The Little Pony Legend: Tales of Equestria

by MaggiesHeartLove

Chapter 21–Varrick-Apple-Tale

Just like the rest of Equestria, Sweet Apple Acres received quite the physical makeover since the Great Change. The farmhouse now had finer details, one could actually see the designs of the wood that was used to build this place. The trees never looked more beautiful and the apples looked twice as juicy and fresh. The Apple Family was hard at work on the farm, just as they always were, but today they would be receiving a very special guest. One who would be spending some quality time with them serving his sentence, curtesy of the new Princess Avatar.

That guest was none other than Varrick himself. He agreed to these terms, having realized how wrong he was to try and kidnap the president just for his own amusement. But, the moment he saw those beautiful lights in the sky, the reality dawned on him how he helped in nearly preventing this from happening. The lights and colors worked their way into his heart and something just triggered. Something he thought he had lost long ago. He was never really a bad guy, he was just misguided. In a very twisted and crazy way.

The newest member of the royal court, Mako, led the man towards the farmhouse. It was already midday, and the billionaire only carried one luggage, since Korra had suspended him from all of his riches until he learned his lesson.

"Well, here we are." Mako said, proudly showcasing the apple farm. "Sweet Apple Acres. Nothing but trees, fields, apples and good old hard honest work. The humblest place in Ponyville."

"Well not that humble. Look, they got a bunch of little farm houses for the kids."

"Those are hay barns, that's a tool shed, and that's a chicken coop." Mako corrected, pointing his finger at each one of the small wooden house-like structures.

Varrick's eyes widened, "They have a coop just for the chickens? When I was growing up in my father's farm we never had a coop for chickens!"

"You grew up on a farm?…Really?" Mako asked with his arched eyebrow.

"I'll have you know, before I became the captain of industries you see before you, I was the son of a poor seal-hunter."

"So what happened?"

"I got tired of that life and managed to expand my business from a single canoe into a global enterprise by being one step ahead of the competition!"

"Thus, turning into the greedy, money grubbing backstabbing man you are today."

"Exactly!" Varrick said with a wide smile, outstretching his arms, but the unamused look on Mako's face only made the temporarily former billionaire to droop his arms in disappointment, as well as his face. "I'm gonna be here a while, aren't I?"

"You'd rather be back in prison?" Mako asked. Varrick opened his mouth to reply, only to be stopped when Mako covered it with his hand, "Don't' answer that." he said. After witnessing just how his old prison cell was it wouldn't be much of a punishment. "Princess Korra will be arriving in two weeks to check on your progress." Mako said after removing his hand from Varrick's mouth.

"Well, you can tell that pretty princess of yours that she's got nothing to worry about. I'm gonna prove that I'm can be a changed man! By the way, mind carrying my bag, it's already getting heavy." Varrick shoved his luggage at Mako, and the firebender felt the heavy thing hit his stomach. But Mako shoved it back to Varrick with even greater force, knocking the wind right out of him once it hit his stomach.

"First lesson in honest living: Carry your own weight." Mako said, crossing his arms.

"This modest living's not as easy as I remember." Varrick said, once gaining his oxygen back.

"That's how I feel about this conversation." Mako narrowed his eyes and took the lead, walking down the small hill towards the farmhouse. "Come on, let's go introduce you to the Apple Family. Please try not to give them a hard time."

"Come on, have you met me?"

"You're really not making this any easier."

In the fields, Applejack was apple bucking the apples into the basket. Varrick was impressed by the little pony's raw power. She truly was talented, and stronger than she looked. She briefly stopped her work once she saw the two men approach her. She smiled when she greeted Mako, but frowned when she saw Varrick.

"Hey, Mako…and Varrick. I almost forgot you were commin' today."

"Good to see you again, Apple….uh, was it Applebuck or Applejack?" Varrick asked, struggling to remember her full name.

"Jack. Applejack."

"Right, I knew it was an 'ck' sound."

Mako only sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was torturous, even for him. "You sure you still want this guy?" he asked the country pony. Even she didn't deserve this kind of torture.

"By order the Princess Avatar, remember?" Applejack reminded him. "Besides, some good old fashion hard work will do him some good."

"I hope so. I'm starting to think this guy's a lost cause."

"Hey, I'm standing right here!" Varrick exclaimed, annoyed that they were speaking as if he wasn't there. "Besides, you of all people would believe in second chances, right Mako?" he said as he wrapped his arm around Mako's shoulder, only to have the firebender remove said arm and step aside.

"Good luck." Mako said, before walking away, leaving Applejack to the task at hand.

"I'm gonna need it." said the country pony in reply.

"You know I'm still here, right?" Varrick reminded her while raising up his hand.

"Well, welcome to Sweet Apple Acres. Right this way, I'll introduce you to my family."

With luggage in his hand, Varrick followed the earthbending pony back to the farmhouse. He had to admit, he had already forgotten what it was like to be near a farmhouse. Even the one his father owned was never this detailed. So much effort and care was put into making this piece of architecture. It truly was amazing. Varrick was awoken from his thoughts when Applejack spoke again.

"Howdy, ya'll! Come over here and meet Varrick."

