Apple Family Values

by defender2222

Rating: everyone
Tags: Comedy, Rarity, Big Macintosh, Slice of Life, Granny Smith, Applejack, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 10505

Applejack tries to teach Rarity how to live like an Apple but finds her family warming up to Rarity's ideas

"When Rarity finds herself homeless for a week Applejack happily extends an invitation for her to stay at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack plans to use the time to show Rarity why the Apple Family is so great but as the week goes on it is Applejack who finds herself become more and more the outsider"

This one-shot was written as a challenge to myself. The goal was the create a 'lost episode' that could take place within the series cannon and feel like an actual episode of the show.

This fic is unconnected to any of my previous works.

A big thanks to CrowMagnon for beta-reading this!

Published 2015-07-03 20:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-07-03 20:40:02 UTC

One-Shot

Rarity sighed as she snuggled a bit deeper into the warmth of her covers. Her sleeping mask was placed firmly over her eyes, ensured that not a stray beam of sunlight would get between her lids and force her to wake up a moment sooner than need be. Just outside her window she could hear the soft trilling of songbirds and the first rumbles and murmurs of Ponyville's citizens getting up to start their day. In a few hours the farmers’ market would be open with sellers hawking their wears while the rest of the townsfolk milled about from shop to shop, gathering supplies and getting that last minute thing they needed to complete their morning. Rarity herself would be among them but for the moment all of this was just a sleepy thought that was banished away as she snuggled into the plush depths of her bed.

A content little smile formed on her ivory lips. This was the perfect way to start her morning. While others snapped wide awake or were forced to leave the land of snooze via of ringing alarm clock Rarity was able to ever so slowly take one step after another into the waking world. She'd just delivered the last gown Madame Le Danseur had ordered for her studio's annual performance and Rarity found her safe flush with bits and her work schedule happily empty for the time being. Oh, there would be designing and brainstorming and experimenting for her next line but at the moment she could wallow in blissful peace.

The ivory mare let out a happily little sigh. She could hear the faint murmur of ponies, smell the scented lotions on her end table, feel the twitching of little spindly legs along her body, soak in the warmth of-

Rarity suddenly froze, going over those last few things in her head.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" she screamed, leaping out of her bed, her covers flying off her as she rose 5 feet in the air. She landed with a thud on her mattress only to scramble off when she felt the itching sensation return with vengeance. Diving onto the floor she tore her sleep mask off and stared at her beautiful white coat. For a moment it was impossible for her to process what she was seeing but as the seconds ticked by her mind managed to comprehend that yes, there were hundreds of little black dots all over her, making her look like a giant Dalmatian.

Dots... that moved.

Rarity let out another shriek, desperately trying to brush the little itchy invaders off her body. The spots clung to her or jumped away, landing on a different part of her form. The fashionista could feel her throat going sore but she couldn't stop screaming as she tried to free herself of the hideous little creatures. She looked around, eyes wide with panic, but every possible piece of salvation was also covered in the bouncing little buggers. They were on her vanity and in her bed and on her authentic Tigrasia Curtains and on all her clothing...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" she screamed again, flinging open the door and hurrying down stairs. She took the steps four at a time, trying to outrun the little invaders, but upon landing on the ground floor she found no chance of reprieve; the home invaders were there too.

She looked around, tears in her eyes, before throwing her head back and screaming: "FLEAS!!!!!!!!"

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
The Lost Episodes
Season 5
“Apple Family Values”

"Drink this, Rarity... it should help your throat." Spike waved off the white mare when she opened her mouth to speak. "Don't thank me... it will just hurt your vocal chords."

Rarity managed a slight nod, flashing the baby dragon a watery smile, before sipping some of the honey tea. She had a blanket around her (they said it was for shock but she honestly didn't understand how a blanket would help with that.. especially one so plain; she was liable to get shock over how standard it was) and her friends were all gathered around her as she watched Fluttershy collect the last flea that had managed to cling to her coat during her escape from the Boutique.

"There we go," Fluttershy said softly, smiling at the fleas as they obediently hopped into the special shoe box she'd brought. "You stay nice and safe in there, okay? I promise to be with you in a few minutes but if you could stay in there for now that would be very, very, very… good."

"Man, I can't believe how many of those little guys invaded your house!" Rainbow said, watching as two ponies dressed in hazmat suits walked into the Boutique. A quick glance inside confirmed that the entirety of Rarity’s home had been infested with the bouncing, biting, bitty bugs. “It’s like Bugapalooza in there!”

“Except there aren’t any panels and no line to Hall H!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“I’m just wondering how they managed to get in there,” Twilight said.

“Oh, I know!” Pinkie said, waving her foreleg in the air like she was a filly back in grade school. “Maybe the fleas got invited to the Breathtaking Bouncing Ball and needed little suits and dresses for the event and they heard that Rarity was a really great designer so they went to her to get their duds!” The pink mare paused, tapping her chin. “No, wait… that makes no sense. Rarity doesn’t own needles that small.”

“Yeah, because that’s the flaw in your theory,” Spike said, rolling his eyes.

“I just don’t know how this could have happened!” Rarity moaned. “It simply makes no sense!”

“Maybe they came in a new shipment?” Twilight offered. “You were all excited about getting those new bolts from Prance…”

“No no, that can’t be it,” Rarity said, waving her hoof dismissively. “Every piece of fabric I order is dry cleaned before arriving to prevent just this sort of thing.”

“Maybe it was something Sweetie Belle did,” Spike said. “She’s always off crusading… she could have gone into the Everfree and picked up a few fleas trying to get a cutie mark in bug-catching.”

Rarity lowered her head and sighed. “While any other time I might consider such a scenario in this case Sweetie Belle isn’t at fault. She’s off with our parents on a visit to North Dacolta.”

“Well, did ya go off on a hike or something yourself?” Applejack asked. Rarity gave her a dry look at Applejack glanced away. “Right, forgot who I was talkin’ too.”

“Well, they didn’t just appear out of thin air!” Rainbow Dash complained. “They had to show up somehow!”

“I might have an idea,” Twilight said, gesturing with her horn towards Rarity’s house. All six mares let out gasps of shock as one of the hazmat ponies exited the Boutique with Opal held out as far from his body as he could manage. The fluffy white cat’s fur couldn’t be seen, seeing as the fleas had completely swarmed to like parasprites on a honey melon.

“Oh, Opal dear!” Rarity cried out, taking a step forward only to stop short, her desire to comfort her pet fighting against her urge to stay away from the horrid little creatures that had infested her home. Opal, for her part, was simply staring at anyone, showing no signs of noticing the hundreds of fleas that were clinging to her. “Oh, please don’t tell me you are the reason this happened!”

