(TW: Mention of death)


"….phew."


Applejack let out a tired sigh, lifting a hoof and sweeping it along her sodden brow. The early evening light beat down on the back of her freckled shoulders, Celestia beginning to lower the sun until tomorrow. The earth pony was finishing her own work, another full basket of perfect, shiny, delicious apples sitting before her, ready to feed another creature. She gave a small smile to herself, lifting her emerald eyes from the basket to instead gaze over her orchard. A warm breeze quietly rustled the leaves, strands of her golden mane getting caught in the whispers of wind. She closed her eyes, taking another deep breath as she began to unwind after a long day of harvesting. A hot shower was certainly in her near future.


However, as she took a quiet moment for herself, another whisper joined that of the breeze, merging almost perfectly. One ear quirked back, her eyes opening as she recognized the sound of the voice that belonged to her newest friend. Turning her head, she looked towards the crest of the hill she stood at the foot of, seeing a familiar figure sitting against the tree there. The smoothly strummed notes of his guitar wafted down through the trees, carrying with them the words he softly sang. "…and after it all, I know you'll be…after it all, I know that you are…"


AJ couldn't help her curiosity…or the strange feeling that pulled her up the hill. She slowly walked towards the top, turning her ears to pick up each word the stallion sang. His deep voice carried a comforting warmth to it, smooth as fresh butter. Its resonance made the mare's heart give a little jump, and her brow furrowed as she felt a shakiness in her knees that had nothing to do with her busy workday.


"The moons may rise, the suns may fall. The stars may shine forever in the sky. I can't promise you much, but I promise I will try…I would give you all I have, if you didn't have it alrea…" The stallion's singing trailed off, and AJ's eyes shot open, realizing that she was standing behind him, and was gently swaying to his gentle song. Now, however, her green eyes met his deep blue, the stallion raising a seemingly annoyed brow.


"Y'know, Jack, its not a real great idea to sneak up on a bounty hunter. We're on guard basically all of the time. We don't like to be attacked." Ash Bark said, now trying to appear serious, sans the smirk on his muzzle. Applejack rolled her eyes, trying to fight back the blush that, of course, her freckles highlighted perfectly.


"Ya didn't seem too wound up jus' a few seconds ago, tough stuff." AJ teased back, waving a hoof and gesturing for the stallion to scoot over. He obliged, the mare planting herself against the tree with a heavy huff. Her haunches gave a slight protest against the movement, making that shower sound more and more enticing. Well…in a few minutes.


Ash Bark raised his brow again, obviously concerned about the tired farmer. She noticed his look and scoffed.


"Oh, don't gimmie that look. It was harvestin' day for market, and the students have a test tomorrow. A gal's got a right to feel a little tired." She gave a weak chuckle, then sighed. "This teachin' stuff is harder than ah ever thought it'd be. Its a barrel of fun, don't get me wrong, but with tryin' to keep the farm runnin', be there for AB, be part of Twilight's court…" She sighed again, trailing off before giving her friend a smile. "Ah'm grateful for the life ah have. But…ah never thought ah'd say it, but ah just migh' need to think about a vacay' here soon."


"Something I think you definitely do need. And not just say it, then 'oh ah got too bu-zay, y'all go on withou' meeeehhhh.'" Ash replied, with a very exaggerated impersonation of her accent. AJ chuckled.


"Firstly, ah don't sound like tha'. Secondly, what sorta song were ya singin'? It was kinda catchy."


Ash shifted slightly, looking down pensively and tapping a hoof against the neck of the obviously-loved, but cared-for instrument.


"Ah, I used to sort of like to make up songs. Usually its just me on the trail, so when Ogres is out of the picture, I used to make up stupid songs to keep myself awake and alert. There's only so many you can remember and keep track of, and there's only so many renditions of 'Down the Country Road' that I can go through.'" He said with a light laugh, still looking just a tad embarrassed. He then glanced over at the mare. "D'you play at all?"


"Oh, golly, its been a minute. Ah used to more when ah was a teen, but ah got busier and busier. Ah like to for Applebloom when ah can." AJ admitted with a shrug. Ash's smile grew wider, and he lifted the guitar gently from his lap, instead handing it over to Applejack. She took it gingerly, gently running a hoof over the smooth, auburn finish. She used to love to play when she was younger and wasn't as perpetually busy. Adjusting the guitar to where it sat comfortably against her chest, she wrapped a fetlock around the neck, and paused for a moment. There was only one song that echoed in her mind, and like she'd been taught so long ago, her hoof gently strummed over the guitar's strings.


