Apples For Thought

by I had no idea

Chapter 2

Big Macintosh lazily walked from tree to tree. His previous speed gone, he leisurely harvested the red, juicy fruits, as if he had better things to do, and was just doing a favor for Future Mac, so he wouldn't drown in work.

Which, in fact, was the very case. The stallion had an important job: teaching an arrogant unicorn a lesson. It was clear she did not expect him to recognize her, but Applejack, the Element of Honesty, did not even hide embarassing things from her family: like being tied up with a rope in front of a crowd. Trixie would never expect her to share something so embarassing with her brother, and that gave Big Mac a needed edge. Knowledge. He instantly recognized the showmare from Applejack's description, and decided to give her a little lesson.

Big Mac grinned. The unicorn, with her hubris, played right into his hoof, he didn't even need far-fetched plans and reasons to get her to work. He was afraid that it would be too strange to jump straight to the point, but the mare herself offered working for the food. He only had to pretend to be a stuck-up earth pony farmer, who would never allow his precious apples be threatened by magic. It worked, Trixie completely fell for the trap, and considered him superstitious about new things. She does not need to know that her sister's friend, Twilight, could harvest a dozen apple trees at once- the blue mare needs to feel exhausted once in her flashy, uncaring life.

Big Mac checked the sun. By now, Trixie was working for almost an hour. He slowly walked back to check up on her, minding his step in the process. Go round a twig, step over some leaves. Thanks to the amount of time spent on the farm, he learned how to move unseen, and without a sound. The expression on her sister's friends' faces was worth sneaking around, even Rainbow Dash was baffled by the large red stallion appearing seemingly from thin air.

He neared Trixie's part of the orchard. He was expecting a deadly tired unicorn, whom he would confront about her wrongdoings, and convince her to apologize to AJ.

He heard a strange, shrieking sound as he stepped into the circle of trees obscuring his vision.

"Haiiiii-yaaaaah!"

What Big Macintosh did NOT expect, was a horridly screaming, sweaty blue-white blur, moving at an incredible speed on two hooves, from tree to tree, only stopping for a well-placed round-kick, which would make all of the apples fall down at once. She only stopped this for seconds,to yank some baskets under them, then continued like a rollercoaster high on salt. The stallion's jaw dropped.

Trixie stopped, and waved a hoof at him. "Hi there, my good Macintosh! Is there a problem?"

At least ten different questions flailed wildly inside Mac's head, promting it to explode, if he didn't get any answers, but instead he slowly shook it. The movement helped him to regain his composure. Showing that he's somewhat impressed would only make the mare's ego grow.

"Nah, ah jus' remembr'd that ah didn't tell ya that the baskets need to be taken to the cellar, in front of the barn."

Trixie eyed him suspiciously for a second, but then her expression dissolved into a wide, smug grin. "Consider it done, cap'n!" she stated, while doing a mock salute. " Trixie will be the best basket-carrier that ever worked on your fields!"

Big Mac pondered for a moment if he should introduce her to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, given their similar manner of speech. 'Greatest Applecarrier Trixie' and 'Cutie Mark Crusaders Basket Carriers Yay!' had a certain pattern to them. At least their brutal misuse of persons and wording, not to mention the occasional raised voice. He dismissed the idea, opting to keep his hearing intact from the predictable deafening conversations they would have. He turned around, leaving the unicorn to her devices; as he left her sight, she could be heard singing.

"Trixie is the bestest mare, hooray, hooray! She's the strongest, cutest, all-around best pony, ponyyyyy!"

Big Mac groaned. He quickened his pace. "Well if you're playing like this, I'll have to up my game." He reached the trees he left, stopping for a moment to calculate how much time would he need to make dinner for three. Finishing that, a determined look crept upon his face.

"C'mon, Big Mac." he thought. "You can't let yourself to be beaten by a unicorn, who doesn't even use magic!" With that, he began bucking the trees furiously.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Trixie looked up. The sun was about the peak of it's orbit. Noon? She didn't even notice the passing of time, her hunger receded with a little exercise. Although she had to admit, she indeed was a bit out of breath. A batch of apples sat on her back. She entered the cellar, but she could not get rid of her burden. The cellar was filled to the brim, baskets of apples sitting on top of each other. Her eyes scanned the cellar, looking for a place to drop her basket, but to no avail. She sighed, and turned around, but she could not help, but feel a little proud. The red stallion certeanly did not expect Trixie to keep up with him. "Speak of the devil" she thought, noticing him appear. Big Mac gestured her to follow him, and she complied. The unicorn couldn't resist, but ask: "Why?"

"Yer storage's filled up." the stallion replied. " Ah'll help ya load the rest into the barn, where ah was unloading mah share, cos' it still has room."

Trixie nodded. "Lead the way."

