Applejack trotted up to the tree Apple Bloom had pointed out to her and looked up. The leaves were rustling, and every so often, an apple would fall off seemingly of its own accord. She tilted her hat back and scratched her head. "Now whut'n tarnation...?"
A small greenish-yellow elephant slowly climbed down out of the tree, carefully lowering herself to the ground. "Now Ah can make mah best fresh hot apple pah ever," the elephant said, scooping up the apples with her trunk and placing them in the basket on her back.
Applejack tapped a hoof. "Now just hold up there, Tree Trunks," she said. "You can't just come in here poachin' mah apples!"
Tree Trunks glared balefully up at her. "Now look here. Ah'm jes' a tired ol' lady, wantin' ta do th' one an' only thang Ah'm best at doin', an' that's makin' apple pah. Don't stand there an' tell me with all them apples on all them trees, you cain't let an ol' lady have jes' a few!"
"If you want Sweet Apple Acres apples, ya gotta pay fer 'em!" Applejack declared.
Tree Trunks muttered and started to walk off, still toting the full basket of apples. "Lousy, no respect, tellin' an ol' lady she's gotta pay fer pickin' apples...after I durn near broke mah hip climbin' up that there tree...with mah arthritis an' all..."
Applejack sighed. "Tell ya what," she said. "We'll have a bake-off. If'n you can bake a better apple pie than me, you can have half a barrel of apples a week free." She smiled. "An' if Ah win, you gotta pay double for th' ones you done stole."
Tree Trunks turned and looked at her. "Now Ah know you didn't jes' say you think you can out-pah me."
"You bet your wrinkly hide Ah did."
"Yer on, chil'!" Tree Trunks said.
A short while later, Rainbow Dash sat in front of two plates of piping hot apple pie and a glass of milk. "So all you gotta do," Applejack said, "Is have a piece'a each pie, an' tell us which is better."
"Sure, no problem!" Rainbow said. She took a big bite out of the pie labeled "Pie A". "Heh. I know an Apple family apple pie anywhere!" she said, licking her lips. "That flaky crust, that delicious, gooey filling...nopony in Equestria can bake a better pie than you, AJ!"
"Aw, shucks," Applejack said, fanning herself with her hat.
Rainbow finished off the piece of pie, then drank half the milk. "Okay, now I'll try this other pie."
Applejack and Tree Trunks leaned in expectantly as Rainbow lowered her muzzle to the plate and dove into the pie.
Rainbow's eyes widened. "This..."
Suddenly, the pegasus shot straight into the air, trailing a rainbow. Applejack and Tree Trunks watched as a massive rainbow shockwave exploded across the sky.
Rainbow Dash plummeted to the ground, landing on her rump with a tremendous crash. Her eyes were half-closed and she was moaning and drooling. One hind leg started thumping the ground.
Tree Trunks smirked. "Ah win."
Applejack blinked. She walked over to the table and took a bite of Tree Trunks' pie. Her eyes bugged out. "Whooooooa nelly," she said. She looked back at the elephant, and cleared her throat. "Okay...you win. You get'cher free apples, just like Ah said." She picked up the remainder of Tree Trunks' pie and trotted off to the farmhouse. "Now if you'll excuse me, Ah need some alone time with this here pie..."