“Where is it! Where is it! It’s late! Wait! Is that it???” Apple Bloom teetered over the edge of the platform to scan the empty railroad tracks that led into town.

Applejack yanked the filly back by her tail. “Relax Apple Bloom, the five o’clock train from Vanhoover don’t arrive ’til five o’clock.” She motioned off to the town clock tower, never known for being off, which clearly read 4:50. “Ain’t that right, Big Mac?” When he didn’t respond, she prompted again, “Ain’t that right, Big Mac?”

“Eer – come again?”

Even the normally stoic stallion was distracted by the moment, glancing back and forth between the horizon and the clock. Thus it fell to the middle sibling to keep the situation from getting out of hoof. “The five o’clock train from Vanhoover don’t arrive ’til five o’clock, right?”

“Eeyup,” he nodded, before glancing back up to the clock.

“Maybe it broke down! Maybe it ain’t coming!” despaired the filly.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Don’cha fret, Apple Bloom. The train hasn’t broken down. It’ll be here.”

“Maybe she missed the train! Maybe she got on the wrong one!”

“Don’t worry. If she couldn’t come we’d have heard by now. An’ there’ll be plenty of time over the next four weeks to get to know your twin sister.”

“Ah know. It’s just – Ah cain’t wait to meet her!”

She chuckled, “Y’all spent eleven months together already.”

Apple Bloom shot her older sister an irritated look. “That was b’fore we were born. An’ Ah ’aven’t seen her since.”

Applejack couldn’t argue with the logic. Honestly, she could understand her little sister’s excitement. Under her calm exterior, even Applejack was full of butterflies in anticipation at the arrival. Just three weeks ago, they had thought the family was complete with three Apple siblings. But thanks to the letter their parents had left for them, they knew there was one more out there. The three siblings were regaining an important piece of their family that had been lost long ago. But it was more than that. Since their parents had passed, there had been a gaping hole tearing at the heart of the family. And while that wound would always be there, getting to know their long-lost sister might make the situation a little less painful.

“What is that?” asked Apple Bloom, pointing a hoof toward the horizon. A faint haze rose above the hill in the distance, growing thicker with each passing second.

Wheeeeeeeeeee!

“The train! The train!” Apple Bloom bounced up and down. “The train! The train!”

Applejack let out a sigh of relief. Though she knew the train was coming, Apple Bloom’s incessant pessimism had started to rub off.

A moment later the train crested the hill and came into view. The locomotive was well-known, as much for its distinctive gold-trimmed purple paint job and heart-decorated cowcatcher as for pulling trainloads of ponies across Equestria and beyond.

The train slowed as it approached the rural station, coming to a crawl as it pulled up to the platform. Finally it stopped and, with a loud Hiss,released excess steam from the engine, creating cloudy wisps about the gathered ponies that only added to the tension. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the doors slid open and passengers spilled out onto the platform. Friends excitedly exchanged greetings, parents and foals reunited in tight hugs, and wives met husbands with kisses.

Meanwhile, the Apple siblings looked about expectantly for their younger sister. Applejack silently vetted each passenger that disembarked. Nope, not that stallion... not her, she’s way too old... not that colt... nor that unicorn... that filly’s a pegasus....

As fewer and fewer ponies disembarked the train, eagerness turned to anxiousness. When it appeared that the last passenger had exited, anxiousness turned to worry. The three siblings caught sight of the conductor and hurried over.

“Sir,” began Applejack, “is anypony still on the train?”

He peered over his glasses at the three worried ponies standing before him, then let out a long sigh, “I’m afraid everypony has already gotten off.”

Instantly gloom spread across the three, as Applejack murmured, “Thank you, though.”

For a moment, the Apples simply stood there. All around were scenes of overwhelming happiness that contrasted sharply with the bitter dispair the three shared.

Apple Bloom hung her head low, then meekly suggested, “Maybe she’s takin’ a later train?” Everyone could detect the small note of hope in her voice.

Glumly Big Mac tried, “Eeyup,” but even he was beginning to choke up.

Applejack reached out with a foreleg and brought her sister close in for a hug, holding the filly tight as she worked to hold back her own tears. As the ponies around them departed, she finally said, “Come on Sugarcube, let’s go home.”

As the three headed for the stairs, Applejack saw something out of the corner of her eye. She almost continued on, but something made her turn her head and look. On the far end of the platform was a mound of luggage. Out of nowhere a hat box was pushed to the top, teetering for a moment on its high perch. Applejack stopped and the others looked in the same direction. The small mound lay there, motionless. Then, from around the pile of baggage, stepped a little filly wearing a cute lavender dress. Applejack gasped, taking in the sight of the small yellow earth pony. She and Big Mac broke forward in a gallop, but even they were no match for the speed of Apple Bloom, who sprinted across the platform, finally skidding to a halt until she was nose-to-nose with the startled filly.

