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// 10 - Responsibilities 
// Story: Prince of Errors 
// by David Silver 
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Ponyville sped by in a blur of rapidly beating little pegasus wings. She hit a bump and cheered wildly at their airtime. The prince could feel the board moving beneath them as Scootaloo performed a trick ever so casually. He just clutched to her all the tighter, eyes screwed shut with the hope that it would soon be over and he would be safe.

She was airborne. There was no board. He, her, she, they were airborne, wrenched free of Scootaloo who she heard, in retrospace, yelping with surprise.

The prince struck something solid but it didn't break him. "Woah there," spoke an adult female voice. Applejack. "Scootaloo, ah won't be a happy mare if'n ya go hurtin' mah little sis."

He opened his eyes and saw he was thrown right across Applejack's back sideways, flopped from one side of her to the other side, his hooves against her barrell. "Oh, hey sis! Ah'm back!"

"Ah see that." Applejack twisted on herself, grabbing the prince by his scruff and setting him down gently. "Just in time to start on the east side."

Scootaloo got her scooter back upright and waved eagerly. "Have fun!" And off she vanished, buzzing softly into the distance.

The prince was no expert on pony behavior, but he was pretty sure Scootaloo was vacating rather quickly. Had she been the one that had gotten Apple Bloom actually hurt? Possibly. He figured there was a good chance Apple Bloom could also be blamed in part for what had happened. He still didn't know what exactly happened there, but it was why he was there, to avoid further problems. "You got it, Sis." 

He wasn't going to kick any trees, being so tiny, so... "Am I on basket duty?"

"Sure are." She pointed to a basket laying there. "Catch the ones that don't fall towards another basket and we'll get this done nice 'n fast."

And lo did the work begin. The prince darted and jumped and galloped to get the basket into position each time. His borrowed body had some skill at the task, thankfully, allowing him to perform the job adequately. It was an interesting experience. Thump-thump-thump went all the apples, dropping right on his head. It didn't hurt, but he knew he was still catching apples, with his head.

Ponies were curious creatures.

"So, what'd you do with yer friends?" asked Applejack on her way to the next tree.

The prince tensed. He still had no idea what they were doing, or what the excuse they had worked out was... Ah! "We were doin' some counselin' duty,  Can ya beleive we had to help an adult today!? Ah mean, not the first time, come to think."

Applejack nodded softly. "True. Ah remember you talkin' 'bout when Bulk Biceps came to visit. Did it work out as well as that time?" She kept one ear trained on the prince as she set up the other baskets to catch the apples. "Ya done made that pony right happy as a cat at a mouse convention."

He smiled as he got into position, ready to catch the apples. "'Fraid not. Ya know Cranky, right? He's a tough nut to crack. What's Matilda see in him? She's so... nice." He felt guilty in a way even calling that out, but he couldn't quite put a hoof on why.

"Cranky?!" She paused a moment before shaking her head. "Tough nut feels like an understatement." She turned away from the tree. "But don't be judgin' love like that. They're really happy togetha, even if he's unhappy with everythin' else in th' world. Togetha, they're happy, and that's wonderful."

He had no real argument for that. "Ah suppose." He began to duck and bob, catching the apples as they came raining down. "Ah mean... He's just tryin'... It ain't all his fault."

Applejack tilted her head. "That's a mature way t'look at it, but why were ya hopin' his ladyfriend would wander off then?" She started hefting up apple baskets one at a time in her teeth, setting them down in a carton that groaned gently with the added weight. "Wouldn't be nice."

He stopped a moment, not even noticing when Applejack took his basket and emptied it into a larger one. "Oh, oh yeah, huh... Guess yer right." Maybe if he had a big sister like Applejack, the world would have made more sense to him growing up. He felt envious, but it wasn't the first time, nor likely the last. The ponies he replaced all had lives, full of things, many of them good.

"What's on yer mind, Sugar Cube? Ya lookin' mighty distracted." She plopped the basket down on her sister's little head. "We're makin' good progress."

They worked through the orchard under the hot watch of the sun above. Their wagon become more and more full of apples, ready to be put into so many possible uses. Applejack was happy to list some of them as they went, detailing all the delights that would come as a result of their hard work.

"An' it ain't just us." She shook her head as she nudged a basket into place. "Ponies all around benefit from our work. This whole town might not be here if it wasn't for us Apples, doin' what we do." She lined up with the tree, never slowing in her work despite her rambling. "Feels good, knowin' we're a part of somethin' bigger than us, ya know?"

"Yeah..." He wasn't sure he felt that way, but was he part of something bigger? Something had given him the strange position he had. He darted to catch apples, the basket wobbling on his head. "What if, uh, just in theory like, ya didn't understand what you were part of. Would ya still be proud of it?"

