Apples Forever

Apple Bloom paused long enough to take in the futility of her work. The fields of Sweet Apple Acres were parched, devoid of even the smallest hint of moisture. It hadn’t rained in months and even then it had done little to alleviate the heat. Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, indeed the whole of Equestria was ravaged by a drought so preposterously severe that it would be recorded for the ages.

If there would be any ponies around to record it, Apple Bloom thought. She removed the hat from her head so that she could wipe the sweat from her brow. She’d been helping Bic Mac harvest what few apples remained in the east orchard. Most of them had rotted in the sun. The hoof full that remained were barely edible, so much so that they had to feed them to the pigs.

Apple Bloom took a quick glance at the farmhouse in the distance. Sweet Apple Acres was on the verge of collapse. She could see it plain as the sun-parched fields of what was once the most prized farmland west of Trottingham. If help didn’t come soon, then their home would be as good as gone.

The little filly swore it wouldn’t come to that. She promised herself that she’d work hard, to harvest as many apples as she could. It wasn’t enough. They could barely make enough to feed themselves, let alone the starving residents of Ponyville.

Ponyville.

The war had taken its toll on the once thriving village. Thousands of ponies had lost their lives staving off the invaders from Saddle Arabia. Fewer left than came back, and many that did were maimed beyond all hope of returning to work. Most soldiers originated from the countless small towns and communities that dotted Equetria’s lush countryside, the nation’s breadbasket. Without them, farms couldn’t produce, supplies thinned, food had to be rationed out…and then the shortages began.

The pegasi had lost thousands in the war. Their loss had made the weather uncontrollable. At first, a season had lasted longer than it should, which hadn’t bothered Apple Bloom at first. Having a couple extra weeks of winter break was all well and good, but when harvest season came around and the snow refused to stop it became abundantly clear how bad things were getting.

Fewer fillies and colts came to school because they had to stay home to help their parents make ends meet. Sweetie Belle went to work at the Carousel Boutique, which became moot given that ponies cared less about fashion when there was no food on the table. When the business finally went under, she moved with her sister to Manehattan where Rarity still had contacts. Losing Sweetie Belle like that was horrible. She never cried so much in her life the day she and Scootaloo said goodbye to her at the train station.

Speaking of which, Scootaloo had also left. Every single pegasus had been recalled to their local cloud centers under the Emergency Weather Act. Last she heard, Scootaloo was working at a plant that processed rainwater. With so few pegasi left it was grueling work, but Scootaloo had accepted the responsibility without hesitation. She used to write to Apple Bloom now and then, but then the letters stopped coming. Apple Bloom hadn’t heard from Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy or any of her pegasus friends in a long time.

As for Apple Bloom, once school closed down, she went to work in the fields with her family. Things become even harder when Applejack, having worked herself to the point of exhaustion one day, had injured herself in an accident. Now stuck to a wheelchair for the rest of her life, AJ could no longer work the orchards, leaving all the harvesting to be done by Apple Bloom and Bic Mac.

It wasn’t enough.

Sweltering in the sun, Apple Bloom fanned herself with her hat. “Sure is hot today,” she said openly. It was hot everyday. There were rumors that the pegasi at Cloudsdale were hoarding what rainwater they could find for themselves. Apple Bloom didn’t believe it, but ponies were getting suspicious of one another. It’s as if they were returning to the old days, before Equestria was founded, when ponies fought each other instead of living together in harmony.

Princess Celestia began to raise the sun later in the day and lower it sooner at night in an attempt to ease the people’s suffering, but that only made things worse. Work schedules were in disarray, migrating herds of animals that used the celestial bodies for navigational purposes were thrown off course, food shipments arrived late, and the seasons were out of control. The pegasi were isolating themselves from the rest of the country, the unicorns began protesting in every major metropolis and the earth ponies were left to fend for themselves.

Looking at her latest harvest, Apple Bloom felt her heart sink even further. Of the six barrels she had placed around the tree, less than half had any apples in them, and most of them were rotted by the sun. She pawed at the crusty soil beneath her hoofs. Once green with grass, it resembled the rusty color of old metal. It was hot to the touch.

She wiped her brow again. Apple Bloom packed her meager catch onto a wagon and headed for the barn. While still a filly, her time working on the farm had built up her calves and back muscles. She was taller, her neck stretched out, and she’d grown a respectable pair of bucking legs, just like her big sister.

The only downside to this growth spurt was the lack of a cutie mark. She knew some ponies were late bloomers but this was ridiculous. How she wished her friends were still here. A part of her envied Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in leaving. But her family had roots here dating back to its founding. Without it, they were like a bushel of apples without a tree to grow in. Even if they could leave, Apple Bloom doubt they would have. This was their home.

“Hey, sis,” she said as she pulled the wagon into the barn. “How’s it goin’?”

Sitting with her back to her, Applejack’s words were immediate and harsh. “Not well, Apple Bloom.” She was in her wheelchair, taking stock of their inventory by a table at the far back wall. There was a time when the barn would be full of baskets ready for sale in the market or to outside vendors. Now there was barely enough to warrant the effort of dragging them in here in the first place.

“Slim pickins’ today,” Apple Bloom said as she brought in her haul.

“They’re all rotten,” Applejack said.

“Nah they ain’t.” Apple Bloom touched AJ’s shoulder. “You’ll see. they…”

But she smacked her hoof away. “They all rotten!” Applejack glared at Apple Bloom, eyes full of emerald fire. Times had not been good to the once proud pony. Applejack had been the strongest mare Apple Bloom had ever known, not only physically, but spiritually as well.

As strong as the foundations of the earth, Granny Smith would say.

After her accident, in which a very exhausted Applejack had forgotten to secure the pulley inside the barn where they would pack crates roof-high, she never was the same pony. Apple Bloom could still remember the screams. She and the others rushed to find AJ pinned beneath broken crates, her back twisted and her hind legs turned in all the wrong angles. They were able to get her to a hospital where the doctor declared her paralyzed from the waist-down.

Ever since she’s been a bitter shadow of her once glorious self.

There were shadows underneath her eyes and a perpetual scowl on AJ’s face as she regarded her little sister. “There ain’t nothin’ worth sellin’ here no more, Apple Bloom. It’s all just…just…” she stuttered as she looked for the words to express her frustration. “Broken.”

Broken…just like Applejack. Just like Ponyville.

Apple Bloom smiled. “It’s okay, sis. We’ll get through this.”

