritage as Samurai and Onna-bugeisha, and because he stayed with her family for a short period while finding a place to live, they became closer as sparring partners.
She will always remember his words that night, the last he'd speak before she would see him again to conspire to flee Takasaki with him. "Hanayo-Chan, when I come back, if I come back from the Hojo campaign, and we are victorious, will you ask your father to consider me for your hand?" He asked her, after they stopped to rest their bodies from the sparring.
"Aketoki-Chan, you know very well you do not have to ask me this question." She said as she looked at the full moon, noticing the moon flower buds around them. "When you return, father will be begging you to take me as your wife, and when that happens, these flowers will finally bloom for us."
She stopped remembering that lovely night, and returned to reality around her, and that reality was one without Aketoki for the moment. Yet that was not how it had to be, and the thought that if her plan worked, she might yet see him again. She looked around the square before finding the ideal spot where she could watch all forms of traffic entering and exiting the square. Then she undid the pack she had made using branches and her own armor, pulling out a piece of cloth she had found blowing in the breeze outside of one town. She put the cloth on the floor and pulled out the last bit of food she had managed to take from a nearby orchid. A single apple, which she had been eating all day in small amounts to make them last as long as she could.
Food was scarce for her, not knowing the language of these ponies and not being able to talk to them made her journey a difficult one. She learned quickly to keep her mouth quiet, and avoid talking at all times. Yet she could not help herself when it came to keeping the males off her.
The few times any male attempted to touch her, whether it be tapping her shoulder or offering her a hoof to help her up after she tripped, she instantly reacted. She had used the shaft of her Naginata to keep them away, but each time this happened she had to leave the town to avoid the authorities or risk an incident. She did this for only one reason, a promise that she had silently made regarding her love for Aketoki.
She vowed to never let another male touch her, not even once, only he and he alone would have that right until the day she died. She had kept that promise, and would keep it even if she had to kill herself.
She ate the last of the apples she had gathered days ago, including the pit, and bitterly wished there were rice fields or even a sake den anywhere in this strange land. Anything familiar would make her feel less lonely, and bring her some small comfort. Yet if her plan worked, if what she was preparing to do worked she might yet turn this world around, even a little.
She planted the shaft of her Naginata into the dirt, so that it stood with the sheathed blade upright on its own. Then she took her Koto out, and used her powers to make the small nails she used to play it with levitate to their positions. Testing each string and fine-tuning them, she looked up and checked the moon's position to see how long it would be before morning.
"Great ancestors of my family… spirits of nature, hear my plea…" She whispered as she put everything away and prepared to rest until morning. "Guide my music to his ears… I beg you to hear my plea… and guide him back to me…"
=Ponyvile, one hour after The Doctor leaves=
(Sparkler's PoV)
"I'll be right back mom; I just need to bring this book back to the library!" Sparkler said as she dashed out the door carrying an almost overdue library book about magic.
"Alright but hurry Sparkler, I need some help with making the soup or we'll be eating mashed carrots for dinner!" Her adopted mother Ditzy said as she ran out and headed straight for the Ponyville Library, which just happened to be Twilight's house.
"I will mom!" She shouted as she turned the corner and raced into town.
It took her only a few minutes before she reached the Ponyville Library and almost missed the deadline for returning this book. "Thanks a lot for lending it to me Twilight." Sparkler said as she watched Twilight put it back on the shelf after checking it back in.
"It's okay Sparkler, we all need a little help every once in a while." Twilight said as she pulled down another book Sparkler wanted to check out. "Here's the next one you wanted, Basic Spells for Basic Fillies. Sorry about the title but… it's honestly the best book I can recommend to you for learning how to do basic levitation and object movement techniques. Some of my books are meant for the average unicorn… not that are you aren't an 'average unicorn' I mean… It's just that you need a little extra practice doing…"
"Just give me the book…" Sparkler mumbled under her breath. "This is making me feel bad enough as is…"
She always hated talking about magic with probably the most gifted unicorn in Equestria. Simple spells for Twilight that she could perform in her sleep while daydreaming about sleep, she Sparkler had to fight Dragons, Changelings and Nightmare Moon just to get to work for her. How she wished she weren't a unicorn some days.
"So did the book help you get any better with your cooking?" Twilight said as the door opened and her two friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked in.
"Not really, still can't cook a plate of tomatoes without turning them into charred ash." Sparkler said jokingly, playing on the joke.
It was a known fact, at least for a few ponies that new Sparkler, that she was absolutely terrible with magic. She was so embarrassed and ashamed of this fact that she spent as little time publicly using magic and spent all of her private time practicing it. If other unicorns knew, she'd be a laughing stock and made fun of; despite the fact that she tries her hardest with each spell she did try using.
