An Apple Alone

by Blue Thrush

Weight of the World

Apple Bloom woke up shivering as a blast of cool air swooped in from her open window. She instinctively threw her blanket over her head, trying to stay warm and asleep. It was a fruitless effort, though, as her body had already snapped awake. Apple Bloom peeked out from under her cover to see how much sleep she’d been robbed of, glancing out her bedroom window with a quiet groan.

The sight of the late morning sun shocked her awake more than the air.

Apple Bloom flailed her legs to get the blanket off as quick as possible. What she actually managed to do was tangle herself up in the cover and promptly fall out of bed. She fidgeted on the floor to untangle herself from the blanket and righted herself up once she was free.

“How in tarnation is it so late?” she gasped, galloping to the window and giving the cold morning an equally-cold glare. She saw that Sweet Apple Acres had woken up at its usual time, the farm animals already out and about. Apple Bloom shut her window to coax her bedroom into warming back up. “An’ why is it so darn cold outside?” she muttered, going back to her bed and picking up the cover to make it.

In her haste, Apple Bloom nearly covered up Winona, who had remained curled up in the middle of the bed despite Apple Bloom’s frantic motions. At some point during the night, the collie had sought refuge beneath the cover to escape the biting cold. She was just waking up when Apple Bloom tossed the blanket back on the bed. Winona hopped off before she could be covered up again, and barked once before stretching and yawning as Apple Bloom finished.

“Oh Winona, we slept in!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, fraught with worry. “Ah gotta move!” To Winona’s dismay, the farmpony barely noticed her, dashing out of the bedroom and speeding downstairs without so much as a pet. The collie followed the panicking pony at a more casual pace, feeling a little on edge since Apple Bloom was acting so frightened.

Excuses raced through Apple Bloom’s mind as she rushed downstairs. She knew Granny Smith wasn’t going to be kind to her for sleeping in so late, but she also knew that it was better to get the inevitable confrontation over with. Only after she reached the bottom of the stairs did Apple Bloom realize that the house was empty. “Granny?” she called, heading for the kitchen to grab a quick snack before heading out. When she entered, Apple Bloom saw a note resting on the table. She grabbed herself a few apples, sat down at the table, and munched on the fruit while she read it.

Apple Bloom,
It looks like you’re pretty cozy in your bed this morning, so I decided to let you sleep in for a spell. Now don’t fret or anything, you’re fine. You’ll have plenty of time to get all of your work done for the day. Going over the farm’s numbers, we’re actually a little ahead of schedule, and it’s looking like there’s not a whole lot more to be done by the end of the week. While this means you got away with a free morning, don’t go thinking you have the whole day off, now! But do try to not push yourself too hard. As long as you put in a solid day’s worth of effort for the rest of the week, you will be fine.

I wrote out your day’s chores on the back of this note, so get yourself a good wholesome brunch and get to it! I’ll be home as soon as market ends, and will be bringing home dinner.

Love,
Granny Smith

Apple Bloom’s tensed-up shoulders relaxed as she read the note, relief flooding her. She even started petting Winona, having just taken notice of the collie. “Well this sure explains why Granny wasn’t too diligent about gettin’ me up this mornin’,” Apple Bloom reasoned as she finished off her sixth apple, giggling to herself as she flipped the note over.

Excitement blossomed within Apple Bloom after reading over the list of chores that Granny left her for the day. She was ahead on her chores, had a light day ahead of her, and was still excused from school! “Guess Ah have more time than Ah realized,” she said happily as she gave Winona a playful ruffling. Apple Bloom finished up in the kitchen and went back upstairs, going through her normal morning routine now that she no longer felt hurried or tardy.

The clear blue sky let the sun shine down brightly on Apple Bloom as she stepped out of the house. She had a freshly brushed mane and tail, a pink bow tied to the latter, and a bright smile adorned on her freckled face. Though the day was much chillier than those before, Apple Bloom’s good mood wasn’t even slightly phased. She took a deep, invigorating breath of the refreshing air. “Let’s do it!” she exclaimed, rearing up in excitement before taking off with Winona hot on her heels.

---

Apples tumbled out of the Red Gala tree as Apple Bloom delivered a swift, accurate kick to its middle. The young mare’s tail whiplashed as part of the motion, brushing harmlessly against the bark. Like clockwork, Apple Bloom tossed the full bushel onto her back and trotted for the barn, opting to applebuck one tree at a time instead many at once for now. She found that it gave her rear hooves enough time to recuperate in between.

When Apple Bloom reached the barn, she effortlessly tossed the bushel to the ground, lined up neatly with other fully laden bushels. Apple Bloom took a moment to bask in the fruits of her labor. “If’n only Big Mac an’ Applejack could see me now!” she exclaimed. “Ah’m makin’ record time!” As she rested, a stiff, cold breeze blew across her back, making her mane and tail billow. A chill traveled up her spine, and she shivered.

“Can’t be dawdlin’ now,” she reminded herself. “Gotta keep movin’ ta stay warm!” Apple Bloom turned away from her current bounty and galloped back into the orchard. The short jaunt combined with the many trees distilling the wind made Apple Bloom more comfortable.

Apple Bloom took a look at the next tree to tackle: a towering Red Gala that had long-since outgrown its neighbors in both height and breadth. The latter was more impressive than the former, as while it wasn’t a particularly notable sight from a pegasus’ eye view, Apple Bloom had to lay out thrice as many baskets to harvest it properly. The farmpony grinned after making sure all six baskets were in their proper positions.

“Alright, let’s see how many bucks this huge thing’ll take ta get all its apples.” Apple Bloom licked her lips and about-faced, looking over her shoulder to take aim. The young farmpony nodded confidently, reared up her hind legs, and shot them straight out, clacking horseshoe against the tree expertly. A few leaves, which had only just begun to change color, fluttered down just prior to the torrent of red fruit that was unleashed. With such a flood, Apple Bloom panicked for a split-second. That panic quickly subsided when she saw six neat piles of apples form up within the baskets she laid out. The young mare peeked up into the tree, and could barely believe her eyes: She’d managed to get every last apple out of the tree in one go!

“Yeehaw!” she exclaimed, bouncing in place several times. “Ah did it! Just one little applebuck an’ Ah got ‘em all! Wait’ll Granny hears about this!” She looked back to her rear legs, down to her bandaged hoof, then finally focused on her bow, still tied neatly around her tail which swished around happily. “Ah must be gettin’ stronger er... better er somethin’!” she admitted to herself proudly. She wasted no time in getting the first full bushel onto her back and sprinting back to the farm, brimming with joy.

Winona, who’d been busy doing her usual duties around the farm, bounded out from behind some shrubbery and joined Apple Bloom, happily jogging alongside the pony as they headed out. Once they reached the barn, Apple Bloom quickly set the bushel down and gave Winona a furious ruffling, beaming down at the collie. “Good girl, Winona!” she praised, if for no other reason than for the fact that she was in such high spirits. Winona countered the rufflings with swift kisses to Apple Bloom’s cheek, sending the farmpony into a giggling fit. The two enjoyed each other’s company for a moment, before Apple Bloom pulled herself away and stood back up.

“Alright, Winona, Ah’m pretty far ahead a’ schedule already, an’ yer just the best dog ever, so how about...” she looked around and found an appropriately-sized stick, which she grasped firmly with her tail, “...a game a’ fetch? Go get it, girl!” She flicked the stick away from the two, sending it flying out to an open, grassy patch of land. Winona immediately obliged Apple Bloom’s request and tore off after the stick, barking happily. Apple Bloom beamed when Winona raced after the stick, waiting for the collie to return with her prize. She figured she could play with Winona for a little while, then get back to applebucking, and still have time to finish what she had to do for the rest of the day.

Right now, she thought, giddy, Ah have all the time in the world.