But Applejack shook her head. “Y’all ain’t seen the books. I know how bad we’re all doin’.” If she could breathe fire, she’d be fuming at the nose. “Even if y’all worked yourselves to the bone. Even if y’all worked day an’ night. Even if I…I wasn’t strapped to this here chair…” she sighed, defeated. Her mood had changed in an instant. “We just ain’t gonna make it, Apple Bloom. Nothin’ we do is gonna change things.”

Applejack slumped her head into her hooves. Her mane was all mottled up, indicating she’d hadn’t groomed herself in days. There was an unpleasant scent coming from her as well. Applejack had almost completely given up on everything, even taking care of herself. Apple Bloom would have none of it.

“Now don’t talk that way, Applejack. We Apples always get through the bad times. Always have. Always will. You taught me that, sis. And I ain’t quitin’.” She puffed out her chest to show her resolve. Apple Bloom hated seeing her sister like this, but if she was going to be the defeatist in the family, that meant that some pony had to take charge and step up. Having grown up around some strong ponies all her life, Apple Bloom decided that pony would be her.

“I wish…I wish I had yer confidence, little Apple.” Applejack took off her hat, cradling it like a cat in her hoofs. “I just don’t think I got it in me no more.”

“That’s because ya gave it all to me. Don’t worry, sis. I’ll take care of everythin’.” Giving Applejack a warm hug, Apple Bloom sorted through her haul, separating the bad apples from the good ones, before heading back out again. This was her routine, her commitment to seeing that Sweet Apple Acres remained standing. Apple Bloom did her very best everyday. But her best just wasn’t good enough.

It was early in the evening when the Apples received a visitor. They were sitting for supper, the family gathering around the table like they’d done countless nights before. Apple Bloom could feel her stomach grumbling something fierce. It had been a hard day on the field and the filly had worked up an appetite. It was too bad there wasn’t much to go around.

Applejack sat muted, hoofs folded across her lap, when Granny Smith placed a plate of assorted vegetables and steamed potatoes in front of her. Applejack just looked at it.

“Please, Applejack. Ya have t’ eat, child, less ya lose yer girth,” the wizened old pony said. She put on her best smile, reached out so that she could raise Applejack’s head from its slumping position and kissed her on the cheek.

Big Mac gorged himself on his food. The stallion did the work of ten ponies everyday, so the other Apples forgave him his lack of table manners.

Apple Bloom just took a bite out of the one carrot on her plate when there was a knock at the door. “Now who could that be?” Granny Smith asked aloud.

“I’ll get it, Granny.” Apple Bloom left the table and entered the main hall. A second knock greeted her upon arriving at the front door. “I’m comin’ I’m comin’.” She opened it to find Filthy Rich, Ponyville’s richest citizen, looking down at her with serious eyes.

“Good evening, Apple Bloom. Is Granny Smith available?”

“She’s eatin’, Mr. Rich. We all are.”

“Forgive me. I won’t take up but a moment of her time.” He let himself in without waiting for her invitation. Apple Bloom huffed and shut the door behind him. His etiquette aside, Filthy Rich was the father of Diamond Tiara, arguably the meanest pony at school and an all-around bully. Sure he didn’t seem as bad as his daughter, but relations between the two families had grown ever more strained with the current state of the economy.

And economics was all ponies like Filthy Rich cared about.

“Pardon me, Apples. I’m sorry to disturb your dinner but there is an matter of the utmost relevancy that I’m afraid could not wait until morning.”

“Hmph!” Bic Mac groaned upon seeing the prissy pony enter their dining room. Applejack spared Filthy Rich a nonchalant look before returning to her meal. Only Granny Smith addressed him proper.

“Now what’s this all about, Filthy?”

“Eh…it’s Mr. Rich, ma’am.”

“I know yer name, sonny. Knew yer daddy too.” The elder pony eyed him up and down. “Was a might more civil too, I might add. Never one to bother ponies when they eatin’.”  Ever the business pony, Filthy Rich let the barb slide. He was just clearing his throat to speak when Apple Bloom entered the room. “I’ll be brief then, seeing as I came at such a bad time. Granny Smith, good Apples, due to lackluster sales, I’m afraid that Barnyard Bargains must conclude its dealings with Sweet Apple Acres.”

“What?” Big Mac jumped up, slamming a hoof down on the table.

“Y-Yer cuttin’ us off?” Applejack asked. Her voice was weak, her eyes wide, as if she’d been told a family member just died.

“I’m afraid so, Miss Jack. Maintaining open relations with Sweet Apple Acres is no longer viable. Profits are just too low.”

“If it weren’t for my family, you wouldn’t have none of yer damn profits!” Big Mac roared. Slamming his hoof down again.

Granny calmed him down. “Settle down, Big Mac. Ya know I don’t take kindly to that talk in this house.”

Big Mac grumbled something under his breath before sitting back down. Granny Smith addressed Filthy Rich directly. “Now you listen’ here, sonny. Yer family an’ mine have done business for many moons. Ma grandcolt here,” she motioned to Big Mac, “may have been a bit on the backside of a weasel with his comment, but he’s right. Barnyard Bargains owes the Apples a great deal. Just wouldn’t be neighborly to do what yer suggestin’.”

“I understand and appreciate all that the Apple Family has done for me, but please understand that my company can no longer afford to remain in Ponyville, much less do business here.” Filthy Rich softened his tone. “Now I came here tonight out of respect for our history together. I’ve always appreciated your hard work, Granny Smith. I always will. But I must think of my family now.”

Apple Bloom winced at the mention of Diamond Tiara.

“It’s nothing personal, Apples. Were there any other way…” Filthy paused after receiving the death glare from Big Mac. “I realize that times are tough,”

“Rich ponies like you have no idea what times are really like.” Big Mac spoke up. “We can barely put food in our own stomachs. The drought’s hit farmers harder than any pony else and when we need ya the most ya just up and leave.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“I”m sorry, Big Mac. I’m afraid that’s just the way it is.” Looking to Granny Smith, Filthy Rich dipped his head. “I’m sorry. I truly wish there was another way.” With that, he turned to leave. “Have a good evening.”

When Filthy Rich had gone, the Apples gathered around the table for what they feared would be the last decent meal they would eat for a long time. Apple Bloom looked around the table at all the defeated faces and wondered just how things could get any worse.