Twilight knew, but only because she kept borrowing self-learning magic books, trying to get stronger with her spells. She also made sure to keep it a secret even around her own friends, it was a very touchy subject that she'd rather not talk about if given the chance. Fortunately she didn't have to worry about talking about her 'problem', because the argument that suddenly dominated the room was the only thing that mattered.
"Ah'm tellin ya we needa pull an all-nighter if we're ganna catch that apple thief!" Applejack said loudly, clearly carrying on a conversation they were having outside.
"For the last time Applejack I'm not staying up all night just to watch a bunch of apple trees!" Rainbow Dash said exasperatedly. "Give me a break; it's just a bunch of fruit."
"That's mah family's fruit you're talking about RD, and aint nopony ganna be stealin from mah orchid if ah can help it!" She replied, getting that look in her eye when she's about to smack somepony. "I been takin care of those trees mah whole life, if anypony steals my family's apples they better be ready to mess with me!"
"So why do you need my help staying up at night to keep watch?" Rainbow Dash said annoyed as Twilight and Sparkler waited for them to notice them.
"Cause I only got two eyes, so an extra pair will help me keep things right an tight!" Applejack said stubbornly. "I'd ask my family but Granny's old and needs her rest, Big Mac isn't ganna be there tonight cause he's taking a shipment to a new town just startin up, and Applebloom's too young to be stayin up that late!"
"And you think I want to stay up that late?" Rainbow Dash replied.
"Ahem?" Twilight said, finally getting her friend's attention. "Nice to see you two, but can you please keep it down a bit? This is still a library you know."
"Sorry Twi, but I just came to ask…"
"More like recruit…"
"RD think of it as an extended favor for me okay?" Applejack said with a smirk.
"Yea right, more like forced labor!"
"What do you need help with?" Twilight asked.
"Somepony snuck into Sweet Apple Acres an stole an entire tree's worth of apples!" Applejack said. "Ah need help keepin an eye out in the orchid tonight to try and find the mule that did it!"
"Well I'd like to help but, since Spike won't be back for a week, I need to stay here and keep an eye on the library." Twilight said, though Sparkler could tell she did 'not' want to help Applejack in this matter.
"Shucks… guess that means I only got RD to help me out." Applejack said.
"Whoa since when did I agree to help you?"
"As of five seconds ago RD, your helpin me an ya aint getting outa it!"
"If you want I can help you out AJ." Sparkler said, knowing that Applejack's family was mostly all Earth Ponies who were very busy tending their apple orchid.
She didn't mind helping out the Apple family, she liked spending time with them at Sweet Apple Acres, especially after how AJ helped calm her down when The Professor was threatening Dinky. After that she and AJ became nice friends, she even doesn't care that Sparkler is terrible with magic.
"Great, now ah got two pair of eyes to help me out tonight!" Applejack said happily.
"Will you stop dragging me into this AJ?"
"Nope!"
"I'll come by after dinner okay AJ?" Sparkler said, knowing that she really had to get going now or else she'd be having mashed carrots for dinner instead of Tomato and Mushroom stew.
"Great, I'll see ya there." AJ said as Sparkler picked up her book and started heading out.
/watch?v=OrdDkmwY17o
However just as she left the library she started hearing a faint music coming from town square. At first she didn't think much of it, but she never heard anything like it before. Which after finding out so much about her parents for three months, she figured it wasn't good.
"Do you hear that?" Sparkler asked AJ and RD as they left the library with her.
"Ya ah hear it, been hearing it all day but never bothered since ah was busy trying to get help."
"Yea I hear it too, never heard anything like it."
Deciding to investigate, even though by now she should have learned to stay away from stuff like this, she headed off toward the source of the music. It wasn't hard to find the source of the music, the Town square that was usually quiet with ponies going about their business, was suddenly full of ponies all looking at a single spot, where a strange unicorn mare was sitting on a cloth blanket.
She was very strange to Sparkler; everything about her was strange, even her face was strange. She looked like an ordinary pony on the outside at the surface, but the clothes she was wearing were definitely not the latest fashion from Rarity's Boutique. She looked like she was wearing the simplest kind of clothing one could possibly have, string it together into a single piece of clothing, and tied together with a sash.
On her face were, what looked like two cutie marks on each side of her face. Her cutie mark was that of what looked like a flower in bloom under a full moon. Behind her was what looked like some kind of baking tool she had seen a baker used to pull bread out of their stone ovens, but for some reason the spatula end was covered in some kind of… towel or something? Not only that but the shaft was way too long to be used for baking, and if the cover was anything to go by it was way too thin and curved to be a spatula.
