Apple Bloom is left to handle the majority of the work on Sweet Apple Acres since Applejack and Big Macintosh have to leave to help out on another family farm for a couple of weeks. Granny Smith is helping out wherever she can, but the majority of the labor rests in Apple Bloom's hooves. While she's not the inexperienced filly she was years ago, does the young mare have what it takes to run the Apple family farm in Ponyville while her two older siblings are away, or will the monstrous load of work be too much for her?
NOTE: This work began before season 3 commenced. Certain elements of it, therefore, will clash with some of the developments of season 3 and onward (including things like Princess Twilight, the fate of Apple Bloom's parents, cutie marks, etc). With that in mind, enjoy!
This better be well into the future when Apple Bloom is work-hardened like Applejack, otherwise a small filly like her can't applebuck any apples off the tree.
41588 It won't be impossible at this stage of the timeline, but she isn't quite up to Applejack's bucking standards just yet.
I decided to address the age issue in this chapter as opposed to the next one, since a lot of people have issue with a young Apple Bloom running the farm. Thus, I've made some edits in this chapter to clarify the current time period. Give it a read and let me know what you think!
THE D'AWW HAS BEEN DOUBLED!
AWWW, this was a cute and interesting chapter showing Little Apple Bloom doing all that work and in the rain too.
Also a
mentioning in the story.
Nice idea showcasing that
knows one of the weather ponies in Clousdale, besides 
.
I do wonder what other jobs are awaiting Apple Bloom as this storyline continues one, I mean what other work can she do that her older siblings have done before ?
Please do keep up the good work upon such a great tale like this one.
Nice update as it seems the real trial of endurance begins for Applebloom. It is great for her to have friends by her side at this time and able to help her out.
Please do keep up the good work upon such a great tale like tis one.
Liking this story so far. Tracked for now, keep up this level of writing and you'll earn 5 stars early
This is a really great story! I'm really enjoying the insight into Apple Bloom's character.
Great work!
Looking good so far. The apple family are certainly prime fic material. The writing is very smooth and natural, easy to read, yet intelligent. I'm going to enjoy reading this. :)
I love this fic, and I love prereading it.
Keep up the good work, this is great stuff!
Looking forward to chapter 5! :D
>mfw I received an 'Apple Alone' update notice:
i165.photobucket.com/albums/u73/Matthew_Morrison/pfnh7.gif
Dawwww....
About time she caught a break. Sheesh, you're hard on her. Great to see an update though :)
What's the equine equivalent of a mensch? Whatever it is, Colton is one.
A very good deed.
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same here lol
Great update as it was about time Applebloom caught a break in this tale.
While I know AJ and Big Mac has place a lot of responsibility on the little filly and while her friends do mean well with their own help, could some of AJ's friends assist Applebloom a bit, just for a day or two to let teh little filly rest up ?
Still it was a nice update and a great look with how this overall storyline so far is forcing the littlest Apple to grow up a bit fast. However, someday she'll tire herself out...right ?
Still please do keep up the good work upon such a great storyline like this one.
I love this story. It's an excellent read, well thought out, and the characterizations feel all spot on. Just some nice work there.
oh my god man this story is awsome i must read mroe of this wonderful story... kieep up the awsome work of wrioting mroe for this story.
Hey good work, this was an excellent read, I look forwar to 6 and up to the ending, I will not look forward to the end as it will be the end you know? Have to return to reality....
This has to be the longest chapter I ever read. Dear Celestia I can't believe I'm enjoying this story. Please keep up the good work.
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Hehe, yeah, this chapter kinda got away from me. I just couldn't stop!
If anyone's worried about length, don't fret! The next chapter will be returning to normal size.
“She gulped and looked down at the table, gesturing exaggeratedly. “Thank you, picnic table, for providing us with a place to set our food and seats to sit on!”” Ah, that was funny. :D
I like apple Bloom's new mane/tail style! I'll have to make some fanart of that once I learn to draw ponies.
