Creaaaaaaaaak...
...thap!
The kitchen door to the farm slapped shut. Applejack trotted heavily into the kitchen, lugging her saddlebag full of things.
"Granny!" she called through the house. "I'm home!"
"Oh howdy there, Applejack!" a voice yodeled from the nearest room. "Home awfully late, ain'tcha?"
"Mighty sorry about that!" Applejack unhitched her saddlebag, breathed with relief, and began unloading baking supplies onto the kitchen counter. "I had to make a stop by Sugarcube Corner for baking supplies!"
"Ehh?" Granny Smith hobbled into the kitchen, squinting. "What for, now? Oh ponyfeathers..." She grimaced hard. "Did I forget Apple Bloom's birthday again?"
"Nothin' of the sort, Granny," Applejack said, opening the pantry and sliding bags of sugar into their respective places. "It's for the Annual Hoedown. I'm plannin' on bakin' some extra fritters to carry over."
"Ohhhhhhh... ehhh... hrmmm..." Granny Smith rubber her wrinkled chin. "Whose place exactly? The Whistlers?"
"No."
"The Proudhoofs?"
"No."
"The Smokey Vittles?"
"No—it's the Harvest family, Granny."
"Ah! Of course! Ol' Blue is havin' a barn dance again, eh?"
"Close. Golden Harvest and her kin."
Granny frowned. "Well, I was close, wasn't I?"
Applejack chuckled good-naturedly. "That you were, Granny. That you were."
Granny strolled over to examine the materials Applejack was setting in place. "Well, I think it's mighty-fine that you're bringin' with you some good neighborly spirit... what with a samplin' of the Apple Family's finest and all."
"Figured since we're the oldest ponyfolk to stake a claim on the land, then we gotsta show up with the finest bounty to these shindigs." Applejack tilted her hat back. "Ya reckon that's bein' a showoff or somethin'?"
"And so what if it is? Huh? Yer an Apple! So be an Apple!"
"Heheheheh..."
"When is it, exactly?"
"This weekend," Applejack explained. "Everypony in town is showin' up. Yer welcome to be there too, Granny."
"Ohhhhhhhh AJ..." Granny Smith hobbled towards the opposite end of the room, sighing. "I gotta save my strength for Apple Family get-togethers. I'm afraid I'm just not cut out for cuttin' a rug like I used to be."
"Awwwwww Granny! Dun say that! I'm sure they'd love to have you!"
"Harvest Family's barn, ya say?"
"That's right."
"... ... ...they grow carrots and pears, don't they?"
"Errr.... yup."
"Bah!" Granny waved a hoof. "Then I'll definitely pass!"
"Heheh... fair enough. Guess... uh..." Applejack swallowed, raising her head slightly in Granny's direction. "...guess I'll be goin' alone then."
A naked second later: "No you won't."
Applejack's ears twitched. She gulped. "I w-won't?"
"No!" Granny leaned her head back into the kitchen and winked. "You'll be bringin' Big Mac with ya, right?"
Applejack exhaled sharply. Seconds later, she bore an awkward, freckled smile. "Hah! Right! Big Mac!" Another exhale. "How could I be so silly...?"
"Dun ask me! Yer silly everyday!" Granny left the room. "Whelp, I'm off to lose me some weight! Dun ask how! Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!"
"Right... er... talk to you later, Granny..."
Applejack stood alone in the kitchen.
Eventually, after a limp minute or to, she began the long and arduous task of preparing dinner for four.