One of the Hazmat ponies said, “We found her in the center of the room… it is clear that she is the epicenter of this infestation.”

“Opal!” Rarity cried out in horror. “How could you?”

“M-rowr,” Opal said blandly, giving the kitty-equivalent of a shrug.

“No offense, Rarity, but your pet is weird!” Pinkie said just as Gummy, who was clinging to a helium balloon and wearing one of Scootaloo’s Rainbow Dash wigs, floated by.

“Don’t worry, Rarity, I’ll make sure to get every flea out of your house,” Fluttershy said as the hazmat ponies placed Opal into a kitty carrier. “It will take a week or so, but I’ll do it!”

“A week?!?” Rarity gasped. “A whole week?”

“Or so,” Pinkie reminded her. “That could mean even more days!”

“Thank you Pinkie for reminding me of that,” Rarity said coolly.

“No problem!”

“I’m sorry Rarity but these things will take time,” Fluttershy said. “I have to teach each of these fleas,” she gestured towards the box, “to become leader fleas so they can help me guide the other fleas to the local flea circus. That way they go to a good home and you get your house back.”

“I suppose drowning the little vermin is out of the question,” Rarity muttered darkly. Fluttershy gasped and the white mare was quick to add, “Kidding! Kidding!” Under her breath though she finished with, “Not really.”

Fluttershy, accepting Rarity’s answer, began to head towards the house to begin her work, leaving the other five mares and Spike to consider what they had just learned. “Oh girls,” Rarity moaned, “I just don’t know what I am going to do! I’m homeless!”

“You are going to have the most stylish bindle,” Rainbow joked. The rest of girls glared at her and she landed, scuffing her hoof against the ground. “Yeah, sorry… that was a bit much.”

Rarity moved to sit down on the ground in defeat, only to think better of it and instead lay out her ‘anti-shock blanket’ on the grass and plop down on that. “But it doesn’t make it any less true. Oh girls, when you see me living under a bridge, begging for bits, please don’t avert your eyes in shame!”

“Come on, sugarcube, I’m sure it ain’t that bad,” Applejack said. “Can’t ya just go bunk at your folks’ place? They’re on vacation, right? I’m sure they won’t mind.”

“I would if I could but I’m afraid it simply is out of the question. Mother and father are engaging in a house-swap vacation; some lovely family from North Decolta is staying in their house for the next week and a half and I simply couldn’t kick them out or impose myself on them.”

“I suppose staying with Fluttershy is also out of the question, since she’ll be training those fleas,” Twilight said. Rarity scowled at the mere thought.

Pinkie nodded. “Yeah and my place is a complete no go! I would if I could but the Cakes barely have enough room for all of us! I suppose I could claim you are a pet…”

“You could stay with us!” Spike said with a grin. “You can have my bed!”

“What Spike means to say…” Twilight began, clamping the baby dragon’s mouth shut, “is that we’d love to have you stay with us.”

Rarity shook her head. “But darling, you were telling us all that you were hosting a meeting of local mayors this week! All your rooms will be spoken for!”

Twilight smiled. “I could figure something out…”

“No no, I could never allow you to change your plans for me.” Rarity sighed, running her forehoof against the grass. “I suppose it will be beans and hobo campfires for me.”

“Ya know… there is somepony else who ya could stay with,” Applejack said. When no one turned towards her she continued. “A pony with a big house… with plenty of rooms…” Rarity didn’t react and Applejack leaned in a bit closer. “Somepony who ya know well and know would be willin’ to help ya during the tough times.” Rarity let out a little sigh and Applejack frowned. “A rather HONEST pony… in fact ya might say that when she’s honest she’s in her ELEMENT…”

Rarity blinked in confusion. “I suppose I could ask Derpy-“

“I think AJ is talking about herself,” Rainbow hissed.

“Oh… oh! Oh, of course!” Rarity grinned. “I’m sorry dear; I simply did not even consider you.” Seeing Applejack’s scowl Rarity backpedaled. “Not that there is anything wrong with you and your family, of course! I was merely thinking of ponies that lived in town and since you are out of town-“

“Hey Pinkie, do you have a shovel for Rarity to dig herself out of this mess?” Rainbow Dash asked with a smirk.

“Of course! I keep shovels around for shoveling emergencies!”

Rarity stood up, a bit more spring in her step, shoving away the shovel Pinkie was trying to hand her. “Well… now that we have that settled I suppose I should go gather some supplies and necessities to see me through the week. I certainly can’t get anything from my house so I guess that means a day of shopping. Spikey-wikey, would you mind…?”

“But of course!” Spike said, giving Rarity a flashy bow.

“I’ll come too!” Pinkie cried out, bouncing off after the two of them as they began to make their way towards the Ponyville Spa to stock up on Rarity’s favorite shampoo and lotions.

“Wow, AJ… you’re braver than I am!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “A whole week with Rarity? I surrender, you are the Iron Pony!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight scolded. “Applejack is doing a wonderful thing. Rarity needs our help and she stepped in to make sure she had a roof over her head.”

“Thanks, Twi… but truth be told, I ain’t doin’ this just ta help Rarity out.”

Twilight frowned. “What do you mean?”

Applejack adjusted her hat, watching as Fluttershy began to lead a new group of fleas out of the house, the bugs happily hopping in line behind her. “Ya’ll know I love Rarity but she can, at times… well, she likes lookin’ down that snooty little snout of hers at me and my kin.” Twilight opened her mouth to protest but Applejack continued all the same. “She sees us as backwards… no different than so many other ponies I’ve met in Equestria who think they are better than the hard-workin’ ponies that make sure they can lead comfy lives. This here though is a chance to show Rarity just how great my life is! I get a whole week to show her how amazin’ the Apple Family is and by the time she gets back to her house she is going to be singin’ a whole different tune when it comes ta us!” Applejack waved off whatever comment Twilight was about to make. “Now, I get that it’ll be an uphill battle… I expect this will be the most cryin’ in our farmhouse since Applebloom was in diapers. But if I’m anything I’m patient… I’ll wear her down and get her to embrace the Apple Family Way!”

“Well…” Twilight said, her mouth twitching a bit before settling on a smile, “I suppose that isn’t all that bad. It’s good to try new things.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “I mean, I hated reading until Twilight got me hooked on Daring Do and now I read all sorts of things! Wonderbolt Magazines, that biography on Commander Hurricane… it was something new and I’m glad for it.”

