Harmonica
A Trip to Remember
by Gallifrey
Chapter Eleven
Harmonica
Princess Luna was unusually quiet the next morning as she ate her dinner with her sister. She was staring down at her plate, moving her scrambled eggs from one side of the dish to the other.
“Lunes, are you alright? You seem awfully quiet.”
“Well, no, I’m not alright to tell the truth Celly.”
“Whatever is the matter?” asked Celestia, concern in her voice.
Luna wondered how best to phrase what she was to say next.
“I… visited Twilight Sparkle in her dreams last night.”
“Hmmmm, you know I don’t really approve of that Luna.”
“Yes, well, I visited her and one thing kind of led to another and—”
Celestia spat out her mouthful of orange juice.
“You didn’t?!”
“Didn’t what… Oh no no no no! Nothing like that!” she started blushing. “I just went to see her, and I just couldn’t help myself, you of all ponies know just how much she means to me, she has done so much for me and asked so little in return, I didn’t even do anything!”
Celestia started chuckling.
“Oh my dearest sister, you should really be able to tell when I’m joking by now, after all these long years.”
“You’re not mad?” said Luna, surprised.
“Mad? Why in Equestria would I be mad?”
“With her being your prized student and all…”
“Gracious Luna, I don’t own her! Though make sure you treat her right.”
“I think we may be skipping ahead here, I still don’t know what she actually thinks.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” said Celestia calmly.
“I do hope so,” said Luna, going back to playing with her food. Celestia looked at her slightly worriedly.
Oh, my dear sister.
---------
Twilight was pacing around her room, her mind racing with a myriad of thoughts.
Was the dream really Luna? What if it was just an ordinary dream? What do I even want? How do I ask her about this? What do I do? Maybe I should—
“Twilight, you’re doing it again,” said Spike dully.
“Oh, sorry Spike,” said Twilight, stopping, brushing her mane out of her eyes.
I need something to take my mind off all this.
“I’m gonna visit AJ and Rainbow,” said Twilight, walking over to a shelf and taking a few books off it.
“What are the books for?”
“We are going to need a map,” said Twilight, “and hauling books around all over Equestria would be a silly thing to do.”
------------------
“Howdy Twilight!” called Applejack, once the unicorn arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, “What brings ya round here?”
“Just felt like getting out of the house.”
“Again? You’ve been out and about a lot recently,” Applejack observed.
“I guess I have, though that’s a good thing right?”
“Sure is sugar cube, I’ll come by the house once ah’ve finished up mah chores. Rainbow should be inside if you wanna see her.
“Okay, see you in a bit!”
---------------
The curtains of Applejack’s kitchen billowed slightly in the breeze, sunlight pouring through the windows. Rainbow was sat at the table, a small pile of apple cores on a plate next to her. She looked up when she heard hoofsteps and saw Twilight Sparkle walk into the kitchen.
“Oh, hey Twilight,” said Rainbow Dash, “y’alright?”
“Eh, more or less,” Twilight replied.
“More or less?”
“I’m fine.”
Rainbow eyed Twilight in slight suspicion but decided to let it drop.
“What are all the books for?” asked Rainbow.
“Oh, well, I thought it would be a good idea to draw up a map to navigate, and I thought I’d come up so we could decide where to go as well.”
“Cool, but what about the Princess?”
“She’s busy today,” said Twilight swiftly, not looking at Rainbow as she rummaged in her bag unnecessarily for an atlas.
“Oh,” said Rainbow. “Well I hope she likes our final choice.”
“She will,” said Twilight absently as Big Macintosh walked in to wash up for a break.
“Howdy ladies,” he said cheerfully, as he cleaned his hooves in the kitchen sink.
“Hey Big Macintosh,” said Twilight as Rainbow nodded in acknowledgement to him. “How are you?”
“I’m mighty fine Miss Twilight, thanks fer askin’. How is your good self this fine day?”
“I’m good, thanks Mac, and I—”
“You weren’t so sure a minute ago, ow!”
Twilight kicked Rainbow from under the table and continued conversing with the stallion. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and looked out the window, wondering when Applejack was going to arrive.
As if the pegasus’ wishes had been answered, Applejack trotted into the kitchen a few minutes later, taking a seat next to Rainbow.
“An’ they scarpered like it were nopony’s business!” Big Macintosh chuckled as he finished telling Twilight a story of when he caught some youngsters from Ponyville scrumping apples from the south field. The unicorn laughed with him. “But forgive me Miss Twilight, I have a few things to be getting on with that can’t wait.”
“Of course, see you later!” she said as he left the room.
“Alright girls,” said Twilight, feeling much better than she had a few minutes before, “let’s get this trip planned.”
She rolled out some parchment on the worn wooden table and opened up an atlas of Equestria. They started debating on where they should go.
“South is boring,” said Rainbow, “there’s nothing interesting down there.”
“Though south is warmer,” said Applejack, west is quite nice this time o’ year.”
“I’ve read that the east coast is beautiful,” said Twilight, pointing with her hoof to Equestria’s eastern shores, it’s also renowned for its good weather.”
“Although it does mean going over the mountains,” Applejack pointed out.
“Well, they should be alright, it’s not winter or anything,” said Rainbow.
“How does here,” Twilight pointed with her hoof, “sound?”
“Ah’m happy with that,” said Applejack.
“Me too,” agreed Rainbow.
“Good, now all I have to do is draw this up.”
Twilight set to work while Applejack searched the cupboards for a snack.
“Want anything to eat girls?” she asked.
