Prompt: Applejack falls.
“It ain’t right I tell ya’!” Applejack shouted as she stormed out of the orchard. “This is the way our family has been bucking apples for generations and ain’t nothing’s gonna change that!”
“C’mon, AJ,” pleaded Apple Bloom as she followed her sister. “The times are changing. Apple farming is a big business an’ we gotta take advantage of all of the technology we can to keep up.”
Applejack turned her head to look back at her sister. “Sugarcube, I know yer cutie mark says you’re a tinkerer—”
“I’m an engineer,” Apple Bloom said pointing to her cutie mark: a hammer and screwdriver crossed across her flank.
“And I’m the farmer here,” Applejack replied, pointing to her own cutie mark, “so I’ll leave the engineerin’ to you and you leave the apple bucking to me!” She turned and resumed walking away from the orchard.
Apple Bloom sighed and lowered her head. “Applejack, you’re not even thirty and you’ve already got a bad back. Are you just gonna keep bucking apples ‘till your hip’s give out like Granny’s?”
“That’s just what us farm ponies do.”
“But think of how many more apples we could harvest with my invention!”
“Bloom, there ain’t no pony – and especially no machine – that can harvest an orchard faster than your big sister.”
Apple Bloom knew a challenge when she heard one. She ran out in front of her sister, and stared Applejack in the eyes. “You sure about that?”
Applejack returned her glare. “I’d bet the farm on it.”
“Then I’ll take you up on that bet!” Apple Bloom leapt up excitedly. “You take that row of trees and I’ll take this one. Whoever can harvest their row faster wins. It’ll be my brains,” she sneered at her sister, “versus your brawn.”
“An’ what happens when you lose?”
“If I lose, I’ll scrap this project and I’ll never speak of it again. If I win, I get to start callin’ the shots around here.”
“If that’s what it’ll take to get you off of this nonsense, then it’s a deal.”
Applejack made her way over to her row of trees and waited for Apple Bloom to wheel her machine over. Apple Bloom gave a signal and the competition began. Applejack reared her hind legs back and let out a powerful kick. Her hooves impacted solidly against the supple trunk of the tree, sending the tree swaying. Amid the shower of apples softly thudding against the dirt, she could hear the roar of a diesel engine as Apple Bloom fired up her machine.
The nerve of that mare, thought Applejack. Ma’ n’ pa’ would be turning in their graves if she ever let Apple Bloom have her way. She looked back at Apple Bloom, but saw that her sister was slightly behind. Ah still got it, she thought to herself.
At first, Apple Bloom’s invention had worried her. A machine that could do her job – some lifeless bucket of bolts that could make her special talent obsolete – was a scary thought, after all. But all was right with the world. Mare would once again triumph over machine and they could put all this nonsense behind them.
Just two trees away from finishing out her row, Applejack gave her tree a solid buck. Either the tree wasn’t very strong or her kicks were more powerful than she thought because her kick had knocked loose one of the top branches, and it came crashing down on her back.
“You okay Applejack?” a concerned voice came from the next row.
“You worry about your own self,” Applejack shouted back as she threw the branch aside and got back to her feet.
She made her way over to the next tree and let out a buck. She felt her muscles spasm and a jolt of pain traveled through her back. Worse, barely a handful of apples fell from the tree. Fighting against the pain, she gave another kick, this time managing to loose a greater number of apples, but some apples still remained in the branches above.
Nervously, she looked over to the other row to see her sister finish harvesting the last tree and hop off of her machine. Dejected, Applejack just lay down on the grass.
“Um, if you want a do-over, that would be okay with me,” said Apple Bloom. “You were beating me before that branch fell on you.”
“Naw,” replied Applejack. “I know when I’ve been beat. You win.”
“So we can use my invention?” Apple Bloom's eyes widened in excitement.
“You’re the boss now,” replied Applejack. “I reckon it’s time this old cowpony get put out to pasture anyway.”
“Actually, about that,” began Apple Bloom, “you were right. I am just a tinkerer—”
“Engineer,” Applejack corrected.
“Well, either way,” continued Apple Bloom. “I don’t know anything about running a farm. I could sure use somepony whose special talent is doing that.”
“Wait a sec, are you sayin’—”
“Applejack, you’ve been running the farm since you were barely a teenager,” Apple Bloom said. “There ain’t no pony that can run a business better than my sister.”