Applejack perked an ear at Apple Bloom. "Huh, that's a mighty funny question, seein' as we both know what we're a part of." She took his basket and unloaded it quickly as she went to get the others. "But if ya know a pony like that, well, what else is there ta do? Ya find out what yer a part of and learn why ya should be happy, or not. Ah mean, if ya really don't know, maybe ya shouldn't be, but you won't know until ya find out."

The prince frowned a little, hidden under the basket as he followed after Applejack. What she was saying made enough sense. He really had no idea what he was doing, or what the larger scheme was. Maybe he was doing good, or not. He had to know. He figured Apple Bloom was a rare obvious case. She literally had asked him, indirectly, to be there, taking her place for a moment.

He smiled a little, imagining Apple Bloom sweating bullets in the hospital. Poor little filly, getting up to trouble. He did hope she was alright, and imagined she was probably fine, in time. She just needed him for a little bit. He could do that. He was doing that. "Say, uh, Applejack..."

"Mm?"

"Jus' wanted to say thanks." He smiled up at her, basket tilting. "Fer being a good sister."

"Aw." She knocked the basket right off his little head on the way to plucking him up and hugging tightly. "Thanks fer being a good little sister." She put him down gently. "One more hour, then we can head home, alright? Granny said she's workin' on a real tasty dinner for us hard workers."

The hour passed without incident, and they returned to the barn. The prince trotted alongside Applejack, who bore the burden of the laden wagon full of more apples in one place than he had ever seen before. "That sure is a lot of apples..."

Applejack peeked back at it. "It was a good season, weren't it? I've seen bigger, but ah also seen way smaller. A good season." She nodded with clear satisfaction. "I blame it on having such responsible family members. Wonder how Big Mac's doin', come ta think." She looked at the prince expectantly a moment, but he didn't respond. "What, not curious about his big date?" Her brows fell a little. "Don't think I don't know ya had a part in that."

The prince stiffened. She knew Apple Bloom was involved in that?! "Oh, um, hope they're havin' a good time, ya know, kissin' an' all that mushy stuff."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "And nuzzlin' and sighin' happilly and stuff. Those two are deep in it." She smiled brightly. "It's sweet, really... Ah never figured he woulda had... the nerve. I'll blame that on you." She nudged the prince gently on the way past. "Little troublemaker, meddlin' with yer brother like that. Bet he's really thankful."

He watched her vanish into the barn to put the wagon away and secure the apple stash. "They're, uh, sweet together."

Applejack laughed on her way back. "Yeah... real nice couple. She's a good down-to-earth pony too, bakin' and she even works with apples! A perfect fit." She nodded confidently, moseying towards the farmhouse that was her home. "Now let's see what Granny made up for us. I bet it's a real hum dinger. Ya know harvest dinner is the best dinner."

He wondered a moment, about who he was replacing. Was she sad? She had to know she was missing out on special dinners, at a special time. For a moment, he wondered, but it faded and he ran after Applejack, wondering just how special harvest dinner could be. Would apples be involved? He felt confident they would be in there somewhere.

Dinner, as it turned out, was delicious. Every morsel was a delight on his tongue. Big Mac wasn't there, still on his date, according to the others. "He'll be back tomorrer," said Granny Smith with an even thicker accent. "He'll make up fer lost time when he does it, so don't you two worry none. He's a pony of his word."

Applejack waved it away. "Being laid up one day ain't so bad compared to the time he was actually hurt. Boy howdy did that make things rough. Remember that?"

"That time Twilight ended up helping?" The prince looked up from the food he had been scarfing down.

Applejack sighed at that. "Unicorns have it too dan' easy. Good thing most of 'em aren't as, uh, talented as Twilight. If ya asked Rarity, she wouldn't be managing that none." She frowned then. "I shudder to think what Starlight would do... Anyway! Yea, that was the time. Boy was that a mess... We got through though."

Too easy? The prince tilted his little head up at not-his sister. "If you had magic, wouldn't you use it?"

"Well, sure, maybe?" She shrugged softly. "But ah don't, so I won't, and that's that. Ah gotta do it the hard way, and get it done right, 'cause there ain't no take backs with earth ponies, and that's the way."

He reached for a large carafe, nudging it closer. Magic sure made mealtimes easier, but he didn't say that part out loud. It suddenly nudged towards him, making him blink before he realized Granny Smith had done it. "Oh, thanks." She got it the rest of the way easily and poured herself some of the orange fluid. "Thanks fer dinner. It's great!"

"And she worked extra hard to earn it." Applejack nodded firmly. "Ah thought she'd  be gone longer with her crusader friends, but she came back early and got right t' work."

"Oh? That's good t'hear." Granny nodded in satisfaction. "You three helping ponies still? That's a mighty fine callin'."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "It's a mighty fine hobby, but ya know yer inheriting this farm eventually, right?"

The prince decided that was a mighty fine time to drink the sweet juice and not answer that question. He was not equipped to give Apple Bloom's thoughts on that matter, and the conversation mercifully slid on to other things that did not involve the future of the body he would not wear for long.