It all starts when the great Queen Celestia and her sister the equally great Princess Luna went away to take care of a great threat and they didn't know when they would return. And they were force to leave their nephew Prince Blueblood in charge of the kingdom. With that he began to recruit supporters including that of a sheriff name Gladmane. Together they were going to make sure that everyone knew Blueblood was in charge.
So they taxed the people in every neighboring town and in one town it was getting to be too much for one farm that grew and sold apples. When a couple of tax collectors had come to the farm that morning demanding they pay their taxes; Applejack wearing a simple brown dress and apron with her hair braided back, exclaimed, "We can't keep this up much longer! Pretty soon we'll run out of money before we even have a chance to harvest the apples and sell them at the market!"
Granny Smith wearing similar attire as her granddaughter expressed, "Darn right, especially since we need to put bread on the table to eat!"
Apple Bloom inquired in concern, "What happens if we do run out of money?"
Applejack bit her lip and replied, "I'm not sure, Apple Bloom… That good for nutin' Prince Blueblood keeps asking for more by the day that I'm pretty sure the entire town will go broke!"
Big Mac came in and said, "Eeyup."
As it were, things got worst over the next few weeks and the Apple family began to grow desperate.
Applejack quickly sought the help of her good friends: Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. She began to work odds and ends jobs for them in hopes they could spare a few coins. But like her the taxes had become too much for them but they were willing to help their friend regardless. Applejack then began her spend her days by tending to Fluttershy's animals, then she helped Rarity and the rest of local seamstresses by discarding scraps of clothing, then she would help Pinkie in the baker's shop. Then finally she would help Rainbow Dash repair rundown homes.
It was a little known fact that Rainbow Dash grew up in a blacksmith and her parents encouraged to defend herself even though she was female. And because of this, Rainbow taught Applejack the methods of self-defense and to swordfight. But there was one thing AJ knew by herself and that was archery, something her late father taught to her when she was young.
Applejack was helping make repairs to a door as she spotted Rainbow Dash using a small hammer on the nails. She inquired with a smirk, "Where did you get that?"
Dash looked at her with uncertainty, "Uh… from my house of course."
"That's good." then she lifted up the large makeshift hammer she had in her hand, and smugly said, "I made mine."
Rainbow rolled her eyes. That's what happens when one of your best friends was as physical and headstrong as you are. You end up competing against each other. She went back to work.
Once they were done for the day, they collected their payment though it wasn't much. When the two friends parted, Applejack went straight back home and placed the coins on the table to see how much she gathered from the week.
Granny saw this and sighed, "It's enough to put food on the table but it won't be enough to pay our taxes."
Applejack stood as she slammed her fist on the table and declared, "We can't just give up! Big Mac and I are working hard around town just so we can keep our farm afloat!"
Granny calmly replied, "But Applejack, you know you and your brother can't keep this up… We're going to have to make a plan in case the taxes get worst."
Applejack's eyes burn in anger, "But this is our home! Where will you have us go?!"
Granny pondered on it until her eyes lit up, "I know exactly where…" she started going out with a confused Applejack right behind her.
They were about to enter into the Everfree Forest that was close to their farm. Applejack stopped just before going in.
"You want us to go in there?! But that's the Everfree Forest!"
"Which is why it's perfect. This way no one could come after us because they'd be too scared!"
"For a good reason! You know this place is full of monsters that would rip you to shreds!"
Granny wagged her finger, "Ah, but I know a secret place in these here woods that won't cause us harm." she started moving forward with Applejack following hopelessly behind.
In moments, they came across a waterfall and Granny went behind it. Applejack lifted a brow until she went behind the waterfall and was in a small tunnel with a light at the end. Both grandmother and granddaughter came out of the cave causing Applejack to gasp. They were in a secluded area with a meadow and a pond. It was such a beautiful sight that she turned to her grandma to ask.
"Granny… How… How did you know that this was here?"
The elderly woman replied, "Why when I was about your age, I explored the forest and when I came across that there waterfall, I found it's secret entrance and this is what I found. I came here for a long time until my life got busy and I had to stop visiting."
