Author's Note:
Spoilers before chapter seven of Seeking Power.
Also, I can't help but feel there's a copy paste into the main series waiting to happen with the third scene (but from Apple Bloom's perspective instead).
A rooster cawed out across Sweet Apple Acres and roused Applejack from her sleep. Contrary to her well-crafted imagine in Ponyville, she was not a morning pony.
Durn sun. Couldn' ya just stay down fer today?
Applejack rolled over under her covers to escape the morning light peeking in from her window. Burying her face in her pillow, she fell back into a dreamy haze between sleep and consciousness. A wonderfully pleasant feeling that was interrupted by a horribly unpleasant noise.
"Wake up, big sis!"
Durn, wake-up call. Why can't she sleep in like ev'ry other filly?
Applejack shoved her forehooves underneath her pillow, let her ears droop to the sides of her head, and rolled the edges up to cover them. It was uncomfortable, but it helped keep the world at bay from yet another sense. Unfortunately, the world was not in the mood to let Applejack lie in bed.
The door burst open and, following the sounds of small galloping hooves, Applebloom pounced onto Applejack, shouting, "Wake up!"
"Durn it, Apple Bloom! Just this once! Let me sleep in just this once!"
"Ya know, I can't do tha'. I'm under strict orders from Granny 'n Big Mac ta get ya up ev'ry morning."
"Go tell 'em I'm still workin' off ma hango'er from tha reunion."
"Tha' was two days ago." Apple Bloom started nudging Applejack every second and said, "Not happenin'."
"Ugh…" moaned Applejack.
"Wakeup. Wakeup. Wakeup. Wakeup. Wakeup. Wakeup. Wakeup–"
"Alrigh' already!"
Rolling over again and bending at the barrel, Applejack flew up and threw Apple Bloom off her and onto the floor where the filly landed with the grace of experience. Obviously contented, Apple Bloom turned to leave.
"I'll be down soon as I get showered up. Ya tell Big Mac ta save some breakfast fer me, ya hear?" yawned Applejack, rubbing her eyes the whole time.
"Sure thin', big sis."
Applejack entered the dinning room in a sleepy haze. She had tried taking a cold shower but nothing seemed to be helping this morning. Even with a full day of rest yesterday, her muscles were still aching to return to bed so soon after the family reunion.
Lazily taking her seat, Applejack found herself left with a pair of flapjacks, a glass of apple juice, and a bowl of oats in milk.
Not exactly ma favorite, but I s'pose I can't complain bein' this late.
Except for the clink of silverware hitting plates and the squeak of her chair, there was only one other noise while Applejack ate. A terribly annoying noise at this early hour.
Granny Smith was snoring in the living room.
Sighing, Applejack picked up her pace to get away from thoughts of sleep.
This place is a righ' pigsty.
That was Applejack's first thought as she opened the barn doors. The family gathering had not been kind to the first floor. Remains of food littered the ground and makeshift beds of hay were haphazardly placed everywhere. There was even a cow eating one of them.
The upstairs storage was still packed with items rescued from Apple Bloom's clubhouse, but from the look of things, a reordering had been undertaken since yesterday.
"Sugarcube, ya up there?" Applejack half-shouted.
"Yes!" replied Apple Bloom.
"Yer s'posed ta be cleanin' tha barn!"
"I was but…I got distracted!"
"Ya better not be usin' wirin' inside tha barn ag'in!"
"I'm not!"
Deciding to get a firsthoof look at whatever trouble her sister was making, Applejack ascended the ladder to the second floor. Once she reached the top, she had to shuffle around piles of junk in order to walk anywhere. Apple Bloom had cleared only a path large enough for her own considerably smaller body to fit through.
After shifting a box of old blueprints, Apple Bloom finally came into view. She was lying on the floor with a quill at hoof in her magic and a vial of ink nearby. In front of her was a mostly empty sheet of draft paper. Some trees and dimensions were labeled and a few notes appeared on the sides, but it was otherwise empty.
A bit glum in appearance, Apple Bloom said, "Hey, sis."
"Wha' are ya drawin' up? A new clubhouse?"
Apple Bloom shook her head slowly and then said, "A lab."
"A lab?"
"A lab."
"Wha' in tarnation do ya need a lab fer? If'n ya burn down Sweet Apple Acres, there'll be a mighty reckonin' comin'."
Apple Bloom said nothing, opting instead to make a note on the paper that read, "Do not burn down home."
"Hey, sugarcube," Applejack said, concern lining her voice, "wha's wrong?"
"Nothin'," deadpanned Apple Bloom as she continued working.
