A white-hot bolt of lightning tore across the darkened sky, casting silver light upon the bloated clouds before fading into nothingness. As was the nature of thunderstorms, similar streaks followed to continue the cycle from there on out, albeit in different locations all over Ponyville. Thunder boomed after each faded light—startling ponies and animals alike.
Rainbow Dash was no such pony. Electricity showed mercy to no one, but she was a pro. Zooming, twirling, and twisting out of the reach of every stray bolt that dared attempt to touch her, she fought her way through the heavy downpour. When she finally spotted the Golden Oaks Library, she swooped down and landed dead-center on the “Welcome” mat.
“Yo!” she called as she let herself inside. “Spike! Twilight!”
A voice from upstairs, clearly Spike's, answered, “Rainbow, is that you?”
“Yeah!” She shook the rain from her wings. “Get down here, would ya? I have to talk to you and—”
A burst of magic popped nearby, which revealed the other friend she sought.
“—Twilight!”
The unicorn automatically looked at her. “Rainbow?” She looked down at the pegasus's hooves, where a puddle of water grew with every drop fallen from Rainbow's fur and feathers. She sighed. The water was gone as soon as she lit up her horn. It was, after all, easier to teleport the water outside where it belonged than it was to expect any sort of courtesy from Rainbow.
Not taking her eyes off her friend, Twilight set her saddlebags aside. “So, what's up?” she questioned. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Spike descend the stairs.
Rainbow eyed the saddlebags for a moment. “I just came here from the Boutique,” she said. “I'm spreading the word we need to gather at Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow.”
“Oh, no, did something happen?”
“Nah, but the storm's done a good number on the orchards. I can't imagine what they'll look like in the morning, so Applejack will need the extra hooves to help her and her family clean 'em up.”
Twilight nodded. “We'll be there. Right, Spike?”
“Yup!”
Rainbow pumped a hoof. “All right!” She spun around to face the door, which she threw open without care. “See you tomorrow, then! Gotta dash—” Her nose squished against something soft. Another nose, she guessed. A quick glance forward confirmed it, and revealed its owner at the same time. She leaped away from the stallion. “Uh, what are you doing here?” she asked.
Flash hesitantly entered. “Oh, hello.” He tipped his hat. “Officer Flash Sentry at your service. I'm just checking in on Twilight Sparkle and Spike.”
She looked back at her friends. The unicorn gave her a self-conscious smile, while her assistant merely shrugged. It was fine. Of course, Rainbow already knew everything was one the up-and-up. Having lived in Ponyville a good chunk of her life, as well as the sole bearer of the “pesky and reckless daredevil” label (which totally wasn't her fault, by the way), she knew the local law enforcement almost as well as she knew the weather factory.
She stepped aside—allowing the other pegasus to pass. “A'ight, I'm out,” she announced one last time. She flashed a grin and a salute before she jumped into the storm. She was on a personal race against the clock to reach Fluttershy's cottage before the sunset. She knew darn well if night fell while she was there, she wasn't leaving, as per Fluttershy's protective nature.
Rainbow wouldn't have minded it at all, if not for that rascally rabbit of hers.
As promised, the unruly weather dissipated halfway through the night. Applejack, kept awake by both worry and the thunderous commotion, grasped a nuance of respite once the night was finally silent. But, without the rain, the mare was left alone with her plaguing concerns.
She somehow managed to fall asleep, though she didn't know when. It didn't feel like a long slumber, however, as the next thing she knew was the blaring ring of her alarm clock. Plucked her from a rather pleasant, albeit short dream, she groaned and shot a glare at the lock before she promptly silenced it with a single stern hit from her hoof.
She ruffled her mane, yawning. She could already smell breakfast waiting for her. Of course, the warm scent of pancakes and hashbrowns gave her all the motivation she needed to hop out of bed. After she took a minute to tidy herself up, she donned her hat and she made her way down to the kitchen. “Mornin', y'all!” she sang.
“Mornin'!” echoed Applebloom and Big Macintosh.
Granny Smith waved towards the empty chair at the opposite end of the table. “Sit down and eat up, girl,” she said. “Y'all got a long day ahead of ya.”
Applejack did as ordered, despite the anxiety creeping up on her. As she piled her plate high with pancakes, she asked, “Did ya get a chance to look outside, Mac?”
The stallion glanced at her—chewing a mouthful of food. He swallowed. “Yup.”
She inhaled. “Is the barn still standin'?”
“Yup.”
She exhaled, relieved. “Good, good.” She reached for the syrup. “Did ya see any downed trees?”
“Nope.”
“Couldn't see any from the front porch, at least,” chimed Granny Smith, shaking her head.
Applebloom frowned. “There's a bunch'a branches down, though. I saw 'em.”
