Freed

After entering that particular window that was within the storm cloud in Dusk's dream, the young colt was sure that they would appear elsewhere in someone else’s dream. However, after passing through the window, Dusk only saw darkness around him, until a huge electric lightning bolt crossed in front of his face and almost hit him, followed by the loud sound of thunder caused by the lightning.

"What was that!?" Dusk shouted in fright, starting to look more carefully around them, and seeing that in that vast darkness that surrounded them, there were many rays that appeared and disappeared around them. "Wait... Did we enter the storm cloud? I thought we would be entering Applejack’s dream through that window?"

"This is not your dream anymore, this is somepony else's nightmare." Luna replied looking worriedly around her while trying to remain stable in the air, since the storm wind was stronger than expected. "But this storm is too strong... It's not a normal storm. Something must be terrifyingly tormenting this pony."

"There!" Dusk yelled as he looked down and noticed a small orange dot, which seemed to be at the center of the colossal storm.

Seeing where Dusk was pointing, Luna held him and they both swooped down there. As they approached, Dusk cleared all his doubts by confirming who was there. It was indeed Applejack, who was with her mane and tail tousled, without her characteristic red bows or her stetson hat, also she had her face hidden by her hooves. Meanwhile, Luna had slowed down her descent as the wind got stronger and her magic could hardly prevent her and Dusk from flying out of the storm.

"Help..." Applejack said weakly as she cried with her eyes closed and her face covered.

Hearing his friend cry, Dusk hurried down faster. However, there came a point when neither he nor Luna could continue to descend due to the strong wind around Applejack, who seemed to be in the eye of the hurricane. Then Luna and Dusk looked around and were surprised to finally discover what was really causing the stormy conditions.

Hundreds of ghost buffaloes were circling around Applejack, which, just as in real life, surrounded Applejack and prevented her from leaving, except that now they did so fiercely that they had formed a huge storm.

"Applejack!" Dusk yelled loudly, since he couldn't reach his friend. "Applejack, I'm here!"

It took Applejack a few seconds to recognize a voice among all the thunder and hooves that rumbled around her. Then she finally raised her head and recognized Dusk Shine, who was floating above her along with an unknown mare.

"Dusk?" Applejack said weakly looking up, which made Dusk smile relieved to see that his screams had worked.

As soon as Applejack felt some relief upon discovering that she wasn't alone there, the buffaloes around her snorted in anger and ran faster, causing Dusk and Luna to squint in the strong wind.

"A great nightmare like this can be caused by a great feeling of guilt." Luna said as she concentrated her magic so she could stay stable in that strong nightmare.

"Guilt?" Dusk repeated confused, then looking at Applejack and the buffaloes running around. Then he remembered how his friend had acted all day, with a closed opinion, repeating over and over again that her family was right and that the buffalo tribe were wrong, without even listening or trying to understand the position of the buffalo tribe. "Applejack! These are your guilty feelings! You don't want to listen to buffaloes!"

Applejack was still looking at Dusk, now fully focused on him and able to hear him better. Even still, Applejack just lowered her head and said nothing. Meanwhile, the storm continued without slowing down or stopping.

"Applejack! I know you want to protect your family, but sometimes you have to listen to others." Dusk yelled again. "Your family could have made a mistake, and the buffalo could have also made a mistake. But now what matters is that both-"

"I already know that!" Applejack yelled interrupting Dusk, while she touched her chest to feel a pain inside her. "I- I don't want buffaloes to be left without their land, but- AGH!!"

Suddenly Applejack's eyes lost their sparkle, then she touched her chest, and a lock appeared in front of her chest. Several chains emerged from that lock, which tied Applejack to the ground. This caused the storm to intensify more than ever.

"No! Family comes first... Family comes first!" Applejack yelled fiercely, in an almost robotic voice, very different from the pleasant tone of voice she always used.

"Something isn’t right..." Dusk whispered worryingly. For a moment, he could recognize his friend, who always thought about how to solve problems intelligently and peacefully. But then she had turned to her irrational side, who kept saying again and again that her family came first and that nothing else mattered.

"This is troubling." Luna said very concerned, finally understanding why the storm was so strong, and looking with extreme concern at the lock on Applejack's chest. "This storm is not just because of guilt... There is something else behind that prevents her from accepting her mistake... Trauma."

At the discovery of what was the real cause behind this nightmare, Luna tund her magic and a glow appeared on Applejack’s head, which soothed the mare orange momentarily and made the storm diminished its strength for a moment.

"This will not last for long. Those chains... are a representation of the trauma that binds her... That's what keeps her from making the right choice! We must get into that memory quickly!" Luna said looking at Dusk, holding him tight and flying together until finally being able to land in front of Applejack.

"The problem is that lock... I don't know if I can easily open it." Luna thought uncertainly as she landed.

Seeing his friend chained, Dusk's first impulse was to help her, but he understood that it was only a representation of the dream and that it was important to heal her mind. So, he and Luna reached out to touch the lock and chains that came out of Applejack's chest.

"NO!!" Applejack suddenly screamed, breaking out of the trance Luna had put her in, thus resuming the storm around her.

Fortunately, since they were already on the ground, neither Luna nor Dusk flew out, but the strong wind prevented them from moving forward to touch Applejack's chest. It was then that Dusk realized that his friend had her normal eyes, not that dull, dark gaze she had seen when her trauma screamed for her.

Determined not to give up on his friend, Dusk concentrated hard, knowing that the resistance was not physical but mental, and with great effort slowly advanced until he reached Applejack. Then he got up on two legs and gave her a big hug, both to comfort her and not to be blown away by the wind.

"Applejack... we must see that memory in order to help you..." Dusk said narrowing his eyes in the wind, hoping to be able to converse with his longtime friend and not with her trauma-controlled side.

"You can't... You can't..." Applejack replied weakly, with a look of terror and then starting to cry. "If you see that memory... you'll hate me forever..."

Hearing that, Dusk looked at Applejack head-on and brought his head closer to hers. Their foreheads touching each other, leaving nothing more in sight than the other's eyes. Then Dusk raised her hoof and gently stroked Applejack's cheek.

"I could never hate you... My heart wouldn’t allow me to do otherwise." Dusk said with a look of affection, not realizing that once again the truth came out of his mouth more easily in that dream world. "You're so precious to me that I could never hate you... Please don't carry this burden alone."

Applejack listened carefully to Dusk's words, then she closed her eyes tight and the lock on her chest clicked and opened. Just then the storm subsided, giving Luna and Dusk a chance to finally be able to touch the chains that were holding Applejack.

"Please don't hate me." It was the last thing Applejack said before Luna and Dusk touched the chains and both vanished into another dream world, the world of memories, where they would only be mere spectators of the most tragic episode of Applejack's life.

Two ponies were walking along the path that crossed the Everfree Forest. One was a big stallion with pale yellow fur, red mane and a stetson hat, with a cutie mark of a half of a green apple with star in the center. The other pony was a pale orange mare, orange curly mane, and a cutie mark from a jar of preserves. They were both pulling a large cart full of several of their apple farm produce. Either one would have preferred to take another route to reach their destination, but they had to deliver an order to some strange country ponies who lived on the edge of one of the forest swamps, so that was the only route to follow.

Suddenly the mare grimaced in pain and stopped for a moment, under the frightened gaze of her mate.

"Are you alright, darling?" The stallion, called the Bright Macintosh, nervously asked, helping to support his wife.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The mare, named Pear Butter, replied kindly, gently touching her stomach, which was already beginning to swell slightly, given her pregnancy.

After the pain passed, the mare sighed and put on a big smile for her husband to calm down, but the stallion only looked away and continued with an uneasy look.

"I knew that this was a bad idea..." Bright Mac said scared. "You and I knew about the risks of a third pregnancy... The doctor warned us after your last labor!"

Pear Butter looked at her husband with concern and then looked up at the sky with a smile.

"I always dreamed of a house full of young colts and fillies identical to you running happy and playing with Granny Smith... and maybe one day, with their grandfather..." Pear Butter smiled imagining her ideal image of a happy family. "Fate will not prevent me from giving life to the next generation. This baby will be a blessing… A new little brother or sister for Big Mac and Applejack."

