Rainbow Dash did a perfect running takeoff from her cloud home high above Sweet Apple Acres. Ever since she had gotten to the final year of Wonderbolts training, she had added a small landing strip to the side of her home to practice combat style short landings. She didn't stay in her cloud home as often as before though, having taken to spending more time with Applejack at the farm or in town. The Wonderbolts was just the reason she wasn't there last night though. She had gone back to the academy for a two week course, which ended up her final exams. She had gotten back very late last night and didn't want to disturb anyone at the house by tromping in late.

She closed her eyes as she cruised high above, loving the smell of the fresh morning air. There was something about the air at harvest time too that always made things better. It didn't take her long to see Applejack down below talking to somepony she couldn't identify at this altitude. She grinned and began to spiral silently downward, before dropping.

"...aaaaaapplEJAAAACK~!" She shouted from above before landing on the orange farmpony's back a little roughly. She knew that Applejack was strong and sturdy enough to handle it, and it's not like Rainbow Dash was particularly heavy even for a Pegasus. "Hi, Apples! I'm back!" She gave Applejack's neck a nuzzle with a giggle and then looked to her companion. "Heya... Arty right?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:50, Tue 04 Mar 2014.

To Arty, it had seemed like part of the sky had just decided to fall on Miss Jack and now he was staring at a strange pony with two heads.  It took a moment for reason to reassert itself and work out the mix of images.  "Hello Miss Dash. You're looking well today."

As the flighty pegasus arrived and alighted upon her back, Applejack perked up a bit. Despite Rainbow's relatively slight weight, her stance did dip slightly as the other mare touched down, hooves settling firm into her work-tensed muscles. The breeze of her landing was enough to tip the stetson off the farmpony's head.

"Haha, Howdy, Rainbow~ Ah' didn't think ya were gettin' in till t'night!" She kicked her back hooves lightly, tossing Rainbow in the air, then  rose onto her back legs to catch Rainbow in her forelegs, settling her down, and then nuzzling into her shoulder.

Letting out a sigh, she rested a hoof against Rainbow's shoulder for a moment, lingering against her. "Ah' Missed ya, Rain..." Applejack opened her eyes as she rested against her, drawing in a slow and deep breath.

Rainbow Dash grinned at Arty's words and nodded. "Yep! Not only am I done with training classes, but I'm back with the mare I love." She said and blushed bright at her own words. Even though some time had passed, Dash still couldn't believe this was actually happening. It felt like a dream to be with Applejack, and it made her feel higher than she ever did when flying. Well maybe breaking the sound barrier was as awesome, but that was it.

At Applejack's words she giggled. "Tonight? Maybe if I took that slow airship like everypony else... but I wanted to get here as soon as I could, so I flew myself over waaaugh!" She shouted out in surprise as Applejack suddenly bucked her off, but erupted in laughter as she then caught her. She smiled happily and leaned back against her. She blushed and then leaned up to give her a soft kiss, nothing too much in front of Arty of course! "I missed you too, Apples. Anyway, I thought I'd come help with harvest if yo can find a use for me."

The farm pony laughed gently, and as Rainbow turned the nuzzle into a simple but sweet kiss, her cheeks lit up warmly. She raised a hoof to brush into Rainbow's mane, then gently yielded the kiss, before glancing up to Arty from the corner of her eyes. Her cheeks were still aglow. "Ah... hehe..." She lowered her head, then glanced back up to Rainbow, stepping over to reclaim her hat from where it had tipped off her head.

She eyed Rainbow, again, as she settled her hat on her head, narrowing her eyes. "Are ya' sure yer mah Rainbow? Ah've never known ya' to come lookin' fer work."

She leaned close, putting a hoof up to her chin. "... Are you a Changeling?"

Arty blushed a bit watching Miss Dash and Miss Jack, but with Miss Jack's last remark, he chuckled, and tried to hide it behind his hoof.

"I'll leave you too alone now. Have fun!"  He carefully closed the vent behind him and turned towards Ponyville mane town.

>>To Ponyville>>

EVENT: Sweet Apple Cider!

While so many other fall events are ahoof in Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres is in the midst of its' own busy season! Applejack, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and even some of their friends who've sought to help out have been welcomed down on the farm!

The last of the apple bucking is still underway, and preparations are in the works for Cider production, with plans in place to have it ready by the upcoming Running of the Leaves!  Thus Far, Applejack has been taking a very direct hoof in things, but now that she's got so many apple pies in the oven, so to speak, she might need a hoof, handling everything!

