Applejack woke with the cock's crow. "Cock-a-doodle-doo yourself, you mangy bird. I'm up, I'm up!"

She rolled out of bed. It was going to be a long day and she needed to start it now. The hard cider she'd been drinking had probably been a mistake, no help for it now. Big Mac was bucking the south orchard granny smiths. She had to tend to the northern orchard braeburns. She hitched herself to the cartload full of bushel baskets and started north.

The first tree she stopped at looked a mite peaked. She laid an ear to the bark and tapped. "C'mon there Burnsy, perk up. We'll get you bucked in no time."

The tree seemed to straighten a bit, as if hearing her encouragement. The leaves seemed a bit greener. She nodded in satisfaction, then turned around and gave the trunk a swift and precise kick.

The apples all fell perfectly into the baskets below. All except one.

She stared at the stubborn fruit. "Dagnabbit you get down here!" She gave the tree another kick.

The leaves shook but the fruit remained. It looked ripe, it just refused to fall. "Stubborn eh?" She stared at the fruit, wishing she could will it down. Then watched in panic as it was surrounded by a gentle orange glow and fell into the basket below.

"What in tarnation?" She glanced about. That was magic just now, no doubt about it, but she didn't see no unicorns around. She entertained the thought of somepony playing a prank on her, but her two unicorn friends just weren't the type.

"Twilight? Rarity? Either of you two 'round sugarcubes?" She only heard the gentle sounds of the farm; birds in the trees, cattle in the distance.

She shrugged. She had trees to buck and daylight was wasting. Celestia may be a friend, but she sure didn't play favorites when it came to hours in the day.

She kept up the labor, the work was intense, it had her sweating. Strangely she didn't seem as tired as she would have expected. She’d just finished the last tree when she heard Applebloom's voice greeting her.

"Sis! Ah'm home! Hows the bucking going?"

"S'fine Applebloom, how was school?"

"Boring! Cheerilee got mad when I started drawing during her lecture."

Applejack snorted "You be more respectful 'bloom, Cheerilee tries her darndest to keep you foals interested, least ya can do is pay attention."

"Ah know sis Ah know. Say you been helping Twilight with her spell experiments again?"

"Why you ask 'Bloom?"

"Sis, you looked in a mirror today? You got wings again and you got a horn too this time! "

"Say what now?" Applejack felt her forehead, and sure enough, there was a unicorn horn; poking out just under her hat. She looked at her back and saw orange wings folded to her sides. Not Dash's this time then. The horn was new too. What in the hay had she been up to to account for this?

She considered herself a pretty observant pony, but she was pretty sure those wings hadn't been there when she hitched herself to the apple cart. Still, there they were, big as life. Last time this happened was because of a few too many cups of moonshine. She never should have let Twilight talk her into that second sleepover. Rarity bowed out, something about needing to work on a rush order. Dash was invited, but Dash had some damned fool ideas. One thing lead to another and well, drunken unicorn and all. She had a brand new pair of blue wings on her back in the morning, and a mighty upset Dash on her hooves the following day. They found Twi in Canterlot. Celestia made Applejack swear to keep Twi off the sauce in her presence in the future. She had readily agreed, the moon is not a fun place to be sent to.

"Well Ah'll be... Twilight I dunno how yet, but I just know this is yer fault. 'Bloom you head to the house and mind Granny a bit. I gotta go talk to Miss Sparkle."

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Applejack arrived at the library, she knocked but there was no answer. She looked at the door in annoyance, durned things were such a pain to open with yer mouth. Orange light surrounded the door and it opened. "What?" She looked around in consternation. Nopony was in the library, and it was in shambles! A huge hole was in the floor, which allowed Applejack to see some complicated machinery in the basement. Several of the bookshelves were missing, and one was split in two as if an Ursa had not quite finished a snack. Why an Ursa would be in the library snacking on books was anypony's guess. So, big hole in the floor, things broken, and no sign of Sparkle anywhere. Yep, she's been up to something big again.

She glanced around, looking for any clue to her friend's whereabouts. She spotted an open scroll on the floor. She didn't normally cotton to reading other pony's mail but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"My Faithful Student,

Of course, you are always welcome to come and speak with me. Your letter confused me however, you say you've grown more legs? How on earth did this happen? I told you no more drinking until you learn your limits! Let me send a carriage, and we can discuss the matter in face to face when you arrive.

Your Concerned Teacher,

Princess Celestia"

"Dangit Twilight, what in tarnation have you been doing? I need answers here and yer off with the princess after blowing a hole in your danged home!" Applejack snorted, she wished she could see the princess and Twilight to give them both a piece of her mind right now.

There was a bright orange flash.

The next thing Applejack saw was Luna, Celestia, Twilight, and Spike. They were gathered around a table talking about something.

"Twilight what in the hay is going on? Why do you have wings, why do I have wings and a horn? How the hay did I just get here?"

Twilight giggled a bit at Applejack's expression, "Applejack it's good to see you, sit down, Luna has a story to tell you." She was giggling, she had been hitting the sauce again hadn't she?

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"So we're sure this ain't just some drunken unicorn shenanigans again?"

Twilight huffed, "I said I was sorry about that! Will everypony please get off my back? I've barely touched a drop since the sleepover!"

"Awright, but I still think yer pulling my leg! I mean, how the hay does something like this just up and happen one day?"

Twilight nodded in sympathy. "We're not quite sure yet Applejack, the only connection we have to point to is the Elements of Harmony."

"Yeah, about that, yer telling me the necklace you had me wearing is a dead pony?"

Luna quickly responded, "Not at all Applejack, Blueberry is very much alive, as are the rest. They have become the living embodiment of their purest virtue. You were granted her power because you best embody her element, Blueberry was as honest as the day was long and a true master of all things green and leafy!"

"Ah see, and somehow wearing this necklace made me grow wings and a horn?"

"Well... we aren't sure yet. It's the only lead we have. After the Elements were created from our friends during the war with Discord only Celestia and I ever used them. Obviously being Alicorns ourselves we would not have been physically changed, perhaps the Elements having bound themselves to you, are changing you to a form capable of using their full potential."

"Yeah... but... how you keep calling em yer friends when you trapped em in a rock? I mean I understand why you did it to Luna-" Luna blushed but said nothing "-but what happened that these friends of yours had to be put into a piece of jewelery, and did it without a fuss?"

Celestia spoke up here. "I believe this calls for story time again. Gather round my little ponies, and dragon-" Spike had shot her a look, then smiled, mollified. "Celestia is going to tell you the tale of the war of the Alicorns vs Discord."