"Where've ya been all day, Bic Mac?" asked Applejack, cross with the red stallion for not being at the orchard to help buck.

"Been in town." he answered.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Doin' what?"

Macintosh didn't respond to her body language, only continued to chew his hay. "Sendin' some mail."

"Yah have mail tah send?" she asked.

Macintosh pushed his orange mane out of his eyes. "Eeyup."

"So ya walked all the way tah tha post office? Who do ya have to send a letter tah anyways?" she asked.

Macintosh stopped chewing his hay for a moment to think. "Nope. Ah went to Twilight's house. Spike mailed tha letters fer me. They're fer Princess Celestia."

"Ya went to Twi's house!? Ya can't be botherin' her, she's gotta-" Applejack paused as she suddenly realized what Macintosh had just said. "Since when do you send letters to the Princess?"

"Asked her fer more rain." he said.

Applejack narrowed her eyes and put her face up to the stallions. "Rain!? The apples've already grown in, and are ready tah buck! We don't need anymore rain! Ya take a whole day off of buckin', go tah see Twilight, the last pony ya should be distrubin', and send a pointless letter to the Princess!?"

Macintosh continued to chew his hay. "Ah know the apples don't need rain. Mah corn does."

Applejack was boiling with anger. "Corn?! Since when do any of us grow co-"

Macintosh sighed. "AJ, there's something I need to talk to you about."

She snapped. "Oh, Ah'm sure there is, we got a whole field of buckin' and ya want me to worry about yer prob-"

She was interrupted as a scroll with a royal seal landed on the ground next to Macintosh. Before he could pick it up, Applejack snatched the letter and began reading it.

---------

Dear Mr. Macintosh,

    It's so good to be hearing from you! I get regular letters from your sister and your friends, however we've never really had the chance to speak. I do wish you the best of luck with your new found interest in growing corn - I will be sure to ask the weather pegasi in Cloudsdale to send a bit of rain your way.

    On more serious matters, I am very pleased that you have chosen to accept my offer. Sergeant Epsilon will be arriving within the week to brief you on your duties, and escort you to Canterlot. As you asked, I will prepare you and Fluttershy a house in the most quiet part of the city, with an acre or so of farmland for your corn.

    I suggest you spend this week to say your goodbyes to all of your friends and collect your thoughts and belongings. You are a very brave soul, to join us in our time of war. The fate of Drasil, and Equestria, rests on the shoulders of ponies like you. I will personally be the one to perform your ceremony of knighthood, as your family is very close to me.

    I think that you and Epsilon will become very good friends. He is very much like yourself in many ways, and he will be the one to give you your basic training. It shouldn't be a problem for a pony as strong as yourself, you are what every earth colt strives to be. I cannot wait to see you later this week, Macintosh. I am sure your family is very proud of your decision.

Semper Fidelis, my friend.

Princess Celestia.

----------

Applejack's anger faded away as her eyes watered more and more for each word she read. As she finished the letter, she dropped it and wrapped her forelegs around the crimson stallions neck as tight as she could.

Even Macintosh himself started to cry. "AJ..."

"No! Ya aren't leavin'! Ah can't take this anymore! First Twi leaves me, now mah big brother! This ain't fair Big Mac, it just ain't fair!" cried the orange mare.

Macintosh returned the embrace, however much more loose then his sister. "Yes Ah am, AJ. Ah have tah go. Mah country needs me. Ah don't know much about politics, but havin' no leader at all doesn't seem very good tah me."

Applejack wiped away her tears and released her tight grip. "So... Yer goin' all the way to Drasil?"

Macintosh looked west, away from his sister. He pointed a hoof in that direction. "Eeyup. All the way over there."

"Ah don't see anythin'." joked Applejack, her voice slightly cracking as she tried to repress her sadness.

He chuckled a bit in response. "Eenope. It's far away."

Worry overtook the orange earth pony. "Wait. Tha letter said time of war. Are ya gonna be fightin' anypony?"

Macintosh thought about it for a second. "Probably not. Tha Princess just wants us tah police the place since all of tha important griffins will be busy votin' and stuff. Save fer tha occasional thief or somethin', Ah don't think Ah'll be seein' much action around there."

Applejack let out a sigh of relief and smiled at her brother. "Ain't like no army of griffins could hurt mah big brother anyways, Big Mac. Yer too tough for them fellars." She shoved the stallion playfully.

He picked up another stalk of hay and began chewing it. "Eeyup."

"So what happens when ya come back tah Equestria?" she asked.

"Ah'll go back to Canterlot and serve as one of the royal guard. Fluttershy will tend to the farm animals, and Ah'll harvest mah corn in the summer. Ah love corn. A lot." he said.

Applebloom had overheard the conversation from where she had been attempting to buck apples from a younger, weaker tree. She walked up to the pair with a confused look on her face as to why the two had just been fighting. Applejack and Big Macintosh never fight. As the two earth ponies noticed the filly below them, they instinctively stopped talking for a few moments.

Applejack let out a sad sigh. "Applebloom, we were..."

"Ah think Ah should be the one to tell'er, AJ." said Macintosh. Applejack nodded, and turned away, unable to look at the face of her baby sister.

"Tell me what?" asked the filly.

Macintosh knelt down to be at eye level with Applebloom. He gently raised her head with his hoof. "Applebloom, Ah'm gonna be leavin' soon."

The filly laughed and put on a bright smile. "That's it? Ya were gettin' all emotional over goin' into town? Yer chores can wait a day, Big Mac."

Applejack cried as Applebloom's words forced her to remember all of the times she and Macintosh would buck together. She walked off, not wanting to look weak in front of the sister who looked up to her.

