Applejack awoke. She could see the sun just starting to rise over the mountains in the east. It appeared today was going to be another beautiful day over Sweet Apple Acres, which, as always, meant the same thing. There was work to be done. Though it was quite a bit earlier than when most ponies woke up, the Apple family needed as much time as possible for the ongoing apple harvest season. Applejack trotted out of her room, past the sleeping Apple Bloom's room and down the stairs to the kitchen, where Big Macintosh was already sitting at the table and eating his oatmeal breakfast.
"Good mornin’ to ya, Big Mac. It's sure lookin' ta be a fine day today, don'cha reckon?"
"Eeyup!"
"Y'all ready for some more applebuckin'?"
"Eeyup!"
Applejack sat down at the table with Big Macintosh where she dug into her own bowl of oatmeal, always exquisitely prepared by Granny Smith.
"We're almost done with the harvest; just a few more days 'fore we can finally sell these apples and call it a season!"
Applejack made her way over to the apple orchard, carrying several buckets on her back. "This sure is heaven, even if it is hard work! Ah couldn't imagine doin’ anythin' else."
She thought about her time in Manehattan and how wrong it felt. She knew her place was here at the farm, with her family, not as some pretty city girl. Life without Big Mac, Granny Smith, and even her mischievous sister Apple Bloom just seemed unbearable. She loved who she was, and she wore her light-brown Stetson hat proud. Her Stetson hat. Oh, how Applejack loved it, wore it everywhere she went, practically slept with it. Applejack couldn't imagine life without her hat, and she felt proud to wear it as she bucked a tree, every single apple falling effortlessly into the large wooden buckets below. Soon after, Big Macintosh joined her, carrying the apples she collected back to the farm. Everything was perfect.
Sometime in the late afternoon, as the sun began to turn orange with the oncoming sunset, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were heading home from their tree house headquarters in the woods when they ran into Applejack, who was still bucking apples for the harvest.
"Howdy Applejack! Are y'all almost done with applebuckin’ for the day?"
"Sure is, sis! Just a few more trees and Ah'll be ready to hit the hay."
"Ah wanna be just like you when A'hm older, Applejack. Ah wanna wear a hat just like you, and Ah wanna buck apples just like you. Ah think that's how Ah can earn my cutie mark!"
"Yeah, let's try it!" an eager Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stated.
"Well, all right, then. Say, would you girls like to try on my hat right now?"
"Oh, yes!" the three crusaders blurted all at once.
Applejack then gave her hat to Apple Bloom, but the other two crusaders did not respond well; each filly wanted to wear the hat first.
"Hey, I wanna wear it first!" announced Scootaloo.
"No, I should wear it first!" Sweetie Belle retorted.
"Applejack gave it t' me first!" Apple Bloom screeched.
Before Applejack could react, she watched in horror as the three crusaders all got their hooves on her precious hat, trying to wrestle it away from one another. A ball of dust formed as the girls tumultuously wrestled for the hat. Applejack heard a sound she had hoped she would never hear: a loud ripping sound. The crusaders then stopped fighting and looked at what they had done. Applejack's precious brown Stetson hat had a large tear in it, almost dividing the hat into two pieces. Applejack was mortified at what the girls had done.
"Lookit what y'all did to mah sister’s hat!" Apple Bloom yelled.
"I didn't do anything, it was you and Sweetie Belle!" answered Scootaloo answered.
"No, it was you and Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle hollered.
Once again, the girls were back to fighting amongst themselves over the blame. Applejack just shook her head, picked up what was left of her hat, and walked back to the farmhouse.
Applejack thought to herself, Ah should never've let 'em put their hooves on mah hat. Of course somethin’ like that was goin’ t' happen. They've got ta be the worst-behaved fillies in all of Equestria!
Applejack walked into the farmhouse, where she was greeted by Big Macintosh eating his dinner at the table. He stared at Applejack's torn hat.
"Now what in tarnation happened ta yer hat, Applejack?"
"The Cutie Mark Crusaders, that's what happened. Ah don't know when I'm ever goin’ to get this repaired, A'hm just too darn busy! Ah dunno where Ah'll find the time t' go ta Rarity's boutique!"
"Ah have t' go inta town early tomorrow mornin'. Ah reckon Ah could take it to be repaired then, but that means Ah'm goin’ t' have take extra time off from the harvesting, and y'all’ll have ta make that up fer me."
A large grin amassed itself on the mare's face. "Oh, that's just wonderful, Big Mac! Of course Ah'll take whatever work y'all miss, they don't call me the most athletic pony in Ponyville fer nothin'!"
Deep down inside, Big Macintosh was really looking forward to going to Rarity's boutique, as he always kind of had a crush on her, and never really got the chance to be around her other than when Applejack had her friends over. This would undoubtedly be a great opportunity to meet and talk to her... alone.