“Dang straight!” Applejack said, pumping her hoof in the air. “Trust me, by the end of the week Rarity is gonna be thankin’ me for all I show her!” Applejack glanced up at the sun and frowned. “Shucks, I need ta hurry! I still got some stops to make and I want ta get home and let Big Mac and Granny and Applebloom know what is goin’ on! Twi, Dash, I’ll see ya around!” Applejack galloped off, leaving her friends smiling and waving as she hurried away.

Rainbow, through her clenched grin, hissed, “On a scale one One to Discord, how bad is this going to be?”

Twilight wore the same grin. “Is there anything higher than Discord?”

~The Next Day~

Applejack was used to rising with the sun but today it was AJ that was up and about first. She’d been unable to sleep soundly, her mind simply too active, and finally she’d just given in and gotten up an hour before her normal rise-and-shine time, taking out a pad of paper and, taking a page out of Twilight’s book, going over her notes for the day. In one column she had her normal chore list: milk the cows, slop the truffle pigs, check the orchard to see how this year’s crop was coming, rearrange the hay bales in the barn, lunch…

In the other column, however, was a rather new list. It was here that she had written down all that she wanted Rarity to experience… and what excuses the prim and proper white mare might use to try and get out of them.

“Oh, ya can try whatever ya want, Rar, but ya ain’t gonna escape me!” Applejack said with a chuckled. She blinked though, her lips pursed together. “Dang, that came out a bit evil…” The rooster let out his ‘cockadoodle doo’ and Applejack leapt away from her desk. “Yeehaw! Time ta get started!” She hurried out of her room, not worried at all about waking her family; the entire Apple clan was use to snapping awake at the sound of the rooster’s call and pretty soon they’d all be moving about, getting breakfast ready and discussing what they had planned for the day. Applejack hurried to the guest bedroom, knocking on the door while fighting the urge to grin. “Rarity? Rarity? Time ta get up now…”

She hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to Rarity after extending her invitation. The white unicorn had arrived at the farm a few hours after supper, stating that she’d taken Spike out for a casual meal as thanks for helping her with her shopping. She’d brought with her more luggage that Applejack’s entire family would bring during a family reunion and ‘begged a thousand pardons’, saying that she needed to spend the rest of the night getting organized but promised to properly greet and thank them all in the morning. Applejack had allowed this; it was at least clear that Rarity was thankful and it wouldn’t hurt to give her friend a bit of time before Operation: Apple Family Values began.

“Rarity?” Applejack said, getting a bit annoyed it was taking her friend so long to wake up. At the very least she expected to hear the unicorn grumble and complain over the early wake-up call. “Rar, come on now, time ta get up!” Applejack pushed the door opened and marched into the guest room. “Rarity?” She looked around, startled by the nicely made up bed and the complete lack of white unicorn mare anywhere in the room. “UH… Rar?” Applejack looked under the bed and in the closet, brow furrowing more and more with each passing second. If it weren’t for the fact that Rarity’s luggage was still in the room Applejack would have thought that the fashionista had skipped out on her in the middle of the night. “Now where the hay are ya?”

Applejack left the bedroom and began to make a search of the rest of the second floor. She found no sign of Rarity but, more disturbingly, she found no sign of her family. All of their rooms were empty and the bathroom and the other guest rooms had no sign of the Apples or Rarity. Applejack swallowed, her imagination suddenly getting the better of her as she thought of what sinister, silent creature could have made off with her friend and kin without even waking her. She’d worked herself up into such a lather that when a pan fell downstairs she leapt three feet in the air and let out a cry that would have made Fluttershy proud.

Taking the stairs four at a time Applejack landed on the ground floor and hurried towards the kitchen, throwing up the door… and staring at her confused family.

“Applejack, what are ya doin’?” Applebloom asked, her upper lip sporting a cream moustache.

“I… uh…” Applejack said, her body still tense and ready for battle.

“Dang, Applejack, I was wonderin’ when ya’d get up!” Granny Smith complained. “Not like ya to waste the day dozin’!”

“I… what?”

“Now now, Granny, it’s not Applejack’s fault that we all got up so early,” Rarity said, her horn glowing as she worked at the stove. “Big Macintosh, could you fetch me that bowl over there? Now that Applejack’s up I can make her breakfast!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac said, ambling away from the table.

“…what?” Applejack said again.

“Applejack, dear, please sit down!” Rarity said, taking the bowl from Big Mac and giving the contents a quick stir. “It is the least I can do. I managed to get a few hours of sleep in but as I was lying in bed I realized that I needed to do something to thank all of you for taking me in. I thought and thought and it finally occurred to me that I could make you all one of my favorite breakfasts!” Rarity’s horn glowed again and she brought over a plate for Applejack. “I’m afraid I made a bit of a racket trying to find the right pan and woke your grandmother up but she was more than happy to help me.”

“Dang tootin’ I was!” Granny exclaimed with a grin. “Been a long time since I got ta experiment in the kitchen and I’d forgotten how much fun it was! Use ta do it back when your grandpappy was courtin’ me! Came up with all sorts of new recipes for him to try… I swear, I ain’t never felt so young.”

Rarity smiled as she began to spread a thick, jelly-like substance onto the super thin pancake she’d placed on Applejack’s plate; she used her magic to curl the pathetically thin flapjack over itself. “I found it quite enjoyable myself! Sweetie Belle is much too young to do much with in the kitchen but your grandmother is a grown mare and quite skilled.”

“Uh…huh,” Applejack said, staring at her plate. “I apologize for askin’ but… what is this?” she nudged the strange food-stuff with her hoof. “Cause it looks like the sorriest flapjack I’ve ever seen.”

Rarity laughed. “Oh Applejack, that isn’t a flapjack! It’s a crepe! They are all the rage in Prance.”

“Too bad we ain’t in Prance then,” Applejack muttered. “Granny, I thought today was pancake day.”

“Oh, we can do pancakes another day!” Granny Smith said, shooing Rarity away from the stove so she could take over. “Go on now, ya eat up! I’ll take over. If you wait for those three to get full you’ll never get a bite to eat. I swear, I remember their mama Buttercup bein’ all excited when she had Applejack, claimin’ ‘Well, Little Mac might eat a ton but we only have one of ‘im!’ Only later we learned the truth!”

“Try it, sis!” Applebloom exclaimed, licking the whipped cream from her plate. “It’s so good! It’s got apple-jelly in it… it’s like havin’ pie for breakfast!”

