Being Brave Part I

Cory woke up refreshed and ready to take on the new day. It was the best sleep he ever had in years. He stretched his arms and legs, swung them back and forth, and despite the cuts he still had, he felt no pain. His new room glistened with the sunlight of the morning sky as it trickled through a nearby window. He looked outside and saw for the first time Sweet Apple Acres in all it's majestic glory. Every apple on every tree was like a dab of paint melted against the foreground, while the grass below flowed like an ocean of green waves.

"Mornin Cory." Said AJ as she entered the room. "Ready for your first day of work?"

He replied with a startled nod, and before he knew it, he was outside in a pair of trousers, an undershirt, work boots, and a bucket filled with shearing supplies in his hands.

"All Right, We're gonna start you off with some easy chores. Can you handle that?" Asked Applejack

"Sure." he replied quietly.

"And Don't worry. Big Mac'll be here to check on you every step o the way. have fun." she said as she trotted off to her tasks.

The day went as followed:
- 9:00 A.M. Clean up chicken coop for the winter
- 10:00 A.M. Rake up branches and leaves for a compost pile
- 10:30 A.M. Clean apples to sell for market
- 11:00 A.M. Help Big Mac take more apples to the apple cellar
- 12:00 P.M. Lunch Break
- 12:30 P.M. Feed rotton apples to pigs
- 1:30 P.M. Stack Barrels of Hay with Big Mac
- 2:30 P.M Help Applebloom paint the inside of the barn

At this point, Cory was beginning to realize something: The chores he was tasked with were hardly chores at all. In fact, they we're more like sections of an elaborate game, or like an obstacle course on a playground. For instance, as he was working on the compost pile, he couldn't help but notice Applebloom and Applejack jumping into the heap of leaves as the debris exploded all over the place, like confetti out of a cannon. Or when stacking barrels of hay, He saw AJ and Big Mac trying to see who can stack the most loads. Or when painting the side of the barn, he could see her and Applebloom playing tag with their brushes, smearing paint all over themselves in a messy, but playful kind of way. This would be out of the question if he even thought of doing something like that in his world. Then again, what did he know about talking equines and their daily duties?

"TAG" Shouted Applebloom as she suddenly dabbed him on the back of his trousers. He fell over in shock, not knowing what to do at this point. Did he do something wrong? Did he mess up again? Because apparently the two were looking at him with puzzling features.

"Don't you know what a game o tag is?" asked Applebloom with a confused face.

Of course he knew what tag was. He wasn't that daft. He just hadn't played a game in so long.

"Yes?" he responded in a forceful kind of way.

"Then TAG YOURE IT!" said Applejack as she snuck up behind him and dabbed him with another brush.

'Eh, why not?; he thought to himself and started to join in on their little game. Cory didn't really care how childish it was as he chased them around the barn. He hand't had this much fun in years, and yet it seemed only yesterday he and Joanna were playing the exact game on her farm. He felt like a surge of much needed energy was running through his veins, something he couldn't quite explain. It felt optimistic, rejoice-full and warm.

Suddenly, as the three chased each other to the inside of the barn, Cory tripped and fell over a standing broom, causing it to snap into two pieces. He had really done it this time, just like every time he broke or spilled something. Whenever something like this happened to him, even by unintentional standards, he would endure an unforgivable scolding from either the principal, or one of his peers, which would involve screaming and abusive contact.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry it was an accident." He said as he crouched down, covered his head and prepared for his beating.
"I was just trying to...

"For what?" asked Applejack with a puzzled voice as she approached him.

"We got plenty of other brooms in our warehouse." added Applebloom.

"You mean you're not gonna hit me, or give me a whip, or yell at me?" he asked frightfully.

"Nnnope." said Big Mac as he entered on the scene.

"Why in tarnation would we? Everypony makes mistakes." Said Applejack as she patted him on the back.

Cory flinched at first, as if preparing for a firm slap across the back, not to mention it was a hoof instead of a hand. But surprisingly, it felt gentle and comforting, like a message from someones elbow. He turned his head slightly towards Applejack as a small smile began to show.

"See, nottin to worry bout." Said Applejack. "Now let's go haul some more apples into the cellar."

And with that the four of them trotted on to their next duty.