"You were right, this is perfect…" she slowly walked around the place and gestured, "We can make this a nice living area with a couple of huts and a campfire to get the cooking done. Even having the pond here would be perfect for doing the laundry!" then she slightly frown and turned to Granny, "But this will only be used as a last resort. I still think we can keep the farm from going under."
"I don't want to lose our home anymore then you do, child, but I worry about ya overdoing it."
"It's going to be fine, Granny, you'll see."
But as days passed, the taxes kept on growing and growing. Applejack began to despair that when Granny took a nap and Apple Bloom played outside, she told her brother in confidence, "This… this not working, is it?"
Big Mac shook his head, "Nope."
She yelled out, "That no good, lowdown varmint! He's put us and everyone else to the point of ruin!" she held her face as the tears came down and softly uttered, "We promised our parents that we would never let anything happen to this place…"
Her brother wrapped his arms around her and gently said, "They wouldn't have seen this coming… If anything, I think they would want us to cut our losses and move on to a better place, away from tyrants like Prince Blueblood."
"No!" she moved out of his grip, "Our family has lived here for a few generations now. We grew up here and all our friends are here. Starting over somewhere else is… unthinkable… You know I'm right, big brother."
Big Mac gave a heavy sigh, "Eeyup."
Applejack looked out a window and she could remember a time when things were simpler and happier. She had just turned seventeen and she was playing with her friends; Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie as they were the same age as her and that included an old friend of theirs. Twilight Sparkle was a lady of noble birth but she was just as down to earth as the rest of them and the same could be said for her adoptive brother, Spike who was thirteen at the time.
Spike was also a squire for Twilight's brother, Sir Shining Armor as he and his father before him were knights that watched over the royal sisters' lands. But Twilight and Spike had their own estate to live in whenever Shining Armor was called away.
It was a good life for all of them. Their friendship had grew stronger with each passing day and Applejack remembered the time she saved Spike from some wolves and he insisted how he needed to perform his Code of Honor in order to pay her back no matter how much she protested. But in the end, things turned out okay once he had to save her from a wolf that was more vicious than any other wolf they've encountered. They both agreed from that day forward that they would just help each other as the friends they were.
But one day, Shining Armor married Princess Cadence and Twilight and Spike were force to move to Canterlot and be part of the royal court. And the girls had not heard from them since.
Applejack thought, I'm sure life is going better for them then it is for us…
Spike walked down the castle hallway with his long and strong legs that it was hard to imagine he used to be so young and short when he first came here. While he was on the skinny side his chest was fit and hard. Hanging from his neck was a golden crest with a dragon on it. No longer was he a lad of thirteen but a man of eighteen. Thanks to the training he received as a squire, Shining Armor got Celestia to knight him so now he was Sir Spike of Canterlot.
He approached a door and knocked on it, while calling out, "Twilight! The prince's banquet is about to start soon, we better get down there!"
A voice called back, "All right! I'm coming!"
He asked, "Can I at least come in?"
She replied, "You may."
He went into the room to see Twilight at her table, reading.
Spike voiced in concern, "I hope you're not doing that in front of the other nobles, because you know what they say about women reading…"
Twilight put the book down and stood up to face her brother, "Yes, I'm quite aware what they would say. Like how it's wrong for a woman to read all because it gives them ideas, well they can think of me whatever they like. I won't change myself for something I never wanted in the first place."
Spike sighed, "You know we had no choice but to move… Shining Armor was in love with Cadence and Cadence was a princess so we had to live with them. Our parents were already dead so Shining Armor was the only one who could provide for us…"
Twilight sighed herself, "Sad but true…" then she frowned, "You would think because we have a female ruler, women would be treated better and would be able to take of themselves without grief. But Queen Celestia knows bringing that kind of change would disrupt and anger people."
Spike nodded sadly. He was no fool when it came to how strong females could be. Why when he was growing up all his best friends were female! He could never underestimate them unlike the rest of the world. He thought about those good old days as they were playing around town. He recalled how smitten he was with Rarity but as he was now older and wiser he realized that Rarity wasn't interested in him that way and his infatuation for her had died in these last five years.
Twilight cleared her throat and straightened out her silk lavender dress, "Well, we best get to the banquet, or else the prince will have a fit."