The pony had a particularly small number of family members. First there was an incredibly strong looking red stallion with green eyes and orange mane and tail. A younger pony, lacking a cutie mark on her flank, was of pale yellow with red hair and tail, and wearing a big pink bow. The last was an elderly pony in a lime green color, covered in wrinkles and snoring on a rocking chair. A drop of drool hanging off the side of her mouth.

"Varrick, I'd like you to meet my little sister, Apple Bloom. That's my older brother Big Mac, and Granny Smith."

"Is she still alive?" Varrick asked, looking at the sleeping granny pony.

"Oh, I'm alive alright." Granny Smith said, spontaneously waking up and looking at the tall human. "I just don't dare look at that there nasty face of yours ya backstabbin' varmint!"

"Oh, I see my reputation processed me here." Varrick said, with an unusual amount of pride in his tone.

"How are you proud of that?" Applejack asked, arching an eyebrow as if this man were out of his mind. Which, to some degree, he was.

"Isn't he that same guy who framed Mako and tried to kidnap the president while also sending weapons to the south illegally." Apple Bloom asked, standing beside her big sister and wrapping her hoof around her leg, narrowing her eyes at the criminal.

"Eeeyup!" Big Mac replied, narrowing his eyes.

"Look, I know I did some bad things." Varrick said, only to receive a few dirty looks from the ponies. "Okay, a lot of bad things, but that's why I'm here. I've decided to try and make an honest living by getting back to my old forgotten roots and work on a farm!"

"I thought you were sent here by Princess Korra to pay for your crimes." said Apple Bloom, eyeing him suspiciously.

"That too. So, where will I be sleeping?" he turned to the oldest Apple, "Hey you, Big Fella."

"It's Big Mac." Applejack reminded him.

"Right, right,take my bag will ya? Thanks!" the human man dropped his bag onto the male pony's back. But Big Mac immediately bucked it right off of him. His nostrils flaring at the human.

"Nnnope!" he said with a growl underneath his breath.

"We don't have a spare room for ya, so we set you up a nice place inside the barn." Applejack said as she led Varrick to the said barn, which was already set with a bed made out of hay, added with a pillow and blanket. There really wasn't anything more to be seen except for a few barn supplies.

"You've got to be kidding me?!" Varrick exclaimed, "You guys get to sleep in your warm and cozy beds while I stay here sleeping in the barn like an animal?…no offense."

"It was all we could find that was big enough for you. Unless you want to sleep in a smaller bed that will support only your upper torso."

Varrick looked back and forth from the bard to the pony before walking right inside. "You know what, it's growing on me."

"Good, make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back to check up on ya." Applejack walked out of the barn and closed the door halfway, allowing Varrick the space to make himself at home. Though, there really wasn't much.

He might have mentioned he wanted to change his ways, but he never knew it would be this hard. And he only just got here. Still, he should at least try to make the most out of it. With Zhu Li away, and with no one else to tend to his every need, he would have to face the horrible, terrifying truth…he'd have to do things all by himself!

Well, first thing was first, see if his bed was okay to sleep on. To his surprise, it was…so soft in fact that his entire lore torso was halfway sunk down into the hay, giving in to his weight. The man groaned in annoyance.

Back inside, Applejack was working in the kitchen, when Apple Bloom walked up towards her. "You sure we can trust this guy?" she asked.

"Korra really thinks this will be best for him." Applejack replied as she took out one of the dinner plates and her grandmother's apple pie. "Besides, she did see that there is some good in him. Let's just all try and be the best hosts we can be for him. If he's gonna start changin' his ways, we need to set a good example. Right Big Mac?"

The older Apple sibling sighed in defeat. "Eeeyep." he said with hesitation. It was their family motto to be welcoming, but eh had his doubts on this man.

"Well, I still don't know, but I reckon we could try." Granny Smith said, now sitting on the chair inside the house.

"That's the spirit!" said Applejack with a smile. She took a plate into her mouth, which carried a slice of apple pie and handed it to her younger sister, who took it in her hoof. "Apple Bloom, why don't you go and bring Varrick a slice of apple pie as a welcome gift."

"You got it, big sis!" Apple Bloom balanced the plate on her head and walked back out towards the barn, humming a little tune as she did. Once she arrived, she pushed the already opened door a tad further for her to enter. She opened her mouth to call for Varrick, but stopped the moment she saw the man dangling from the roof, his legs and upper torso tangled in rope, dangling back and forth and holding an empty lantern in his hand.

"Uh, what happened?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, I was trying sprucing up the place by making myself a home made chandelier, but Zhu Li is the one who usually does it, so I tried it myself and…well, this happened."

"Hang on, let me help you down." Apple Bloom placed the plat on top of a nearby barrel and untiled the rope around Varrick, causing him to fall flat on his face.

"Thanks, kid."

"It's Apple Bloom." she said as Varrick sat back up, rubbing his head.

"Well, I've had worse scrapes. So, what'd ya need?"

"Actually, I came to bring you this." the filly kindly gave Varrick the plate with a slice of apple pie. "It's my Granny's home made apple pie!" she said with a smile.

Varrick looked at the pastry with intense curiosity. He'd never heard of apple pie before, nor had he ever seen it before. "Apples baked into pies?….Who'd have thought."