Soon they arrived to the front of the barn, though passing beside it was a strange experience for Trixie; the barn's side was painted with a large painting of one of Sparkle's friends, and a happily smiling sun. Trixie raised an eyebrow. "Uhm... nice rendition of your feelings, by the way."

The stallion turned, and gave her a disinterested look. "Nnope."

"Trixie does not understand."

"She did it."

"You mean... the pink one painted herself upon your barn?"

"Eeyup."

"Wow." Trixie thought bemused. "All the ponies in town are narcissists! That must be why they were such sore losers! " She looked up on the canvas again. "And I'm egoistic." she grunted to herself.

Stepping inside the barn, she was immediately overtaken by the sheer number of baskets present in the place; it was about four times the amount she had harvested.

"You collected all this today?" she asked dumbfounded.

"Nah, that one's been there since Tuesday. " the stallion corrected, pointing to a basket.

Trixie kept silent as they loaded the rest of the apples inside. When they finished, the stallion eyed the enormous amount they collected, then turned to the mare. "That's nuff fer now."

"Great!" Trixie exclaimed enthusiastically "So, what about dinner?"

"Easy there, missy. Mah sister's coming home at two o' clock, we'll wait fer her."

"Y-your sister?" Trixie shifted nervously." How do you know she's coming home at that exact point in time?"

The stallion raised an eyebrow. "That's when school ends."

Trixie was about to break the terrible news to him, that his sister was not even in Ponyville, save school, when she realized something.

"If you don't mind, would you care to tell Trixie what she's like?"

Big mac puffed his chest with pride. "She's a yellow lil' filly, her mane's red, an' she always wears the ribbon she was given to her by Granny Smith. An ah can tell ya' she' a real hoofypony with the hammer."

Trixie calmed down. Looks like Applesmack, or whatever had another relative living here. A filly certainly won't thwart her plans, unless...

"Say, could you tell Trixie if there are any Ursa Majors in the vicinity?"

"Uhm, nnope?" Big Mac looked at her, confused.

"Ursa Minors, manticores, cockatrices, zombies, tax collectors?" she pressed.

"Nnope, those only live in the Everfree Forest." He paused, the last part finally reaching his brain. "Tax collectors?!"

"Never mind." Trixie waved a hoof dismissively. "So, what shall we do until she arrives?"

The stallion shook his head. He can't figure out this mare for his life. "Well, ah'll check up on the food, and when ah'm back, we'll work on the fields." he proclaimed, scratching his chin. "In the meantime... ah dunno, mow the lawn."

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Fine. Dump the'AhI-don't-lahk-it' work on Trixie. Where's your lawn-mower?"

"We don't have any."

"Then how in Tartarus do you expect me to mow it?"

"Ah dunno, ya've got teeth, don't ya?"

Trixie shot a glare at him. "Whatever. The Magnificient Trixie will get... creative."

The stallion nodded, entering the house. The unicorn stared at the grass. "Well, aren't you a little pain in the flank for me?" An idea popped into her head. She'll have what she needs for that in her saddlebags... it was about time she collected them anyway. She started trotting to get them.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Big Mac checked the oven. The pastry looked like it would be ready within two hours. He liked foods that were simple to make, because then he could work on the fields at the same time. Well, not that he had to do it frequently, only at times like this, when both AJ and Granny Smith were out town. Granny was visiting some relatives, and AJ was... doing Element stuff. Big Mac never questioned the importance of what her sister does, but sometimes he wished she would help around the farm more than being goaded into one stupid contest after another with Rainbow. While his mind was occupied with these thoughts, he automatically peeled some apples, then sliced and crushed them, making some juice. He set out the table, and thought about the grass. The unicorn will probably not chew the grass down to size, but that' all right. There's always the sickle—

"Oh, horse apples." he thought, dropping everything and running outside. He recalled the first time he let AJ use the sickle. Big Mac stopped her after ten seconds, before having to condemn a five-feet radius danger zone around her. After that, using it was Big Mac's privilege, and burden. "That stubborn unicorn's gonna hurt herself."

He rushed out of the house, letting out a relieved sigh, that the mare had no tools on her. However, she was running around like a maniac, her horn lit up. Strangely enough, the grass was being cut in front of her.

"What in tarnation are ya doing?" he asked suspiciously.

Trixie stopped, looking at him with a victorius smile. "You see, Trixie got the idea, that maybe Trixie could use a strong thread: if Trixie moves it swiftly in front of her, the thread would cut the grass. But the speed of telekinesis was not enough, so Trixie yanked it around while running, for extra velocity!"

Big Mac felt a few of his brain cells die from that explanation. "But that contradicts the laws of nature!"

