It took Applejack and Sarge twenty minutes to get to Sweet Apple Acres. They walked in silence and that suited them both just fine. Applejack was nervous about having him here, he seemed outwardly abrasive and she worried what he would do to her family. Sarge didn't talk because he was glad for the peace and quiet. It was not until they had reached the gate that Applejack decided to speak.
"Well, here we are. Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack said with pride. "Home of the Apple family."
"Seems like a nice place." Sarge said. "I haven't been on a farm since my teenage years."
"Mhm." Applejack mumbled.
Sarge looked at her and he could tell that she did not trust him.
"Listen." Sarge said. "I don't mind that you don't trust me, but you could at least wait to get to know me before outright hating me."
"Well I guess back at Twi's you didn't give me much to go on." Applejack said. "You seemed to treat the others poorly."
"What? That's why you don't like me?" Sarge laughed. "Those idiots haven't worked one damn day in their entire lives. In fact, I'm sure Grif has found a way to work negative days."
"Even then, that's no reason t' regard them that way." She said, walking up to the barn. "Oh well this is where you'll be sleepin' tonight. I'll go get you a cover t' keep yourself warm."
"No need to go through so much trouble." Sarge said, walking up to a pile of hay. "I've been trained to sleep in irregular conditions. A cover would be an insult to my old drill sergeant."
Applejack looked at him quizzically then nodded as she turned to leave the barn. Sarge let out a sigh and started messing with the pile of hay until it was all bunched up. He turned around and dropped his back on it with his forelegs behind his head and he let out a wistful sigh. He closed his eyes and soon drifted off, snoring lightly, sleeping for the rest of the night. The next morning Sarge's eyes snapped open at the sound of a loud bang and he jumped to his feet. "We're under attack!" Sarge yelled, grabbing for something by his side, then started frowning. "Damn. I miss my shotgun."
"Are you okay?" A small filly asked.
"Yeah don't mind me." Sarge said calmly, walking towards her. "What's your name?"
"My name is Applebloom, I'm Applejack’s sister." Applebloom said. "She told me t' wake you on up."
"I guess a thank you is in order then." Sarge said, starting to walk out of the barn. "Pleasure to meet you Applebloom."
Sarge extended his hoof and Applebloom met his greeting.
"I like you." Applebloom said with a smile. "Mah sister said you weren't to be trusted, but you seem alright to me. I should tell her she was just bein' silly."
Sarge shook his head.
"Don't give her any trouble." Sarge said. "She is right not to trust me because I'm a new uh, stallion in the place and she has been ordered to make sure I don't do anything stupid."
"Hating somebody for just havin' the off chance of doing somethin' stupid ain't right though." Applebloom retorted.
"Normally I would agree with you." Sarge nodded thoughtfully. "But something tells me she wasn't worried about me. Something tells me she was worried about what I might do to you."
And with that, Sarge left the little filly to her thoughts. He then saw Applejack and a tall, muscular stallion kicking trees.
"Could have told me you were out here working." Sarge said, hopping the small fence to talk to Applejack. "I would have helped."
"I would have thought this wouldn't be your line of work." Applejack said while kicking a tree, making the apples fall down into buckets that are circling the tree. "So I thought I would let you sleep."
"Who's the big guy?" Sarge asked, looking at the large red horse.
"Oh that's Big Mac. He's my brother. He is a good worker, but he dun’ talk much." Applejack said, collecting the apples that missed the buckets and throwing them in.
"I'm impressed! Finally some reds that show some initiative. I think I'm beginning to like this place." Sarge said, examining a tree. "So you just... kick it?"
"Eeyup." Big Mac said, not turning to look at Sarge.
"You don't have to do anything Sarge. This is our family’s farm, not yours." Applejack grunted, moving to another tree.
"Please, as long as I'm here I consider myself to be a part of this family." Sarge said.
"It's not right. I couldn't make a guest do any work." Applejack said.
"That's as good of an excuse as any." Sarge laughed smugly.
"What do you mean by that?" Applejack asked, raising her brow.
"Nothing. I think that you're worried that I'll outshine you."
Applejack looked at him and smiled. "Why don't you put your legs where your mouth is tough guy. I say that you drop before I do."
"You're on." Sarge grunted, already kicking the tree, knocking down all the apples. "But I warn you, I know I'm going to win."
"Why's that?" Applejack laughed.
"Because!" He said, already finishing up with his fourth tree. "I get to pretend the trees are Grif."
Applejack couldn't help but let out a sly smile. Big Mac even let out a small laugh, even though he didn’t know who Grif was. Sarge, Applejack and Big Mac kept bucking trees until the sun started to set. Applejack had emptied many trees, but Sarge was working faster. He had already caught up with Applejack and would soon be surpassing her.
"Y'know, I'm really surprised." Applejack said, wiping sweat off of her head.
"Why's that?" Sarge grunted, kicking another tree.
"Well, I just expected you to be a lay about. I didn't think someone of your age would..." She trailed off, realizing what she just said. "Er, sorry. No disrespect meant."
"None taken." Sarge said. "I know my age. Time may be trying to slow me down, but it has another thing coming if it thinks it can catch up with S-dog."
Applejack nodded and stopped kicking trees.
"Alright boys, time to pack it in." Applejack said, rubbing her hind legs.
"But I was just starting to have fun!" Sarge said, kicking another tree, but then came to a stop.
"Hey I don't want you passing from a heat stroke out on us." Applejack laughed. "Sarge, I just wanna say that I appreciate you helping us out."
"Don't worry about it." Sarge grunted, walking up to her and Big Mac. "Say, who do you think kicked more trees?"
"I reckon it was a tie." Applejack said.
"I could have sworn I whupped you at it." Sarge laughed.
"Say, you feeling hungry?" Applejack said, chuckling while raising her hoof to him.
"I am feeling a bit peckish." Sarge said, grabbing her hoof and shaking it.
"Well, we've prepared a lot of food." Applejack said, beginning to smile. "How much d'you reckon you could eat?"