"Try it!" Apple Bloom insisted.

Varrick took the fort gently and inserted it into the sugary pastry, the smell of sweet apples reached his nose. It certainly smelled good. Taking a forkful, he opened his mouth wide and ate it. In only a few short seconds, he felt like there was a party in his mouth.

"Wow! This is amazing! It's like a sugary, fruity party in my mouth!"

"You humans don't get much apple pies, do ya?"

"Can't say we do! Where'd you buy it?" he asked before taking another bite, humming in satisfaction.

"Oh, we didn't buy it, we made it."

"No, seriously."

"I am being serious. We Apples are famous for our home made Apple Pies, Apple Cider, Zap Apple Jam, Apple Fritters, you name it!"

Varrick swallowed his latest bite before speaking again, "So, basically your merchandise is Apple related?"

"We wouldn't call it 'merchandise', it's really more a labor of love."

"How many of those things do you sell? Like about a million pies a year? How about that Zap Jammy stuff? How much do you charge per gallon?"

"Um…I never really thought much about it. We just make the stuff we know ponies need. We don't charge that much really, mostly we try and make it even and fair for everypony. We're an honest business who gives folks what they need when they need it."

Once Varrick was done with his slice of pie, he wrapped his arm around the little filly. "You listen here kid, one of the many things I learned as a business man is that if you want folks to buy your product, you've got to milk it for everything it's worth! You can't just let folks buy something when "they want it", you gotta show them that they need it! Heck if you guys promote your apple based goods more you'd be able to afford an even bigger barn house and an even bigger coop for those chickens!"

"I never really thought about it that way, but I don't really think that--"

"Trust me kid, if there is anything I know, it's business."

"I thought you came here to learn about honest livin'." Apple Bloom said, arching an eyebrow.

"That doesn't mean I can't teach you guys how to run a proper business."

"But, our family isn't all about makin' money, it's about givin' ponies what they need. Applejack always says; "Money don't make you rich, hard work makes you rich", and she's the smartest pony I know."

"That's cute. You know what kid, I like you. Ya got some spunk, and I like spunky!"

"Um…thanks? Anyway, I've got to go do the dishes. Try not to get tangled this time, okay?"

"You got it. And keep that Apple promotion idea in mind. I think it's a keeper!"

"Sure." Apple Bloom gave a hesitant chuckle and left the barn. While the idea of being able to sell more apple based goods wasn't so bad, she was hesitant to trust him completely on it. After all, he was in prison and was sent here to make up for his crimes. Would it have been wise to let him still carry on his greedy ways?

Her thoughts: No. No it wouldn't.

The next morning, Varrick was sound asleep, finally being able to get himself comfortable in his new hay bed. The sound of a rooster crowing made the man turn over and cover his ears with the pillow. He jolted up, screaming in shock when the barn doors flew open, allowing more of the first ray of sunshine to enter the barn, and a shadow of a pony could be seen outstretched on the floor.

"Rise and shine!" Applejack said, her voice loud and booming.

"What's the big idea?!" Varrick exclaimed once Applejack walked right in.

"I told you, we always get up at the crack of dawn, remember?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't." he said before yawning and getting back to sleep….only to suddenly fall from his bead due to a tiny earthquake Applejack just made.

"If you're gonna be stayin' here, you're gonna have to work like the rest of us." Applejack pulled off the apron which she carried on her back and tossed it to Varrick. The white fabric landed right on his face. "Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres Boot Camp!"

With his apron now firmly ties around his waist, and having eaten a good breakfast, Varrick followed Applejack to the outside of the farmhouse. Apple Bloom galloped on by with a basket in her mouth, approaching the chicken coop. "Whoa now, little sister. That's Varrick's job today."

"What is?" Varrick asked.

"First thing on your list of chores is get the eggs out of the chicken coop."

"Well, that doesn't sound so hard." he said with pride, until…

"Then feed the pigs, pick up the baskets of apples I bucked yesterday, clean the plow, paint the picket fence with a new patch of white pain, then paint the side of the barn with red paint, feed the pigs again and do the dices after dinner tonight."

Varrick's jaw was practically to the floor. "How am I supposed to do all of that in one day?!"

"Well, then I suggest you get started." Applejack said before tossing the basket at Varrick, who caught it in his hands. The pony gave him a smug smile. "Start with the chickens."

The billionaire groaned bitterly but complied. This was part of his sentence, so he had to comply. He'd never worked with chickens before, the only thing closest to a bird was an ostrich-horse he had when he was a child, but that didn't work out so well. Story for another time.

With as much courage as he could master, he got down and poked his head into the coop while the two Apple sisters watched. "Here, little chickens. Don't get scared, Uncle Varrick's just here to get some--hey, wait. What are you--Ow! No, stop! Bad chickens! Bad chickens! Not in the eye! Ow! Help!"

Applejack and Apple Bloom winced as they saw feathers and even a few traces of hair flying all around from the entrance of the coop, and Varrick ran out, screaming like a little girl. Once he was done, he panted and came to a stop in front of the girls. His face was scratched, his hair was a mess, his mustache was frizzled and the collar of his short was partly ripped apart.

"It was come and go, but I did it! I got the egg!" Varrick proudly showcased the basket, which had only one shinny bright white egg.