"Did someone say my name?" A very young Applejack suddenly said, coming out from inside the wagon.

"Applejack! What are you doing here!?" The father said surprised and worried, taking the little stowaway between his hooves. "This place is very dangerous!"

"But if I'm with mom and dad I'm not afraid!" The little filly said with a big smile, which made both parents look at each other and put guilty smiles.

"Okay little one, stay in the wagon at all times." The mother said as the father put her daughter back in the cart.

Bright Mac and his wife were already halfway to deliver their order, so they finally decided to finish the order and take their daughter with them.

"As long as we don't get out of the way, there's nothing to worry about." Bright Mac said with a reassuring smile looking at his wife, knowing that she must also be wondering whether to proceed with the request or not, due to their unexpected new companion.

"Mommy! What is that?" Applejack suddenly asked, pointing to her right, toward a side path that joined the main one, and through which two hooded figures were approaching.

Seeing those unknown figures, Bright Mac immediately got defensive and stood in front of his family, while Pear Butter stood next to Applejack, ready to run with her if those strangers were dangerous. Seeing that the ponies in front of them were scared, both figures took off their hoods, revealing their faces. However, the effect was not as desired, since when removing the hoods, the ponies could see that those two strangers were odder than they had thought. It was a young mare and an old mare, which seemed to be ponies, however their coats were different. They were totally scratched, in addition to having exotic manestyles and strange objects adorning their bodies, as well as paint on their faces.

"No need to make a fuss, you don't have to fear us." The youngest zebra said, called Zecora, who at that time maintained the tradition with her mother of speaking in rhymes.

Seeing that the ponies remained static and with terrifying faces, Zecora lowered her head sadly and indicated to her mother to continue, who did what her youngest daughter told her, since at that age she was already almost blind. As they passed by the side of the ponies, Applejack couldn't help but see those strange ponies impressed, and she jumped in fear as the strange old mare suddenly raised her head high and turned to look at the ponies more closely.

"Oh, what a terrible tragedy for you! I feel a dark breath." The old zebra yelled as she waved a bone staff in midair and then pointed at Pear Butter. "For there to be one life, there will also be one death."

At the hearing the word death, Pear Butter put a hoof to her mouth full of horror, while Bright Mac immediately hugged her and glared at the old mare.

"Enough mother, you need to rest. For ponies, death is an unwanted guest." Zecora said, taking her mother by the side to get away from the ponies, however, she decided to turn at the last second, as she had to give those ponies a warning. "My mother never fails with her designs. Unfortunately, in your future there is a dark sign."

Then Zecora turned again and pushed her mother to follow her.

"W-Wait!" Suddenly Bright Mac said, who was still scared by those strange and terrifying mares, but they had said something that worried him a lot, something that was just Bright Mac's greatest fear since his wife had gotten pregnant. Those strange mares had guessed his wife's future, and if there was a chance to avoid that black future, he should know it. "I-Is there any way to get death away from my house and my wife?"

Zecora turned her head again to look back and sadly looked at the stallion.

"Where there is death, there will always be death." Zecora said seriously, regretting not being able to give better news to that young family.

"No... There must be some way!" Bright Mac said with slight despair in his voice.

"Where there is death, there will always be death... But while fate snooze, you may be to choose..." The old zebra suddenly added, turning too and looking for something in her bag hidden behind her cloak, until she finally found what she looked for and showed strange yellow and red flowers in his wrinkled hoof. "If she eats this flower, you can save your wife. If she eats this flower, you will kill the new life."

Hearing that, Bright Mac's face turned pale, the strange old mare spoke in strange rhymes, but he perfectly understood what she meant. Then Bright Mac slowly lowered his gaze and stared long and hard at the flowers the old mare offered him. What they were offering him to do was horrible, but if what she said was true, then it was the only way to save his beloved wife.

"Don't even think about it! I'll have this baby whether you like it or not!" Pear Butter suddenly screamed, throwing the flowers to the ground and looking at her husband with a look of fear and anger. "Let's go!" The mare added, turning and putting on the harness to pull the wagon again.

Bright Mac looked at his wife for a few seconds, then closed his eyes in pain and did the same as her, and the wagon began to move, leaving the strange zebras behind.

"Mommy... what were those ponies?" Applejack asked, timidly poking her head over the wagon, surprising her parents, who for a second almost forgot that their little daughter was there.

"They are sorceresses... evil witches who speak of... horrible things." Pear Butter replied, still furious at what those strangers had suggested.

Seeing her mother so angry, Applejack fell silent and glanced back to see those strange ponies for the last time, and a shiver ran through her body as she saw the youngest still watching them from afar, and the little Applejack would swear that she was staring at her. The young Applejack had rarely heard the word 'kill' in her short life, but she knew the meaning of it, and the memory of those terrifying witches with striped bodies talking about killing would be scorched in fire in her mind. One of the most horrible words a pony could pronounce.

That memory quickly disappeared like smoke in the air, quickly forming a new memory, where the Apple family's house could be seen. There, on the second floor, was Applejack, just as young and small, along with a very young Big Mac, both with nervous glances waiting in the hallway and glancing nervously towards a closed door.

The ears of the two young ponies went up in alert as they heard their mother's groans of pain on the other side of the door. Just then, Bright Mac ran up the stairs carrying a huge bucket of water. Then he knocked on the door and Granny Smith, several years younger, opened the door to let him in, then quickly closed it.

Although they tried, neither Applejack nor Big Mac could see their mother when their grandmother opened the door, but that was the least of it. Just by hearing their mother's groans, added to the faces of concern and fear that his father and grandmother had, were all the signs the young ponies needed to know that their mother's labor was going very badly. The labor date had been anticipated, the doctor hadn't yet arrived, and everyone was becoming increasingly nervous and scared.

"That baby... It's all that baby's fault!" Applejack said scared, covering her anguished face, then looking scared at her brother. "If it continues like this... Mom’s gonna..." Applejack added, but a lump in her throat prevented her from finishing such a terrible sentence.

Big Mac just looked away and looked fearfully at the door. He had already heard his parents argue about how dangerous this labor would be to his mother, and he understood that the worst could happen.

"There’s nothing we can do, sis..." Big Mac said with a sad look.

Seeing her older brother's hopeless gaze, Applejack lowered her head in anguish and began to cry. Really?! there was nothing they could do!? Applejack started thinking, closing her eyes tight, until she suddenly opened them when she remembered what had happened a few months ago, when she and her parents had traveled through the Everfree Forest.

"Those witches..." Applejack whispered at her brother's confused gaze.

The prophecy those strange mares had said was being fulfilled, but more important than that, Applejack recalled those flowers they had offered to their parents. With that last thought, Applejack turned and ran down the stairs, leaving his older brother even more confused. As she ran in the direction of the Everfree Forest, Applejack had only one thing in mind, that she would save her mother no matter what. She didn't care about anything else, whether they punished her, or hated her, or even... if that baby wasn't born.

Upon reaching the forest entrance, Applejack entered the main path, just as her parents had done. She was terrified of entering such a dangerous forest, but her determination to save her mother outweighed her fear. She continued to run quickly as she was trying to remember the route they had taken. However, she wasn't sure where it had been, and there came a time when she stopped and looked around trying to remember.

At that moment a distant noise was heard inside the forest, a noise that would have driven any other pony away, but Applejack had the firm hope that she would find those strange witches. So she pushed some branches with her small body until she managed make her way through the lush trees, off the main path.

"It's all that baby's fault… it should never have come." Applejack repeated in her mind in anguish, recalling the argument her parents had had that day.

Suddenly Applejack stopped dead when she saw two bright little green circles appear in front of her. Then two more appeared, and another two, always appearing by pairs, until Applejack realized that they were eyes, that they were watching her. Slowly the eyes peeked out from the darkness of the branches, showing some peculiar and terrifying wolves made of branches and leaves, as if they were wild spirits of the dark forest.

