So Buckin' Shy

by FlutterJack


Family Matters

The next morning, Mac woke before Fluttershy. He planted a kiss on the mare's head and left the house quietly.

Today was another day of apple bucking and Mac was looking forward to it. He strolled through Ponyville, walking quickly to Sweet Apple Acres. Macintosh nodded to Pinkie and Rarity who were speaking outside Sugarcube Corner, undoubtedly speading gossip around the town, but Mac didn't care- he felt wonderful and he wasn't going to let anypony ruin it.


Before long, he came upon Sweet Apple Acres and trotted up to the house. He was early. Applejack was still upstairs trying to wake up and Granny was catching a morning snooze in her rocking chair. Applebloom, in a mood contrary to the other two Apple family members, bounced over to Big Mac and hopped in circles around his hooves.

"Big Mac, Big Mac, Big Mac, Big Mac.." she repeated over and over. The stallion put one hoove on the filly's head and rubbed it lovingly, leaving her mane ruffled. "Calm down now, Applebloom. Too early to be this hyper."

"Alright, Mac" She laughed and rearranged her red mane. "Today is extended apple bucking day, remember?"

Macintosh nodded.

One day every season, the Apple family had to work double time in order to relieve every tree of it's apples. The massive apple farm required that the Apples work their hooves off in order to produce the expected amount of
(pardon lack of words..)produce. All the hard work would pay off, the Apples knew, it would only be a matter of time.

Applejack finally appeared at the bottom of the stairs, her hair tied in a loose red tie and her hat upon her head.

"Hey there, Big Mac." She tipped her hat.

"'Mornin, Aj. Ready to do some buckin'?"

"Sure as sugar am!" She yeehawed and spoke again. "Double time today, gotta get our produce ready."

Mac nodded and the two set out, leaving Granny Smith to her nap and Applebloom bouncing out the front door.


-Entrance of the Orchard-
Brother and sister entered the orchard, empty baskets filling the brown wagon that Mac pulled.
"Where do you reckon we start?" Applejack asked her brother.

"How 'bout there?" Mac pushed a hoof toward a nearby patch of trees that were filled with bright red apples.
"Alrighty." Aj nodded and stepped toward the tree and peered up into it. Big Mac pulled the cart closer and unhitched himself.

"21...22...23..." Applejack counted. "I reckon there's thirty in there...or more!"

Mac had been setting the baskets under the tree, he looked at his sister. "Eeyup."

"Alright, here we go....one, two, a-three!" Her hind legs shot at the tree, apples falling from the branches. Most of the fruit fell into the baskets, but some fell to the ground. Mac picked these up and tossed them into the surrounding baskets.

"I'd say we've got a good haul, already." Macintosh said as Aj pushed the baskets onto the wagon.

"Eeyup! It's gonna be a fine harvest this season!" His sister replied, eager to buck more trees.

The two continued bucking and plucking until the wagon held full baskets- each piled to the top and some baskets on top of others. It was practically sundown when they had finished, still one tree was left to be bucked, then they could call it a night. Brother and sister stepped toward the tree, their green eyes studying it.

"This here's the last one." Applejack said. "Well, let's get this done." She hopped aboard the wagon to grab a basket when Mac spoke.

"Aj?"

The orange mare looked up and at her brother.

"What would you say if I told you that I wanted to stay with fluttershy....at her house.....o-only until she's healed because..I'd feel bad if her wing didn't...uh...mend straight." Mac spoke nervously. His green orbs looked into Applejack's and she laughed.

"Well gaaaaleeee, Mac! I knew some mare would fall for you. But you are such a fast mover. Already wantin' to partner up."
Aj spoke with a smile, but inside she felt a little heartbroken letting her brother have this little piece of freedom in his love-blurred mind.

Macintosh blushed a furious pink. "Now, it ain't like that. I...uh..just want to spend some time with her, is all."

"Big Mac, I know what you're thinkin'. You act as if us mares aren't properly educated in said action. I reckon you're all rallied up inside."

The red pony blushed deeper. "Am not!"

Applejack shot him a 'Oh Really' look and and laughed. "Whatever you say, brother. Now help me with this here tree."

Mac stood ready to buck as Applejack stood underneath the tree with a basket atop her head.

"Go!"

