“Are you really sure we need to do this?” Fire Wheel questioned Applejack as he carried his boombox down into the dining hall. “I mean it wouldn’t be right to just play some of my music for everypony while they’re eating. I wouldn’t want to disturb them.”
“It won’t bother them none,” assured Applejack. “Rarity always says how good music can help make any meal even better. Now I don’t often agree with a lot of the froufrou things she goes on about, but I don’t think I’ve tasted a more delicious apple fritter that wasn’t accompanied by a nice tune and maybe some catchy lyrics too.”
“Still, maybe we should ask Ms. Jubilee if it’d be alright first,” he pointed out.
“I intend to right now,” Applejack retorted. “Now enough with the excuses. Sometimes you just gotta take the bull by the horns and just hope for the best. Plus, I wouldn’t even think to do this if it this wasn’t a good idea and that’s the honest truth.”
“Isn’t that more of an opinion rather than the truth till we actually go through with it?” he told her only to get another look. “Right… no more excuses.”
“Ms. Jubilee,” Applejack called as she entered the kitchen that was filled with the aroma of cherries being baked into pies among many other tasty treats for the fast approaching meal. “You got a minute?”
“Why hello, Applejack. I just need to put these cherry pies in the oven,” she replied holding them by the pie tins and carefully slipping them in the hot stove. “Now you’ve got my ear. Anything I can do for you?”
“Not for me, but there’s something you can do for Fire Wheel over here,” she answered.
“Good to see you too, Fire Wheel,” she greeted. “I hope you were able to relax on your day off.”
“Sure,” he told her trembling a bit nervously. “I feel totally relaxed now.”
“Well, you seem a might anxious,” Jubilee pointed out. “Is something the matter?”
“N-no,” he started to say, but quickly amended himself before Applejack could give him the evil eye again. “Actually, I wanted to request something of you. When we’re all having dinner I wanted to try and play some of the music I recorded. I was hoping to see if you’d all tell me what you thought of it, if you’d be willing to listen.”
“Is that so,” smiled Jubilee. “I’ve been wondering when I’d get to hear some music from you. I saw you bring all those instruments up to your room when you first came in and I haven’t heard you play any of them once yet.”
“I’m sure he wanted to prove to you what a hard worker he was before asking so you’d understand how hard he must have worked on his music too,” suggested Applejack.
“I guess that’s one way you can look at it,” he nodded attempting to manage a smile despite the butterflies in his stomach.
“Well, I’d love a preview of it, but I’m sure you want me to wait till dinner like everyone else,” she assumed. “How about setting the table up in the dining hall for me while you get the music ready too? Then when everyone comes in we can all hear it together.”
“Sounds like a fine idea to me,” agreed Applejack heading for the dining hall with Fire Wheel following right behind her. “Now that wasn’t nearly the nightmare you probably were thinking it’d be.”
“Equestria didn’t explode from asking her so at the very least my worse case scenario didn’t happen,” he admitted with a light chuckle.
“That’s because you proved to her what a hard worker you are,” Applejack stated. “And more than that, she’s your friend. If you need her support she’ll gladly offer it to you just like I’m doing now.”
“I actually do feel a little more confident doing this now,” he breathed much more calmly. “I think I can actually go through with this after all.”
“That’s the spirit,” smiled Applejack.
“But I can’t help worry that something bad might come of this,” he shuddered.
“I promise you,” guaranteed Applejack. “Nothing but good will come of this.”
A couple hours later, the long table in the dining hall was neatly set with plates, cups, napkins, forks, and spoons on over a dozen seats, Applejack and Braeburn included. Applejack and Fire Wheel were already at their seats waiting and soon they heard the ringing of the dinner belly calling for all the workers to gather over there to eat.
“Oh,” whimpered Fire Wheel nervously fiddling with his boombox, opening and closing the lid on top and turning the volume up and down on it.
“It’ll be alright,” Applejack told him confidently. “All you have to do is press one little button and your music will do the rest.”
“I know,” he replied with a nervous chuckle as he eyed the “Play” button. “And if I get cold hooves I have you here to help me out.”
“Sorry, but I’ve done all I can for you,” she informed him. “I can give you all the encouragement I can to go forward, but the only one who can take that step is you. But like I’ve said before, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Hey, cuz,” greeted Braeburn as he took a seat beside Applejack. “I wasn’t sure if you’d still be here. Any luck finding your friendship problem?”
