Celestia's sun began its rise into the clear skies of Equestria, basking the land in its warmth. Most ponies would remain dreaming for a few more peaceful hours. For an honest earth pony family, the first rays of light were indecision to wake from their night’s rest. Applejack was one of few work ponies who dedicated every minute of the sun to her family's farm. So as the rooster called out, Applejack sat up in her bed, a huge smile across her face. No matter what the previous day had thrown at her, the following morning would be a new start.
Jumping out of bed, she trotted lively over to the window and swung open the rusty single glass pane. The pleasant morning air woke the farm pony fully. With her lungs full of the morning breeze, Applejack trotted towards her dresser. She brushed her mane and tail before tying a small red ribbon into her hair. She grabbed her vintage brown cowpony hat. With a firm hoof, she placed it upon her straw-colored forelock. With a happy stride she trotted out of her room, almost knocking into her older sibling. "Mornin', Mac!" She smiled at the red stallion who gave a tired yawn back.
Applejack came to a wooden door on the small landing and knocked twice. "Apple Bloom? You up yet?" Without a passing second, the door pulled open and a little yellow filly cantered out and down the wooden stairs after her brother. With a little giggle at her sister’s enthusiasm for a day at school with her fellow crusaders, Applejack followed down the old stairs and into the family kitchen. Granny Smith stood at the working stovetops, spreading apple sauce on freshly-made toast. Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom were already tucking in when the orange mare sat down for breakfast.
"Sis! Sis! Guess what!" Apple Bloom cried out, grinning at her older sister. The bubbly filly gleamed with excitement. Her behavior reminded AJ of the many times when she was the hyper filly, running around getting into danger. Maybe that was why she loved a good adventure with the other Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.
"What is it, sugercube?"
The golden filly bounced in her wooden seat "Me, Sweetie and Scoots are going to get our cutie mark in swimming later. Do ya wanna come?" Secretly, Applejack was not a lover of swimming, but due to her happy mood she agreed.
"Sure, but only if ya help with the farm during the weekend." Applejack expected the reaction her sister gave, a disappointed groan and a roll of her eyes. It looked like Sweetie Bell's attitude had rubbed off on the young Apple sibling.
"Ok, well Ah’m off, bye!" Apple Bloom sang as she skipped with joy out of the kitchen and out the front door. Applejack followed hot on her sister’s heels. Trotting up to the door, she waved to the happy-go lucky filly headed for school. As her sister gained distance from the farm house, AJ turned to finish her toast. She needed all the strength she could get for the day’s heavy load. As she stepped off the porch and back into the house, a familiar voice called out.
"APPLEJACK!" A rainbow-maned mare flew in, her wing beat powerful and her expression panicked. She practically crashed into the ground before running up to the earth pony mare. Applejack just stood on the family porch with a highly confused look on her face. Rainbow Dash came to a skidding stop at the bottom of the steps, panting due to her fast flying over to Sweet Apple Acres.
"Howdy Rainbow. What's got your tail in a knot?" Applejack asked her.
"They... were... spotted..." Rainbow struggled to say between her shaky breaths, her chest rising and falling with each air intake. Applejack noted the desperate tone in the pegasus mare’s voice.
"Slow down, RD. What in hay are ya talking about?" Applejack began to panic, worried that maybe some kind of evil had returned to destroy or take over Equestria. Maybe King Sombra or the Changelings? Anything could be possible in Equestria.
Rainbow began to get her heart rate back due to her outstanding stamina, from years of training. "The Shadowbolts... they were spotted... over Ponyville!"
At the mention of the Shadowbolts, Applejack's panic vanished. "That's it?" AJ giggled, as her friend’s panicked expression turned to one of anger.
Displeasure bubbled in Rainbow Dash as she unfurled her wings. After spending so much time with the bad tempered pegasus, Applejack knew her wings showed the true emotion. This action had anger and hate written all over it "Don’t laugh!” Rainbow yelled. “When I get my hooves on them, I swear I’ll-"
"Whoa there! Hold yer horses!" Applejack interrupted.
"But AJ, don't you remember what they almost made me do?" In Dash's eyes flashed the memories of the first adventure she and their friends had, going into the Everfree Forest when Nightmare Moon had returned.
"Yes Rainbow, Ah do, but there's no need to go around telling ponies that they’re back, it'll just worry everypony!" Applejack was always the pony with honest advice for anypony who needed or asked for it.
"But Applejack!" Rainbow whined.
Applejack teased the pegasus by simply patting the top of her head with a firm hoof. "Now stop worrying your pretty little head."
"Fine, but will you keep an eye open?"
If a friend ever asks for help, the Element of Honesty would pride herself on being the first to offer, even if all she needed to do was to watch the sky for any dark flying ponies.
"I promise."
"Pinkie promise?"
The amber mare was beginning to get a bit annoyed at RD's insistence "Come on, Dash. Do ya really think Ah would-“
"Pinkie promise!"
AJ frowned. "Fine. Ah pinkie promise" She used her hoof to make a distinctive X on her chest before placing her hoof over her eye.
The cyan pegasus beamed. "Thanks AJ!”
“Rainbow, you’re such a filly sometimes,” complained Applejack, due to being forced the make a Pinkie promise. She had no plan of breaking that promise for two big reasons. Firstly, she would rather not have to put up with Pinkie Pie, chasing her sorry flank around Equestria for breaking a Pinkie promise and, secondly, she wasn't fully convinced that what Rainbow had told her was true. Despite the earth pony mare’s lack of enthusiasm for the Shadowbolts’ movement, she agreed to complete the full promise. "So, is that all ya want to talk to me about?"
"Yep."
"Good, coz I got work ta do"
"Eeeyuuuup!" agreed Big Macintosh, who had joined the mares outside of their home. Applejack trotted away from the pegasus mare, off for a good day of work with her trusted brother. She left the concerned flyer to get on with her own life, which she thankfully did, flying west back to
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Slowly, the vast sun began to lower, causing the sky to become an elegant purple. Applejack gave a huge buck to one of the many towering trees in the orchard. The powerful shockwaves caused the ripe, fresh apples to plummet to the ground below. Large crafted baskets softened the landing and captured the fruit. The siblings had been working hard for the past 9 hours, bucking the acres of trees that held their fruits. A long tedious day wasn't uncommon for the farm ponies, it was a daily occurrence.
"Hey Big Mac!" Applejack called out to her big brother, who was silently filling his cart with the full apple baskets. He turned his head, giving her a curious look. "Why don't you head back, Ah’m just gonna finish up."
Big Macintosh gave a pleasant smile as he hooked his yoke up to the cart and pulled away from his little sister. Applejack watched as the cart vanished over the hill top, before she leaned back against a tree and slid down to the base. For the first time in a good few long hours, the earth pony could relax and possibly get a quick nap. Like many times before, she pulled her hat over her eyes and began her relaxation...
CRASH! BANG! THUD!
"What the?!?!”