"Nothin' ma hoof. Ya've obviously got somethin' on yer mind." – Applejack sat down next to her sister – "Why don't ya tell me wha's wrong?"
"Nothin's wrong. Just deep in thought."
"Don't lie ta yer big sis. Why are ya doin' this?"
Apple Bloom threw her quill at the ground and snapped the tip, shouting, "Cause I don't need a clubhouse anymore! Happy?"
Once the shock died down, Applejack immediately pulled her sister in for a hug. A few sniffs later and Apple Bloom started crying into Applejack's coat.
Patting her sister on the back, Applejack whispered, "Don't ya worry none, sugarcube. Yer friends ain't goin' away forever. You'll see 'em ag'in 'fore ya know it. Just let it all out till yer feelin' better."
Seconds turned to minutes and those minutes rolled on and on as the two sisters hugged one another for support. Apple Bloom's tears were pulling Applejack toward less savory thoughts herself.
"Ya know, sugarcube. Two 'a ma friends are movin' too. I'm sure gonna miss Rarity and Dash. Even if'n Dash pilfers our apples on occasion. But we've promised each other ta stay in touch 'n get togetha' fer visits ev'ry now 'n then. I'm sure both'll have Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo with 'em when they come."
"I know," Apple Bloom said, though it came out muffled by the hug. "'N Sweetie Belle has all sorts 'a tricks ta talk with me, but it's just not tha same. 'N it'll ne'er be tha same ag'in.
"Scoots is off to some fancy school ta become tha best 'a tha best 'n I know she can do it. E'en without 'er wings, she's gonna do it.
"Sweetie Belle's got 'erself somepony who's probably tha best teacher fer 'er in tha world. She'll be as famous as tha archmage 'n tha princess when she's grown up.
"'N where does tha' leave me? Just some filly from tha Apple family. E'en if'n granny gave me tha farm 'n the family nobility, it wouldn' mean anythin' ta 'em. I'd just be some noble they used ta know."
"Apple Bloom…tha's not how friendship works. They won't care if'n ya've got nothin' ta offer 'em. They're yer friends 'n they're always gonna be."
Pushing away from Applejack, Apple Bloom said, "Don't try tha' with me, sis. I know tha's not how tha world works. Maybe in an ideal world, but not in this one. I'm just a filly, but Ponyville is a small town. I pay attention ta wha' happens ta relationships 'round these parts. We e'en tried fer pony watchin' cutie marks once. I– I don't wanna let 'em go, sis. I don't…"
"Apple Bloom–"
The filly in question turned her back and said, "No, I'm not listenin'."
An pregnant silence grew, broken only by the occasional sniff from Apple Bloom.
"…Is tha' why yer buildin' a lab?"
Apple Bloom nodded. "It's tha only thin' I'm good at tha' nopony else is. Maybe if'n I work hard enough, I'll be interestin' 'n important too. It's not like I'm short on bits or anythin'."
Granny Smith is tha custodian 'a yer income though… She might not be too keen on this. Applejack thought but did not have the heart to say anything. Maybe if'n I don't mention 'er motivation…
"I–" Applejack began but faltered for words. "I'm glad ta see ya interested in learnin'…I guess. I'll talk ta ya 'bout this ag'in tonight when yer in a better mood."
A rush of apples fell toward the ground as the tree they grew on shook under the force of Applejack's buck. The baskets placed at the bottom of the tree altered the paths of the apples so they would land gently in a pile inside the containers. No bruises. No mess.
Nearby were a dozen farm hooves. Half were also bucking apples. The other half were running filled baskets to a mostly empty apple cart and bringing the empty baskets to the next tree that needed them.
At a tree behind Applejack, Big Mac was bucking trees as stoically as ever alongside her.
Sighing, Applejack moved to the next tree and gave it an extra hard kick to let her frustration out. Apple Bloom's words rarely had left her mind since she left the barn and, whenever they did, she kept worrying about her own friendships with Rarity and Dash.
She never really got to know the mare, but she had heard that Fluttershy was moving away as well. Even Pinkie Pie was oddly distant.
Now tha' I think 'bout it, has anypony e'en seen Pinkie Pie lately?
Something definitely was turning Ponyville upside down. Even the usual string of disasters had abated recently. That could not be a good sign.
Sighing again, Applejack turned to her brother and said, "Hey, Big Mac. Do ya e'er get tha feelin' tha' there's some big story goin' on tha' ya've been left out 'a?"
Big Mac aborted a buck he was about to give to a tree and looked suddenly thoughtful. He put his forehoof to his jaw and rubbed it slowly, string into space the whole time.
Finally, he said, "Eenope," and went back to bucking trees.
