"Who does she think she is?" Trixie fumed, once she had safely made it outside of Ponyville.

"How dare she humiliate the great and powerful Trixie!"

The azure unicorn took reprieve against an old tree in the middle of a field, glaring out towards the sleepy town under the starlight.

She growled to herself, "Twilight Sparkle, you've made a powerful enemy tonight!"

Her gypsy home smashed, her reputation (in Ponyville anyway) ruined, Trixie had only one thing on her mind.

Sweet, sweet revenge.

A sly grin crept across the great and powerful unicorn's lips. "Destroy my home will you?" the star studded hat she wore levitated off her head and rested in front of her. She reached into her hat, nearly falling into the infinite storage device before retrieving a small vial filled with a dark green liquid.

All she was trying to do was make a living, and Ponyville was simply the next stop on her tour. Sure, she may have overindulged her ego a bit in the town square, but that was no reason to have everything she owned in this world destroyed! On top of that, they were heckling her! Did they not expect her to defend her reputation? It would take her weeks of street performing like a common earth pony to save up enough bits for a new cart. That, however, was a plan for later.

Though she couldn't strike back against every pony she felt responsible for her misfortune, she could at least hit the one who showed her up.

Trixie gently rested her hat back onto her perfectly brushed mane, the vial floating in front of her where her hat had been.

The emerald liquid shone brilliantly in the moonlight, her devious smile not daring to fade. She began her slow trek back toward the town after an hour or so, waiting to make sure she wouldn't be seen.

The moon heralded her arrival as she stealthily crept from alleyway to darkened corner, though the square and indeed the whole town was fast asleep.

The tree Twilight called home appeared at the end of the street, all lights out for the night.

Trixie looked both ways before dashing towards the stately library, her cape fluttering behind her.

"Let's see how you like being homeless!" she whispered to herself, retrieving the vial and trying to uncork it.

She pulled and pulled, but the stopper wouldn't budge. Not even her magic could remove the stubborn lid from its small glass home. Growing frustrated, Trixie simply smashed the vial against the roots of the tree.

A satisfied smile graced her features as she admired her work, the green liquid being quickly absorbed into the root system.

A satisfied huff, and Trixie set off into the night, on to the next town she would no doubt amaze with her incredible powers... as soon as she found a new cart.

"Good morning, great and powerful Twilight!"

The mare in question's eyelids fluttered open, greeted by Spike holding a tray of her favorite breakfast food. Haycakes with extra butter and apple dumplings.

"Ugh, Spike, don't start with the great and powerful stuff... I've had enough Trixie for one lifetime."

"What?" the baby dragon asked innocuously, withdrawing the tray. "Are you saying you aren't worthy of this delicious and amazing breakfast, great and powerful Twilight?"

She rolled her eyes and set the breakfast in bed over her lap. "What's the occasion?"

Spike scoffed at her question "Gee, I dunno, saving the town from an angry ursa minor sound familiar?"

All in a day's work. she thought smugly. Maybe a little too smugly.

"Well somepony had to," Twilight answered modestly, taking a bite of her piping hot food.

"Beshides," she began with her mouth full, "If it hadn't been for Trickshie, I wouldn't have had to save tha town in the firsht playsh."

Twilight swallowed before attacking the apple dumplings. Applejack had always given her a discount on apples whenever she sent Spike to go grocery shopping. She assumed she did it for the rest of her friends as well, but something about the apples she gave Spike seemed perfect for cooking. The flavor was always balanced, the sweetness playing against the tart, the texture complimenting the juiciness... if better apples existed, Twilight certainly hadn't tasted them.

Spike hopped off her bed and laid back onto his own, producing a few gems from under his pillow to snack on.

"So what are we doing today, Twilight?"

Her magic opened the end table near her bed as she removed a little black daily planner. A red bookmark held her place as she opened it to today's date. Her eyes scanned the entries as she came upon her first appointment.

"Looks like we'll be helping the Apples plant new saplings!" she chirped happily. Something about the wide open spaces of the apple orchards spoke to her in a way the concrete jungles of Canterlot simply couldn't. Spike's eyes brightened up at the prospect of spending time at Sweet Apple Acres.