“Better branches than whole trees,” Applejack quickly retorted. Although, as a quick afterthought, she had little to fear when it came to the younger trees. They more durable in that regard. They had the magic to take a beating and they tended to bounce back from damage fairly quickly.
It was the older trees, some of which dated back to the founding of Ponyville, for which Applejack feared.
The northern stretch of the orchard was full of them, and their apples were used to make the family's best batch of cider: Sweet Apple Acres Premium Cider. It raked in almost as many bits as their treasured zap apple jam. They never had to fear for the zap apple trees, however. Those trees were almost pure magic and they were as close to indestructible as a tree could get. However, the zap apples themselves were unpredictable and infrequent—appearing only when heralded by a specific series of events.
The old trees' fruit came around only once a year, but it was consistent. Their apples ripened near the end of summer, so there was plenty of time to make them into Premium before Cider Season demanded their full attention. But, Premium wasn't made for Cider Season. It was left in the cellar to ferment—normally until Hearths Warming. They had a list of buyers, which included what few eateries existed in town and, of course, whatever was left was claimed by Filthy and Spoiled Rich.
Applejack sighed as she carried her plate to the kitchen sink. If the storm saw fit to take one or two of them, there was nothing anypony could do about it. It was, after all, an unfortunate truth frailty accompanied age. They had only the magic to continue bearing fruit, but that was all. They weren't saplings anymore, and they hadn't been in decades. They just didn't have the magic in them to survive the wounds that were mere inconveniences to their younger brothers and sisters.
Not even Twilight could breathe magic back into a doomed tree.
A shout from outside drew Applejack's attention to the front door. It sounded like Rainbow Dash. That means the girls are here!
Granny Smith followed her gaze, then she looked at her grandchildren with a smile. “Y'all go on ahead,” she said. “I'll take care of the dishes.”
The Apple siblings voiced their gratitude on their way out the door. To Applejack's joy, all her friends had arrived. “Oh, thank Celestia,” she breathed. “Y'all have no idea how happy I am to see y'all!”
“Yup,” hummed Big Mac.
Rainbow Dash, who hovered in the air above the others, crossed her front legs as a prideful smile blossomed on her face. “Like we'd ever leave you hanging,” she said.
Rarity chuckled. “Agreed. We weren't about to let you three clean up this horrid mess by yourselves.”
Fluttershy interjected, “No offense to Granny Smith, of course!”
“It's a 'help the Apples clean up their farm' kind of day!” sang Pinkie Pie. She proceeded to bounce cheerfully among the group, until purple-colored magic stopped her.
“Just tell us where you need us,” said Twilight, earning an agreeing nod from Spike.
Applejack already felt her stress melt away—replaced with a glowing appreciation and determination. “Thank ya, girls. Really.” Smiling, she puffed out her chest. “Alrighty, then! Here's how we're gonna go about this...”
She kept her instructions simple as she led everypony to the northern orchard. Twilight and Rarity were to repair loose branches, while the rest of them gathered fallen apples and debris. They had compost barrels for the former, and Applejack was confident she and Big Mac could find a use for whatever limbs were too far gone to reattach to the trees.
They would take it one orchard at a time and, hopefully, it would take no more than an hour or two!
No wonder Applejack needed our help...
Rarity hummed softly to herself as she realigned a severely-bent branch. Their mission through the orchards was a fruitful endeavor. That brutish storm roughed up the trees, yet it didn't break them. Still, even though she was no farmer, even she empathized with Applejack's frustration in how many apples were lost. Even now, in the final stretch of trees on the southern end of the farm, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were gathering pile after pile of the spoiled red fruits.
Out of the corner of her eye, Rarity observed Applejack's displeased scowl. “Goodness gracious!” she snapped. She looked ready to tear off her hat and throw it to the ground. “Look at 'em all! Hundreds of apples, gone to waste!”
Big Macintosh gently patted her shoulder. “Now, now... It ain't all bad.”
Rarity seized her chance to say, “He's right, Applejack. You'll be all right. This certainly isn't the first setback you and your family have encountered.”
The cowpony steadied herself with a few deep breaths. “Yeah, yeah... I know.” She bit down on her lip. “It just stinks, is all.”
“I know, darling, I know.” Rarity pulled her friend in for a quick hug. “But, silver linings and all that, it could've been a lot worse.” She glanced up at the sky. “Plus, after this mess, I highly doubt the weather factory will allow this to happen again.”
“They better not!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. She zoomed over their heads, her front legs circled around a heap of spoiled fruit.
Rarity grimaced as a mushy chunk fell from the air and landed too close to one of her hooves. “Careful!” she urged, throwing a protective arm over her head.
“Sorry!”