Applebloom's smile withered away. "A-AJ?..."

"Ah'm not goin' into town, Applebloom." said the crimson stallion.

She looked back up at Macintosh. This was a lot for the child to take in, she didn't understand at all what was going on with her family. "Then... Where are ya goin'?"

"Canterlot." he replied.

"Well that's not bad, right? I'm sure AJ will miss you but you'll be back soon, right? Like, in a week?" asked the filly.

Macintosh gently hugged his baby sister and stared deep into her eyes. "Ah'm not comin' back."

The words hit Applebloom like a train. She was utterly speechless. She thought of everything her big brother taught her. She remembered her first day of school, when Mac had walked her there and told her all about his school experiences and friends from twenty years ago, when he was Applebloom's age. She thought of how he comforted her when she had a nightmare. Applebloom never had a father, but she had her big brother. Now that he was gone, who did she have left?

Applebloom finally gulped, and began to speak. She wasn't crying, but it was blatantly obvious that she wanted to. "Why?"

"Princess Celestia needs me. There's a storm'a brewin' over in the west. Ah'm joinin' the army, and Ah'm gonna make sure nopony ever has the chance tah hurt ya." said Macintosh.

"Ah'm gonna miss ya, Big Mac..." cried the filly.

He smiled, and lifted her head up once again with his hoof. "Ah know."

----------

Spike grew ever more frustrated as his fire failed to penetrate Twilight's weakest shields. Dragon fire is supposed to resist magic! Mine is broken...

"Come on, Spike! We aren't getting anywhere with this, you have to try harder." said Twilight.

"I'm trying! Why can't you go to that green dragon in the everfree forest and ask him to shoot fireballs at you?" asked the frustrated dragon. He once again blew out a small shot of green fire, which disappeared almost immediately after taking shape.

Twilight giggled. "I don't think he likes me very much."

"Perfect! So he'll do it for free!" joked Spike.

Owlicious responded with a short hoot, and memories of Spike's runaway adventure caused both him and Twilight to burst into laughter, which only subsided as they heard a knock on the door. "Coming!" shouted the unicorn as she opened the door with magic, to see an orange earth pony standing there with a confused look on her face. "Oh, hi Applejack."

Applejack observed the torched flowers, piles of unorganized books, and the baby dragon in the background of the entire thing, shooting fire in the general direction of Twilight's pet owl. "What the hay are you doin' Twilight?"

"Oh, I was just practicing some magical defense spells that the book suggested." said Twilight.

"Book? What book?" asked Applejack.

Twilight levitated over an old, crumbling tome. It was titled 'The Art of Magical Defense, lectured by Starswirl The Bearded, written by William Penwell.' Applejack raised a brow. "Wasn't that swirl guy supposed tah be a genius? Why didn't he write his own book?"

Twilight laughed. "He was dyslexic."

Applejack shook her head and chuckled a bit. "Ah s'pose you heard about Big Macintosh?"

"I did actually. He came in today and dictated a letter to spike, I couldn't help but over hear the conversation." said Twilight.

"What happens if... Luna wins? Will Big Mac be okay?" asked the worried mare.

Twilight sighed. "I don't want to think about that. She won't. I promise."

"Ah've got a bad feelin' about all this, Twi. Nothin' seems right. Why ain't Celestia doin' anythin' about Luna?" asked Applejack.

Twilight thought for a moment. "She's preoccupied with foreign affairs right now. That's why Luna thinks its the best time to strike - her sister will be too busy to listen to anyone about her, and she can steal the throne while Celestia is away."

Applejack looked closely at Twilight. "Did ya try writin' to Celestia?"

"Yes I did. She said I shouldn't worry, and that Luna was nothing to be afraid of. She doesn't understand." said Twilight.

"Well why don't ya do somethin' else?! The princess can stop this!" exclaimed Applejack.

Refusing to repeat the same conversation that she and Applejack had before she had obtained the element of discord, Twilight closed her eyes, then re opened them. When she opened her eyes, they were scorching white, showing no signs of her pupils.

"Don't you have to go help Fluttershy pack for Canterlot?" lied Twilight.

Applejack fell for the trance. "Oh yeah! Ah forgot all about that! See ya later, Twi!"

Twilight rested as her eyes returned to normal. "Have fun."

----------

"Oh, thank you so much Applejack. That table was so heavy." said Fluttershy.

"Not a problem in tha world, Fluttershy." said Applejack. "Yer family now that you and Big Mac are gettin' married soon."

"Oh yes. I hope it won't be too big a celebration, I don't like everypony looking at me..." she said, looking around to make sure if nobody was listening in on the conversation.

Applejack smiled as she pushed yet another piece of furniture out of the cottage. "It's gonna be great."

"Macintosh told me that we were going to be driven to Canterlot in a flying chariot. That sounds fancy." said the pegasus.

Applejack giggled. "Well of course it is! Y'all are great friends of the princess, one of ya is an element of harmony and the other is soon to be a royal knight! If Ah was the princess, Ah wouldn't spare one bit in expense for ya."

"I wonder how all of my animals will like our new home." wondered Fluttershy, not meaning to say it out loud.

"Ah think they'll find it mighty fine." said the earth pony.

Fluttershy turned and looked out the window. "Canterlot is such a big, big city though. Do you think I'll make any new friends there?"

Applejack tried really hard, but just couldn't. She couldn't stop herself from doing it. It was Fluttershy's fault for setting her up, anyways. Hardly able to contain her laughter, Applejack turned away from the couch she was pushing to look at the pegasus.

"Ah'm sure they're goin' tah love you, Fluttershy."