Applejack froze in fear, her mind screaming that she should run but her hooves didn't respond, so when the timberwolves lunged at her, all the little filly did was shrink and shut her eyes tightly.

"GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!!" A loud, familiar voice screamed just then, making Applejack's eyes widen. It was his father, who had rammed the wolves heavily, causing several to fly away.

Bright Mac went into full blown panic mode when he couldn’t find his daughter anywhere in the house. When he asked his son, all Big Mac could say that she mumbled something about ‘the witches’ before bolting out of the house. The stallion immediately understood where Applejack was going and quickly made his way to the Everfree Forest. That was what lead him to not only find his daughter in the dark forest, but also find her in great peril. He and his daughter were surrounded by a dozen timberwolves, half of whom were still watching them fiercely while the other half had already recovered from the attack and returned to join the group in order to attack all together.

Seeing that he was at a great disadvantage, Bright Mac grabbed his little daughter with his mouth, threw her on his back and ran deeper into the Everfree Forest, as the wolves quickly came out to chase him. They only manage to run a short way, with the wolves almost biting the stallion's tail, until Bright Mac came to a dead end, with a huge stone wall blocking the way, and above them, the branches of the trees blocked the upward view. Then Bright Mac quickly grabbed his daughter again with his mouth and threw her with all his strength up through the branches, to the top of the ravine where they were... Bright Mac couldn't see where his daughter fell, but seeing that she hadn't fallen down again, he knew that she had managed to land on top of the cliff, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. His plan had worked, he knew that the timberwolves were faster than him, so he took advantage of the fact that he knew this part of the forest to at least leave his daughter out of the reach of the wolves.

"DAD!" Applejack yelled terrified from the top of the ravine, looking down and seeing only the tree branches, knowing her father was underneath them.

Applejack started screaming again, but fell silent as she saw the branches beneath her move violently, as hoof hits and loud wolf growls were heard from under the tree branches, until suddenly the branches stopped moving and a dark silence remained in the forest, the most terrifying silence that Applejack had ever felt, an instant of fear that seemed eternal...

When little Applejack began to tremble, not knowing what to do, her father finally jumped from below, who with a lot of effort grabbed himself from between the rocks to climb the ravine, finally managing to ge to where his daughter was.

"W-We should go home." Bright Mac said, again lifting his daughter onto his back and walking slowly back to the farm.

"Dad... Sniff...! Dad…" It was the only thing Applejack murmured as she sadly cried on her father's back and hugged him tightly. She had never been more scared than at that moment, but unfortunately her crying wasn't because of the fear she had felt, but rather of pain and helplessness at seeing all the wounds her father had on his body...

Fortunately, Applejack hadn't managed to get too deep into the woods, so Bright Mac didn't take long to return to the farm, despite the slow walk back had done, since his body barely answered him. Upon arriving at the house, Granny Smith saw her son from the second-floor window, and immediately ran to meet him.

"Bright Mac!" The grandmother screamed, terrified to see her beloved son so wounded. "W-We have to get you to the hospital!"

"There's no time... I-Is the doctor here yet? How are my wife?" Bright Mac said weakly, feeling that with every word he uttered he would pass out.

"The doctor still hasn't arrived, and Pear... she’s still fighting." Granny Smith replied with tears in her eyes.

"I want to be with her..." Bright Mac said, knowing that even if he got to the hospital, he wouldn't have time to be with his wife one last time. "Family comes first…"

As Bright Mac slowly entered the house, aided by Granny Smith. Big Mac was horrified at his father's condition and then saw with a fury that he had never felt towards his little sister, who had remained static at the entrance of the house, knowing that it was all her fault. Hardly controlling his anger, Big Mac ran out of the house to find the doctor who must be on his way, to hurry as much as possible.

Before climbing the stairs, Bright Mac turned to see his daughter and saw how she was crying inconsolably without moving.

"Applejack... come here." Bright Mac said with a smile. Seeing her father's effort, Applejack quickly approached, then Bright Mac took off his hat and put it on her daughter's little head. "You should always protect the family... Family comes first." Bright Mac said with a grimace between pain and a smile, turning again and slowly climbing the stairs to go be with his wife.

Time passed and Applejack could do nothing but listen again in the hallway as her grandmother struggled to save three lives at that very moment. The minutes seemed eternal until Applejack heard a foal cry, which made her heart beat a thousand times per seconds, knowing what that could mean. And everything got worse when soon after, the little filly heard her grandmother's heartbroken cry, causing Applejack to cover her ears with force, without wanting to think that the worst could have happened.

Just then Big Mac finally arrived, accompanied by the doctor and a nurse, who quickly entered the room where the labor was taking place. So, the two siblings were left alone in the hallway again.

"What have you done!?" Big Mac said furiously, glaring at his sister, who just kept covering her ears with her dad's big hat.

The minutes passed and all noise stopped in the room where the doctor and their parents were, leaving the entire house in a gloomy silence. The time passed, until after a long time the door finally opened completely, and the first to leave was the doctor.

"I'm sorry..." The doctor said with genuine pain, thinking about how cruel fate had been with that family. "Your mother didn’t survive the childbirth... and... your father had very serious injuries...They both passed away together at the same time."

Hearing this, Big Mac closed his eyes tight, trying in vain not to cry, while Applejack only looked without emotion, as if her mind refused to accept what the doctor had just said. Then Applejack stepped forward and finally entered the room. There, the first thing she saw was her grandmother, sitting, exhausted and covering her face so as not to show her enormous pain to her grandchildren. The next thing Applejack saw was the center bed, where her two parents rested covered with a sheet, revealing only their heads. To the orange filly, they looked so peaceful, as if they were merely asleep. An allusion that Applejack desperately wished was reality instead of the nightmare she was now living. And finally, the last thing Applejack saw was the nurse, who was carrying a small lump in her hooves.

"That baby... It's all that baby's fault!" Applejack thought, her emotions so mixed up that she wasn't sure what to feel, but what she did know was that it was all that baby's fault.

Seeing that the little orange filly was looking at the newborn baby, the nurse lowered her slightly so that Applejack could see her better.

"I hate you… I hate you… I hate you!" Applejack screamed in her mind as she approached the baby with an emotionless gaze.

Upon arriving in front of the baby, Applejack moved the blanket that covered the baby to see her better, and then her heart almost exploded with emotion and her eyes recovered their life when she saw such a tender baby filly, who just had the same fur colors and mane than her father, which made Applejack finally begin to cry when seeing reflected his father in her new baby sister.

'You should always protect the family. The family comes first.' Those were her father's last words, and the only thing Applejack could think of when she saw that filly so similar to her father, a baby that she had been willing to kill a few moments ago.

"I... I'll protect you always..." Applejack said crying heartily and hugging the little filly. Finally releasing her feelings and feeling the guilt, grief and pain of everything she had caused.

A few steps behind Applejack was Big Mac, who finally saw his little sister cry with the weight of guilt. Then he closed his eyes strong and realized that this was now his family and he couldn't hate it... his parents would never have wanted that.

"Family comes first." Big Mac repeated, hugging his sisters and crying alongside them.

Dusk Shine opened his eyes wide after finally seeing the great trauma that haunted Applejack. Returning to the real world, he looked everywhere, but only then he realized that he wasn't in the real world but was still in Applejack's dream and that what he had witnessed had been a memory within a dream.

Looking around, Dusk realized that the storm around them, caused by the ghost buffalo, was running its course, and even seemed to have gotten stronger.

"The storm is stronger for having relived that memory." Luna said narrowing her eyes in the wind, realizing the same thing Dusk had noticed.

"Now you know..." Applejack suddenly said, who was still chained. "I'm a killer!" She screamed loudly, making the chains that bound her tighten her tighter.

"It's not true!" Dusk yelled sadly, now knowing from the terrible pain his dear friend had been through. "You can't blame yourself... You were just a filly and you didn't know what would happen."

"It was my fault... I killed my dad..." Applejack cried, unable to hear Dusk Shine's words.