“I don’t know if ya should be havin’ somethin’ so sweet for breakfast,” Applejack said sternly. “Don’t you agree, Big Macintosh?”

“…nope,” her brother said, holding out his plate. Rarity smiled and passed him a strawberry/mango crepe (‘strawberry/mango!?!?’ Applejack screamed in her head) before she began to eat her own breakfast. “Thank ya.”

“Oh, it is no trouble at all, Big Macintosh,” Rarity said. “Anyway, as I was saying, dear, I woke up your grandmother and the smell of breakfast brought down these two. I’m surprised you didn’t wake up as well.”

“That’s Applejack!” Granny said with a laugh. “She has the appetite of a full-grown stallion and can sleep through an avalanche!”

Applejack didn’t say a word, choosing instead to eat her breakfast… and not acknowledge how utterly delicious it was. She didn’t know why she was upset… Rarity was just being polite and she wasn’t being rude to her family at all. Applejack had half expected Rarity to make fun of Granny Smith like that little troublemaker Diamond Tiara (and yes, Applejack had found out all about what Filthy Rich’s daughter had been saying about the Apples… there was a reason the Riches now paid nearly double for their Zapapple Jam). Yet here was Rarity actually getting along and helping out Granny! It was just what Applejack had wanted...

…right?

~Four Hours Later~

Applejack wiped the sweat from her brow before looking over the squeaky clean pigs. While it didn't really matter if the truffle hogs were muddy, as that didn't affect their ability to hunt down the delicious fungus that grew just along the border of the Everfree Forest, but it was a point of pride for Applejack that all aspects of her farm from then house to the critters were clean as a whistle and County Fair ready.

"Alright boys, try yar hardest not ta get too dirty, okay?" The pigs let out oinks of agreement and Applejack nodded to herself before heading off to check on Applebloom.

Her sister had been assigned to go through the raspberry bushes and pick a few bins-worth and Applejack knew from experience that if she didn't check in on her little sister from time to time the job would never get done. It wasn't that Applebloom was trying to shrug off her chores; far from it. Her sister just always had trouble getting that particular job done as the tedium of it would cause her mind to wander. More than once Applejack had caught Applebloom staring off at the clouds, trying to figure out what cutie mark they were shaped like rather than plucking raspberries and checking them for bugs. A simple cough would get her back to work though.

Applejack looked over at Big Mac, who was busy setting up new fence posts along the corn field. While apples were the mainstay of Sweet Apple Acres the family had long grown other staples. Corn, carrots, potatoes, certain berries, and a few other items could be scattered around the farm, giving the Apple Family something to do while they waited for Applebucking and Zap Apple Season.

"Course some ponies just assume all we can do is apples," she muttered to herself, her tone half amused and half annoyed. It amazed her what misconceptions ponies had about her family and just what they did on their farm. City slickers seemed to think that farmponies spent all their time wandering the same crops over and over and that a farm didn’t have much else to it other than their main crop. That, of course, was bure hokey. "Can't make a pie with just flour and ya can't have a farm with just apples."

She'd explained as much to Rarity when she'd left the house that morning. She wanted her friend to know where everyone was in case she needed them... it certainly wasn't because Applejack wanted to drill it through the white mare's head that the Apple Family was more than just a few red delicious hanging from a tree.

Her lips twitched as she ignored the tiny part of her that scolded her for fibbing to herself.

"I wonder what Rar is up ta today?" Applejack asked herself as she moved behind the barn and began the trek to the raspberry patch. "Probably sittin' on the couch, dreamin' up some new fancy dress from some hoity toity... what in tarnation?"

Applejack stopped dead in her tracks, the sound of her sister's voice filling the air.

Applebloom

No matter what the day brings
No matter how short or long
Nothing else really matters
Long as I sing my song!

I keep the music in my heart
And the world sings with me!
Every flower
Every buggy
Even every tree!

No matter what the day brings
No matter by fate or chance
Nothing else really matters
Long as I dance my dance!

I keep up with the rhythm
And I go with the flow!
In the rain
In the sun
Or even the snow!

Applejack frowned, her pace picking up again as she listened to her sister sing the silly little lyrics. She'd never heard that song before and from the sounds of it Applebloom was just making it up as she went along. The farmpony let out a snort; her sister had probably gotten into her head that her secret talent was singing and that if she belted out a few tunes she'd get a microphone cutie mark. Applejack had no problem with her sister crusading... but only when it was the right time. ‘A time and place for everything’ had been her pa’s motto and Applejack held true to it. Singing had its place. Now was not time, though, and she was ready to give the youngest Apple a talking to.

"Applebloom," AJ called out, keeping her voice sweet. She'd learned from Granny Smith that sometimes a voice dipped with honey was scarier than one full of hornets. "I thought I told ya to... pick... the... raspberries..."

"Oh, hiya Applejack!" Applebloom said, stopping her song long enough to glance at her sister. She reached over and plucked a few raspberries from a bush and tossed them into a half-full wicker basket. Several more were lined up off to the side, nearly overflowing with perfectly ripened fruit. "What are ya doin'?"

"Me?" Applejack said, tryin' to keep her tone light so she didn't give away her confusion. "I heard your yodelin' out past the barn and thought I'd see what was goin’ on."

Applebloom grinned. "Oh... sorry about that! I was just trying out a trick Rarity taught me!"

"Rarity?"

"Me, dear!" Rarity said, popping her head up from behind the patch of blueberry bushes that was next to the raspberry patch. "I hope you don't mind but I was walking around, hoping the fresh air would help inspire my next line of designer hats when I noticed that your blueberries were quite ready to be picked! Well, I just had a sudden craving for them and joined Applebloom in harvesting."

"You... harvested berries," Applejack said slowly. Even though she was seeing it with her own two eyes she didn't believe it.

"But of course! Oh, it brings me back to when I was a filly; my grandmother had the biggest blueberry bushes in Ponyville and I'd spend whole summer days with her picking them." She leaned over and in a stage-whisper said, "Though I was known to eat about as many as I picked, but that is just between us, darling." She flashed a winning smile. "A mare has to keep her secrets now, doesn't she? I'm sure you've snuck an apple or two after giving a tree a good knock. ‘The delivery pony’s fee’ as my father is one to say."

"Buck, not knock," Applejack said simply, a frown marring her features. "Well, what was all that dang singin' I heard?"

"That was the trick Rarity taught me!" Applebloom said in delight, hurrying back to the bushes. "She said that if ya sing while ya work it helps the time go by faster and helps ya with your rhythm! Don't rightly matter what ya sing, as long as its.... uh... what was the word?"

