B&T Chapter One: Jumping Off

Chapter One: Jumping Off

“No raiding war-party was in sight, the reavers seemingly vanished without a trace. In the faint glow still remaining, the settlers caught sight of a figure lying sprawled on the ground, completely motionless. The creature appeared to be male, and had an odd, apelike shape about him; he was quite plainly a creature never before seen by any of the settlers.

As a growing crowd anxiously gathered around the…thing, Braeburn gulped and approached the slightly stirring figure. “Ugh…where am I? What’s…wh-what are you?” the thing stammered upon catching sight of Braeburn.

“Kid, I could ask you the same question.” He said with a crooked smile.”

 

A voice coming from outside the storage room shakes you out of the narrative. You jump slightly, scattering several of the papers you had been reading.

 

“Honey? It’s nearly 2:00 a.m. Have you been in here working this whole time?”

 

“Oh, Soph. It’s you. You scared me a bit there.” You say with a shaky laugh and a crooked grin, trying desperately to emulate Braeburn’s bravado. Sophia is quite clearly not impressed.

 

“Honestly, why are you still working on that dusty old History book of yours? Can’t you just leave the past behind you?” she says with an exasperated sigh.

 

“Soph, listen. I’m not doing this for the fame, or for the bits. I swear. We’ve been together long enough for you to know that. I’m doing this because people DESERVE to know. They NEED to know the truth. The truth about the Apple Family, and what happened to Luna, and about…the war.” You say, your voice cracking with emotion on those last few words.

 

“I know this is important to you Akane” she says, her hard features softening slightly. “But don’t lose yourself chasing these faded memories. You’ve spent so much time and money hunting down all these old documents, diaries, and dusty old letters already. Just try to remember that there are people here, in the present, which care about and love you very much. People like me, Kane.” She added, finally returning your grin.

 

“I know Sophia. Sometimes, it does seem all like one big transcontinental goose-chase. But I’m about to make a breakthrough, I just know it. And don’t worry. I wouldn’t leave you for the world.” You say, wrapping your arm around her waist and pulling her in for a tight hug. “I’ll join you in bed soon. Let me just get these papers back in order.” You reach across the floor, picking up your scattered pages.

 

Wishing her a good night, you turn back to your documents. “What do we have here? The attack on Appaloosa. No no. That happened much later in his life... Ah! Here it is. When the little heroes were born. What better place to start?” You say to yourself.

 After a quick mental check to shake off some fatigue, you return your attention to the story at hand, ready to return to the life of your ancestors Macintosh, Applejack, and Braeburn. The trappers, scouts, and soldiers whose adventures made their name a legend: The famous Apple Family Rangers.

 

Macintosh was born in a log cabin in the town of New Saddle, Equestria, on Hearth Warming’s Eve, 1806. The next year, the Apple family pulled up stakes and trekked west, passing through the Equestrian Capitol, Canterlot, on their way. Princess Celestia, seeing the desperate state of the family, (which by now had two new foals to take care of, Braeburn and Applejack) allotted a portion of ripe, fertile farmland to the west of the Capitol for the family to settle.

 

Macintosh was a quiet, stubborn, and reliable kid with bright green eyes and a red coat. Although he had a small frame as a foal—a consequence, perhaps, of being born two months premature—he was tough and strong, with powerful, agile hooves that would be a great asset when tending his families apple orchard; indeed, his unexpected strength and speed earned him the nickname “Big Macintosh” or simply “Big Mac” from his family and friends.

 

Braeburn, on the other hand, was very talkative and curious as a child, always asking questions and trying to learn more about the world. In addition to his inquisitive mind, he had a calm, reserved side as well. He could become nearly as serious and reserved as Big Mac, when the situation called for it. He knew how to read a room. He knew when to work, and when to play, and was quite skilled at both. But perhaps the most important trait he had was his ability to look at both sides of an issue. In a world that could be cold and unforgiving, he was a true just and fair soul.

Applejack was headstrong, and quick to action. At the same time, however, she was also one of the most honest and dependable p0nies you will ever meet. With a strong sense of duty, she was always bound by a personal code of justice. If anyone were to cross her family or her friends, they would quickly find their cutiemark resembling a hoof-print.

 

The lands surrounding the Apple Family Farm, while fertile and wild, were by no means uninhabited. Bordering the farm was a dreaded place called the Everfree Forest, where all manner of dangerous creatures were said to live. And even still, to the lands farther west were nomadic tribes of Buffalo and feral flocks of Griffons that roamed the wide mesas and rugged mountains of the Wild West, as well as the displaced native people from the Deer and Elk nation of Cervidas to the southwest (A nation that had long been fighting against Equestria’s view of “Manefest Destiny”.)  Together these groups were simply referred to as “The Tribes” by most settlers and explorers, many of whom neither knew nor cared about the differences in behavior between Buffalo and Griffins. Indeed, some p0nies just called the Tribes “Those Savages” and were done with it.

 

With so many conflicting interests nearby, many hostile to Equestrian encroachment, the pioneers of the Apple family lived huddled together in cabins, tending the fields with armed sentries constantly patrolling the forest clearings. Many of the cabins were designed with rifle loopholes so settlers, barricaded within, could defend themselves from attacks by both Tribal and Everfree invaders. The “Apple Trio” as they had come to be known, Braeburn, Macintosh, and Applejack, were especially keen night watchmen, even as children. Their parents said that they always felt completely safe when those three were on guard duty.

 

Despite many hostile encounters over the years, some Tribals were friendly with the Equestrians, or at least found it pragmatic to strike alliances and keep the peace. As children, the Apples would play with Tribal Buffalo kids who would visit the settlement with their parents to ply their wares. However, there were plenty of incidents where they had to quickly draw up arms against Buffalo raiders. From an early age, the siblings learned an important practical truth about frontier life—that there was no such thing as “The Tribals”, that many different tribes existed in both the Buffalo, Griffon, and Deerfolk, that these tribes could be substantially and sometimes violently different from each other, and that each group must be dealt with separately, on its own terms.

 

Gradually, after several years of profitable farming, a full-fledged bustling town would build up around the Apple Family Farm, a town that would become known as Ponyville. But Mac, Jack, and Braeburn were, it seems, not destined to remain on the farm. When they were in their early teens, a de-foresting accident along the farm’s edge left them without parents. Extended family took over the farm operations, and everything continued running much the same as before, but the Apple siblings just couldn’t remain on that farm any longer.

 

Luckily for them, Ponyville’s new-found popularity as a frontier town and trading post meant that a huge clientele of trappers and traders were constantly passing through, bringing with them stirring tales of adventure in the Far West. In late 1819 the Deer nation of Cervidas to the southwest had gained Independence from Equestria, and all trade routes had been re-opened between the nations. Elkland officials were eager for Equestrian goods (and the tariffs that could be levied against them) and soon the long roads between ancient capitals were creased with traffic. A new term came into vogue for those leaving the settlements for the Elklands, a term that conveyed the excitement of piercing the unknown: Upon departing the familiar lands of Equestria, travelers were said to be “Jumping off.”

With a desire to leave the sorrow of their loss behind them, and such bold stories coming from these wild travelers, one can sense how the gears of the imagination began to turn in the teenager’s minds. Enchanted by the stories they were hearing and “Anxious to see different countries” as the inquisitive Braeburn put it, the three Apple children resolved to seek their fortunes in the great migration to the West.