"I have a bad feeling about this," Loki sighs as he stares out the train window.

"What? How? This all makes perfect sense," I reply, staring with him, "Cow, eat and chew, possibly meaning apples. And a farm makes food."

"Yeah, Loki, quit being so negative," Zoe glares playfully at him.

We're now all sitting on the same seat on a train to Ponyville. We spent the bits Discord gave us on the train tickets instead, so this'd better be worth it.

"Hey, I think the train's finally coming into the station," I squee, playing with my hooves in excitement. It took almost an hour and a half, but we're finally here.

"Okay, so how're we supposed to find this farm?" Zoe asks.

"It's gotta be around this place somewhere," I reply as the train comes to a stop, "But Twilight's not going to Canterlot until next week, so she's most likely here. And you know, I'd probably get in deep shit if she finds out about all... this."

"Alright. Avoid this Twilight of whom you speak, find a farm in this minute town," Loki says to clarify, "Got it."

The train doors open. I practise my flying by buzzing my wings and hovering towards the doorway as other ponies trot off. Zoe gallops out in excitement, followed by me levitating, then Loki doing a hasty trot behind me.

"So this is what Ponyville looks like before dark," I say matter of factly as we jump off the wooden platform and into Ponyville, "This air..." I hold my neck in mock-choke, "Too fresh."

Loki 'eheheh's at my joke.

"Okay... who should we ask?" Zoe inquires, staring at the small, white houses with yellow roofs.

"About what?" A familiar, screechy voice asks.

The three of us jump in shock, making my wings deactivate. I fall onto Zoe, who shoves me off of her. We turn around to see Pinkie Pie smiling happily down at us.

"Oh, hey," I smile back.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! You three look really familiar, have I seen you around here? Because I know everypony, and I mean every pony in Ponyville! Or maybe you're new or you're alternate versions of ponies I've seen in the distant past..."

"Um... I don't think so," I reply, rubbing the back of my head, "Uh... do you know where we can find a farm around here? Apparently it belongs to somepony called Apple... something."

"Applejack!" Pinkie exclaims.

"Yeah, that," I nod.

"No, behind you!" She points. We turn our heads to see an orange mare with freckles, green eyes, and a blonde mane. Her mane has been loosely tied up in a ponytail, and she wears a light chestnut coloured hat.

"Hey, Pinkie," the earth pony grins, trotting up to us and crossing one hoof over the other, "Just wonderin' if I could use some flour from Sugarcube Corner? I gotta bake all these apple pies for the apple family reunion t'morrow."

I don't know why, but her cowpony accent is actually really cool.

"Hi, AJ! Yeah, you can borrow some flour. Also, these three are looking for you," Pinkie gestures towards us.

"Well, howdy, young'ns!" Applejack smiles, adjusting her hat, "Watcha need?"

"Uh..." I shuffle my hooves uncomfortably. How to explain this to a ponyvillian...

"Could you excuse us for just a sec?" Zoe smiles weakly, before pulling Loki and me into a group huddle. "Okay," she whispers, "Obviously, we can't explain what happened."

"Why ever not?" Loki furrows his brow.

"Sssh! Because that makes the story more interesting! Geez, Loki, so negative!" Zoe snaps, "Anyway... so here's the plan... we offer to work on her farm. Just a few chores. The gem's gotta be there somewhere, possibly on a cowbell or something."

"Or she could reward us with that gem," I suggest.

"Bingo bango bongo," Zoe nods to me, then looks disapprovingly at Loki, "See? Why can't you be more like her?"

He rolls his eyes. "Let's just go," he sighs.

We pull out of the huddle, turning to the two earth ponies, staring at us like we just pulled lollipops out of our buttholes. What? I'm just being honest.

"We were just wondering if we could help you with your chores?" Zoe asks sweetly, "Especially since you must be busy with your reunion thing."

"Why, thank you kindly," Applejack puts her hoof on her chest, "We could always use a helping hoof at Sweet Apple Acres. Why don't y'all come with me after I pick up that flower? You can help me buck all the apples out of the trees for the pies."

"Sounds good," I nod politely.

And so, after Applejack leaves, she comes back a few minutes with a huge bag of flower on her back, though she acts as though it's nothing, and we all follow her back to her farm, which is apparently 'Sweet Apple Acres'.

"So," she says on the way, "I haven't seen you around Ponyville. Are y'all new?"

"Eheh... yes," Loki replies, making us seem suspicious. Celestia dammit, Loki!

"Yeah? From where?" She continues with the questions.

"Canterlot," I reply.

"Fancy bunch, eh?" Applejack giggles to herself, "So, what brings you to Ponyville?"

"Oh, you know," Zoe shrugs, "Had to... run an errand."

Great. Now we sound REALLY suspicious. Celestia dammit, Zoe!

"Made any friends yet?" Applejack adjusts the flour on her back to make it easier to balance it.

"Not exactly," I answer.

Oh, no. Now we probably look really REALLY suspicious. Celestia dammit, me!