"Cool, I bet Apple Bloom and her friends have some fun stuff planned today!" he exclaimed, hopping out of his basket and stuffing the rest of his gems in his mouth. Twilight made short work of her breakfast and sent her dirty dishes hovering into the kitchen sink as they made their way downstairs. A knock at the door drew Twilight away from washing the dishes.

Upon opening it, she noticed Ditzy struggling on her doorstep with a heavy box on her back, her grey legs wobbling under its weight.

"H-hi Twilight... I've got... a... package... for you."

"Thanks Ditzy, these must be the Encyclopedia Equannica set I ordered!" Twilight quickly took the box in her magic and relieved the mailmare of her burden. "You know, you should really get a back brace for heavy boxes."

Ditzy panted heavily as she rooted around in her mail bag for the form Twilight needed to sign. Producing a quill and clipboard, Twilight added her flourished signature and asked Ditzy if she would wait there for a second.

"Thanks for lugging it all this way," she chimed, grabbing a basket filled with an assortment of muffins she had made a day or so earlier and placing it in front of Ditzy. Twilight was expecting the hefty package sooner or later, and had made her mailmare her favorite tip accordingly.

"Banana nut!" she gasped, "You remembered my favorite flavor!" she immediately took a bite of one and savored it before hoisting her satchel back onto her shoulders. "Thanks Twilight!"

Twilight blushed, taking her heavy box of books in her magic and moving them into the library. "It's not a problem, I know how much you enjoy them after a heavy delivery."

After the mailmare had departed with her tip, she noticed Spike looking at the box forlornly. She could guess why.

"Looks like I'll be here while you're helping plant trees," the young dragon groaned, opening the box and removing the first of sixty or so thick, hardcover books.

Twilight knew Spike didn't get out much, or have much fun with anypony his age, so she decided to make a deal with him. "Tell you what, Spike. If you get all these books organized by the time I get back, I'll take you to Sugarcube Corner for one of Pinkie's special gemstone cupcakes." His eyes lit a bright green.

"Really?" he asked excitedly.

"Really. See ya later!"

"Bye Twilight!"

The morning dew still clung to the grass as she trotted toward Sweet Apple acres. Her delicious breakfast powering her hooves, Twilight drank in the fresh spring breeze. The flowers were only beginning to bloom, but the pollen already hung heavily in the air. She stopped at the city limits, feeling the tickle in her sinuses of an oncoming sneeze. Her nose wrinkled as she expelled the offending pollen in a torrent of feminine wind gusts.

"Geez, three in a row!" she remarked to nopony in particular. Wiping her nose with her hoof, she continued on her way. Before long, she arrived at Applejack's farm, finding the orange earth pony waiting on her porch while her brother pulled a cart full of apple tree saplings out to the fields.

"Howdy Twilight!" she greeted happily, stepping off her porch. "Thanks for comin' out ta help me and my brother with the new trees!"

"No problem Applejack, am I the first one here?"

"Yep, all we got ta do now is wait for Rarity and Rainbow Dash ta show up, and we can get ta plantin'."

Twilight was more than a bit surprised to hear Rarity's name in that sentence. "How in Equestria did you get Rarity to agree to this?"

"Easy," AJ beamed pridefully, "Ah told her it was a garden party."

"But, isn't that lying?"

"'Course not silly filly!" she laughed, shaking her mane, "It's always a party when y'all are around, and we will be gardening."

Twilight chuckled, she couldn't help but be somewhat impressed by AJ's inventiveness. Even though Macintosh may have been the brains of the operation, that didn't mean his sister was without her own moments of brilliance. That kind of depth had always intrigued Twilight. On the surface, just an earth pony whose work was her life, and she took pride in both. Deeper still, was the underlying willingness to stop at nothing to help her friends, or achieve whatever lofty goal she had set for herself.