As afternoon settled in, the big baked apple lunch  settling on ponies' stomachs, Applejack galloped out to hit the fields once again! While Big Macintosh worked transporting bushels full of apples out to the barn, Applejack was putting her patented, powerful back hooves to work,  bucking apples out of trees and smoothly into bushels.

Working up a healthy, vigorous farmpony sweat, AJ  whooped as she cleared a section of  the grove. She grabbed a wet towel, and wiped her face with it, before draping it back over her withers. "Whew~! Awright' Almost done!"

As Applejack congradulated herself on her hard work, and it was well-deserved self-praise no doubt, another pony was working as hard as they could as well at pulling a cart full of apples for the Apple family

It wasn't going nearly as well, because the pony in question wasn't in any kind of real shape to do hard labor like this.  His shape was fairly round and pudgy

Still, Wordsmith wasn't going to complain.  He was part of the community of Ponyville now, and he wanted to belong.  Plus it was just his nature to help where he could as a proper Coltscout should.

So, wordlessly, the would-be writer and foodie pulled the apple cart along, working up a heavy sweat himself with aching muscles.

"Come on Wordie... you walked from flippin' Canterlot.  You can pull a friggin' apple cart to help out." he muttered to himself.

With a grunt he dug his hooves in and heave... cracking his back.  He winced and shivered, "Well, that feels a bit better"  Shaking himself out, he heaved again, getting the cart rolling.

Applejack hitched up her own cartload of filled bushels, and took off at a steady trot up from the southwest orchard, where the trees were mostly for their specialized cider-making apples.  Applejack was in good spirits and form, and steadily caught up to another cart-puller on the way up to the cider barn.

"Ay' There, Wordsmith! Ya'll pullin' alright?" Applejack veered to the side, pulling her cart alongside his, and she matched his pace, looking over to  the writer with an tip of her hat.

Wordsmith blushed, his cheeks going a bit purple as the fit farmpony mare pulled up along-side of him

"Good as I can be" He said honestly, sweat dripping from his scruffy beard and nose.  He blushed, turning away and wiping his face with a foreleg.  He had foregone his usual cargo vest and was working 'plain' so he wouldn't get it dirty or smelly, "I'm afraid I'm not as fit as you, but I'll manage."

that was an understatement, to say the least, but he wasn't going to give up or wimp out.  He came to Ponyville to change after all.  Not just the scenery but himself.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:52, Wed 10 June 2015.

As Applejack and Wordsmith were hauling carts heading up the road toward the barn, a much smaller, and presumably lighter, cart came rolling down the road to meet them.

As it grew closer, they would be able to make out the pony carrying it.  She was scarcely more than a filly; a white and pink unicorn who was no stranger to Sweet Apple Acres and the surrounding area.

As she grew closer, but long before she came within what anypony would consider "polite conversation range," Sweetie Belle called out, "Any thirsty ponies around?"  A little closer and it became clear what her small cart was hauling:  a bucket of ice, a stack of cups, and a very large pitcher of fresh lemonade.

She pulled to a stop between the two carts.

"Granny Smith thought you guys might like some of her *LEMONADE*!"

A shaky, pale green aura suddenly surrounded two of the cups in the back of the wagon as Sweetie looked back over her shoulder with a look of deep concentration, her horn taking on the same glow.  The cups levitated slowly and scooped themselves full of ice before slowly coming to rest on the side of the wagon.

Sweetie exhaled sharply.  "See? ... I've been *PRACTICING*"

"Yer' doin' fine, Wordsmith. But ya' might wanna cool off..." Applejack trailed off as she caught sight of Sweetie Belle approaching with the crusaders' red wagon. She perked up. "Hay there, Sweetie Belle. Mighty sweet of ya', helpin' us all out like this. Ah think Wordsmith here could use a 'lil pick-me-up..." Applejack paused in her advance, looking between the two with a friendly smile.

"Yer' gittin' pretty good at that, Sweetie Belle."

"I'll stop if I get over-hea..." Wordsmith panted softly, stopping as Sweetie Belle trotted up, calling out she had lemonade

he smiled, taking one of the filled cups after Sweetie Belle had filled them and put them on the side of the cart.  Oddly for a unicorn, he did so with his hoof instead of magic.  He tilted his head back and drinking it down in three large gulps

"Oh sweet Celestia... that's good" he sighed, putting the icy cup to his forehead to cool him off.  He smiled at the little white filly, "thank you very much, Sweetie Belle, was it?"

"*THANKS!*" Sweetie exclaimed as she poured the glasses of lemonade with her hooves instead of her magic.  When she was finished she offered one to the blue stallion who looked like he needed it.

"Yup!" she replied when he tried to remember her name.  "I'm best friends with Apple Bloom!  We've been up at the farmhouse helping Granny Smith with the cooking!"

She looked past him and eyed the two carts full of apples they were hauling.

"WOW! ... You guys have sure been *BUSY*!"

"Yup~ Just another day 'er two and the orchard'll be clear, an' we can start on the last run of cider fer' this year~" Applejack chimed happily. "It's really great to have everypony pitchin' in and helpin out." She patted a hoof lightly on Sweetie's forehead, and started moving forward with her cart - but she kept a relaxed pace, which both Wordsmith and Sweetie could keep up with,if they wished.

Blushing a bit more, he used his magic to take the cup this time, "Thank you" he said to Sweetie Belle as he quickly downed this cup too, combining the ice into one cup and stacking the two cups together, "Ugh..."

With a grunt he pulled his cart again, starting slowly but getting up to a 'mosey' of a pace.  Needless to day, Sweetie could easily keep up with the pudgy blue butterball.

Sweetie beamed at Applejack's praise and pat on the head.  She trotted on ahead and made a quick circle to come back the direction the two adults were heading, falling in right between them again, giving just enough clearance that her wagon wouldn't hit either cart.

"Yer' gettin' stronger, Wordsmith. But, ah, ya' might wanna take a day off. Don't want 'ya strainin' nothin' on mah account." She grinned to show a friendly teasing attitude. Soon, they could see the cider barn ahead, where they did most of their production work. Still had a ways to go, yet, though.

He blushed, smiling, "Thanks Miss Applejack... but I'm gonna have to work this hard if I wanna turn myself around.  Plus, well, if I wanna be part of the community I gotta help out, right?" the blue stallion smiled, "Besides... I like it out here.  It's just... really nice here."

He shifted the harness, nodding to her words, "I'll take it easy tomorrow, then.  I'm sure I can find some light work to do for the upcoming festivities."

"That's tha' spirit. Don't want ya' sittin' out when we go Running the Leaves."

Applejack grinned back to Wordsmith, inevitably pulling ahead a little bit.  She brought her cartload up to the barn, and pulled it a bit forward to make room for Wordsmith. Unhitching herself she circled around to the back, to help him out. "There ya' go~ Why doncha' have another cup'a lemonade?" she advised warmly, patting Wordsmith on the shoulder.

Sweetie managed to keep pace with Applejack surprisngly well on their way back to the barn, though she did make a point to slow down and wait on Mr. Wordsmith so he didn't have to walk by himself either.

As they pulled up outside the barn, Sweetie slipped out of the yoke attached to the small wagon and bounced into the barn on all fours.  It was practically filled with apples, this close to cider making day, and the aroma was nearly overwhelming.

Sweetie's mouth watered.

"Mmmm.... I can't *WAIT* to try this year's *CIDER*!"  She took a deep breath, taking in the bounty the Apples and their friends had worked to gather.

"What about you, Mr. Wordsmith?... Are you eager to try some of the new *CIDER*?"  Sweetie trotted right up to the blue stallion, blissfully oblivious of the concept of "personal space."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:49, Thu 11 June 2015.

It was about this time that a mail pegasus flying overhead "dropped" its package, a rather large, frumbled-looking, cardboard box.

The pegasus let out a "Bullseye!" as the box hit its target, a large mound of fertilizer, with a wonderful splaty sound.

The Apples family, known for the high quality of their apples, used only the finest all-natural fertilizer to grow their crops.

The package in question had no postal markings. Only the stamp of the Royal Offices of Equestria and the following printed on the side of the box in big red letters.

SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS:
LAST CLASS
HANDLE ROUGHLY
PLEASE BEND AND FOLD

Wordsmith chuckled, not minding her being close.  She was young, and enthusiastic.  How could you be mad at that?

Taking another lemonade as Applejack did offer, he smiled down at Sweetie Belle with a nod, "I am.  This'll be my first time trying it fresh out of a barrel instead of a bottle shipping into Canterlot."

He inhaled the sweet scent of apples and felt a little invigorated.

Applejack was just about to get to the unloading, when she caught sight of the package being dropped out by the fertilizer shack..  "Aww,  horse apples. Ah gotta take care a' this..." She said, and waved to the two, setting off at a gallop out toward the shack. She scrunched her nose up as she rounded around , and broke out her lasso to grab and drag the package as cleanly as she could to the edge of the mess..  "huh...  What kinda' package is this?" She turned, and firmly bucked the crate with her back legs, to open it.