A deep thud reverberated through the thick wood, stripping the tree of apples entirely. AppleJack emptied the now full buckets into the nearby cart, and placed them around the base of the next tree. She coiled, and flung her legs out the next tree in a sharp yet strong motion. She impacted perfectly, a sign of the skill that had been honed by her for years.
This cycle continued for about half an hour more, with twenty resounding cracks of hoof against bark, and twenty more trips to the cart and back. It was Apple-bucking season, and AppleJack was rushing. Sure, she was hurrying, but the quality and efficiency of her work on which she prided herself on never lessened, not for a single second. When working a job like this, you had three things to mind: The speed at which the job was done, the quality of the job, and your own personal health. Only two could be chosen.
AppleJack cleared ten more trees in just as many minutes, pausing only to mop the sweat off her brow with a hoof. She’d never admit that she was tired, not to anypony. Apple-buckin’ was way too important, and having people worrying about you only wasted valuable working time.
Two more trees, and the cart was full. AppleJack went to attach the harness, which slipped on easily over her sweat-drenched body. The late-morning sun beat down heavily, draining AppleJack immensely as she trudged away, the cumbersome cart pulling back on her.
The orchard was left in a state of absolute peace and serenity. Only the birds and butterflies prevented absolute silence. The wind picked up for just a second, stirring the vibrant green leaves. The sun was in the perfect position to illuminate the lustrous green leaves of the orchard perfectly, and barely a shadow was cast; only calm and colour existed here: a rare oasis of tranquillity in a world of noise and chaos.
The trundling of cart wheels returned, and the peace was shattered as the sound of AppleJack’s buck echoed over into the next field.
“You should probably see if she’ll take a break soon, we don’t want a repeat of last year.” The voice was old and frail, yet Big Mac somehow managed to hear it all the way over from the house.
“Eeyup.” Nopony was around to hear it, but Big Macintosh spoke anyway; Granny Smith knew that Mac would take every opportunity to ensure his little sister’s safety.
Big Mac and AppleJack had begun applebucking on opposite sides of the field, working their way through the apple trees so that they would meet in the middle when they were done. It was noon, and both ponies had cleared about a quarter of the field between them, meaning Big Mac had to spend about half an hour looking for AppleJack. He might’ve been searching for longer, had he not picked up the low thumping sound that was the result of one pony’s battle against an army of trees.
“Granny Smith reckons you aught to take a break.”
AppleJack didn’t look up as her big brother spoke.
“I reckon Granny Smith wouldn’t like to see ya twistin’ her words.” She had seen through Big Mac’s attempt to get AppleJack to take a break. Of course, the Element of Honesty could probably see straight through a flimsy lie like that.
The large stallion sighed, and looked for a way to continue the conversation after that remark, before his attention was brought back to AppleJack by yet another powerful kick.
Sweat drenched her body, making it gleam and glisten in the sunlight, and she had a grim look on her face: a look of absolute determination, even in the face of impossible odds.
But Big Mac had known his sister for years, and AppleJack was like an open book to him. After all, how much could the Element of Honesty hide from somepony?
Big Mac could see behind AppleJack’s mask of confidence, and what he saw frightened him. He could see her ready to cry, ready to break down any minute now. Applebucking had become more than a chore to her today; it was the only thing keeping her mind off of something heart wrenching.
“You're workin’ mighty hard today, sis.”
Another tree relinquished its fruits as AppleJack kicked back ferociously. “Yeah, what of it?” Her tone matched her attitude towards the trees.
Big Mac reworded his original plea “I think you aught to take a break.”
AppleJack lined herself up with the next tree. “An’ why would ya think that?”
The question was rhetorical, and was thick with sarcasm, but Macintosh answered it anyway, unperturbed by his sister’s unusual vehemence. “Well, you haven’t taken a single break today. One o’ the hottest days we had recently, too. You carry on like this an’ you’ll be droppin’ down from heatstroke.” He tried to retain his casual demeanour, but even the most stoic pony in Ponyville could not keep the worry out of his voice.
As Big Mac said this, AppleJack aimed another kick at the tree, but stumbled as she heard the underlying concern in his voice. She undershot, and ended up sprawled flat on the rich soil.
“AppleJack, if-”
“Don’t y-you say a word, Big Macintosh!” She snapped. Her hat had rolled down over her head, and her face was hidden from Mac’s view entirely. Never once raising her head, she went to stand up, but her exhaustion caught up to her, and she merely crumpled under her own weight, shaking pitifully.
Big Mac immediately went to help AppleJack, but hesitated as he remembered his sister’s pride. His love for her clashed with his respect for her sense of honour, creating an inner turmoil within Big Mac. He tried to make up his mind. If she wants help, she’ll ask for it. She’s smart enough to know her own limits, right? Right? But he was still indecisive, so he walked right up to her and bent over her. “You alright, sis?”