"Not bad, Varrick." Applejack said, making the man cheer in victory.

"Yes!"

"Now, you just have to get all the rest."

His eyes widened and stopped his celebrating. His eyes darted back to the chickens, whom he could have sworn one of them was pounding its wings together in an intimidating fashion.

This was going to be a long day.

After finally getting the eggs, and loosing a bit more blood and some hair in the process--mostly blood--Varrick had already fed the pigs, picked up the basket of apples and was now working on cleaning the plow. It was already eleven thirty in the morning, and he was already feeling exhausted. But, to his amazement, Applejack was perfectly fresh and juicy.

He observed the pony and her siblings work just as hard as him, if not more. They were up at the same time he was, so why weren't they exhausted already? Even with the sweat dripping from their brows they didn't falter. They didn't complain, they didn't whine, they didn't even say they were tired. They did it all with a bright and happy smile on their faces. Varrick wondered how they could enjoy doing this kind of work, and all by themselves. Even as a child he never liked working on a farm, that's why he left. He had to know their secret.

"The plow's commin' along great, Varrick." said Applejack as she approached him, carrying a plate on her back. A plate that had a sandwich and a glass of ice cold lemonade. "Why don't you take a break and have some lunch."

Varrick blinked as he wiped the sweat from his brow. His stomach was growling and the sandwich looked so good. He didn't even care if it had oats in it, he just wanted to eat. He hadn't eaten since his early breakfast this morning. The man sat beside the plow, too tired to go inside and simply took the plate and took a gigantic bite and drank the lemonade, allowing the refreshing liquids hydrate his body.

"Thanks." he said, finally being able to speak once he was eating.

"You know, you really surprised me today. I didn't think you'd last an hour, but you managed to do already half of the things I asked you to do. I'm impressed."

"I'm not!" Varrick said, after taking a few more bites of the sandwich, which was already halfway done. "I'm sweating half of my body weight, I've got blisters on my feet the size of a boulder, I lost half a quarter of my blood, and I'm going to be seeing chicken feathers in my nightmares! How do you do all of this? You guys have been working for as long as I have and you're not even the tiniest bit beat."

"Well, we've been doing this for a long time. You get used to it. Besides, it's really fun."

"Fun? No offense but how is working like a slave fun? I don't think I ever made Zhu Li do this much work, the most she does is my dry cleaning, schedules and carrying me if my legs are too tired. And she doesn't even flinch. The woman's a machine, while I'm a flabby little wimp! Why do you think I never do anything for myself?"

"Because you're too lazy and too accustomed to do things for yourself." Applejack said with a deadpan look.

"That too."

"Varrick, working' hard aint easy, not even for me and my family. We get tired, we get beat, we sweat up a storm like you wouldn't believe. But, when the goin' gets tough, I just remind myself of one simple little thing."

"And what's that?"

"Ya see?" When you're workin' hard, you just gotta remind yourself what you're workin' for. You understand now?"

Varrick tapped his chin in thought. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I do. Thanks, Applejack."

"No problem. Now get back to work. You've still got a lot of chores to do."

At long last, night finally arrived. Varrick had done everything he was asked, even washing the dishes. The poor man practically dragged himself towards his hay made bed and collapsed, not caring that his weight slowly sunk him in further. It actually felt rather nice. He'd never felt this tired before in his life and he hoped he wouldn't have to again. He groaned when the barn doors opened. He didn't even bother to get up and see who it was.

"Leave me alone to die." he said dramatically.

"Oh, quit your fussin'." said Applejack as she walked in, "You barely scrapped the bottom of the barrel today. Which reminds me, you need to scrap the bottom of the barrels tomorrow."

"Are you serious?!" Varrick asked, his eyes wide as he turned to look at her.

"Well, we need clean barrels for the grapes tomorrow. We're gonna crush them grapes to make juice."

"You actually crush grapes to make juice? With what?"

"With our hooves, of course. By the way, make sure you clean your feet real good tomorrow." she said. Varrick only groaned in exasperation before planting his back onto the hay bed. Applejack rolled her eyes. "Look, I know this ain't easy, but just remember what I told ya."

"I know, I know. Look for the Light." Varrick said as he sat backup. "Unless it's too dark to find it."

"It's only as dark as you make it." Applejack said before handing him a plate of toasted bread with some rainbow colored butter on top and a glass of milk. "Thought you'd like a midnight snack to help you get to sleep."

Varrick looked surprised at the gesture. "Oh, um…thanks." he said as he took the plate with two toasted bread slices and the milk. The welcome pie was one thing, but this Applejack didn't even need to do. Yet, she did it.

"It's the last bit of Zap Apple Jam we had stored. Won't have another batch until the next harvest."

"The last one?" Varrick asked in bewilderment. "And you're giving it to me? Why?"

"Because I wanted to. You worked so hard today you deserve a little sweet reward. But don't get too accustomed." she warned with a grin. "You're hear to work, not get spoiled again."

Varrick was at a loss for words. No one had ever done anything this kind for him before. The only other person who did was Zhu Li, but that was to be expected because she was his assistant so of course she would do these things. But Applejack, she did it because she simply wanted to.

"Well….thank you, Applejack."

