Luna’s moon was just beginning its descent beyond the horizon when Applejack opened the front door of her farm house. The pre-dawn air was cool against her orange coat as the familiar scents of her farm filled her nostrils. As her eyes scanned over her family’s orchards she could see the drops of dew that clung to the leaves of her apple trees, sparking with the last of the moons light.
Off in the distance she could see two figures trotting up the path that lead to her home, one short and the other tall. The short one pulled a little cart behind him, filled with copies of the morning paper.
“Good morn’in Shady Daze,” Applejack greeted the colt before looking over to his father, “and to you too Mr. Daze.”
“Good morning Miss Applejack,” the colt replied while his still half asleep parent gave a friendly nod back.
The powdery blue colt slid out from his harness and turned back to the cart. With expert precision the young earth pony slipped the tip of his muzzle under one of the rolled up papers and flipped it into the air to land atop his head. He then trotted up to Applejack who took the paper with one of her hooves.
“Thank ya kindly,” she said with a smile.
“You’re welcome,” the colt said as he crawled back into the cart’s harness. “Have a good day!”
“You too,” she waved, as they turned around and headed back down the path, “both ya’all.”
After steeping back over the threshold and closing the door behind her, Applejack unrolled the paper to read the mornings headline.
‘Changeling Spy discovered among student body of Princesses School of Friendship, Six guards go missing after pursuit.’
“Oh boy,” muttered the mare, “Twilight’s gonna be busier than a stump full a termites ta’day.”
The sound of little hooves coming down the stairs caused Applejack’s ears to perk up and she glanced away from the article to see her little sister.
“Are ya really gonna let that guard use Winona to track changelings?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Well, if’in Winona can help find Sandbar an’ any other missin ponies, then we have ta give it a go,” the farm pony said.
“But what if she gets hurt?!” the filly cried out, continuing to express her concern from the afternoon before; after she had given Applejack a note from the guards who requested to borrow their collie.
“Apple Bloom, keep yer voice down or ya’ll wake granny,” Applejack scolded, “and ya can quit your worrin’in because I’m gonna insist to go along with them guards an make sure Winona don’t get put in no danger.”
“But what if ya get hurt?!” Apple Bloom whispered loudly.
“Ah can handle ma self against them creepy crawlers,” the orange mare assured the filly.
“But ya got captured by um both times ya fought them already,” the filly reminded her.
“Cut it out with all them buts, Apple Bloom,” snorted Applejack before letting out a sigh. “Look now, it means a lot ta me that ya care so much about me an Winona’s safety, but sometimes a pony just got’ta get in the pig pen an get a little muddy.”
“Ah know, but I don’t want ta see anythin ta happen ya,” muttered the little yellow filly.
Applejack walked up to her sister, sat down next to her and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.
“Apple Bloom,” she said, “ah won’t let myself or Winona get in trouble none, ah pinkie promise.”
Celestia’s sun was only just beginning its eastern ascent when Private Coldsteel and Blaze entered the command tent. Lieutenant Silverspark, with his helmet off and extremely unhappy, stood behind a long wooden table that was opposite the door. Right now, with how angry he was, he needed that table to be between him and the two stallions.
Both guards stood at attention but showed signs of being nervous, with their ears drawn back and jaws tightening. Private Blaze, even with his enchanted armor on, now sported a dark green stain around his eyes which reminded Silverspark of a raccoon’s mask.
“Before I begin,” the lieutenant said, keeping his tone even, “I need to know if you two have had any medical procedures recently.”
Blaze blinked owlishly and risked a confused glance at Coldsteel who only clenched his jaw a little tighter while keeping his head facing forward.
“No? Then could one of you explain to me how the contents of your skulls ended up in your backsides?!” roared the unicorn while slamming his front hooves hard on the table’s surface and causing the two stallions to flinch. “Because any pony with half a brain in their heads wouldn’t have screwed up as badly as you two!”
“Sir,” Blaze began.
“Private Blaze,” Silverspark snapped, interrupting the other unicorn. “I want you to remind me of the instructions I gave your team yesterday.”
“To go around Ponyville and record any information the townsfolk have concerning changeling sightings,” Blaze answered.
“Really?” the lieutenant said in mock surprise, “Private Coldsteel, when did I say you could interrogate anypony?”
“You didn’t sir,” the private answered and then swallowed the lump building up in his throat.
“Did I instruct anypony to give pursuit if they ran into a changeling?” Silverspark asked while walking around the side of the table.
“No sir,” said Blaze.
“So you all decided to incorporate your own plans into the orders I gave?” the lieutenant asked, stopping inches away from the two.
“Sir it wasn’t,” began Blaze before getting cut off.
“No, I don’t want to hear any excuses!” shouted Silverspark, sending spittle into Blaze’s face. “If you had followed your instructions then six of your fellow guards wouldn’t be missing! Missing and presumed captured!”
The unicorn stallion took in a long breath, pushed back his indigo mane and looked from one guard to the other with his intense azure eyes. He was just waiting for one of them to try and say another word.
“And yes, I know you didn’t tell Private Spring to chase after the changeling, nor did you tell sergeant Shield and her team to assist.” the lieutenant continued, “but none of that would have happen if you just recorded information like you were told. Am I wrong?”
“No sir,” both guards said.
“Until I can decide what to do with you two,” Silverspark said, turning away from the two and walking back around the table, “I’m assigning you both to guard the camp. I trust you can keep the local foals from going through our equipment, or am I being too optimistic?”
“No sir,” they answered.
“Good, but first I want you both to fill up twelve sandbags each, with tea spoons and without magic. Once that’s done, go see Sargent Cyclone,” said Silverspark with a dismissive wave of his hoof. “Now get out.”
Just after the disciplined stallions left, Private Daydream poked her head in the tent.
“Sir, a Miss Applejack is here to see you,” the mare reported.
“Good, please send her in,” said Silverspark.
Into the tent trotted an orange earth pony mare with a long blond mane that she had tied back into a ponytail. Walking alongside her was the same collie from yesterday, happily wagging its tail as she looked around the tent.
“Thank you for answering my request Miss Applejack,” the unicorn said, “it’s nice to meet you.”
“Mah pleasure Mr. Silverspark,” said the mare, “but just Applejack will do. Don’t need no fancy titles.”
“Applejack it is,” Silverspark said with a nod, “and you can call me Platinum if you wish. Now, I trust your sister passed along the scroll I gave her detailing the idea to use Winona in an attempt to track the movement of the changelings?”
“She did,” Applejack answered, “and while ah want ta help in anyway ah can, there are a few conditions ah need before ah agree.”
“Very well,” said Silverspark, politely motioning for her to continue.
“First, ah don’t want Winona gettin hurt,” Applejack said, “she’s been a part of our family for a long time an ah take care of family.”
“Understandable,” the lieutenant acknowledged, “and as of right now I just want to see if Winona can point us in the right direction. We don’t want to engage in any fights with the changelings, we only want to locate where they are hiding out.”
“Second, ah want to go along,” the mare paused, maybe expecting Silverspark to argue with her but when he didn’t say anything she continued. “Ah trained Winona since she was a pup and she’ll listen best ta me.”
Silverspark pushed his front hooves together in thought for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. He of course knew Applejack was an Element of Harmony and had help save Equestria many times over, but she was still a civilian.
“If those are your stipulations,” he said and held out a hoof, “then I’ll have to accept them.”
Applejack reached across the table and placed her hoof against his own, knocking them together in agreement.