"Cadence," Rarity said with a smile.

"Right! As long as its cadence is right! It's actually kinda fun to see what silly songs ya can come up with."

"I don't know..." Applejack muttered.

"Oh, come now Applejack, it is all in good fun. What's the point of doing work if it can't be fun?"

"Ta get the job done," the farmpony said dryly.

Rarity blinked for a moment before letting out a titter of laughter. "Oh, how utterly sardonic! I didn't realize you had such a biting sense of humor!"

"Ya sis, you sure are sardocket!" Applebloom said with a grin.

"Right..." Applejack muttered, turning away from the two. "We'll, I'll leave ya to your singin'... some of us have other work to do."

"Tata!" Rarity called out, not realizing for a second that Applejack was being sarcastic.

~Two Days Later...~

Applejack sighed as she entered the house, adjusting her hat a bit before trotting to the kitchen to get a glass of lemonade. It had been hot and dry all day and she needed to get some fluids in her before taking a quick cold shower. She could hear the water running overhead and knew that Big Mac was already in the bathroom doing the same thing. AJ didn't begrudge him getting the shower first; while her coat had a fine layer of dust on it her brother had had been forced to chase after a runaway cow and ended up taking a header right into a cowpie. That was one of the less glamorous parts of being a farmer and Applejack knew that when one got a bull-plop facial the first thing you wanted to do was scrub yourself clean.

"Maybe Rarity should get that kind of salon treatment," Applejack muttered to herself as she opened the fridge and grabbed the pitcher of lemonade. "Course, seein' how this week done gone she'd reveal that it were good for her pores and they did somethin' like that in Prance!"

Rarity's visit had not gone at all like Applejack had hoped. She'd envisioned the white mare's stay to be a chance to teach her about what life was like for normal ponies and get her to see that her froof-froof life wasn't all there was and that maybe the Apple Family had something to share with her. But every time Applejack turned around Rarity was corrupting her family. It had started with the breakfast and the singing and moved on to all their meals and how they spent their time off. The night before she had spent hours telling Applebloom all about her trip to Manehattan and even though Applejack tried to object that the stories were a bit too tall of talk for her baby sis Rarity had waved aside her concerns and continued on. While Applejack would admit the stories were a... bit funny... that didn't detract from the fact that Rarity had spent several hours filling her sister's head with visions of the big city. She’d been especially displeased when Big Macintosh had given up all pretenses of reading the newspaper and listened to the stories with almost as much focus as Applebloom.

"I swear, that mare is gonna... Granny, what is tarnation are ya doin'?"

Granny Smith was sitting in her rocker, examining one of her old bonnets with a critical eye. A box of beads, lace, and fake flowers sat at her hooves and every once and a while she'd reach down and pick one up, considering it for a moment before setting it aside.

"Oh, hello Applejack!" Granny said with a grin. "Well, I got my appointment with Doc Stables tomorrow."

"Yeah... so? What's that got ta do with that there bonnet."

Granny huffed. "I'm tryin' ta get it up ta snuff so I can look my best when I go ta see him."

"...why?" Applejack said in confusion.

"Why? Why not? Can't an old mare look good when she goes inta town?" Granny let out a snort of frustration. "Just cuss I'm gettin' on in years don't mean I need to go inta town lookin' like a wreck."

Applejack just stared at her granny. She knew without even asking who was responsible for this little idea: a mare whose name started R and rhymed with Flarity.

"Well, don't go gappin' at me!" Granny said, picking up a fake rose blossom and seeing if it would look good on the bonnet. Behind her she heard the heavy clomp-clomp-clomp of her brother's hooves. "Big Mac is done with the shower and now you can go wash that there grime off yeah. Ya tracked enough of it into the house."

Applejack turned around, a bit disturbed at how anti-dirt her grandmother had gotten. "Big Mac, what do you-SON OF TIMBERWOLF!"

"What?" Big Macintosh asked in confusion.

"What... what happened ta your mane?!?" Applejack screamed, pointing at her brother's head. Ever since she had been a foal her brother's mane had remained the same: messy tousled blonde hair that hung down the back of his neck and would occasionally get in his eyes, forcing him to let out a puff of air to push aside the strands. It wasn’t greasy or dirty by any means but it was what it was. Nothing fancy and nothing special.

But now her brother's mane looked like it belonged on some Ponywood Leading Stallion's head. Each strand looked silky smooth and flowed from the top of his head to the base of his neck in elegant waves. There was body and bounce now to the mane and it even looked brighter, resembling the rays of the noontime sun. She could even smell the faint scent of jasmine and orchids that wafted from Big Mac's hair.

"Uh... don't rightly know."

"Lordly lord, Big Mac, ya look like you are some big fancy model!" Granny Smith exclaimed.

"I do?" Big Mac said, giving his head a swish. Applejack's jaw dropped; she swore that time seemed to stand still as he slowly swung his mane back and forth, allowing the light and breezy locks to tumble in the air before coming back to rest. "I just took a shower."

Applejack frowned. "Big Mac... did you use the normal mane shampoo?"

"Uh... nope," Big Mac said. "We were out."

"Did you instead use the pink little bottle that had flowers all over it?"

"Eeeyup!" Big Macintosh declared.

"Oh my!" Rarity exclaimed as she entered the room. "Big Macintosh, did you use my shampoo?"

"Sorry, Miss Rarity," Big Mac said, dipping his head.

"Whatever for! My word, would you just look at your mane! It is utterly breathtaking!" Rarity walked over and ran her hoof through his bangs. "Just look at what it did for you! You look like a totally new stallion! You’ll be fighting off mares the next time you go into Ponyville!"

Applejack grit her teeth so hard it was a wonder they didn't crack and shatter.

Rarity continued on, not noticing her friend’s utter annoyance. "Though I don't know about the fragrance... I'll have to pick up a more stallionly scent when I go into town tomorrow!"

"Ya don't have ta do that..." Big Mac said, scuffing his hoof against the ground.

"Ya really don't," Applejack growled.

"Oh, but I must! It will be a thank you gift for letting me stay... in fact I'll pick you all up a few bottles... and some of those soaps I so love and maybe a few fluffy towels... or bathrobes!" Rarity grinned, looking Big Mac over. "Oh, let me make you a nice silk bathrobe! You'll look so wonderful! Something in the Neighpan style I think. Dashing and suave! For Applebloom I know the perfect design and Granny Smith you and I can work out something for you tomorrow! Applejack, what would you... Applejack?" Rarity blinked, staring at the empty spot where her friend had been standing moments earlier.