The next day proved to be just as hard, just as hot, and just as soul-crushing. Apple Bloom went about her business, collecting apples, bringing them back to the barn, throwing out the rotten ones: rinse, repeat.

It was backbreaking work. That Apple Bloom didn’t sleep well last night only made things worse. Who could sleep after hearing your last reliable source of income was abandoning you? She remembered hearing Granny Smith pace in her room late at night while Big Mac was downstairs doing Celestia knows what.

The light to Applejack’s room was on as well. Apple Bloom had walked past it late at night hearing her sister’s breathing and nothing else. This was it, Apple Bloom knew. They were about to lose their home and there wasn’t a damn thing they could do about it. She laid down in bed looking up at the ceiling for most of the night, wondering how much longer she’d have a roof to look at before it was taken away.

Stupid drought. Stupid war. Stupid Barnyard Bargains!

She angrily kicked at a tree that was devoid of any apples. She didn’t care. Apple Bloom just wanted to hit something—hard! “Argh!” She cried. “It ain’t fair! It ain’t right!” She threw off her hat, stomping it to the ground. “This is our home. We can’t lose it. We just can’t.”

Apple Bloom looked up to the sky. “Celestia. Luna. Twilight. Can’t y’all hear us? We’re dyin’ out here. We need your help. Stop savin’ all of Equestria an’ come save us!”

Tears welled up in her eyes, angry tears. She sat there, moping for some time, before picking up her hat and dusting it off. Looking at the ground where her hoof stomp had left a hat imprint on the earth, Apple Bloom reached down to touch it. This soil was a part of her. It ran through her veins, just like an apple tree.

She continued to work throughout the day, bringing one half-empty barrel to the barn after another. Applejack remained silent in her chair, taking stock of what they had left and probably wondering what good it was for. Apple Bloom hadn’t seen Bic Mac or Granny Smith the rest of the day and probably figured they were moping while at work as well. The heat continued to batter down on Sweet Apple Acres.

It was getting late and Apple Bloom was returning to the barn with her last final run when she heard voices. Applejack was speaking to someone. Poking her head inside, the filly saw her sister speaking to Filthy Rich. “What’s he doin’ here?” She walked in on them, her dirty hooves clicking loudly on the wooden floor.

“…asking’ for, Mr. Rich,” she heard Applejack’s last sentence. “But ya can’t take away my family’s barn.”

“I’m not taking anything away, Ms. Jack. It is simply the times.” Filthy Rich saw Apple Bloom approach out of the corner of his eye. “Apple Bloom. Good. Perhaps you can talk some sense into your sister. She refuses to listen to reason.”

“What’s goin’ on here, Applejack?” Apple Bloom stood halfway between them, looking from one to the other. “Why’s he’ here?”

“Your sister,” Filthy Rich began, cutting off the response from Applejack, “sent a message asking to speak with me personally. I came out of respect, but now I see it was just a waste of time. She’s begging me not to pull out of our arrangement.”

Apple Bloom gawked at her sister. “Is this true?”

Applejack couldn’t look at her in the eye. She tilted her head downward so that her eyes could not be seen. “I…I’m tryin’ to save the barn, Apple Bloom. I-I couldn’t just sit back and do nothin’.”

Filthy Rich muttered under his breath. “Looks to me like sitting is all you can do now, Miss Jack.”

Apple Bloom turned a hateful glare upon the uppity pony. “Hey!”

“Forgive me, little one. But it was awfully rude of your sister to send for me when the decision has already been made. Look at her. After her accident she can no longer work. That leaves just two of you to work the farm and that’s as good as impossible.”

“I’ll do anythin’ you want.” Applejack looked at him suggestively. “Anything.”

Filthy Rich’s eyes widened at her meaning. “Miss Applejack! How dare you bribe me with the promise of carnal pleasure?” he stepped back, looking genuinely insulted. “You think that just because I am a pony of financial success that I would stoop to such lows? If this is how far the Apples have fallen…” he stopped himself when he noticed the look of pain on Apple Bloom’s face, though he doubt it was for what he’d just said. “Ahem.” Straightening himself up, Filthy straightened his collar and proceeded to leave. “I bid you good day.”

Applejack watched him go, her hoof reaching out. “An’ I bid you goodbye.” She pulled a lever beside the table. Something strained before a loud snap was heard. Apple Bloom looked up in time to see a crate fall form the ceiling right atop of Filthy Rich. He managed to glance up at the enlarging shadow just before letting out a surprised yelp, the crate crushing him beneath its weight. Scores of broken tools and beams spilled out of the remains, further burying Filthy beneath the crash.

Apple Bloom cried out. “Applejack! What have you done?”

To which she replied in as somber a voice as ever. “I’m savin’ our farm.”

Apple Bloom shook her head. She approached the mess slowly, eyes widening at the growing pool of blood beneath. “Y-You killed ‘im…”  “Seems fittin’ ain’t it?” She said, rolling her chair next to Apple Bloom. “The same accident that took ma legs is keepin’ a roof over our heads.”

“But it weren’t no accident! You killed him!”

“Ponies are dyin’ all over Equestria.”

“But he was Filthy Rich!” Apple Bloom grabbed Applejack’s shoulder, shaking her. “He ran a big company. Ponies are gonna come lookin’ for him and…and…” Apple Bloom stuttered her next few words. “Y-Ya k-killed a pony, Applejack.” Her eyes welled up with tears. “It’s the worst thing any pony could ever do.”

Applejack’s face was stoic. Her eyes unwavering as she regarded her sister. “No, Apple Bloom. The worst thing any pony could ever do is betray other ponies. That’s what that stallion was about to do. He was abandonin’ us and leavin’ us to die. No pony else knew he was comin’ here today. He always came here in private, liked to keep his close relationship to the Apples a secret.” A dark smile came over her freckled face. “Now all his secrets die with him.”

“What is wrong with ya?” Apple Bloom took a step back. “When they find the body.”

“Well then, ya better hide it then.”

If the filly’s eyes were any wider they’d fall right out of their sockets. She was visibly shaking now. “What did ya say?” Her voice trembled.

“I’m tryin’ to save our farm, Apple Bloom. If ya want to do the same then ya’ll help me get rid of the evidence.”

“But Applejack.”

Applejack leaned toward her. Her smiled was gone, replaced by a cold malevolence. “Do ya want to save our home or don’t ya?”

