• Published 16th Jul 2013
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Ponies All Day-Writing Challenge - ThunderTempest



The end result of a writing challenge, in which I wrote 48 TMP prompts in a single 24 hour period.

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16:00-16:30 "Preventing Burn Out"

“Look, Twi, ah appreciate what y’all are tryin’ to do, but ah do not need a vacation!” said Applejack, as her hind legs smacked against another tree, causing a shower of apples to fall neatly into the buckets below.

“Applejack, be honest, when was the last time you did something for you? If you don’t want to come with me to Fillydelphia, that’s fine, but please, at least take a week off. Let Big Mac handle the bucking for a week,” said Twilight, floating the spare ticket back into her saddlebags.

“Aww, shoot. Ya got me there, sugarcube. Fine. No buckin’ for a week.”

“Big Mac?” called Twilight, “Don’t let Applejack do any work on the farm until this time next week.”

“Eeyup.”

“Consarn it, Twi! Y’all gone and turned mah own brother ‘gainst me.”

Applejack watched as Twilight cantered off to the train station.

“You two planned this, didn’t cha, Mac?”

“Eeyup.”

“You gonna let me sleep here, or am ah gonna haveta go into town?”

“Eenope.”

“Which one?”

“Nnope.”

“Darnit, Mac!”

***

Applejack trudged into town, head down, grumbling about ‘stupid unicorns meddlin’ in things and good-fer-nothin’ brothers’

“My, Applejack! Something’s got you all in a tizz today, dear? Care to share?” Rarity waved Applejack over from the outdoor cafe where she was having lunch.

“Yeah. You could say that, Rares. Turns out Twilight and mah brother, Big Mac conspired to get me to take a week off the farm. Said to go and do somethin’ for me.”

“Hmmm. You know, I do actually recall seeing a poster for a nearby rodeo. Not that I’m interested in such things, of course. But maybe a little competition may help de stress you. You have been working dreadfully hard the last few months. You could use a breather.”

“Heh. Yeah, I think y’all might be onto something. You recall where this rodeo was?”

***

It was a week later, and a neck full of blue ribbons that Applejack returned to Sweet Apple Acres.

“Yeah, okay.” Were her first words to a grinning Big Macintosh. “Doin’ nothin’ for a week every now and again’s better than burnin’ out. Hadn’t even realised how close I was ‘till y’all made me.”

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #252: “Hardly Working”
Ponies take the week off.

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