"In my days of youth, distant though they may be, my mind hearkens back to a simple but wise teaching that has not been lost in any amount of years I have lived. 'You may pick your nails, and you may also pick those that you are associated with; but you are not able to pick your family'. Though I am sure this teaching will change along with the generations, but the core will not change I am sure. You are born into the breed of your home. There is no choice in what your blood-line issues you as. Despotism, yes, but unavoidable. Not one being can control what family they are born into... But they may control how that controls them." - Star Swirl the Bearded.
If Canterlot was the crown jewel in Solaris' crowning empire, Ponyville -Colony Two- was the clasp holding the gold of the crown in order. Say what you will of Solaris' empire, dare that you do, it ran a tight shift with nothing but order being put in the highest priorities. Seasonally, Colony Two had exported their chief commodities that the other colonies could not provide. Rural education, common flowers, the best of baked goods, and of course apples. Apples served majorly as the basin for Ponyville's services to Canterlot and Solaris herself. Though in the past the Apple Family that provided the apples did so at low prices in the exchange of levying some of the charges on the other colonies, those days were far behind.
The asking price, even to the ponies of Ponyville, had only recently been placed at the obscene price ranges that dwarfed any prices set before. Ponies had concluded this to Canterlot demanding more and more, causing the need for more funds to provide for the demand. Others think it had developed from the fact that the Apple Family needed to provide for themselves and abandon kindness to all others. But in truth, it was none of these things. Those days of giving and honest wages died along with the head of what used to be Sweet Apple Acres; Granny Smith. No pony knew why, not even the lot of her family, but on her death bed, she left the farm, orchard, and control over the business transactions to -not her eldest grandson- but to her second youngest grand daughter; Applejack.
Even at the releasing of the will that Granny Smith left her family, something felt off setting. If there had been anyone that should have been left in charge, it would have been kind, self-sacrificing Big Macintosh. But Big Macintosh would never speak out against his family; doubly so for Applejack. Applejack herself was a hard working pony. But hard working of her kind wasn't the brand that made the Apple Family well known. It made her well known though. Con-Mare Applejack, co-owner and head of "Apple Family and Flim Flam Farms".
The trees in the south west side of the orchard were stripped of their apples and were put into the wheelbarrow waiting at the end of the hill. Bucket by bucket, both Apple Bloom and Big Mac let the apples they collected roll into the barrow until it was well filled. "Can we fit anymore?" Apple Bloom jumped up onto her big brother's back and wagged her tail with excitement.
The barrow was clearly filled and was threatening to drop some of the apples already, so Big Mac looked at her sister and smiled. "Eeeeyup!"
The little filly dropped off from his back and took another basket of apples from by the trees. Holding the rim in her mouth, she hurried the basket over and dumped a clutch of apples in; none of which stayed and simply rolled off onto the field. "Good job. Ah' think we got one extra in there," Big Mac said.
With the same energy as before, Apple Bloom hopped up onto her big brother's back and planted her hooves against it. Together, but only using Big Mac's strength and Apple Bloom's 'help', they pushed the barrow through the orchard in the direction of the farmhouse. There had been many other workers in the orchard, but none of them were on their own hooves. The air hummed with the sound of engines roaring from the machines that sucked the other trees of their apples before beating them into workable pastes or cider. The wheelbarrow that Big Mac pushed and Apple Bloom filled was rusted and wobbly from lack of tending. Why tend something useless when you can tend the machines? Then again... Why keep two ponies around that won't use those machines?
The farmhouse -makers' blessings- wasn't changed on the outside. It still had its red wooden planking and bleach white frames. The inside was filled, however, with beating machines and the smell of thick, hot smoke that burned the lungs and eyes. At least on the outside it was the same. For Big Mac, that was a victory. He unloaded the clutch of apples into a dispenser on the side of the farmhouse before giving a nod to Apple Bloom. His filly sister hopped off his back again and cuddled up against his leg while he finished the unloading. Once they were done, they would go to Apple Bloom's room and see what sort of adventures her dolls got into this day; just like every work day. But both their hearts went cold and knew that wouldn't happen when they heard that familiar call. "Big Mac and Little Bloom? Yeee-doggies!" From the farmhouse came the slow steps of their nightmare.
The cowpony hat she always wore was sprinkled on the top with black marks from smoke blending into it. The rim of her hat had also been stitched with a white doily style gilding. Her body was partly covered with a red and white coat and a short limb-cut under shirt that went only a bit down her front legs. She flashed the two a broad, sickening smile as she spotted them. They didn't move from their spot, but Apple Bloom did opt to hiding under Big Mac and cowering behind one of his broad legs. "How're the trees doin' out there, sibs?"
That smile she gave them, it made Big Mac want to just... "The're fine... A few stripped branches that don't give any apples anymore though..."
"Price o' business, Big bro. But you just keep on workin' out there and I'll keep on keeping you two in the saddle," her laugh made Apple Bloom cower a bit more and made Big Mac cover his little sister some more.
"Mighty kind a' ya... Sis..."
"That's why Granny left me the deed to the land. Now you two scamper on. Got some work ta' do here." Applejack only waved the two off and went towards the orchard.
They did as they were told and went into their home and away from this world. They both loved their Applejack more than anything... She was protective and never once crossed them or did them wrong. The three of them were family, and they always would be. They would always love one another. When Big Mac opened the door to Apple Bloom's room, he saw his sister scamper between his legs and went right for her toy chest. "Yer' gonna be the hero today, right?"
Every time they played, Apple Bloom would give her brother the toy that was to be the hero. Who else but her big, strong brother could play the hero? "Eeeyup..." Apple Bloom tossed a wooden doll to her brother while she continued to look through the chest for her own toy.
The doll was simple to say the most. It had no coloring and no personality to it other then the brown, felt hat on it and ratty blonde hair on -what one could only assume was- the head. When Apple Bloom found her doll, she carried it over to Big Mac and sat down on the floor. "Same game as always, Mac. Yer' the pretty mare that saves the land..." Apple Bloom propped her doll up, which was much more detailed. It was, in a lack of better words, a grotesque, boil covered troll that was holding a tree as a mace. "...And Ah'll be the monster that she beats to save every one!"
They loved their sister more then anything... And the day she comes back and destroys the monster that took her place, they would just have to pretend... She would come back... She had to.
Granny Smith went peacefully in her sleep on the day after she changed her will. Granny Smith, who was of the picture of health even in her old age, simply went in her sleep. A good mare died not twelve hours after her will was changed by her own words to name Applejack her heir. But the strangest thing of all for that whole transaction wasn't that she named Applejack her heir. What was strange was that nopony contested the will. All of the Apple Family, even the most distant relatives that made their homes in Manehatten, thought -knew- that Big Macintosh was the rightful heir. But no one would argue with Applejack... And no one would argue with the lawyer who signed the will.
With the last day of her own life, Granny Smith had Flim change her will to name Applejack her inheritor. The will was not contested, and not one soul had ever looked at the will other then Flim, Flam, and Applejack. So many knew there was a shifty tone behind the whole ordeal, but not one of them would say anything... Because no one wanted to be a casualty of business.