Chapter 2: And So It Begins

Hoss was woken by the loud crow of a rooster. He was covered in dew from the night and shook it off. He stretched his legs and trotted in place, judging by the suns position it had just broken dawn. He packed up his bag and ate a few apples for breakfast. Hoss walked towards the road with a fuzzy head but then shook it to clear it up. He didn’t want to be late so he galloped to the entrance into Sweet Apple Acres. Back at the barn, Hoss knocked on the door, but heard a voice behind him.

“Mr. Hoss, I need y’all over here sir if you don’t mind.”

Hoss trotted towards Applejack who was feeding the pigs with hay and corn.

“Mornin’ Hoss, did you sleep well last night?”

Hoss turned a shade of red, “Ah yeah well you know, the bed was too soft for me.”

Applejack laughed, “Well I hope you’re well rested for the harvest, but for now can you take this bucket of corn to the chicken pen and feed them hens over there?”

Hoss picked up the bucket with his mouth and went to the chicken coop. The coop was not the best smell to wake up to but Hoss fed the chickens, collected the eggs and trotted back to Applejack.

Applejack looked in the bucket and laughed, “Hahaha shoot boy you are a true rancher when you collect the eggs after feeding them.”

Hoss smiled, “Oh yeah, sorry, force of habit.”

“No problem sir, now let’s get back in the house to get some coffee and apple fritters, we’ve gotta discuss the plan for today.” Hoss and Applejack both galloped to the house.

Sometime after Applejack, Big Mac, and Hoss went out to the east orchard and began to buck apples from the trees as Apple Bloom scurried off to clean little Piggington. Later into the day, five ponies went up to talk to Applejack. There was a blue pegasus with a mane as colorful as a rainbow, the pink pony from before, she was hopping instead of walking, a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane, a white unicorn with a curly purple mane, and… a purple Alicorn... a princess? Here? Applejack signaled Hoss to come over to meet them.

Hoss walked over, shy and uncomfortable, and said, “Howdy y’all, I’m Hoss Wild.”

They all said hello and Applejack said, “This here is Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Equestria’s newest princess, Twilight Sparkle.”

Pinkie Pie yelled ecstatically, “Hey you’re the pony from the other day, I was gonna throw you a party to be your friend but you were like gone all day so I had a party in honor of you anyways!”

Hoss smiled, “Sorry, I was looking for Applejack. I needed work and was wondering if they needed a ranch hand for the summer harvest.”

Twilight smiled and said, “Applejack said you were near Appleloosa how is it out there?”

Hoss bowed and said nervously, “Um, very hot and dry, your highness.”

Twilight giggled, “Oh just call me Twilight no need for the formality and such.”

As they were talking, a grey mail mare pegasus flew, or rather crashed, into Applejack.

“Oops, sorry AJ! I have a letter for you though from your cousin Braeburn in Appleloosa.”

Hoss stiffened in apprehension. Applejack dusted herself off and said, “Uh huh, thanks Derpy, here a few bits for your trouble.”

Derpy shot up into the sky and yelled, “Aw thanks AJ! You’re the best! See you guys later,” and flew off.

Rarity smiled and said, “What does the message say, darling?”

Applejack opened the letter and read it out loud.

“Dear cousin, I am writing to ask you and your friends to help us out in our most desperate time.”

Hoss tensed up and waited for more to be said.

“We have had numerous accounts of arson around the bordering homesteads out here and we need you and your friends to help investigate. Sincerely, Braeburn.”

“Oh my goodness those poor people and those animals, I hope they weren’t caught in the fires,” said Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash looked at Hoss and grabbed him saying, “You wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with those fires, would you?”

Hoss was sweating, “No, of course not!”

“Oh yeah!!! How do we know you’re not lying?” prodded Rainbow Dash.

Hoss stared into Rainbow Dash’s eyes and said, “I didn’t start any fire.”

Applejack looked closely at Hoss. “He’s telling the truth.”

Rainbow Dash flew to Applejack, “How can you tell, he could be lying to us to save his skin!”

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash, “You gotta trust me Dash, I see it in his eyes, he’s innocent.”

Twilight stepped in, “Applejack is the element of honesty Dash, and I believe her when she says he’s innocent.”

Dash rolled her eyes, “Fine, I trust you AJ.” She then turned to Hoss, “You better watch it buddy, I got my eye on you!”

Twilight was concerned and said, “We better grab the next train to Appleloosa. Come on girls, lets go!”

As everypony hurried off towards the station, AJ stopped and yelled back to Hoss. “Hey, you need to come with us.”

Hoss was apprehensive, “Don’t you want me to work here?”

Applejack said, “No you need to come with us. You know the lay of the land, we may need your help.”

Hoss looked down and thought about it, and at that moment a spark inside him ignited a passion. Hoss grabbed his saddlebag and ran with the other ponies to the train station. Hoss thought in his head as he galloped, Back to where it all happened… I will avenge you all.