Applejack yawned loudly as she set up in her bed and looked outside through an open window.
It was still dark, but the horizon on the east was painted with that beautiful orange color of a quickly approaching sunrise.
She loved this wonderful moment, when the Sun slowly climbed into the sky and filled the land with its warm and peaceful glow. Every time she had a chance, she woke up just before dawn and watched from her bedroom window as her apple orchards along with the rest of the world woke up to a new day.
It was so nice to watch the first sun rays glitter with little rainbows in the drops of dew stranded on the grass. The air was filled with the sweet scent of opening flowers. She listened to strange and mysterious songs of awakening birds.
But today there was something else lingering in the air. It was no scent or smell. Only a feeling that something is about to happen.
However, she didn’t let her mind be troubled by that thought for long and quickly drove them away. After all, this morning began so wonderfully. Never before was the scent of her orchards so lovely like today. Almost like the apple trees welcomed its owner to a new day.
She took a last breath of that fresh air and decided it’s time to wake up and get to work, and she had a lot of things to do.
Applejack jumped off her bed cheerfully, made the bed she lay in and headed into the bathroom where she enjoyed a long cold shower. She thoroughly scrubbed and brushed herself, wrapped her still wet and loose mane in a towel and headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her and her family.
But on the way there she stopped by another door neighboring with her own bedroom. Behind them was a room belonging to her little sister Apple Bloom. She carefully opened them and slipped inside.
Apple Bloom was still asleep as always. Her eyes closed and a happy expression on her smiling face. Between her hooves clamped over her chest was a big red bow.
Applejack smiled. She knew what that red bow meant to her, even though some ponies find that a little bit silly. Apple Bloom got that bow from Granny Smith on her birthday a long time ago and it was the same bow their mother used to wear before she left them forever.
Applejack slowly walked to Apple Blooms bed and gently stroked her mane. She smiled as Apple Bloom mumbled something from her sleep, kissed her on her cheek and then she left her little sister alone and finally went to the kitchen.
***
When Apple Bloom finally woke up almost an hour later the house was filled with beautifully sweet scent of fresh pancakes.
She didn’t hesitate for any moment, jumped out of her bed and rushed out of the room where she almost collided with Big Mac also heading for breakfast.
“Good mornin’,” grinned Apple Bloom shortly without even stopping and continued running down the hall. Big Mac just shook his head and followed her with much slower and calmer trot.
Meanwhile Apple Bloom reached the stairs. She definitely didn’t want to delay on them for too long, when her favorite breakfast was waiting downstairs and so she took three stairs at a time. When she almost reached the end she just jumped and landed on the floor with a loud thud.
She ran into the kitchen, where on the table sat four plates full of hot steaming pancakes, a cup of hot tea and a glass full of apple cider.
But she seemed not to notice any of this at a first glance. The only thing she was interested in right now was her big sister Applejack standing over the kitchen sink and washing the remaining dishes.
She gleefully jumped around her neck, hugged her tightly and nuzzled her. “Good mornin’,” said Apple Bloom.
Applejack smiled and returned her hug. “Good mornin’ sugarcube. Don’t you want to wash your hooves first?” she scolded her gently.
“After breakfast,” begged Apple Bloom still hanging around her older sister’s neck and looked at her with pleading eyes.
“Alright AB,” smiled Applejack again and put her little sister back on the ground. “But I’ll keep an eye on you.”
Apple Bloom didn’t answer, took her place by the table instead and began to eat. Soon she was joined by Applejack and then after a while by Big Mac and Granny Smith.
Everypony stayed quiet until the last pancake was successfully defeated. The room was quiet filled only with the occasional sound of clattering dishes and munching.
Only after that the Apple family started to talk over a cup of nice hot tea.
They talked about their apple orchard and about what is new in there. They remembered their family living scattered around that big world, and finally they talked about work which waited for them today.
