Chapter 3

Applejack smiled as she trotted along the rune path and towards the farm. As soon as she got onto the grounds she smiled and rushed to the house, running inside. She looked around then rushed to the kitchen and smiled wider. Granny Smith was looking at her in shock but a smile was coming over her face. "Applejack!" Applejack hugged Granny Smith hard then pulled away and grinned.

"Granny! How are you?"

"Ah'm doin' good child. How are you? Have you been eatin' enough?" Applejack nodded then sat at the table while the others trotted in. Granny Smith pulled out some pie and smiled. "Eat kids. Ah'll make some more!" Vinyl began to eat ravenously along with the others but Shield said, "Miss Apple?"

"Yes dearie?"

"Are the Princesses still here?"

"Why yes they are. They're at the library." They all looked at each other and Applejack swallowed her pie before saying,

"Where's Apple Bloom?"

"School." Applejack nodded in relief then began to shrug off her weapons. The others followed suit but each kept one weapon on them. Shield her shield, Braeburn a dagger, Vinyl a thin disk, Spitfire some knives, and Applejack a whip.

"Granny we're heading into town." Granny Smith nodded then nuzzled Applejack under the neck.

"Stay safe." Applejack nodded and the group walked out of the house and began on their way to Ponyville.

Applejack looked around and was a bit surprised to see the town had gotten bigger. More runes had been drawn around the expanding town and more people milled around. They walked into town and found people would stop and whisper for a while as they passed.

"Sooo, this isn't awkward huh?" Vinyl drawled as they walked through the market towards Twilight's house. Applejack rolled her eyes then shot Vinyl a look.

"Stop bein' so negative."

"Not my fault. I'm trying to lighten the mood. Shield looked like she's gonna puke." Applejack looked to the nervous mare who was whispering. "Shield?"

"What if they don't want to see me again? Should I stay outside?" They all rolled their eyes and Applejack smiled lightly.

"Look, Ah know yer nervous, so am Ah but we have to be strong. We're Alphas right?"

"Y-Yeah." Applejack smiled then turned before squealing loudly and stumbling back. Princess Celestia was behind her looking at them with a raised eyebrow.

"Why are you back?"

"Uhhh..." Trixie quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Princess. I was given something by Lady Hurricane!" Surprise came across Celestia's face and she looked at her.

"What did she give you?"

"Her crown. She is dead." Pain came over Celestia's face and she looked down.

"H-How?"

"She turned into a beast and tried to kill us. She wanted to die princess." Celestia nodded slowly then looked all of them over.

"Let us retire to the library." She turned and began to walk away and Shield sighed in relief.

"At least she didn't yell at me." The  other Alpha's nodded and Applejack felt a bit of dread enter her body. Was she going to see her former Submissives? Grimacing, she trotted after the group and fell into step besides Vinyl.

They came to the library and were soon seated at a round table. Applejack stared at the table with her head down since her former Submissives were seated their. Vinyl was sipping some tea and explaining what they had been doing for the last six months and as Vinyl came to the story of Applejack's scar and shorter mane Applejack frowned. "The pony was crazy, he was experimenting on the monsters to see if he could control them. He was working just outside Trottingham and we were worried he was going to attack the surrounding area. So we took him out. Well Applejack did." Applejack frowned then lifted her head and shrugged.

"It weren't nothin'."

"If it wasn't "nothin'" you wouldn't have that scar." Applejack rolled her eyes then shrugged. "Ah was careless. How was Ah supposed to know the freak kept a viper tied around his arm?"

Vinyl shrugged then said, "After Trottingham we heard about the siren's in the small village of Mare. After that we get to here and now." Applejack took her cup and took a slow drink before looking at all of the people gathered. Shield was looking at her tea with a grimace and so were the other two, Trixie was looking at the crown and Applejack stopped her observation since she didn't feel she could face her former Submissives. She took another sip of her tea then looked into the cup. It was empty.

"Ah'm gonna get more tea." She grabbed her cup in her mouth then trotted to the kitchen. As soon as the door shut behind her she groaned and slid to the ground. This was harder than she thought.

"Are you Applejack?" She jumped then looked up to see a grey coated mare with amethyst eyes and a black mane.

"Uhhhhh yes?"

"I-Is Vinyl out there?" Applejack nodded slowly then got up and smiled.

"Are you one of her former Submissives?" The mare flinched then nodded and sat down.

"How is Vinyl?"

"She's okay." A small silence stretched out and the mare's ears flattened against her skull and sniffed. Applejack looked at her then frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I-I miss her." Applejack frowned then moved closer and rested her chin on the mare's head.