The next thing Sparkler noticed about this mare was what she was playing, the object looked like some kind of Cello that Sparkler had seen one time, but it was nothing like that at the same time. It was made of one single, long piece of wood about six inches wide and two feet long. It had strings just like a Cello, but instead of a wand, she was using magic to levitate and use… nails… to play the strings. The music she was playing wasn't anything like a Cello; it was more about the individual strings and the sounds each one made when she touched it or pricked at it.
It was very soothing to the ears now that Sparkler listened, simple to play and each sound she made seemed to be something she was making up, yet it sounded as though she was playing it like a master. In front of her was what looked like an upturned bowl? It was a very odd looking bowl that seemed to be partially made of metal and mostly leather. Inside the bowl was a single piece of paper with a strange picture written on it, but she couldn't even describe it because she had never seen it before.
Inside the bowl were quite a few bits, but this mare didn't seem to be very poor. She looked like she was born into the life of luxury, yet she seemed very muscular, as though she could take on a dragon solo.
"Who is that mare?" Sparker asked a nearby stallion.
"I don't know, she's been sitting there all day just playing that instrument." He said. "Nopony knows who she is or where she came from, she just turned up this morning and has been playing there all day without uttering a single word."
Applejack got a closer look at the bowl and Sparkler was shocked to see just how far she could stretch her mouth in amazement. "She's got like 300 bits in that thing!" Applejack whispered.
"I know, quite a few ponies have given her tips for playing such wonderful music." A mare to their right said in agreement. "She's completely ignored the bowl though, it's as though the money doesn't matter to her. I've been here the longest and I know now she doesn't care for the bits, but I don't know why else she would be sitting here playing."
"Wait she doesn't care about the money?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"No, she hasn't even looked at the bowl once from what I've seen." The mare said again. "She keeps looking around at us all with her eyes, but other than that doesn't move her head or speak a word. I'm wondering how she can possibly still play that after all this time not eating a thing. The poor thing must be starving to be sitting there for almost eleven hours without resting to eat, and still play that instrument."
Sparkler looked at the unicorn mare before she noticed something that she wondered if any other pony did. "Her horn is smaller and thinner than usual!" Sparkler whispered quietly to AJ and RD.
"Yea, so what about it?" Rainbow Dash said.
"So, a unicorn's horn is the source of our magic, the longer and thicker it is the more powerful our magic tends to be." Sparkler said, she was living proof of this, her horn was about one inch shorter than the average unicorn's, about as short one can get without suffering some defect.
"So if what your saying is true, than that mare's magic has got to be mighty weak huh Spark?" Applejack said quietly.
"Yea, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if moving those little needles was all she can do, and even that might be straining her to her limits!" Sparkler said, wondering how this mare could be acting so normal with such a small, thin horn.
Then she stopped wondering how she could be acting when she noticed the mare's eyes shifting around the crowd. They kept looking this way and that way, as though they were looking for somepony in particular. Each time they swept the crowd, the look on her face showed signs of sadness, and each second she looked even sadder, with tears threatening to break through.
Yet still this mare played.
"Is it me or is she crying?" Sparkler asked.
"Oh you betcha, she's been this way for the last few hours!" A voice suddenly piped up behind them.
They all jumped at Pinkie Pie suddenly appearing out of nowhere, Sparkler still never used to how she just… appears out of nowhere.
"Don't do that Pinkie!" Applejack said. "Almost gave me a heartattack."
"What was that about her being like this for the last few hours?" Sparkler asked, getting over Pinkie's surprise appearance the quickest somehow.
"Oh yea, she's been like this for the past few hours!" Pinkie pie repeated. "I tried cheering her up, but she just ignored me. I even gave her a free cheer-me-up cupcake, nopony ever says no to my cheer-me-up cupcakes, but she didn't even look at it when I slipped it next to her. I tried everything to cheer her up when she started crying, but she just keeps on staring around and looking for somepony in the crowd!"
"Wait how do you know she's looking for somepony in the crowd?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well that's easy; she never looks at the same pony for more than a few seconds once she spots them the first time!" Pinkie Pie said. "Look, here comes a new pony to the crowd, watch how she reacts when she first sees him."
Sparkler watched as a stallion came up to the crowd to see what was everypony looking at, instantly the mare's eyes locked onto him but only observed him for a moment. Then her look became slightly sad again and she resumed scanning the crowd as a whole. She didn't even bother looking at him again as he left soon after, all the while she kept playing the instrument as though nothing were wrong.