"Now where did she go?" Granny Smith asked in confusion. The house rattled, the sound of AJ's door slamming shut echoing through the halls. "That girl never did know her own strength."

~Next Morning...~

Applejack walked down the stairs towards the kitchen, feeling utterly ashamed of herself. She'd only left her room for supper and she'd refused to talk to any of her family or Rarity during the entire meal no matter how much they tried to engage her. And yes, while it was rather delicious, the fact that Rarity had made it caused the farmpony to feel like she was eating rocks covered in slime.

"Still, ain't right of me ta act like that," Applejack muttered to herself as she walked into the kitchen. "They just were... bein'..."

She trailed off, staring in confusion at the kitchen... or the room that had replaced the kitchen. Instead of the rustic room with the old stove and well-worn table she found herself in a dining room fit for Princess Celestia's castle. Two-story tall walls stretched up to the high ceiling with its crystal chandelier and expensive paintings of noble ponies Applejack had never seen before. The knobby and creaky hardwood floor had been replaced by the finest oak boards that had been polished to a mirror shine. Taking center stage was a long table draped with lace. At each seat was fine silver utensils and the best china money could buy.

"Ah, dear sister, please sit down." Applejack found herself unable to control her body as she took a seat next to a pony that had a passing resemblance to her brother but was an entirely different stallion. His hair was cut short and perfectly styled and he wore an expensive black suit complete with pocket watch, cufflinks, and tie. When he spoke it wasn’t his normal twang but a Canterlot accent that came out. "Caringson, could you please serve Jacqueline?"

"Of course, Lord Macthom," the heavy set butler said. He was wearing a full set of tails and had his thinning mane slicked back.

Big Mac/Lord Macthom opened up his paper and began looking through it. "Hmmm... seems that the local elections might go the way of the reformers. I don't know about that business."

"Uh... Big Mac... what the hay is goin' on?"

Her brother looked up, acting as if he hadn't heard his sister. "Ah, grandmamma, so good of you to join us."

Applejack turned and nearly choked on her own tongue at the sight of her granny. The old mare was wearing a dark black and purple dress so full of lace and frills it was a wonder she wasn't lost in it. A large hat sat on her head with a massive purple feather stuck in the band and she carried a fan with her as she moved to a chair, a hoofman pulling out her seat for her.

"Of course, Bigby. Where else would I be?" Granny/Grandmamma asked, her accent the same upper crust tone Big Mac was using. "Though it was a dreadful time getting here. We passed some laborer pony while on the carriage ride here... I clung to my bag until he was far out of sight. I dare say the ruffian would have molested me, if given the chance." She turned to Applejack and smiled. "And hello to you too, my dear."

"Granny... I don't-"

"Ugh!" Applebloom exclaimed, stomping into the room. She, like Granny and Big Mac, was wearing an expensive dress and her mane was done up in a tight style that kept it close to her head. "I swear, Social Climber is such an infuriating colt! He makes me so very agitated when I see him. Sometimes I wish he would just be gone and leave our lives forever!" She bit her bottom lip and whispered. "And yet that thought fills me with such panic and heartache. Do I love him? No... of course not... but maybe I do! Oh, the romantic tension." She placed a foreleg against her forehead and swooned.

Grandmama shook her head. "Well, you best decide what to do with him. Appleton Abbey needs an heir and seeing as Jacqueline is committed to being a spinster it is up to you to produce a colt to take on the running of the estate."

“I can run the estate just fine, grandmamma,” Applejack said before catching herself. “Ponyfeathers, I mean I can run this dang farm-“

Grandmamma laughed. “Oh, how droll! A female running an estate? And here I thought Cousin Pinkamena was the reformer of this family!”

Bigby Macthom huffed. “I don’t want to talk about Cousin Pinkamena. Her work with the socialists goes against crown and kingdom.”

"Lord Macthom," Spike said as he limped into the room, dressing in a suit himself and holding a cane. Applejack leaned over and noticed Fluttershy, who was dressed as a maid, was behind him… and oddly staring at him with a lovelorn expression. "It is time to spit on the poor."

"Oh, how lovely!" Grandmamma said, clapping her hooves. "Blossom, will you be joining us?"

Applebloom/Blossom collapsed onto a chaise. "Gold Standard, I hate you so much... and yet the desire... could our sniping at each other hide a raw passion? Oh, the complexities of love!"

“Darling, are you in?” a familiar voice called out.

"Ah, the love of my life!" Macthom called out as Rarity stepped into the room. "Come, we must spit on the poor!"

"Very well," Rarity said. "Jacqueline, will you be joining us?"

And that's when Applejack woke up.

The farmer panted, staring at her bedroom for several moments, looking at each wall to confirm it was the same at is always was. Once she was sure she was still at home she gripped the blankets hard, her eyes narrowed.

"No... I ain't lettin' that happen!" Applejack growled. "I refuse to let my family lose their way! I won’t let it happen, ya hear me? I WON’T-"

"Applejack, I'm tryin' ta sleep!" Applebloom called out from the next room.

"...I won't let it happen," she whispered.

~Next Morning~

"What in the world?!?" Granny Smith exclaimed when she came down into the kitchen, Big Mac, Applebloom, and a yawning Rarity following her.

"Howdy ya'll!" Applejack said with a grin. She had on an apron and her hat was hanging on the door hook, which was a good thing as otherwise it would have been coated in batter much like its owner. The sink was full of dirty dishes and the table looked like it was going to collapse under the sheer weight of all the flapjacks, fritters, donuts, fried-and-battered apple slices, and of course a bowl of apples at every seat. "Go on, have a seat! Don't want it to get cold none!"

"Uh... oookay," Big Mac said slowly taking his customary seat.

"I thought that since Rarity was so SWEET and KIND to make breakfast for us these last few days it would only be fair that I make one for her."

"Oh Applejack, that was hardly necessary," Rarity said.

"But it was!" Applejack said, wrapping her forehoof around Rarity while pushing a basket of fresh muffins over to Applebloom. "I know ya want ta thank us but we forgot that you're the one that's suffered. Your entire house is infested with critters! We have never had that and never will! It will only ever happen ta ya. You're the one that is sufferin' so we should be offerin' ya some comfort."

"Well, that is lovely but-OOMPF!" Rarity's eyes went wide when Applejack shoved a biscuit into her mouth.

"Make sure ya chew it good... need ta savor the flavor!" A timer dinged and Applejack raced over to the over and pulled out a pan of cornbread. "And since you're stayin' with us I decided ta make ya the traditional Apple Family Grand Welcomin’ Breakfast!"