Apple Bloom just stood there, trembling. She couldn’t believe what her big sister, her hero, had just done, much less what she wanted her to do. This was Applejack, the most reliable pony in Ponyville. She was the kindest and most hospitable of the Apple Family. Now she was different. She had changed into something unrecognizable.

“Well don’t ya?” Applejack pressed.

Apple Bloom slowly looked over her shoulder at the mess that had once been Filthy Rich, a crimson pool spreading along the floorboards. “Yes.”

Applejack leaned back. “Well then.” She pointed to the back wall where a shovel lay propped up. “Ya know whatcha gotta do, sis.”

She buried him in the east orchard. After helping Applejack take out the body and wrapping it up in a heavy cloth, Apple Bloom placed Filthy Rich onto the cart and found the most isolated spot in the field where she went to work digging a grave. Closing the barn, Applejack cleaned up the mess while she was away, picking up the refuse, mopping the floor. It wasn’t easy for a chair-bound mare to accomplish, but for the first time in a long time, Applejack was energized, like she had a purpose. She even whistled a tune as she mopped Filthy’s blood off the floor.

In contrast, Apple Bloom could not stop shaking and it wasn’t due to the drop in temperature. She’d just watched her sister commit murder and was helping to hide the evidence. Only after she dug the ditch and disposed of the body did Apple Bloom finally give herself a moment to think. And she did, for a second, before throwing up all over the ground.

It was late. She’d placed a lamp on the stump of a fallen tree to provide light. But more than ever, Apple Bloom wanted to hide in the dark, to avoid the truth of the matter. She was an accomplice to murder.

When she finished burying the remains, Apple Bloom returned to the barn where Applejack waited for her. She made Apple Bloom promise to tell no pony what happened, that what they did they did for the good of the family. “Sisters look out for one another, Apple Bloom,” she said. “We gotta have each other’s back.”

Apple Bloom said nothing. That evening she went up to bed without any food, saying she was feeling tired and just hid under the covers. She wondered what Diamond Tiara would think when her father didn’t return home. Would there be search parties? Will there be a knock at the door in the morning with uniformed ponies asking questions?

Applejack sounded confident, but Apple Bloom worried that her sister hadn’t been thinking clearly when she pulled the lever. She began to think of when the idea occurred to Applejack. When did she come to the realization that murder was the answer to their problems? Did she really think that killing Filthy Rich would put an end to their suffering? And if so, for how long?

What would her friends think of her? What would the Crusaders think of Apple Bloom if they knew she helped her? Apple Bloom did not sleep well that night, tossing and turning until Celestia rose the sun in the morning.

Sitting at the table for breakfast, Apple Bloom glanced sideways at Applejack. The orange mare was actually eating as if she’d not a care in the world. The lines were gone from her face. She must have slept peacefully.

“Apple Bloom,” Granny Smith began. “Ya barley touched yer soup. Is everythin’ awright, child?”

“Everythin’s fine, Granny.” Applejack spoke for Apple Bloom. “Isn’t that right, Apple Bloom?”

Apple Bloom couldn’t believe the words were coming out of her mouth. “Yeah. I’m fine.” She left it at that and tried to eat. Everything tasted bitter. After breakfast, Apple Bloom went to work without so much as taking time to wash her hooves. She didn’t want to stop and think about it. She didn’t want to reflect on her mistakes. She just wanted to pretend it didn’t happen.

The hours wiled away. Apple Bloom barely took time to rest. She allowed herself to sweat profusely as if each drop was a small piece of guilt she wanted out of her. Forcing herself to work, to forget, Apple Bloom nearly feinted. She’d missed lunch at the house and picked at a loaf of bread she’d taken off the breakfast table. Slowly downing the contents with a canteen of water, Apple Bloom coughed when a piece when down the wrong way.

She wiped her mouth clean, her eyes filled with tears. She wondered if this feeling would ever go away, if she could ever think of anything else besides the body she’d buried in her family’s land. Sure Filthy may not have been the best of ponies, but he didn’t deserve this. Applejack was wrong, Apple Bloom knew that.

So why did she help her? Was it just because her argument about saving the farm sounded good at the time? Or was she just scared about losing her sister should some pony find out what she did? Sisters looked out for one another. Apple Bloom loved Applejack. She’d never let anything bad happen to her.

So I just helped her kill some pony.

Apple Bloom shut her eyes. The image of Filthy Rich being crushed beneath the weight of the crate was still vivid in her mind. It wasn’t a heat of the moment thing. Applejack had planned this. She had asked Filthy Rich to come. She had the crate hanging at just the right spot and pulled the lever when he tried to leave.

Apple Bloom pushed it out of her mind. Thinking about it was only torturing herself. She couldn’t let….

She saw something in the distance. Thinking it at first a trick of the sun, for the tree she was under was bare and provided little shade, Apple Bloom slowly got up and walked a few feet. Closer still, she still could not believe what she was seeing. “I…I don’t believe it.”

She ran back to the farm to find Applejack huddled over the table. Gasping, Apple Bloom tried to catch her breath. “Apple…jack…come…and see.”

“What in tarnation is wrong with ya, Apple Bloom.”

“You just…quick! Come on!” It took some effort rolling Applejack’s chair across the uneven fields. She nearly bounced off several times with the speed at which Apple Bloom was pushing her.

“Slow down, Apple Bloom!”

But by the time they had stopped, Apple Bloom huffing and puffing so much that her words became indecipherable, Applejack no longer cared. Her eyes were fixed on the object in front of her. “Is that…what I think it is?”

Before her, standing over twelve feet in height, was an apple tree. But unlike all the others in the immediate area, all shriveled and dying, this one was alive and green. What’s more its branches were full of apples, all rich and red and full. Applejack’s eyes lit up. It had been a long time since she saw a perfect apple tree. If she’d the use of her hind legs she’d go apple bucking right this moment.

“Apple Bloom. How?” Her voice stopped.

“That’s just it, Applejack. This is the place.” Apple Bloom stopped herself before continuing. “The place where I buried the body.” She didn’t have the heart to call it anything else. To call it Filthy Rich was to give meaning to the pony. Calling it “body” provided a sense of anonymity, as if it were unimportant and thus removing any sense of guilt to her.

She pointed to the side. “That’s the same stump I was by when I buried it. That apple tree weren’t there before. I swear it!”

“Ya don’t say.” Applejack quivered in her chair.

“Applejack? Are ya okay?”

“Okay? I’m better than okay!” To Apple Bloom’s shock, Applejack smiled a real smile for the first time in ages.