"You rest up now. Still got another big day tomorrow." the pony tipped her hat and walked out of the barn, closing the doors behind her, leaving Varrick alone to process his thoughts. The Zap Apple Jam was delicious, especially mixed with the crispy bread. It would take a while for the family to have more of the Zap apples to make this delicious jam, and they gave it to him.

"Nobody's…ever done anything like this for me before. It's so…what's that word again? Starts with a G, I think that white unicorn is supposed to represent it or something…Generous! That's it, generous!" his eyes widened once more as the reality dawned upon him and he gripped his stomach. "Wait, what is that feeling? It fells weird and bubbly in my tummy. Like, sad and happy at all once. It's creepy!" he exclaimed right before taking another bite of the toast. "But tasty!"

The next day, Varrick rolled up his sleeves once more and got to work. He fed the chickens, this time getting twice the less scratches, scrapped the bottom of the barrels and even got his first experience at juicing the grapes. It was most certainly a messy job, to say the least. But, Apple Bloom managed to make it fun. The rich man felt something wet hit his face. He wiped it off with the back of his hand and saw the little filly chuckling. A mischievous grin and took a handful of the halfway squashed grapes in his hand and tossed it at the little filly. Apple Bloom laughed and before long, the two were having a grape juice splash fight. Varrick's cloths and hair were covered in purple liquids, as was the filly, but it had been a long time since he had this much fun so it really didn't matter.

In the process, they even stomped harder on the grapes, making the juice for the jars, and had a whole lot of fun doing so as well. Varrick's hair was a complete mess, but he didn't care. He was laughing like he hadn't laughed in so long. Who'd have thought chores could actually be fun.

For the next couple of days, Varrick was slowly growing more and more accustomed to life on the farm. Though, that didn't mean he didn't take any small opportunity he had to set a bit. Of course, Applejack always caught him and he would go right back to work, if only to avoid any confrontation. He even assisted the Apples in selling a few of their apples, pastries and ciders in Ponyville. The man quietly observed the ponies buying their materials, but he also noticed how several of them had walked right on by. These ponies were hard workers, but weren't exactly the best at drawing in a crowd. Still, the family managed to make a bundle out of the apples they sold, which surprised even him. They would have gotten them a lot faster if they had shown a bit more razzle dazzle, but still it wasn't a total loss.

In all honesty, while working at the farm wasn't easy, the human man started to feel something change inside of him. She liked seeing the ponies happy, they fitted in so well into their farm life. But, a part of Varrick didn't feel like he fit it. It wasn't that he hatted farm life, he was beginning to like it, but he wondered if this was where he truly belonged. He missed his old life of traveling, making deals and building new machines, but he kind of liked this new hard working philosophy of theirs. He liked the satisfaction of doing things by himself and not having to rely on other for every tiny little thing. Even the Apples needed each other's help in order to get through the day, but overall they were all incredibly independent, even the old Granny Smith still carried some fire from her youth.

All of this was going through Varrick's mind as he loaded the lat sack of chicken food into the barn, coughing as the dust rose up and he fanned it away with his hands. He heard the sound of Apple Bloom giggling and peeked out to see both sisters having a game of catch the ball.

"Hey, Varrick!" Apple Bloom greeted the man while waving her hoof. "Wanna play with us?"

"Don't we have more work to do?" Varrick asked.

"Ah, we could all use a break." said Applejack. "Come on, it'll be fun." the pony tossed the ball at Varrick, who caught it in his hands. He had never played ball before, not even with kids his own age.

With a wide smile, the human male joined in the fun. Before long, the three of them were tossing the ball around, laughing and telling jokes as they played. The game carried on for a few hours, which felt like minutes for the three of them. Varrick had never had this much fun before, he couldn't even remember the last time he could just relax and laugh with friends.

That's probably because he didn't have any friends until now.

After dinner, Varrick retired to the barn, where he was greeted by Winona, Applejack's pet dog, who wagged her tail and licked his face in greeting. Varrick sighed as he petted her head.

"It's so funny, Winona. I used to be so sure about what I wanted but now…I don't know. The Apples have been to great to me, even if I am a cluts in the barn. Juts like I always was a cluts back in my dad's old farm. I just wish there was something I could do to thank them." he said. Winona barked in reply. "No, I've already done everything they asked me to do. I mean something they least expect. A surprise or something to show my appreciation. But what?"

Varrick began to walk back and forth inside the barn, pondering and pondering on what he could do for the Apples. But, the only other thing he was good at aside from now being able to do more things by himself was business. How to get people's attention. Then, Varrick remembered something Apple Bloom told him the day he arrived and what happened when they were selling their goods in town.

"Wait a tick. The Apples sell the best apple based goods in Ponyville, right?" he pounded his fist into his palm, "That's it! I'll just boots up their popularity a notch! After all, if there is one thing I'm good at, it's getting folk's attention." but while Varrick was excited about this plan, Winona began to whimper. "Come on, it's a great idea. I'll be doing them a favor. They're get so much bits into their saddle pockets they won't know what to do with them!"

It was settled, Varrick would do this for his new friends. However, the dog herself wasn't so sure if this was such a bright idea.