She huffed. But, as was often the case with Rainbow, she let it go. Instead, she returned her attention to the task at hoof. Only... Her eyes slightly widened. “Oh,” she whispered to herself, “I seem to be finished.” She appeared to be finished, at least. She smiled, turning to regard her friends. “Pardon me, Twilight,” she called, “but have you finished—?”
She snapped her mouth shut. Twilight was only a few yards away. Her brow was furrowed and her eyes were narrowed at a tree subject to her absolute concentration. Branches of various sizes floated around her, encased in arcane violet. With precision and speed to rival Rarity's, Twilight reattached them one after the other until the tree was finally whole.
The task before her finished, the other unicorn blinked and, sighing contently, rubbed her eyes. “Sorry, Rarity,” she said. “What were you saying?”
“Are you done with your section of the orchard?”
Her head swiveled as she took a brief look at her surroundings. “Yep! Looks like it!”
As if on cue, Pinkie Pie poked her head out from behind the same tree—unapologetic-ally startling Twilight and causing Rarity to stifle a laugh. “Me and Dashie got all those nasty apples piled up!” the party pony sang. Her cheerful demeanor suddenly dropped into a sheepish grin. “No offense, Applejack!”
The reply came in a nonchalant, “None taken.” Applejack looked up at the sky, then at her brother. “I reckon it's all done, then.”
A content smile tugged a corner of Big Mac's mouth. “Eyup.”
“Alright, just in time for lunch!”
Rarity took it as her cue to take three of the apple piles into her magic. “Well, then, shall we return to the barn?”
“You bet'cha!”
While Twilight encased the remaining waste in her magic, Rarity moved to follow closely behind Applejack on their way back to the humble homestead. Words could not describe how relieved she was they were done. She was no stranger to manual labor, of course, but she was uncomfortable with the sweat upon her brow and neck. The dirt caked on the bottom of her hooves didn't help, either. Easy, Rarity, she told herself. Just grin and bear it for a little longer.
Of course, it was worth it, not only to help Applejack in her time of need but to also enjoy the company of her friends again. Time flew by as she engrossed herself in Pinkie's excitement over a letter from Cheese Sandwich and Fluttershy's adoration over Elizabeak's newly-hatched chicks. Rarity spoke briefly of her own goings-on, though she was proud of the work she completed over the past week. She was almost finished filling personal orders (and, thankfully, her clients were either reluctantly understanding or lenient when she had the chance to properly explain the reason behind the delay), which meant she could soon begin working on her summer fashion line.
Her lips pursed. A nagging on the edge of her mind whispered of something forgotten. No, that wasn't right. Applejack knew her farm better than anypony, which meant nothing was left undone. Did I forget something at the Boutique, perhaps...?
As soon as they reached the barn, their fruity haul joined the massive heap against one of the outside walls. “Well, hay,” huffed Applejack. “Looks like we'll have to bust out the ol' compost barrels.”
“Eyup,” agreed Big Mac.
“And whatever doesn't fit in those will go to the pigs!”
“Eyup!”
Smiling, Applejack adjusted her hat. “Alright! Easy-peasy!” The loss was unnerving, and would remain so for a while, but at least nothing would truly go to waste. “Hey, Applebloom, would you mind...?” Her voice failed her, for her little sister was nowhere to be seen. “Applebloom?”
The absence of the filly sparked Rarity's memory. “Wait!” she exclaimed. “Fluttershy and Spike aren't here, either!”
A voice came from the treeline, “Oh, sorry! We're right here!”
The group turned in time to see the missing trio emerge from the orchard. Rainbow Dash flew to them—hovering overhead as they reunited with their friends. “Geez, Shy,” she said. “I'm so sorry! I totally didn't mean to leave you behind! Honest!”
The other pegasus's eyes widened as she frantically shook her head. “Oh, don't say that!” she exclaimed, her voice pleading. “You didn't leave me behind. I promise.”
Spike waved his arms to gain attention. “We found a bird's nest that was destroyed by the storm,” he explained. “We stayed behind to put it back together.”
Fluttershy nodded. “The poor little thing was so upset.”
Applebloom, with a beaming smile on her face, puffed out her chest. “But we helped make it all better!”
“Good on ya, little sis!” Applejack ruffled the filly's mane. “Well, now that everypony's present and accounted for, how about some grub?”
“Yeah!”
The group of friends exchanged excited looks. “I know I'm famished,” commented Rarity. She carefully lifted Spike onto Twilight's back; she chuckled at the twinge of red in his cheeks as she did so. “Celestia knows I'm looking forward to washing my hooves, then indulging in a heavenly slice or two of apple pie.”