“What are ya talking about? That tree shouldn’t be there.”

“We shouldn’t be starvin’ either. But we ain’t gonna no more. No more, Apple Bloom.”

Still trying to make sense of what was happening, the young filly moved to touch the apple tree. It was warm, as if alive. She never heard of an apple tree growing so fast overnight, least of all in this heat and especially when there was a body underneath it.

The body…Apple Bloom looked up. The apples on the branches were so beautiful to look at. They were perfect shape and a shade of red that was as brilliant as—blood?

“Applejack. Is it…is it because I buried the body here?”

“It’s more than that, sugar cube.” AJ hadn’t called her that in a long time, not since before her accident. “The soil’s lacked nourishment for months. It’s dyin’ of thirst. I think you may have just found us a substitute.” When Apple Bloom gawked at her in disbelief, Applejack said, “It’s blood, Apple Bloom. The blood of ponies will save Sweet Apple Acres.”

There were enough apples for every pony at the table that night. Apple Bloom and Applejack returned to tell Big Mac and Granny Smith the good news. Neither her grandmother or big brother seemed to care about the mysterious tree in the east orchard, just so long as they could finally fill their aching stomachs.

Only Apple Bloom seemed hesitant to partake in their good fortune. The apple before her was perfect. It was the color that frightened her. She couldn’t look at it without thinking of blood, namely the blood that had stained the floorboards of the barn after the body was crushed. The apple seemed alive, like some sort of beating heart. Apple Bloom took one glance around the room at all the smiling faces. Each pony took a bite out of their apple, devouring it. Bits of saliva fell down their mouths, tricking down their chins and onto the table. Something else was there too. A trickle of blood.

Feeling sick, she excused herself from the table and ran upstairs. Apple Bloom locked herself up in the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. She was starving but refused to partake of the hellish feast downstairs. It was unnatural, almost as if the Apples were eating another pony. It didn’t matter that Filthy Rich was dead and buried. That tree…those apples…they were his flesh and blood. And her family was eating them.

There came a knock at the door. “Apple Bloom?” It was Granny Smith. “What’s wrong, child?”

“I’m feeling sick, Granny. I think I’ll got t’ bed early.” She turned on the sink to disguise the sound of her hurling.

“It’s more than that.” The perceptive old pony said. “Ya’ll been out of it for a while now, ever since Filthy Rich came over. Now ya don’t have to worry none, Apple Bloom. We ain’t gonna lose the farm. We’re Apples and this is our home.”

If she only knew, Apple Bloom thought. “I know, Granny. Just working too hard I guess.”

“Well I’ll save ya a few apples for tomorrow then. If there’s any left after your siblin’s have at it.” She chuckled. “This is a great day. It’s a sign that things will be lookin’ up from now on.”

She waited until Granny Smith’s hooves had retreated down the hall before shutting off the sink. She looked at herself in the mirror. A sickly, pale yellow face stared back at her. “Why is this happenin’?” She asked her reflection. “What are we becomin’?”

Apple Bloom was beyond tired. She was taking a break by the fence when she saw something that filled her with dread. “Oh no.” Sweet Apple Acres had some visitors. Two suited ponies were accompanying a young filly to the farmhouse. She recognized that tiara anywhere.

She ran home to warn Applejack and Granny before looking for Bic Mac. When the two returned to the farmhouse, Granny had invited the officers inside while Applejack waited up front, and she wasn’t alone.

“You!” Diamond Tiara pointed an accusing hoof at Apple Bloom. “Where is my daddy?”

Stunning and afraid, Apple Bloom could only tremble with guilt.

Luckily, Applejack spoke for her. “Filthy Rich has gone missin’. His daughter’s helpin’ in the search.”

“Ponies said they saw him going in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres a couple days ago. No pony’s seen him since.” Diamond Tiara stepped forward until she was in Apple Bloom’s face. “You wouldn’t happen to know where he went, do you?”

“I…uh…”

“We haven’t see yer daddy, Diamond Tiara.” Applejack rolled up next to her. “Sure he dropped by one night, but then he left an’ that was that. Don’t know where he is now. How bout it, Apple Bloom? Any idea?”

“Huh?” The question brought her out of her stupor.

“Do ya know where Filthy Rich went?” Applejack asked her.

Strangely enough, she almost said yes.

“No. I…I don’t.”

Diamond Tiara spoke up. “Well some pony must have seen him. I’ve been asking all of daddy’s business partners in Ponyville, those that are left, anyway, and not one of them have seen him in two days.”

“Well sorry, Diamond, but we’re just as in the dark as you are. Ain’t we, Bic Mac?”

“Eyup!” The big stallion admitted.

“Big Mac, why don’t y’all see how Granny’s doin?” Applejack waited until her brother entered the house before turning to the two fillies. “Say Apple Bloom, why don’t ya take Diamond Tiara for a walk while we sort things out with the police?”

“A walk?” Diamond’s voice was intrudes. “I don’t want to go for a walk! I want to find my daddy!”

“Applejack!” Apple Bloom shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Sure ya can. It’ll give ya two time to catch up. Ya know, since ya ain’t seen each other in school no more. Sides, there’s a real nice apple tree in the east orchard that I’ll be yer friend will really like.”

Horror gripped Apple Bloom’s heart.

“Hmph. Why would I want to see some silly apple tree. Look around. They’re all dying.” Diamond Tiara glared at the sisters. “This place is falling apart. I’m glad my daddy is taking me away from here. I can’t stand Ponyville anymore.”

Applejack let a smile cross her face. “You’ll like this one, Diamond Tiara. I promise.”

“Whatever.” Diamond Tiara turned away.

Apple Bloom waited until she was a distance before speaking to Applejack. “What are you doin’? I can’t take her to the tree.”

“She’s askin’ too many questions. We can’t have that, Apple Bloom.” She pointed to the side where a shovel was leaning against a barrel. “You need to finish digging that ditch anyways.” She said loud enough so that Diamond Tiara could hear.

Apple Bloom’s heart beat loudly in her chest. She almost had trouble breathing with the realization at what her sister was implying. “I can’t.”

“Can’t what?” AJ lowered her voice between the two of them. “Help yer family?”

“But…”

“Do you love us, Apple Bloom?”

“I do, but,”

“Well then.” She pointed to the shovel again. “You know whatcha gotta do, sis.”

