"Lightning Strikes Apple Acres."
Apple jack was just buckin' along with Big Macintosh her older brother. It was apple buckin' season and there was a lot buckin' to get done just between the two of them at Apple Acres. Though they both worked hard and could keep up with each other, one year Applejack even tried to take on apple buckin' season alone when Big Mac hurt himself. She almost got it all done but she wore herself out so that she had to get help, something she wasn't very good at asking for. This year though she kindly took to some part time help from her friends Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity who would be arriving soon.
"Ima head back up to the barn now Big Mac the gang should be here anytime now." Applejack yelled to her big brother as he was at least fifteen trees ahead of her. "I'll see y'all soon okay?"
"Don't be too long now you hear? These trees ain't gonna buck themselves." Big mac shouted back to her.
"I'll be back in a jiffy." And she turned to gallop away.
As she approached the barn where she thought she would see her friends she was a little shocked to find that wasn't the case. What she saw was an orange shire pony with a yellow mane and tail like hers but brighter, Applejack was orange but this was a radiantly bright orange and a burning yellow not blonde like hers as she thought but very yellow, and with what seemed to be a white streak through it. She'd never seen anypony like this before and she couldn't wait to meet this new pony and find out exactly who it was.
She galloped up almost not able to stop a little to excited like she had been when she first met Twilight, but she was startled to realize this was not a mare as she originally thought but a stallion, and a very handsome stud of a stallion at that. She felt herself blush a little and shook her head Applejack was no shy pony and she defiantly didn't let anypony get to her mare or stallion. She stood up tall gave her big welcoming smile and spoke.
"Well hi there Sugar cube my name is Applejack and this here is my family's Apple Acres." She smiled as she spoke lending her hood for the Stallion to shake. "Who might you be?"
The stallion extended his hoof with a smile and replied "My name is Lightning nice to meet you Applejack."
"Nice to meet y'all too, what can I do you for?"
"I am actually here looking for work, something to keep me busy and a pony in town told me you could probably use some help here. Something about it being apple buckin' season and you not having too many ponies here to help out."
Applejack got a little annoyed thinking to herself, that dang unicorn she can never keep her horn in her own business. She loved Twilight Sparkle she was one of her dear friends but it had always been hard for Applejack to ask for help and Twilight knew that. Then again she thought, me and Big Mac could use some help and this stallion seemed nice enough and looked like he could do some hard work. She didn't know how Big Mac would like another "stud" here on Apple Acres but she didn't really care they could always use more help.
"Well we could use some help around here and I'm also one to help out a friend." Applejack smiled at the thought of being Lightning's friend "have you ever done any apple buckin'?"
"No but I'm a fast learner I'm sure I can get the hang of it if you show me what to do." He said with this hint of slyness in his eyes as he smiled.
"I'd be happy to I'll show y'all as I wait for my friends to get here, they will also be helping out part time as well.."
"Well I'd like to help full time if you don't mind I have a lot of time on my hands after all." Lightning said cutting Applejack off midsentence, though she didn't seem to even notice or she just didn't care.
"Well that would but just fine, if y'all don't mind the hard work." She said wondering if he actually could handle it. "How bout we see how today treats you before you decide if you want to help out part time or full time."
"That sounds like a good idea." He said with a nod.
"Okay then let me show you how it's done sugar cube." Applejack walked to a tree near the barn. It felt different calling Lightning sugar cube even though she called every pony that it just had a different feeling she couldn't place when she said it to Lightning but she ignored it and just proceeded.
She turned to face Lightning who didn't seem to of taken his eyes off of Applejack, with her hind legs facing the tree. "All right now what you want to do is put your hind legs in the air balancing on your front hoofs now and take all your weight and force to buck against the tree you see." As she demonstrated what she just explained a few apples fell from the tree, she didn't want to buck to many down she wanted to see what Lightning could do himself. "Now give it a try sugar cube." She smiled and moved out of the way pointing a hoof toward the tree as a sign for Lightning to go right ahead and he did.
Lightning trotted right over to the tree just as Applejack did he was about to buck when he stopped and asked "How hard would you like me to buck this tree Applejack?"