"It wasn't like that; it was an accident!" Dusk shouted. "I’m certain that Big Mac and Grandma Smith also blamed themselves for not stopping you from going into the forest before it was too late! Do you blame them for that?"

"I... don't blame them." Applejack responded slowly, as the storm followed her moods and also lessened with Dusk's doubt.

"You're all family. None of you could never live hating and blaming each other for such a tragedy. So I know your parents wouldn't blame you either." Dusk said looking warmly at Applejack. "They knew that you tried to save your mother out of love. They would regret to see you suffering in this way… Just as it hurts me to see you like this."

Seeing that Applejack was silent and that her chains seemed to loosen, Luna took advantage of the moment to make several images appear above their heads, which were different memories of Applejack; multiple moments of her caring for and protecting Apple Bloom as she grew up..

"Look at those memories..." Dusk said noticing the images in the sky. "It doesn't matter how much you hated your little sister before she was born. It doesn't matter the terrible accident that happened. The only thing that matters now is that you love and care for your sister as they would. They… would be proud."

Applejack raised her teary eyes to see those memories of her with her little sister, and her gaze began to soften, even more when she heard Dusk's tender words. However, the trauma in her was very strong, and for a second the brightness of her eyes disappeared, and the chains tightened again.

"I'll never know if my father would be proud of me, because he died because of me!" Applejack yelled, closing her eyes tight and causing the storm to pick up again. "I'll never know if with his last breath he blamed or hated me for what I did!"

"I know." Luna suddenly said with a serious look, something that surprised Dusk and Applejack, who were silent in confusion. Then Luna sighed and looked at Dusk. "Do you know how a memory is created?"

Dusk's eyes widened and he looked thoughtful.

"I suppose they're created by imprinting an image into the mind." Dusk replied thoughtfully.

"So, you think a blind pony has no memories when he dreams?" Luna asked with a small smile. Then Dusk recalled the conversation they had both had before going to the Applejack dream, about what was real and what wasn't. "A memory is much more than an image, they're sensations and feelings that are recorded in our mind." Luna said, smiling at the sight that Dusk had quickly understood what she wanted to do.

Luna knew that the greatest power in dreams were feelings, and to free Applejack from her trauma, it would have a greater effect than someone closer to the orange mare, like Dusk, who would show her the truth instead of her.

"Lady Night... What is the strongest memory etched in Applejack's memory?" Dusk asked, looking at Applejack, who was still confused by everything they were talking about.

At that moment the magic of Luna made another memory appear in the sky, one that they had already seen: the moment when Applejack last saw her father alive and he gave her his hat.

"This is the most powerful memory kept in the mind of this mare." Luna said solemnly, looking at the memory as an emotion invaded her.

"I knew it..." Dusk said, doing the same as Luna, turning to see the memory.

"I don't get it..." Applejack said crying when she saw that sad memory.

"You recorded that memory with powerful guilt, but... that's not the strongest feeling you feel when reliving that memory..." Dusk said, who then turned to see his friend and showed that he was crying with a warm smile. "I can feel it, that memory was imprinted with a lot of love... No matter the gigantic guilt you felt at that time, your father felt so much love when he gave you his hat, THAT was what recorded that memory... Until the end, he didn't hate or blamed you. The only thing he felt towards you was love."

Seeing that little fragment of memory floating in the sky, Applejack could also feel that a very warm sensation emanated from it that calmed her heart. Dusk was right, the feelings recorded the memories, and she recognized that feeling, it was equal to the joy that her heart felt when her mother and father hugged her as a filly...

"After what I did... even at the end... my dad was still..." Applejack whispered slowly as her eyes filled with tears as she finally discovered the truth about what had haunted her for years. Then the chains that bound Applejack faded as she began to cry, but this time it wasn't a cry of pain and guilt, but a cry of peace and relief, as she was finally able to leave behind a very heavy burden on her heart.

Seeing her friend so emotional, Dusk prepared to approach her, but hesitated when he saw that despite of the chains surrounding Applejack had vanished, buffalo storm around them continued to be maintained.

"We have managed to remove the trauma that closed her mind and heart." Luna said approaching Dusk, since the storm was much weaker than when they had arrived. "Now she'll be able to listen without barriers and will be able to make a correct decision."

"Applejack... wake up..." Suddenly a distant and strong voice was heard that sounded throughout the place. At that instant Applejack began to slowly disappear, as did the storm and everything around it.

As the dream faded, Dusk Shine and Luna were left floating in a blank space, as if they were inside a cloud.

"Someone woke up your friend... And I think they’re about to wake you up, too." Luna said looking around and then lowering her head sadly.

"Thank you very much Lady Night. If it hadn't been for you, we would never have saved Applejack from the trauma that plagued her." Dusk said with a smile, but then he put on a confused look when he saw that Lady Night wasn't looking at him and was only keeping a sad and thoughtful look. "Is something wrong?"

"I have been a selfish fool." Luna finally said, talking to herself, then turning to look at Dusk with a look of pity. "This was just ONE nightmare. Who knows how many more ponies are suffering like this while I escape my duties? While I… enjoyed my time here with you." Luna added, closing her eyes in pain.

Then she looked at Dusk firmly, determined that she had a decision to make. One that hurt to make, but one that needed to be made.

"I won't be able to see you again, my dear Dusk." Luna said trying to get an emotionless look, despite the sadness she felt.

"What? Never?" Dusk asked surprised and anguished. He had yet to realize it but being visited by the beautiful alicorn every night had brought great comfort and joy in his life.

Luna looked at Dusk and was about to say: 'No, of course you'll see me again', but that experience with Applejack's great nightmare had taught her that she had abandoned her duty for pleasure, and she had to fulfill it, and unfortunately, her duty was eternal. And although she would have liked to visit Dusk again on some occasion, Luna realized that Dusk had become her great weakness. An escape to enjoy her life, something that she did not deserve. Instead, she needed to be punished to atone for the horrible crimes and actions that she committed when she was consumed by the Nightmare.

"Until our paths meet again." Luna finally said, feeling that her heart refused to completely close the possibility of seeing Dusk again.

"Don't abandon me..." Dusk begged, again feeling the effect of the dream world and saying what he was thinking at that moment. "I want you with me." Dusk added blushing, and also surprising Luna, who put a sad smile to see that she finally managed to become an important part of the pony who saved her, just when she could no longer see him.

For Dusk, it was difficult to explain what he felt. He had spent days living a parallel life with Lady Night in the world of dreams, so much so that Dusk felt his heart clench now that she told him she wouldn't return. He didn't understand it, but new feelings had been born in him, and now it was painful to have somepony so important to him abandon him, just as it would have been if one of his five friends decided to suddenly abandon him.

"Wake up, scrawny..." A distant voice was heard, identical to the one that had awakened Applejack, which meant that Dusk would soon wake up.

"Goodbye, dear Dusk..." Luna finally replied with a sad smile. "I hope the next time you see me; you can recognize me."

"Recognize you?" Dusk said confused, and then widened his eyes in realization as to why sometimes he felt a sense of deja-vu with Lady Night. Since he had his first nightmare, that hadn't been the first time he had seen Lady Night. He had seen her another time, in a nebulous fantasy created the night he saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon. Then Dusk slowly looked up to see Lady Night again, who looking at him warmly as his dream world vanished. "Princess Lun-?"

Dusk was interrupted by a surprise, sweet and intense kiss from the blue alicorn, who wanted with all her being that Dusk didn't forget her and that he would imprint that kiss of love in his memory.

"Hey, city colt!" Braeburn repeated in the real world, pushing Dusk, and causing him to finally wake up.

"Hm? What's going on?" Dusk asked, opening his eyes and finally waking up.

At that moment, Dusk concentrated on trying to remember the events of what happened in his dream. He went through everything he had experienced in the dream world, until he reached the end of his dream and touched his lips, unable to be sure if he had been kissed, or it was his imagination that wished that his dream had ended like that.

"Get your scrawny hide up. We gotta get going." Braeburn said impatiently, since it seemed that Dusk hadn't yet fully awakened to see him with a lost look.

"Go where?" Dusk asked confused and then saw that the prison gate was open.

