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// Late and Early: 3 
// Story: No Man's Land 
// by Ponyess 
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	It had been a long day, and all the apples had been brought in, into the barn, buckets piled high.  Apparently she had been very good at helping me out.

First now I had had the time, noticing it, or was it simply the fact that we had been too busy to stop.  She had gotten the Cutie-mark, the three apples I recall from the show.

“Oh, look. Your Cutie-mark!” I told her.

She made a curious face, so I had to go into a lengthy explanation, and as it dawned upon her, what I had told her, she was beaming with pride.

I'm tired, as is she, so we simply headed in.  I lead her to her bed, before I slip down, under the quilt, and she takes her place, soon falling asleep.

I had slept all night, waking up early.  That's when I noticed it.  Something more had changed about her.  Now her hooves are red, just like the shiny apples on her flank, just the way the apples we picked look.  Maybe I had failed to notice the detail the other night, since it was late?  Yet now, I noticed another odd, and highly unexpected detail about her.  Not only are her hooves red, as if I had polished them, similar to how my nails looks, after a manicure, or pedicure?  Only that wasn't the oddity, it is the fact that she apparently has cloven hooves, not in the bovine fashion of cows, but rather in the Cervine  fashion of Deers?

It had all made for a curious detail, yet it may give her a few breaks. All depending on just how much control she may manage to get.

She still did look like the 'Apple Jack' I recall from the show,  even with the small details, making her a part from what I had expected.

I had made myself a breakfast, only today, she had already gotten up, as I finished my preparations, so I quickly hastened to make her breakfast as well, before I sat down.

Her eyes lite up, as I placed the plate before her.  I figured she wanted to have her own plate since the character in the show had been eating on a plate.  I had been right.

Just like the little details, making her different from the Fillie named 'Apple Jack' in the show, the details, such as giving her a plate of her own, is what made her day.

I had noticed, she had enjoyed her breakfast just as much as I had, which made it a good start on the day.  I need her to be happy all day.  There could be no room for sour faces.

Since breakfast is the key to starting the day up, it is important to me, just as it is to her.  With that, I have her enjoying a steady breakfast every day.