Silently Apple Bloom studied the pony before her. She observed the bright yellow coat, the same as hers. She examined the same fiery red mane and tail, though the other pony’s was carefully coiffed into a fashionable style and lacked a large bow. She scrutinized the same small, round face and the same short snout. She stared deep into the big, orange eyes full of nervousness.

“Joy?” she whispered.

The filly nodded.

“Joy!” cried Apple Bloom as she wrapped her sister in a bone-crushing hug.

Joy went stiff, her eyes wide with shock. She looked up to the two older ponies, as if pleading for help.

Finally, Apple Bloom released her sister to once again examine her twin while Joy took a step back.

Joy stood there for a moment, before briefly closing her eyes and taking a deep, calming breath. Opening them, she nodded and held out a hoof, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Apple Bloom grabbed the proffered hoof and shook vigorously. “Ah’m so happy to see ya! Ah cain’t believe yer finally here! We’re gonna have so much fun!”

Apple Bloom released her sister’s hoof, which continued to shake up and down several more seconds. Joy looked up to the smiling stetson-wearing mare. Reaching out her hoof, she politely greeted, “How do you do?”

“Howdy there, Joy.” Applejack took her hoof, but conspicuously chose to give it a gentle shake.

Finally, she turned to the large red stallion, “Pleased to meet you.”

“Eeyup.” He gently shook her hoof as well.

Apple Bloom bounced in place, her energy dialed to eleven. “Come on Joy! We’ve got to git home so you can meet Granny Smith! An’ we’ve got to show you Sweet Apple Acres! An’ Ah cain’t wait to show you mah room where you’ll be stayin’ while yer here! Ah’m so excited! We’re goanna have so much fun!”

Joy turned to the mountain of suitcases behind her. “I brought a few pieces of luggage with me,” she dryly noted.

Applejack smiled, “That ain’t no problem.” Shortly, the suitcases were distributed between everypony, with the bulk taken by Applejack and Big Mac.

The four ponies walked along the old, dusty country lane that led from town. The whole way Apple Bloom failed to contain her excitement, breathlessly telling Joy of working on the farm or her adventures with the Cutie Mark Crusaders or life in Ponyville or asking questions about her twin’s time in Vanhoover. Joy nodded as her sister spoke and politely answered each question with a “Yes” or “No”, but said very little else. She would stop occasionally to brush the dust from her dress or adjust the suitcase on her back.

Rounding a bend in the road, Applejack swept her foreleg out wide and proudly proclaimed, “Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres.”

Wide-eyed, Joy took in the scene before her. Off to one side was a vast field, with rows of green corn stalks emerging from the brown dirt. To her right were several small buildings, including chicken coops and pig pens, both emitting a cacophony of loud barnyard noises to accompany their distinct odors. Beyond them lay a sea of trees, most likely the apple orchards suggested by the title of the property. And directly in from of her stood a large, red barn.

“What do you think! What do you think!” pressed Apple Bloom, her enthusiasm somehow dialed to twelve.

Joy pointed to the strange orange building in the distance. “Is that your house?” she asked demurely.

“Shucks no,” chuckled Applejack, “that’s Golden Harvest’s place. We live there,” Applejack motioned off to the building before them.

Joy followed to where the mare was indicating. Realization suddenly dawning, “You live in a barn!” she barely managed to get out.

“Yeah! Yeah!” cried Apple Bloom.

“No,” corrected Applejack. “Well, actually,” she rubbed her chin, “yah see it used tah be our barn. We converted it to the farmhouse back ages ago.”

“Eeyup,” added Big Mac.

“You three were raised in a barn!”she softly gasped.

“Yeah! Yeah!” bounced Apple Bloom.

“Ah... guess yah could look at it that way,” conceded Applejack.

“Eeyup.”

Apple Bloom cried, “Come on! We’ve got to intraduce yah tah Granny Smith.” She tugged on her twin, who stumbled slightly as she was pulled along by the filly who had incredibly hit thirteen.

The four ponies reached the barn-turned-farmhouse. Without a moment’s hesitation, Apple Bloom kicked in the door with a Bam! and dragged her sister inside. “Granny! Granny! We’re back!” she yelled.

Emerging from the kitchen, Granny Smith admonished, “What in tarnation was that racket?” She looked at the four ponies standing in the parlor before finally fixing her orange eyes on the new one, who began shifting uneasily under her gaze. “My, you must be Joy.” Her eyes teared a little. “Ah haven’t seen yah since you were a foal.”

Setting her suitcase aside, Joy stood straight and reached out a forehoof. “It is a pleasure to make your aquaintance, Ma’am.”