“I think I’m just on the verge of solving it,” she replied as all the cherry farmers entered into the dining hall. Some came in through the kitchen helping Cherry Jubilee bring in the meal. Before long, the entire table was completely covered and the air was fill the scent of cherries.
“Are you all set?” Jubilee asked Fire Wheel as everypony started to help themselves to some of the food and then pass it around to the pony next to them.
“A-Almost,” he nodded double checking the cd was still inside the boombox and then adjusting the volume from the lowest setting. “Just need another moment or two.”
Before long, everypony had their plates filled and were eating. The only exception was Fire Wheel who was still hesitating. “Is something wrong?” asked Jubilee seeing the music still wasn’t playing and he hadn’t even touched his meal yet.
“E-Everything is f-fine,” he answered. “Just about ready.” He looked towards Applejack, hoping for once she’d give him another look, but she was instead conversing with Braeburn and not even looking his way.
“Mmm, you know, these must be the best cherries I’ve ever had,” admitted Braeburn. “Might actually give our apple pie a run for its money.”
“Now I hope you aren’t thinking about jumping ship on us, Braeburn,” Applejack replied. “Cause there ain’t no way cherries could beat apples in any kind of baking contest.”
“You’ve got something against cherries?” one of the workers asked overhearing their conversation.
“I don’t,” Applejack admitted. “They just aren’t as good as apples and that’s my honest truth.”
“Just because you honestly believe apples are better than cherries doesn’t make it a true fact,” he pointed out.
“If you’d pardon the pun,” joked Braeburn. “Applejack is an apple down to her core. You could argue with her from sunup to sundown and I doubt you’d get her to budge an inch when it comes to how she feels about apples.”
“Now I’m not that stubborn,” she protested. “And I’m not saying that the cherry pie isn’t good. In fact, I’d say I like it just as much as the next pony.”
“Then how do you feel about strawberries?” asked Braeburn.
“Now you’re sticking your hoof in the rattler nest again,” she warned Braeburn.
“Don’t remind me of that,” he shuddered before they all started laughing.
“Guess she really isn’t going to help me anymore,” realized Fire Wheel. He placed a hoof on the button and slowly pressed down on it, starting the cd inside and the music began to play. “Here goes nothing. Gale, Rocky, April… wish me luck.”
Nopony seemed to notice the music at first, but as the music continued to play the conversations around the dinner table quieted one by one till the only noise that could be heard came from the boombox. Fire Wheel looked around the table nervously attempting to gauge everypony’s reactions. Applejack smiled and took another piece of cherry pie. “Mmm, music certainly does make a meal taste better,” she commented.
“Better than apple?” questioned Braeburn.
“Hush up you,” she countered.
“That sounds mighty nice,” one of the workers across the table commented after listening for a minute.
“It certainly is,” agreed Jubilee. “And you really made it all by yourself, Fire Wheel?”
“Uh, y-yeah, I did,” he answered. “I’ve always like making music like this.”
“It’s really nice,” she told him. “And it really was worth the wait to hear.”
“Thanks,” he blushed his face turning red as his hair.
Everyone continued to listen to the music and eat for a few minutes till the music finally came to an end and the room became silent again. “Play it again!” another of the workers insisted.
“Yeah, that was great,” another agreed.
“How about another one?” suggested Applejack. “I saw you had a whole bunch more of those cd things up in your room.”
“Well, I suppose, I could, if you all want to hear more,” he offered.
“Yeah!” they agreed raising their cups excitedly.
Quickly hurrying up to his room, Fire Wheel returned to the dining hall carrying a dozen more cds in his arms. The look on his face was quite different now. Rather than sweating nervously at the thought of letting them hear his music it was now one of eagerness to do just that. “I think you’ll all like this one a lot,” he suggested holding on of the cds up. “And this one, oh, and maybe this one too.”
“Stop showing us and just start playing them already,” one of the cherry farmers told him getting a hearty laugh from the others. “If they are half as good as the other one then I’m sure we’ll enjoy them all.”
