Sunshine’s ear flicked as the first rays of the sun washed over it. The little pony’s eyes slowly opened. Her first thought was panic. The sun was rising, but she was still in bed. She frantically felt for her horn before pausing, a small giggle escaping her lips. That’s right. I’m an earth pony right now. Luna is in charge of the sun. She sat up straight and placed her forelegs on the windowsill, a smile blossoming upon her muzzle as she watched the sun slowly rising. The beautiful colors mixed together to create this gift to Equestria. Sunshine lay her head on her forehooves. “Good job Lulu…”
Once the sun had risen past her view, she pulled back from the window and stretched her body out, a lock of pink falling into her eyes. Sunshine frowned and tried to move the bit of pink from her eyes with a pulse of magic, but stopped. “Th-that's right no magic…” She shook her head and brushed her hair out of the way with a hoof. “Gotta get used to that. Maybe I should pull it back like Applejack does?”
She walked over to the end table and carefully bit down on the drawer handle. She pulled back, causing the entire drawer to come out and land on top of her head, causing her to groan. She looked up to see Applebloom in the doorway, trying her hardest not to laugh.
“Are ya okay Pr-Sunshine?” the filly asked, walking in as Sunshine shook the drawer off of her head.
“Yes, I’m fine, not to worry. I was just planning to put my mane up like Applejack does. I remembered seeing a mane brush in this drawer before I went to sleep last night. And, well, I don’t think I know my own strength?” Sunshine smiled as she brushed the lock of pink hair away again.
“Well. Ah could help ya with that.” Applebloom shrugged at Sunshine, who nodded.
“If you could help me tame this mop of pink I would be forever thankful.” With that said, Sunshine sat down on her haunches. She watched as Applebloom attached the brush to her foreleg and carefully brushed all the tangles from her hair.
“Ya weren’t kidding about your mane being a mop! How’d you keep it all shimmery and floaty?” Applebloom asked as she struggled with a tough tangle, causing Sunshine to wince.
“Well, the easiest explanation is that the mane you are used to seeing me have is actually nothing more than a illusion.” Sunshine frowned, her left ear flicking. “In fact, to be completely honest? I try not to pay much attention to it. It annoys me to brush something that feels like not much more than air. Sometimes I get the feeling that I can remember brushing my mane and feeling the brush actually going through hair, even through tangles as it is now.” She shook her head softly. “But when I reach to remember more I lose it…”
Applebloom opened her mouth, but paused. Sunshine didn’t look like she really wanted to talk about the subject anymore. She looked… sad.
Sunshine turned left and right, smiling. Her pink mane was drawn back into a simple ponytail, much like her niece Cadance wore as a teenager. “Thank you, Applebloom. Hopefully it’ll only take a few days til I’m adept enough to do this myself.” Though with my luck… “Why don’t we head downstairs? I hope we haven’t missed breakfast.”
“Nah. Not yet you didn’t, but Mac sent me up here to make sure you both were at least awake.” Applejack took a casual glance at Sunshine and smiled. “Ponytail suits ya. It’s simple and friendly like.”
Sunshine smiled. “Thanks.” She blushed as a growl came from her belly. “Having to actually eat is a new experience for me. I apologize.”
Both Apples looked at each other and laughed. “Nah, don’t be sorry. That’s a normal noise to hear when you’ve just gotten up, after all. Come on down, we’re having toast and oatmeal.” Applejack shook her head as Applebloom took off running down the stairs.
Applejack then chuckled as Sunshine blinked. “Don’t mind her. She knows if she gets downstairs fast enough, she can convince Mac to put hot cinnamon apples in her oatmeal.”
Sunshine licked her lips. “That actually sounds really good. Do you think that Macintosh would make enough for me as well?”
Applejack turned and walked down the hall, glancing back to make certain that Sunshine was following after her. “Ah don’t see why not. Mac always appreciates being able to feed ponies good filling food. Come to think of it, the whole family feels like that.” She shook her head as both of them trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Sunshine took a seat at the table and smiled over at Big Mac. “Good morning, Macintosh. Applejack tells me that you often make cinnamon apple compote to add to Applebloom’s oatmeal. It sounds so delicious, might I request a small amount for myself as well?”
Big Mac swallowed hard as he nodded. “Eeyup.” Once again the large stallion was thankful for the fact that he was red. It made it hard to tell when he was blushing.
It didn’t take long for the four ponies to devour the simple breakfast Mac had prepared. Sunshine struggled for a moment, but managed to lift her napkin to her muzzle to politely dab the bits of apple juice that remained on her lips.
“That was wonderful, Macintosh. When I am myself again I must have you come to the palace to show my chefs how to prepare such wonderful food.” She beamed over at him as he gave a simple nod, a small smile showing on his muzzle.
“Thanks kindly, Pr-Sunshine. Be happy to do so if you’d like. I gotta get to work now, though.”
Sunshine blinked as the large stallion quickly headed out the door and was quickly out of sight. “My, he moves faster than I thought he would.”
Applejack chuckled. “Eeyup. You should see him when he really starts to move.”