"See, everypony she's been like that to." Pinkie Pie said with a frown. "She looks at them once and ignores them afterward; only she gets sadder with each new pony she sees. I've done everything I could but she just doesn't get any happier. She's also very hungry, I've heard her stomach rumble at least five times since I first showed up, and each time I pushed a cupcake near her she ignores it and me."
Sparkler could tell that Pinkie Pie was definitely feeling down at not making a mare even smile once. As the keeper of the Element of Laughter, making ponies smile and cheering them up was her specialty, something she took great pride in. Not being able to make this mare so much as smirk really makes her sad and really puts her down.
"Poor mare, I wonder what's got her so down." Sparkler said as she decided that she could do nothing more her, and told AJ and RD she had to get home.
(Hanayo's PoV)
*The howling wind roars*
*Yet its call to you my love*
*It goes unheard still*
Hanayo played her Koto, played it as loudly and cheerfully as she could, yet with each face she saw that was not Aketoki's, she felt even lonelier because of it. So many locals had come out to see her play, hear her music, and while many of them liked it and some even gave her money, that was not the reason behind the helmet being turned upside down in front of her. She had written that message many moons ago, it was the only symbol she had for Aketoki, his name inscribe on that page. The helmet and the writing was her way of hoping that his ears would somehow hear her music if she played it before his helmet that he always wore, and that somehow it would guide him to this spot.
Yet here she was with sundown drawing closer, and still no sign of Aketoki.
It had been her hope, her last bit of hope that sitting still and playing this song over and over would somehow bring Aketoki to her. She should have known it wouldn't have worked on the first try; nothing ever did work on the first try. But she hoped… that was all she had now…
She took one last look at the crowd, gave one final sigh… and told herself that enough was enough for tonight. She had kept telling herself to give it ten more minutes, another ten minutes, another ten… yet it didn't work.
She stopped playing and instantly the crowd applauded her 'performance' and a few tossed a few more of their currency into Aketoki's Kabuto. She wasn't sure how much money she had, but she didn't care about it. She started putting the items she could away, wrapping up the cloth blanket in her pack before fetching the helmet, dumping the money onto the floor and walking back to her pack to put the helmet back into her pack. Taking her pack and strapping it along with her Koto onto her back.
Just as she began to pull her Naginata out of the ground where she had left it, a male approached her carrying some of the money she had just left lying on the ground. "Hey there, you dropped your earnings!" He said, just as he raised the hoof carrying the money to tap her.
She reacted with the speed and ferocity of a wild boar, but she controlled her actions with the mental discipline of the monks she remembered from her home. Just before he could touch her, she pulled the Naginata and shoved it behind her, shaft first in such a way that to any of the onlookers it would appear like an accident.
It worked; the shaft hit him in the stomach, causing him flinch before he could touch her. "Hey are you alright?" One of the females asked him as Hanayo turned and said the only word she had managed to learn the meaning of in their language.
"Sorry." She said, being careful to pronounce it exactly as she had heard it over the last three weeks.
"No, it's alright that was my fault." The male said as he bent down to pick up all the money he had dropped with the help of others who had stayed with him in the square.
Yet before he could try to offer her the money again, indeed before any of these 'barbarians' could so much as look at her, she quickly made her way out of the village square. As she approached an alley she felt very weak, so she had to lean against the wall of a building to catch her breath. Using her powers took its toll on her, without having a decent meal for days this wave of weakness was something she expected. Her stomach rumbled again, once more complaining about being empty, and she wished she could tell it to be silent so she could think.
She saw that the sun was starting to descend and knew that she had to get something to eat before tomorrow morning.
"If only I knew what that currency could buy me…" She said out loud as she regretted leaving all of the money behind. "Not like it can help me now…" She said as she caught her breath and picked up her Naginata again.
Knowing that it would be time for these locals to sleep, she left the alley and made her way out of the village and headed toward that massive orchid field. She had to refill her stock of food, and those apples were the tastiest she had ever had since she arrived in this strange land.
She also wanted to go there to make an offering, she needed all the help she could get to find Aketoki, luck wasn't helping her and she wasn't counting on Fate to change its mind. She needed divine help at this point, and the only way to get that kind of help she had to pray and make an offering for the spirits to hear her cry.
=11:47 PM, Sweet Apple Acres=
(Sparkler's PoV)
"I cannot believe I agreed to help her out with this…" Rainbow Dash said angrily as she and Sparkler watched over a group of trees near the edge of Applejack's family owned orchid. "What kind of Apple Cider was I drinking to make me agree to this?"
