The Apple Bet
It was a perfect evening in Ponyville, the sun was slowly setting, causing a burning glow fill the sky. The late-summer air was a comfortable temperature, the blistering heat finally dying down. The birds chirped their final songs before they bedded down for the day in their nests. And finally, the country ponies living and owning the famous Sweet Apple Acres began to finish up their final rounds of the day. Well, lets just say some of their quarrels were not as pleasant as the quiet and peaceful atmosphere-
-“Ah told ‘cha once and ‘ahm gonna repeat say it again, ‘ah sure can eat all these apples! After years of hard work on ‘ahn apple farm, ‘ah think that ‘ah can easily finish these off.” Applejack had said with stubbornness, not to mention a bit of annoyance, at her older brother. She leaned against a tall tree, and stared at a bucket of apples containing about only few bruises on each round, juicy fruit.
“Nope. Like I said before, a small pony like you couldn't finish these off in one sitting!” Big Mac had replied back, but knowing AJ’s stubbornness, he had a feeling that the young cowpony would still refuse to listen.
The orange pony then sighed and adjusted the brown country hat resting atop her head. “Look, ‘ah may look ‘small’, but ‘ah ain't gonna back out of ‘ah challenge. Plus, these apples can't go to waist. Lemme just take ‘em off our hooves!” She glinted back up at Big Mac, now with a determined look in her eyes.
“Pfffft,” Big mac sneered at his sister somewhat playfully. “I bet you half my pay for a months work that ‘cha can’t finish ‘em.” He looked at the bucket of imperfect apples for a few seconds, then back at Applejack with his large green eyes. Then nodded, showing he was serious.
Applejack stood tall and puffed out her chest, then made her way closer to Big Mac. “Ah betcha all ‘mah pay for ‘ah month that ‘ah can finish every. Single. One.” Then, the orange pony stuck out a hoof. “Deal?”
Big Mac thought for a second, putting a red hoof up to his chin. Then, after about less than a minute, the large stallion stuck out his larger hoof and confidently shook his sisters. “You gotta deal.”
For a few heartbeats, Applejack stared at her brother with fiery courage, the kind of look where it silently said, ‘You're so going down.’
Then, after the long silence, and soft of tense stares between each other, AJ trotted back over to the bucket. “Ah sure can’t wait to feel the many golden bits ‘cha will owe ‘maself in mah hooves.” She taunted while looking down at the different colored apples in the wooden bucket.
“Yeah Yeah.” Big Mac replied and rolled his eyes.
Applejack chuckled, then picked up a red apple from the bucket. It wasn't as ripe and fresh as the normal bucked apples, explaining why it must now be eaten and not sold. The mostly crimson fruit also had a brown-ish bruise towards the stem of the apple. The orange pony shrugged, then casually ate the whole thing in literally one bite. After a few chews, she spit some seeds out of her mouth, and they landed to her right on the grass. We can possibly plant those at some point in the spring. AJ thought, then focused all of her attention back on the challenge.
One apple done, many more to go. Applejack spent most of her day today buckin’ apples, so she sure had a large appetite. But she maybe didn't realize how fast she ate them apples…
“Phew! 5 done ah’lready!” Applejack exclaimed after spitting more seeds to her growing pile on the ground. “This is easier than buckin’ my normal round of trees!” Applejack continued eating and eating the apples at a very fast rate. A scary fast rate.
Big Mac began to feel a sensation of nervousness. He didn't show it of course, and like always, just stared at the ‘apple eating machine’ with a completely straight face.
The bucket was now almost half empty, but Applejack didn't stop. She even talked between bites. “Wow theses apples have never tasted so good!” “I could eat like this all day Big Mac.” With each remark, she quickly shoved each juicy, round, and plump apple into her mouth.
Applejack was about to take a large bite of another one of the many apples, but suddenly froze. She then let out a moan, and dropped the apple that was held in her hoof. It landed on the ground with a soft landing in the grass, though AJ completely ignored it. She had wrapped her two hooves around her tightening stomach. “Hhhng… It… It hurts…” She looked up with one eye half open at her brother, and saw a slight smile on his face.
“I guess you spoke too soon… Eyup.”
Applejack turned her head away from Big Mac, stomach still cramping with pain. The stubborn pony tried to say that “she was fine” but the words were barely even a soft mumble. She decided to continue where she left off, now being sure to eat slower. With a hoof, AJ grabbed the apple from the ground and took a small bite from it. She scowled, now because of the taste, but because she created this whole mess. If only I wasn't so stubb- ...No.
The cowpony had a glint of anger in her eyes, then shoved the whole apple in her mouth, seeds and all. It was swallowed. Whole. The lump went down her throat, then sunk into the deep pit of her belly.
Applejack out of nowhere began to tremble, all limbs shaking in a very quick motion.
“M...M-m….Mmor….” AJ muttered.
Big Mac, now seriously worried, stuck his head closer to his sisters. “Applejack…? Hey Applejack?”
AJ looked up at Big Mac. She was dazed, but only reacted to his word, ‘apple.’
“M-more… M-more… MORE APPLES!!!!” She screeched.
As if she had renewed energy, Applejack quickly grabbed the sides of the apple bucket, and tipped it at an angle where all of the fruits fell into her open mouth. Yes, one by one the apples slid down her throat and were to be (hopefully) digested in her now plump belly.
Big Mac just stood on all fours dumbfounded, watching Applejack devour all the apples, with no chewing! He didnt even try to stop her, the stallion just stared with large eyes and a jaw hung open.
Then… All the apples were gone.
Applejack sighed as she swallowed the last fruit. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was done then stared back at her brother.
“Ah...Ah… AH DID IT!!! NOW YHA’LL OWE ME ALL YER MONTHS PAY!!!” She pointed a quivering hoof at her brother, with twitching bottom eyelids. After the exclamation, the pony had passed out. Yes, its true, Applejack just fainted and fell with a “thwamp!” to the grass.
Big Mac stood in his place, still extremely shocked, and stayed there in the same position for minutes. The red stallion even quickly shook his head once or twice, to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Sure enough, it was total reality.
He sighed and whispered to himself “So this is what my sister has become… What have I done to myself… What have I done to her!?” He hung his large head, and with a broad muzzle, rolled his now out-cold sister up next to the tree. Then, using his hoof, he lowered the brown hat over AJ’s head onto her face to make it seem like she was napping, not passed out. Big Mac backed away a few hoof-steps, and chuckles. “Oh Celestia what have I done?” He laughed, then trotted back to the house, pretending nothing had even, and ever, happened.
The (Retarted) End