"To Tartarus with the laws of nature!" yelled Trixie happily. "I'm the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Big Mac felt like headbutting the hardest tree in the farm. His limit for hearing the word "Trixie" has been crossed... thrice. He turned to the now finished unicorn, happily prancing around.

"Please, by the love of Celestia, stahp talkin' in third person!"

Trixie looked at him surprised. "All right, but then Tri- I get something to ask from you too, right?"

Big Mac nodded. Anything, but no more annoyances!

"Well" Trixie mused. She suddenly beamed. "I know! You have to say at least five words every time you speak! And don't try to brush this off with pointing and signalling all the time!"

Big Mac rolled his eyes. "Mmkay." Trixie was looking at him expectantly. "... Ah'll do it."

He paused. "Fo'sho!"

"So, what's the next task?"

"Wait here." he instructed her. "Ah'll get the plow."

He walked back to the house, and put away the unneeded stuff. He was determined to not let anything faze him anymore, but this was getting ridiculous. Maybe real hard work would quell this mare a bit, allowing him to find an opening. Yes, plowing is good.

A few minutes later, he emerged from the barn, pulling the plow with him. He quickly slipped out of it, and called Trixie.

The unicorn showed up immediately. "Sir! What is my new job, Sir?"

Big Mac silently gestured to the plow. No, he will not play along with her shenanigans.

"Sir, I understand Sir!" Trixie shouted, giving a (now genuine) salute in the process. "Platoon, move out!" She took a neutral position, at the opposite side of the plow. She turned around.

"FIRE AT WILL!" she yelled, and bucked the plow with all her might. The resulting sound made Big Mac's teeth consider moving to a new mouth, with nicer neighbours. The following face-hoof didn't help the case.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA ARE YA DOIN'?"

Trixie looked hurt. "I just wanted to cheer you up. You seemed a bit out of it since noon."

The stallion eyed her suspiciously. The mare wouldn't know kindness, if it didn't hit her in the head. "Ah don't know what game you're playing, but ah don't care. Ah'll pull the plow, and ya'll sow the seeds in the tracks. Make sure they are distributed evenly."

"Sure," the unicorn replied, "but isn't it a bit late to sow them now?"

He shook his head. "Nnope. These are faster-growing plants. They will be good fer reserves if the winter gets colder than expected."

"Okay." Trixie nodded. "Where are the seeds?"

"In that shed. They're labelled 'BMS'."

"What does that stand for?"

"Big Macintosh Special."

"Sounds like some kind of hard cider. By the way, that was only three."

The stallion blinked. "Wha..? Oh. Add 'seed mix' to it then."

He strapped on the plow again. While he did that, Trixie unloaded the sacks, and arranged them neatly nearby. She even took the proper sowing pot, that she would plunge into the sacks. She stepped behind him. "Ready when you are."

Big Mac nodded. "Juss' be careful with them seeds." With it, he began pulling the plow.

After a minute, he shot a glance behind. Trixie was sowing diligently, and she was using her mouth to hold the pot, not her magic. She noticed him staring at her, and grinned.

"Ah cah' gho fhasta' tha' thi' s'hneelz s'heed!"

The stallion quickened his pace.

Comments

[That_one_guy]

And there's the twist: Trixie isn't nearly as clueless as you'd think. Probably Earth Pony parents.

[Perteks]

media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2rxknLsBd1rnl2pl.jpg
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2rxl0ADGW1rnl2pl.jpg
Think outside of box :D

[I had no idea]

1503700
Maybe, or she just remembered to take her 'Intelligence 3000' pills in the morning.
But, chapter three will answer a few questions, or so I hope. Some exposition's inbound!

[I had no idea]

1504132
I say!
Let us dispose quickly of Twilight, so this slip-up will never be known!
On the other hand, Trixie does not use magic, so the poor apples are safe... for now.

[lines n stuff]

fo'sho!

[ILurvTrixie]

does not
did not

needs to
needed to

promting it to explode, if he
prompting, and you can remove the comma there, I think.

he's somewhat
he was somewhat

"Trixie is the bestest mare, hooray, hooray! She's the strongest, cutest, all-around best pony, ponyyyyy!"
Now... what music do you sing that to?

could not help, but feel
Can pull that comma, I think.

couldn't resist, but ask:
Since she couldn't resist, it should probably be 'and asked' rather than 'but'

won't thwart
wouldn't

the'AhI-don't-lahk-it'
Spacing

her sister does
his sister did? Or is Big Mac hiding something?

will probably
would

that' all
Just a typo, should probably be that was, though.

There's always
There was always is a little clearer, There's always seems like 'There is' which is a tense slip.

plowing is
was

he will not
would

The mare wouldn't know kindness, if it didn't hit her in the head.
Awkward phrasing. The line is usually 'wouldn't know it if it hit her in the head' but you might have wanted it to be a bit more folksy, so not sure if it needs fixing.