Afterwards, Applejack managed to drive Apple Bloom into the bathroom and didn’t let her out before she was again that beautiful young filly with a big red bow woven into her mane.
Meanwhile Applejack has tied her already dry mane into a ponytail a prepared a little snack for her sister into school.
Than Applejack accompanied Apple Bloom to the very edge of their land where they said their goodbyes and she wished her a nice day. She was still standing there, even though her sister had long since disappeared around the bend. That feeling from today’s morning returned. She wasn’t happy. There was some warning in the air, but from what?
***
Applejack sighted and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Oh boy, it sure is hot today,” she thought to herself and looked up at the perfectly blue sky where Celestia’s Sun shone with all its strength.
Fortunately her work in apple orchard was over for today and lunchtime was quickly approaching. A little streak of smoke was hovering over the farm in the distance and Applejack knew that Granny Smith is cooking something really tasty.
But she had still some time left before the lunch will be ready and so she said her farewell to apple trees around. The trees rustled in response. Applejack smiled and headed to the bend in the road, where she parted with Apple Bloom in the morning. She lay down under a nearby tree, shifted her hat down over her forehead and in her mouth she slowly chewed a blade of grass. It didn’t take long and her eyes started to close.
But soon she was awoken from her upcoming sleep by joyful shouts and clattering of several pairs of hooves. She opened her eyes and looked around. She didn’t see anypony, but it was certain that her little sister Apple Bloom was coming back from school and that she wasn’t alone. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were definitely with her.
It turned out that she was right as three little fillies emerged from behind the bend. They were so engrossed in cheerful conversation that they didn’t even notice Applejack sitting by the roadside. Or at least until the moment she talked to them.
“Hi girls. How was the school today?” asked Applejack.
“Hi big sister,” reacted Apple Bloom and hugged her sister tightly around neck.
“Good afternoon,” Sweetie Belle greeted her with manners and smiled pleasantly. Rarity would be really happy with her right now.
“Hello Applejack,” said Scootaloo.
“School was fine,” continued Apple Bloom “but I have promised to the girls here that we can have lunch together. Can we? Oh please, oh please!” At that moment all three fillies gave Applejack pleading looks. No pony in whole Equestria could resist those three little angelic faces and Applejack was no exception.
“Fine. Let’s go,” sighted Applejack in defeat. She already knew that nothing is safe from those three little fillies when they are together. Still, she couldn’t reject them.
“Thanks Applejack,” shouted those three and disappeared in a cloud of dust. Applejack quickly followed to save what she can from the terrible wrath of those three fillies.
***
Big bowl of hot tomato soup was already on the table when they arrived. It seemed like Granny Smith was already expecting those guests.
Everypony, even Big Mac, took their place by the table and began to eat. Less than five minutes later and the plates and a bowl were completely empty. Granny Smith smiled contentedly and with the help of Applejack, she cleared the table and brought the next course which was baked potatoes with vegetables and cheese.
It was really delicious, but that was no surprise for anypony because Granny Smith was always one of the best cooks here in Ponyville and even her old age didn’t change that fact.
After the lunch, Apple Bloom and her two friends decided to wash the dishes. Nothing in the world could stop their determination and so they started with temper of their own. Luckily there were almost no losses. Only a few plates sacrificed their lives in this battle for getting a Cutie Mark.
But as always there weren’t any so much desired results in the form of a Cutie Mark. When Applejack saw their disappointed looks, she felt a little pity for them and then she got an idea.
“Big Mac and I are going to put back together that old barn. Don’t you three want to help us a little?” she asked them. “I have a feeling that somepony could get a Cutie Mark for that.”
At first they looked at her with surprise in their eyes, but then they jumped happily in the air a clapped their hooves together. “Cutie Mark Crusaders, Yay!” carried throughout the house as the windows shook.
***
A half hour later they were all standing before an old unused barn situated at the very edge of their apple orchards. Long ago it belonged to another family living in the neighborhood, but they failed to fit in here and so they moved away to some better place. That barn was the only thing they left here and as the apple orchards grew it eventually became a part of them.