“Hello!” Diamond Tiara huffed. “Are we going to see this stupid tree or not?”

Applejack’s face left no room for argument. Feeling trapped, Apple Bloom reluctantly walked to the shovel. She carried it in her mouth which at least prevented her from speaking to Diamond Tiara on the way to the apple tree. If she could have, she might have spouted out the truth along the way.

“This place is a dump. Why do you hillbilly ponies stay here? It should be torn down and paved over. And why is it so bucking hot?” Diamond Tiara went on and on about how much she hated Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville in general. She told Apple Bloom about the large mansion they were moving to in Fillydelphia, putting special emphasis on her newer, bigger bedroom. Apple Bloom barely listened. While she seriously disliked the filly and wouldn’t care if she never saw Diamond Tiara again, the realization of what she was about to do made each step harder to take. Her breathing was uneven, her chest heaving, her teeth gripping the shovel to the point where she thought it would snap.

I can’t do this. Sweet Celestia, I can’t do this.

They finally reached the lone apple tree. Looking at it now one would think the drought had ended. Even with all the apples gone it was still a beautiful tree.

Diamond Tiara shrugged her shoulders. “What’s the big deal. It’s just a regular old apple tree. What’s so special about it?”

Behind her, Apple Bloom was shaking so much that her teeth began to rattle. The shovel handle tasted bitter in her mouth and her throat was dry. Diamond Tiara turned to her, an unamused look upon her pretty face. “Well? Don’t you have a hole to dig or something?”

Apple Bloom couldn’t take another step. She dropped the shovel and said, “I’m sorry, Diamond Tiara. I really didn’t…I mean I…”

“What the hay is wrong with you? You forget to speak all of a sudden?”

“You should go. Now.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, country pony!”

But Apple Bloom was adamant. “Look, ya really need to just go on. Get. Please.”

“I don’t take orders from you.” The prissy filly walked around her. “What, you think that just because I’m on your family’s farm that you can order me around like some common servant?” She chuckled. “As if I’d take orders from a blank flank.”

Frustrated, Apple Bloom told her more forcefully. “It ain’t like that! It’s better if ya just go home. Go to Fillydelphia like ya wanted. Leave Ponyville!”

“I plan to—after I find my daddy.”

“Your daddy ain’t comin’.” Apple Bloom regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth.

Diamond Tiara stopped her pacing and glared at the red-haired filly. “What did you say?” She stepped up to her, noses inches apart. “Why isn’t my daddy coming?”

Apple Bloom shrank under Diamond Tiara’s penetrating stare. “You know something, don’t you?”

“I….” She pawed at the ground, afraid to look at Diamond Tiara in the face.

“Where is he, Apple Bloom?” Her voice hardened, scolding.

“I…I…” she gulped. “I don’t know.”

A push from Diamond Tiara sent Apple Bloom to the ground. “You’re lying. Tell me what you know.”

“I don’t know nothin, okay?”

She scoffed. “That’s no surprise. You may be stupid, Apple Bloom. But you do have eyes. You’d better tell me what you know or I’ll tell the police ponies that you're withholding evidence. They’ll lock you up and close this place down. Honestly, I think that would be a good thing for all of us. I smelled this place from a mile off. How can your family stand living here? It’s awful.”

Apple Bloom shot to her hooves. “This is our home! Don’t talk about it like that.”

“Like what?” She chuckled. Diamond Tiara had that imperious look upon her face, the one that said she was better than you and you are nothing. How Apple Bloom hated that look. “You know, my daddy said he was breaking ties with this place. He wanted nothing more to do with your smelly farm. I thought it was about time. I couldn’t stand knowing your family and mine had done business together. It’s an embarrassment.”

“We ain’t an embarrassment!”

“I’m surprised you know what that word means.” Diamond Tiara turned to face the tree. “Though if one measly tree is all you Apples can manage to produce, I suppose embarrassing yourselves runs in your blood.”

The mention of blood had Apple Bloom’s eyes leering at the shovel. At the moment, Diamond was completely vulnerable, her back to Apple Bloom. All it would take would be one swing. One swing to shut the loud-mouthed filly up once and for all. Apple Bloom was torn. She hated Diamond Tiara. This is what Applejack had wanted: for her to kill the filly. They already killed one rich pony. Why stop there, right?

It was as if Diamond Tiara wanted to make this easy on her by giving her a reason to kill. Apple Bloom was no murderer. She may have assisted in disposing of the body, but she hadn’t taken the life. She was a good pony. She was an Apple and Apples were good folk. Applejack was good folk. She must have pulled that lever by accident. She never really wanted to kill Filthy Rich. She had to be seeing things. No way this was happening.

“Hey!” Diamond’s voice brought her back from her musings. She must have said something to her earlier. “I said I want to go back. You’re going to tell those officers everything you know or I’ll have your entire family thrown in jail, do you hear me?”

Apple Bloom spoke through gritted teeth. “Listen to me…very carefully. Ya need to go and never, ever, come back. I’m doin’ this to help you. Jus’ do as I say. Please.” That last word was the hardest thing she said all day. As if she’d beg Diamond for anything.

“I just said I don’t take orders from you. Now shut up and take me back to that shack you call a house. After you talk to the police I’ll gladly leave and never come back. It stinks. I don’t,” she stepped onto something at that moment. An apple, bright and red. Somehow the ponies must have missed it during their last harvest.

Picking it up, Diamond looked it over and smiled, admiring her reflection on the surface. “My, but you do make some decent apples. Though I have to admit I won’t miss it. I won’t miss you, Ponyville, or any of the rabble that calls this place home.” She opened her mouth to take a bite.

Apple Bloom said nothing.

The crunch was loud. Juice seeped from her mouth like a torrent. “When I find my daddy, I’m gong to make sure neither he nor any of his partners does business in Ponyville ever again.”

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow.

“What? Struck a nerve?” She taunted.

“More like a blood vessel.” And how Apple Bloom smirked!

“Huh?” There was a strange taste in Diamond’s mouth. Something metallic. She reached up to wipe it from her mouth. “I take it back. This apple tastes bad,” she stopped when she pulled back her hoof to see a red stain. “Eww! What is this?”

“Why don’t ya ask daddy?” Apple Bloom said.

“What did you say?” Tossing the bloody apple aside, Diamond Tiara took a menacing step towards her. “You do know what happened to my daddy, don’t you?”

Yeah, I buried him after my sister dropped a crate on his fat head. And you just ate a piece of him.

