//------------------------------// // Side A // Story: The return of Applejewel! // by SomeGenericPonyNameHere //------------------------------// Applejack swipes the sweat at her brow as she works the orchard, smiling at seeing her progress! "Boy howdy! This batch is comin' along nicely! At this rate, we'll make a haul at market today!" Pleased with the thought Applejack takes her wagon back to the barn to unload her now full barrels. Her barrels now empty Applejack moves onto another part of the orchard. One by one, she bucked at the trees and each one gave plenty of their fruit. Her mind was so focused as she went from tree to tree hat she forgot to inspect her next target. She turned, rooted her hooves to the ground and brought up her hind legs. With a powerful outward kick, Applejack bucks at the tree. However, this one sent an echoing tremor through her body, the jolt making her fall forward. "W-What in tarnation?" As she turns to see what made that happen, an apple falls from a thin limb and collides with her head with a disturbingly loud 'gonk'! She sways as her consciousness fades to black. Pinkie pie and Twilight walk up the dirt road leading to apple acres, carrying individual wagons and saddlebags. "And that's how I taught my little Gummy how to play the bagpipes!" "Pinkie, that doesn't make any sense. At all." "What doesn't, Twilight?" "I don't think blowing up balloons with an oboe counts as learning to play the bagpipes." "Aww! One day....." Twilight raises a brow as she sees Pinkie nod her head with narrow eyes. As they get closer to sweet Apple acres, the two friends come across a concerned Big Mac and Applebloom. "Twilight! Pinkie Pie!" "What's wrong, Applebloom?" "Have any y'all seen AJ around?", Big Mac asked. If Big Mac is the one asking, then for sure something was up! "Actually, we were on our way to see Applejack." "Yeah! We were gonna help her out with bringing her apples to the market today. Twilight was super curious to see how much goes out on a daily basis and the process with which to carry out the constant demand of apples, so she asked Applejack if we could help her out and get a first-hoof experience! *squee*" Big Mac and Applebloom look to Twilight. "She is correct." With an eyeroll, they continued. "Was it possible she took a break or something? She does work hard." "But Twilight, Big sis would'a told somepony if she was gonna take a break." "And when Ah went to go get her for lunch, this was the only other thing there with her wagon." The stallion turned to his side and retrieved the familiar old Stetson hat his sister wore. Both Twilight and Pinkie pie let out an alarmed gasp. "Applejack's hat!" "She never takes it off. Ever!" "Much less just leave it anywhere. Where could she have gone?" A grunting Rainbow Dash struggles with a huge roll of silk, carrying it alongside her fellow Pegasus friend Fluttershy. She too was carrying a separate roll of silk, however she actually had her own little wagon to carry it in. "U-um, Rainbow Dash? There's room to put that in here with mine. I-If you want to, that is." "Ugh! I got this, Fluttershy! But seriously, what's with the huge cargo?" "Oh. These rolls are for Rarity! It all came from these talented silk worms that live in my garden. I promised to save some for her new line of fashion clothes." Rainbow Dash shifts the wheel of silk on her back, adjusting her wings so that they act as secondary arms to keep it in place and on her back. "Urgh! What kinda silk worms produce heavy silk?" "Um...too much iron?" Rainbow deadpans at her friend, making her "eep!" out and timidly walk on, muttering a hushed "Never mind!" as she went on. They reached Carousel Boutique and opened the front door, bringing in the rolls of silk inside. "Oh, my! That's a bit bigger then I anticipated. Would you dears put those off to the side please? I'll get to them in a moment." With a grateful groan Rainbow Dash leaned to her left and let the roll slide off her back as she straightened it upright. Fluttershy brought in her wagon and parked it along the wall of the boutique. Once the two Pegasus ponies relaxed a little, they both looked to their friend and gasped loudly at seeing what she was up to. Up on a small pedestal-like stand stood a spruced up Applejack, dressed to the nines in a flowing lime green glittering dress with ruby hairpins in her usually unstyled now perfectly maintained mane. She had her arms outstretched as Rarity worked on her waistline and upper hemline. "APPLEJACK?!", they called out in unison. Their loud exclamation caught the mare's attention and she flashed a polite smile at them. "Jewel, my dears. Applejewel." Her southern drawl was gone entirely, now speaking in a perfect Manehattenite accent! Their jaws dropped open as the former farmer winked at them. Rarity came up beside them, her red framed glasses resting at the edge of her snout and an all-too-excited smile on her beaming face. "Doesn't she look absolutely fabulous? What she has on is my latest design in formal attire!" "R-Rarity, what happened? Why is Applejack here?" "Yeah, and what's with the frou-frou get-up?" "Jewel, dear!", Applejack called out. Rarity went back working on a few loose stitch lines at Applejack's waist, humming cheerily. "I was just as surprised as you two to be honest. I was measuring strips of cloth earlier, when a distraught Applejack-" "-Jewel, sweetheart." "Hee Hee, pardon. A distraught Applejewel came into my front door, quite disoriented and requiring assistance! I'm not sure what made her this way, but once she willingly asked for a mirror and a brush, well....I dare say I may have went a teeny tiny bit over the top. *squee*" With an arched eyebrow Rainbow spoke up. "You call this a 'teeny-tiny bit' over the top? She's almost glowing! Literally!" "Is Appleja-....Applejewel alright? Something doesn't seem right." Rarity stopped in her gleeful musings and rubbed a hoof along her chin in thought. "Now that you mention it, that very same thought did cross my mind when I first saw this change of heart. I thought she was baiting me into some sort of prank, but she was genuinely seeking a fashionista comfort." "And you were right, my dear Rarity!" Applejewel stepped down from the stand and joined the friends, casually tossing her curled mane over her shoulder and batting her eyes merrily at them. Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash couldn't help but to cringe slightly at the disturbing gesture. A fashion forward Applejack was one thing, but a fashion forward Applejack that nearly mirrored Rarity perfectly was an entirely eerie thing to witness. "I wouldn't have lasted longer had I not wondered into your quaint little boutique. You, my dear, are a life saver!" The two came to stand side by side across from where the Pegasus stood. Before anymore was said, the front door bursts open with a frantic Pinkie pie dramatically thrusting the door open with wide eyes. "Rarity! We need your help! Me and Twilight can't find-" The pink party planner stopped talking as she saw both Rarity and Applejack standing together....with Applejack dressed and styled in such flare that it would even give Hoity-toity a run for his money! A heavily panting Twilight Sparkle came teetering in, tongue hanging out as she tried to catch her breath. "Hahh! Pinkie pie! Hoo. I...I asked you...to wai-" Twilight stopped mid sentence as Pinkie took hold of her head and turned her around so that she could see the sight on display. "Oh, boy...." -End of side A