Groom Hornwell's 2022

It's maneday. And I'm so happy! I finally get the chance to go out and do fieldwork as a journalist.

I'm writing this in my journal while I wait in the train station .

I'll explain how I got to be outside when everypony else is stacked in buildings.

I was performing my boring tasks of reading and transcribing data for the newspaper,about apple production, which has been decreasing this season. I was so focused I almost bucked when somebody tapped my shoulder.

"You, blonde. Follow me to my office." It was my boss. A jackflank who can't remember my one syllabe name. It's Red, Celestia's dammit.

So I obeyed and we started to go to his office. We first went to the stairs to the second floor of the Press house.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, my boss is not a journalist but an agent of the Stablo. He's a brawny pegasus too impatient for dealing with bookworms like half the journalists here.

When we got to his office, he sat on a throne too big for the room, and looked me in the eyes. "No need for you to sit down, mare..." Mare? seriously? He told me. "Grab that." He pointed at a camera on a close shelf on his right.

I first looked at the object and then back to his eyes. I didn't dare to move.

"Come on! Grab it." He was really unpatient today.

I quickly walked in order to reach the object. The camera device had a strap for my hoof to grab it through. Then I put it around my neck as if the object was a necklace. If you wonder why I didn't grab the thing with my telekinesis, it was because I was bucking terrified. I don't know why I thought my boss would take as an offense that I used magic.

I cleared my throat. "Uhm, sire..."

"No talk. No need. Take a train ticket and go to ponyville. Then take a photograph of Sweet Apple Acres. One with a good background (At first I didn't understand what he meant by this). "It's better if it's with the workers there." He said.

We stood in silence for a few seconds. The camera down my neck slowly swayed back and forth. "S-so, you need me to go to Ponyville, and only bring you back a photograph of the apple farm?"

"Did I neigh, unicorn?" He said. What a bucker.

"No, sire," I answered. "Excuse me." I turned to leave the office.

"Wait!"

I stopped my pace and looked back "Yes, sire?"

He sighed. "There's a little issue in Sweet Apple Acres, one related to fire coming from the Everfree forest".

"How so, sire?" I asked, turning my body at him.

"Well it's none of your business." He chuckled. "Or mine...or-or ours really. Just make sure that the photographs you take have nothing to do with burning trees, etcetera."

"Understood, sire," I said before leaving.

Back to where I actually am while narrating this: the train station.

The train has just arrived. And it seems that I'm gonna be its only passenger. The station is isolated except for a few guards, the train driver and me.

I'm excited and kinda terrified about this trip to ponyville.

Wish me luck, future reader!

P.S.: I see a smoke cloud coming from the south.