Our tale today brings us to a place I am quite fond of. A wonderful apple farm tucked away in the valley around Ponyville. It has become famous for it's excellent quality of produce and pony's a like. Let us focus in on the farmhouse where our story begins. It is a cool morning with lowlight making the surroundings appear blue. The farmer often gets up at this time, and if your as dedicated as Applejack, you try and beat the rooster.
Applejack crept out of the barn house into the crisp morning air. There was a fresh dew on the grass and hanging to the apples. The trees kept the wet underneath them making a mist appear in the orchard. She walked over to the water trough and slashed the cold water on her face. Shaking her head dry she walked towards the barn to get the tools laid out for the days work. Applejack opened the big doors and looked inside. She couldn't put her hove on it but something seemed off about the barn. Like something was missing. She shrugged it off and went about her business.
The twilight of the morning went by faster than she expected and before she knew it the rooster was crowing. She poked her head outside and saw the sun peaking out from behind the mountains. The rooster crowed again. "I here ya, I here ya, ya off key meadowlark ." Applejack heard her Granny Smith hollering from her bedroom window. The rooster crowed one more time before a horseshoe flew out of the window hitting the fence post it was sitting on, sending the bright colored bird flapping away. "That'll fix yer wagon ya pin feathered pumpernickel!" Applejack laughed to her self and wandered back to the house for breakfast.
By the time she had got back, Granny Smith was moving through the kitchen like she was a young filly. Making a batch of corn bread, and serving out a skillet of farmers breakfast. "Need any help Granny?" Applejack asked. The old mare looked over to her.
"I still haven't lost my touch, what are you doing here? I thought you would've gone off with yer brother." Granny Smith returned to her skillet.
"Big Mac may want to sleep in but I love my early start." Granny Smith mumbled to herself that Applejack couldn't hear. Apple Bloom wandered down the stairs rubbing her eye.
"Good mornin ya'll" she yawned and sat at the table followed by Applejack. As soon as they sat, Granny Smith slammed the food on the table and quickly got everything set.
"Dig in you two! We've got a big day ahead of us, with Big Mac gone and all."
"Gone?" Applejack was confused. She hadn't heard anything about Big Mac making a delivery or going into town. "He didn't tell me anything?"
"Well sure he did, we's were all there." Granny laughed.
"Besides, didn't you see him this weekend?" Apple Bloom asked while grabbing a square of cornbread. "He had four new wheels on that old wagon his. He had present for Sugar Belle and some clothes in the back. He even went to the library to get a road map to Coconut Grove beach." Applejack looked back to Granny Smith. She simply smiled and nodded.
"Mhm Big Mac knows how to live." Applejack stared down at the food. Something didn't feel right. She had a feeling about Big Mac that she didn't like. Was it anger, sadness, frustration, annoyance? She then remembered the barn, how she felt something was missing.
"So that's what was missing, the wagon was out of the barn," she looked down at her food.
"For pony's sake Applejack, were you up doing chores at twilight again?" Granny glared at her.
"Of course I was, there's always more work to do." Applejack nodded. Granny Smith sighed.
"Looky here little missy, there is always gonna be work, that ain't ever going away. But your youth and time to enjoy it will eventually go away."
"Maybe you should take a lesson or two from Big Mac." Apple Bloom said mouthful of cornbread. Her sister slammed her hove on the table.
"Well if my brother wants to goof off with his special somepony he can. I have work to do." With that Applejack walked away and slammed the door. Apple Bloom and Granny Smith looked at each other.
"What's wrong wrong with her?"
"Don't you pay her any mind now. Eat up and get to your chores." Granny Smith looked out the window at Applejack. She was stomping away before slowing her pace to light steps until she stopped. After standing for a second she shook her head and continued towards the barn. Granny Smith followed with her concerned eyes until Applejack was out of sight. Something was definitely off.
In the barn Applejack was trying to get busy to keep her mind off of her emotions, even if she didn't fully understand her feelings.
"Ok I fed the animals now, next is to check on the cornfield. That's usually Big Mac's job but he's off galivanting." She rolled her eyes and headed out towards the field. Seeing as it was late spring , the corn was not yet tall, it hardly was over Apple Bloom to that point. Applejack wandered down the rows, checking each stock making sure all were strong and not bending over. "So what if he's gone. Doesn't have to ruin my time. I'll just make him work extra hard when he comes back." She smiled smugly and continued on with her day. Still those unknown emotions hung around her.
The late afternoon sun hung in the air making it almost impossible to work comfortably. Applejack and Apple Bloom were sitting under one of trees trying to cool off.
"Sure wish I was at at Coconut Grove beach right now." Apple Bloom sighed. Applejack rolled her eyes and just said,
"Mhm." Suddenly there was a loud whoosh and before the two sisters was Rainbow Dash.
"Hey guy! Watcha up to?" Ask the blue pegasus.
"Oh you know, the usual." Applejack responded flatly.
"Uh-huh, cooool...." Rainbow Dash responded confused by Applejacks tone. "Anyway, AJ! That professor from out west is coming into town tomorrow. You know the one who gives talk about agriculture and what not? Um, um-"
"Brushy Bill?" Applejack looked up from her hat. This was mistake on her part as her emotions flew even more out of wack. There before her was the underlaying cause of her emotions, though she did not yet know it. What she did know was that she liked Rainbow Dash, and as more than a friend. She felt happy seeing her, but also anger that she couldn't pin down.
"Yeah! Yeah that's the one. Well he's going to give a Wonder Bolt talk at the town hall. The crowd is supposed to be huge! Wanna go? Maybe he'll talk some about farming." Rainbow Dash finished with a huge smile. Applejack loved that smile, Rainbow Dash could match Pinkie Pie in enthusiasm when it came to her interests. She was about to respond when her emotions came back.
'Oh my gosh, Rainbow Dash wants to go somewhere with me. Would it be a date? Or is just as friends? What should I do? I know what Big Mac would do. He'd ditch work and leave it all to me. He's probably out on a beach somewhere lazing about.'
"Oh um, thank you Rainbow, but uh I got heap of work to do here. Big Mac is out today so I got more to do." She rolled her eyes. Rainbow Dashes smiled faded.
"Oh yeah, no yeah I gotcha. I'll see if anyone else wants to go. See ya." With that, Rainbow Dash slowly flew up and away. Applejack stared until she was out of sight.
"Um Applejack." Slowly she looked back down at her little sister.
"Big Mac will be back by tomorrow, you could go." Apple Bloom said cautiously.
"No Apple Bloom I can't." She stood up, "Unlike my brother I can't drop everything and go have a hoot with the pony of my dreams. HE can go off with his special somepony but I can't." she stomped her hove. Apple Bloom stared at her sister, slowly realizing something.
"Applejack, is this really about Big Mac?" Applejack snapped her head around to her sister.
"What else would it be!" She stormed off. Apple Bloom watched her and then looked back up at the sky.
"Maybe it's about her?"