I know I said I would have this out on Saturday. I'm sorry for being a few days late on this, but I had to do a bit of research to avoid going OOC and ran out of time in the day before I crashed at my friends place. Also, while writing the dialogue I got really tempted to just write that in script format, but there's no fun in that. And as I learned that AJ doesn't have a whole lot of canon personality to explore, unfortunately, OOC warning.

Also, I know that I've deleted and reuploaded this chapter several times. I'm doing that because this is a monster of a chapter and I've gone so long with out an update I'm updating in real time. Again, sorry. Also, over 2K words in one chapter with this 3rd update.

17:30 Month: 5/12 Day: 30/48 Sweet Apple Acres

"And that's about the thick of it." Applejack said, finishing up the tour of the farm. She skipped over the fields since that's where the surprise party for him was being planned. "So, any questions?"

"Well, I couldn't help but notice you skipped over the three fields. Why was that?"

" 'Cause. That needs a more in depth tour than I could have given you before supper starts." She said, her fake smile and tone of voice making it more than clear that she wasn't telling the whole truth.

'So, should I press her on this or not? On the one hoof, it might hurt any chances of a relationship, on the other it might actually be important.' Chain thought, coming to a conclusion lightning fast. "Alright," he started sounding more than unconvinced, "but first thing in the morning I want to go on an in-depth tour of all the different kinds of plants in the non-fallow fields." He finished with a laugh.

"Alright." AJ said with a sigh of relief. She hated having to keep secrets, even if it was for her friends. Before either one of them could say a thing the dinner bell was rang. "A'right. I'm hungry as a stallion."

"Agreed." And with that, they both galloped to the barn like a couple of children in a race.

17:40 month 5/12 Day: 30/48

"Oh, who's the new pony here?" A little filly asked as soon as they had gotten through the thresh hold.

"Now Apple Bloom, this here's Chain Mail. He's agreed to be the new farmhoof for the season in exchange for room and board. He was sent by order of the princess herself." The older of the two sisters answered.

"Now hold on. What kind of qualifications does he have?" Big Mac said, characteristically calm and collected while he was looking over Chain Mail. He was a couple of hands taller than the War Horse, but that was probably because of the age difference. He definitely looked like a work horse, maybe he would fit in here.

"I'm a soldier, sir. All I really need is a tour around the farm, which I've already been walked through, and not even a day's worth of learning the ropes." Chain said. He was glad that people seemed to like him here, grateful even, but he didn't want to hurt AJ's credibility at home. But then he didn't know how honest she was and how hard it would be to hurt her credibility on purpose, much less by accident.

"Sounds like someone I knew a while ago." Granny Smith, sitting in her rocking chair said as she woke up before falling back to sleep.

"Well, food's on." Big Mac stated, sitting down at the family sized table where he always sat. And so did everyone else. It was an average meal, but by anyone else's standards it would be huge. And so, they talked about what it was like being in the military, exchanging stories and the like. It was a good family time.

17:45 month 5/12 Day: 30/48 Sweet Apple Acres Fallow Field

Pinkie Pie had been preparing for the impromptu party for a few hours now, and there were only 15 minutes left until it started. Everyone in ponyville was there, and with the Equestria 500 starting next week at the same time as apple bucking season, there were a lot of ponies in town. But, there wasn't enough time or resources to set up parties for every one of the out-of-towners, so the pink maned wonder had to just stick to ponies that were moving into town. She had it already set up now, and all that was left was to scan the barn pinkie pie style until people started coming out.

15 minutes later

And so they came out.

"Alright, Places everypony" She said, watching as Applejack and Chain Mail walked from the main barn to the fields. She hid under a table, waiting to burst out into song at surprise. Granted there was no way of knowing exactly when they would walk on the unplanted land, but she did have a spot perfectly made to watch what was going on. 'Oh, here they come.' She thought, grabbing her party horn.

"Surprise!" She yelled, and Chain Mail was surprised. He jumped back a solid yard and was poised to strike for a second, before he realized what was going on.

"It definitely was." He said chuckling.

"Don't worry sugah cube. You'll get used to it in time." AJ reaffirmed him.

"Yeah, and don't worry, I invite everyone to my parties. Though you should mingle, after all it's your party." She finished on her present tangent. She had her usual mile wide smile.

"Alright." He said as he trotted off to meet the fine residents of ponyville

And here it is, the first 900 words. And trust me, by Celestia the dialogue in this chapter is tedious to work on. So if I can keep up through my writers block, I should have the other thousand words up by Friday. Also, homecoming is this week, my moms been sick, and I've had a killer headache so that's why I've been on an off schedule, so regular updates should be back next week.

The first pony that he walked up to was a light greyish mulberry coated unicorn (before season 3 finale). Something, though he wasn't quite sure what, seemed familiar about her.

"Oh, hello." She said, not entirely expecting to seen as much more than in the background at one of Pinkies parties.

"I'm Chain Mail." He responded, not sure what it was that seemed familiar. Maybe it was just his imagination pulling a prank on him again. It was bugging him all the same.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle, nice to meet you." She responded with a smile, meeting a new person after having so much experience with friendship would definitely help her studies along greatly. She would write a letter to the princess later about the new pony.

"You mean YOU'RE Shining Armor's little sister?" Chain said, definitely dumbfounded at her name. He did know who she was after all. 'A soldiers gut is never wrong.' He thought to himself.

"Oh, have you two met? And how do you know that he's my brother?" Twilight asked, that definitely wasn't the reaction that she was expecting from telling him her name.