However, when he looked around, Dusk's gaze remained fixed on something else, Applejack, who had also recently been awakened and was still wiping tears from her cheeks, as it seemed that she had woken up crying. Seeing Dusk staring at her, she also looked at him closely, a look of doubt in her.

"That dream... You were there...? It was real?" Applejack asked sheepishly, finishing drying her tears.

"It was." Dusk replied with a warm smile, wanting to hug his friend to comfort her.

"You can talk later, now you must go!" Little Strongheart said in a quick murmur, poking her head through the entrance.

Seeing that they couldn't waste any more time, the three ponies silently left the tent, where they saw that not far away, the buffaloes were asleep around the campfire. Then Little Strongheart signaled to them, and the four of them slipped silently through the tents until they emerged from the area where the buffalo had settled.

"Go in that direction." Little Strongheart said silently, pointing towards the night desert. "If you run for a couple of hours, you'll reach your town at dawn."

"Why are you helping us escape?" Dusk asked confused.

"Warn the other ponies about the onslaught, try to convince them to leave the town." Little Strongheart said with a small smile. "I don't want them to think we are monsters, I just want peace. You are not buffalo, but I know you all have good hearts and can be trusted…except maybe for him." Little Strongheart added, glaring at Braeburn.

"Say what you want cuteness, but you're helping us because I was convincing you all night to let go." Braeburn said, looking with distaste at the little buffalo.

"You didn't convince me; I was the one who convinced you to do the right thing!" Little Strongheart added, glaring at Braeburn.

Seeing that those two were going to start arguing again, Dusk pushed Braeburn and the three ponies began to run quickly following the indicated direction, with the new mission of saving an entire town.

The three ponies had been running for a few hours, fearful even of turning around, knowing that at any time the buffalo tribe could discover they fled and could hunt them down again. For this reason, they sighed with relief when they saw that together with the first rays of the sun, they could also glimpse Braeburn’s town, Appleloosa.

Upon seeing the town, Dusk immediately noticed how rustic it was, much like the old towns of the Old West, with large wooden houses, carriages pulled by the ponies themselves, a tavern, and of course, all wearing hats like it was done in the old west. Once they entered the village, Braeburn led them to a small house at the entrance to the village, where a stallion with a large mustache rested, wearing a blue leather jacket, a red scarf around his neck, and a black hat, but what caught Dusk's attention the most was the silver star he had on his jacket, and his intimidating look.

"Sheriff Silverstar, I have very bad news!" Braeburn shouted exhausted after arriving before the town sheriff. The stallion didn't seem to pay much attention to Braeburn at first, but as soon as Braeburn started his story about the train robbery and mentioned the herd of buffalo, his gaze changed completely, putting on a very serious look.

While Braeburn told the story of what happened, emphasizing the 'annoying little buffalo girl' that had started everything, Dusk took the opportunity to see his friend Applejack, with whom he hadn't had time to talk since they had run at full speed for hours to the town.

"Applejack... I'm sorry we weren't able to take Bloomberg with us." Dusk said with a sad look.

"Uh? Oh, well… there are... more important things…" Applejack replied with a sad and thoughtful look. "I mean, Bloomberg worries me, but it's more important to warn the town ponies about what's about to happen."

Seeing his friend responding more calmly and rationally, Dusk realized that this was the Applejack he knew, and now she could better prioritize and think things through, unlike the biased outlook that she had the yesterday.

"What do you think we should do?" Dusk asked.

"I... I still think that family comes first." Applejack said with a thoughtful look, then looking up to see Dusk. "But now I understand that doesn't mean that I always have to agree with my family… And now, the way to protect them is by convincing them to leave town."

"So those buffaloes intend to intimidate us and raze our dear town to the ground, huh?" The Sheriff said with a furious look after Braeburn finished telling him what had happened.

"Yeah. That's why we should try talking to them one last time, perhaps… convince them to give us more time to remove the apple trees." Braeburn said, knowing that that was an option the buffalo chief would hardly give them. "And if they don't listen to us, maybe... we should evacuate the town."

"Evacuate the town!? Never!" The Sheriff said indignantly. "You well know everything that it took us to build this town. Every pony that lives here has put their heart and soul building this new place for their family. Do you want us to run away because a pack of savages threatened us? I'm not interested in them saying that this was their land, nopony was here when we started building our town. This is our land and that’s finally." The Sheriff finished with a fierce look.

Seeing that the Sheriff was as stubborn as Chief Thunderhooves himself, Dusk and the others looked at each other, thinking they were at a dead end. While the sheriff, seeing that the idea of ​​leaving the town didn't seem to disappear from the mind of those three ponies, he looked at them with anger.

"Follow me!" The sheriff said in a commanding tone, so the three ponies followed.

The sheriff led them to the outskirts of town, where, from a ravine, Applejack and Dusk were finally able to see the point of conflict. In the middle of the ravine there was a large plain, in which several dozen apple trees were planted.

"These lands were flat and uncultivated... We worked them and made it a productive land." The sheriff said proudly as he pointed at some ponies that were underneath and were hitting the apple trees with great effort. "All the other nearby plots of land are too arid and rocky. Without these apple trees, our families would starve in half a year! Is that what you want!?" The sheriff added, annoyed to see that those three ponies were still doubting which side to support.

Seeing that there was no reply again, the sheriff gave a great snort, spit out a great deal at the ground, and looked at them with rancor.

"We'll not leave our land, we'll defend it! And if necessary, we'll go to war!" The sheriff said in a powerful voice, showing that there was no way to change his mind. Then the sheriff turned around and went down to the apple trees to tell the ponies they were harvesting to stop, because now they would be soldiers who would defend their lands from the invaders.

After the sheriff left them, an awkward silence remained between the three ponies. All three had concluded that there were some solid points in the sheriff’s speech. But they also knew the other side of the coin, and knew how important it was for the buffaloes to respect their ancestral traditions... When all three remained silent, Dusk looked downward and noticed how exhausted all of the ponies looked after harvesting all the apples.

"Heh... it's a shame there aren't a dozen Applejacks working here." Dusk said with a nervous smile, deciding to make a joking comment only to break the uncomfortable silence. "Applejack harvests apple trees twice as fast as those ponies there."

"Yeah... it's just that they're not used to that work. It’s the first harvest after all." Braeburn replied with a sad smile.

While Applejack was flattered by Dusk's compliment, her mind was distracted by the sight of those ponies weakly kicking the apple trees. She stared at them as she felt something important was slipping away. Then Applejack looked down and saw where the sheriff had spat, where saliva, mixed with sand, had formed a small circle of mud.

"THAT’S IT!... I know how to stop all of this!" Applejack yelled excitedly, taking Braeburn and Dusk by the shoulders. "Braeburn, I need you to stop the sheriff from fighting the buffaloes as long as you can."

"Uh? What are you talking about? You heard him, there's no way that-" Braeburn said confused until Applejack cut him off.

"Just do it! Trust me." Applejack said seriously.

After the surprise, Braeburn also gave a serious look and ran to go back to town, determined to trust Applejack. Then the orange mare turned to face Dusk.

"I'll go talk to some family members who live here. We’re gonna need the help." Applejack said with a look of determination.

"What do you need me to do, Applejack?" Dusk asked confused but decided to trust also his friend.

Then Applejack lowered her gaze and walked over to a cart that the harvesting ponies had brought there, where Applejack guessed that there would be various tools that are sometimes necessary to cultivate. Once there, she took out the tool she needed.

"I’ll need you to do some chopping." Applejack said with a sad smile, handing Dusk an ax and pointing at the town's apple trees.

The morning at Appleloosa had passed quickly. Once the sheriff had broken the news to the rest of the villagers, panic had gripped the town streets, and the peaceful town Applejack and Dusk had seen upon arrival was replaced by a completely warlike one. The ponies had swiftly prepared themselves as best they could to stop an invasion. Gathering sticks and spears, forming dangerous and deadly barricades, and all the streets had become deserted, while all the adult ponies were now at the entrance of the town, with farm forks and torches, ready to defend the town at all costs.