Varrick went straight to work. He peeked his head out of the barn door, his eyes scanning the area to make sure he wasn't seen before quietly tiptoeing outside. He made his way towards Apple Bloom's Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse, where she kept many of her arts and crafts materials. Varrick was a man of many talents, and he had a pretty good creative eye. Though, his Nuktuk films would have said otherwise, but they were a big hit so he must have done something right. One he got the materials he needed: paper, pencils, a glue, and a few apple shaped stickers, he got to work.

He managed to find the biggest roll of paper the filly had in her clubhouse and used the scissors to cut it in a perfect square, using a ruler as his guide. He placed the piece of paper perfectly still on the wooden floor and looked down pensively. His index finger tapping his chin before getting an idea. He took a small notebook and pencil and sketched the idea he had in his mind. After a few tries, he finally found the perfect design. It was eye catching, bold and charismatic. Varrick felt like he was working on one of his old projects again. It felt good to get back to his roots. This motivated him to keep working all throughout the night.

He no longer cared how tired he was, he was determined to get this right. It took him a few hours, but he finally finished it. He waited a little while for the paint and glue to dry up, which did so rather quickly. Equestrian supplies must be really handy, he thought. Once that deed was done, he rolled his work up and silently made his way into town. All the houses in Ponyville were locked, with the lights either dim or shut off. It was already a half hour pass midnight, so everypony would logically be asleep by now.

Varrick spotted the perfect place to place the poster. A gazebo near city hall. He placed the edges of the paper to the very edge of the roof of the gazebo, making sure it was firmly secure. Once it was, Varrick smiled proudly at his accomplishment.

The Apple Family would be sure to get more costumers than ever before thanks to him. It felt wonderful to be doing what he enjoyed once more. He felt a rush of adrenaline and pride swell up from within him. He hadn't felt this way since he arrived at the farm.

The next day, Varrick whistled happily as he got to work, feeding the pigs. Applejack walked by him, carrying a basket of apples on her back. "You seem happier than a bunny on a bedspread." she said.

"What can I say, this place is really growing on me." Varrick replied, winking in her direction, which caught the pony somewhat off guard. Varrick was known to be rather sneaky, considering he was able to pull off such an elaborate scheme to kidnap the president during the civil war, but these past few days she noticed a change in Varrick. He had become more…well, likable. She would even admit she started to enjoy his company. When he wasn't trying to come up with his next money making scheme, he was funny, friendly, dedicated and even reliable. Applejack would even say he had come around faster than she thought, which was nothing short of a miracle.

"You know Varrick, I have a confession to make. I…wasn't all too thrilled about you coming here."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I wasn't too thrilled about coming her at first either."

"My point is, since you've been stayin' with is, well…" she scratched the back of her neck bashfully. "…you've been a joy to have around. Amazingly."

Varrick nearly froze in place. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. Or, at least mean it. "Really?"

"I always thought you were nothin' but a greedy, self-centered business weasel, but I now see there's more to you than that. Korra was right about you, all you really needed was a push in the right direction. I'm really happy we're friends."

The human man's eyes blinked and he dropped the now empty bucket he was holding. "We're…friends?"

"Of course we are."

"I…I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anythin'. You've already done plenty for me and my family."

"What do you mean? All I did was work on the farm and do what you told me to do."

"Exactly. You did all this without asking for anything in return. That's the real reason why you were brought here."

The pony's words started to make Varrick feel strange inside. Suddenly, the idea he had last night didn't appear all that great anymore. He never needed to make them anything, they were perfectly happy just working hard and earning an honest living. Just when things seemed to be making sense again, they go and turn all upside down again.

"Somethin' wrong?" Applejack asked, noticing the distressed look on her new friend's face. Varrick knew he had to come clean about what he did.

"Uh…Applejack, there's…something I should tell you. I--"

"Applejack!" the little red-haired filly galloped towards her big sister, panting like she had just run a marathon. Her eyes wide in distress "You've got to come and see this!"

Applejack followed her little sister towards the front of the barn. The pony gasped in shock upon seeing a huge assortment of ponies standing in front of the barn, chatting amongst one another. They all appeared to be waiting for something.

Applejack approached her big brother and grandmother, both who were trying to keep the crowd steady. "What's all this about?" Applejack asked.

"You tell me!" Granny Smith replied, "These here ponies suddenly showed up askin' for our Zap Apple Jams and Apple Pies."

"But, why?"

"We saw it on your poster." one of the townponies said out loud.

"Poster? What poster?"

A unicorn levitated a long poster in front of Applejack. It was a neatly and eye catching decorated poster, with an image of Sweet Apple Acres, pictures of Apple Pies, Jam, cupcakes, fritters, cider, etc. and images of the apple family with yellow stars behind them. The corners were designed to resemble the curly Q designs that were already around the barn. While as lovely as it seemed, there was a writing that caught her attention.

"For all of your Apple loving needs, swing on by to Sweet Apple Acres, where you get what you want whenever you want it for the right price. Our hearts are open for everypony, and so is our barn! Don't waste another second, and swing on by." Applejack felt rather confused for this was not something she would have written. Neither her or anyone else in her family.

"We thought maybe you guys were having a sale on your Apple Cider." said the unicorn levitating the poster.