"We're far apart, in every way, but you're the best part of my day…"


Oh, Ma's voice was always so much prettier than hers. She could still hear it, clear as day in her mind…


"And sure as I breathe the air, I know we are the perfect pair. On a prickly path, that goes on for mi-iles. But its worth it just to see your smile…"


Darn. Her eyes were stinging. Her voice hitched slightly, and she hid it with a cough. Giving a chuckle, she ended the song, hiding the blinking away of her tears with a swipe of her still-damp forehead. Glancing out the corner of her eye, she noticed that Ash sat there with a slightly stunned expression on his face, his own freckles an obvious shade of red. Applejack chuckled nervously again, fiddling with the guitar and handing it back to its owner.


"Heh, sorry. Only song ah could remember off th' top of mah head, without tryin' ta practice anythin'. It was…my ma wrote that song for my pa." She explained quietly. The tenseness immediately left Ash, and after giving a hard swallow, he smiled quietly and placed a hoof on AJ's shoulder.


"You'll have to teach it to me one day. I'll play it at Springy's wedding." He said, and the farm mare groaned.


"Nooo, ah got enough on mah plate, ah ain't ready to have to worry about mah sister datin'." Her overly-exaggerated complaint mingled with Ash's raucous laughter as they sat underneath the softly-rustling tree, the setting sun throwing beautiful golden beams against the orange clouds above.


Applejack blinked as a beam of light hit her eyes, suddenly having to adjust from the incredibly dark tunnel. Turning the brim of her stetson over her brow, she continued to follow the dark figure before her. They exited the seemingly endless cave system they'd just spend the last few hours walking through, feeling a rush of cool air over their backs. Instead of hard, abrasive rock, they suddenly felt soft grass beneath their hooves.


The sun was quickly setting in the distance, beyond the mountains that now surrounded them. The two ponies found themselves standing amongst a slew of pine trees reaching into the sky, thick shrub obscuring the darkness of the forest, a sheer cliff to one side. The view beyond caught Applejack's attention for a moment, the sun illuminating each tree and rock below in a spectacular vista.


Ash, not as preoccupied with the scenery, immediately began scouting the area, looking for any small sign to show that the area was already occupied. After a few minutes of searching (and Applejack also taking up cause), the only thing he found that was suspicious was a broken branch, hanging by only a few splinters. Ash raised a hoof and gently held the branch, studying it pensively. AJ watched him, waiting on his judgment of the stick. After a moment he gestured to her. "C'mon, lets get a bit further into the forest."


The two ponies began trotting in the opposite direction of the broken branch, making their way down the mountain. Further into the forest they went, keeping a lookout for the creatures that they were looking for, and ones they weren't. They continued on until the very last light of day was peeking through the forest canopy, their path becoming darker and darker. Finally, they came upon a small meadow, a circle of pine trees sheltering the clearing. A rather spooky wall of mist lurked at the edge of the trees, growing thicker as the forest deepened.


"Here, this should be good for tonight. Knife Edge isn't stupid, and there's too many canyons around this area for him to keep moving around in the fog at night." Ash said, slowing his stride until he came upon what he deemed a suitable spot. AJ sat heavily, giving a grateful sigh as she was able to finally take the pressure off her hooves. She hadn't walked that far in a single day in awhile. After all this was over, a spa day was in order, and she was perfectly fine admitting it to herself.


"You okay, AJ?" Ash asked, sitting nearby and stretching a leg. She nodded.


"Yeah, don' you worry about me. Ah'm a tough cookie. Ah just need a breather." She said, lifting the worn hat from her head and attempting to brush her mane back. However, it was so tangled at this point, the mare yanked the red band out of her mane. Lifting her hooves, she ran them up the back of her skull, allowing the golden mess of hair atop her head completely free. It fell over her shoulders in waves, curling and sticking every other which way. She sighed, enjoying the feeling as she felt the cool breeze of evening brushing the back of her neck.


She then caught the stallion's gaze, quite fixated on her. He blinked and quickly looked away, but the tired mare couldn't hold back her remark.


"What? Ya've seen Pinkie's mane after a rainstorm, ah don't know why mine is so shocking." She said with a grin, quirking a brow. Ash tried to quickly collect himself.


"Just never seen it down before, is all." He said with an aloof tone. AJ rolled her eyes, giving the loose hair cascading down her back a shake.


"Well, ya know what my ma looked like. We Apples ain't lackin' in the hair gene, heh." She said with a light chuckle, wondering if it was okay to feel as relaxed as she was. There was still a criminal out there, lurking around.


However, the thought didn't stop her from lying back against the ground, the cool grass tickling her back as her mane lay spread out around her. Ash smiled down at her, hesitating for a moment before he too lay back, parallel to his friend. They lay in silence for a moment, watching as the dark of night began to take over the light of day, Luna preparing to place the stars as she did each evening.