Applejack smiled for some reason him saying her name sounded differently then when any other pony said it, but she didn't focus on it she had work to do. "I bucked it lightly just to show y'all what to do but I want to see how hard you can buck so give it as big a buck as you'd like sugar cube."
He lifted his hind legs and in the most graceful way she had ever seen anypony, stallion or mare buck he bucked in one swift movement. It didn't seem to take him much force at all and every last apple from that tree came falling down.
Applejacks couldn't control or hide her reaction as her mouth hung wide open. She could not believe it, had he really never done any apple buckin' before or had he been pullin' her hoof to make her look a fool she thought? Either way she wasn't going to let him get the best of her. Applejack composed herself smiled and said "Well that was really good for a first try, you are one fast learner y'all didn't lie about that. We can get right to work as soon as my friends show up would you like something to drink while we wait?"
"Well thank you I'm glad I did it correctly, and I'd appreciate that very much Applejack thank you." He smiled back at her as she turned to walk away, Applejack walked them over to a table where a pitcher of apple juice an several cups where sitting and she poured each of them a glass handing one to Lightning and he took it with a smile.
"Thank you very much Applejack." Lightning said with a pleased smile as he took a drink. Applejack realized her friends would be there soon and she still didn't know much about this handsome stallion she thought she should get to know him. She would be working with him after all and all she knew was his name and, that he was amazing at buckin'.
So she decided to start asking questions. "What brings you here to Ponyville lightning?" she said with a smile.
"I was just looking for something new tired of the big city and wanted a break from it all." He said with a nod.
"What city might that be?" Applejacks family lived spread out all over Equestria maybe he might know some of her family from where he came from.
"Canterlot."
Oh so maybe he was a friend of Twilights, though she didn't remember her ever bringing up a Lightning when talking about her home. Then again Twilight never talked about having friends from Canterlot only her brother Shining Armor and his now wife Princess Candance. Maybe they didn't know each other after all.
"One of my friends coming to help is from Canterlot he name is Twilight Sparkle." Applejack said maybe she will find out if know each other.
"Oh yes I know Twilight Sparkle, I didn't know this is where she moved though. Not that she had much time for friends in Canterlot she studied most of the time. Her brother is a good friend of mine."
So Twilight did know him that made the annoyed feeling from earlier go away. Twilight wasn't trying to annoy Applejack anyways she now realized nor was she trying to step on anyponys hoofs. Twilight was just being a good friend finding help for her.
"She still studies a lot here, but she has been making a lot of friends as well. I think she likes it here. She does miss her brother a lot."
"Well it is beautiful here I can see why she would like it. Shining Armor misses her to."
"I am sure I'd miss my brother as well, which reminds me along with my friends helping out part time y'all will also be working with my brother Big Macintosh. He is already hard at work so as soon as the gang gets here we will meet up with him."
"All right is he going to mind me working with you all?"
Applejack was actually worried of the same thing, she thought back to how well he bucked that tree she didn't want her brother getting mad or over working because somepony was out doing him. After all he has always been the best bucker here in Ponyville. "As long as y'all can keep up with him not get ahead of him, but not slow him down he wont mind at all." Of course Applejack wasn't all that sure about it.
"Okay, so just remember it's not a race it is work. Think of him as my boss?"
"I guess yes. Think of him as your boss." Applejack got a little worried, what is he wanting to work for can we handle paying a pony to work for us? She took a breath as she asked "What are y'all willing to work for Lightning?"
"Oh if it isn't to much trouble I was wondering if I could work in return for a place to say and meals." He seemed embarrassed to be asking this. Of course he needed a place to stay, he just got to town and he was asking to work for her he had no money to stay at an inn somewhere in town. So why did he seem embarrassed to ask this of her? Did he think it was too much, or that she would say no?
Applejack started to think if there was even anywhere for him to stay on the farm. There was no extra room in the house. It took a moment but Applejack remembered when she had Rainbow Dash rebuild one of there smaller barns with her, they put in a room for storage which apple jack hadn't even gotten around to using yet. Actually she seemed to of forgotten all about it. Lightning could use that.