“An’ never--”
And never, what? And never WHAT?! FUUUUU-
“On more than one occasion one vendor would try to invite another to his stand only to realize who he was talking to. With a shared chuckle the two would part ways, each intent on finding a new pony. “
Just wanted to mention that I like this: The ponies - even when they are somewhat of compeditors - are actually friendly to eachother. Not something you always see in fics. It makes the whole mood much more enjoyable.
“However, Apple Bloom wasn’t her sister.”
Oh, crap...
“-he was selling grapes left and right (and, for the occasional pegasus, up). “
Hmhmhm.
“Oh, this is just mah...” Apple Bloom paused, gulping down her bite as an idea flashed in her mind. “...mah demonstration of just how scrumptious this corn is!”
Ah, good save!
“Apple Bloom had lost by two bits.”
NNNNNNNNNNOO-
And that ending was so sweet. God, I love this story so much...
Huzzah! Delicious new chapter.
I love this fic more and more with every passage. (That I preread and edit.
)
woohoo! great work!!!:)
I seriously forgot everything that had happened before, so I had to go back and re-read before I tackled this new chapter. I seem to remember something about a promise that this chapter wouldn't be quite as long...
I love this story, just because of how natural it all feels. Coming-of-age, accepting of responsibility; sometimes the least important thing to most people is the most important thing in the world to you, and this story captures that well.
I admit the Colton subplot kinda threw me. It would be an obvious place for romance to blossom, but he seems so much older than her, so... *shrugs* Nevertheless, he is a good pony.
Excellent chapter. I hope we get see more of Colton. I would like to know what else he did besides farming grapes.
Aww, that was another great update into the storyline. However, I do wonder how will Applebloom's friends take her new Freckles ?
Still, it was another great chapter in showing how fast Applebloom is growing up within this story.
This is a great coming to age story. I really feel for Applebloom throughout this story. I hope the updates keep right on coming now.
More of this great story? The only drawback is it takes so long for new chapters to come out. Otherwise it's a wonderfully fun read.
895155 Hehe, sorry about that. I'm working on a better system though! Chapter 7 should see the light of day faster than the previous two have.
896683
Ah, that's okay, man. I haven't updated any of my stories since May, so I know how it goes. Especially if one has to work for a living. ;)
Just sayin', if you cared to work a bit faster, I wouldn't mind.
Another fine addition to the Apple Alone fanfic, well worth the wait.
Bethany's ordeal wasn't something I had expected to read. What made you decide to go in that direction?
913555
Well, I wanted to explore more of what the Apple family has to do to keep their farm running (aside from the obvious major task of harvesting apples), and taking care of the livestock is certainly one of them. I figured it'd be neat to explore how Apple Bloom would handle said situation, how the Apples have handled it in the past, how Apple Bloom performs under a sudden crisis, etc.
I'm loving the business side of this-for some reason, that's always a big things in stories for me.
Do I spy a Sir Colton Bloom shipping ahead? And a building cutie mark?
I really hope she gets her cutie mark in this... heck, you could probably write sequel upon sequel of this later! Keep up the good writing!
Another great chapter! As a totally unbiased prereader of this fic, I find it quite the enjoyable read. Keep up the good work!
Nice update, but still I was hoping for a moment or two of guilt with the elder ponies shouldering all the hard work on little Apple Bloom.
At least admitting they're sorry about all this.
Still nice update as I can't wait to see how Apple Bloom completes this huge order.... Maybe the rest of Applejack's friends can help out ?
Do keep up the good work upon such a great tale of growing up on tough times.
Also I'm hoping for a sequel of sorts of this story, just to showcase Apple Bloom finally meeting up and bonding with her parents, even if it is for a little while.
Oh dear they didn't read the letter did they. Otherwise they would know of AB's situation. Well it get better I know it does always does especially if AJ's letter has a reminder about asking for help.
Have I ever commented on how delightful is this story? Because it's a delightful story, and you deserve to be told such. You've got a very pleasant, simple prose and a compelling, steady flow of events. Just wanted to offer my appreciation. Keep up the great work!
Didn't read the letter, did they?
Gonna be some red faces when all is said and done.
Also: Great additional chapter.
MOAR! 
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Hmm, a couple people commented on this now, so I'd better address it: Yes, they read the letter. The rest of the Apples are well-aware that Apple Bloom cracked a hoof. I didn't see them bringing it up because they were going to more-or-less have the same dialog, and I figured Granny wouldn't make a huge deal over it at the time she wrote the letter (since they sustain similar injuries while applebucking normally).
Aaaaand I might've missed that little detail! You caught me. It's not that they don't care or anything, it's just that their initial reactions occurred off-screen.
Thanks for the nice comments, all! ^_^
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Okay. It's just you had that whole bit about getting the letter, and then AJ and Mac talking about it before the meeting ended, and then mentioned that they were going to use the reply to said letter to send the order for food. You set up several scenes that had the letter as possibly becoming a minor plot point, then completely and utterly ignored it. Then in the final scene when they're going to sleep, not a word is said about the letter. This implies strongly that they didn't read it.
No offense, but that's not good storytelling. Granted, it's not a story-wrecker or anything, but it still confuses the narrative, emphasizes something more than you should have, and ends up implying something else than you intended. You should consider rewriting part of this chapter, if only so we can see how AJ and Mac have taken the news from back home. Even a few lines in passing as they're getting ready for bed, like "Ah hope Applebloom can handle all o' that, 'specially with that broken hoof Granny mentioned," or something like that. A few lines inserted in the right place corrects impressions and sets up what's to come far more gracefully.
1415186
Well said! Indeed, this is the sort of thing that happens when you write a chapter over the span of three months. When writing the ending bits of the chapter, I did pretty much forget about the buildup that was occurring with the letter, and I did sort of rush things out the door in a bout of impatience. My bad entirely.
I'll change up the closing scene a bit to involve the letter, as it is bugging me now that I left it out. Thanks for being honest, and no offense taken!
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It's no problem, authors gotta help one another, right?
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Thanks for giving me the incentive! The last scene has been updated, to hopefully fix the little goof I made. >.>
Indeed!
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Whoops! Fixed that little typo.
Also thanks for liking and commenting!
I don't see the bit about the letter others have mentioned, so it looks like you've cleared that up nicely.
Regardless, I'm continually impressed by the level of detail this story delves into. Apple Bloom has had a lot dumped on her plate, and it's been quite a ride watching her grow up to fill the role. I will say I'm a little surprised that her parents have been away from their daughter long enough to miss out on a large chunk of her life, but that's my bias more than anything else.
Well done, and I eagerly await more!
Hmm. So Apple Bloom has a road trip coming up? Poor kid. She finally gets good at the regular farm work, and life throws her another curveball. Hopefully her friends can keep helping her out.
And it occurs to me that I don't think I've commented on this story before now, though I've been following it for months. It's really good, and a nice change of pace from the kind of stuff I mostly read. There aren't any villains or rampaging monsters, no epic global adventures or over-dramatic romance. Just a simple, heartwarming story about a girl dealing with the little struggles of running a farm. That's a premise that could easily be very boring or exaggerated, but you're doing a good job of making it down-to-earth and believable, and still interesting and fun to read.
The OCs are worth mentioning, too. I particularly like Gale Force. If Scootaloo ever gets a canon dad, I hope he's something like this guy.
A story where Applejacks parents aren't dead or gone?
We have a rarity here folks!
Finally got around to reading this chapter, and I will say it continues with its high quality. Apple Bloom continues to grow up little by little, and it is nice to see her grow into her role. This story continues to be a simple heartwarming tale, and I look forward to future chapters.
-“Ah think we can last on good ol’ grazin’ fer a little while longer.”
Huh, never thought of the idea of grazing before. And they are horses, after all. Neat.
-Unlike her homestead, however, there were now only a few only dozen trees as opposed to the hundreds that her farm boasted.
Small error here.
-His eyes brightened at the prospect. “Yeah, you know what? I’m liking this idea.”
Ah, so that's where she gets it from! :D
-Valencia was now chuckling as well. “Slippin’ in an’ out, again, am I?"
Hah, I love your portrayal of the apples' mother! Very amusing and cute. It's nice to read a story in which AJ's parents are alive and (mostly) well for once.
All in all, another very enjoyable chapter.