"Shh...Vinyl misses you too. She just hides it."

"I don't care if I die if she does. I...I just want her back." Applejack closed her eyes and sighed softly.

"Ah know it's hard but its for the best." The mare sobbed silently into Applejack's neck and Applejack sat their. "Ah can talk to Vinyl. If you really love her Ah'll convince her to take you back." The mare moved back quickly and looked at her in shock.

"Will you?!"

"Of course."

"Oh thank you! Um, if you don't mind me saying...the other Elements miss you too. Take them back before you leave." Applejack frowned but nodded slowly.

"Okay. What's yer name by the way?"

"Octavia."

The meeting flashed by but all of them were stumped as to where to start looking for Discord. Shield was thinking deeply as she paced. "I guess the only way we can find him is to look for a huge amount of mayhem and destruction." They nodded and Shield sat down. "We should get looking as soon as we can. Tomorrow we leave again." The other Alphas nodded but grimaced. Shield got up and left the library with Braeburn following her.

"She's really anxious to get killed huh?" Applejack nodded and looked to Vinyl, who was looking at the library door with a bored expression. Applejack looked around and found Rainbow was looking at her. She looked around the room and found most of them hadn't changed much. She looked back at Rainbow then smiled slightly at her. Rainbow gave her a grimace smile then looked away. Applejack frowned then said, "Vinyl?"

"Huh?"

"Octavia's in the kitchen and wants to talk to you." She looked to the side and found the white mare was shocked. She looked down then took a deep breath.

"U-Uhhhhh I'll meet up with you later." She quickly got up and trotted to the kitchen. Applejack sighed softly then slowly go up and left the library.

Soon she sat in front of her parents graves and humming. "Hey pa. Ma." She looked up and whispered, "What if they don't want me."

"Are you going to give up?" She looked down and forward to see her father walking out of the trees. He was covered in a green earthy glow. He was a big stallion, bigger than Mac. He had his old stetson hat on his head and it covered his eyes. His coat was a bright yellow and his mane a deep grey. His cutie mark was a bottle of Apple Cider and he moved forward. "Now Ah didn't raise no quitter! Ah raised a fighter! A truth teller! Somepony not afraid ta do what was needed! Applejack looked down and tears began to well in her eyes. Was she being a coward? She closed her eyes and sniffed as they ran down her muzzle.

Cider. Leave her alone. She has a lot to worry bout. Her Submissives will come. Give her time." Applejack's head snapped up and she stared at her mother's face. Her mother smiled and moved forward and nuzzled her cheek. "Ah believe in you sweetie." Applejack nodded and sniffed.

"How are you here?"

"Love sweetie. Plus paper work." Cider grimaced and looked to his wife. "Ah hate the paperwork."

"Love, bond with them before you leave. Make sure they know you love them." Applejack nodded then smiled as the spirits wavered and began to glow brighter.

"Bye ma, pa." They waved then turned into two bright orbs before heading up into the late afternoon sky. She closed her eyes then opened them slowly when she heard a rustle behind her. She looked back and smiled. Apple Bloom stood across the field, resting on her head was Applejack's stetson hat. Apple Bloom's eyes were misted over with tears and she yelled,

"Momma!" She galloped down the path and tackled Applejack as soon as she was in range. Applejack laughed then nuzzled her happily. "Ah missed you momma! Ah missed you so much!" Applejack smiled, tears blurring her vision as she nuzzled her child.

"A-Ah missed you too sweetie." She rolled over then nuzzled her harder, sniffing softly. They rested their heads together and Apple Bloom whispered, "Momma? A-Ah got mah cutie mark." Applejack laughed in glee and said, "What'cha waitin' fer? Show me." Apple Bloom got up then moved and showed off her flank. Resting their was a bright red apple with a hammer in the center.

"Mah special talent is fixin' things on the farm!" Applejack smiled then nuzzled her child's side before moving away.

"Let's get to the farm k?"

"Momma? Can you take yer hat back? Ah want you to have it." Applejack smiled then took the hat off Apple Bloom's head and placed it on her own. Sighing as a warm settled in her body, she got up and looked up to see Twilight standing across the field.

"Apple Bloom run home. Twilight wants ta talk."  Apple Bloom nodded and rushed off.

"It's nice to see your still alive." Applejack nodded and looked off to the side.

"Look Twi'-."

"I'm going to say my piece!" Applejack jumped then looked down. She closed her eyes then opened them and looked up. She was shocked to see her orange Thread still around Twilight's neck and even more shocked to see several more Threads when past her and to town.