"Oh stop complaining RD, she promised to give us free breakfast in the morning." Sparkler said, wishing she and AJ could swap places.
"I can make breakfast for myself for free!" Rainbow Dash complained again. "This is ridiculous, who are we even looking for? All she has for proof that somepony stole apples from here is a tree with no apples on it."
This was true; Sparkler did wish Applejack didn't jump to conclusions based on just one tree not having any apples. But it was too late to back out now, she promised Applejack she'd help keep watch for a thief and that was just what she was going to do. She told her mom and little sister where she was going to be, although Ditzy looked like she would have rather had her home to watch Dinky during the night. When their dad didn't come home as she started to head out, Ditzy asked her for a big favor and take Dinky with her while she went to Canterlot to check up on their dad, which Sparkler was only too willing to do.
Provided Dinky actually listened to her this time, which didn't happen.
"Sister why are we out here?" Dinky yawned quietly.
"We're looking for a pony who is stealing from Applejack's family apple orchid." Sparkler said as she knew Dinky was getting sleepy, her plan was working.
"Oh okay…" Dinky whispered.
(I detect no ponies within the vicinity of this area besides you and Rainbow Dash.) Midnight Luna said in Dinky's hooves. (Miss Applejack is currently four point six yards west of us and approaching at a slow pace.)
"Wait… you can tell how many ponies are around here just like that?" Rainbow Dash asked incredibly. "Last time you were around, you had to use like hundreds of flying toys just to find Dinky's dad! So why all of a sudden are you able to tell us exactly how many and where everypony is all of a sudden?"
(I was not yet completed, and only had a few functioning, untested Filly Protection tools at my disposal at the time.) The toy whispered in a 'matter of fact' tone. (As such, I had to utilize the tools at my disposal and make use of what I didn't have to fulfill my programming. However since I was completed and given to Dinky two days ago, all of my tools and programming are working at one hundred percent efficiency. This includes a new, more powerful scanning system designed to track and locate any biological signature matching anything in my database within two hundred miles of my current position. These include but are not restricted to Ponies, Changelings, Dragons, Manticores, Oxen, Rabbits, Birds, Turtles, Spiders…)
"We get it; you can find a lot of things!" Rainbow Dash said, shutting the toy up. "Jeez Dinky your dad sure knows how to make a toy, now all he has to do is make them learn to shut up."
Dinky however was snoring now, having fallen asleep after her toy started explaining.
Sparkler chuckled as she turned to Rainbow Dash. "Can you take Dinky back to Applejack's house and put Dinky to bed for me?" She asked. "AJ told me we can put her there if she falls asleep out here."
"Right." Rainbow Dash said, taking Dinky in one hoof and her toy in the other before taking off. "I need to get me one of these toys…"
Sparkler laughed a little as she went back to watching the trees, glad that Rainbow Dash had a reason to top complaining about sitting still watching trees.
Ten minutes later Rainbow Dash returned, slightly less grouchy about having to sit here doing nothing but watch trees. "How does your dad make those toys, that thing has more stuff packed into it than Pinkie Pie has stuffed into her party cannon!" Rainbow Dash said quietly. "Not only that but it's able to fly! I dropped it halfway to AJ's house and the thing started flying up to me. Said something about, being able to fly in case of an emergency, or if it has to be able to reach some cookie jar on top of a shelf..."
"Yea, dad sure knows how to pack those toys with cool stuff." Sparkler said, not willing to describe even half of what her dad had packed into that Luna toy. "I'm thinking about asking him to take me under his hoof and teach me how to make his toys."
"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked as they watched an owl fly past.
They were bored, really bored after nearly sitting out here watching the trees for three hours. Another twenty minutes later and Applejack came up behind them, coughing gently so they knew she was there and not to jump in surprise. "Any sign of anythin you two?" She asked quietly.
"Yea, we saw an owl." Rainbow Dash said annoyed. "Are you happy now, can we please go home and sleep?"
"Give it another hour an ya'all can go home kay?" Applejack said disappointedly.
Just as Applejack was about to leave however, Sparkler spotted something that put all of her doubts about this all-nighter away. She saw a pony in the distance crossing over onto the apple orchid, and from what she could tell they were carrying a lot of stuff on their back. "Hey I see somepony!" Sparkler whispered, causing both Rainbow Dash and Applejack to get down and look where she was pointing.
They watched the pony stop for a moment, giving them time to inch closer to the edge of the tree line, where it was clear that this mystery pony was going. As they got closer Sparkler noticed only one thing, that she did not recognize this pony from anywhere. At least at first, but she did think she saw something familiar about them.