"Y'know, I still remember your mom. She was always nice. I can't really remember ever seeing her not smile. She knew candied zap apples were my favorite, always brought me some when her and your dad visited mine." Ash said quietly, eyes grazing the darkening vastness above, the silhouettes of the pine trees starting to merge with the sky. "In all honesty, I feel like I can remember her more than my own mom."


AJ turned towards the stallion slightly, her expression soft. "Ah'm sorry ya never really got ta meet Willow. Granny told me some really great things about her."


Ash shrugged. "I was mostly okay with just, y'know, me and Dad. And the stuff I wasn't okay with, well, that's what the bounty huntin' was for. Well, kinda, at first, but now its just doin' what's right. Protectin' what needs to be protected," he said with an air of nonchalance, before going quiet again. He chewed on his lower lip for a moment before looking back at the mare. "Pear Butter and Bright Mac were good ponies. They'd probably be a bit freaked out to know their daughter is on an adventure like this."


"Compared to all of the other questionable adventures ah've been on? In all honesty, ah think it'd be a chore to try to keep 'em from comin', 'specially my ma. She wasn't a petite little farm lady. She had the heart of a lion." Applejack said, her husky voice becoming just a tad thicker. More stars started appearing, dotting the inky sky above, reflected in the mare's shining eyes. "If it wasn't for her, ah wouldn't be here."


The statement settled over them like a thick, cool fog. The soft chirping of crickets filled the silence before Ash spoke. "I knew that…y'know, the flood…"


Applejack blinked again, the memories she had worked harder than anything to cope with rushing to the forefront of her mind, fresh as ever. She remained still, however, hooves crossed over her still-healing heart. "None of the weather experts really know what happened, even ta this day. The Everfree jus' threw this storm out, and none of the pegasi could break it up. They were at it for a day in a half, all the while Ponyville is just drownin' beneath it. And…my farm."


"That must have been pretty terrifying." Ash conceded quietly. Applejack scoffed.


"Yeah, it was. Especially since ah wasn't the smartest filly, and got myself caught up in it." She said, that statement the one that weighed heaviest on her heart. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, a single tear escaping the corner and slightly dampening her fur. "Got my parents caught, too."


Ash Bark's brow knitted, considering each word of her statement. He lay quietly for a few more moments, before murmuring, "I never heard that part. Everypony said they were trying to protect the farm, and…"


"They didn't give a lick about the farm. Trees could be replanted, soil could be overturned. Heck, we could even move. They were out there 'cause ah'd wanted to help. They'd been workin' so hard — harvest was huge that year. Ma only had Applebloom ten months before then, and she never really got the break she needed after AB. Ah knew she an' Pa were exhausted, ah wasn't blind. Granny was tired, Big Mac was tired…and ah thought it would be a good idea to wake up earlier than everypony else, get some work done for the family. Made sure Applebloom was still asleep, snuck out, and before ah knew it, ah was tryin' to buck apples in the rain. Ma, Pa, and Granny always told me ah was too young, an' wasn' ready yet. But ah tried. Oh, boy, ah tried. Ah jus' knew they were gonna be so proud, and so relieved, and ah was gonna get a hot cocoa and it was all gonna be okay."


But the rain didn't stop, and every step ah took sunk into the ground. There was water everywhere, an' ah got turned around. Didn't notice the big ravine growin' behind me, an' before I knew it, ah'm clingin' to the closest tree while the ground is gettin' swallowed up behind me, and this big, churnin' flood is wantin' to swallow me too. Everything happened so fast…"


Applejack paused, her eyes focused on the stars above. The fog was slowly creeping up around them, obscuring the beautiful sky. Ash didn't say anything, but subtly shifted his shoulder to where it touched her own. She took a breath.


"Ma and pa found me, o'course. Screamin' at me ta jump, not ta be scared. Pa caught me, tellin' me he's got me…then he doesn't. My ma is just screechin' in my ear, callin' fer my dad. Didn' even realize he fell, and threw me to ma, 'till he's gone. Mama couldn't get a rope around him fast enough, and couldn't get me to safer ground neither. We both went in the water. My head goes under and I'm thinkin' 'oh golly, ah'm dumber than a box of rocks.' No…no offense to Boulder of course, heh," she gave a weak laugh, her voice catching again. She closed her eyes, feeling an all-too familiar pang in her heart.


"Mama ripped me out the water, hangin' onto the rope and tryin' to look fer my dad. But he's gone, the rope is breakin', and she…makes her decision. She tells me she loves me, she'll always be there, and just…keep goin'. She tosses me into the nearest bunch of branches…and that was the last time ah saw her. Ah turn around, and there's nothin' but mud and water. Don't remember much after that, Granny said ah was out there fer hours before yer daddy found me. An' the next few weeks…ah've kinda dropped everythin' between then and the funeral." Applejack trailed off, opening her eyes as the images of the past dissipated. The two in the present sat in silence for a few moments more.