Spike rolled his eyes, "When hasn't he?"
Twilight giggled, "Since never…"
He chuckled and offered his arm. She took it and they went out.
The banquet room was full of nobles with the royals at the head table. Cadence and Shining Armor sat next to Blueblood with Sheriff Gladmane beside him and Twilight and Spike sat right by Shining Armor. Minstrels played on the side as the gentry chatted and laughed.
Blueblood inquired to his sheriff, "And how has the taxes been going?"
Gladmane responded with a tsk, "I regret to say, my prince, that the peasants have been falling behind on their payments and we have been force to lock them away."
Cadence, Shining, Twilight, and Spike exchanged a look with Cadence inquiring, "Just why are they falling behind exactly?"
Blueblood sneered, "It does not matter. What matters is that the commoners get what they deserve for not paying the proper amount of taxes."
Twilight asked, "Just what is the amount of the taxes?"
Blueblood scowled, "I do not answer to females especially to ones that have no royal blood…"
Spike barred his teeth and felt himself getting up as he wanted to challenge the prince to a duel this very second but when he saw both Twilight and Shining Armor shaking their heads he sat back down but was still very cross at the Prince's insult to his sister.
Shining Armor addressed the pompous prince, "Then perhaps you'll answer to me. What is the amount of the taxes?"
Blueblood scoffed, "Just a mere 100 bits."
The quartet next to him gaped with Cadence shouting, "100 bits! Aunt Celestia has never charged that much on our people!"
Blueblood haughtily replied, "Well as you can see, I am not Celestia. And if you'll recall, she and Aunt Luna left me in charge, did they not?"
Cadence frowned at his words but didn't argue back.
Twilight spoke out instead, "But what you are doing is not right! You can't just suddenly tax the people just for your pleasure!"
Blueblood glared, "One more word out of you, Maid Twilight and you'll sleep in the tower tonight!"
As much as she disliked doing it, she kept her mouth shut but at least Spike gave her a reassuring squeeze of her hand underneath the table.
Blueblood turned back to his sheriff and said, "Now, you were saying?"
"I know of a particular farm near the Everfree Forest that is paying less and less by the week. I am going to go over there personally within the next couple days and Lord Trenderhoof will be accompanying me as he always told me he wanted to own a farm."
The prince smiled, "Good, very good. And the original owner of the farm with be arrested on the spot, right?"
Gladmane nodded, "But of course."
Cadence firmly stated, "Surely there's a better solution for the farmer to pay his taxes. The farmers already have it hard enough what with their entire income relying solely on their crops."
"The law is the law, cousin. And as I am the law, I say this farmer must pay for his debt."
Cadence and Shining exchanged a worried look.
When the banquet was done, Twilight and Spike met in Shining Armor and Cadence's chambers going over what Blueblood has done to their kingdom.
Shining declared, "His arrogance is making the people oppressed."
Cadence proclaimed, "I know Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna would not have wanted this to happen."
Spike inquired, "Why did they even leave him in charge anyway?"
Twilight answered, "Because he is third in line to the throne and has the special privilege of ruling whenever the sisters are away. You know that."
Spike blushed and rubbed his neck, "Ah… right…"
Shining motioned, "Well, special privilege or not, he can't keep doing this. So… there's only one thing to do…" he looked at Cadence.
She nodded and replied, "We're going to find Celestia and Luna and bring them back here."
Spike beamed, "Great! I'll start packing!" he was about to leave when Shining called out.
"Whoa! Not you Spike!"
The young knight skidded to a halt and looked back at his once mentor, "But why?"
"Celestia and Luna went on a perilous quest to make sure our kingdom was safe from invaders so it could be days before we find them! Which is why, Cadence and I are taking this journey while you two stay here and keep an eye on the royal pain."
Cadence added, "And to help anyone in case Blueblood overdoes it."
Twilight nodded in agreement, "That's a good idea."
Spike nodded too with him saying, "As a knight of her royal highness, Queen Celestia, I will not shirk from my duty." he bowed.
Shining beamed proudly as he said, "I leave my sister and the kingdom in your hands… Brother…"
Spike smiled back at those words.