"We have a room y'all can use as of right now it is empty but me my friends and I can change that before the day is over. We also wouldn't mind feeding you it would be our pleasure I assure you, are you certain that is all y'all want in return for working for us?"
"I am sure. Thank you Applejack it really is nice of you to help me out like this."
"It ain't nothing at all Lightning after all y'all are helping us out just the same." She smiled and just then she could hear giggling and talking. "Ah, that sounds like the gang now."
They were all coming down the path that led to the table they were sitting at in front of the big barn. There was Twilight Sparkle with Spike on her back as that was the way he usually liked to travel. Then there was Rainbow Dash flying not to high above her talking as they come closer. Following behind was Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and, Rarity which kind of surprised her because Rarity liked avoiding getting dirty or hard work as much as she could. None of them seemed to notice that there was somepony with Applejack at least if they had they did not show it. Not until they reached the table that is.
They all got confused faces even Twilight who she was sure was the one who told him about Apple Acres in the first place. Pinkie Pie was of course the first to welcome him.
"HHHIIIIIIII! What is your name? My name is Pinkie Pie!" She said in what seemed like yelling, but they all knew that was just her way.
"Nice to meet you Pinkie Pie my name is Lightning." He said with a smile.
"Lightning?" Twilight said with a little confusion as she looked at the colt, also cutting Pinkie Pie off who looked shocked and just stared at them with a wide open mouth.
"Hello Twilight, how are you? It as been a long time."
"Yes it has been. I am doing great surprised to see you here though." She said as she went over to give him a pony hug, Lightning gladly returned it and as they released Twilight began again "How are you doing though?" At this time Pinkie Pie got over the shock of Twilight interrupting her and went back to standing next to Rarity.
"I am doing very well. I just needed a change of scenery."
All of there friends seemed to be even more confused other then Applejack who knew that they already knew each other.
Rainbow Dash flew over Twilights head crossed her hoofs and suspiciously said "You know this colt?"
"Oh, I'm sorry everypony this is Lightning one of my brothers oldest friends. Lightning this is my friend Rainbow Dash." She said pointing a hoof up at her.
"Hi." She said a little coldly.
"And these are my friends Fluttershy, Rarity, and you already met Pinkie Pie."
"hi." Fluttleshy said in her shy way putting her head down to where her hair covered her face in its usual way.
"Hello there." Rarity said in her always polite way.
"And I see you already met Applejack as well." Twilight said as she got a tap on the head.
"Hey what about me!" Spike said now standing on her back with his arms crossed. "I'm here to ya know!"
"Oh, of course sorry Spike, and of course you remember Spike." She said with a little giggle.
"Hello everypony, and hello again Spike. He has grown so much Twilight." Lightning said with a nod."
"He really has. So this is a nice surprise what are you doing here at Apple Acres?"
"He's gonna help with apple buckin' season." Applejack answered. "Somepony told him he could probably find work here, said that we could use some help since apply buckin' season and all. I thought you had told him though Twilight." She said a little confused.
"No not me. I had no idea he was here." Twilight replied.
"Oh, well that doesn't matter lets get to it now everypony Big Macintosh is already hard at work and he's sure to be mad with how long it's taken me to get back." Applejack was now getting a little worried. What if Big Mac wasn't happy about Lightning helping them out this season? What if he got mad at her for letting some colt they don't know use the barn to stay in?
She shock her head, she was over reacting Big Mac is an understanding brother and once he sees that Twilight knows him he wont mind him staying with them for awhile. With that she led her friends into the field of apple trees to get started.
Authors note: I did rewrite this chapter so for anypony who has read what I originally published please let me know how you like/dislike the changes I made. There will be a lot more happening in this story as it goes on so I hope everypony enjoys it.
I will be publishing chapter 2 as soon as I have finished it. Please give me time though as I am still working out all the ideas for it. I am only starting the first draft of it today (07/02/12) I will hopefully have it ready by Wednesday. I will only start writing chapters when I get feedback. So again thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.
Until next time
Smile(: