The sun was shining brightly down on the vast green orchards of Sweet Apple Acres. There was a mild breeze flowing through the place, and all-in-all, it was seeming like a very relaxed and comfortable place to be. However, anyone who knew anything about the Acres would have rightly guessed that, in spite of that, there was still work to be done. And so it was that Applejack, perhaps the most notable member of the land’s owners, the Apple family, was hard at work on one of the many apple trees there, climbing up a carefully-secured ladder and picking fruit after fruit from its branches. With every apple she plucked, a smile crept onto her face, and she soon dropped them down gently into the basket that waited down below. However, after doing this a few more times, she turned, looking upon the guest who had arrived on the farm today; Twilight Sparkle.

“Are ya okay there, Twi?”

The spectacled girl turned to her, forcing a slight smile.

“Oh…sure! I’m fine! Nothing to worry about over here!”

However, even without Applejack’s infamous lie-detector sense, she could see that “fine” was not a good way to describe Twilight’s current situation. Trying to get out of her comfort zone, the Crystal Prep student had very graciously offered to help out on the farm, and as such was busy trying to lift and carry a fully-laden basket of apples. Unfortunately, she wasn’t quite as adept with this task as Applejack had become over the years, and so what had happened was that Twilight would lift the basket a few inches along, and simply let it fall to the ground again over how heavy it was. Lather, rinse, repeat. Seeing this, Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“Twi…ya haven’t moved more than six feet in the last five minutes.”

But Twilight, looking somewhat nervous, looked to her host with yet another forced smile.

“Oh! Don’t worry about me! I can do this!”

But, it was clear to anyone who saw her that this was simply an attempt to reassure Applejack. So, letting out a chuckle and a sigh, the farm girl gracefully slid down her ladder, walking over to where Twilight was, before reaching down and grabbing hold of one of the basket’s handles, leaving the latter to keep hold of the second.

“We’ll do it together. How bout that?”

Twilight looked to her with uncertainty for a few moments before, finally, starting to wear a more genuine smile. She gave a small nod, and together, they lifted the basket up. With Applejack’s additional strength added to the mix, the job was far easier than it had been for Twilight before, and it wasn’t long before the two girls managed to get the thing to it’s destination at the Apple family’s red barn. After dropping it off, Applejack removed her famous Stetson hat and wiped her brow, as indeed did Twilight, before the former looked to her with a hearty smile.

“Ah appreciate yer offerin ta help, Twi, but there ain’t no shame in askin fer some help yerself. Ah don’t expect ya to do all this if ya can't do it.”

Twilight looked away from her, looking slightly ashamed for a moment.

“Okay…perhaps I overstretched a bit. But…you and the other girls have done so much for me recently, I just…”

But, she was prevented from saying anything further, as Applejack let out a brief-but-loud chuckle before slapping down a hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“Aw shucks, Twi! Ya don’t need ta feel like yer in debt or something! We’re friends!”

Twilight smiled at that and gave a brief nod.

“I know…I just wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t give something in return.”

For a moment, the girl took on a somewhat saddened expression as she turned to the nearby basket.

“Even if I wasn’t all that good with it.”

But Applejack was unconcerned with this, placing her hands on her hips before speaking up in that upbeat manner she was so known for.

“Well, if ya ever need help with yer…er…help…don’t hesitate ta ask.”

Twilight looked to her, and for reasons Applejack couldn’t quite understand, her expression was not one of comfort or happiness over being told that. Instead, she actually seemed deep in thought, turning her attention back to the basket and standing in silence for a few moments. Applejack, perhaps sensing that she was going to say something important, remained silent herself, and so watched as the other girl let out a sigh before looking to face her again.

“Why are you always doing that? Offering a helping hand instead of leaving people to it?”

Applejack raised an eyebrow at that.

“Well…it ain’t right ta just leave folks hangin if they’re struggling.”

Twilight raised a hand, adjusting her glasses a little before continuing.

“I know. It’s just…it’s so strange to me to see someone so willing to help. Like back at the Games. I’d have been humiliated if you hadn’t stepped in with your help at archery.”

Another chuckle escaped Applejack at that.

“Shucks, Sugarcube! That weren’t no bother! Ya needed help, so ah gave it! And I sure don’t regret that.”

Twilight took on a somewhat guilty look after hearing that.

“Even after…what I did?”

To that, Applejack put on a disapproving frown.

“Now, Twi…we already talked about that. It weren’t yer fault that happened! Ya couldn’t control what her magic-suckin doohicky was doin, right? So don’t go feelin down on yerself now, ya hear?”

Twilight looked to her, opening her mouth to give some kind of counter response, but one look at Applejack’s reassuring, and yet somewhat disapproving expression, made her think twice about doing so. Instead, she gave a sigh, putting on a small smile and nodding to her, acknowledging her point, to which Applejack smiled back in earnest. However, that smile did not last long, as she titled her head with a display of slight confusion.

“Now then…what was all that about me helpin ya? Was that really so strange?”

Twilight nodded, and yet again she readied herself to give an answer to the question. However, she couldn’t, as Applejack raised a hand before her, with a look on her face that made it clear that she’d figured out what was going on.

“Oh…wait…let me guess. Yer classmates back at Crystal Prep weren’t ones fer helpin each other out all that much, were they?”

Twilight looked away, shaking her head slightly.

“No. From the moment we go into that school, it’s something we all learn. I mean, the teachers never said it outright or anything, but…there’s always been this feeling that needing help from others, for anything, it’s…it’s a sign than maybe…you’re not…not good enough. And giving help? That was just seen as encouraging…sub-par students.”

Applejack frowned at lack, looking outright incensed at the notion that helping others could in any way be seen as a bad thing. However, this time, it was her turn to be prevented from saying anything, as Twilight raised both her hands, shaking them frantically as she saw the look on Applejack’s face.

“Oh! But it’s okay now! I mean…ever since the Games, a lot of my classmates have been acting a lot better than they were before. And the teachers, they…well…I’m guessing that Dean Cadence has been encouraging them to be less…difficult about the matter.”

Applejack looked to her and listened to every work of that, nodding her head slightly while still bearing no smile.

“Well…alright then. If things are gettin better, then ah guess ah can live with that.”

However, she still regained her frown from earlier as she continued.

“Still…ah didn’t like it that none of those girl helped ya out at the Games. Ah mean…ah was on the other team, and ah helped ya!”

Twilight nodded at that.

“I know…but when you spend years in that kind of place, learning to stand in your own two feet without help from others…it’s hard to really change form that.”

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Applejack would have wanted to say more on the matter. However, to Twilight’s comfort, she didn’t press the issue, instead letting out a deep sigh before placing her hands on her hips once more.

“Well…truth be told…ah’m hardly in a position ta criticise when it comes ta changing yer ways. If ah’m bein honest…ah can be pretty stubborn too. Not as stubborn as them, but…still…”

Twilight nodded at that, but nevertheless stayed quiet as Applejack looked to her with a more serious expression.

“Twi…ya say things are getting better over there?”

The spectacled girl thought long and hard over that, before finally giving a nod. Seeing that, Applejack let out another deep sigh.

“Well…ah guess ah can live with that.”

A silence fell between the two girls for a time, which ended when the farm girl put on a more genuine smile before placing a hand upon Twilight’s shoulder again.

“Well…ah guess that’s all settled then. How bout we get back ta the orchards?”

Twilight smiled and nodded at that, but for a moment, seemed hesitant about something. After Applejack waited for a moment, letting her get her thoughts together, she watched as the girl spoke up in a somewhat nervous manner.

“Would it…would it be alright if I had some…help?”

To that, Applejack merely smiled.

“Twi…all ya had ta do was ask.”