Shaking the hoof, she exclaimed, “Land sakes, Ah’m yer grandmare. Y’all don’t have tah be so formal with your Granny Smith.”

“Yes, Mrs. Smith.”

Granny Smith eyed the filly for a moment. “Supper’s ’bout ready.” Turning to the twin, she said, “Apple Bloom, why don’t ’cha take Joy to where she can wash up.”

“Okay!” exclaimed Apple Bloom, pushing fourteen.

She pulled Joy back across the room. Reaching the front door, Joy asked, “You don’t have indoor plumbing?”

“Heck no!”

A short while later Granny Smith sat at the head of the table. To her left were Applejack and Big Mac. Finally, the two youngest grandchildren entered the kitchen. Sitting down, the three older ponies had to do double takes to ensure their eyes weren’t deceiving them. The two fillies looked so much alike, though one wore a stylish mane and dress while the other was happy wearing nothing but a big crimson bow and a face-cracking smile that threatened to become permanent.

“Ah hope yah like Apple hash,” said Granny Smith as she began eating.

Apple Bloom spoke up, “Of course she does! Joy is an Apple to the core!”

Joy warily looked at the plate of food before reflecting, “I have never had apples before.”

Clunk! Clang! Crash! All the flatware fell to the table and Big Mac dropped the mug from which he had been sipping apple juice, splashing some onto himself. Four ponies gawked at Joy, who appeared shocked at their reaction. After a long, strained silence, Apple Bloom asked, “Y’all never had apples before?”

Joy shuffled uneasily in her chair and looked down to her plate. “The Pear family does not consume apples,” she murmured.

Following an uncomfortable pause, Applejack finally said, “Well, with how are families been fightin’, Ah can understand.”

“Eeyup,” concurred Big Mac.

“Well, go on, try it,” urged Apple Bloom.

Everypony stared at Joy expectantly. She picked up the fork in her left hoof and knife in the right, carefully cut a piece of hash, then set the knife aside and transferred the fork to the right hoof. She took a small bite, slowly chewing the food with an indiscernible look on her face.

“Well?” prodded Apple Bloom.

Joy swallowed and meticulously wiped her mouth with her napkin. Pausing in thought, she said, “It is... interesting.”

Still the unwanted center of attention, Joy quickly took another bite and gradually everypony resumed eating. Granny Smith turned to the family, “So, what are y’all’s plans fer tomorrow?”

“Furst, we’re gonna show Joy round the farm,” Applejack said. Looking over to the filly, she explained, “Ah think she should know ’bout the family business an’ what our parents worked so hard to maintain.”

Joy nodded, “Yes, Miss Applejack.”

Applejack snorted, “Ah’m yer older sister, y’all can call me ‘Applejack’ or like a lot o’ folks, ‘AJ’.”

Nodding, Joy said, “Yes... Applejack.”

Apple Bloom, dialed back up to eleven, exclaimed, “In the afternoon Ah’m gonna introduce Joy to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo! We’re gonna show Joy the Crusader Clubhouse and maybe do some crusadin’!”

The rest of dinner passed with Apple Bloom rambling on and on about crusading or other plans for the coming weeks. Her twin meanwhile ensured she ate all the the food on her plate, but politely declined seconds. When it came time for apple pie, Joy demurred, raising eyebrows from the rest of the family....

Upstairs in the bedroom, Apple Bloom excitedly adjusted her sleeping bag. Of course she had had ponies sleep over in her room before. Most of the time it had been Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. On occasion, it had been somepony else, such as Twist or Dinky. Then there was that time Babs stayed for a week. And once in a while Applejack would sleep in her room, sometimes falling asleep when tucking her in or other times drifting off while watching when her little sister had come down with an illness. But this was different and – dare she admit it? – better than any of those! This was her twin sister whom she hadn’t seen since they were newborns. She once again shuffled, making sure everything was ready.

Finally Joy walked into the room wearing a fluffy red bathrobe that matched her mane.

Apple Bloom practically pranced in place. “So, what do you want to do? Play some games? Tell ghost stories? Raid the icebox for some ice cream?”

Joy disrobed, revealing a luxurious set of pajamas. Donning a sleeping mask, she said, “I am really fatigued from the train journey.” Seeing her sister deflate, Joy quickly suggested, “Perhaps tomorrow?”

Apple Bloom perked up a little, “That’ll be alright.” She turned off the light before snuggling down into her sleeping bag. “Good night, sister.”

Pulling the mask over her eyes, Joy awkwardly said, “Good night, Apple Bloom.”

Author's Note

It's my birthday, so I'm giving you the readers a present. Enjoy this chapter that I worked so hard to write.

I'm also celebrating by attending Whinny City Pony Con for the first time. It's an awesome convention!

Expect the next chapter to be published on July 12th!

V/R,

Dreadnought