> Part'n'Parcel
>  by SomeGenericPonyNameHere
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The farmer brought up a large hand and gave a few knocks to the black painted door in front of her. The name "R. Belle" was emblazoned in silver text across the painted oak. "Come in." 

At the muffled permission, a tanned hand reached for the slim door handle and turned it to open the door. Brown leather boots padded heavily over the flat carpet of the office as she stepped through the threshold. The office was spacious, with wall-to-wall windows (save for the solid wall to the farmers' left) but only had the executive desk placed in the middle of the window wall. The interior was pretty much lacking in the ways of genuine creativity and was in fact bland, giving it the oppressive feeling one would feel from being in the principals' office. 'And this is a fashion owners' office?' The farmer mentally questioned as she stepped up to the desk.

At the desk, perched atop a black leather desk chair, was a purple haired woman scribbling busily on some stationary. Her hair was tied back into a professional tight bun and she was sporting a sharp navy blue office suit. The only semblance of lively color aside from her hair were her bright red glasses resting on the bridge of her nose.

Seeing that the business woman didn't even make any indication of noticing her, the farmer gave a quick tap of her knuckles atop the smooth surface of the desk. For the briefest of moments the woman at the desk brought up her eyes and gave the farmer in front of her a quick once-over before returning her attention to her stationary. The tall blonde faintly shuddered. 'Ah've been bitten by snakes warmer than that woman's eyes!' 

"Human resources is on the last door down the hall to the right." Her voice, while lovely, sounded bored and uninterested as a petit hand waved the woman off dismissively. 

"Uh...p-pardon?"

This time the woman, this Miss Belle, didn't even bother to look back up at the blonde farmer as she answered once more in that bored voice. "Human resources. As in, the HR office? I assume you're to be the new janitor for this floor, correct? Or perhaps you are filling in for the maintenance position? If that's the case, there's a light fixture that needs repairing in my boudoir."

"Light in yer-" The apple farmer bit back the rest of her words as a hot wave of annoyance quickly coursed up her chest and shoulders while causing her neck and jaw to stiffen. She took in a deep breath through her nose and let it out in a heavy sigh through the same method. "No ma'am, Ah ain't the new janitor or the maintenance girl. Ah was hired to be your new body guard!"

The busy scribbling stopped instantly. Miss Belle seemed to deflate at the farmers' words, letting out an insufferable huff. 

"Not this again...." She then took off her red glasses and rubbed irritably at the bridge of her nose. "And you are?"

"The name's Applejack, ma'am. Applejack Apple." The farmer wiped a hand down along her plaid work shirt and held it out towards her charge, a polite smile on her tanned and freckled face. "Right nice to make your acq-"

"You're excused from your 'duties', Miss Apple."

The words spoken from the business woman were to-the-point, as if it was a matter of fact. The smile vanished from the blonde farmer and she let out another sigh as she lowered her hand. Another wave of annoyance rushed through her frame but she brushed it off and tried again.

"Sorry Miss Belle, that ain't yer call to make. You're mah charge, not my employer."

Businesswoman Rarity let out another, louder, huff through her red lips and quickly rose up from her desk, only to disappear behind a single black polished door against the solid wall of her office. Applejack watched on in confusion. The designer reemerged from the door with a thin, rectangular booklet in her hand. She then slapped it down onto her desk and flicked it open with an impatient hand. 

She yanked a pen from its caddy and clicked on the button. "Very well! How much is your employer paying you? I'll buy out your contract. I'll even double it if we can get this nonsense done with all the more quicker."

Miss Belle looked towards Applejack expectantly, blue eyes glinting defiantly as she waited for a response, bent over her desk and holding her checkbook open. 

Applejack took off her Stetson with an irritated yank and ran a calloused hand through her blonde bangs. "Miss Belle, Ah ain't sellin' ya my contract! 'Sides, no offense but you ain't got nothin' on what my employer has. Best to spare yourself the bits and just let me do mah job!"

Green eyes watched as a well manicured hand drummed its nails against the desktop in aggravation, the woman's rose red lips pursed in a thin line as her blue eyes narrowed and glared off to the side. A more resigned huff left Rarity once more and she took a seat at her desk again as she had before. She then put her checkbook away and resumed writing on her stationary.

"If you're going to be here, Miss Apple, you're going to be actively working, or something along the lines of constructive. I'll not have some uncouth, barbaric oaf simply stand around me as I try to get things accomplished. It's unnerving."

Applejack simply nodded her head, choosing to let the 'oaf' thing slide (for now) and crossed her arms over her chest. 'Ah think Ah need to renegotiate the price later, fifty mil ain't soundin' near enough for this kinda load of BS...' "Fine by me, never was one to be still for too long anyhow. Whatcha have in mind, Miss Priss?"