Harmony's Echo

Chapter 5: Ticket

Y/N slowly opens his eyes, still disoriented from his dream. He blinks a few times, replaying Princess Luna's words in his head. "Number one night student? Me? That's... unexpected," he mumbles, more to himself than anyone else. The thought of such a responsibility both excites and terrifies him. "Well, that's a problem for Future Y/N," he decides with a yawn, pushing the blankets aside.

He stands up, stretching his legs and feeling the unfamiliar weight of his unicorn horn. "Alright, time for the daily battle with personal hygiene," he says, heading to the bathroom with a mix of determination and dread.

Standing in front of the mirror, he eyes the toothbrush like it's his nemesis. "Okay, toothbrush. Let's dance." He focuses hard, his horn glowing with a faint blue aura. The toothbrush wobbles, rising an inch off the counter, then flops back down. "No, no, no, come on!" Y/N grumbles, trying again.

After several more failed attempts, the toothbrush finally hovers in the air, coated with a thin layer of toothpaste. Y/N eyes widen with excitement. "Ha! Yes! I'm a genius!" he exclaims, a bit too loudly.

Just as he's about to guide the toothbrush to his mouth, a knock at the door interrupts him. The sudden distraction causes his focus to falter, and the toothbrush drops into the sink with a splat. Y/N stares at the toothbrush, then shifts his gaze to the door, his excitement replaced by curiosity mixed with mild annoyance.

"Who could that be at this hour?" he mutters, wiping his horn with his hoof as if to clear it of any residual toothbrush-related stress. "If it's a door-to-door horn-polishing service, I'm going to lose it."

He trots over to the door, rehearsing a sarcastic comment in his mind. With a deep breath and a slightly exaggerated roll of his eyes, Y/N opens the door, ready to face the mysterious visitor with his best attempt at humorous bravado.

As Y/N  opens the door, he's greeted by the sight of Applejack, her face adorned with a cheerful smile. Y/N eyes dart left and right in surprise, finding himself face-to-face with one of the main characters from the show. He tries to mirror her smile, albeit awkwardly, his mind racing with questions about her unexpected visit.

"Good mornin', Y/N. I didn't know you were an early bird," Applejack greets him with her usual friendly tone.

Y/N looks past her to see the sun shining brightly in the sky. "Oh, what do you mean? What time is it?" he asks, a look of confusion spreading across his face.

Applejack tilts her head, her smile turning into a puzzled grin. "Didn't ya know? It's 6 a.m. right now," she replies.

Y/N blinks a few times, taken aback. "Wow, that's... really early," he mutters, still trying to process this information. "Okay, what can I help you with, Applejack?"

Applejack's smile returns. "Well, since ya did such an amazing job helpin' out at the farm last time, I was wonderin' if ya could lend a hoof today on Apple Harvest Day," she explains.

Y/N, still a bit dazed by the early hour, nods slowly. "Yeah, sure, I can help out," he agrees, his mind slowly catching up.

"Thank you kindly," Applejack says with a nod. "I was lookin' for ya 'cause I asked Rainbow Dash to help, but she said she was busy doin' somethin' else."

At the mention of Rainbow Dash, Y/N memory flickers to a scene from the show – Rainbow Dash claiming to be busy, usually napping. He recalls the episode about the Great Galloping Gala and bites back a knowing smile. Keeping quiet about future events, as promised, Y/N simply nods. "Yeah, sure. I'll meet you back at Sweet Apple Acres and start working over there."

"Much appreciated, Y/N," Applejack says before turning to leave.

As soon as the door closes behind her, Y/N stares out the window, still grappling with the reality of his new life. "Early in the morning, huh?" he mumbles to himself. "Guess that's farm life for you." With a shake of his head, he prepares himself for a day of apple harvesting, wondering what other surprises Equestria might have in store for him.