---

Granny Smith huddled under her windbreaker as she crested a hill, revealing Sweet Apple Acres. At the same time, she took a deep, invigorating breath of the cool air, exhaling loudly as she made her way home. “Nothin’ quite like a crisp autumn day,” she said to herself. Granny smiled when the farm came into view, glad to be getting home earlier than expected. While she didn’t have any dinner to bring home, as suppertime was still several hours away, the small chest of bits resting on the mostly-vacant cart she was pulling jingled merrily.

What was really keeping Granny’s spirits high, outside of performing exceptionally well at market and getting home early, was a package that bounced along beside the chest. When Granny received it in town earlier, she guessed it to be a really long letter, or at least many papers bundled together. It was too thin to contain much else. The package was addressed to both her and Apple Bloom, and had arrived from Green Apple Grove in Ponyville earlier in the morning.

“We’re finally gonna hear just how things are goin’ down there!” Granny said happily as she looked back at the package. “Apple Bloom’s gonna be thrilled ta hear the news!” She chuckled as her thoughts drifted to her granddaughter. “Wonder how much Apple Bloom slept in this morning,” she pondered, moving under the trellis arch and coming to a stop as she reached the barn. Upon seeing rows of apple bushels, she grinned.

“Well, least she got up ‘fore lunch. Apple Bloom?” she called out, disengaging from the market cart. “Darlin’?” She looked around, her left ear twitching when she heard a faint giggle. Before Granny could discern the location of the laugh, Apple Bloom bounced up out of a bushel and pounced Granny, slinging her forelegs around her grandmother. Granny managed to keep her balance on four legs, but only just.

“Howdy, Granny!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, hugging tightly. “You’re early! Sell out already?”

Granny took the surprise hug in stride, hugging Apple Bloom back and smiling. “Eeyup!” she answered. “An’ jus’ what are you doin’ in those Red Gala apples?”

Apple Bloom laughed gaily and let Granny go. “Saw ya’ comin’ an’ decided to surprise ya’!” she said simply. “An’ Ah got free time since things are windin’ down ‘round the farm.”

“Well, Ah suppose that Ah can forgive ya’ if ya put ‘em all back in the bushel where they belong,” Granny said with a chuckle of her own, moving over to the barn doors to tug them open. “Where’s Winona?”

“She’s off havin’ fun in the orchards, Ah think,” Apple Bloom responded, already moving to pick up the displaced apples. “We played fetch fer a spell, then she went off explorin’.” She finished up with the apples and grasped the harness of the market cart with her mouth, pulling it into the barn for Granny before the elder mare could protest. Granny instead smiled and removed the items off of the cart once it was settled in. Apple Bloom noted the package and tilted her head curiously. “What’s that ya’ got there, Granny?”

Granny gave Apple Bloom a big smile. “It’s from the grove! From Big Macintosh an’ Applejack!”

Apple Bloom gasped. “Really?” she exclaimed. “It’s about time! What are ya’ waitin’ for? Open it, open it!” She stared at the package intently, eyes dancing in delight and curiosity. Granny undid the string holding the large envelop shut, opening the flap at the end and blowing into the package to loosen its contents. The elder mare reached in and pulled out the first item, which looked to be a simple letter addressed to both herself and Apple Bloom.

“Let’s see...” Granny murmured as she began quickly scanning over the letter. Apple Bloom bounced in anticipation, eager to read it as well, but held herself back from invading Granny’s personal space and waited her turn. She watched Granny’s closely to try and glean any potential information by gauging how her grandmother reacted. Apple Bloom saw Granny smile warmly at first, but then become more confused, and finally settle on a shocked expression. “Oh my...”

“...Granny? What is it?” Apple Bloom asked tenderly, a tremor of worry starting to grow within her. Granny said nothing, instead abandoning the letter and quickly digging into the envelope, pulling out the other papers that came with it. Apple Bloom plucked the letter off the ground and began to read.

Dear Granny Smith and Apple Bloom,

Howdy! Sorry we haven’t written to y’all yet, but we’ve been mighty busy down here at Green Apple Grove. Me and Big Mac and lots of other Apple ponies have been bustin’ our tails whippin’ this place back into shape, and it’s really showing! Most of the larger debris and such are cleared out, and a lot of the plowin’s been done. Still got a lotta work ahead of us, but we’ve made great strides!

Apple Bloom smiled, happy to hear that the grove was pulling itself back together. She wasn’t all that surprised, though. Apples and apple farms existed all over Equestria, and like the way a fresh cut knits itself back together, Apples are quick to gather and fix up any of their family’s farms in times of need. Still smiling, Apple Bloom took a seat and read on.

Family’s all doing swell. Ma and Pa say hello! After we’ve finished up down here, they said they’re probably gonna give Sweet Apple Acres a visit. I’d ask you to tidy up the place, but y’all’ve got plenty on your plates already. They can’t wait to see you and Granny Smith again!

“Oh boy, Ma an’ Pa are comin’ up!” she exclaimed, looking up to Granny Smith, only to see her grandmother still rummaging through the other papers that came in the package. Apple Bloom frowned slightly. Concerned, she continued reading the letter before her.

Me and Big Mac can’t wait to be hearin’ from y’all in Sweet Apple Acres. Hopefully the work that Apple Bloom’s been doing hasn’t been too hard on her. I know my sister best, though, and I’m sure she’s handling it fine.

That said, I think Apple Bloom’s workload is about to get just a little, tiny bit heavier this week. But I’m sure she can handle it.

“Hmm?” Apple Bloom mused, stealing another glance at the fretting Granny Smith. “Must be what those are, more chores for me?” She pondered a moment, then continued.

See, while the work down here’s been going smoothly, the food... not so much. It’s looking grim on that front, and we need to get some apples down here. A lot of apples. Granny: You’ll find more exact numbers of what we’ll be needing on other papers in this here package. Ma and Pa whipped them up for y’all.

Apple Bloom blinked. How many more apples did she need to harvest now? She again glanced Granny Smith’s way, and saw her brow furrowed in concentration, looking over one of the other sheets. Apple Bloom bit her lip and kept reading.

We got a lot of mouths to feed, which means we need lots of apples. We tried our best to think of other places to get some grub, but there’s been a bit of drought thanks to some weatherpony weather machine not workin’ or something like that. Sweet Apple Acres is our best bet for getting a lot of food down here lickety split.

Me and Big Macintosh will come back up Friday night to pick up the apples. Apple Bloom, I know this sounds like a tall order, more than you think you can handle. But know this: You’re a member of the Apple family. You have it in you to get this done. I believe in you, little sis.

I hope this doesn’t dampen your spirits too much, y’all. We’ve pulled out all the stops like this before, and I know y’all are capable of doing so again. See y’all on Friday!

Love,
AJ and Mac

“...Granny?” Apple Bloom said slowly, looking up to the elder pony fearfully. “They don’t want... like... all the apples, do they?”

A ghost of a smile flashed across Granny’s face as she shook her said. “Not quite, Apple Bloom,” she said quietly, sorting through sheets and sliding one over to the younger farmpony. She oriented it Apple Bloom’s way and pointed at a few key figures.

Apple Bloom’s jaw dropped.

“A-all that... i-in five days?” she squeaked.

“Hmm... Ah’d say four and a half,” Granny remarked, looking up at the sky. “Past midday already, ya’ know.”

“Four?!” Apple Bloom practically shouted back. “Oh my gosh, Ah’ve been wasting so much time! Ah gotta get back out an’ double, no triple how many bushels Ah was plannin’ on fetchin’ today! Oh my goodness oh my goodness oh my—”

“Apple Bloom!” Granny Smith’s voice cut through Apple Bloom’s ever-growing panic momentarily, stopping her mid-sentence. Granny Smith stood up straight and glared at the other pony. “Calm down, youngin’. The sky ain’t fallin’.” She tried to reach out and give Apple Bloom a comforting pat on the back, but the younger mare backed away.

“But Granny, what they’re askin’ for is a ton more than what Ah was able ta do last week!” Apple Bloom retorted, unceremoniously dropping down into a sitting position and lowering her head. “Oh, Ah’ll never get that much done in time...”

Granny calmly walked over to Apple Bloom and looked down at the pouting pony. “Apple Bloom, stand up. No more frettin’.”

Apple Bloom looked up, confused. “Granny...?”

“You heard me, young lady,” Granny reiterated. “On yer hooves, now.”

Apple Bloom didn’t need to be told a third time. She shot to her hooves and stood at attention. She shivered slightly as a stiff, cold breeze swept through the farm, but stood firm nevertheless. “Yes’m.”

“Now Apple Bloom, I know this is an awful lot. Much more than me or yer siblings had planned for you,” Granny started to pace back in forth in front of the younger farmpony. “Ah know you’ve been pushing yer limits. It’s been no walk in the park for ya’, an’ now we’re askin’ that ya’ kick it up a notch. Several more, actually.” She stopped walking and stared into Apple Bloom’s eyes. “But do you think that your family would ever ask you to do something that we didn’t think you were capable of?”

Apple Bloom stared back and thought about that for a moment, before shaking her head meekly. “But... weren’t you frettin’ over this letter just a little bit ago?”

Granny Smith nodded. “True, Ah was surprised. Ah wasn’t expectin’ an order like this to come in. Ponies know our limits, and we’d simply say no if they asked for this many. But this ain’t no usual order. Not only is it something urgent, it’s fer family.”

“Right... family...” Apple Bloom said slowly, starting to come down from all the adrenaline that had flooded her system. She took a couple of deep breaths as Granny continued.

“Not only have ya’ been pushin’ yerself, but you’ve been succeeding,” Granny reminded Apple Bloom, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “You’ve been doin’ so well, an’ I don’t expect ya’ to quit now. What you were doin’ just now, mopin’ an’ wallowin’, was just like what you did last week when you were down. An’ I can’t stand seein’ any of my grandchildren lookin’ that way.” Granny Smith patted Apple Bloom’s shoulder gently. “We can complete this order, Apple Bloom. We can do this. You can do this.”

Apple Bloom gulped. She still felt like a ton of apples had been plopped on her back, and her legs were buckling under the weight. Yet as she was calmed by her grandmother, it was all starting to become more bearable. “Yer right... Of course yer right, Granny!” she exclaimed, confidence building. She stood up and put a hoof on Granny’s shoulder, and the two shared a hug. “Ah can do this. We can do this!”

Granny Smith grinned. “That’s the ticket. Now let’s figure us out a plan of action an’ get this order done!”

“Yee haw!”

---

Winona sprung out of the orchard, turning her head every which way. She sniffed at the ground trying to pick up a specific scent, but, unfortunately for the collie, the trail had gone cold. Winona frowned, scanning the area one more time with sight, smell, and sound, before giving up. She’d been tied up in the orchards for some time, searching for some bunnies that were obviously up to no good, and was famished. She was disappointed that she didn’t catch the thieves, and reluctantly traveled to the farmhouse to see if she couldn’t get somepony to feed her.

Winona pitter-pattered onto the porch and moved to scratch on the door to be let in, only to find that the door had been left slightly ajar. She smelled Apple ponies inside, so Winona took the initiative and nosed the door open enough for her to squeeze through. When she padded into the living room, she immediately got the attention of Granny Smith, who did her best to prevent Winona from getting in farther. “Hold still, girl, floor’s taken,” Granny commanded, petting Winona with one forehoof while keeping the other planted on the floor. Winona appreciated the petting, but still whined quietly. She was hungry! Granny took note of this and let out a small sigh. “Alright girl, let me get ya’ fed. Apple Bloom?”

“Yeah, Granny?” Apple Bloom replied, distracted.

“Keep workin’, Ah’ll get Winona some grub and be back in a few minutes.”

Apple Bloom nodded without looking up, and Granny Smith led Winona back outside to get her an afternoon snack. Only after the front door closed did Apple Bloom glance up from the other end of the living room. She sat there with one hoof on the edge of a large map, to prevent it from curling back up. Apple Bloom saw the edge Granny Smith had been holding down curl a bit, hiding the view of some SweeTango apple trees.

The young mare sighed softly. She knew that Sweet Apple Acres was big, and it wasn’t the first time she had laid eyes on this particular map either, but reviewing the entire length of the property repeatedly, planning out routes and harvesting strategies, all for a single pony to execute, made her really consider the sheer size of the farm.

The land’s name didn’t lie: Acres of farmland were laid out before Apple Bloom, encompassing their house, orchards, fields, and hills. Nearly the entire map was dotted with tree figures, drawn on in various styles, shapes, and colors. The map of Sweet Apple Acres was a living map, having contributions dating back to Ponyville’s founding. Nearly every plot of trees was identified, drawn, and dated by the ponies who originally planted them, and served as a wealth of both knowledge and history of Sweet Apple Acres.

Apple Bloom scanned the map over and found where she had left off, nodding to herself and scribbling down another note on a piece of paper, planning the route she was going to take over the next several days. In the past, Apple Bloom had asked why certain trees were planted where they were, and why there wasn’t more logic or order applied so that apples could be found more easily. She knew that more land was used as time went on, but why couldn’t the trees be reorganized? All that she learned from her questions, however, was how complex agriculture was, especially when applied on such a large scale.

Apple Bloom didn’t regret not putting more effort into learning the finer points of apple farming, but she did wish the trees were planted in a less-random order, from the Adanacs to the Zaps. Instead, the farmpony found herself having to wade through Paula Red trees to get from the Katyas to the Red Golds. It was hard work, having to scan the majority of the map repeatedly, but there was a dividend: She was learning more about the farm’s general layout, and was taking less time to re-reference a particular kind of apple as the afternoon went on.

The new knowledge did nothing, however, to quell the fears Apple Bloom was struggling to keep from overwhelming her. The same fears of failure and disappointment that had plagued her a week ago were resurfacing. After taking a calming breath, Apple Bloom threw herself back into the planning, trying to become lost in concentration so that her fears would stop eating away at her. It helped to a degree, but in the back of her mind the worry was ever-present.

Granny returned a few minutes later, walking over to Apple Bloom quietly and peering over her shoulder. “Want ta go over the plan again, Apple Bloom? From the top?” Granny asked as she read over the younger mare’s notes. Apple Bloom gnawed on the edge of her pencil.

“Naw, Ah think Ah’ve got it figured,” she responded, now rechecking her own notes. She sighed and let the pencil drop to the floor. “Did Ma an’ Pa an’ AJ an’ Big Mac all really think that Ah could rustle up this much in a few measly days?”

“That they did, child, that they did,” Granny answered with a nod and a pat to Apple Bloom’s head. “They not only think you can do it, they know you can. Don’t let this tall order give you jitters. Jus’ take it one step at a time, like any other chore. Work on the small buildin’ blocks, then before ya’ know it yer done!” She gave the back of Apple Bloom’s mane a gentle petting. “Sound good?”

Apple Bloom turned her head up and smiled. “Well, when you put it that way...” She looked back down at her notes again and frowned. But there’s just so much to... no... Granny’s right, she encouraged herself. Ah can do this. Mah whole family’s countin’ on me, an’ they have faith in me. Ah gotta have some a’ that faith too. That last thought made her smile broaden. “Don’t worry, Granny, you can count on me!”

The next couple of hours involved Granny Smith drilling a rigid schedule into Apple Bloom, making sure that her granddaughter knew the plan and strategy by heart. Apple Bloom struggled to maintain it all, but the repetitions were slowly but surely doing their part. Apple Bloom was used to taking chores, duties, and responsibilities a day at a time, never having to worry about what came next. That was something her elders always dealt with. Even the more elaborate Cutie Mark Crusader schemes didn’t involve too much planning or effort, and usually didn’t survive a day anyway.

Despite these difficulties, Apple Bloom was enjoying the experience. It made her feel like she was being treated like a real member of the Apple family, as an equal. This helped spur her attitudes higher still, which made the constant nagging feeling on the back of Apple Bloom’s mind simmer down to a whimper.

The sun was just beginning to set when the two farmponies wrapped up what they were doing, having finally figured out most of the details. Apple Bloom and Granny Smith found that if Apple Bloom could work on applebucking all day without interruption, and if they borrowed some inventory from some of the less-time-constrained orders, they’d actually complete the large order a little ahead of schedule. Not wanting to lose the extra time or fall behind, Apple Bloom made her way out to the orchards and got straight to work. She left a few notes by the barn to remind her of specific points of the master plan. She only skimmed them on occasion, though, too eager to get as much done as possible.

“Alright, simple, more Red Galas first. The rest of ‘em we have, in fact,” Apple Bloom reminded herself as she toddled through the orchards. “Easy!” She quickly got the baskets set up and went straight to applebucking.

After filling a dozen or so bushels’ worth, she glanced down the long lines of Red Gala trees, still awaiting harvest. “Easy... but long,” Apple Bloom noted, but smiled despite herself. “Still, Ah’m makin’ great time Ah think! A Dozen bushels down, and only a do—” She looked over the remaining Red Galas. “...A dozen down!”

Pleased and lost in the rhythm of her work, Apple Bloom hardly noticed that it was getting dark already. The cool air also did not seem to faze the farmpony as she pressed on, who never stopped as she harvested and delivered one batch of red fruit after another. She only realized just how late it was after she nearly bumped into Granny Smith, who was waiting for her by the barn as she returned with another bushel.

“Quite a start, Apple Bloom,” Granny said approvingly. “Ah figure jus’ a little longer and you’ll have... ‘bout half the Red Galas we need.”

Apple Bloom plopped the bushel down next to the rest and stretched a moment as Granny spoke. When she processed what Granny said, she turned and stared, bewildered. “Half? But Ah’ve been harvestin’ the Galas all evenin’! Surely Ah’ve done... at least half already?” Apple Bloom didn’t have all the totals for the order memorized, but she did know some ballpark figures, and also that among those estimates was the remainder of the Red Gala crop for the season.

Granny, however, simply shook her head. “Got half of one set a’ trees, Ah reckon, but have ya’ started gettin’ any from the South fields?”

Apple Bloom opened her mouth to answer, then closed it after thinking a moment. “...Shoot, that plum slipped my mind,” she berated herself.

“Ain’t no trouble,” Granny attempted to assure the younger farmpony, “you ain’t as far as ya’ thought, but yer gettin’ through just as many trees as planned.” This didn’t seem to sway Apple Bloom’s demeanor. “Look, it’s past suppertime as it is, why not stop an’ get some grub before continuin’ on?”

Apple Bloom looked at the harvested bushels. Suddenly, it didn’t seem like there were as many there as she thought. It was a drop in the bucket compared to what she had to have done by Friday night. “Are you sure, Granny? Ah’d rather keep workin’, ta get as much done tonight as Ah can.” She waited for an answer only for a moment, before grabbing another stack of empty baskets and turning to leave for the orchards. Granny didn’t move to stop her.

“Alright, Apple Bloom, if ya’ insist,” Granny said, “but not too much longer, now. You’re bound ta be starvin’ an’ there ain’t much daylight left...”

Apple Bloom turned her head around to smile at Granny, but said nothing more as she jogged back towards the orchard. The brisk autumn temperature raced against her sweaty body, cooling her off as she made her way back to the Red Gala trees. She doled out the empty baskets quickly, and went straight back to work. All evening long Apple Bloom’s applebucking was nearly impeccable, having to hit most trees only once to fully harvest them. But the progress report from Granny Smith, or lack of progress, in Apple Bloom’s mind, gave renewed vigor to the nagging feeling that she’d suppressed earlier.

“Shoot!” she cursed when a half dozen Red Galas clung stubbornly to their branches. She thwacked at the tree a third time, finally dislodging the fruit and moving on.

“Consarnit!” she yelled after realizing too late that she forgot to lay out baskets for a tree. Falling fruit littered the ground, leaving a muttering Apple Bloom to clean up the mess, one apple at a time.

“Ponyfeathers!” More stubborn apples. “Fall off!” She gave the tree another kick, which reluctantly yielded the fruit. Apple Bloom stood and breathed heavily for a moment, trying to calm herself down. “Yer losin’ it, Apple Bloom. Hold it together.” She sat a moment and caught her breath. “Gettin’ angry ain’t gonna help nopony, and it ain’t gonna get the work done faster.” She snorted and got back to her hooves, lugging back one of the full bushels. The strongest light Apple Bloom could make out now came from the farm. The sun was all but set by the time Apple Bloom made it back.

“Jus’ a few more trees tonight, then supper, then Ah’ll hit up the South fields tomorrow,” Apple Bloom told herself. “Hopefully Ah’ll have at least the Red Galas done by then.” The absence of the sun made the chilly night air even colder. Even though Apple Bloom was still working up a sweat, the cold was beginning to get to her. After harvesting a couple more trees, she shivered. “Gettin’ cold... but can’t stop now. Gotta keep goin’. Workin’ harder ought to warm me up more.”

Without hesitating, Apple Bloom moved on to one of the larger Red Gala trees. She looked behind, took aim, and unleashed a well-aimed kicked. After looking at what little fell, she groaned. “Not another one.” Even the best applebuck couldn’t singly harvest every tree. Some just seemed less willing to give up their fruit than others, clinging onto them for dear life. Apple Bloom sighed and lined up another kick.

*Thwack!*

“Come on...”

*Thwack!*

“Dumb tree...”

*Thwack!*

“Just a little more... one... last... big... kick!”

*Crack!*

Apple Bloom blinked. That last one didn’t sound right. She turned to look back just as the pain registered. She hissed and fell down onto her haunches. “Consarn stupid cotton-picken...” she cursed as her cracked hoof throbbed. “...darned hoof that just won’t get better ...Ow!” she exclaimed, unraveling the dirty bandage around the injury. The crack on her hoof, almost fully healed and diminished, had busted open again, a little blood dripping from the crevice. After the initial shock, Apple Bloom was more aggravated than anything else. “Better take care of this before it gets any worse,” she told herself, struggling up onto her three good hooves and holding the fourth aloft.

“Thought this was over an’ done with, bandage just bein’ a bit a’ ceremony now,” she muttered as she walked on three legs back to the farm house. “Least it don’t hurt as much as last time... hope this don’t take me outta commission though.” At that realization, the nagging worry grew in her mind. “What if it does, though? What if Ah can’t deliver? What if...” she started, then shook her head rapidly. “Don’t go worryin’ ‘bout what ain’t happened yet, Apple Bloom. Let Granny look at it. It’s not as bad as before, an’ it... already stopped hurtin’?”

Tentatively, she put some weight down on the injured hoof. Surprisingly to her, she didn’t reel in pain, though the pressure eked some more blood out of the wound. Apple Bloom noticed this and went back to limping. “Don’t wanna take any chances now.”

Though unencumbered, Apple Bloom’s handicap made her journey last quite a bit longer than it would have with a bushel on her back. By the time she made it to the house, the moon had asserted its place in the sky. “Looks like Ah’m done fer the night anyway,” she groaned as she opened the door. “Granny? Ah need a little help,” she called out.

“What is it?” a voice sang out from the kitchen. Apple Bloom’s stomach growled as she smelled something warm and delicious. “Sounds like yer hungry!” Granny said as Apple Bloom limped into the kitchen. Once Granny saw the injured farmpony, however, she frowned. “Kickin’ the bark too rough again, Apple Bloom?”

“Nu-uh, Ah was, er... Yes, Granny,” Apple Bloom admitted, bowing her head. “Was gettin’ a mite frustrated an’ Ah guess Ah took it out on the trees.”

“Well, least ya’ were smart enough ta stop an’ come back to the house, an’ admit what ya’ did,” Granny said, smiling softly as she approached Apple Bloom. “Sit down an’ let me have a looksee. Hmmm... Well, guess this does show one thing.”

“...What?” Apple Bloom asked with slight apprehension.

“That sometimes a tree’s bite is worse than its bark,” Granny joked. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but laugh along with her.

“As if ya’ hadn’t told us that lil’ nugget a’ wisdom time an’ time again,” Apple Bloom said, “but seriously, is it bad?”

Granny took a good, long look at the injury, the without warning lifted a foreleg and smacked the sole of the injured hoof hard. Apple Bloom winced on instinct, but didn’t feel a thing. “Looks good to me. Just reopened the wound a bit, and undid some of the healing that was already done. Probably best ta give it a rest fer the night, though, Apple Bloom.” Granny stood up and gave the younger farmpony a hug, which was returned happily, before making her way upstairs. “Take a seat fer supper an’ Ah’ll be back down with some new bandages.”

“Alright, Granny,” Apple Bloom replied, taking a seat at the table and too hungry to argue. She knew she couldn’t get much done at night, anyway. She took another whiff of the air and licked her lips, her stomach growling fiercely. “Don’t think Ah could leave now, anyway.” She sighed, relieved that there wasn’t much to fuss about regarding her hoof. “First thing tomorrow mornin’, Ah’m up an’ applebuckin’, dawn ‘til dusk,” she promised herself.

“Ah’ll have this order licked in no time.”

---

No sooner did Apple Bloom’s head hit the pillow did she find herself being nudged awake by Granny Smith. Apple Bloom didn’t even remember climbing into bed the night before. She slept like a rock, not budging an inch the whole night and still only identifiable as a lump under her cover. Granny Smith gave the younger pony another nudge, putting a little more effort behind this one. That elicited a small groan from Apple Bloom, who begrudgedly peeked out from under her cover.

“Mornin’,” Apple Bloom mumbled through a yawn. Granny decided to expedite her granddaughter’s wake-up routine by removing the cover with a quick toss of her head. Apple Bloom instinctively curled up. “Granny!”

“Good mornin’ ta you too,” Granny smirked. “Come on, now. Breakfast is waitin’, and so are the apples.”

Apple Bloom grumbled, but did sit up enough to give Granny Smith a small hug before pulling herself out of bed, one leg at a time. As Apple Bloom began making her bed, Granny headed downstairs, certain that Apple Bloom wasn’t going to jump back into bed the moment she left. Apple Bloom finished getting ready fairly quickly as she started to pick up steam. She remembered her burdens clearly, and she wanted to squeeze out as much extra time that morning as possible to take care of them.

Apple Bloom bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen, where a piping hot bowl of oatmeal awaited her. Without fanfare, she dropped her muzzle into the bowl and ravenously tore into her meal. “Apple Bloom! Table manners!” Granny scolded from across the table.

Apple Bloom looked up, cheeks full to bursting. “But Granny, Ah—”

“An’ no talkin’ with yer mouth full.”

Apple Bloom paused to finish her bite, which amounted to about half her bowl. “‘Scuse me, Granny,” she offered as an apology as she cleaned her freckled cheeks off with a napkin. “In kind of a hurry here,” she explained as she began to guzzle her apple juice.

“You’re gonna make yerself sick if ya’ keep it up,” Granny cautioned, taking much smaller bites from her own bowl. “An’ then what?”

That advice sobered Apple Bloom. She resolved to not quite fill her mouth so much, though her bites were still quite large. It took her no time at all to finish her food and drink, and before Granny Smith could get in another word edgewise, Apple Bloom was off her chair and out the door. Granny took one last bite and sighed softly, following her granddaughter.

Apple Bloom leapt off the deck and sped for the barn, stopping inside to fetch her first set of baskets for the day. Granny remained outside, and held up a hoof. “An’ what about yer other chores?” she asked the anxious apple farmer.

Apple Bloom stopped at the raised hoof, and bit her lip. “Shoot, Ah wasn’t thinkin’ ‘bout mah other chores.” She looked up to Granny Smith, pleading with her eyes. “Granny, Ah don’t suppose ya’ could—”

“Oh fine, guess Ah’ll do ‘em for ya’,” Granny winked, “but only since yer were so darn insistent.”

Apple Bloom smiled broadly. “Thanks, Granny! Ah owe ya’ big time!” she called as she moved quickly for the orchards. She knew precisely where she left off last night and hurried getting back there.

Granny smiled back and waved Apple Bloom off. “Don’tcha worry ‘bout lunch, Apple Bloom! Ah’ll come home from market with some grub!” she yelled as Apple Bloom disappeared into the trees.

---

*Thwack!*

Apple Bloom gleamed, both with pride and perspiration, as the entire load of Honeycrisp apples tumbled from branches to baskets. Without stopping, Apple Bloom moved on to the next tree and landed another perfect blow to the bark. She finally paused as she reached the end of the Honeycrisp tree line, taking deep breaths. “Ten in a row!” she exclaimed, wiping some sweat from her brow. “Now that’s how an Apple gets things done.”

Apple Bloom hefted a full basket onto her back and moved back towards the barn. Once out from the trees’ shade, she slowed her trot, unintentionally, to let her body bask in the glow of the sun. It was another cold day, and Apple Bloom, despite her sweat, took every opportunity to enjoy the sun’s meager offerings of heat. After setting her latest prize down near the barn, she rekindled her brisk pace and re-entered the orchard before she could change her mind.

Apple Bloom wasn’t sure what was making her work harder: the applebucking or the increasingly-longer treks to and from the barn. While she was no slouch when it came to trotting, the increased distance was starting to wear on her. By the time she made a dozen more round trips, she was huffing and puffing like she’d just applebucked a whole line of trees.

“Phew!” she exclaimed, ridding herself of yet more sweat. “Applebuckin’s certainly takin’ its toll on me today. Glad I had a nice, filling...” her stomach growled, “...breakfast.” She hungrily eyed the last remaining Honeycrisp basket and licked her lips. “Maybe just one... Yeah. They wouldn’t miss one bushel, would they?” she wondered aloud, stepping towards the doomed fruit. As she reached it, she shook her head rapidly, and moved to get the basket on her back before she did something rash. “No, can’t rest. Can’t snack. Family’s countin’ on this crop ta feed lotsa ponies who need food. Lunch’ll be soon enough,” she encouraged herself as she made her way back towards the barn once again.

By this point, Apple Bloom’s dogs were barking ferociously. Even Winona, who was dozing contently in her dog house at the moment, wouldn’t have challenged something so threatening. In particular, Apple Bloom’s injured hoof was barking the loudest, demanding attention with every hoofstep while the others seemed to only care every dozen or so. By the time she reached the barn, Apple Bloom flopped to her haunches to give herself a brief respite. She gave both her rear hooves, the ones taking the brunt of the force via all the apple bucking, a quick inspection and brief massage. She undid the bandage around her cracked hoof to give it a closer look. It didn’t seem to be any worse for wear than the night before, and wasn’t hurting any more than the others. Apple Bloom shrugged, quickly wrapped the bandage back up, and stood. “Enough rest,” she tried to convince herself, “time fer the Wealthies!”

Apple Bloom referenced her notes, which she was keeping up on the porch, briefly before setting out to find the rich apple trees. These apples lived up on one of Sweet Apple Acres’ many hills, though one of the smaller ones. Still, Apple Bloom was feeling the burn as she made the climb and began setting baskets out. “Oh boy, this’ll be tough,” she said, running her eyes up and down the path she would soon take many times. “Welp, gotta keep goin’. Lots more ta do after this bunch.” She snorted, furrowed her brow, and moved to applebuck the Wealthy trees.

The only thing going for Apple Bloom about this patch was its size. Only eight of them stood on the small hill, which left Apple Bloom with fewer round trips to make. After four such trips, however, the young mare felt spent. When heading downhill with the fifth load of Wealthies, her pace unintentionally quickened as she let gravity take over. After reaching level ground, she took a few heavy steps to steady herself and her cargo, an action her hooves didn’t take too kindly.

Despite the pain, Apple Bloom pressed forward, not even stopping until she dropped the bushel off at the barn. Even then, she only stopped for a moment, to greet the finally-awoken Winona. She smiled and even managed a giggle when the collie leaped up and kissed her face repeatedly. “Well good mornin’ ta you too, Winona,” she said happily, before glancing skyward. “Well, good afternoon, give er take 15 minutes,” she amended, giving Winona a tummyrub before starting back for the hilly orchard. “Can’t stop now, though, girl. Lots ta do!”

Winona barked and enthusiastically bounded around Apple Bloom, eagerly surveying the land they were traversing as they made their way back to the Wealthy trees. Apple Bloom’s head sagged as she climbed the small hill, lifting each hoof only as much as necessary to drag her way up to the top. “If’n Ah can jus’ get these Wealthies all done ‘fore lunch, Winona, Ah’ll be makin’ great progress!” she informed the collie, who barked in response and rolled around in the grass.

With that show of enthusiasm, Apple Bloom smiled and hefted another basket onto her back. “Alright, let’s go an’... hold on,” she said, giving her cracked hoof a couple kicks into the ground, before shaking it a bit. “Foot fell asleep,” she guessed, giving her hoof a couple more soft kicks into the ground before the tingling ceased. “Alright, now Ah’m ready!” she beamed, giving her head and mane a shake before toddling back down the hill, with Winona right behind her.

Apple Bloom’s next few trips coasted along on her second wind, not appearing to give the young mare any troubles at all. Knowing she only had three more bushels to bring back, she quickly set the one she was carrying down and turned to head back. She stopped, though, when she heard her name.

“Apple Bloom!” Granny called out, carrying a covered basket on her back. “Hungry?”

Apple Bloom’s stomach responded before her mouth could. Her nose told her that whatever Granny had, it was scrumptious. Her eyes could see steam rising from the basket as well. Whatever it was, it was hot! Apple Bloom started to turn back, but stopped herself. If Ah finish off the Wealthies Ah’ll be ahead a’ schedule, she thought. Ah’ll finish those ‘fore chowin’ down. Maybe even get started applebuckin’ the next batch a’ trees too. Ah’ll just eat lunch faster, so Ah’ll have time! She took a breath, then shouted back to Granny Smith, “Alright, but gimme some time ta finish up what Ah’ve already started! Almost done now!”

Granny Smith was almost in the house when she heard the reply. “Alright, but not too much longer! Your food’ll be ice cold if ya’ wait too long!” she warned, before heading inside. Apple Bloom nodded, mostly to herself, and moved to head back towards the hill, where the bushels awaited.

---

The steamed hay wasn’t ice cold, but it barely deserved the title of lukewarm by the time Apple Bloom entered the kitchen. The mashed potatoes served as an insulator for the main course, but could only do so much given how much time they were sitting out. The diced carrots dotted the meal with orange, and Apple Bloom licked her lips as her eyes lay upon her plate.

“About time ya’ made it back in, Darlin’,” Granny Smith remarked, looking over her granddaughter. “Lunch was served ‘bout 20 minutes ago.”

Apple Bloom only offered a tired but genuine smile in apology, and gratefully sat down at the table and dug in. “Mmm... so good,” she commented as she ate. Granny appeared satisfied with both Apple Bloom’s smile and appetite for the moment, and the two ate quietly. Despite the massive head start Granny had on lunch, Apple Bloom’s plate was cleaned off first. Apple Bloom was on her third apple by the time Granny finished her entree. The younger pony was munching on the fruit quickly, barely swallowing before tearing another chunk out of the piece of fruit.

“Got a date?” Granny quipped.

Apple Bloom blinked and swallowed. “No!” she answered, “just wanna get back to work ASAP!”

It was Granny’s turn to blink, tilting her head to boot. “Er, why are ya’ workin’ on a sap?”

“As soon as possible, Granny, it’s one a’ them acrothingies,” Apple Bloom educated with a knowing nod. “Ah wanna get back ta applebuckin’ now. So... see ya’!” she said quickly, hopping out of her seat and moving towards the front door.

“Apple Bloom, hold on a moment,” Granny called. Reluctantly, Apple Bloom stood still and turned her head around. “Are you sure you ain’t pushin’ yerself too hard? You were mighty hungry, even fer you. Is yer hoof alright? Gettin’ enough ta drink?”

“Yes, Granny,” Apple Bloom responded evenly, making considerable effort to not roll her eyes at the fussing. She knew her limits, after all. Couldn’t Granny Smith let her decide?

“Ah, well, ya’ do look a bit tuckered is all,” Granny said, trailing off a bit and looking around idly, eyes tracking as if she were reading something that wasn’t there. A moment later she focused on Apple Bloom and smiled. “But Ah think ya’ know best, now.” She walked up to Apple Bloom and gave her a hug. “Ain’t no spring chicken anymore.”

Apple Bloom hugged Granny Smith back and offered her a smile. “Granny, you’ll always be as spry as a spring chicken to us.”

“Not me, you!” Granny clarified, returning the smile. “Yer gettin’ older an’ wiser right before my eyes.” She reached with a foreleg and gently stroked Apple Bloom’s cheek. “Got yer freckles, rushing through school. Shoot, bet yer cutie mark might even drop by sooner er later.”

Apple Bloom was beaming throughout Granny’s little speech, but sat up straight and grinned even more at the last comment. “Thanks, Granny,” she said, giving her another hug before finally parting and opening the door for her grandmother. She winced every few steps or so, her hooves and legs sore from the morning work, but the bright smile never left her face.

Granny Smith stepped through and started for the barn, followed by Apple Bloom. “Ah’ll be headin’ back ta market now. Shouldn’t take more than an hour er two ta finish up what we’re sellin’, on account of donatin’ half the usual supply to the cause an’ all, but ya’ never know,” Granny said as she strapped in. “Good luck out on the farm, Apple Bloom.”

“Bye, Granny!” Apple Bloom waved, before grabbing another set of empty baskets and getting back to work. Winona joined her shortly after entering the orchards, happily trotting beside Apple Bloom and panting. “Looks like you enjoyed yer lunch, didn’t ya’?” she said to the collie, grinning. Apple Bloom’s smile suddenly contorted into a wince when she took a bad step and stumbled a little. “Whoa!” she exclaimed, shaking her head a bit.

“Bit dizzy,” she observed. “Maybe Ah should be gettin’ more water, just ta be safe.” She turned to look at the barn, still just in view, but decided against it. “Ah’ll get somethin’ ta drink when Ah come back with a bushel,” she decided, before continuing her trek. She found Winona staying closer to her side as the two continued, though the collie was still panting away happily. “Glad yer here, girl.”

Planting her hooves more firmly as she walked, Apple Bloom made her way through trees that had been harvested already. The plan she and Granny came up with involved a mix of both long and short journeys. If Apple Bloom harvested all of the furthest fruit first, she’d grow tired from all of the long distance traveling. If she focused solely on the short distance and spread outward, her rear hooves wouldn’t be getting as much of a break. Plus, when the first set was done, the opposite problems would rear their ugly heads anyway. Although it made her route more complicated, Apple Bloom was glad to be spreading things out more-or-less evenly.

Apple Bloom shivered as a cool breeze streaked through the orchard, compounding the feeling already levied by the cold afternoon. “Maybe a jacket wouldn’t be such a bad idea neither,” Apple Bloom said to herself as she reached her destination: the Paula Red trees. The farmpony took a deep breath of the chilly air and exhaled loudly. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Winona surveyed the surrounding area with her snout as Apple Bloom set up the baskets for more apple harvesting. Not detecting anything nefarious or interesting, Winona promptly sat down and let her tail wag away as she observed Apple Bloom. She watched the farmpony effortlessly relieve the trees of their bounty one by one without missing a beat. Before long, all of the baskets were filled to the brim, and Winona had barely had to lift a paw to fetch an apple that rolled away from its intended target.

“Hmm...” Apple Bloom pondered, looking over the forty or so baskets before her. “This is gonna be a lotta trips back an’ forth. Ah wonder if Ah can carry more than one?” She envied her big brother, who could carry three with little effort. She thought about how Big Macintosh did it. Thinking about it a moment, she got an idea.

“Well, Ah can’t carry three whole bushels all by my lonesome... but if Ah use mah head, maybe I could carry two!” Apple Bloom pulled one bushel close to another, then carefully lowered down and settled the two onto her back, having to keep her head down so she could balance the second bushel on her withers. “There we go, easy does it.” Slowly, she straightened out her four legs and stood up. “Alright, now back to the farm. Slow and steady, Apple Bloom.”

The first few steps were shaky, but it didn’t take long for the farmpony to get into a steady cadence of hoofsteps, tilting her head up just enough to see where she was going. She was having trouble seeing her way, though, since her mane continued to fall in front of her face. When Apple Bloom slowed, she pondered a moment. “Hmm... Winona!” she called, the collie answering a moment later by rushing to her side.

“Lead the way, girl. Not too fast!” Winona obediently marched in front of Apple Bloom, then started at a casual pace for the barn. The farmpony had no issue keeping an eye on Winona while keeping her withers level with her back. She had the strength to hold both bushels without much fuss, though her balance wavered occasionally. Still, with the aid of Winona’s guidance, Apple Bloom made it back to the barn without a single dropped apple. She let the two baskets slide gently from her back before petting Winona. “Good girl!” she praised, much to the collie’s delight. “Now, if Ah can do that fer the rest of the day, Ah’ll be doublin’ production!” she figured with a smile, turning back to the orchard.

As Apple Bloom was on her way back with her fifth pair of bushels, she heard a familiar noise emanating from her belly. She groaned as hunger began to creep into her system again. “Didn’t Ah just eat?” she muttered as she kept her head and neck steady. “Must be workin’ mah hardest yet.” That notion put Apple Bloom in higher spirits. She was indeed working hard, harder than she’d ever worked before.

Apple Bloom grinned and forced herself to continue without stopping. Overriding the desire to eat took a lot of willpower for the young mare, but her determination was winning out. Apple Bloom made several more trips with a doubled-up load of apples before finally allowing herself that drink she promised herself earlier. As she glugged down her third glass of water, she wondered if it would be more efficient to drink straight from the hose instead. “Ah... that hit the spot!” she said, splashing some water on her face before taking a clean rag to it.

Once refreshed, she retrieved her notes from the porch before making her way over to the barn, where dozens of bushels sat in line. She sat down, Winona joining her a moment later. Apple Bloom petted Winona idly as she counted up her current inventory and cross-referenced her notes. “Yeesh, got enough apples here fer a full-on party here. An’ Ah’ve only put a small dent in this order.”

Winona looked to Apple Bloom, before tilting her head and barking twice. “Yer right, Winona. Progress is progress!” Apple Bloom answered back, petting the collie’s head. “An’ Ah’m makin’ good progress. If Ah cut down suppertime an’ work a bit after sundown, Ah’ll be sittin’ pretty.” Her stomach decided to chime in at that moment. “Ooh... maybe Ah should break fer a snack,” Apple Bloom considered, before shaking her head. “No, Ah gotta keep goin’.”

Apple Bloom moved to stand up, only to nearly buckle under her own weight as one of her legs tingled. “Oof, must’ve been sittin’ on mah leg funky. Darn thing fell asleep again,” she said, giving her leg a few shakes until feeling returned. She readjusted the bandage that loosened from her shaking, then set off into the orchards once more. “Come on, Winona, lots more ta do!” Ignoring her aches, pains, and hunger pangs, Apple Bloom marched inward with a determined expression etched on her face. “An’ Ah’m gonna do it all.”

---

Apple Bloom tried not to think about the time of day, but a simple look to the sky spoke volumes: the sun was racing for the horizon as the cool Tuesday afternoon stretched onward. The tired farmpony snorted as she carried a pair of Bailey Sweet bushels back to the barn. Apple Bloom realized that, aside from a six hour rest and a couple of truncated meals, she’d been working for more than thirteen hours on a single order. The weight of that, in addition to the apples on her back, made her slouch a little.

“School ain’t soundin’ so bad right about now,” she mused as she pulled herself along. “It may be a bore, but at least it’s nothin’ but sittin’.” She wandered downhill and continued towards the barn. Plus all mah friends are there, she thought. Well, most of ‘em at least, she added as Winona came into view, panting away as she caught sight of Apple Bloom approaching.

Apple Bloom dropped the bushels unceremoniously by the ever-growing pile of crops and stretched. “Wonder if Granny’ll be home soon. Wonder what’s takin’ her?” she said to Winona before forcing herself back to her hooves and back towards the orchard. She hesitated a moment when soreness caught up with her again. “Ow, mah achin’... everything,” she moaned. Winona caught up to Apple Bloom and shot her a concerned look, moving to nuzzle at one of the farmpony’s forelegs. Apple Bloom smiled wearily and pet Winona. “It’s okay girl. Ain’t nuthin’ Ah can’t handle. Though maybe Ah should stick ta one basket at a time fer a spell. Mah neck’s as stiff as a faintin’ goat.” She rotated her neck back and forth to try and relieve some of the stiffness as she resumed her pace, ignoring a resurging tingling sensation in her back leg. Apple Bloom wanted to run all the way back up to where the Bailey Sweet trees were, to clear the cobwebs, but knew her body couldn’t take the additional punishment.

Once she made it up and over the hill, Apple Bloom reached for one of the few remaining bushels. She hoisted it up on her back and, after giving Winona a pat on the back, set back for the barn. The young mare wasn’t sure if it was the constant back and forth, about-facing every few minutes to make it to and from the orchards, but she felt a little dizzy. Apple Bloom shook off the feeling, though, continuing her process unabated. Her balance suffered, however, and although she was only carrying along a single bushel, a few of the apples stacked in the basket tumbled out as she wobbled. Winona was there in a flash, daintily picking up the fallen fruit and replacing them, Apple Bloom stopping and leaning down so the collie could reach. “What would Ah do without you, girl?” she smiled as she stood and began walking again. Winona barked and jumped, elated that she was helping Apple Bloom out.

The remaining trips for the Bailey Sweets also saw their share of dropped apples. Apple Bloom found herself getting frustrated, having to stop several times on the return trip to reach for a fallen apple, or wait for Winona to fetch them. On the last trip, she had to stop six times before she finally made it back to the barn.

On auto-pilot, Apple Bloom moved to the well, heaved at the rope until a bucket of fresh water emerged, and promptly dunked her head in, taking big gulps and letting herself cool off. “Ah!” she exclaimed as she flung her head back up, wet mane dripping. “That’s what Ah needed, a good pick-me-up!” She made her way to the porch and crossed another patch of trees off. “Alright, lesse... Marigolds next!” she noted, tracing out her path across the farm. “...Wow, goin’ all the way out to the edge fer this patch. Least there’s only a dozen trees out there.” She looked up at the sun, then started marching straight at it, heading West to make her way to the edge of Sweet Apple Acres.

By the time she reached the Marigold trees, Apple Bloom was panting. “Phew... finally... made it,” she breathed, smiling to herself. “Now Ah just gotta... put out the... baskets?” She looked to her back, which carried nothing. Apple Bloom blinked, then let out a frustrated shout and flopped on the ground. “The baskets! How could Ah ferget the baskets?”

Winona whined sympathetically, nosing at the farmpony encouragingly. It took a great deal of will for Apple Bloom to force herself up, turn around, and head back to the barn empty-hooved. Exhaustion piled atop her frustration as she made her way back to the barn. The return trip, to Apple Bloom, took twice as long as the venture out. She was sure that she was walking at the same pace, though, and hurriedly grabbed a set of empty baskets from inside the barn before half-jogging, half-dragging herself Westward again.

Winona kept Apple Bloom company all the while, seemingly running on limitless energy. Apple Bloom felt jealous. “Think Ah could borrow some a’ that spunk, Winona?” she asked sarcastically as she smirked at the collie. Winona promptly kissed her on the cheek, which perked Apple Bloom back up. “Uh, thanks?” she replied, letting out a weak laugh. This trip seemed to fly on by for Apple Bloom, quickly catching sight of the Marigold trees once more. “Alright, now it’s time ta buck some apples.”

The first several trees were relieved of their crop like clockwork, Apple Bloom landing her hooves right on target. The next couple trees took a couple of hits, when the farmpony was a little off center. When she approached the penultimate Marigold tree, Apple Bloom steadied herself and took a deep breath, taking her time to line up her shot. She stuck her tongue out in concentration, reared up, and let her back hooves fly.

Apple Bloom missed the tree by a solid foot, losing her balance and flopping to her stomach.

“What in the world?” she exclaimed as she lay there, more bewildered than anything else. She’d never missed a tree by that much before. Apple Bloom pushed herself up, lined up again, and kicked. She got all of the apples out in one go. “Strange. Think Ah’ll need more water when Ah get back,” she decided. “How about you, Winona. Thirsty?” she asked, looking around.

“Uh... Winona?” Her ears twitched around, scanning for signs of the collie. She picked up the sounds of distant barking, further into the orchard. “Huh, must’ve snuck off ta chase a bunny away er somethin’,” she figured, shrugging as she moved to the final tree, bringing down its entire bounty in one fell swoop. “There we go, back on track,” she smiled, shaking her head rapidly.

“Now, just gotta tough out the pain and get these bushels back. Surely Granny’ll be back with a nice, big supper by the time these are all done.” Apple Bloom took a deep, long breath of the cool afternoon air, and hefted a bushel to her back. “Some long trots ahead, but Ah can do it.” With another deep breath taken, she headed off.

This particular bushel of apples seemed like the heaviest one of the day. It took Apple Bloom everything she had to not toss the apples off her back and relax. “Come on, Apple Bloom, you got this...”

The young mare looked around for signs of Winona, hoping that whatever she took off to do was done and over with, so she could enjoy her company while trekking across the farm. There was no sign of the excitable collie, however, so Apple Bloom returned to looking straight ahead, sweat beading up across her head and body.

“One hoof in front of the other, that’s it,” she continued, “one step at a time...” Apple Bloom found herself slowing down, her stride halving as she panted. She turned to inspect the bushel she was carrying. “Are there bricks in these apples er what?” she wondered rhetorically, before facing forward again. “Well, bricks or no bricks, Ah have a job to do.”

Apple Bloom emerged from a patch of already-harvested Gala trees. Halfway home. She swayed a little, tilting the bushel and letting a couple apples bounce out and away. She didn’t notice, though, and kept moving. “Almost there... Ah think,” she murmured, head beginning to droop. “Just take it easier, Apple Bloom. Slower steps are surer steps...”

When she moved to take another step, Apple Bloom held her foreleg aloft. Something looked odd about her hoof. First it was one, then two, then four hooves, swirling in her sight. Then, before Apple Bloom could blink, the world turned sideways. Marigolds spilled out from the bushel and rolled along the edge of her vision. Apple Bloom’s cheek rested against the cool, somewhat-prickly grass. She almost realized what just happened until her cracked hoof interrupted.

Her leg wasn’t tingling anymore.

It was on fire.

Apple Bloom writhed weakly on the ground as her injured hoof seared in agony. She attempted to lift her head to look at what she might have stepped on or to see why it was screaming so violently, but she couldn’t move. Her drooping eyes were forced to remain forward-looking as the injury continued to torment her. Tears formed in Apple Bloom’s eyes from the excruciating pain, but she couldn’t even muster a whimper, let alone a cry for help. The best she could manage was a soft, pitiful squeak. The defenseless mare’s eyes focused on a lone apple, one of the Marigolds that had bounced away from the rest and came to a stop inches from her nose.

It was the last thing Apple Bloom saw before darkness took her.

Comments

[TheMyth]

Poor Apple Bloom

[mbpony 512]

Okay NOW would be a good time for Twilight and the others to appear and try to help out Apple Bloom.

Everytime I read a new chapter of this tale, I feel more and more angry at the Apple family for putting poor Apple Bloom through this.

I know that the Apple family are a prideful bunch of ponies and that Families are important to them, but reading this make me think otherwise.

Also seeing that in this tale that the parents of Applejack, Big Mac and Apple Bloom are ALIVE in this storyline instead of dead in the shows cannon, makes me even more mad and upset that they aren't there for Apple Bloom when she could have used their loving the most.

They weren't there to comfort Apple Bloom when she was teased for not having a Cutie Mark nor where they there when she hurt herself after she fell.

I'll be more surprised if SOME PONY called the Apples out on their neglection of Apple Bloom's rasing and compares/contrast that to that of Big Mac and Applejack's rasing by their parents.

I hope that SOME PONY would call the Apples out on putting Apple Bloom in a situation like this...I know it's a coming of age storyline and that a bit of growth is involved, but she is still just a filly...a kid.

I would be the most surprised if Apple Bloom was the one that called her parents out and asked them where were they when she needed them the most.

I know Applejack, Big Mac and Granny Smith are doing fine to taking care of Apple Bloom, but sometimes somethings just requires a mother's touch.

Still, it was some update, and I cannot wait to see what you come up within the next chapter of the storyline.

[TheMyth]

2599324
Amen to that, I hear you

[Chocolate]

All hail the earth pony slave race!
Seriously though, a good story, but I do feel sorry for poor AB

[La Barata]

2599324 PREACH IT, BROTHA!

[GAPDashie]

2599324 Damn right.

[Alaborn]

Apple Bloom?

I think you have leukemia.

[Seether00]

Are the only ponies left around Granny and Apple Bloom? Where is everypony? I know you've done a great job building the sense of isolation, but somepony has to be round and help about now.

[OmniFox]

How she able to hold it all in without going to the bathroom?

[Ponibius]

Another very solid chapter from one of my favorite slice of life fics. Apple Bloom's struggles never seem to end, poor filly.

[mlc894]

Finally read it all so far! Now I'm ready for the next chapter any time! Take all the time you need to keep the quality up to the level that it's had so far, and it will be golden.
Keep it up; you're doing great! This has quickly become one of my favorites on the site!

[JAG]

...you seriously just ended on a cliffhanger that sick, didn't you? Isn't it enough that you're torturing Apple Bloom?! Do we readers really need to suffer, too?!

All stupidity aside, I really liked this chapter. It does a good job of showing the ridiculous magnitude of Apple Bloom's task, and her gradual descent into total breakdown was both believable and heartrending. Poor kid. I get the feeling she'll need to call in some help to get this finished.

[Rokas]

2599324

I'm pretty sure that when AJ and Big Mac show up, Granny's gonna take them aside and smack them upside their heads with a hoof: "Y'all gul'durned foals, the whole lot o' ya! Y'all got like fifty Apple ponies down there and not one o' ya, not a single apple-bucking one could come up and cut her work in half? Now Apple Bloom's in th' hospital 'cuz o' yur stubborn pride!"

I mean, c'mon, they've got so many down there they couldn't even send just ONE of the older siblings back with the order? Heck, Big Macintosh alone would be like two ponies in one, the horsepower would be trebled! (Yes, I went there.)

So yeah, I really hope we see some Granny Smith Brand© Butt-Whoopin'™.

[Kupe Akemi Navigator]

Firstly, Title: you got insperation from this guy's: static.tumblr.com/wsbrly7/oy4lojead/pz.jpg episode haven't you? if so WELL DONE!

[Blue Thrush]

3058958
Sorry, afraid I've never experienced that series. ^_^;;

[Godslittleprincess]

Oooh, dang! This is why you schedule breaks, people.