It was the next day, early in the morning, the sun just coming up over the horizon, giving everything a purple color, and I was heading to Sweet Apple Acres to do my work for Applejack. I had managed to get that book off the shelf, and now I had a start of a report in a notebook back at the library to be sent to Nightmare Moon when it was ready. For now, I had to be ready for some hard labor, as I expected as much from Applejack.
Approaching the gateway, I had a clear view of the farm. I knew most of it, since I had seen it on the show: The big barn in the middle was the most obvious, with the vegetable gardens and what looked like chicken coops, and the orchard behind them. I never noticed the carrot farm in the background, though. Looking around, I saw Applejack. She was hauling in some apples from the orchard, it looked like. After she finished putting them away, she finally noticed me, then smiled and waved as she walked over.
"Howdy, Blue! You ready to work?"
"I guess. What's first?"
"Well, we need to finish bringing in the last o' these apples, so we got to buck 'em off the trees into bushels, then bring 'em into the barn, here. Think you can do that?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Then lets git to it!"
As we headed to the orchard, we stopped on a hill that looked over Sweet Apple Acres. It looked like the trees went on for miles. Thinking about all those apples, I couldn’t help but ask: "Are we going to harvest ALL the apples off these trees?"
"Not by ourselves, we ain't! We got Big Macintosh and Applebloom to help!"
Right on cue, the two both appeared on the hill with us, Big Mac ready with a big, deep, "Eeyup."
Both were as expected to be, since I had seen them on the show: Big Mac was usually silent, except for the occasional agreement or disagreement, but he has spoken in full sentences before. Applebloom was also as I had expected: a big red bow on her mane, and yet to find her talent.
Lots of things seemed to be similar to what I saw on the show; it just looked more realistic in person. Huh.
After addressing them both, we got to work. We split up into teams, to cover more ground. Applejack and Big Mac were one team, so I was with Applebloom. Before we split, Applejack showed me how to buck the apples off the trees.
"When you fill up the bushel baskets, move on to the next tree, and we'll collect 'em all at the end. Let's go!"
We headed out, ready for the task at hand. As me and Applebloom headed into the sea of trees, she started up a conversation: "So, yer True Blue?"
"That's me, but you can call me Blue."
"OK! Applejack mentioned you being new around here. Did Pinkie Pie throw you a party?'
"Yep, in town hall. Were you there?"
"No, I was at a meeting with my friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. We made a secret society called the Cutie Mark Crusaders! It's somethin' we came up with to help colts and fillies like us find their Cutie Marks." To emphasize the point, she stood on her forelegs and wiggled her hindquarters, showing her blank flank.
"Ah, yes, I think I've heard of you before."
She looked at me for a moment, and frowned "Hey, you don't have your Cutie Mark either! Why not?"
I figured she would ask. "Well... I guess I never found my special talent."
Her face all of the sudden brightened up. "Maybe you could join us and help us find ours, and yours!"
I couldn't help but smile at the thought. It kind of sounded like baby-sitting. "Maybe, but for now we have to get to work." I walked over to an apple tree with some barrels under it and did what Applejack showed me. Stand on your forelegs, retract the hind ones, and kick. I watched as all the apples fell off the tree and into the baskets.
Applebloom face seemed to go to immediate shock, "Wow, that's pretty good for your first time. Hmmm...I have an idea." She put on a grin of scheming mischief: I was interested. "Let's see what you can actually do: buck as many trees as you can in a minute. Wanna try?"
Well, I wasn't one to not accept good challenges. "Sure."
Excited, she pulled out a stopwatch from somewhere. "Ready?"
I got ready to run.
"GO!!"
I broke out into a gallop, heading for the first tree I saw with baskets underneath. When I was close enough, I turned, and bucked the tree, which became the ongoing process until my time ran out. In between the beginning and the end, I tried to figure out strategies to get to trees faster, like using the momentum of hitting the tree to also launch off of it to the next one. This got me to the tree, but too close to turn around and hit it. Oh well, it was a good try. At one point, I tripped over a root I could've easily avoided, and killed myself over that one. I kept going until I heard Applebloom yell "STOP!"
I screeched to a stop, almost running into a tree, but tripping over the root.
Ugh.
After I got up, Applebloom told me my score. "Twelve trees. That's not so bad."
"I suppose not, for the first time."
"Maybe yer special talent is apple harvesting!"
"Maybe...anyway, let's keep going."
As we continued harvesting, we continued to talk, as well. Things like what the Crusaders had done to get their Cutie Marks. Some of the things I already knew, but some things weren't mentioned on the show. I wouldn't be one to think that they would try working at the Quills and Sofas store. It sounded boring.
"It was," she said after I asked her. "I can't think why we actually wanted to in the first place. I had already tried selling apples, and that didn't quite work out."
"Well, that's OK. We're almost done anyways."
After a few more trees, we regrouped with Applejack. When she saw me, for some reason, she started laughing like she was at a stand-up comedy show.
"Well, howdy, you two. Blue, you’re sweatier than a bull in a rodeo."
"Eeyup."
I looked myself over, and I actually was pretty sweaty, but between talking with Applebloom, and bucking trees, I hadn't noticed too much.
Applebloom spoke next. "I decided not to tell you because I thought you would be embarrassed."
I couldn't help but smile. "I wouldn't have been embarrassed, Applebloom. I don't mind sweating; it just means I was working hard."
"Well, I would say you were," Applejack responded.
"Eeyup."
"You shouda seen him, Applejack! He was bucking those trees as if he was doin' it forever!" Applebloom seemed ecstatic. "Do you think his Cutie Mark has something to do with apple harvesting?"
"Applebloom, hush. Yer being impolite."
"Oh, it's no problem. Applebloom was suggesting I join the Cutie Mark Crusaders."
Applebloom practically groveled before Applejack. "Please, Applejack, Pleeeeeeeeeease?"
She chuckled. "I don't see why not, but it's up to Blue. In the meantime let's keep working. Now that the apples are in bushels, we'll take 'em in to the barn."
After I shook myself off, we started stage two of the harvesting. We worked as a team of four this time, so we could help each other load up with bushels. Big Mac was loading me up with a set; they came in twos connected by a strap that went over your back; and they felt moderately heavy, but thanks to Nightmare Moon, I had a bit more strength than I normally do, so I asked Big Mac for a second set. He looked skeptical, but loaded me up anyway. Yep, that's more like it: A full load to carry.
Applejack seemed surprised. "Well, well, well. It seems you’re stronger than you look."
"Eeyup."
"I told you, Applejack, I told you!"
"You did. We'll just have to see what else you can do. Let's get these apples in."
***
I went home, exhausted from the day's work. Applejack had a lot of jobs for me, like feeding the pigs, repairing a few things, and plowing the fields. I think I even helped Granny Smith at one time or another. Even still, I found no Cutie Mark, which I didn't mind, but I told Applebloom I would think about joining the Crusaders. Now I needed a bath, and some water. I went to go look for where the water was kept, when I received a visit from an unexpected guest. She was in the library already when I walked in.
"What in the world happened to you?"
I smiled as I looked up at the dark mare, my sweaty mane covering my face. "Just getting the trust of the residents."
She seemed surprised, but pushed the thought away, I guess. "Very well. Give me the progress of your report."
I had to work on that, too. "It's coming along nicely. I was going to work on it after I finished bathing."
"Well, you best hurry up. I need that information for the plan as soon as possible."
"I'll let you know when it's done. Don't worry."
"You better. Your future depends upon it."