Apple Bloom wanted to say these exact words. She wanted to see the look of horror on Diamond’s face when she realized what she did.

“Where did he go?” She asked Apple Bloom with barley contained frustration.

“Wouldn’t know. i wasn’t the last pony to speak with ‘em. Better ask ma big sister.”

Diamond Tiara took a step back. “You’d better not be lying to me, Apple Bloom. I swear by the Pony Sisters I will destroy you and your family if you’re lying to me.”

“Apples don’t lie,” Apple Bloom said in the softest voice she could manage.

“Whatever!” She glanced at the apple she’d taken a bite out of. It couldn’t be, she thought. The notion that the apple had bled when she bit it was too perverse to even consider. It must have been a trick, something Apple Bloom did. These backwater ponies were into that sort of twisted humor. She couldn’t wait to tell her daddy about this so that he’d…

She paused a moment in her musings. Something about the apple had seemed familiar to her.. After she’d taken a bite, a most peculiar scent had reached her nose. She didn’t think on it as she was too fixated on the red stains on her mouth. It seemed to have come from a cologne that was a favorite of her father’s. Why would an apple smell like Filthy Rich?

“Hm. Well that’s strange.”

A hoof stepped closer to her.

“Don’t you d…”

THWUNK.

The sound of the shovel connecting with Diamond Tiara’s head was louder than Apple Bloom had expected. Still, it was rewarding to hear the crunch of bone as a piece of Diamond’s skull separated from her head. She collapsed to the ground unable to scream for the trauma had rendered her dumbstruck.

Looking at her now, Apple Bloom felt not the slightest remorse for the pony who had tormented her and her friends for so long. Diamond Tiara, her head bleeding from a copious gash, squirmed. Her legs kicked futilely as if suddenly remembering how to run. She tried to raise her head, but seemed to have lost control of all her motor skills. Her bowels began to empty, the smell of offal assailing Apple Bloom’s nose.

“D-Daddy?” Diamond Tiara said meekly, as if she sensed his presence.

“He never left,” Apple Bloom told Diamond Tiara. “Neither will you. Ya should’ve listened to me.” Standing on her hind legs, she looked down at Diamond Tiara. She raised the shovel. “I was tryin’ to be a good neighbor.”

The shovel came down.

She buried Diamond Tiara next to her father, tossing the body unceremoniously into the ditch she dug. Apple Bloom took her time. It wasn’t because she was in any hurry to get back, but because a part of her had died in the process. She hadn’t realized it at the moment, but killing Diamond Tiara, a pony she despised above all others, was akin to killing herself. The innocence of fillyhood was gone. Apple Bloom would never be clean again.

It was some time before she returned to the farmhouse, dragging the shovel behind her. She wasn’t surprised to find Applejack sitting up front, chewing something thoroughly before spitting it out. She watched Apple Bloom approach with unblinking eyes.

“Hiya, sis.” The manner in which she spoke, so casually, caused Apple Bloom to stop. She looked up, removing the hat from her head. Dried tears had painted her face a muddy yellow. But they were not tears of sadness. No. Apple Bloom was angry.

“It’s done,” Applejack said more than asked.

Apple Bloom just stared at her, hard. Her face said everything. The bloody shovel was just an added confirmation.

“I”m proud of ya.” Applejack smiled. “Yer a real Apple.”

“I killed her.” The voice of Apple Bloom was hoarse, strained, as if she’d been yelling too hard. “I…I took this shovel and I…I killed her.”

“Had to be done.”

The shovel flew in the air. It landed at the foot of Applejack’s chair. Looking down at the shovel, Applejack slowly raised her head.

“I didn’t care. I didn’t care when I did it. I just did it.” Apple Bloom seemed to stop breathing. It hurt to do so. “I killed her.” Her breathing returned, but slowly. “I killed her,” she said again, her sad litany continuing.

“We all gotta do what’s best for the farm, Apple Bloom. Each Apple’s gotta pull their own weight. Otherwise this, all this, won’t be here no more.” Applejack regarded Sweet Apple Acres with loving eyes. “This here is our home. It will always be our home.”

The front door opened and Granny Smith walked out. She glanced at the sisters, first one, then the other, before her eyes rested on the bloody shovel in the ground. “Everythin’ alright?” She asked aloud, though her eyes were focused on Applejack.

“Everythin’s fine, Granny. Just reassurin’ Apple Bloom is all. Remindin’ her of why we’re doin’ this.”

“They’re dead, ain’t they?” When little Apple Bloom spoke, it was not to Applejack but Granny Smith. She laid an accusing glance at the old mare. “The police ponies. Ya killed them, didn’t you?”

Granny Smith put on a smile. “What in tarnation are ya sayin’, child? Yer ol’ Granny Smith ain’t never hurt another pony in her life.”

Apple Bloom said nothing. She just stared at her grandmother, eyes devoid of any emotion.

“Sides, ya know yer granny ailn’t that strong. Yer big brother on the other hoof…”

Apple Bloom remained unfazed.

Granny Smith continued to smile. “Now Apple Bloom. Don’t give me that look. Everythin’ we did, everthin’ we’re gonna do, is all for family. We gottta take care of each other because, well, no pony else will.”

“It was you,” Apple Bloom said. “You asked Filthy Rich to come that day. And you,” she said to Applejack. “You were in on it.”

Granny Smith spoke for Applejack. “After what happened with the pulley and the state of our farm, I figured if any Apple would understand what needed doin’ it would be Applejack. It took some convincin’ mind ya, but she eventually came round.”

“Granny wanted me to kill him,” Applejack said. “I didn’t want to, Apple Bloom. Ya have to know that. I tried to convince him, to make him keep our arrangement open, but when he refused, I had no choice.”

“So you dropped a crate on his head?” Apple Bloom almost scoffed at her.

“I didn’t want to,” Applejack reiterated.

“But ya did. Ya did it and ya had me bury the body.”

“And look what sprouted.” Granny Smith looked off in the distance. “I’ll bet Diamond Tiara will make a fine tree herself.”

“Y-Ya’ll crazy.” Apple Bloom stepped back.

Applejack wheeled herself forward. “The soil needs nourishment, Apple Bloom. If it ain’t rain, it has t’ be somethin’ else. Somethin’ special.” She stopped. “We have t’ water our apples with blood.”

“But it don’t make no sense!” The filly cried out. “How does it happen?”