AppleJack said nothing, instead shaking and heaving uncontrollably. She clutched her hooves over her mouth, but the sobs escaped nonetheless. The huge, rust-red pony placed a comforting hoof on AppleJack’s shoulder, unsure of what to say. What was there to say? What else were you meant to do when the hardiest pony you knew broke down in front of you? Big Mac would’ve given anything to know what he should’ve done. Instead, he stood there awkwardly, gently stroking AppleJack’s mane until the sobs subsided enough for her to speak.
Even when she had exhausted herself yet again from crying, several minutes passed until she decided to speak. When she did, her voice was trembling and cracked, and a lot of it was unintelligible. “Do you... tomorrow...”
Big Mac lowered his head to AppleJack, and felt his heart break at what he saw.
AppleJack’s bright green eyes were overflowing with tears. Her eyes were striking even on the worst days; now they shimmered and sparkled like leaves in bright sunlight. She made no effort to dry her tears; more would only replace them, and her lips quivered as she fought to control herself.
Mac was now genuinely concerned for her wellbeing. He had seen his sister break down before, he had seen her cry before, and he had even, on occasion, seen her succumb to the stress of her many jobs and farm labours. But never like this. Big Macintosh looked at his sister’s face and saw complete and utter devastation. Feelings of worry were now replaced with feelings of anger, at whoever might’ve done this to his little sister.
For the first time in months, maybe even years, rage crept into Big Mac’s voice. That alone would’ve been enough to send anypony running for the hills. The last time somepony had caused AppleJack to cry had been years ago. Big Mac had been seen walking up towards a group of twelve schoolyard bullies, all older and bigger than he was by at least several years. The ensuing dust cloud blocked all view of the events within, but when it had cleared, the bullies had been seen lying in a big pile, all knocked unconscious. Big Mac hadn’t broken a sweat. Apparently unfazed by what had just transpired, he picked something brown out of the dirt, and nonchalantly trotted away.
About an hour later, Big Mac was walking back into Ponyville square, a tiny AppleJack riding atop him with a huge grin across her mouth, and a too-large Stetson hat completely obscuring her vision. AppleJack said something, and Big Mac replied with a small smile. AppleJack burst out into laughter, and only just managed to catch her hat before it fell off her head.
Other ponies could only wonder as to the value of that well-worn hat. But to Big Mac and AppleJack, it was just as important as the farm on which they lived.
But that day, and the sound of AppleJack’s laughter, had been years ago. Now they both sat in the dirt, in the shade of a large apple tree. AppleJack’s coat dirt and dishevelled with tears, sweat, and mud, and Macintosh, mind clouded with rage as he realized that he had failed his sister.
“What happened, AppleJack? Did somebody do this? Was it some colt?”
AppleJack shook her head, but otherwise said nothing for another minute or so. In that minute, she met her big brother’s gaze steadily, and smiled sadly up at him. Mac frowned, and gently nuzzled the soft fur just above AppleJack’s neck. AppleJack returned the gesture, and they remained like that for a while longer, comforting each other with just their presences.
Eventually, AppleJack looked down, and begun to weep silently.
When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “Do you know what tomorrow is, Big Mac?”
Big Mac thought hard, but only the laborious work associated with Applebucking season came to mind. He shook his head, he doubted that this had anything to do with that.
“It was tomorrow, a-all those years ago, when mom... when she...” AppleJack bowed her head even lower, to hide the fresh cascade of tears that had begun with the mention of their late mother.
Big Mac’s eyes grew wide. Oh, Celestia! Oh, please Celestia, no! How could he have forgotten?! He kicked himself mentally for not knowing. But with Applebucking season at hand, all other thoughts had escaped his mind.
His mind raced with guilt and deep sadness, before he finally added two and two together.
“AppleJack... Is this why you been workin’ so hard?”
AppleJack said nothing, but Big Mac could feel her head nod ever so slightly. The big brother spoke for her. “You've been working so hard because...” He struggled to find the right words. “... because you want to make her proud...”
AppleJack couldn’t contain herself any longer. She slumped over and buried her face in Big Mac’s fur, sobbing uncontrollably, not caring if anypony heard her. She struggled to find breath between the shudders that wracked her body. Mac felt tears begin to well up in his own eyes, but he fought them away. He had made a promise to be strong for AppleJack, no matter what. He wasn’t going to break that promise ever.
Shifting around, he drew AppleJack into a tight hug, and allowed her to cry into his chest. She clutched tightly at him with her front hooves, an embrace so tight it would’ve crushed any other pony. Big Mac lowered his head, and rested it so that he was now nuzzling AppleJack’s mane. The only sound that could be heard was her ragged breathing, punctuated by the occasional sob.
Eventually, AppleJack managed to gasp out a sentence. “I... I just wanted *hiccup* to be strong, for her...”
Big Mac’s baritone voice was stern, but soothing. “Now you listen here, AJ... I know that mom’s looking down on you right now, and I know that she’s as proud of you as can be.”
AppleJack’s large emerald eyes met Big Mac’s own. “Y-yah really mean it?”
