Applejack felt a raindrop land on her nose. She looked up just in time to see a barrage of them follow, pelting her and her family with water.
“What the hay?” she exclaimed as strong winds howled through the apple trees. The leaves were torn from their stems as the branches swayed and groaned in the gale. Then, as suddenly as it started, the wind stopped. The huge raindrops became a light sprinkle, and the sun shone through the clouds. A strange, crooked rainbow appeared in the sky and zigzagged off into the horizon.
“Of all the darndest things,” Applejack grumbled as she took her soaked hat from her brow and wrung it out.
“Applejack,” said Applebloom as she shook the water from herself, “What just happened?”
“I dunno,” said Applejack, “But if I didn’t know any better I’d say Rainbow dash had something to do with it.”
“Eeyup,” added Big Macintosh. Applejack sighed and picked a big red apple from one of the numerous buckets they’d harvested. She bit into it, anticipating the sweet juicy flavor. Her eyes suddenly went wide as she tasted the fruit. Bits of half-chewed apple suddenly spewed from her mouth as she spat and gagged. What she was tasting was without a doubt the worst apple she’d ever eaten.
“Bad apple, sis?” asked Applebloom.
“Yeah,” replied Applejack as she finished spitting out the rancid fruit. She reached out for another, this time giving it a once over to make sure there were no signs of rotting. When she was certain that there was nothing wrong with it. But as she tried to eat it, she realized that it too had the same incredibly sour taste of the last one. Applejack had no choice but to send it shooting from her mouth.
“Another one?” asked Applebloom, “What’re the chances of that?” Applejack didn’t hear her at first. She suddenly had a brief, but dark thought.
“Applebloom,” she said, “Can I try one of your apples?”
“Sure thing, sis,” replied the filly, “Help yourself.” Applejack picked an apple from Applebloom’s bucket. She looked at it with a grim, reluctant expression before she finally bit into it. Her fears were confirmed as she spit it back out.
“Aw ponyfeathers!” she snarled as she hurled the apple to the ground. Applebloom’s eyes grew wide and fearful as she watched her sister’s reaction.
“Are they?…” breathed the filly.
“Rotten!” growled Applejack, “Every single one of ’ems rotten!” Applebloom looked back at the apples in the buckets.
“They don’t look rotten,” she said.
“Well they are!” Applejack snapped bitterly, “This is just great. What are we gonna do now? How are we gonna make any money offa rotten apples?!”
“What’s wrong with the apples?” asked Granny Smith, who was just now processing the conversation.
“They’re rotten!” shouted Applejack.
“Oh,” replied the ancient mare, “That’s too bad.”
“I’m goin’ back to the farm,” Applejack growled as she tossed off the apple buckets and started walking back to the barn. The others followed quietly, not sure what to make of their upset sister. When they finally made it back, they were greeted with another unpleasant surprise.
“What in tarnation?!” cried Applejack as she surveyed the scene. Every single sheep, pig, and chicken was out of their pen and aimlessly wandering around the barn. As the ponies reentered the yard, it erupted in a cacophony of bleating, squealing, and clucking.
“Viva Revolution!” cried a brazen sheep as he charged forward. Taken off guard by the rebellious creature, Applejack let out a yelp as it crashed into her and knocked her off her hooves. The sheep’s seemingly easy victory caused a stir in the others. The Apple family’s eyes widened as they saw all of the old ornery rams form a line in front of the ewes and lambs. Likewise the big, burly hogs made a protective ring around the sows and piglets, and the roosters arranged themselves in a triangular formation before the hens and chicks. Big Mac stood in front of his own family, looking ready to defend to the death.
“Applejack,” asked a frightened Applebloom, “What’s happenin’?” Applejack rose up and looked at the war-ready animals with narrowed eyes. She nudged past her brother and gave the animals a stern glare.
“Would someone tell me what in the Samhill’s goin’ on?!” bellowed Applejack. The sheep that had charged her was back on his feet and glaring at her with angry eyes.
“We’re going on strike!” he said, “We refuse to live in pens anymore! We want equal facilities! Why should we have to live in a barn when you have your vary own house? It’s tyranny !”
“Tyranny?” Applejack echoed incredulously as she narrowed her eyes, “Listen here, you overgrown cotton ball-”
“And another thing,” snapped the sheep, “We’re tired of letting you boss us around! From this moment onward we’re going to be your equals! We’re sick and tired of being exploited for your benefit!” Applejack was momentarily stunned at the sheep’s speech. She had never expected those words to come from a sheep. A pig maybe, but never a sheep.
“Exploited my hoof!” she replied as she stood to her full height, “Who put this dumb idea in your heads?” A whinnying laugh suddenly echoed out through the air. Applejack looked up to see a strange pony standing on the roof of the barn. He grinned maliciously at her in a mocking way that stirred anger inside of her.
“That idea,” he said in an accent Applejack had never heard before, “came frae me noggin.”
“Who are you?” asked the flustered earth pony. Again, the creature laughed.
“Wha am I?” he snickered, “Wha do ye think I am?”
“I’ll tell you who I think you are!” Applejack roared, “I think you’re a…” she paused as she looked over at her much younger sister. “You’re a…uh…big meanie!” This prompted a round of deriding laughter from the pony.
“Nice choice o’ words, glabber-brain” he said as he started to walk down the length of the roof, “Yer a real sharp one, ye are.” Applejack felt her eye twitch with fury.
“Get off my roof!” she shouted.
“Gladly,” replied the pony as it suddenly disappeared into thin air. Applejack and her family stared in amazement. They were used to magic of course, but the pony they had seen was in no way a unicorn. Their attention turned to the animals, who were all sitting before the barn and chanting.
“What do we want?” cried the sheep.
“Equal housing and rights!” replied the crowd.
“When do we want it?”
“NOW!” hollered the animals. Applejack let out a frustrated roar, promptly turned around, and then galloped towards town.
Rarity paced nervously back and forth in her room. She’d locked her door shut so that none could enter and see what had become of her hair. The only other living creature in the room was Opal, who lay on the bed and looked over at the pony with the usual indifferent attitude held by most felines.
“Oh, Opal,” Rarity moaned in her ever-dramatic voice, “What am I to do?” All the while she kept looking up at her mess of a hairdo. With every glance she died a little inside. She was having trouble believing that that only a few hours ago it was the most well kept mane in all of Ponyville. Rarity let out another groan of self-pity as she continued to pace.
“What am I going to do?” she repeated, “Why did this have to happen to me?” She began to bang her head repeatedly on the wall. “Why, why, why, WHY?” There was a sudden crunch as her horn penetrated the drywall. Her eyes suddenly went wide.
“Oh no…” she muttered. She tried to back away from the wall, but her fears were confirmed when she found herself unable to move an inch. “Oh no,” she mumbled, “Not this. Please, not this.”