“Okay girls, you should check the look of downstairs. In the meantime, me and Big Mac will go examine attic and the roof,” instructed them Applejack. “When you were there you could start a little cleaning. Oh and if you find something that you like you can keep it. There are many interesting things just lying down there.”
And so they walked inside that old building with peeling paint. It was gloomy and a little bit chilly, which was nice considering that hot weather outside. Everywhere they looked were old cobwebs and various postponed and long forgotten things. In the dust on the floor remained imprints of their hooves, so it was clear no pony visited this place for years.
Applejack and Big Mac climbed up the ladder and left the three fillies alone. But they didn’t mind and began uncovering treasures hidden in this old barn. Only a few minutes later they gathered up and they eagerly showed what they discovered.
Meanwhile Applejack and Big Mac started with checking the roof and the supporting beams. Everything seemed alright, except for the fact that one third of the roof tiles were already gone and the roof was leaking for what seemed many years.
Satisfied with the outcome they were already heading for the hatch when Applejack noticed that some of the purlins supporting part of the roof seemed a little bit strange. She watched in surprise as a strange and very fine dust fall from these beams with their every hoof step.
“Hold on Big Mac, I think we have a wood rotting fungus here,” she stopped her brother. “Could you lift me up? I would like to see how bad it is.”
Big Mac nodded and let Applejack climb on his back from where she tried to reach one of the suspicious purlins. But as soon as she touched it, half of the purlin just crumbled before her eyes. Something horribly cracked and the roof arched down dangerously.
“What the hay!” cursed Applejack and jumped back on the floor. “This doesn’t look good. We'd better get out here before that whole thing collapses.”
“Eeyup,” agreed Big Mac with concern and together they carefully went back to the ladder. But as soon as they reached it, roof cracked again and moved by another few inches.
At that moment Applejack realized that they aren’t alone in the barn. “Girls!” she gasped in horror and slid down the ladder. Big Mac was right after her.
“AB, Sweetie, Scoot?!” called Applejack. “We must get out of here!”
“But …” tried to protest Apple Bloom, but Applejack didn’t let her finish.
“Now!” she shouted and her heart was beating fast.
Never before saw Apple Bloom her sister so frightened and she knew that something bad is about to happen. She turned to her friends to spur them just a little, but at that moment something terribly thundered over their heads and the building began to slowly collapse to the ground.
“Run!” yelled Applejack with all her might and watched as Apple Bloom a Scootaloo started running toward her. But Sweetie Belle just stood there frozen in place. Her face had a look of utter terror and she was trembling all over. She would be running already if she could.
Applejack swore and ran forward to Sweetie Belle. Bigger and smaller pieces of the barn fell all around her with a loud rumbling. It was certain that the barn will not last for long. She prayed to Celestia to have enough time to get away with Sweetie Belle from here.
She reached Sweetie Belle, threw her over her back and ran back. Big Mac along with the rest of the fillies was already out of the building. But then she noticed something with the corner of here eye and every hair on the body stood up in horror. She saw as the whole roof started to crumble and fall onto her.
She understood that she could never get out in time, but she was not going to give up so easily. She threw Sweetie Belle underneath her own body and with tensed muscles and gritted teeth waited for the impact.
It seemed like an eternity, but it was just a few seconds before the barn finally collapsed. A tremendous amount of old rotten wood landed on Applejack’s back and tried to knock her to the ground. But with a loud growl she just resisted even more and protected Sweetie Belle from the worst by her own body.
A huge beam hit her head and little stars dance before her eyes, but still she didn’t even move a muscle and with a stubborn expression on her face she just watched Sweetie Belle below.
She stood there like a statue until the last remnant of her strength and then she simply fainted and fell.
A big cloud of dust lifted to the sky and that terrible noise finally died down. Outside what used to be a barn just a minute ago stood three ponies instead of five. Two of them remained inside.
