//------------------------------//
// A Job Well Done 
// Story: A Secret of Harmony. 
// by silverstream595 
//------------------------------//

	While Big Mac put the last of the freshly bucked apples into the barn, Apple Jack gave each of her friends a small apple pie and a glass of water. "Apple Jack, darling." Rarity praised, "you never do fail to reward us for our labor."
"And our reward always taist soo good!" Pinkie Pie gigled as she ate her pie in one giant bite.
The hard working farm pony blushed at her friends' praise. "Aw shucks, ya'll are too kind."
"If- if you say so. B-but we're just glad to have such a wonderful friend like you, Apple Jack." Fluttershy whispered just loud enough for everypony to hear her.
"Yeah Apple Jack, you're great." Spike smiled.
"Speaking of great. Check out my awesome new trick!" Rainbow Dash said before taking off into the sky. Everypony watched in awe as she made elaberate, precies twists and turns in the sky, leaving a rainbow tailing after her. When she stopped, she huvered mid-air in the middle of a rainbow the shape of a cloud with a lightning bolt shooting out of the bottom. "Pretty cool, huh?" she boasted as she landed, her cutie mark fading in the sky.
"That was absalutaly marvalous!" Rarity squealed. "Imagine all of Canterlot... NO! All of Equestrai witnessing that glorious proformance as you soar high in the sky, looking absolutally glorious in a beautiful dress made by yours truely!" Rarity smiled at the tought of her dress work being desplayed for all of Equestria to see.
"Uhm yeah. You lost me at 'dress'" Rainbow pointed out bluntly, causing the up class mare to frown.
"And just wait till the Wonderbolts see you," Pinkie saide, bouncing circles around the blue pegasus who was finishing her pie. "I bet they'd make you a Wonderbolt in like.." the pink pony paused, then started back up, "yeah. In like ten seconds flat, right!"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Fluttershy said shyly. "but I have to get back to Angle and fluff her tail... if that's okay with you."
"Of corse it is, sugarcube" Apple Jack responded to the timed pegasus. "Anywho. Thank ya'll for coming out and helpin us. We haven't had this big a harvest since ah was just a filly. Ain't that right, Big Mac." 
"Eeyup." The red cult responded as he walked up to his sister.
"Of corse, darling. Any time." Rarity sighed. She was just thankful that she could finally go home and take a nice, long bath. Without a second thought, Rarity began to make her way home.
"Yeah, no problem." Rainbow Dash said as she lifted herself into the air and flew off.
Pinkie Pie giggled before she started bounceing away after Fluttershy, Rairity and Rainbow.
"Spike, you go on home. I need to talk to Apple Jack." Twilight dismissed the dragon. Then she turrned to the orange farm pony. "Can we talk in private?" Though Twilight already knew that there was nopony else around.
"What's botherin' ya', sugarcube?" Apple Jack asked. She had noticed that Twilight hadn't said much all day.
"Okay." the purple unicorn took a deep breath before she started speaking. Her words came out rushed, "I was cleaning the library. And there was this book. No title, just a book. And I read it, and it said stuff. And, I just don't know what to do, Apple Jack." Twilight pouted, causeing the earth pony to feel sorry for her.
"Well, ah sure of heck can't help ya if ah don't know nothin bout this mystery book of yours." Apple Jack promped the unicorn to spill the beans.
Twilight Sparkle was quiet for a long time before responding, "It's the Elements of Harmony. They're running out of time. And it's up to the bearers of the Elements to proform a ritual. But the ritual requires a pony sacrifice." She watched as her friend's expression changed several times.
Apple Jack looked at Twilight in bewilderment. She could tell that the unicorn was serious. "Uhm..." Apple Jack tried to think of something to say. "Ah don't know, Twilight." A squeel came from the direction of the Cutie Mark Crusader's club house. "Applebloom!" Seeing her chance to get away from Twilight, Applejack took a step back. "Ah better go see what's goin' on. You know how them Cutie Mark Crusaders can be. Always gettin' in a hay loud of trouble." As the last word came from her mouth, the farm pony turned and bulted towards the club house of the CMC.