Sunshine helped Applejack and Applebloom clean up the table, surprising herself by not dropping any of the dishes. It was almost as if she was starting to remember... something
“Ah’m outta here, big sis! I got a full day of crusading planned! Bye, Sunshine. Ah’ll see you at dinner. And don’t worry, none. Ah promise Ah won’t tell anypony who ya really are, not even Scoots or Sweetie.” Applebloom smiled up at Sunshine after tying her cape on.
Sunshine smiled and gave the filly a small nuzzle. “Thank you, Applebloom. Have fun, alright?”
Applebloom giggled as she leaned into Sunshine’s chest, enjoying the warmth that Sunshine seemed to exude. Connected to the sun or not, she's so warm! “Don’t gotta worry none ‘bout that. Bye!” And with that, Applejack and Sunshine were the only ones left in the kitchen.
“Well, then. What do we do now? I’m expecting Spike to stop by, but not until Twilight is awake. And depending on how long she was up last night…” Sunshine shrugged at Applejack, who shook her head and chuckled.
“Don’t gotta explain that filly’s sleeping habits to me none. In fact amazes me that she drags herself from bed before noon on the average day.” Applejack put the now-clean bowls to dry and smiled at Sunshine, who had the smallest blush coloring her cheeks.
“You think that is bad, Applejack? You should have seen her when she was still only a small filly. Determined to not let me down she’d force herself to stay up past midnight and then be up at just after dawn.” Sunshine shook her head with a small snort. “Once I found out she was doing this on an almost-daily basis, I enacted a very strict ‘Faithful Student bedtime’.” She grinned as she followed Applejack out onto the farm proper. “Maybe I should reinstate it as a new princess bedtime? After all, baby alicorns need their sleep.”
Applejack glanced back with an eyebrow raised. She saw Sunshine’s muzzle covered in a cheeky grin. “Ah think you might issue that just to see how much it would panic her that yer spying on her…”
“Who, me? I wouldn’t dream of it.” Sunshine giggled. “Seriously though, I’m always so impressed and proud of how put together Twilight is.” She shrugged. “Well, I guess I’ll finally get to see how she presents herself to normal ponies, hmm?” She walked beside Applejack until they reached a large line of apple trees. “Right, apple bucking. I almost forgot…”
“Ya forgot?” Applejack snickered as she picked up a basket, setting it just so she could enjoy the sight of Sunshine's tail bristling.
“I said almost… So how exactly does one buck a tree anyway? I...I mean I’ve certainly seen it done..but…” Sunshine trailed off as she lifted her head to take a good look at the tree in front of her. “I never thought to ask how it was done. I never thought it was important enough knowledge…” Her ears fell back until they were hidden within her mane.
“Hey, hey now you cheer up. That’s why you’re here now ain’t that right? To learn the things you thought weren't worth it?” Applejack gently placed a hoof under Sunshine’s chin. “Ah’ll teach you.”
Sunshine smiled as her ears slowly began to perk up. Maybe this won’t be as hard as I thought…
“Why!” buck “Won’t!” thwock “You!” whack “Fall!” crack Sunshine fell to the ground. Sweat dripped down her forehead. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead, and her breath was ragged as she glared up at the tree that had refused to release even one apple.
Applejack had been watching, a small smile on her muzzle as Sunshine had been determined to try by herself. She finally shook her head and walked over. “Hey now, cheer up. You did better than Twilight did the first time she tried after becoming an alicorn.”
Sunshine looked up, pushing her sweat-soaked bangs from her eyes. “R-really?” she panted out, desperately gulping down air.
“Absolutely. It took her less than twenty minutes before she gave up and used her magic to shake the tree.” Applejack snorted, covering her eyes with her hat at the memory. “Filly darn near ripped the tree out of the ground fore Ah could stop her. She swore off tree bucking after that.”
Sunshine had her hoof held to her muzzle. A small snorts escaped her muzzle as she tried to keep from laughing at her former student. It was useless, though, and both mares found themselves laughing at Twilight’s impatience.
Applejack wiped a tear from her eye. “Whooe. Ah haven’t laughed like that with another pony other than the girls in...Ah can’t actually say Ah remember… Come on, up ya get. Ah’m gonna teach you the Apple secret technique to Applebucking. Ya ready?”
Sunshine got to her hooves and nodded. She was so ready.
Applejack approached the tree and gently gave it a pat. “Come now, Fuji. Ah know ya was just trying to play fun, but this here is Sunshine’s first time apple bucking… So ya think you could give her a bit of a break?”
Sunshine blinked once, then twice, and shook her head. Okay… talk to the tree… why not, nothing I did worked… She walked back over to the tree and swallowed. “Uh do I just…?”
Applejack smiled and moved out of the way as Sunshine ran her right fore hoof up and down the tree’s trunk.
“Hi, there. My name is Sunshine Meadow. I’m going to be here helping on the farm for awhile… I hope you and I can get along… maybe even be friends?” Sunshine’s eyes widened as she felt Fuji’s trunk warm under her hoof. She smiled, laying her forehead against the trunk. “Friends then.” She pulled her forehead back and turned round. And with a now confident smile on her muzzle, she bucked the trunk with both hind legs. She heard the sound of many apples falling into the baskets A huge grin illuminated her face as she laughed joyfully before helping Applejack gather up the few apples that missed the basket.
“Thank you, Fuji!”