Specifically, burime. The rules are simple. Read the thread. Write your own paragraph continuing the story in the thread. Don`t take two turns back to back, don`t be greedy. And do try not to write people into the corner.

The day that wasn`t.

Something about today was... different. Although she couldn`t put her hoof on what exactly was off about this particular day, Applejack would swear up and down the day was off. Not being able to put a hoof on it, however, rattled her nerves much more then she`d care to admit. In fact, she spent more then usual on her morning routine ensuring little things she usually took for granted, like the presence of water in the tap, the presence or towel on the rack or the presence of toothpaste in the tube. Everything was in order. So... what was off? Try as she might, Applejack knew not the answer, but she was determined to find it out - and rectify, if needs be.

2827427
also, can we agree on no shipping and no clop?

She walked into the orchard. Tree-lined lanes usually relaxed her, but today she was to edgy to to calm down.

"How come I didn't I think of that yesterday when I was buying a new walker for Granny Smith. I spend all the bits on that damn thing!" She sat by the apple tree to ponder for a solution.

Being broke sux, she thought, when suddenly an apple fell on the ground before her. That's it! If I buck the apples fast enough, drive them to the marketplace, be convincing enough to sell them, then I might just have enough bits for a decent present before the shops close at the end of the day.

She stood up and shook her legs. It was action time!

2828015

Delivering first buck to the tree was easy enough, but by the time she moved on to sixth, doubts began to resurface in her mind. It`s not like there was a surplus of apples to skim off from, oh no. She was fairly certain Big Macintosh had already accounted for all of their projected crop. '...Let`s hope the zap apple jam will give us a shot in the hoof, because we`re barely recouping costs... and that`s not counting granny`s new walker.' - she recalled him muttering over the ledgers last night, - 'Ah donno what are we gonna do otherwise.'
Applejack glared on the bucketfuls of apples balefully. "Lotsa good you are." - she muttered venomously - "Ah put my life in that darn orchard an` ah ain`t got a red bit fer the Hearts and Hooves Day. A`chally, scratch that - ah ain`t got nopony to go out with on Hearts and Hooves Day, either." She loved her farm, she really did, but it`s days like those when she recalled just how thankless the job could be. One`d think best apples in Equestria wouldn`t be so guldarn cheap...

2828412

Suddenly, Apple Bloom burst into view, grinning madly. She pranced around and stuck her flank into Applejack's face. She had "gotten" her cutie mark!
"Apple Bloom, please, ah know ya just have a darn stupid stick-on butt tattoo! It looks so fake." Applejack said, facehoofing.
Apple Bloom sighed, and walked away, mumbling, "I'll never get mah cutie mark..."

SUDDENLY, A MAGICAL RAINBOW ALICORN SWEEPED ACROSS THE SKY, BLINKING HER EYES FLIRTILY! Applejack's eyes widened, her mouth hung open, and stared at the alicorn like she was a dead horse.

2830327
The alicorn looked at Applejack and winked. "I knew you weren't attracted to stallions," she said as she flew up into the air, per the rules of no shipping allowed.

"Aw," Applejack said, and spanked Applebloom for wearing a fake butt tattoo again.

2830409

"Aaaagh!" - granted, it was not the roughest way to wake up, but it was most definitely among the top ten worst. Rarity shuddered and hugged her pillow closer as she regained her consciousness completely. She was pretty certain farm life is not quite THAT bad, but there was just no arguing with her subconsciousness. Somehow, experiencing it all as Applejack added an extra layer to the subjective horror for her.
Thankfully, Rarity could afford to take it easy today. Last order have had been fulfilled yesterday and just this once, she resolved to have a day off just for herself. It would be... fabulous.

2875647

After all, she did not have a costume off Spitfire`s flank, as it were. Merely an order for three new ones. She did have an old costume for reference, but Rarity was fairly sure it`s just a loan. Still... Maybe she could throw in one more suit and ask to be allowed to keep an old one. And if not... well, embarrassing as it was, admitting to Rainbow that she could only get a copy for her would not be the end of the world. It would just sound like it.

"And ponies call me overdramatic." - she muttered sourly. Oh well, time to work her magic... After a good cup of yak tea, of course. That little recipe was a heavensend in disguise. Who`d think those barbaric oriental nomads shunning the very notion of civilization could`ve been responsible for the creation of something so invigorating? But then again, maybe that was precisely the reason - necessity is the mother of invention, after all.

Stretching, she ambled into the kitchen, levitating a little pot off the shelf. 'Four tablespoons of tea, top off with milk and simmer.' - she recalled, putting the pot on the stove. Now she just needed to wait for it to boil, add some butter, cinnamon and sugar to it, and presto. The drink so energetic that it could cheer up princess Luna on midday. Like Pinkie Pie. Thankfully, unlike Pinkie Pie, yak tea had the forethought to let the ponies decide as to when they wanted to be cheery.