Applebloom swallowed a mouthful of flapjack. "But Applejack, we only make that for family reunions or the Summer Sun Celebration!" She looked at the mountain of food around them. "Ain't no way we can eat all this!"

"Now now, Apples ain't quitters. Ya won't get all this food down if yar thinkin' like that!"

"But Apple-OOMFP!" Applebloom glared at her sister, her jaw working as she tried to chew up the piece of fresh cornbread her big sister had shoved into her mouth. She glanced over at Rarity, who merely shrugged and continued munching on her mouthful.

"That's right, chew and swallow! Come on, ya'll are gonna need yar strength! I got all sorts of things planned for today!"

"What... sort of things?" Rarity asked.

"And why is yar eye twitchin' like that?" Granny Smith complained.

Applejack reached up and stopped the tic that was centered near the corner of her left eye. "Tis nothing and y’all see soon enough! Course we'll need to get our chores done... an Apple always gets their chores done before they play. Now come on, chew chew chew!"

The rest of her family and Rarity just stared at each other before quietly going back to their massive breakfast.

~ Several Hours Later~

"Darling, don't you think this is quite enough?" Rarity asked, watching as Big Mac strained to haul the wagon he was hitched to. The entire thing was loaded down with rocks of various shapes and sizes, all of which had been cleared out of the north field. "I'm quite concerned that your brother is going to hurt himself."

"Ha!" Applejack laughed. "He might if he were some wussy citypony that ain't done a bit of decent hard work all his life! But Big Mac is use to this and can handle it... can't ya, big brother?"

"Nope!" Big Mac grunted, his hooves digging into the soft soil as he straining to pull the cart.

"Come on, Big Mac, ya can do it! I believe in ya! Ya're an Apple!"

"I think he'd need to be a tractor," Rarity stated.

Applejack scoffed. "I don't know who them Tractors are but they could never hold a candle to the... oh, ya mean an actual tractor." Rarity slowly nodded and Applejack waved her off. "Don't need that! Apples are built tough! Ain't that right Applebloom?" AJ looked around. "Applebloom?"

"What is that pretty white light?" Applebloom said weakly, staring up at the sky. She was lying on her back, her forelegs wrapped around her bulged-out tummy as she groaned. She tilted her head and reached out. "Think it has my cutie mark?"

"No and I think you should walk away from the light," Rarity said, her lips puckered.

AJ’s shook her head. "Don't listen to her, Applebloom! You run towards that light and show it who’s boss!"

"Ugh!" Macintosh exclaimed, collapsing onto the ground.

"Applejack, my dear... I don't think big breakfasts and hard labor mix well,” Rarity said, picking up Applebloom and gently rocking her.

Applejack opened her mouth to complain but seeing that her brother and sister were out of it and Granny Smith had long gone to take a nap under a shady tree, Applejack accepted Rarity's comment. Truth be told she wasn't feeling the best herself... what with both the full stomach and the lack of sleep from making said breakfast. Plus her eye kept twitching and things had a strange red tint to them. "I suppose we done enough. Usually takes us a few days to get a field cleared of rocks anyway. Alright everypony, let's get goin'! I think we earned a treat... somethin' ya can't get in them big fancy cities.”

“A stomach pump?” Applebloom whimpered.

“Better! A trip to the swimmin' hole!"

"Actually, they do have pools in..." Rarity paused when she saw the manic gleam in her friend's eye. "Nevermind." She flashed a nervous smile and carried the delirious Applebloom, Big Mac struggling out of his harness.

It took them nearly 20 minutes to get to the swimming hole but that was mostly because Big Macintosh could barely walk and Applejack was carrying Granny Smith. They finally made it though and Applejack happily tossed her hat away and dove into the pond, sending up a great splash of water.

"Come on in, the waters great!" Big Mac began to ease towards the water but Applejack bounded out, glaring at him. "Not like that, big brother! Ya know we always do a cannonball when goin' into the swimmin' hole! Like this!” Applejack dove back in. “Come on, big brother, show Rarity how great ya are!”

"...eeyup," Big Mac said, his head lowered as he slowly backed away. He took a deep breath, eyeing the water nervously, before making a running start. Of course the word 'running' was used in the loosest of senses; it was more of a labored waddle, like a stallion who needed an outhouse and was afraid he wouldn't make it but too much movement might shorten the little time he had. Mac leapt at the last moment, his body hitting the surface of the pond with a mighty splash that left all the ponies around him soaked.

"Yeah! Way ta go, big brother!" Applejack exclaimed. She glanced over at Rarity and smirked. "Ya may not know this but us Apples are great swimmers. We're like capricorns when we get in the water... not like the city slickers in their ivory towers that only see a body of water when they’re in the tub."

"Shouldn't he be coming up now?" Rarity asked nervously, watching the bubbles that were rising to the surface from where Mac had dived in.

"Oh, he's probably just showin' off!" Applejack paddled over and reached into the water, fishing around a bit before she yanked up a gasping Big Mac. "See, we're great divers too! Come on, Applebloom, you’re next!"

"Say somethin'!" Applebloom hissed desperately, nudging Rarity.

The fashionista stepped forward, brushing a few wet locks of hair out of her face. "Applejack, perhaps it would be best to take things a bit... easier?"

"Oh, is that so?" Applejack said, letting go of her brother. Big Mac sank down under the water and Applejack quickly fished him out. "You'd like that, wouldn't ya?"

"I think everypony would like that," Rarity said, trying to keep her tone nice and neutral.

"But ya don't speak for everypony, do ya?" Applejack snapped, stomping out of the water, Big Mac flopping onto the shore. "Just cuss ya think yar smarter than us and better than us doesn't mean ya are!"

"...I get the sense this isn't about swimming anymore," Rarity said.

Applejack jabbed her foreleg at the white unicorn. "Yes it is and so much more! Ya don't speak for the Apple Family! Ya don't know us and ya don't get to tell us how to behave! Your ways aren't our ways!"

"And neither are yours!" Applebloom shouted, slamming her little hoof down.

"Applebloom-"

"No, you listen now!" Applebloom exclaimed. "Ya keep sayin' what the Apples are like and what we do! Well, you always taught me that an Apple is a good host and is kind ta their guests! Well ya ain't bein' kind to Rarity right now and she ain't done a thing wrong! She ain't the one not actin' like an Apple... you are!" The filly paused, considering her words. "Or ya ain't or... ya get what I mean!"