"Well whatya know, looks like somepony was right huh RD?" Applejack whispered with a smug look on her face.
"Alright you win AJ." Rainbow Dash whispered.
"Wait… we don't know for sure that this pony is the apple thief!" Sparkler whispered as they watched the pony draw closer to the apple tree. "For all we know they probably are lost or something…"
They watched the pony stop under the tree before putting whatever they had been carrying down on the ground. Then they pulled out a long, very familiar looking stick and started poking up at the apples in the tree. In a few minutes she smacked two apples from the tree down.
"Alright… so much for that theory…" Sparkler said as the pony opened some kind of bag.
"Why that no good two bit stealing mule!" Applejack growled. "Stealin mah family's apples, ah'll teach that pony a thing or two!"
They decided to inch closer, being as quiet as they could to the pony, expecting them to start stealing more apples. Yet as they drew closer they noticed a few things they didn't before. First of all the pony was a mare, second she wasn't putting the apples into a bag, she was taking stuff out of the bag. Finally, they recognized who this mare was.
"Hey, isn't that the mare that we saw playing music earlier?" Sparkler whispered.
"Yea… now that you mention it… that is the mare from earlier." Rainbow Dash said.
"Ah don't care who it is, what ah wanna know is what she's doing stealin mah family's apples!"
They watched her for a bit more as she lit two candles, placed that empty bowl on a piece of cloth and put that strange picture inside the bowl. Then she put one of the apples in the bowl and simply stared at it for several minutes.
"What is she doing?" Sparkler asked.
"Now I'm wonderin the same thing." Applejack said curiously. "She don't look like she stealin apples."
The mare stared at the picture in the bowl for several minutes before taking her front hooves and holding them together and bent her head as though she were bowing. Then they started hearing her talking. "Watashi no tangan kaminokaze o kiku," She said. "watashi wa watashi no 1tsu no negai o kii te kono yoru o onegaishimasu."
"Uh… do ya'll understand a word she sayin?" Applejack asked.
"Not a clue." Sparkler answered.
"Nope, don't ask me." Rainbow Dash replied.
While they talked among themselves the mare continued to talk to herself.
(Hanayo's PoV)
She finished preparing the offering to the divine winds, using Aketoki's Kabuto as an offering bowl and the paper with his name as a symbol of her love. Once she put her offering, a simple apple, she closed her eyes and held her hooves together in prayer. "Hear my plea divine winds," She prayed, speaking with nothing but her heart, hoping that the great Divines will hear her words and grant her request. "I ask you this night to hear my one wish."
"I am alone this night, away from my beloved and all that I knew. If you hear my plea and accept this humble offering I present to you, I beg of you... carry word of him to me. I have sacrificed everything to be with him, my honor, my clan, even my name; I have thrown all that away to be with the one truly worthy of having me! If this is my punishment for doing that, please end my suffering and strike me down, but before you do, if that is my fate… I ask for one final wish. All that I ask for… is to hear his voice in my ear and feel his touch upon my skin again." She said, desperately wishing that her religion that she never paid much attention too, would somehow aid her in her darkest hour now. "Let me see him... just one more time...please... Please I beg of you. I love him so much… I miss him so much… I need him right now… I need him to help me… feel safe!"
Her prayer finished, she looked up at Aketoki's name written on the paper, pretending it to have his handsome face smiling back at her.
Then she cried.
(Applejack's PoV)
They watched her talking to herself for several minutes, but even Applejack, without a fancy education, could tell when somepony was begging for help. "She's not stealing… I think she's asking for help or something." Sparkler said to them, and Applejack agreed.
"Yea… now that ya mention it…" She started saying, but then the mare stopped talking and started crying, loudly.
They all just watched her cry as loud as she could, wailing at the top of her voice as she continued to bow before that piece of paper in the bowl. Applejack didn't know what she had said, or why she was her taking apples for whatever she just did, but if Applejack could understand a word this mare was saying, she would have allowed her to take as many apples as she needed for whatever she was using them for.
"Poor thing… Pinkie said she was sad earlier… but not this sad…" Applejack said.
After a few minutes the mare stopped crying and after she calmed down a little, stated eating into the second apple that she had taken from the tree, leaving the first untouched in the bowl.
"So do we confront her now?" Rainbow Dash asked as she finished eating the apple and picked up her strange spatula stick.
"Yea, but let's not be mean, she's probably just desperate or something." Sparkler said. "Remember what Pinkie Pie said earlier as well, she's probably trying to find somepony very special to her."
"Ah hear ya Sparks." Applejack said as she started getting up.
