As they walked out of the store, he didn't wait to get home. He carefully popped the plastic tabs, freeing her from the packaging. In the palm of his hand, Applejack looked ready for her next adventure. Whether it was helping his other toys build a fort or just sitting on his nightstand to keep watch, he knew he’d made the right choice. Honesty, after all, was worth every cent.

Liam had been saving his allowance for three months, tucked away in a dusty mason jar. To most, it was just a piece of orange plastic with a blonde mane, but to Liam, Applejack was the one who never gave up. She was the "Element of Honesty," the pony who worked the farm and looked out for her friends.

"She’s the hardest worker," Liam said, carefully counting out his change.

He reached for the box. The cardboard was crisp, and the artwork showed her kicking a tree to harvest apples. He felt the weight of the jar’s contents in his pocket—crinkled singles and a heavy handful of quarters.

At the checkout, the cashier smiled. "Big fan of the Apple Family?"

The fluorescent lights of the toy aisle hummed, a sharp contrast to the soft, colorful rows of figurines. There she was—tucked between a glittery unicorn and a pink pegasus—.