“Think about it for a sec, sis. You're the holder of one of the Elements of Harmony. You banished Nightmare Moon, and saved Princess Luna. You've saved Ponyville from stampedes countless times, singlehoofedly. You won that trophy for bein’ the hardest working pony last year. And you're the most skilled pony with a lasso that I ever met! Hay, I can’t think of single thing that mom wouldn’t be proud of, when it comes to you!”
AppleJack sobbed one last time, then buried her head even deeper into Big Mac’s fur. Only this time, Big Mac could tell that she was smiling.
“Come on now; let’s get you back to the home.”
“But what about all the apples that need to be bucked?”
“Ah’ll take care of that, so don't you worry ‘bout it none, sis.”
AppleJack removed her face from her brother’s chest, drying her eyes in the process and looked up at him. “But are ya sure you can handle them all?”
“I’ll find a way. But right now, you need a good rest and some food an’ water.” And with that, Big Mac lifted AppleJack up onto his muscular frame, and cantered back down towards their home.
It was later that day that AppleJack woke up in her bed, Stetson hanging off of the bedpost to her right. She turned to the door, still slightly sleepy, and made out her older brother’s form in the doorway. He trotted up to her, and handed her a large glass of water from the bedside table. She took it, and gulped it down in seconds.
“How long was Ah asleep?”
“Few hours, it’s just gone afternoon.”
AppleJack sat up, thoughts of lost time nagging at her mind. “But what about all the applebuckin’? Somepony’s got to do it!”
Big Mac shook his head. “Relax, AJ. It’s all taken care of.”
“But who did you get to do it?”
“Why don't you take a look for yourself?” Big Mac smiled slightly, but this was more than his usual dopey smile: this was genuine happiness.
Puzzled, the orange farmpony slid out from under her covers and trotted over to the window, on the other side of the room to Big Mac. Slowly, she pulled open both curtains with her mouth, not daring to open her eyes until last second.
She could only gape at the sight that met her eyes.
AppleJack was provided a perfect view of the orchard from her bedroom, and every day, she would be woken up by the sunlight striking the leaves and the apples.
But today an entirely different sort of extraordinary sight greeted her.
All throughout the orchard, working hard to buck the apples out of the trees, were at least thirty to forty smiling, laughing ponies.
“All of Ponyville...” AppleJack gasped, “Jus’ to help me out?”
“Eeyup.”
“And you arranged all of this?” She asked with disbelief.
Big Mac repeated his last statement, a huge grin beginning to break out on his face.
AppleJack turned back to the window. Every pony in Ponyville was bucking apples! No magic, no flying, just plain, good old-fashioned applebuckin’!
AppleJack felt tears of happiness well up inside her, but she couldn’t cry now, not after earlier.
Instead, she turned to Big Mac, leapt over the bed, and gripped him in a tight embrace. “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” AppleJack blurted out.
“Don't mention it. Say, now that you're all good an’ rested, why don't we go and help them all out?” He had barely finished the sentence as AppleJack let him go, grabbed her hat, and raced out the doorway. She stopped just short the stairs, reared back on her hind legs, and let out an ear-shattering “YEE-HAWW!!” before jumping down them and bursting through the door to the great outdoors.
The day had passed all too quickly for AppleJack. Never had applebucking been so much fun! Big Mac had kindly left out the details of AppleJack’s breakdown, stating only that “any help would be appreciated.”
It had only taken ten minutes of Big Mac’s time, until every pony in the town was enthusiastically knocking apples out of the trees. AppleJack smiled as she remembered the cutie-mark crusaders all kicking at a single tree. It had taken the whole day to knock every apple out, even with their combined efforts, but their beaming smiles as the last fruit dropped into the bucket would shine in AppleJack’s memories for a long, long time to come.
The sun was just about setting, orange light washing over a perfect landscape of now solidly green trees. AppleJack stood on the porch of the Apple family homestead, as Big Macintosh came up the steps to meet her.
She turned to face him. She struggled with her words, as her pride dammed up her emotions after the recent outburst. “Big Mac, Ah...” She lowered her head, but only for a second. The siblings’ eyes met, and AppleJack poured out her heart to her big brother. “Thank you, Big Macintosh. Ah was too stubborn, and Ah don’t know what Ah woulda done without your help. Ah’m lucky to have a big brother like you, who’ll look out fer me. Ah... really ‘ppreciate it.”
“No problem, AppleJack. Ah’m lucky to have a sister like you, too." He smiled slightly, and turned to leave.
“Wait, Big Mac!”
“Eeyup?”
“Jus’ one more question.”
“...”
“D’you remember what mom was like?”
Big Mac turned to face his sister. The orange light of the setting sun reflected right off of AppleJack’s fur, so that it appeared that she was glowing with her own light.
“You don't remember?”
AppleJack frowned, and shook her head. Big Mac trotted up to her until they were barely inches apart. Green eyes met green eyes as Big Macintosh spoke.
“She was... amazing. Jus’ like you.”
AppleJack trembled as she clasped her forelegs around Big Mac’s neck. More tears fell, but they went unnoticed as Big Mac buried his head into his sister’s mane.
“Ah love you, big brother.”
“Eeyup... I love you too, AppleJack.”