"Well, I'm sure you'll love my lil' sis. Her name's Applebloom. Anyway, do you have any experience with buckin' trees?" Applejack inquires as we walk up a dirt pathway to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Well, uh... no," Zoe says, almost ashamed.

"Not a problem," Applejack shakes her head, opening the gate and stepping aside to let us in, "I can teach ye. Just 'scuse me for a minute, I gotta put this flour away."

We nod and wait for her outside as she goes into the red barn, closing the door behind her.

"Would now be a really bad time to ask what exactly are we doing?" Loki speaks up, "Also, how does this result in us getting a gem, again?"

"The gem must be in one of those trees," Zoe points to a beautiful apple orchard in the short distance behind the barn. "I mean, that's what happened with the orange gem and the roses."

"Or maybe it's another red gem and it's in an apple," I suggest.

Loki does a sigh, "Well, what if this isn't what Discord-"

"Discord?" Applejack gives Loki a look as she comes out of the barn with no flour, "Why're you talkin' 'bout that?"

"Oh, you know us kids," Loki puts on a fake smile, "We love using big words that we do not know the meaning of."

"... Uh-huh..." She raises an eyebrow at him, then shakes it off, "Alright, well, how 'bout that apple bucking, then?"

"Yeah, yeah," I nod, "How about it? I mean-"

She chuckles, leading us towards the apple orchard, "All you have to do is kick the tree real hard," she explains, trotting to a nearby apple tree with buckets placed underneath it.

"Sounds easy enough," Zoe smiles to me.

Suddenly, Applejack raises her hind legs high in the air, kicking the tree hard and firmly. All of the apples in the tree wobble off their stems and land perfectly in the buckets. Zoe and me both gawk, wide eyed and jaws dropped. I've never seen anypony do that before. It's such a simple, yet efficient way to get all the apple down from the tree.

Mind = Blown.

"Easy once y'know how," Applejack winks, "Just fill that wagon over there with apples and haul it over to the barn when the wagon's full. Now, no more time wastin'. I'd better leave you young'ns to it, I got some pies to whip up!"

With that, she goes back into the barn, leaving us to our own devices.

"Okay, everypony!" Zoe speaks loudly, "I do believe I have a plan." Loki and me turn to face her. Zoe turns to Loki, "Loki, you're a guy, right?" He only rolls his eyes in response, "Good. So, you're pulling the heavy wagon."

"Why me?" He complains.

"Because. You're a guy," Zoe replies like he's a kid. Wait, that's not right...

"So?" He retorts, "What if I don't want to?"

"ARGH! Alright! Rosie will help you!" Zoe sighs in frustration.

I blush lightly, "Wh- me!?"

"Yeah, you," Zoe gives me her signature perverted grin, "I'll make sure of that."

"Shut up," I mumble.

"Okay, so Rosie, you try and get as many apples as you can from the top of the trees. Unless, of course, Loki wants to do that," she looks over to him. He gives her a sarcastic look, shaking his head. "Alrighty, then!" Zoe squeaks, jumping from hoof to hoof.

"So... What will you be doing?" I ask her. She shrugs.

"I was thinking about eating half the orchard so you guys don't have to do as much work."

"Zoe!" I growl.

And so, after Zoe and me know how to buck the trees properly, we spend about two and a half hours working. I manage to master the flying department, but flying up and grabbing the apples is much slower than just kicking the tree trunks. But because we're fillies, it takes two of us at least three kicks before the apples come down.

Loki collects the apples, placing them in the wagon and making me push it while he pulls. I never really agreed to that, but by the time Applejack comes out of the barn, I'm the most exhausted out of the three of us.

"That gem better be worth it," I mutter to Loki, wiping my unattractively sweaty forehead.

"Thanks for all the extra help, y'all," Applejack tips her hat to us, "I'm now ahead in my Apple Family Reunion Preparation schedule."

"Glad to help," Zoe smiles brightly, adjusting her now messy mane with a flick, making it perfect again.

I attempt to do this, too, in front of Loki. But I flick my fringe too far, making it wrap around the back of my head and stick to my sweaty cheek. Loki snorts in amusement. I growl in frustration and humiliation, brushing my mane back to the normal fringe with my hoof.

"Y'know, y'all deserve a reward," Applejack continues, "Why don't you come into the barn and have some pie?"

"Do you have any pudding?" Loki asks.

Zoe bitch slaps his hoof, "No, Loki! Bad! Trying to break your unforgettable dare from last night, shame on you!"

"I... I only wanted some pudding," Loki says quietly to himself.

Applejack stares at them for a second, trying to work them out. "Excuse them," I smile sweetly, "And we'd love to accept your offer, but we're awful busy today. We were planning on helping- uh, Pinkie Pie afterwards."

"Well, please accept this pie, as a reward," Applejack lifts up a pie she was balancing on her back. It's funny how I didn't notice it, but, eh.

My eyes brighten. The gem must be in the pie.

"Thank you," I squeak in my kid voice, letting her place the pie on my back so we can take it away.

"Not a problem, you deserve it," Applejack nods, turning and heading back into her barn.