"Or had some Zap Apple Jam left!" another pony called out. Before long, a number of hooves began rising upwards, asking the Apples for their apple based goods while holding their bits up into the air.

"What are we gonna do, Applejack?" Apple Bloom said, her ears lowering in dismay. "We don't have anything for them right now."

"And we don't got the time to make a million apple pies for this crowd." said Granny Smith, "Why would you put up that there poster?"

"But I didn't!" Applejack exclaimed. Suddenly, her green eyes widened in realization and she turned to look back at Varrick, who fiddled with his fingers and was biting his lip nervously. The unicorn faced him, her eyes narrowing. "Varrick. Care to explain?" she asked sternly.

Varrick gulped before saying with a nervous smile, "Surprise!" he said, while making jazz hands, but he appeared to be the only one smiling. The rest of the Apples narrowed their eyes at him in anger. All of this was because of him.

Applejack sighed and addressed to the crowd. "I'm sorry ya'll, but I'm afraid there's been a misunderstandin'. I'm afraid we don't have anything to sell you today. Our guest here made that poster, but he wasn't entirely aware of what he was doin'." upon hearing this, the crowd murmured with one another, confused by this sudden change of plans. "I'm mighty sorry for the inconvenience. Please, accept these free apples as a sign of apology for wastin' your time." Applejack showcased them the buckets of bucked apples she had already obtained and gladly gave them up one by one to the crowd. It wasn't a complete loss, they were going to give those apples away anyway, and the orchard was still filled with them bright red beauties, but now Applejack would be behind on her chores because she would need to do another round. And all thanks to Varrick's little surprise.

The man tried hiding behind a tree like a cowards, only to be shoved back into the open by an angry Big Mac. The stallion flared his nostrils at the man.

"Varrick, what were you thinkin'?!" Applejack exclaimed, "Do you have any idea what you just did? You made our family appear dishonest and now I'm gonna have to do another round of buck the apples we had to give away. This is gonna put us so behind on our chores!"

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to do something nice to show you I've changed. So, I stayed up late last night and made you guys a promotional poster so you can get more costumers and make more money. I had good intentions."

"Really? Because sneakin' around, exaggeratin' the truth all to make money don't sound like good intentions."

"The money was for you guys! Making money is what I'm good at, not my fault those ponies took the words out of context!" he tried to defend his actions, but judging by the looks in the pony's eyes, she wasn't buying it. "Look, I'll make it up to you. I--I'll stay up pass midnight, I'll clean the chicken coop, I'll--"

"I'm not bad about the poster, Varrick. I'm not even mad about the misunderstandin'. I'm mad that you went behind our backs and pulled somethin' like this!"

"I just…" Varrick dropped his shoulders in dismay, "I wanted to show you I've changed."

"Have you? I can believe you had good intentions to begin with, but after seeing this I gotta ask: Did you really do it because you wanted to, or did you just want to relive your glory days again?"

"I…I…" for once, Varrick was at a loss for words. He couldn't find a way to counter what the pony just said. Deep down, he knew there was some truth to what she just said. How could he have been so blind before? He was so caught up in the familiarity of his task he began to forget for who this was really for. The money might have been for the Apple Family, but the act itself was mostly for him. That took away all of the sincerity his originally good intention had. If it was all for them, it would have been shrugged off as a misunderstanding, but there was still selfish intentions behind this.

"I was wrong about." Applejack said, tipping her hat, the shadow covering her eyes. "You really can do hard work….just so long as money and attention are the goal." with that, the pony turned around and walked away from Varrick. Apple Bloom looked up at the man in disappointment and followed her sister. Granny Smith and Big Mac did the same, proceeding to give away the apples to the crowd.

Varrick sighed and walked away from the scene, heading towards an apple tree and sitting down beside it. He never knew he could feel this bad. His heart felt like it was breaking.

"What was I thinking?" he asked himself. "I really messed up and now they won't even talk to me. And what's worse, now I have this really terrible feeling in my chest." he gripped the side of his chest where his heart was. "Like my heart is being stabbed by a pitchfork and thrown to a pack of wolf bats and feel like I want to kick myself repetitively. What is that feeling called again? Starts with a G also…guilt! That's the one, guilt!…Guilt." he hugged his legs, looking down at the grass with a hopeless expression. "Only I can turn a nice gesture into another money making attempt. Applejack's right…I haven't changed."

As the last pony left with its free basket of apples, the family saw Varrick approaching them. The human man had his hands behind his back and his head lowered in shame. The family only looked at him, not saying a word. He couldn't tell if they were just mad or disappointed or both. Most likely both, and he couldn't blame them.

"Now, I know what you're all thinking…and you're right. I hadn't changed. I guess a part of me was kind of missing my old life that I may have used this little stunt so I could feel that way again. But, just like before, all my greedy life ever did was push folks away, and folks who actually cared about me to an extent. First it was my buddy Bolin, and now you guys. I know no amount of apologizing will fix this, but I really want to make it up to you. The right way this time. No more secrets, no more scheming, no more money. I don't know if I ever really will change, but…I really do want to try. All I'm asking is a second chance."

The Apple Family looked at one another before looking back at Varrick. He stood there with worry, wondering if they would accept him once again or not. To his surprise, and even relief, the entire Apple clan hugged his legs.