Twilight remembered when Applejack thought she could help everypony in town, disregarding her need for rest. It was that kind of pride—whether foolishly stubborn or heroically steadfast— that always endeared her to the studious unicorn. Nopony else (with the exception of Rainbow Dash) would have taken not being able to help everypony so hard.

"Let's head to the barn, there's some apple juice Ah just pressed this mornin' we can drink while we wait for the others ta show up."

They trotted into the barn where a glass jar sat in a tub of ice, with two identical jars on a bench beside it. "Twilight, you mind pourin' it for me, since you got magic and all?"

Twilight grinned. It wasn't every day she was able to do something easier than Ponyville's most valuable pony. Applejack had learned her friendship lessons well, no longer afraid to ask for help when it came to most things. "Sure, AJ."

She took the chilled jug and poured them both a glass. After taking a sip, Twilight sighed. It was as though the juice was pressed using apples from Celestia's royal garden. The flavor was sweet and refreshing, with just a bit of tart to suggest there had maybe been a granny smith apple or two mixed into the bunch during the making. If Applejack's cutie mark wasn't three apples, it could have certainly been a jug of apple juice or a cider press.

"Applejack this is great! I wish I'd have brought some bits, I'd love to buy some!"

"Don't worry bout bits, sugarcube. You go on and take this on the house, Ah've got more than Ah could probably sell."

"Wow, thanks!" Twilight teleported the delicious drink back to her treehouse, hoping she didn't send it on top of Spike while he was organizing the new books.

AJ downed the rest of juice with Twilight as a gust of dust announced Rainbow Dash landing outside the barn.

"Hey guys!" she called, kicking up more than her fair share of dirt in her usual hover. "We planting trees today or what?"

"As soon as—"

"I'm here!" Rarity sang, trotting gracefully around the house to where her friends were waiting; wearing an elegant dress and fancy hat. "I must congratulate you, Applejack on your first social event. I've been saying for years how lovely a—" Rarity stopped herself mid sentence as she realized she was the only one wearing clothes. "This isn't a garden party," she glared at Applejack for having been misled, "Is it?"

"Sure it is! Ah've got three of my five best friends here, which makes it a party, and we're gonna do some gardening," she smiled smugly as Rarity removed her dress and laid it neatly on the porch before reporting back to Applejack.

"Well why aren't Fluttershy and Pinkie here?" Rarity whined.

"Pinkie couldn't miss another shift, and Fluttershy said she volunteered ta help clean up the mess that ursa minor made. Don't fret Rarity, you'll be helpin' my brother load the saplings into his cart," she grinned, watching Rarity's eyes brighten a bit at the prospect of spending some time with Ponyville's most eligible bachelor.

"Well, I suppose there are worse jobs!" she mused, heading off to find Big Macintosh.

Placing her empty glass on a hay bale, AJ recalled with some disdain the reason Fluttershy wasn't able to join them. "Can you believe the nerve of that Trixie?" she asked, "Just comin' into town like she owns th' place, and tryin' ta say she's better than us at everything? And then she don't even have the guts ta stand by her lie!"

Twilight was certainly tired of hearing that name, but she supposed she'd hear it a few more times before the day was through. After all, it was only a few hours ago that she had sent the ursa minor back to its den. In fact, most repair ponies were up with the sun fixing the damage it had caused. "Yeah well, nopony likes a braggart."

"Ain't that the truth, but you flat sure handled that ursa minor when we found out she was a fraud," AJ beamed proudly, as if she'd accomplished it herself.

Twilight blushed. "Ah... it was nothing anypony else wouldn't have done."

"Don't be so modest Twi. Ah don't think anypony else could have done it. You're the element of magic, and it sure took a bunch to move that milk tower!"

Before she could respond, AJ shifted into work mode.

"Twi, RD, you're with me. We'll be plantin' those saplings in five hoof intervals till the field is full," she instructed, stepping into the warm morning sunlight.

Rainbow saluted, as did Twilight, though not without chuckling.

"Yes ma'am!"

Once in the far fields, the trio gathered around the few unplanted trees Mac had already unloaded. "Alright, Rainbow, if you dig the holes, Twilight and I will follow behind ya plantin' the trees. We'll have this done in no time."

