Applejack leans over the cliff side, her legs spread wide across the shaky soil.

She peers into the seemingly endless gaping pit that's just as violent and fierce as she remembers. Under her hooves, small rocks creak as if warning that she should turn back now. What business did she have on this cliff or any like it? One little misstep and she would fall and become nothing but a red smear of flesh, bones and foolishness.

A bird caws nearby and Applejack takes an unnecessary glance to the side. She already knows who's there but it's always good to humor others. On her left, twenty or thirty so birds, all scavengers of some sort watches in anticipation as they perch in trees.

“Looking for a show, are you,” she mocks, forcing bravado into her voice. It has been a while since she done anything like this. “I'll give you one heck of a show! Tell all of your birdfriends and family to come on by. Might even get a free meal to go with the show. What a deal!”

The wind picks up as it blows past her, rattling her braided blond hair. Her ponytail whips into her face, she coughs and the birds laugh in a cacophony of cries.

“Hmph. I don't usually do slap stick. That's more of Pinkie's thing but I do appreciate the praise.”

Applejack inhales sharp intake of air and looks above. The evening sun is bright. Vivid. Burning the into hues of pink, purple and red. Beautiful.

It makes a nice last look at the world she knows.

She leaps from the ridge, plunging into space and air. And the birds, patient as ever, follow while laughing their excited cries.

---000---

Rainbow Dash flitters back and forth in the air, her eyes darting over the crowds of ponies in the Ponyville market place. She sees Big Mac running the apple stand and heaves a sigh.

Where was Applejack? How was she supposed to finish her plans for Applejack's surprise birthday party if she couldn't keep track of Applejack's movements? It was time to call in reinforcements.  

Who could help assist her in the most awesome secretest sneaky birthday parties?

Twilight was too busy doing princessy egghead stuff in the library. And she wasn't in the mood to get dragged into modeling by Rarity if she stopped by. Fluttershy might be a good idea but Rainbow hasn't seen her all day.

Again, she sighs.

For the sake of the party, she's gonna have to ask for Pinkie Pie's help. “Pinkie might throw the best parties,” she says to herself. “But I'm going to throw the awesomest and it's okay for me to ask for help so everything will go great. We're friends and friends know when to ask each other for help.”

But what's the best way to find Pinkie? Rainbow ponders and then comes up a perfect idea. “Oh no,” she shouts, “Somepony's broken a Pinkie Promise and my secrets have been spilled! Oh no!”

“Who broke a Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie leaps out of a cart full of carrots, surprising one mare who is picking through them.

“No one. I was just kidding,” she says as she hovers over to Pinkie and gives her a guilty smile. “I just needed a way to catch your attention because you're pretty hard to find around this time of day.”

“Trueee, Dashie. So, what do you want?”

“I... uh, am...” Rainbow coughs, clearing her throat. “Planning a surprise birthday part for Applejack and I haven't been able to find her for the last three days. I've checked everywhere and I asked Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith if they seen her... But they kept on talking this in this blaah blah...”

It was just the way that they were acting when they were telling if she really wanted to know, ask Applejack. But how could she ask her if she didn't know where Applejack is?

“You know, they were talking in a weird voice,” she tries to clarify. “Like politely telling me to mind my business but it was like they didn't know either. I got the gist of it being something Applejack just did sometimes on her birthday.”

“It's something that you should ask Applejack,” Pinkie says, ignoring Rainbow's loud groans and protests about how doing that was so stupid. “But hold the oatmeal, why didn't you tell me earlier that you were planning to throw Applejack a surprise party! I could have helped!”

“No offense, Pinkie but I wanted to do it by myself. And yeah, I was planning for it to be a double surprise party. You've been working so hard the last couple of days that I wanted to do something.”

“But Dashiee,” she cries, “I have the best fun planning and throwing parties!”

“But Pinkieee, how often does anypony throw you a secret double party. How long has it been since you've been to a party that you didn't throw by yourself? Are you a party-hog?”

“No way, I don't have a pig's tail!” she replies, “But I guess I can see what you mean. If you want, I can tell you why Applejack isn't around. She doesn't celebrate her birthday on odd years. But she has a party whenever she gets back from somewhere beyond the Ghastly Gorge. Or at least, that's all I know she goes from that one time I followed her there.”

“What! Ghastly Gorge is dangerous! Why would she ever head up there?”  

Pinkie shrugs. “She said something about it being a private family tradition.”

“Really? I haven't noticed Big Mac or Apple Bloom do something like this.”

“It's because of her Mom.”

---000---

Applejack tuck her forelimbs to her side as she streaks down the cliff's wall.

She weaves between jagged rocks jutting up and between the pit's entrance. One scrapes against her leg and blood and pain mingle as Applejack tilts her downward projection.

All it takes is one mistake and she'll go splat. Bird food.

The air rushes at her, stealing the breath from her lungs and Applejack can see the spiky cave floor reach up to her as the seconds pile up. Just before she reaches the moment of no return, she digs into her bag tightly fashioned to her back. Locates a string that hasn't failed her yet.

She pulls and a thin, willowy fabric emerges.

---000---

Rarity walks to her two friends, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. They seem to be caught in a intense-looking conversation. She can hear bits and pieces. All of it seems to have to do with Applejack. Though she had gotten the looms she needed to finish up her last shipment of dresses for the month... She could spend a few minutes chatting.

Ah well... Gossiping, if anypony needed her to be frank.

“Applejack's mom came from nowhere, they say,” she speaks up but careful to mind the other shoppers. There's no need for them to be over-heard. “She had been disinherited and only came to Ponyville with two things. A first name and a pregnant belly. It was very... Scandalous and the ponies of that day gave her a hard time.”

“Why?” Rainbow Dash asks.

Really? Did her answer not explain itself?

If only Rainbow could use that head of hers? She'll have to reply with something easy to understand. But where should she begin?  

Didn't Rainbow's parents give her the speech about... Sex and social standings? Or the little quirks that come with living in a small town? Who was she kidding? It was Rainbow Dash and Pinkie probably wouldn't help her on this end of things.

Rarity could come with a dozen of romantic reasons why.

“Well, not only was she some rich mare who blew her inheritance by being knocked by an Apple, she was-”  

Pinkie Pie interrupts, shouting, “She was a pegasus!”

Ugh. This was going to take some time.