"Okay... so, we completed the task," Zoe says as we trot the hell outta there and onto the dirt road to Ponyville, "So where's Discord? And the gem?"

"You imbecile, it's in the pie!" Loki face hoofs. Wow... since when did he get so bitchy? I'd better avoid infuriating him more than usual.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Zoe says enthusiastically, "I'm starving! Let's eat!"

She snatches the whole pie from me, burying her snout into it. "Thanks for sharing," I roll my eyes at her.

"What?" Zoe says through a full mouth, "If you wanted some, you shoulda said you wanted some!" And she goes back to the pie. When she finishes it right down to the tin, she looks up at me worriedly. "Did I eat the gem? I don't think I did..."

"Wait, wait, wait..." I say, "Where's the gem? Discord? DISCORD! You're supposed to give us the gem!" I yell at the sky.

Suddenly, the tin of the now-eaten pie starts to rattle and shake. Zoe drops it, stepping back as it transforms into Discord, who stares at us blankly, "What do you want?" He says as if he has better things to do.

"You said the next gem'd be with cows on a farm," I say assertively, "We did as you said, where's the gem? Or are you cheating!?"

He puts his chicken claws to his chest in mock-surprise. "Why would you ever accuse me of cheating?"
Loki gives him a 'bitch, please' look.
"Alright," Discord sighs, "I can see why you'd think that, but I swear to you, I'm not cheating. You're all just in the wrong place."

"WHAT!?" The three of us shout in unison.

"Hold your horses!" Discord puts his 'hands' up in surrender, "Do you want me to repeat the riddle?"

"Yes," I say firmly, "And I'll show you how much of a liar you really are."

He smirks, then repeats himself;

"Where's the fourth? Here's three bits for you.
The next location's where you eat and chew.
Shake the milk, not the cow
There's the next gem, just go, go now!"

My jaw drops. "I... uh... but-"

Discord bursts into laughter, pointing at me, "You... you spent the three bits I gave you on train tickets to waste time!" He wipes a tear from his eye, "Priceless!"

"That's not fair!" Zoe exclaims, puffing her chest out.

"Life isn't fair, honey," Discord says with sass.

"But... but there are no farms in Canterlot," I half whisper to myself, embarrassed, "At least, not that I know of..."

"You really are as stupid as I thought," he larks.

Loki flares his wings out, jumping in front of me, "Say that again and I'll split your skull!"

"Ooh," He jeers, "Brave lil' princess!"

"I am not a princess!" Loki yells.

"Don't you see?" Discord smirks, "There are no farms in Canterlot. They're in different towns and cities, but not there. You see, I never said the gems were outside Canterlot."

He clicks his lion's paw and disappears into smoke, leaving me with my mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"So, you're telling me we just wasted three hours, only to get a pie out of it?!" Zoe squeals, stomping her hooves.

"Actually, you're the one who got a pie out of it," Loki retorts.

I make a noise of distress, running my hoof through my hair. "Oh, no. Oh, no no no no..." I cry, "We're gonna get in so much trouble!"

"How're we supposed to get home?" Zoe barks.

"More to the point, how are we supposed to regain our normal forms?" Loki adds.

Suddenly, we hear hoof steps galloping up the dirt path towards us. We turn around to see Applejack charging towards us.

"Applejack?" I say in confusion.

"Wait up, fillies!" She calls, skidding to a halt in front of us. "Ahem, and... and colt," she adds, glancing at Loki, "Anyway, I thought that if I hadn't missed ya, which I haven't, I'd better give y'all a better reward than just pies."

"Yeah?" I ask, interested, "We could use something to lift our spirits right now.

"I don't understand, but okay," Applejack nods, "Anyway, I just wanted to give ye these," she tips her hat, holding it out so we can see inside. "Two for each o' you."

Our eyes light up at what's inside - six shiny, gold coins.

"Bits! Bits, oh my gods!" Zoe squeals in delight.

"Thank you!" I squeak, accepting the six bits in my hooves, "You have no idea how important this is for us!"

Applejack chuckles, "Well, I don't understand that, either. But I hope to see yous around! You kids are alright."

"Thank you, miss," Loki bows his head lightly, "Asgard thanks you for your generosity."

Liar.

Ehe.

She gives him a confused look as he rushes after Zoe and me as we speed off to the train station.

The last we see of Applejack is her waving her hat goodbye at us.

"So," Zoe pants, running aside for Loki to run in between us, "What do you suppose we do when we get back to Canterlot? It'll be at least four o'clock by the time we get there, leaving less than two hours for the other gems."

"I don't know," I reply, worriedly, "But we just gotta get back.

We... we just gotta."

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HEYYYYY THERE PEOPLE READING!

Sorry I haven't updated in forever. I finished the Hearts and Hooves Day chap a while ago, but I gotta finish this thing first, so yeah.

We'll just pretend it's Hearts and Hooves Day when I update that.

So... Thanks for reading!

Vote.

Comment.

Stay happy.

~Amazing_Burrito_Mare