"That…that must have been…really hard." Ash mumbled, as if he didn't quite knew what to say.


"It was. Not gonna lie. If ah didn't have my family, ah don't quite know. 'Specially AB. She didn't know what happened, but suddenly her mama and papa weren't there anymore. She didn't understand. Ah put a lot of focus into her and tryin' to help Granny and Big Mac run the farm. Ah mean… after ah actually ran away to Manehatten, tryin' to restart my life. Just somethin' completely different, so different that ah'd be able to forget. The moment ah realized ah was needed at Sweet Apple Acres, though, ah went back and have been there ever since."


She then gave a small smile. "Can't take all the credit, though. It was Dash's rainboom that guided me home. Sometimes ah wonder if ah hadn't shut everypony out for so long, if….ah, doesn' matter now." She gave a shrug.


"I'm…I'm sorry I wasn't there for you more." Ash said quietly, causing Applejack to lift her head slightly so she could look at him. "Whaddya mean?"


"I could've, y'know, offered to help out more. With Springy, with the farm. I was just dealing with my own head and aging my poor father every day, it seemed." He gave his own halfhearted laugh, trailing off into what almost sounded like an embarrassed groan. The mare felt a rather sweet warmth overtake her heart. She couldn't help the smile on her muzzle.


"Hey…y'know, ah have to admit, kinda glad you've finally shown up. Y'know, with AB and the family and the girls takin' a shinin' to ya 'n all. Ah…haven't told that story in awhile, and the girls are actually the only other ones that know the full truth. It felt real good to talk about them again. Ah think there was a few reasons they liked ya." AJ gave a small, quiet laugh. "Ah do wonder what they would think of all of this. Me travelin' all outside Equestria, fightin' bad guys, gettin' mixed up in all kinds of magical mumbo-jumbo. Chasin' down a ruffian with a tall, dark, and sorta handsome bounty hunter."


The words left Applejack before she could catch them, and she immediately cursed her all-too-honest self. Her ears turned down towards her jaw, her brow furrowing. However, the stallion beside her could only raise a brow, a look of amusement on his face.


"Hey, only 'sorta?' I wasn't gonna call you 'sorta' beautiful when ya let your mane down." He said with mock annoyance, flopping back down against the ground and crossing his forelegs over his chest. Applejack replied with her own scoff, nudging him with her shoulder.


"Now that ain't quite fair, ah didn't even git a 'beautiful' in the first place."


"Uh…well, I was gonna say somethin', but ya keep runnin' your mouth. Hardly ever give another pony a chance to talk." He huffed in reply, making Applejack give a laugh, disguised as a snort.


"Oh golly. Ah am so darn flattered righ' now." Instead of laughing in return, Ash Bark fell quiet for a moment instead. A mix of fear and disappointment over ruining the moment filled the mare, but then, her companion shifted his head to where his brow pressed against her own, tip of his muzzle touching her freckled one. When he remained there for more than a few seconds, it became obvious this wasn't accidental. As she realized such, a strange, unfamiliar, nearly sour, but also sweet, sensation rushed through AJ. She, however, also remained still.


"I…do think so. And you're brave. And the most stubborn mare I've ever met." He sighed quietly through his nose. "I'm not real thrilled you're in danger, but I am glad you're here anyway."


The mare's eyes became glossy once again, and she slowly closed them as she relaxed. Her anxiety was overtaken by the strange comfort she took from the stallion's words…and his presence. A comfort that she'd been feeling more and more often over these past few weeks. She reached over and wrapped a fetlock around one of his own, trying to convey her gratitude without the words that had momentarily left her.


The moment ended when she opened her eyes again, finding the stallion's deep blue ones looking into her own. She pulled away, slightly startled. Each pony took back their own hoof, looking away and back towards the sky. The strange feeling AJ felt lingered slightly, allowing her to dwell on it for a few moments. However, she only allowed the silence to continue for a moment longer, afraid of what would slip from her tongue otherwise.


"Now, ah'll give ya all the chances to talk, 's long as ya tell me about what happened with the bison herd, and this whole 'Shadowalker' business."


Ash's eye roll and groan told Applejack that she was in for a good story…and found a good distraction from these odd feelings dancing around in her heart.


***


A chapter with a lot of emotions. This is my h/c as far as what truly happened with AJ's parents, and we get a little insight into her thoughts about it. I do hope you all enjoy, and your support means quite a lot, especially with all going on otherwise. RkoH will be getting some updates here soon!