At the word, Macintosh bucked the tree, sending apples toward his sister, who expertly caught them in the wicker basket.
"Remember when we used to this all the time, Mac?"

The stallion nodded. "Eeyup."

As Applejack put the basket onto the wagon, she glanced at Mac who was hitching himself to the wagon. She trotted up beside him and they walked for a while. then the orange mare spoke.

"Big Macintosh?"

"Yup?"

"I was thinkin'...since you've gone and found yourself a marefriend and all....are you still going to come to Sweet Apple Acres and be with me, Applebloom and Granny?"

Mac stopped at her question.

"Aj?"

He looked at her.

"You are family, of course I'll be here to see you and Granny and Applebloom." Mac blew a piece of stray mane from his eyes. "Whatever put that thought into your little pony head?"

Applejack shrugged, blinking away tears.

Mac started walking and his sister fell in line.

"I promise you that, sis. I want to be there when Applebloom gets her cutie mark, I'll be there when you are crowned bet rodeo competitor. Haybales, I want to be here if those rotten Shim Sham-"

"Flim Flam." Applejack corrected, now smiling.

"Flim Flam brothers come back. Aj, I don't ever want you to think that I would abandon Sweet Apple Acres. Not for nopony, it's in my blood, its the family. Now do you understand me?"

"Eeyup."

"That's my sis." They both laughed and walked into the barn. Mac unhitched the wagon and helped Applejack to put away the full baskets. When Aj started for the door, Mac called to her.

"Come here, Aj."

She did and Mac enveloped her in a big hug.

"I love you, little sis."

"I love you too, big brother."

"Now go on up to bed and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alrighty." Applejack broke away from Big Mac and trotted back to the Apple dwelling.


Macintosh stayed in the barn, unloading the apple baskets and placing the apples where Granny would eventually get to them and look over each fruit. His work didn't take long, once finished, the apple pony closed the barn quietly and left to Fluttershy's house.

He walked through Ponyville, his hooves the only ones beating the soft ground. The town was sure different at night. No shopkeepers stood beside stands, no gossipping mares lining the streets and it was spookily quiet. Until a loud 'boo' happened behind Macintosh. He whipped his head around to see what it was and there stood a white sheet, with a white horn protruding from the top, a pair of orange wings sprouting from the back and a red tail at the end.

"I am the ghost of Ponyville Squarrre...." Somepony spoke from under the sheet.

"Oooo..." came another voice.

Big Mac hid a chuckle from the 'ghost' and acted the part.

"Oh no, won't some pony help me?" He said in a faux-scared voice and took a step backward.

"Ooooo..." The 'ghost' took a step forward but a stray orange hoof stepped on the sheet making the 'ghost' tip forward and lose it's flowing frame. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom emerged form the fallen sheet, each of the the three friends were fine and had begun laughing at each other. Then Mac, too, began laughing.

As they shared a good laugh, a panicked Twilight came around the corner of a building. "Oh, there you are!" She breathed a sigh of relief and approached the four laughing ponies.
"I thought you promised no more sneaking off the last time I babysat you three."

"Oh, golly, we're sorry Twilight. We were jus tryna get our cutie marks." Apple Bloom looked up at the purple unicorn.

Twilight turned to Big Mac. "I apologize, I shouldn't have turned my back on them." She glanced at the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"Hey! Maybe we got our cutie marks!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

"Yeah!" Agreed Scootaloo.

The three fillies checked their flanks, but they were still a bare white, orange and yellow. The three sighed simultaneously.

"It's alright Twilight." Mac drew her attention back. "No harm done. Apple Bloom!"

The apple pony called for his youngest sister and she approached him.
"Don't give Twilight here anymore trouble. You hear?"

"Yep, siree, Macintosh, sir." Apple Bloom saluted.

"Dismissed." Mac thrust his heavy head toward Apple Bloom's friends, motioning the filly to join them. The young pony hopped back to her waiting companions who welcomed her back with smiles.

Mac looked back at Twilight and laughed.

"Silly Fillies."

Twilight giggled to. "Yeah...well I'll be seeing you, Mac."

"Eeyup."

The purple unicorn rounded up the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the trio plus one headed over to the library. Macintosh turned and continued on his way to Fluttershy's, smiling in adoration of his sister's ambitions.

"They sure are silly fillies, but I love them."

He chuckled.