“Yes please!” they both answered enthusiastically, despite the pile of apple cores next to Rainbow Dash. Applejack brought out an apple pie and cut it up for them.
“There, done!” Twilight said happily.
“So we’re gonna be going through Whitetail Wood and over the mountains and down to the sea?” asked Rainbow.
“Yes, sounds like a very pretty route doesn’t it?” replied Twilight.
“How long d’ya think this’ll take Twi?”
“I’d say about ten days.”
“So we’ll be back in about three weeks ya reckon?”
“I’d say so, yes.”
“Back right in time fer applebucking season!” said Applejack happily. “When are we leavin’?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“Oh cinnamon swirls, I better get packin’ soon.”
------------
In the late afternoon, after Twilight had left, Applejack was alone in her room, packing for the journey. She had already pulled the tent down from the attic and was currently going through her drawers, searching for anything that might come in useful.
“Compass, yes, lasso, yes, bottle caps, no, some bits, yes, harmonica…”
She tenderly picked up her harmonica, which had resided at the bottom of one of her drawers. She sat on her bed, gazing at the small, silver instrument in her hooves.
Memories flooded her mind, some happy, others, extremely painful, heart wrenching, to the point where her eyes were brimming with silver tears.
“Hey Applejack, I got the—” Rainbow walked into the earth pony’s room with a small bag but stopped when she saw her sat on the bed, on the brink of tears. “Applejack?”
Applejack sharply turned her back to Rainbow, hiding her face.
“Hey, hey, what’s the matter?” asked Rainbow gently, sitting on the bed next to the earth pony.
“N-nothin’ Rainbow Dash, you should go, I don’t want you seeing me like this.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Rainbow defiantly, putting a hoof around her comfortingly, “what’s got you upset like this?”
Applejack slowly held out the harmonica. Rainbow looked puzzled. Applejack took a deep breath.
“It were my mother’s,” said Applejack thickly.
Realisation spread across Rainbow’s face, and she tightened her grip around the earth pony.
“She gave it to me jus’ before she… before she…”
Applejack couldn’t hold it in any longer, she turned around and buried her face into Rainbow’s chest, sobbing into the blue fur of her friend who was now comforting her as best she could, saying nothing, stroking her golden mane slowly and trying to imagine what it must be like to be an orphan. Rainbow gently kissed the top of Applejack’s head and held more tightly.
Applejack’s cries eventually became more subdued as she calmed down, she raised her head and looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes.
“Th-thank you Rainbow Dash, I’m so glad I have somepony like you around.”
“Heh, it’s what I’m here for. Do you feel better now?”
“Much better, I had thought I’d lost that ya know.”
She looked at the harmonica on the bed. Rainbow looked too, and then back to Applejack, and hesitated with her next words.
“Can I… Can I ask what happened to your parents?” asked Rainbow tentatively.
Applejack looked at her, considering her.
“Ah can understand yer curiosity, but no,” said Applejack. “Sorry sugar cube, but as you’ve jus’ seen, it’s still a very sensitive subject fer me. I’ll tell ya when ah feel ready okay?” She smiled at Rainbow.
Rainbow nodded in understanding as Applejack picked up the silver harmonica, wrapped it in some cloth and set it carefully into a pocket of the saddlebag she was packing.
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Maps!
I apologise if my map conflicts with your headcanon, but this is my view of Equestria.
I like maps. I also like how quickly you update.
Lake Din, Lake Naryu, and Lake Farore.. Not to mention the Triforce between them all. I see what you did there.. And I love it
Woooah~
and the map was a cool touch!
Awesomeness abounds!
But, uh, Firefly? Is that a character that I've missed in the course of the story, or were you replacing Rainbow's name with Firefly. I'm just confused, that's all.
Great chappie, and the LoZ references are cool... But who the heck is Firefly?
391613
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I was really worried for a few minutes, I thought someone had hacked my account and was chaging little things to annoy me, but you know what it is? I believe this is an April Fool's Day prank hehe, I looked at a few other stories and Firefly is Rainbow Dash haha
In fact, that'd be quite a cute nickname ya know for RD, I might incorporate it :D
392963
Haha I realized that the cheeky bastards are playing an April Foal's prank. They changed all of the Mane 6 to be the ponies from the older gen MLP shows that influenced the new ones. Rainbow Dash was inspired by Firefly, Rarity was inspired by Sparkler(?), Pinkie was inspired by Surprise, Fluttershy was inspired by Pokey, Applejack was really just adjusted from the old gen, and I'm not sure about Twilight because her name hasn't been changed as far as I know.
My theory is that Firefly and Rainbow Dash I went lesbians for each other and SOMEHOW made a baby, which came out as the Rainbow Dash II that we all know and love.
And so the adventure is about to begin. Ahh . . . A.J might have a bit of a dark past, can R.D get it out of her?
Traveling 150 miles for a camping trip seems a little... ambitious doesn't it?
That map is a lot like the picture of Equestria in my mind, especially with Everfree to the west.
Oh and you literally had me Dawwing at the Rainbow calming Apple part. Seriously it was my first thought while reading. That is worth a big acheivement in the gamer world.
Dat map...
I DETECT LEGEND OF ZELDA!!!!
810432
I see Zelda in the map but first I thought of The Hobbit and tolken's hand drawn maps, I wish i could pin down the "through the woods, over the mountains and down to the sea" reference in my mind, that's just bugging me now.
You no most of these story's are reallllly good. Like this one. But you guys should make something more from them. You no. Anyway like a YouTube video or something. Oh... Maybe a mini movie. That would be SOOOOOOOO SUPER DUPER EXTRA AWESOME!!!!!