“R-right,” he answered switching out the cd in the boombox with a new one. It took no effort for him to hit the play button this time and when music began to play it started right off with quite loud with some cymbals crashing together making everyone jump up a little in fright. After that the music continued, this one having a much quicker, more energetic beat compared to the previous one. It even had everypony there eating along in rhythm with it even if they didn’t realize it themselves. When this song came to an end, Fire Wheel was already set with the next one not even needing any further encouragement now.
“Just needed a small push and now he’s just as excited to play his music as everyone is to listen to it,” noted Applejack feeling proud to have helped him out.
“You should feel proud of yourself,” Jubilee congratulated Fire Wheel. “I can only imagine how much effort it took you to make all this music.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine it myself,” he admitted. “Just working on how each instrument should be played is tricky enough, but to have to record them all one at a time and put them together can take days if not weeks. I might have at least two years of my life contained in these shiny, little discs.”
“That certainly is a lot of time and effort,” she agreed. “And if there is one thing I enjoy doing is rewarding a hard worker. And I think I know just the thing for you.”
“What is it?” he wondered sounding like a colt eyeing his wrapped presents on the night before Hearth’s Warming.
“Not here,” she told him. “But if you’ll stick around till I take care of the dishes then I’ll be able to tell you.”
“That’s fine,” he nodded even more intrigued now. “I can wait.”
When the dinner finally came to an end and most of the workers retreated to their rooms to rest up till tomorrow, Applejack assisted Jubilee with the dishes, as did Fire Wheel who was trembling with excitement for whatever she wanted to give him.
“Oh, I just can’t wait any longer,” he told her. “Can you give it to me now?”
“I think we’re just about done,” she replied as she handed Applejack the final pie tin to dry and put away in the cupboard. “There. Now I can give it to you, but please try to understand, this gift is probably not what you are expecting.”
“Uh, ok,” he replied scratching his head. “What is it?”
“I’m letting you go,” she answered very simply.
“Letting me go?” he asked. “What does that mean?”
“I am firing you,” she stated more bluntly. “As of right now you no longer work on this cherry farm.”
“Wh-what?” he asked still not believing it. “But why? For what reason?”
“You do not belong on a cherry farm,” she told him. “Or any farm at all. You have a musical talent and that’s what you should be focusing on. I don’t want to see you spinning your wheels here when your time could be better spent on what you are truly passionate on.”
“S-so then I’m just losing everyone all over again,” he sniffled. “I really did like everyone here and now you’re just telling me to leave.”
“That is not what she is saying at all,” argued Applejack. “She’s only doing this for your own good.”
“Just like you were doing,” he snapped at Applejack as tears ran down his eyes. “None of this would have happened if you hadn’t gotten involved.”
“But we both did this for you,” Applejack reminded him. “You will be much better off this way.”
“I- I know that,” he sniffled. “And I’m really glad for it that you both care enough to do this for me even if we’ve only just met.”
“You are?” asked Applejack feeling confused. “Then why are you blubbering and yelling at us like that?”
“Cause it’s all so bittersweet,” he answered. “Happy to follow your dream, but to leave your friends behind at the same time. This is already the second time I have to do this, but I think that this time I’m really ready for it.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” smiled Jubilee. “And as long as you are gonna be at Dodge Junction, I insist you stay here till you’re ready to take your music elsewhere.”
“Thank you,” he smiled looking ready to cry for joy this time. “Thank you both for everything you’ve done for me.” Grabbing his boombox and all his music cds, he took his leave of Applejack and Jubilee.
“You’ve really outdone yourself,” complemented Jubilee. “You really helped Fire Wheel out.”
“It was nothing really,” Applejack admitted. “That was the whole reason I was sent here in the first place. But now it should be over… though my Cutie Mark hasn’t started flashing. That’s what happens once the mission is complete, but it didn’t happen this time.”
“Are you sure Fire Wheel was who you were supposed to help?” she asked.
“No, I ended up here to help him,” Applejack replied confidently. “That much I’m certain, but I wasn’t the only one who was sent on a friendship mission. A few of my other friends are out there dealing with friendship problems too so maybe mine won’t be done till they finish theirs as well. In which case, I should stick around here, at least, a little longer.”
“Then it’s a good thing that I already have a room ready for you,” Jubilee reminded her.
“Thanks for that,” Applejack told her. “Hopefully by tomorrow this friendship mission will be fully complete.”