Tears swelled up in his eyes and Varrick kneeled down, hugging them all while brawling like a baby. "Thank you! You guys are the greatest! I'm so happy and yet I'm crying like crazy!"

"Those are tears of joy, silly." Apple Bloom said with a giggle.

"I'm experiencing so many new emotions right now!"

Varrick didn't waste a second to get back to work. After helping the Apple Family with their chores, even Applejack with her second round of apple bucking, Varrick worked overtime, even staying up through the night to finish their chores. Once all was done, Varrick was still energized. He told the Apple family his idea to make it up to the townsponies for his mistake. With the apples that remained, the man and pony family made apple pies, apple fritters, cupcakes and caramel apples, dipped with nuts for extra flavor.

Working together with Big Mac, they fixed an old wagon and spruced it up nicely, painting it with bright reds and yellows and a lovely table cloth. The group pushed the wagon into town, which was covered by a blanket. Varrick calling out, getting the townsponies attention.

"Attention, everypony! I wanted to apologize for that little stunt I pulled the other day, so the Apple Family and I have a special treat for you guys. You wanted some good old fashion Apple Acres goods, well…now you got em!" he removed the blanket, revealing all of the delicious looking apple treats. It didn't take long before a line of ponies had formed and the group was already handing out treats left and right.

"There you go, don't crowd now. There's plenty for everybody."

"Only one two bits, each!" Granny Smith said and one pony happily handed her two bits and took

"Buy one, get one free!" Varrick said to a little filly once she payed for her caramel apple and handed her an extra one for free, which she shared with her best friend. The scene itself made Varrick's heart melt. It felt good to give these treats away, and even if the ponies still payed for them, for the first time ever, the sound of money wasn't what brought Varrick joy. It was handing out the sweets for the public, seeing their smiles and sharing the free ones with their friends and family.

It was incredibly different from what he did with the poster. That was partly for him, but this…this was entirely for everypony. Giving these things away to these wonderful creatures was what made Varrick work even harder. It was then, it finally dawned on him what Applejack meant before.

"Hey, Applejack. I think I finally figured it out!"

"Figured what out?" the pony asked.

"The real secret to working hard is to always keep in mind what you're working for. I used to work hard for myself, but now, seeing everypony so happy with what we did, I don't want to work for me anymore. I want to work for everypony!" Varrick then began dancing with the townsponies with such glee.

Varrick wrapped his arms around his new pony family and, received a little gift as well. Applejack pulled out an extra cowboy hat and placed it on Varrick's head, taking him by surprise. He didn't need words to know what this gesture meant. It meant that he would now, and always, be considered one of the family.

"I never thought I'd say this, but you've impressed me, Varrick." a voice said. A very familiar voice which made Varrick look up in shock and immediately straightened himself up. The ponies all bowed down before her as she walked towards the man, who also bowed.

"Princess Avatar Korra! You're excellency! I--I didn't expect to see you here…today."

"I thought you were commin' in two weeks." said Applejack as she approached her friend, who petted her head.

"I actually came by to get some cupcakes from Sugar Cube Corner, and imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon this little display." Korra crossed her arms as he boyfriend stood beside her.

"What is all this?" Mako asked, eyeing the man suspiciously. "Varrick, you're not up to any of your old schemes, are you?"

"Not at all, Uncle Mako!" Apple Bloom said with a sweet smile. "This was all Varrick's idea."

Mako blinked. "No, seriously."

"We are serious." said Applejack, "I'll admit, there was a little bump in the road, but Varrick has proven he really can change, and better yet he wants to. I know he's made a ton of mistakes, but just like Korra said, it was all because he was searchin' for something. And now, I think it's safe to say he might have finally found it. Right, Varrick?"

"That's right." Varrick bowed before the princess on one knee, bowing his head and placing a hand over his heart. "Deep down, I always knew I was using my talents for selfish reasons, but before I didn't care. But after realizing just how much my actions have hurt others, now even more, I realize I don't want to use my talents for myself anymore. I want to use them for good. I want to use my wealth to benefit others rather than just myself. I don't blame you for not trusting me just yet, but I hope with time I can earn your trust."

Korra kneeled down before Varrick and placed her hand over his heart, just like she did back at the jail cell. The princess smiled and kindly asked the man to stand back up. "I was right about you, Varrick. You're not so bad deep down. You just needed a little push in the right direction."

Varrick smiled and bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, Princess."

"Of course, you still have another whole week left of your time here."

"Yeah, I figured." he said, with a happy smile. "But, I think I've grown to like it here. And I promise, when I get back, I'll do my best to make you proud."

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed."

Varrick turned to his new Apple Family, "Thanks you guys. For the first time, I feel like I'm part of a family."

"Well, even when you leave, you're always welcome here…partner." Applejack and Varrick shared one last hug, alongside Big Mac, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom.

As Korra happily watched the scene, Mako tapped his girlfriend on the shoulder. "I can't believe I'm saying this but…he's really improved."

"There's going to be a lot of changes from now on, Mako. He's just one of them."

Mako smiled as he hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "You've got a big heart, princess."

"And that's why you love me."

"I do."

The two teens chuckled before sharing a loving kiss.