Noon had arrived, and with perfect punctuality, the herd of buffalo peeked out from a hill, all with fierce glances, with war paint on their faces, and their horns sharper than ever, ready to destroy whatever they got in their way. In front of the buffalo tribe, was the imposing Chief Thunderhooves, who looked with hatred at all the ponies in front of the town, especially the one with a mustache and a star in his jacket, who coincidentally also looked at him with the same hatred.

"Sheriff, we should try talking one last time!" Braeburn said next to the sheriff, who had failed to convince the sheriff to stop all preparations for battle. Then he saw the distance and could see Little Strongheart, who also seemed to be struggling to convince the Chief not to ram the town.

"It's useless, you can't converse with those savages." The sheriff replied without taking his eyes off the Chief.

Hearing that while looking at Little Strongheart, Braeburn glared at the sheriff. Then he jumped over the barricade and walked slowly to where the buffaloes were.

"What are you doing, Braeburn!? Come back here!" Sheriff Silverstar yelled, but seeing Braeburn ignore him, he glared at him and hurried after him.

As Braeburn and the sheriff approached the middle of the battlefield, Little Strongheart and Chief Thunderhooves also advanced from the other end, the latter apparently being pressured by the little buffalo to advance. Once in the middle of the battlefield, an awkward, tense silence hung in the air as the four of them finally came face to face.

"Get away from our land, and MAYBE we let you go without hurting you…or worse." The Chief finally said, looking menacingly at the two ponies before him.

"We'll not do that. No one will flee or give up a grain of sand from our territory." The sheriff replied, glaring at the buffalo chief with his eyes. "If you turn around now, you'll be saved from extinction."

"What is this Braeburn!?" Little Strongheart yelled offended and furious, looking at Braeburn. "You were supposed to convince them to leave town!"

"Well I couldn't do it!" Braeburn yelled angrily too. "The sheriff is as stubborn as your Chief. I thought you would have already convinced him not to do something as beastly as crushing an entire town."

"Are all the ponies this stubborn or are YOU just that airhead!?" Little Strongheart yelled, bringing her face closer to Braeburn to see her furious gaze.

"And all the buffaloes are so bossy or only you are!?" Braeburn replied too, bringing his angry gaze closer.

"Fool!" The buffalo yelled.

"Coward!" Braeburn yelled.

" Weakling!" The buffalo shouted again.

"Chubby!" Braeburn yelled again.

As the insults ended, the colt and the buffalo just stared at each other, breathing hard, staring at each other fiercely for several seconds... until they both closed their eyes and kissed passionately. At that moment, the mouths of the sheriff and the Chief opened completely, unable to believe what they were seeing.

After a few seconds, Little Strongheart and Braeburn's eyes suddenly widened, they realized they had been carried away by their instincts and quickly separated, both blushing completely. And at that precise moment, the Chief Thunderhooves's brain woke up from his stupefaction, and his face turned red with anger when he saw that this dirty pony had kissed his tender daughter. The chief then gave a great snort and tried to ram at Braeburn, but was barely stopped by Little Strongheart, who used all her strength to stop her father's onslaught.

Seeing the Chief's angry look, Braeburn understood that there would be no words that could calm the Chief, so he and the sheriff ran to return to their barricades. While the ponies who had been attentive to what was happening, they saw how the huge buffalo had tried to lynch Braeburn, so they knew that the negotiations had failed and began to play the drums of war just when the sheriff arrived, who was determined to finish off the invaders that same afternoon.

As the drums sounded, a song of hatred began to spread through the hearts of everyone present.

"~ What can you expect ~ From filthy little beasts? ~ Their whole disgusting race is like a curse. ~" The sheriff sang ruthlessly to the beat of the drum, cheering on his ponies. "~ Their horns want to thieve ~ They're only good when leave ~ They're vermin, as I said and worse. ~"

"~ They're savages, savages ~ Cruel and ruthless beasts! ~ Savages, savages ~ Drive them from our land! ~" The ponies sang in unison, with fierce glances.

"~ Destroy their evil race ~ Until there's not a trace left ~ We must sound the drums of war! ~" The sheriff sang, raising a challenging hoof towards the buffalo.

"~ They're savages, savages ~ Dirty wicked devils ~ Now we sound the drums of war! ~" The rest of the town sang, lighting torches and pointing their spears and forks towards the buffalo.

For their part, the buffaloes also began to beat their war drums and bang their hooves hard on the ground just as the Chief came back to them, ready to retrieve what had been taken from them.

"~ This is what we feared ~ The pony is a demon ~ The only thing they feel at all is greed. ~" Chief Thunderhooves sang to the sound of the drums, spreading his hatred among his tribe. "~ Beneath that fluffy hide ~ There's emptiness inside ~ I wonder if they even feel. ~"

"~ They're savages, savages ~ Cruel and ruthless ponies! ~ Savages, savages. ~ Thieves at the core! ~" The buffaloes sang, throwing defiant horns into the air.

"~ They're different from us ~ Which means they can't be trusted ~ We must sound the drums of war! ~" The Chief sang, beginning to walk decisively towards the town.

"~ They're savages, savages ~ Let the onslaught begin ~ Now we sound the drums of war! ~" The other buffaloes sang as they accompanied their chief and slowly gathering momentum to launch their final onslaught.

As both sides closed in on their inevitable fight, Braeburn and Little Strongheart were the only static, seeing each other from afar with helpless glances at what was to come.

"Hey Sheriff!" A loud voice suddenly shouted, distracting them all. It was Dusk Shine, who was on a hill looking down at the town ponies and buffalo but pretending to speak only to the sheriff. "We have finished the secret weapon to kill the buffalo tribe! Keep the buffaloes away from here for a little while!"

Hearing that, the sheriff made a confused face, not understanding what he meant. The same confusion that the buffalo tribe had, who stopped their stampede and put nervous glances when they heard about 'secret weapon'. Meanwhile Braeburn and Little Strongheart also looked at Dusk confused, but quickly understood that this must be some kind of plan, and both ran towards the lavender colt.

After hearing about the ponies' secret weapon, the chief looked suspiciously at the young unicorn, as it was hard for him to believe that the ponies had created a weapon in just one morning. However, seeing his daughter running alongside that scoundrel yellow pony, his doubts disappeared and with a great snort he made his tribe change direction and direct his onslaught towards where Dusk Shine was.

Seeing that his plan had worked, Dusk quickly started running in the opposite direction, but since he wasn't exactly very athletic compared to buffalo and farm ponies, he was quickly caught up with Little Strongheart and Braeburn.

"What's the plan, scrawny?" Braeburn asked running to Dusk's side.

"Run and don't get caught!" Dusk shouted in fright as he looked back and saw that the herd of buffalo was running at full speed and was almost reaching them. "Stay very close to me!"

At that moment, the buffalo tribe almost stepped on Dusk's tail to trample him and incidentally Braeburn and Little Strongheart who ran beside him, but just then Dusk activated his teleportation and disappeared from there. Seeing that strong flash and that their prey had disappeared, the buffaloes stopped dead in their tracks and looked everywhere, not being sure what had just happened.

"Where are they!?" Chief Thunderhooves yelled furiously. "We must…! Sniff...! We must... sniff-sniff! W-What is that delicious aroma…" The big Chief suddenly said, smelling the air and feeling a very sweet aroma, which made him forget for a moment all his fury.

Seeing their chief distracted, all the buffaloes also smelled the air and made silly smiles at experiencing such a delicious aroma.

"Over here, Chief!" Applejack said suddenly, not far from there, waving to the buffaloes with a friendly smile.

When they saw a pony again on their way, the buffaloes thought about resuming their attack, but their stomachs were weaker and growled when they felt that the delicious aroma came from where that orange mare was. So their fury subsided, and slow and carefully they approached where that pony greeted them. At the arrival, they saw that next to the orange pony there were a couple of more mares, sitting in front of a couple of tables, where they had several dozen aromatic and delicious apple pies.

