As morning slowly dawned in my Equestria dreamscape Applejack found herself in an unusual situation. Normally the mare was one of the first to get up. Usually AJ felt that once one woke up you were just wasting the possibility of what the day held by lying around in bed.
But today AJ wished she could fall asleep again and dream some more. As she laid there in bed staring up at the ceiling she wondered if Applebloom felt the same way. Did the filly sometimes wish she could just stay in Dream Realm where anything seemed possible? Instead of having to get up and face what the waking world demanded? Did it bother her that she had to get up and do the same chores everyday when she could fly through a sea of stars with the colt she loved so much?
No matter what Applejack needed to use the bathroom, so the mare rolled out of bed and started her day. By the time she'd taken care of business and brushed her mane and tail AJ could hear Applebloom and Stone Mane stirring and starting their days. Having tied her tail and mane with their signature red ribbons AJ placed her faithful Stetson on her head and headed downstairs.
As was typical Granny Smith was down in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the family. As was tradition AJ helped the matriarch prepare the morning meal, and soon the mare was chopping and peeling vegetables for the first meal of the day. Falling into a routine she'd known for years.
Big Mac came downstairs and headed out to start his morning chores. A few minutes later Applebloom and Stone Mane did the same. With meal preparation completely the mare was focused on setting the table in preparation for breakfast. Having set the table the mare went helped Granny with any final meal preparations. Then AJ went out to ring the triangular bell hanging on front porch thus signaling that breakfast was ready. But as she grabbed the striker with her teeth she saw in her mind the image of the king swinging back and forth from this bell in her dream as he departed not that long ago.
AJ looked at bell for a moment. Then she smiled and rang it announcing that breakfast was ready.
After a breakfast had been consumed AJ could start her morning chores while the foals helped Granny clean up the morning dishes. It was a beautiful early summer day. Not too warm and plenty of big, fluffy white clouds slowly floating around. In fact rain was scheduled for this afternoon starting at 3 so the her and everypony in the area wanted to have as much of their outdoor chores finished before the rain began since it would continue into the evening hours.
Applejack put the screwdriver back in the toolbox. She had just finished fixing a loose rain gutter on one of the outlying buildings. She closed the lid of the box and looked up to find Applebloom's grinning face mere inches from her.
"Gah! By Celestia's ferever flawless flanks! Applebloom! When did ya git so sneaky? Ya gave my ticker a horrible fright! Whatya want?"
The filly ignored her sisters complaints Applebloom continued to smile at her big sis. "Soooo. How did it go? Yer date with the king? Did ya fun? Hmmmm?"
AJ felt her face growing warm again. "Oh well! Um we had r self fine old time. His Majesty is fine fellow and we're gonna git tagether next few fer some more coffee."
"And where didcha go ta?" The filly continued to smile.
"Oh um, we went ta place his Majesty knew. A place called The Golden Cup. Have been there? It's run by some fellow that the king has apparently known ferever."
Applebloom climbed up on a nearby bench and gestured for her sister join her. "Never been ta it. Nice place?"
"Well um, yeah!" The palomino mare joined her little sister on the bench. "It was in this town. Never did git the name of it, but it was a well run place. Run by this fellow called, uh, Watermelon, no um, Waterfall, nah that ain't right. Waterloo! Waterloo something. I can't remember his last name at the moment."
"So what was the Waterlu fellow? Was he a pony?" The filly picked some mud from one of her shoes.
AJ pushed her Stetson back. "Nope! Not quite sure wut he was. He kinda look like one of those hamster critters that Fluttershy think r so cute!"
The filly's face scrunched up. "Wait a minute. Was he all tiny like his Majesty?"
"Um yeah. Everypony there was some kind of rodent critter I figger." Said the mare.
"And it was built fer folks the size his Majesty?" AB was now eyeing her sister.
For her part AJ was staring up at the clouds. "Yeah the whole town was built fer folks like the king. In fact when I first arrived I was taller than most of the building there."
"Sis. Then how did ya git through the door of the place?"
AJ looked back to see her little sister now staring at her with devilish smile on her face.
"Well um…."

To be continued.