Applejack's ability to lead was widely known around town, something Twilight often wished she was more prone to. Having no friends in Canterlot didn't really give her a lot of opportunities to put her leadership theories into practice.

The day went by fairly quickly until lunch time, when Applebloom and Granny Smith brought out a hefty plate of garden fresh veggies for the work crew to snack on. Everypony (with the exception of Rarity) was sweaty and pretty beat by the time they arrived at the picnic table set up in the shade of an adjacent orchard.

"Good goin' everypony, we'll be done before sundown, Ah can feel it," Applejack said happily, taking a bite of a rather large carrot. Twilight found herself tracing a bead of sweat running down her friends soft jawline. She was a working stallion's mare, if ever there was one. "Somethin' the matter Twi?" she asked, catching her stare.

Startled, Twilight looked into the eyes of her earth pony pal. A radiant green, as usual. "Oh! Uhm, no, you're just kinda sweaty is all," she mentioned honestly.

"You're one ta talk," she teased, Twilight realizing she must have looked just as bad with her mane clinging to her face from the half day's labor. She stuffed a few carrot slices in her mouth to avoid any more awkward slips.

"You know what might help you sweat less Twilight?" Rainbow asked, finishing up her fourth radish.

"What?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"A hat!" Rainbow shouted, snatching AJ's signature piece of clothing and hovering just out of reach.

"Why you snake in th' grass!" AJ snapped, half in amusement, and half in annoyance. Try as she might, Applejack was just too short to reach the hat now perched atop the prismatic mane of her chief competitor. Mac's half lidded eyes followed the two away from the table as Applejack tried to chase down Equestria's fastest.

"They'll be at it for hours if she don't get tired," he commented. Rarity took immediate interest in the Mac's brief thought, though Twilight could guess why. She wasn't exactly subtle. Ignoring the one-sided conversation to her left, she watched Applejack wrestle Rainbow to the ground, pinning her beneath her sturdy, labor hardened frame as she reclaimed her hat.

For a brief moment, Twilight was jealous of how close the two of them had become since she pulled them all together via the Elements of Harmony. A blush fell over her cheeks as she imagined what it would be like to be in place of Rainbow, Applejack standing over having retrieved her hat she'd had the courage to pluck from her elegant blond mane. She felt as though she'd never be that bold.

A pointy claw to her flank startled her from her trance, as Spike had been calling her name for the past few minutes.

"Equestria to Twilight!"

"Oh! Sorry Spike. I guess you got the books organized?" she asked, regaining her wits.

"Yep, you know what that means!" he said expectantly, "You guys sure know how to hide! I wandered around the orchard for an hour trying to find you."

Twilight nodded, "You go have fun with Apple Bloom, and I'll come get you when we're done."

Spike nodded happily, dashing off to find out what adventures the Cutie Mark Crusaders had planned for the day. Twilight watched him go, almost jealous of how seemingly easy her number one assistant's life must be.

Sleep most of the time, organize books, write letters, and eat. Can't say I'm not jealous. she thought as Applejack returned to the table, her hat a little dusty, but back onto its rightful owner's head.

"Well, everypony had their fill?" she asked as Rainbow hovered above them, ready to get back to work. "Then let's finish up!"

The work was certainly exhausting, but by day's end, every tree was planted evenly and everypony was tuckered out. They reconvened back at the farm house for a well earned dinner, before Twilight and Spike felt it was time to make their way back home. The young dragon hopped on her back and was asleep halfway down the road back to the library. Careful not to lose her unsecured cargo, Twilight walked slowly. She figured his promised trip to Sugarcube Corner would have to wait until tomorrow.

The sun was casting long rays onto the ground as her treehouse home came into view. Though the light was dim, she noticed a few of the leaves near the bottom branches had turned a delightful shade of yellow. She was no dendrologist, but she knew leaves weren't supposed to change in the spring!

Every tree has its own genetic quirks! she reasoned, brushing off the matter as she trotted inside to put Spike to bed and begin her evening reading session.