"No, but there isn't a soldier alive that hasn't heard of Shining Armor. And he's bragged about you before, 'The princesses personal student' was what he said, at least that's what I heard through the grapevine." He explained, with a chuckle in his voice.

"So, you're a soldier?" She asked the obvious. Making friends with a Canterlot citizen would not only be a first, but would make excellent writing to the princess.

"Yeah, Second Lieutenant. Princess Celestia sent me here to learn about being a civilian." He further explained his position and why he was here.

"Well, I definitely think she sent you to the right place. And if you ever need to send a letter to the princess, I'm sure Spike will be happy to help."

"Wait, I met a Dragon named Spike earlier today when I went to find a map in the library." His response was nervous, like he wasn't supposed to have been in that library.

"Oh, that's where I live." She responded, she was just surprised that someone had actually gone in her house to learn something, like a library.

"Oh, then sorry about breaking and entering, and here is your map back." He quickly apologized, pulling the map out of his saddle bags with magic.

"Well, I figured people would come in since it's a library and all. And you can keep the map, it helped me a lot when I first moved here." She responded, remembering that it took her a good week to memorize where every little thing was.

"Thanks, and I think I'll go mingle a bit more." Chain said, sure that there were a lot of interesting ponies there that night, and while he couldn't meet all of them, he would at least a few.

"Alright." Twilight said as she went back to reading and keeping an eye on everything.

As he was walking he saw a cyan colored Pegasus with a cloud looking for someone. "So, who are you looking for?"

"The guest of honor, a good prank ought to welcome him." She said, not even looking at him.

"Well, you're talking to him." He said jokingly, she didn't even know she had given herself away.

"What, aww man. I got this storm cloud to scare you and everything." The unnamed pony complained at the fall through of her prank.

"Eh, I don't think it would've scared me much anyway. I'm in the army." He remarked, boasting proudly his lack of fear. 'Though I can admit I've been nervous before.'

"Woah, a War Horse. I've heard some interesting rumors about you guys." She responded as she lay on her cloud. Her note had an unmistakable note of nervousness derived partially by xenophobia and the rumors, much like what the deal with Zecora had been.

"If you mean that we enjoy bathing in blood, or that were all blood thirsty monsters than your aren't right. We're just elie guards of Equestria." He chuckled; honestly he didn't think any pony actually believed those silly rumors. They were headed by Princess Luna though, and her thousand year stint as Nightmare Moon really freaked people out. 'It'll all work it's self out eventually.'

"Huh, well, that sounds cool I guess." She chuckled back, that nervousness still there.

"You guess? Well, if you don't like following strict protocol and pushing yourself 120% everyday than yeah, it isn't the best job ever imaginable." He came back, laughing at the situation that a conversation with a random pony had led him into.

"Strict protocol, how do you stand dealing with that stuff." All traces of nervousness were gone from the weather pony's voice now, there was shock that he enjoyed the hard work and rule following that came with being in the War Horse division, but that was to be expected.

"Me personally, I've been living my dream since I was a colt." He laughed with smugness. It was rare that he got smug, but knowing that he was amazing at something that others weren't as good at. 'Civilian thing I guess.'

"Why would your parents make you join someplace like that." She asked, the tone of shock and sarcasm still in her voice, but much more subdued.

"Because, after I almost died in a fight, I got this." Chain answered as he pointed out his flank. He had a cutie mark of a simple sword. "And since I would be good at fighting, they sent me to learn."

"Wait, you're cutie mark is in fighting, but you almost died fighting. Shouldn't you have been, I don't know, good."

"Have you ever tried fighting someone twice your size that was much stronger than you and had formal training. I was lucky I didn't die after being stabbed in the chest 12 times by an older unicorn." He responded to the unnamed pony, wincing at the memory of when he was 6 years old.

"Wow, how did you come back from that."

"Let's just say the health care in Canterlot is really good. "

"So you didn't do it on your own."

"I was 6, fighting a 12 year old mare in advance fighting classes. That would be like you trying to hold a candle to the Wonder Bolts." He decided to show her why he was right by making a comparison. Granted, he didn't know her at all, but she looked the sporty type.

"I'll have you know that I've saved the Wonderbolts more than once." She told him, now with an almost yelling strict voice.

"Oh, Please do explain." He rolled his eyes at that statement.

"Gladly, at the Cloudsdale's best young flyers competition, they were plummeting towards the ground and I saved them and my friend Rarity with a Sonic Rainboom." She said, now competitively on the edge of her cloud that she just hadn't bothered to get rid of yet. The competition was in her voice, and eyes.

"So you can pull off a couple of tricks, but can you pull off their signature rolling barrel strait into a twin diamond aileron roll and finish up a sneak pass flowing nicely into a line-abreast loop?" Chain's voice had little change, just a smirk and an attitude that said check-mate. 'Since when have I been so competitive? I guess it's just something about this pony. I wonder what that says about me that I can be so easily roped into a meaningless competition over trivial maters by a pony that I don't know.

"Finally, a pony that knows their stuff in this town; where'd you learn so much about the Wonderbolts anyway?" She asked, shocked, but also relieved. Interesting pony this one.

"I've been a guard at the Grand Galloping Gala for the last 3 years. And to be honest, their performance is the only good part about that stuck up parade."

"Yeah, the names Rainbow Dash by the way." She said, it was unusual to bring up names this late into a conversation, but this was hardly a normal conversation so it was far from unacceptable.

"Chain Mail, and as fun as this conversation's been I still want to meet some more people at this party." And with that he walked off to find another pony to have a conversation with.