"Chief... I think I’ve found a solution." Applejack said smiling and pointing towards the plain where the apple trees were planted. An entire row had been cut down, leaving a narrow but accessible passage that crossed the middle of the apple field. "As you can see, we have cut several apple trees so that you and your tribe can freely cross these lands, your lands!"

"Uh... ahem... Yes, I see!" The Chief replied absentmindedly, since it had taken him effort to take his eyes off those appetizing apple pies. "These… these are our lands indeed. But our traditions dictate that we run freely like a great herd, and by that narrow path we don't-"

"Forgive our rudeness, Big Chief." Applejack said, purposely interrupting the Chief and offering him an apple pie, who couldn't help but drool by having it before his eyes and smelling it. "Before we continue talking, we would like to offer these pies to your fierce warriors, as a sign of our forgiveness. If they’ll just form a line, we'll be able to give one pie to each one, before you all continue your march."

Hearing that, without even waiting for Chief Thunderhooves' order, the rest of the buffaloes quickly formed into a long line, and one by one they passed in front of the table, where the Applejack cousins ​​offered them the pies with happy smiles when they saw how much those buffalo enjoyed their goods. Meanwhile, the buffaloes were eating and enjoying the pies, and the first to finish eating his was the big chief, who after quenching his hunger slowly began to regain his composure and his strong temperament.

"Yes... these pies are a very welcome offering..." The Chief said, still running his tongue over his mouth and feeling the sweet taste of the pies. "But as I said, our land must be free of-"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Applejack said feigning surprise and pointing to where it ended the field of apple trees, where there were two other ponies with another table and more pies on it. "At the end of the apple orchard, my other cousins ​​are waiting for you with more slices of pies... So those who finish eating here, can go on their way and eat one more across the path."

Hearing that there were more pies on the other side, the Chief's ears rose happily, and he again forgot his pride and rancor, and hurried to run among the apple trees, along the new path that was there. The same happened with the other buffaloes, where each one began to run down the path, eager to eat another apple pie. And since each buffalo had been lined up and therefore finished eating in order, there was no problem going down the new path, as each buffalo ran one after the other in the order that they had eaten their apple pies.

"What the hay is going on here!" The sheriff said angrily, arriving alongside the rest of the ponies who had been ready for battle. Seeing what was happening, he glared at Applejack. "You cut down our apple trees so that those dirty buffaloes could run!?"

"We only cut one row of apple trees, but it wasn't just for the buffalo to pass. It was so we could better harvest the apple trees." Applejack said with a proud smile, then she pointed to the apple field, where the buffalo kept running. "The buffaloes are much heavier than us, and their strong hooves will save us from having to harvest the apples."

Without understanding what Applejack was referring to, the sheriff and several ponies looked closely at the apple trees, and then were surprised to see that the loud rumble of the buffaloes as they passed by made the apples fall on their own, without the need to kick the trunks.

"I-I see… well... that may work, but-" The sheriff said nervously, who was fighting with his own pride, since he didn't want to give up without a fight.

"Won't we have to harvest again?" A pony asked, putting on a big smile, since he wasn't used to that heavy task.

"This is the best thing that could have happened to us!" Another pony said cheerfully, raising into the air his clawed hooves that had suffered so much from the previous day's harvest. “We can use this to spend more time with our families and build up our community!”

Then the ponies leaped for joy around the sheriff, who finally had no choice but to lower his hat resigned and admit that that was a great idea.

Sunset was approaching and Applejack was saying goodbye to Bloomberg, who had been brought in by the buffalo tribe after making amends. Sheriff Silverstar and Chief Thunderhooves had personally planted the tree together at the top of the field of apple trees as a symbol of peace and union between the ponies and buffaloes. Overall, Applejack couldn’t help but be proud of her beloved tree.

"That was the best idea in the world, Applejack! How did you come up with such a brilliant plan!?" Dusk said looking in amazement at the country mare.

"I already told you… When I saw that the town ponies were lacking strength in hitting the apple trees to harvest, I remembered the loud rumble of the buffalo herd when they caught us. So, I thought that they would never voluntarily help the ponies, but then I saw some mud and it reminded me of that ugly dough that the buffalo ate. It was then that I came up with the apple pies plan." Applejack said blushing, as Dusk was still very amazed at her great plan, which had worked perfectly.

Then both ponies smiled and walked together back to the town's train station, as their train was about to depart. As they approached the village, they both looked contentedly at ponies and buffaloes still celebrating in the village, and then remembered how quickly things had happened after the Applejack plan...

After all the buffaloes ran through the apple field, and the Chief's and buffaloes’ stomachs were full and their faces smiling from having had a chance to eat those tasty apple pies, the sheriff along with Applejack had approached to propose to them that this arrangement could be an annual tradition every year when the buffalo made their yearly trip. Thus, the ponies could keep their apple trees and in exchange they would receive and dismiss them with lots of apple pies for their trip. At first, the big boss's pride had been hesitant about changing his old tradition even if it was partly. But finally, Applejack was able to convince him that the new traditions could be a good thing, and in this particular case, very tasty.

After making peace, the ponies and buffaloes forgot their hatred, some happy not to have to go back to the heavy labor of the harvest, and others happy for eating something so delicious. With peace and harmony established, Appleloosa became the center of a huge party where ponies and buffaloes celebrated the new peace treaty. Though they were of different sizes, beliefs, and traditions, the two races happily shared the merriment of the new friendship. And the ones who were the happiest were Chief Thunderhooves and Sheriff Silverstar, who had shared the apple cider of the ponies and the peace pipe of the buffaloes, and now they were laughing and hugging drunk and happy as if they were brothers.

Once Dusk Shine and Applejack arrived at the station, they saw Braeburn and Little Strongheart waiting for them there to say goodbye.

"Too bad you have to leave Applejack... even you scrawny." Braeburn said smiling, teasing Dusk one last time. "I hope you can come back soon."

"Yeah, yeah... I'm scrawny." Dusk replied smiling uncomfortably, since with everything that happened, he almost forgot how irritating Braeburn was. Then he looked one last time to the village and saw how a couple of buffaloes were drinking cider hugging a couple of colts. "It's amazing how well they all get along now... No one would believe that just a few hours ago they all hated each other."

"Yeah, well, ponies are naturally friendly creatures. We're always ready to make new friends." Braeburn replied with a smile.

"Indeed, but buffaloes have always been peaceful." Little Strongheart added, looking a bit annoyed at Braeburn. "If you had agreed to speak earlier, this could have been resolved much earlier."

"But it was your dad who didn't want to talk to the ponies." Braeburn said looking annoyed at Little Strongheart.

"And it was the sheriff who didn't want to talk to the buffaloes." Little Strongheart replied also annoyed.

"I think you're both right, hehe." Dusk said quickly to stop them from arguing again, and then he remembered something he almost forgot. "By the way, what happened with that kiss?"

Hearing what Dusk said, Braeburn and Little Strongheart widened their eyes and looked away, both blushing.

"Wait, the both of you kissed?!" Applejack asked in surprise, since she hadn't been when that happened.

Seeing Applejack's surprise, Dusk gave an awkward look.

"I-I didn't want you to find out like this..." Dusk said nervously, since he knew that she and Braeburn were very close. Then Dusk realized that although it wasn't correct, he could use that to demonstrate that Braeburn was unfit to be the partner of his friend. "I know this may hurt, but I guess this means that Braeburn isn’t the biggest gentlecolt that he thinks he is.”

"Why would it hurt? I think they both make a nice couple." Applejack replied, looking confused at Dusk, causing Braeburn and Little Strongheart to blush even more.

"I-I thought it would bother you to know that Braeburn loves someone else." Dusk said even more confused.

"What are you talking about? I'll continue to love Applejack, after all she's my favorite cousin." Braeburn replied with a big smile.

"... Uh... Cousin?..." Dusk whispered slowly as in his mind a little Dusk with the word 'it was obvious' written in his head, kicked him in the brain, finally understanding why Braeburn and Applejack were so close. Which made Dusk put on a silly smile of relief as he felt that strange and unpleasant feeling he had felt towards Braeburn disappear.

