//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Sunflower Fields 
// by StarrySeeker 
//------------------------------//

Applejack sighed as she brushed the dirt from her jeans. The sky above her was beginning to fade from baby blue to an orange color as the sun began its slow descent below the horizon. Today, like any other day, she'd spent most of her time working on the farm after arriving home from school. Even after dinner, she found herself back outside to finish the last of her chores. Normally she'd been able to do it all before dinner, but she found her body moving slower than usual today. Applejack's arms stretched above her head and she arched her back with a small moan as she walked up to the porch. She smiled, finding Apple Bloom sitting out waiting for her. She sat down on the top step while her younger sister swayed slowly in granny's rocking chair.

"You left before dessert." The younger commented, "I saved you a piece of pie."

"Thanks, Apple Bloom." Applejack stood up after slipping her dirty work boots off and leaving them by the door. "You better come on in soon, don't stay out here too late. Did you do your homework?"

"Yup, it all done." Apple Bloom got up, "I'm gonna wait for Big Mac to come back though. He ran to the store for granny." Applejack nodded with a small smile before heading inside. She stepped into the kitchen to find the small piece of apple pie her sister had left out for her. She smiled and sat down to eat it. She took a break between bites to tilt her head to the side and massage the side of her neck. She was awfully sore today, she supposed clearing all those boxes out of the attack had been a bit harder than it had seemed yesterday. She glanced out the open window for a moment, her emerald eyes catching on the fading sky. She got up quickly, if she didn't hurry up it'd be dark before she knew it. Applejack ran up to her room to grab a change of clothing and head to take a quick shower.

Despite the hot water feeling amazing on her sore muscles, Applejack refrained from staying in too long. She brushed out her hair gently as it had grown a bit tangled with sweat from working outside for so long. It didn't help that she'd thrown it up in a messy bun without much care for it earlier. She left her damp locks down and changed into a simple tank top and shorts. She grabbed her hat before heading back downstairs. She slipped her running shoes on and outside through the back. She looked up at the sky, spotting oranges and light pinks overtaking it. She smiled at the pretty sight and made her way through the yard. Winona barked a few times, getting up from where she'd been lazing around by the pig pen and chasing after the teen. Applejack jogged down the dirt road, her shoes scraping against the dirt and pebbles while Winona scampered next to her, her paws picking up dust. Applejack bent down to grab a stick, throwing it ahead for Winona. She smiled at the sigh and moved to put her hat on as the setting sun reflected in her eyes.

She walked a good distance before she the sight of green and yellow fields overtook her vision. A small wood fence surrounded it, though it was old, run down, and only about as high as her waist. Winona ran right under the fence when she climbed over it with ease. Applejack had known about these sunflower fields since she was a little girl as the family farm was only a few miles up the road from it. She had vivid memories of playing here as a child with Big Mac and even stronger memories of when her parents would take her on walks through it. After their deaths they'd stopped going as a family, it just kind of slipped their minds as grief for their late parents took over for a while and work on the farm and school grew more time-consuming. However, recently Applejack found herself coming back around. Just a few times the past few months, she supposed it was just nostalgia as her parents anniversary of death was coming up.

Applejack wiped the sweat beading up on her forehead away as the hot summer air seemed to stick to her. She shoved her hands into her pockets as she walked down the thin path between the wild arrays of sunflowers. Winona ran ahead of her playing, while Applejack was slower to make her way through. Her hair was beginning to dry but stuck around her neck and shoulders. The sky was fading slightly, but it's ribbons of orange, pink, and gold remained strewn about the thin, white clouds. Applejack came across a small clearing. It sat at the top of a hill within the fields. There was a bench, a small picnic table sitting at the edge and looking over another large stretch of field. She pulled her hat off as a cool breeze ran through, the leaves in nearby trees rustling lightly along with the flowers. She felt a bit of melancholy from just being here and thinking about the memories here with her family in the past. She let her hat sit beside her as she leaned back in the bench with a smile, closing her eyes and listening to Winona run around.

Her peace was interrupted a few minutes into her quiet time on the hill. The rustling of sunflowers drew her attention to the right and Winona had stood in alert as well. "Uh, is somebody there?" Applejack asked, sitting up before standing completely. Her head tipped to the side when she noticed a soft stand of pink hair sitting against the flowers green and yellow appearance. She noticed a pair of white sandals slowly inching away. "Someone there?" She asked once more.

"Uhm...no…" An unexpected soft and timid voice replied.