The former was more important, it went without saying, but Applejack knew Rarity well enough to pick up on her discomfort. “Alright, y'all, let's head in,” she announced, swinging a foreleg towards the farmhouse. “Pick up the pace! The sooner we get there, the sooner we can dig in!”
Despite her age, Granny Smith was an efficient chef. The gang was welcomed with a buffet of sandwiches, applesauce, and warm pastries and pies. They broke out extra chairs to fit everyone at the table before they were able to properly enjoy lunch (with many thanks made to the Apple matron, of course).
And what a wonderful lunch it was, which was why Applejack was slightly annoyed by the sudden knock at the front door when she was only three bites into her apple-daisy sandwich. Granny Smith moved to answer it, but Applejack stopped her. “Don't worry about it, Granny,” she said. “I'll get it.”
Her grandmother smiled. “Thank ya, young'in.”
Applejack trotted to her destination. “Hang on,” she called. “I'm comin'.”
The visitor was a green-eyed stallion, which was the first thing to catch her eye as soon as she opened the door. The second thing was that he was a unicorn, clad in a black hooded cloak. His coat was gray; his mane was a shade darker than his fur, with a single streak of blue.
There was something... familiar about him. As good as she was with faces, she was unable to pinpoint where she had before seen his. “How may I help you?” she asked.
The stallion bowed his head. “Apologies for my intrusion, miss, but I was hoping to purchase some apples. If it's not too much trouble, of course.”
She perked up. “Nah, it's no trouble at all! How many d'you need, Mister...?”
“Pitch Pebble.” His hoof met hers for a single shake.
“Applejack.”
“It's nice to meet you, Applejack. I need only a dozen apples, please.”
“You got it!” She whirled around. “Granny!”
“What?”
“We got a customer! I'm headin' out for a minute!”
“Alright!”
Rainbow Dash's head suddenly appeared in the kitchen's doorway. “Do you need any help?”
Applejack shook her head. “Naw, I got it.” She returned her attention to Pitch. “C'mon, fella, let's get ya what ya need.” She led him to the barn first, where she grabbed a large paper bag, before she made a beeline for the nearest tree. She set the bag beneath the branches—placing it just so as to catch the fruit she planned to buck free.
“Oh, there's no need for that,” Pitch said. “I can use my magic, if it's not too imposing.”
Applejack paused mid-buck. “Ah...” She looked up at the tree. “Yeah, I suppose that will save us a good bit of time, huh?”
Smiling, the unicorn magically plucked the apples off their branches. One at a time, he placed them in the bag. “How much do I owe you?” he asked, producing a small sack of bits from beneath his cloak.
“Twelve bits.” She removed her hat and, holding it upside-down, held it out in front of her.
Pitch took the hint. He levitated the payment into the garment.
“Thank ya kindly!” Returning the hat to its rightful place, she grinned. “Is there anything else I can help ya with?”
He shook his head. “No, thank you. This is plenty.”
She accompanied him back to the road. “I hate to pry, Pitch, but are you just travelin' through or...?”
“I'm new to these parts, yes, but...” He turned his head. “I don't have a home within town. I'm located on the outskirts.”
She nodded, after she decided not to comment on his hesitation. “Well, despite what that nasty storm did to our produce, we'll still be sellin' 'em, so feel free to stop by if you need more apples,” she said instead. “We also have a stall in the marketplace every so often.”
“I'll keep that in mind.” Once more, he bowed his head. “Again, thank you, and have a nice day.”
“Later!” She waved him goodbye—making sure he was properly on his way before she returned to the house. Right away, she saw a blue muzzle pressed against one of the front windows, as well as narrowed maroon eyes staring in the direction of Pitch's departure. Applejack's eyebrow raised. “Dash?” she called. “What the hay are you doin'?”
Rainbow flew out the door. “Who was that guy you were talking to?”
“Fella's name is Pitch Pebble. He's new around these parts.” She waved her hoof. “He wanted some apples, is all. Why?”
“I've seen him somewhere before...” The pegasus rubbed her chin. A few seconds passed as she pondered. Then, the epiphany hit her. “Oh, he's the guy who boarded the train before we left the Crystal Empire!”
Applejack blinked. Her memories from the train ride back to Ponyville were fuzzy at best (as she was asleep for the majority of it), but she knew Rainbow wasn't wrong. “Huh, how about that,” she muttered.
Rainbow grinned. “Just don't tell Pinkie. She'll have a cow if she finds out her Pinkie Sense missed out on somepony to throw a party for!”
Applejack laughed. “Alright, I'll give ya that one!” She nodded her head towards the house. “C'mon, let's get back to the table before the grub's gone.” While she wasn't too keen on being prematurely torn from the breakfast table, the businessmare in her shone with delight at having made a sale. The day started off grim, but perhaps things weren't so bad after all.