“Now, Apple Bloom. What have I always told ya?” Granny Smith stepped next to Applejack, the two looking down at the obviously disturbed filly. “Magic is as magic does.”

The words took the breath out of her lungs. Magic? This wasn’t magic. This was perversion. This was wrong. This was evil. “M-Magic?” She gasped.

“Earth magic,” Applejack said. “The oldest kind.”

Could it possibly be true? Was the earth helping the Apples in their time of need? Did it somehow recognize the plight of the earth ponies and was offering to help? Perhaps Applejack was right. All it needed the right nourishment.

“It’ll be harvetin’ time soon.” Applejack turned as the front door opened. Bic Mac dragged two bloody tarps out into the yard. He stopped when he noticed the others looking at him. “Time to start plantin’.” She turned to Apple Bloom. “Are ya in, Apple Bloom?”

Four apple trees grew tall and strong in the fields. They produced the richest apples the ponies had ever seen and they were quite delicious too. Apple Bloom could attest to that. She tried to fight it at first, but she was so hungry. After a while, she didn’t seem to notice the metallic taste of blood after each savory bite.

News that Sweet Apple Acres was producing an abundance of fruit again was spreading throughout Ponyville. Those that had remained, had not abandoned their town in search of greener pastures, starting to come by. Earth ponies, unicorns, even the pegasi came down from their cloud homes to purchase the apples. They ponies were so grateful, so happy to be eating again that they didn’t seem to care about how red their spittle had become.

But four apple trees alone were not enough. As new orders came in, the Apple Family had to produce. They had to plant more seeds.

They started off with the stragglers. Lone ponies wandered into town, many of them homeless and searching for work. The Apples hired them to work the fields in exchange for food. Those that did never left Sweet Apple Acres.

New apple trees started popping up all over the farm. A dozen here. A dozen there. Soon they had an entire field full of produce. Sweet Apple Acres was back in business again, and Ponyville was grateful. So grateful that no pony seemed to question, or care, where the trees were coming from. Somehow, the Apple Family had beaten the drought and that was all that mattered. Ponies could eat again, and that meant they could live in this town. Ponies were returning, and that meant businesses were too.

Of course, that was the occasional snag. Representatives from Barnyard Bargains had come asking questions about the disappearance of Filthy Rich and his sole heir, Diamond Tiara. They were an inquisitive lot, but Granny Smith was able to work out a deal under the table. It seemed Filthy had made quite a few enemies in his time and not even all those who worked with him cared much whether he returned or not. The power vacuum left by his absence meant there was room for advancement. Promises were made and both Barnyard Bargains and Sweet Apple Acres benefited.

Those reps that proved too adamant in their search for their former employer, however, Granny took a special liking to. She had Apple Bloom take them to the farmhouse where Big Mac was waiting for them with a selection of fresh apples straight from the orchard. Apple Bloom would then shut the door.

The next day, there were new apple trees in Sweet Apple Acres.

Apple Bloom stopped thinking about it. She just did as was expected of her, to keep her family’s farm from going under. She didn’t smile anymore. She didn’t laugh or take joy in the fact that there was food on the table every night. She stopped feeling anything at all. Her family was happy and that was all that mattered…wasn’t it?

One day she got out of bed and looked out the window after hearing a strange sound. Raindrops were pattering on the roof. She’d almost forgotten what rain sounded like and for the first time in a very long time, Apple Bloom smiled.

She came down to breakfast where all the other Apples were already present and accounted for. “Morning,” Granny Smith said as she placed some fresh apple tarts on the table. “How’d ya sleep, Apple Bloom.”

“Fine.” She pulled out her chair.

Applejack was already chowing down, happier now than she had ever been. “Can ya’ll believe it? It’s rainin’!” She spoke between mouthfuls. “Bout time them pegasus folks got to work.”

“Eyup!” Big Mac down his meal with a big mug of apple cider.

Apple Bloom started eating.

Applejack finished her meal with flourish. “Well, rain or shine, we got work t’ do.” She glanced at Apple Bloom. “Time t…” she stopped speaking all of a sudden. “Apple Bloom.”

“Hm?”

Applejack’s voice lowered. She pointed. “Y-You looked at yerself this mornin’?”

“Why?”

Applejack backed away from the table, her eyes fixed on her sister’s thigh. “Well, just look!”

And Apple Bloom did look. Stitched onto the fur just above her right hind leg, was a cutie mark. It was a tree, and not just any tree, but an apple tree. Apple Bloom glanced at her other thigh to see the same cutie mark. She jumped off the chair and ran to the middle of the room where all the Apples could see her.

“I got my cutie mark?” She gasped. “I..I got MY CUTIE MARK!” She exclaimed. Her family members ended their own astonished comments, congratulating Apple Bloom on finally entering marehood.

“My sister’s growin’ up.” Applejack fought back tears. She seemed to be returning to her old self again.

“I can’t believe it! It’s finally here! My own cutie mark.” Apple Bloom paused in her elation when she took a closer look. “Hey. What are these stains on the apples?” Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the apples were dripping some thin reddish liquid. “Is that…blood?”

Silence filled the room. Granny Smith took a closer look at her cutie mark. “Hmm.”

“Granny?” Apple Bloom asked with concern.

“Looks to me like some of that earth magic has seeped into you, child.” Granny took a step back. “Yer an Apple alright, through and through.”

“But what does the blood mean? Does that make me a…a murderer?”

“It means you’re willin’ to sacrifice anythin’ for yer family. Ya got nothin’ to be ashamed of, Apple Bloom.”

Apple Bloom looked at Granny. She looked at Big Mac and Applejack too. Their faces all beamed with pride. Apple Bloom couldn't help it. She smiled.

That quickly vanished when there came a frantic knocking at the door. “Miss Granny Smith, ma’am.” The voice was from one of the workers. A newcomer who’d arrived just a couple days ago. “One of the ponies was hurt trying tho work the pulley in the barn. I think she broke her leg. She needs medical attention now!”

“Oh dear. Sounds serious.” Granny Smith looked to Big Mac…and smiled.

“Eyup.” Big Mac glanced at Applejack, smiling all the way.

“Smiling, Applejack looked at Apple Bloom. Her eyes glanced sideways at the shovel in the corner. “Ya know whatcha gotta do, sis.”

Picking up her shovel, the youngest Apple gave a hardy, “Eyup,” before heading for the door. She figured there was room in the south orchard for just one more tree.

End