Chapter I

I trotted down the path home from the market as my Dad pulled our wagon with Big Mac riding on his back. I felt a slight pang of jealously shoot through me but we did make a bet that whoever sold the most apples would get to ride on Dads back home.

“How much didja think we sold Papa?” I asked as I sped up to a gallop to keep up with his long strides.

“Ah counted a few thousand bits AJ,” Dad or Bright Mac as the grown up ponies called him. “But it’s more about the experiences we make together, not about winning some bet or makin money.”

“But Ah thought bits made everything easier,” Big Mac pointed out with a frown.

“It does but we spent time together and made memories yall will remember for a good few years,” Dad replied with a stern look at Big Mac as I hid a snicker behind a hoof.

Big Mac shot me a dirty look as I forced my face to be neutral. I’d never say this out loud, but I do love my older brother. But I’d never say that out loud. Can’t give him that satisfaction of knowing he’s right. We have a normal sibling rivalry like everypony else does.

“Hey, who do yall think is moving in there?” I asked and pointed a hoof at the farm across the way. It had been abandoned as long as I could remember.

I could make out two grown up ponies and a small filly in the distance as a weird look crossed Dads face.

“Ah ain’t sure,” Dad said with a shrug as he continued pulled the wagon. “Ah should probably tell your Ma about this. Why don’t ya go on an ahead and introduce ya self to our new neighbor? Maybe ya will even make a friend.”

Dad winked at me as I gave a eager nod. I loved meeting new ponies in hopes of making friends. Most did end up being my friend but a few didn’t. That was fine by me, can’t please everypony in Equestria after all.

I took off as fast as my small legs could carry me, quickly closing the distance as some other ponies continued moving furniture into the house. A small orange filly with a orange mane and bright green eyes sat on the grass with a book as I approached her.

“Hey there, Ah’m Applejack! What’s ya name?” I asked as the filly jumped slightly and gave me a startled look.

“Oh hey there. I’m Golden Harvest,” the filly introduced herself as I smiled as the filly started chewing on a nearby Carrot.

“Golden Harvest huh?” I rubbed my chin with a hoof as she continued eating her carrot slowly. “Think Ah’m gonna call ya Carrot Top, with ya love of carrots and all.”

“Uh huh,” Carrot Top raised an eyebrow slightly. “No offense but I think I like Golden Harvest better. It was a good name though.”

“Ah’m sorry if Ah offended ya,” I said as my ears flattened against my head and Carrot Top let out a laugh.

“I’m just messing around with you there silly filly. I’ll let you call me it but no pony else. I have a bit of an anger problem if I’m being honest,” Carrot Top admitted sheepishly. “Kinda drives away ponies from being my friends. Just moved here from a town ten minutes away or so.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to make ya acquaintance!” I shook her hoof enthusiastically as she vibrated from how fast I was shaking her hoof. “Ah’m from here, born n raised!”

Carrot Tops eyes quit being spinning around as she pressed her hoofs on the ground again and glared at me slightly as I gulped.

“Warning next time would be greatly appreciated. Where do you live and what do they do?”

I proudly pointed a hoof where Mom and Granny came out of greet Dad and Big Mac. I smiled faintly as Mom hugged Dad and I gagged as they kissed.

“Adorable,” Carrot Top teased slightly as she joined me. “I should have taken you for a farm pony, you do look pretty strong. We grow carrots or well, that’s the plan. This farm has more land than our old one did.”

“We grow apples,” I stated as my fellow earth pony filled tossed me a carrot.

“I figured that since you’re named Applejack and you have a bunch of apple trees we saw when we came into the area. They looked pretty tasty and red.”

“Ya are darn right they are tasty!” I pushed out my chest with a grin. “We grow the best apples in all of Equestria!”

“You’re pretty confident for a seven year old looking filly,” Carrot Top noted dryly.

“I’m ten,” I shot back as she grinned slightly.

“Me too. What are the odds, huh?”

“Wanna go play or something?” I asked hopefully as I pushed my ponytail back into it’s normal spot. “We can go play in the mud or something, play hoofball if that’s your thing.”

“Uh no thanks. How does gardening or getting lunch sound?” Carrot Top suggested. “I just took a bath a little bit ago and Mom would spank my flank in a heart beat if I trotted inside our new house with mud all over my mane and coat AJ.”

“Ya got a point there. Now come on sugarcube, Ah can show ya the best places to eat in Ponyville. Ah think Ah heard a rumor about a new bakery openin up in town.”

“Honestly, I was half expecting you to take me to your house,” Carrot Top admitted after a second.

“Ah mean, we can go to mah house if you want. Mah folks would love to meet ya Ah reckon. Ma and Pa are awfully nice to strangers. Mah brother is a mite weird but that’s normal for colts Ah was told by Ma.”

“Colts are gross. Or well, that’s what Mom tells me but my Dad was a colt once and she married him so it’s all confusing to me.”

“Welcome to the club.”

Carrot Top and I looked at each other as we laughed in unison. She had a very beautiful, carefree laugh.

I could already tell this was gonna be a great friendship.

Author's Note:

For context, Applejacks parents will die in this story but it won't be shown to keep the Everyone rating but it will be talked about. That's all I'll say about it for now.

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