A/N: As always, I want to start off by saying thank you to Twi, of TwiLanes! Without her, this story would not have been possible! The characters Sunflower Seed and Whisper belong to her, and she is just kind enough to let me use them. I know that it's only a small moment they each have in this chapter, but I hope that I've portrayed them correctly!

To everyone else, I apologize for how long this has taken to be updated. The next chapter is already planned out, and shouldn't take anywhere near as long to get up. The action will be starting soon, no worries!


Golden fields and rainbow falls
You beauty has us in your thrall
Love of our land runs through us all
Equestria, our home

Where ponies all protect the earth
In the shining land of magic's birth
Everypony proves their worth
Equestria, our home

Why would we live elsewhere when Equestria is free
There's not a place on Equis where we would rather be

And if our world grows ever dark
Then friendship will provide a spark
As long as we trust in our hearts
Equestria's our home

- the National Anthem of Equestria, as sung by Soneta

-x-x-x-x-

"We're going to need all hooves on deck for this harvest," says Granny Smith, slowly lowering herself into her chair. "It's a biggun."

Big Macintosh gives a nod of agreement as he too takes his seat. "Storm's are a'comin'."

"That too," agrees Granny Smith. She glances around the room, old gaze moving over each member of her family. "We need ta start early this year."

"Ah know," says Applejack, setting out the last plate, one of steaming biscuits, before taking her own seat. "It's all that Dash's been goin' on about, how much work she's gonna hafta do. Ya think we can manage just the three of us?"

Big Mac glances at her, then at the empty place where Apple Bloom will soon be sitting. Then back at Applejack, and then over to Caramel Apple. He gives them all a grim smile and shakes his head.

"If she's goin' ta live on the farm, she's gonna have to work it," says Granny Smith. "Now's just as good a time as any."

"No, it ain't! It's the middle of the school year, Granny!" protests Applejack. "I won't allow it!"

"We need the extra hooves, Jackie dear," says Granny Smith.

Applejack slams one hoof down onto the table. "Then I'll work an extra shift for her. Apple Bloom deserves the chance ta be a kid."

And from outside of the doorway, said filly stares down at hooves and wonders if it's wrong to be glad that Applejack spoke up for her.

She doesn't want to work on the farm yet.

Apple Bloom just wants to be with her friends.

-x-x-x-

"I think that I'm gonna see if Sunflower Seed can come 'round for a couple'a days," says Applejack, dropping the bag of carrot seeds down on the ground beside her grandmother.

They've only been at it for a few hours, but the aged mare has already made a dent in the work. Fresh dirt has been churned up and flipped over, providing soft soil for the seeds to be planted in. It is smeared in faded green fur and heavy beneath her eyes, which are so tired and knowing and piercing, all at once.

Applejack looks away from her grandmother, busies herself with untying the burlap bag instead. "If that's okay, I mean. Just thought since we could use the extra hooves..."

"If that's what you think'll be best," says Granny Smith after a moment, shuffling backwards so there is room for Applejack to settle down beside her. She pats the freshly churned earth with one hoof.

Still not looking at the older mare, Applejack takes a seat. Pulls the burlap bag closer to her and focuses on the seeds instead, on counting each one as she puts it into the ground. "Y'know that I love this farm."

And she does. More than anything else in the world - because the farm means family, and family means safety, and what would she be without them? What would they be without it?

They would be nothing and she would have nothing, and so anything that Applejack can do to further their business, she does.

Granny Smith nods, once more digging her hooves into the soft ground. "Of course you do, dearie. Anypony that looks at you can tell that."

Applejack shifts a little further down the line. Then, she wishes that she didn't love the farm quite as much as she did.

-x-x-x-

"Hey there, Applejack." Sunflower Seed offers the mare a grin, peers down at her from beneath half-lidded eyes. "I didn't think ya were comin' over today."

Applejack smiles back at him, but it's half-hearted and tired. She doesn't feel like talking, doesn't have time for it. For this. For being here.

Not for the first time, she wishes that wasn't just an Earth pony - because how amazing must it be, to be able to cast a spell and send a message, faster than a blink? To fly across the entire town in a fourth of the time it takes to walk?

It must be like wishing on a star, she thinks, and then she offers Sunflower Seed a shrug. "I wasn't /planning/ on it, but some things came up over at the farm. I was wonderin' if you'd be able to help out some?"

The stallion pauses for a moment, as though he has to think things over. And he does, because the farm is a wonderful thing, but it isn't really his thing. No, his thing is his younger sister, is doing odd-jobs around the town where ponies pay him with real bits, not just a meal at the end of the day and a humble thank you.

In the end though, he nods. "Sure thing. I don't have much all planned for today. Whisper's not gonna be home for a while either. They've got that thing goin' on at school, the bit with the radio."