Seeing him smile so foolishly, Applejack and the others looked at him with confused looks. Until Braeburn was shocked to discover what Dusk had thought, then he put on a mocking smile.

"I see what happens..." Braeburn said mockingly, then he whispered something to Little Strongheart in her ear and she also put on a mischievous smile.

Applejack couldn't hear what his cousin whispered to Little Strongheart, but Dusk read Braeburn's lips and saw what he had said: 'Dusk was jealous.' Noticing that, the little Dusk in his head reappeared and again gave him a kick of 'obvious' when he finally realized what was that unpleasant feeling that he had failed to recognize.

"I don't understand... what are you laughing at?" Applejack asked confused.

“I-It's nothing! W-We better get on, the train is about to leave." Dusk yelled quickly nervously, not wanting Braeburn to tell Applejack what had really happened. Then he turned quickly and got on the train.

While Braeburn and Little Strongheart laughed, Applejack continued with a confused look, but hearing the train whistle, she decided to follow Dusk.

"See you Applejack." Braeburn said giving one last hug to his dear cousin. "That Dusk might be a scrawny city colt, but he's not as bad as I thought. I’m sure you’ll be able to get him to get some muscles on those bones. He just has to work on that jealousy of his."

"Jealousy?" Applejack repeated confused. However, she couldn't ask any more since the train started to move and Applejack had to quickly get on the train

While the train was leaving, Applejack said goodbye from the door of her cousin and the little buffalo, until the train gained speed and she lost sight of them. Then Applejack moved between the carriages, seeing that this time the train was getting fuller, since it would stop not only in Ponyville, but also in other cities. So, Applejack finally reached her seat, where on one side was a mare with her little foal on her lap, and in front of her was Dusk Shine, who had saved a seat next to him.

"Your... Your cousin told you something before you left?" Dusk asked nervously, wanting to sound casual, but without success.

"H-He just told me you weren't as bad a pony as he'd thought..." Applejack replied slightly blushed, omitting the last thing Braeburn had whispered to her.

Believing that Braeburn hadn't told Applejack that he was jealous, Dusk sighed in relief and finally relaxed further.

"It looks like it'll be another long trip... yaaawwn..." Dusk said taking advantage of changing the subject, giving a big yawn because of how tired he was.

"Yeah, yaaawwn... Surely we'll sleep the whole trip, since we’ve spent two nights without being able to sleep well." Applejack also responded by yawning, remembering that the night before they had slept only half the night before escaping from the buffaloes, and the night before that they had been nervous about the 'ghost' of the train.

"Do you think the ghost of the train will reappear?" Applejack asked, remembering what had happened on the outward journey.

"Who knows... maybe it was just a prank by Braeburn." Dusk replied with a shrug, blushing a little as he realized that now that he knew Braeburn was just Applejack's cousin, the yellow colt didn't seem like such an irritating pony anymore.

With the wobble of the train, and with how extremely tired they both were, Applejack and Dusk fell fast asleep almost at the same time. Thus, the minutes progressed, and the sunset light fell on the train.

Applejack suddenly woke up when she felt a blow to her forehead. Opening her eyes, she saw that a small rattle had fallen on the table in front of her.

"Sorry, my little daughter threw it." The mother sitting across from her said embarrassedly, rocking her baby to fall asleep again.

"No problem." Applejack replied smiling and handing her the rattle back.

After giving the rattle back to the mother, Applejack turned pale when she saw that diapers and bottles began to float behind the mother. Then the mother looked back when she saw Applejack looking there and was also surprised by what she saw.

"I-I don't want to scare you, but there seems to be a ghost on this train." Applejack said, trying not to be nervous so as not to scare the mother with her baby. "But don't worry, it's not dangerous."

Hearing that, the mother covered her mouth and giggled.

"It's not a ghost, it's my little daughter." The mother said smiling, uncovering her daughter's head a little more to show that she was a little unicorn filly. "I'm an earth pony, so I was also scared when I saw some things start to float near my little baby. But then my husband's mother told me that was normal for small unicorns, since they don't control their emotions well, so every time they feel something new, their magic is activated."

Seeing that her little daughter was very restless, the mother stood up and prepared to change wagon. Meanwhile, Applejack had been thoughtful after hearing what the mother had said.

"Wait... That...doesn't that happen to adult unicorns, does it?" Applejack asked quickly before the mother got out of the wagon.

"Hmm, I don't know. Adults already know how to recognize their feelings, so I don't think that happens very often." The mother replied with a shrug and exited the wagon with her foal.

After being left alone in the wagon, Applejack stared at Dusk, who was still fast asleep… Could it be that the 'ghost' was only Dusk unknowingly reacting to a new feeling? Then, remembering more closely, Applejack realized that the 'ghost' had only appeared when Braeburn had stayed with her for an extended period of time.

'He just has to work on that jealousy of his.' Those were the last words Braeburn had said to her about Dusk when he said goodbye, words that finally echoed in Applejack's mind.

"Dusk... Was he jealous of Braeburn?" Applejack thought, blushing slightly. "But if that were true... Was he jealous for friendship or... for love?"

Applejack stared at Dusk peaceful face, then she timidly laid her head on Dusk's side and looked up to admire his face. Without realizing it, She stared at Dusk's face in the same way he had admired her at the past slumber party... Seeing his beautiful face, feeling his soft breath, smelling his sweet aroma, feeling the warm heat of his fur, and hearing the calm and comforting beating of his heart. As she peered at each faction on Dusk's face, Applejack stopped looking at Dusk's lips, then she remembered that she had told herself that she would show Rainbow Dash that she could have a romantic kiss with Dusk like the one the pegasus had. However, with everything that had happened, that promise had passed into the background and now she was returning to Ponyville without achieving her goal. But now there were Dusk's lips, waiting for her.

Applejack blushed slowly, shyly lifting her hoof and gently touching Dusk's warm lips. Then she raised her head and slowly brought her face close to that of the colt, but when she was about to touch his lips, she sadly closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"No... I don't want it to be like this." Applejack whispered sadly. Then she raised her head again and continued to look at Dusk, feeling that seeing his face sleeping peacefully also reassured her.

"I didn't thank you for helping me with my nightmare." Applejack whispered, looking at Dusk, as if he were awake. "My biggest mistake, my biggest pain in life. I…thought you might hate me after seeing that, but…your eyes didn't change at all." Applejack said putting on a tender smile, remembering that despite what she feared, Dusk's gaze had kept seeing her with warmth and affection. Then Applejack smiled again as she had with her the colt that had magically managed to enter her dreams and had helped her heal her soul.

Recalling that nightmare and what had happened, Applejack recalled the lock that had appeared on her chest in that dream, then she touched her chest, where she could feel her heart beating, and remembered something from her past, from when she was a filly and her parents were still alive.

"I'll never love any colt... I'll only love my dad." The filly Applejack had said, hugging her father tightly.

"That's what you say now..." Her mother had replied with a tender smile. "But someday, you’ll meet a colt that’ll have the key to your heart..."

"You had the key..." Applejack whispered snuggling on the shoulder of the sleeping colt and closing her eyes to feel again the soft tempo of Dusk's heart and the warmth of his fur. "No one has ever done something so beautiful for me... and I... I have never loved anyone as I love you..." Applejack finish saying in a tender whisper with her tearful eyes of happiness when feeling full confidence with that sweet colt, who now knew her better than anyone.

With that thought, Applejack snuggled deeper into Dusk's warm body, feeling like she could stay like this forever.

"It's not a kiss, but for me this is my romantic moment... because I finally realized that I can never love anyone as I love you, Dusk Shine..." Applejack whispered as the dream returned to her and her consciousness was lost, thinking in that she hadn't failed in her goal, but that it had simply become more ambitious. "The next time I kiss you, I'll not hide anything... the next time I kiss you... it'll be when I'll declare my feelings to you..." Applejack finished saying before falling asleep hugging the warm body of the colt she loved.

Dusk Shine: the owner of the key to her heart.

End of chapter 48

Author's Notes:

Thanks to 'Scribe of the Nightwings' for his help