Just as they were about to get up and approach the mare, they saw another pony suddenly appear from the shadow. He wore similar looking clothes to the mare, but they were completely dark and covered every inch of his body. Only his eyes could be seen, until they saw that he was reaching for something on his back that looked like a very long knife.
The mare spotted him as well, and the instant she saw him she performed some kind of twirl that brought her spatula toward the stallion. They noticed that the covering on it had been thrown off, revealing a blade at the end which curved slightly. The mare stood upright on her rear hooves, holding her strange spear with the blade pointing at the stallion.
"Ninja o torimodosu, watashi wa hangeki shinai to wa omowanai!" She yelled furiously, glaring at the stallion.
"Whoa who is that?" Rainbow Dash said, too amazed at what they were seeing to help.
"You got about as good a clue as ah do RD." Applejack said.
"Hanayo wa, watashi no masutā wa mitsukeru to, kare ni anata o motarasu tame ni watashi o meijita!" The stallion said, pointing his knife at the mare. "Anata ga gaisa renai yō ni, kono kon'nan ni shinaide, shizuka ni issho ni kite!"
"Kare wa watashidesu shitai baai watashi wa shinda nochi, kare wa watashi no shitai o motsu koto ga deki, Hogeki o oshiete!" The mare responded, holding her spear even closer. "Kare wa watashi ni fureru koto wa arimasenshi, dochira mo anatadeshou! Watashi ni fureru kamo shirenai yuiitsu no samurai wa Aketokidesu!"
"Call me a fool but, I don't think this is the pony that mare was looking for!" Rainbow Dash said as she prepared to jump in to help.
"I also don't think this is a fight we should get involved in, I mean look at those blades!" Sparkler said. "Look at how sharp they are. Those things look like they could cut through trees!"
"Ya… and ah think she knows it too!" Applejack said as the mare held her spear even closer.
Then something caught Applejack's attention, a sudden movement that the others failed to notice. It was just behind the mare, barely visible because he had been hiding using the shadow of her apple trees, was a second stallion. This second stallion also wore the same attire that the first one had, and he too had a blade drawn and was inching ever slowly toward the mare.
"Watashi no masutā wa anata ga ikite jisan suru yō ni watashi ni meijita kamo shirenaiga, sore wa kare ga watashi wa anata ga buji motte kite itta imi wa nai to omou!" The first stallion said calmly, taking a step closer to the mare.
"Watashi wa kare no tame ni saku koto wa arimasen anata no masutā ni shiraseru, watashi wa Aketoki dake saku!" She said, taking only one step back to keep her distance from the first stallion, but this only brought her closer to the second stallion that she still had yet to notice.
However before Applejack could shout to warn her, the second stallion broke into a silent run pointing his bade at her with one hoof. Somehow he could run at full speed on three hooves, and so silent that by the time she was about to yell, he was right on top of her.
Only the mare had seen it coming apparently, as she turned around just in time to block his attack with the shaft of her spear. At the same time the first one charged as well, but because of her blade's length she was able to block the first one's attack and attack the second one at the same time. She spun her spear around, blocking and attacking, ducking and weaving with her spear. She jabbed at them but they were just as fast as she was, able to evade her attacks as they drove her back together toward the tree.
She bumped into the tree which threw her off balance for a split second, but it was enough to give them the upperhoof. One of the dark clad ponies brought his sword down in a slash, while the other one thrust his forward. She swung her spear and used the shaft to throw the stabbing blade off course, but the slashing one struck home as it gave her a small but very clean gash on one of her hooves.
She yelled out in pain as she kicked the first stallion away while slashing at the second to drive him back. They both jumped back but kept their blades poised for another attack, while the mare got down on one knee, still keeping a grip on the spear with her front hooves. She was panting, as blood blotted her clothes from the inside from the gash and dripped through the cut in the fabric and onto the dirt.
However she still looked determine to resist, and she did not lose that look in her eyes that screamed defiance. Yet her attackers advanced, and no matter how strong she acted, that cut was causing her serious pain. Applejack saw a slight look of fear as the two advanced upon her, preparing to strike, and that was the only look she needed to have a reason to jump in and help.
"We gata give her a hoof!" Applejack said as she got up. "HEY YOU, GET OFA MY FAMILY'S FARM!"
She certainly got their attention, the instant the two stallions turned to look at her the mare took the chance and attacked. She managed to give one of them a close shave, but the second one evaded and blocked her second strike. Meanwhile the first one raised his blade and charged at Sparkler, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash.
"I think we have their attention!" Sparkler said, trying to use her magic to slow the stallion or stop him, but for some reason the glow that appeared around him for the brief moment vanished instantly. "What the… my magic!"