"Radio?" echoes Applejack, and then she remembers that today is the day of the coronation, and that the school will be broadcasting it live.

Apple Bloom has been waiting all week for it - and does that mean it's really already Thursday?

"That's right. We get a queen today," says Applejack, more to herself than to Sunflower Seed. She can't help but wonder why that thought doesn't make her more excited, but then she shakes her head because she has bigger things to worry about, anyway.

-x-x-x-

There are some moments that you know, without a single doubt, that you will remember forever. Each and every last detail, down to the placement of your chair and the way you wore your hair.

The time.

The feeling of excitement, bubbling deep within.

The buzz in the air, wrapping around everything and everyone.

Whisper knows that all of these things will be ingrained in her mind forever. How could they not, when her entire nation is about to change?

She's a young thing, this mare. Young enough to still be in Cheerilee's class and not in Hearth's class, with her cousin Applebloom. Her eyes are still wide with hope, her heart still untainted by the world at large. Even so, she recognizes the importance in finally having a Queen, and not just two princesses who really had only half-say in anything.

And besides, Cheerilee had put extra effort into making the words that flit through the air look special. Everything is cursive and glitter and blue - which is only Whisper's favorite color, ever.

So yes, she knows that she's going to remember it and she settles down in a seat beside a young thing named Dinky Hooves and just in front of a stallion unicorn named Jackal. Whisper brushes her pale yellow mane over her shoulder and leans forward, as Miss Cheerilee's words drift through the air in front of her.

"Today is a day like no other. Years ago, before you or I were ever thought of, our Queen vanished into the night. Though we spent many long hours searching for her, no trace was found. Nothing, save a single letter."

Whisper nods excitedly. The class had just studied this the week before. The trials of Queen Terra and the mysterious circumstances that laced her disappearance, and the way it had shaken the allegiance between pony and zebra.

"It has been read only by one pony, whose name has long since been forgotten. All that she would say was that within it lay the name of Queen Terra's successor. Today, it will be opened and the name of our new Queen will be announced!"

The colors of the letters shift then, to a dark gold. Whisper glances over her shoulder at Jackal, who gives a sheepish shrug.

"Sorry," he mouths, and Whisper just gives a small smile in return.

It's hard, she knows, for him to use his magic like this. To create the words that flit through the air, and all because Cheerilee asked him too. All for her.

"S'okay," says Whisper, and even though she cannot hear her own voice, she knows that the words are coming out warped and tangled.

Jackal grins at her. Then, he motions back to the words flitting through the air and Whisper obliges. Now, rather than reflecting the voice of Cheerilee, they reflect the words of the announcer on the radio that the teacher has turned on.

Hello, hello. Hello, hello. My name is Tuneful, and I'll be covering the final moment of the Royal Coronation! First though, a quick recap of the days earlier events. We have ambassadors from all over Equis here, today.

Raven That Flies With Clouds, of the antelope herd.

Zebari, of the Umani zebra tribe.

Ilyana, of the water dragons.

And, of course, a good collection of ponies from out very own Equestria! Princess Cadence is here, and looks gorgeous as ever. Moon Rabbit, Bubbles, Photofinish, Prim Hemline, Fancy Pants - the list could just go on forever! And, look! The curtains are parting, somepony's coming out from the castle! It's...Princess Celestia! Doesn't she look just beautiful? For those of you listening at home, it's all pastels on the Ruler of the Sun, today! And it looks like she's dyed her mane!

I bet Luna will be out any minute now.

Any minute.

Any...wait, wait, hang on now. The princess is saying something.

The words hung in the air, still and frozen. Then they shattered, bursting backwards only to be replaced with a new set, this time in the brightest green imaginable. Whisper's attention was glued to them, her heart pounding in her chest - and they can't have missed that much in just a few seconds, right?

Evidently, they can, could, did, because the words were streaking through the air now, almost too fast to read.

-heard right. Celestia has just announced herself to be Queen of, not just Equestria, but all of Equis. Folks, I don't know what to tell you all, but madness has just happened here in Canterlot. Ilyana is raging and-

Another lapse in words.

Cheerilee moves closer to the radio, turns up the volume.

-mane is nothing but fire and ponies are running everywhere. Celestia's still talking, something about letters being sent out this afternoon and...and I do believe I just heard her declare war against her own sister!

I can't see very well from here anymore, everyone is running around. To those of you listening at home, I have just received orders from my boss to cancel coverage of this event. In direct violations of those orders, I have one last message to give you all before my station is shut down.

I don't know what is going on, but it isn't good. Be careful, be wary, and be safe. If Celestia is to be believed, then war is coming to Equestria.

Abruptly, the words vanish.

The world is still.

Cheerilee takes a shaking step backwards, away from the radio. Somepony in the back row gets up and rushes forward, flinging themselves at her and saying something.

All that Whisper can think is that this is not how she wanted to remember this day.