"Your ancestors! I remember seeing in books that the founders of Ponyville were a group of Earth Ponies known as the Apple Family."
Twilight Sparkle glanced at the apple cutie mark on her, feeling that they had indeed asked the right pony, and even her writing became much more fluid.
"You're absolutely right! My name is Applejack, and my family lives in Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville. Let me tell you, the apples in Sweet Apple Acres are definitely the biggest and most delicious apples in all of Equestria. If you're willing, you can come over and take a look; I'll treat you to apple juice!"
"Oh... thank you for your kindness, but we only have one day to do research in Ponyville, so we prefer to look around first."
Feeling Applejack's enthusiasm, especially when apple juice was mentioned, Sunset Shimmer's expression was unnatural for a moment, and then she quickly spoke to politely decline the generous invitation.
Aurora pursed her lips, suppressing the smile at the corner of her mouth. She knew what was wrong with Sunset Shimmer, because Sunset Shimmer didn't really like eating apples, especially apple-related beverages.
"May I ask why you left your hometown, and what prompted you to choose to return now?"
Twilight Sparkle asked.
Canterlot and Ponyville were just one station apart, and the three of them were among the few passengers on this train today, which led to the inference that Applejack had taken the train back to Ponyville from a much further place. Moreover, Applejack was traveling alone on a long-distance train, so it probably wasn't for tourism. Twilight Sparkle couldn't understand what reason would cause this pony, who had such a sense of belonging to her family history, to leave her hometown.
Hearing this question, Applejack's expression became awkward; clearly, she was a bit shy about mentioning this in front of strangers she had just met. However, this didn't mean it was a memory too difficult to speak of; on the contrary, for Applejack, it was perhaps an important decision that could change her life.
"As a farm girl born on a farm, I once got tired of dealing with mud all day. At that time, I yearned to go to the city and live a more elegant life, so I went to stay with Aunt Orange and Uncle Orange in Manhattan. I thought there would be more opportunities in the big city; maybe I would even get my cutie mark!"
Saying it this way wasn't actually wrong; Applejack, having returned after a tour of Manhattan, had indeed received her cutie mark, even though the meaning of her pony life wasn't in the big city.
"However, you found that you could never adapt to life in the big city, and at some point, you decided to return to your hometown."
In this regard, Aurora could more or less empathize with Applejack's feelings. Because her father's business was mainly in Manhattan, she had followed him there a few times when school was on break. She had compared the atmosphere of the two cities, Manhattan and Canterlot; because Canterlot was the territory of royalty and nobles, the rules were not only numerous but also conservative. By comparison, Manhattan was at least open.
"Big cities are like that; although prosperous, there are many inexplicable rules that make a pony gasp for air. Sometimes it's just not as simple and free as small-town life."
"Wow, you summarized that really well! It sounds like you don't have it easy usually."
Hearing this, Applejack had to take another look at Aurora. It was the first time she had heard such an evaluation from a city pony. Having acknowledged Aurora's statement, Applejack continued to elaborate on her mental journey during this period.
"I had never been as homesick as I was during that time. And just one morning a few days ago, I saw a scene that could be called a miracle—a rainbow suddenly appeared, and it was pointing in the direction of Ponyville! I suddenly realized everything at that moment! Even if I might not get my cutie mark, I had to go back to the farm because I belong there! Then I immediately packed my things and got on this train home..."
"Wait! You saw that rainbow too? Did you hear an explosion?"
Sunset Shimmer asked quickly.
"It seems... I did?"
Applejack's tone became uncertain, because her attention at that time was entirely on the rainbow and Ponyville, and some details were naturally ignored by her.
"So you saw that rainbow too?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Applejack realized she had asked a stupid question. If she could see that rainbow in Manhattan, the three ponies from Canterlot must have seen it even more clearly than she did.
"That's right! In fact, we came to Ponyville specifically to investigate that mysterious rainbow and explosion."
Twilight Sparkle nodded in agreement, and there was a bit more of a feeling of mutual sympathy in her eyes as she looked at Applejack. She believed that Applejack's cutie mark, like her own, had appeared after the rainbow and explosion occurred. Thinking that there was a pony who, at the same moment and because of the same thing, had found the direction of her life, Twilight Sparkle felt a strange emotion surging in her chest. At this moment, Twilight Sparkle had not yet realized that the pony in front of her would be her best friend for life.
"You know what? My cutie mark appeared at that time too!"
Hearing this, Applejack looked at Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark with some envy.
"Then congratulations; I think a cutie mark shouldn't appear on a pony who chooses to give up halfway."
"What...?"
Not only Twilight Sparkle, but even Sunset Shimmer and Aurora were baffled by Applejack's words. Surely Applejack hadn't realized she had already received her cutie mark? Although she felt this was a bit incredible, Twilight Sparkle thought she might be able to remind her to look back. But just as she was about to speak, her mouth was covered by Aurora beside her.
"Ponyville, arriving—!"
It was also exactly at this moment that the conductor pony's announcement came. Hearing this sound, Applejack immediately jumped up from her seat in excitement, because it meant she was home! If it weren't for wanting to say goodbye to the friends she had just met, she would have wanted to start sprinting all the way back to Sweet Apple Acres the moment the train conductor spoke.
"Sorry folks! I'm really glad I could chat with you on the train, but I have to go now; you surely can't imagine how much I want to go home right now!"
As Applejack spoke, her four hooves were already stepping in place, as if she were gathering energy to launch herself out at any moment.
"By the way, regarding that rainbow, if you discover anything, please remember to tell me about it too; it's my great benefactor! I live at Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville, and I'm never leaving again!"
After deftly finishing such a long string of words, Applejack ran off the train with a joyful face, and in the blink of an eye, she disappeared from sight.
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