Applejack looked at her sister, ready to scold her, but looking at her sister and her granny, both tired and cramped up and not at all happy... it left speechless. She looked down at her waterlogged brother and then at her confused friend and found herself trembling. Applejack just looked at them, shaking her head, hoping maybe that slight movement would change the scene before her into something better than the mess that she saw. It didn't, however, and with a shuddering breath she ran off as fast and as hard as her hooves would carry her.

"Where does she think she's goin'?" Granny Smith complained, snapping back away. "AJ, you git back here an apologize!"

Rarity held up a hoof. "Granny Smith, perhaps I should go talk to her... I think right now Applejack needs a friend more than a scolding."

"Hmmm... suppose yar right. Go and talk ta her. Applebloom, you jump on Big Mac's chest a bit to git the water out of his there lungs!"

~A few minutes later...~

Rarity crept into the barn, her hooves barely making a sound as she slid through the partially opened door. "Applejack darling..."

"Go 'way," Applejack said in a miserable tone.

"Now what sort of friend would I be if I did that?" Rarity said with a smile.

"Better friend than me," Applejack complained from the corner she'd tucked herself into. She was curled up on a hay bale, her face turned away from Rarity so the white mare couldn't see her features.

Rarity scoffed. "Now you are being foolish. You are one of my best friends."

"I didn't act like it."

"No, I suppose not," Rarity conceded. "But we've all had our... not so shining moments. I mean it's practically a rite of passage for our little group to have a breakdown every now and then!" Rarity stood just a few feet behind Applejack, respecting her friend's personal space. "Now... do you mind telling me what exactly brought all this on?"

Applejack let out a sigh. "This week was suppose ta be about me showin' ya how great the Apple Family is... but every time I turned around there ya were changin' somethin'!"

"Changing something?" Rarity said in confusion. "I'm not sure I follow. I tried my hardest to adapt this week..."

"But ya didn't!" Applejack complained. "Ya had Applebloom singin' songs and Granny tryin' on hats and Big Mac with that fancy shampoo... you were takin' away who we were!"

"My dear," Rarity said, trying to be tactful, "I think you are making a bit much of small things-"

"They ain't small ta me!" Applejack snapped, whipping her head around. "Ya just don't get it, Rar! You’re just like my Uncle and Aunt Orange and all them city ponies in Manehatten and those snooty snobs at the Gala... ya'll look down your noses at me and my kin and think we ain't as good as ya! Ya look at us and how we do things and you don't even consider for a second we might have the right idea! All them try to make us change... forget who we are and become what they are! Well, I'll tell ya what... me and my family are the greatest and all the rest of ya are wrong."

Rarity stared at Applejack for a moment, a single eyebrow raised. "So let me get this straight. You don't like it when ponies 'look down their noses at you'."

"Dang right!"

"You don't like it when they are closed minded and refuse to try things your way."

"Exactly!"

"You hate it that there are all these ponies that are too proud to try a way of living that is different from your own."

"Now yar gettin' it!"

Rarity nodded. "And that's because you think your ways are best."

"And they are," AJ said proudly.

"And people should live the way you do and change how they live."

"World be a better place if they did."

"And you are unwilling to change yourself because your ways are best?"

"Well..." Applejack said slowly. "Yeah, I guess so!"

"So you stare down your snout at ponies like me and judge us as wrong and inferior."

Applejack frowned. "Now wait, I don't..." She froze. She hadn't realized that during their talk she'd stood up, her head held high and chin lifted... and her eyes gazing downward on Rarity, who stood there with a small smile on her face. Applejack's knees trembled and she fell belly-first onto the hay bale, her hat shifting to cast a shadow on her face. "Lordy... I've been doin' what I hate other ponies doin' to me!" AJ swallowed, thinking of all the times she'd bragged about the Apple Family and how great they were compared to every other pony. "Have... have I always done that?"

Rarity walked over and patted her on the back. "Well, not as bad as the last few days... and it was fine when you did it way back then because it was just showing pride in your family. There is nothing wrong with that. But my dear... I think you've been so concerned about keeping Apple Family traditions and values alive that you've ignored chances to grow and be an even better family. I mean, just look at how much the Apples have changed since your grandmother was a young mare! I don't know about you but the joys of indoor plumbing are not something I'd wish to give up."

Applejack laughed at that. "I suppose you're right. I was just so wrapped up in tryin' ta prove ta ya that we Apples were great that I didn't see that... well..."

"That I wasn't acting like a snooty stuck-up mare who shrieked at the sight of your wallpaper?" Rarity asked with a smirk. "Truth be told I did have to fight the urge... and a few fainting spells when I saw all the dust and dirt Big Macintosh tracked into the bathroom..." Applejack let out a long guffaw at that. Rarity smiled, glad to see her friend's spirits raised. "I know that I am not the most... down to earth pony there is... and believe me, I get that I can be as touch too fanatical when it comes to my own tastes. I hope, however, that you see that I would never look down upon you for the way you live your life."

"I see that now," Applejack admitted. "Ya've spent this whole week blendin' in real well; better than I have."

"Well, I had a good teacher," Rarity said. "You see, there is this earth pony I know, real 'salt of the earth' as they say, who can buck trees and lasso cattle better than anypony. That's not all she can do, however. I've seen her rub shoulders with princesses and mingle with dignitaries from other lands and do amazing things that all the snobs in Manehattan combined could never match. She showed me that when someone is open to experiencing new things that magic can truly happen." Rarity placed her hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "And I am thankful Pinkie Pie taught me that-"

Applejack grabbed her hat and began to playfully smack the white mare.

"Kidding! Kidding!" Rarity said with a laugh.

~Later That Week...~

Dear Diary,

Every pony leads their life in a different way. Some like the fast pace of the big city and some prefer the quiet of the country. There are folks that like to get their hooves dirty and others who command from them swanky corner offices. And none of them are wrong; everypony has a right to lead their life the way they want.

Ya shouldn't look down your nose at others, feelin' that you're superior ta them. Just because they chose a different path than ya doesn't mean they ain't special in their own way. And while it is perfectly fine ta take pride in how you live your life you should never allow that to make ya so stubborn that ya can't try new things. Because tryin' new things is how a pony grows. My friend taught me that.

"Applejack, have you seen my satin pillow? I can't find it anywhere?" Rarity called through Applejack's shut and locked door. “And my makeup pouch?”

The orange earth pony looked up before settling down on the white satin pillow in question, a smirk on her face. She had on some of Rarity's facial cream and several of the Prance lotions the fashionista had brought with her were scattered about her bed. She gripped the pen in her mouth and continued writing.

Course, that don't mean you have ta let them know right away!