Applejack judged the distance between this stallion before turning to a tree and giving it a good buck with her rear hooves. Just as he was about to reach them a cascade of apples landed on top of him, burying him alive in apples. At the same time the mare gave the second one a smack with another kick, and used the moment to disarm him of his blade before swinging the blade and slashing at his throat.
She missed by a hair's width, but the follow-up attack hit the mark, as she swung the blade and jabbed with the shaft into his face. This gave Sparkler an opening as she used her magic to pick up several small rocks, and send them flying at him. He lost his balance and was pushed back, right where he needed to be to meet up with Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash was in the air and had swung wide to give the second stallion a punch to his side as she flew by at full speed. This last attack was all it took to drive the two off of her family's orchid farm; they clearly were not prepared to handle a Pegasus, a Unicorn, and an Earth Pony along with this mare. "Watashitachiha taikyaku shinakereba naranai!" The one recovering from Rainbow Dash's attack shouted, just as the second one limped out of his apple prison.
"Kemuri bakudan!" The second one shouted as he pulled out several small black balls.
The first one nodded and stood on his rear hooves just like the mare did, reaching with his front hooves to sheath his blade and pull out similar black balls. At the same time they threw them at the mare, Applejack, and Sparkler, and Rainbow Dash as she came in for another attack. The balls exploded into small puffs of smoke, not dangerous or blinding, but they did disorient them all, and in Rainbow Dash's case, caused her to spiral upward as she flew into the ball before it had a chance to explode.
Her skill and training at flying was the only thing that saved her from crashing into the trees when she spiraled upward to avoid a life threatening crash with the ground or Applejack's trees. Meanwhile she, Sparkler, and the mystery mare all coughed and shielded their eyes to protect them.
A few seconds later they recovered, but the two stallions were gone.
"Well at least they're gone." Sparkler said as she observed their surroundings.
"They left in a hurry!" Applejack commented, surprised that two stallions could move that fast after the pummeling they got.
"Hey where's Rainbow Dash?" Sparkler said, but that was answered quite quickly.
"WHERE IS EVERYPONY?" She shouted, and Applejack looked to her right to see RD making a controlled landing, still very blinded. "AJ? SPARKLER? MARE I DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF? WHERE ARE YOU, I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!"
"Hold your feathers RD, Ah'm comin!" She said as she walked over to RD to check her eyes.
They were completely covered in the black stuff, apparently while she, Sparkler and the mystery mare were spared when their little smoke balls exploded normally; Rainbow Dash hit hers too fast for it to turn to smoke. Her eyes needed to get the stuff washed out before they became damaged. "Looks like you went a little too fast there RD, hit the black stuff before it had a chance to explode or something!"
"Just help me get this stuff out of my eyes!" She said, shaking her head furiously. "Stuff stings like mad, feels like my eyes are on fire!"
"Soon as we get back to the house I'll hose ya down RD." She said with a grin, savoring the fact that for once, her legendary speed backfired on her.
"Hey AJ, we got a prob here!" Sparkler shouted quickly. "I think something's wrong with your apple thief!"
Applejack turned and saw what Sparkler meant; the mare was on her side, breathing slowly as she struggled to keep a grip on her spear. She was trying to push herself up but each time she just fell back to her side, and the cut she received was bleeding badly.
"Norowareta ninja... Dokusatsu burēdo... Suimin doku!" She whispered faintly as Applejack ran over to help her out, right before she collapsed altogether.
"Is she okay?" Sparkler asked quickly.
Applejack first checked her pulse and found it to be, quite normal despite being slashed and collapsed. Then she checked her eyes and found them alright, before listening closely to her breathing and hearing normal breathing rate. "Ah think she's asleep." Applejack said calmly as she checked her pulse once more to be sure. "Yea she's asleep, alive but sleeping… must've been somethin to do with those fancy knives. She didn't get hit with anything else."
"Can we please get me some water, my eyes are burning here!" Rainbow Dash complained, trying to rub the stuff out of her eyes.
"Okay Sparks you help guide RD while I'll carry our mystery mare and her things." Applejack said, taking charge of the situation. "I'll take her to the barn and treat her wound, you take RD into the bathroom and wash that stuff outa RD's eyes, kay?"
"Got it." Sparkler said as she started to head back, pulling a blinded Rainbow Dash behind her.
While Applejack gathered all the mare's things into her bag as well as her strange instrument, she only had one thought as she grabbed the mare and lifted her up onto her back to carry her. "Soon as you wake up apple thief, ya'll got some explaining to do!" She said.