Ch. 1: Sugarcube

It wasn't normal for Applejack to be at Sugarcube Corner, even stranger was A.J. promising to help out around the bakery. Yet this was exactly what the farm-mare had promised. Pinkie Pie had vanished and in her absence Mr. and Mrs. Cake had asked Applejack. Her usual scapegoat, being too busy on the farm, would no longer work. She didn't want to remember how the Flutter-ponies had squirmed their way into Sweet Apple Acres.

"Apple, dear are you alright?" Mrs. Cake asked.

"Oh-uh... Yes Mrs. Cake... I'll be fine." Applejack replied. She turned her attention back to the waiting customers, ringing each customer's order and sliding the bits into the register. This droned on so long that her mind once again muted out the customer's questions. She rested her head to her bent fore-hoof against the counter and started day-dreaming about her home... the bets she held with Big Macintosh over who was the best apple-bucker. They always seemed to stay on par. She wondered if Big Mac ever held back... no. That wasn't the big brother she knew. She sighed heavily.

She didn't know what her brother would do now, everything seemed so alien to her. She felt Mrs. Cake gently hug her. Applejack turned to her as Mrs. Cake wiped Applejack's damp cheeks with a napkin.

"I'll take over for you dear... why don't you go rest upstairs?" She whispered tenderly.

"I'm mighty sorry Mrs. and Mr. Cake... just need a little fresh air, is all." Applejack apologized with a bow of her head she stepped outside, but before she closed the door the pollen-fog that saturated the air burned her throat like a bad batch of zap-apple jam. She coughed the pollen out in a deep wheeze, closing her stinging eyes and hurried back in, slamming the door. Applejack stared hopelessly out the door's window. They sky was void of all but one cloud. She smiled happily at the cloud. She watched as the cloud slowly drifted past Sugarcube Corner to Golden Oak Library.

She hadn't noticed Rarity until the magic dome covering the library lifted and let her in. Twilight hadn't let anypony through until now. She thought she heard a muffled scream in anger, as the only cloud in Ponyville flashed to Cloudsdale with a rainbow contrail. Maybe she did need some rest, her friends seemed more distant than ever. She needed a clear mind, but she doubted she could think clearly will all this flutter pollen everywhere.

Applejack sunk her head low "Night, y'all." She mumbled as she retreated to Pinkie's room.