Winona
A soft, damp organic object brushed against Applejack’s freckled tangerine face as she groggily opened up her emerald eyes. A chocolate sheep dog looked up at the country pony with loving jet black eyes. Applejack smiled. “Mornin’ Winona,” she said as she patted the hound on the head with her hoof.
The sun is up! We all gotta go herd in the sheep and y’all gotta go buck some apples! Winona tried to say. It just came out as a bark. “Arf!” Winona grinned.
“Yeah, yeah, Ah am gettin’ up!” The country pony struggled out of bed as all her joints creaked. Winona ran to the oaken desk that was pushed up against the wall. She eyed the rickety old chair that stood there and Winona jumped onto it, retrieving a beige Stetson from the ancient table. “Mah hat!” Applejack chuckled. She ruffled Winona’s fur affectionately, taking the Stetson from the dog’s mouth.
Winona ran out of the room and down the nearby stairs. Her padded feet made sure that old Granny Smith next door wouldn’t hear a sound. The dog ran into the kitchen and sat near the doorway, waiting for her partner to greet her.
“It’s breakfast time, Winona! Why don’t ya go wake up Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh, huh?” Applejack smiled, walking over to the stove.
Winona barked in return, the sound not really meaning anything, and ran back up the stairs. She paced to the sky blue door that was rusting on its hinges. Winona leapt up and pushed on the flat, brass handle of the door, her forelegs landing with a thud.
The large red stallion with marigold hair was slumbering, quilt tossed aside in the warmth of the summer. Winona smiled inwardly. She stalked up to the pony, snickering as she leapt up in a blur of brown and white. She landed on the stallion’s stomach as he cried out with an ‘Oof!’
“Gosh, Winona! Ya sure are gettin’ heavier!” he chuckled in that deep voice. In return, she licked his face affectionately. Winona liked her partner’s brother. He didn’t talk to many ponies outside of the Apple family though, but he was smart. He loved fancy mathematics and dreaming big. Winona admired that.
Winona rushed out of the now open doorway, going to the room at the end of the hall. This door was a nice spring green, freshly painted last week. This door was often left not completely closed, due to the fact that the inhabitant didn’t like having to open the door with the tall handle due to her height. Better for Winona.
Winona eased her way through the door, trying not to make a sound. She slowly padded to the filly on the soft matted floor. She jumped on the springy bed and gave a caring lick.
The little filly gently opened her amber eyes. “Winona?” she wondered, “Breakfast time already?” She complained. Those stubby little buttery legs jumped out of bed. She stretched and yawned, taking off her sapphire bonnet to reveal a mess of crimson hair. She reached for her aquamarine hairbrush that had streaks of her rosy hair in it. She lazily brushed her hair.
“Winona, what’re we havin’ for breakfast?” she asked, tying in her signature gigantic cotton floss coloured bow.
Winona just barked, “Ruff!”
Her eldest brother walked in and stood the doorway. “Ya ready to go sis? Ah think AJ’s done,” He said, sniffing the air, the sweet aroma of freshly made apple juice filling his lungs.
“Yeah, Ah’m comin’!”
Winona followed the two ponies at their heels until they reached the kitchen. Sunshine filled the room through the open windows. AJ just set down Winona’s bowl of water and dog food down, right next to her seat at the head of the extensive rectangular table. Winona lay, her belly down as she listened to the Apples thanking Celestia for the meal set out before them. Winona silently followed along.
“Alright y’all, dig in!” Applejack smiled.
At the cue, Big Macintosh smacked his head down and began eating the mouth-watering eggs.
“Big Mac!” Applejack scolded, her elder brother slowly looking up with a guilty expression, “there is a thing called a fork?”
Winona chuckled. She didn’t need pointless utensils. She quickly lapped up some water as she ate the unbearable food. Winona knew that her companion got the food from the finest- Fluttershy, the one who was so good with animals. However, this disgusting stuff just went down into her stomach like a heavy rock. Winona also knew that it was supposedly healthy for her. Winona sighed as she took another clump of the pellets in her mouth.
“Well how come Winona don’t hafta use a fork?” Apple Bloom asked incredulously
“Cuz she’s a dog,” Applejack dismissed
Winona head slumped down. No matter how hard she tried, she could never be a pony. She would always just be… a mutt. Nothing more. Just a pet.
Applejack put down her fork and knife. “Winona!” she called. Winona glumly trotted over to her pony’s side. “Apple Bloom, ya gotta wash dishes. Winona and Ah needa herd the sheep and Big Mac needs ta buck apples. Come on, Winona,” she whistled, not even looking back at the sad little dog.
***
“Well, Winona, you worked really hard,” Applejack chuckled, hopping into the farmhouse. Winona’s mood had perked up considerably and she had forgotten about the incident during breakfast. "You deserve a little treat,” she held up a special mix of dog food that the Apples had always used for their sheep dogs. It took hours to make, so it was quiet special and was only won through hard work.
Winona now dug into her doggy bowl and ate with relish. Applejack patted her head when she heard the sound of a spring-like bouncing. Winona’s ears perked up, she recognized the sound. A few seconds later, an energetic bubblegum pony was by the door, an alligator clipped onto her fluffy hair.
“One invite for Applejack!” she said with the letter in between her snow like teeth.
“Pinkie, if this is ‘bout the play date, ya don’t needa remind me, Ah already-“
“Just a reminder!” she giggled in her squeaky voice, now free of the letter. She zoomed out in a blur, the wind so strong that
AJ’s hair was swept across her face. The blonde was blinding her.
“Ah can never get that pony,” Applejack muttered. “Ya have a pet play date today Winona!”
Winona smiled. She would finally get to see all her friends outside of the Apples. Owlowiscious, Tank, Gummy, Opal, and… Angel. That little varmint was always causing trouble to both pony and pet. That little hare had way too many mischievous thoughts than a normal bunny. Winona didn’t understand how all that could fit in such a small creature.
“Well, ya gotta hour to relax before then, Ah gotta buck some apples,” AJ said, leaving.
Winona stretched and yawned yet again, slowly closing those deep black eyes as she fell asleep.