//------------------------------// // Farming with Cinnamon Muffin // Story: CMC EGGCELLENT EGGSITTERS // by wolfdreamer //------------------------------// Sweetie patted her on her back. “Well it’s not so bad; at least we get to be together during the summer.” She glanced at the small straw basket beside AppleBloom. “Looks like you’re the only one that’s not going to have summer school.” AppleBloom looked down at her basket, and gave it a nudge with her hoof. “Um, yah, about that, see…” Scootaloo and Sweetie looked at each other, and then back at AppleBloom. “Okay, I’ve gotta here this.” “Yeah what happened?” “Well ya see, I had to git on home right after school. We were goin to be workin in the vegetable garden this weekend an I want’ed to show the family Cinnamon Muffin fer we got started….” XXXXX Friday afternoon Sweet Apple Acres Kitchen “…and that’s what I have to do this weekend.” Beamed AppleBloom as she held her egg in her hoofs as she leaned against the table to steady herself. She looked at all three members of her family. Granny Smith was frowning, Big Mac nodded his head, and AppleJack tilted her head quizzically. “So lemee get this straight. You gotta watch an egg for a weekend project and learn how the elements are all related to it?” “Pretty much AppleJack. Do yah think I kin do it?” “Sugarcube, we live on a farm. I think we kin handle watchin, a single egg.” AppleBloom blinked a few times. “Oh yeah, I fergot about that. Heck, this should be easy.” She smiled, then frowned, “Uhh, what do I need to do?” “Well first yah gotta…” “I don’t like this.” “What don’t ya like Granny?” Questioned AppleBloom. “Foals having foals. In my day, young’un’s didn’t talk about such things. Why in my day…” “Oh granny, it’s just a school project. Why Big Mac an ah had tah do the same thin when we were AppleBloom’s age. Ain’t that right Big Mac?” Explained AppleJack. BigMac nodded his head up and down, “Eyup.” “Ah, don’t care. Why ah have half a mind to give that Miss Cheerilee a piece of it. Givin foals such an assignment. Why in all my years…” “Wait a minute. Are ya all talkin about sex?” Inquired AppleBloom, her eyes growing large. The entire kitchen grew quiet, as all eyes were on the small filly looking quizzically at the adults. “What?” “Applebloom, sugarcube, how do you know about..er..sex.” “AppleJack, we live on a farm. I’ve seen chickens do it. I’ve seen the pigs do it. I’ve seen Winona do it. Heck, I’ve seen the cows do it and then talk about it. Pfft, it’s not a big deal.” The adult’s mouths opened in shock. AppleJack recovered first. Shaking her head she looked at Granny Smith whose mouth was open so wide, her dentures were almost slipping out her mouth. Looking at Big Mac, she saw he was redder then a tomato and still had half of an apple fritter hanging in his mouth. Deciding to take action, AppleJack pulled AppleBloom out of the kitchen, as they left out the door into the barnyard, she looked down at the egg AppleBloom was holding, “Cinnamon Muffin, huh?” “Yeah, ain’t it a great name?” Smiled AppleBloom as she looked into Applejacks face. “Well, I’ll say this, it’s mighty intrestin.” AppleJack looked away from AppleBloom, and rolled her eyes. The two continued to walk toward the barn, where upon arriving, AppleJack opened the barn and blinking stepped into the dim interior. “Alright, sugarcube, first things first. We need to git ah basket for the egg.” Rummaging, in a wooden box, Applejack pulled out a small straw basket. Brushing off some dust, she turned back and pulled out an extra hoof kerchief. Quickly, she made a nest in the basket. Taking Cinnamon Muffin from AppleBloom, she placed the egg in the basket. “There yah are. Done.” “That’s it?” “Well, you could purty it up with ah ribbon on the handle, ah guess.” Looking at AppleBloom’s mane ribbon expectedly. “Oh.” Realizing what AppleJack was saying, she removed her ribbon, and tied it onto the basket. “Alright, that’ll do. Let’s git started weedin the garden. Grab the basket, an let’s go.” Turning around she and Applebloom left the barn and trotted to the garden. Reaching the edge of the garden, Applebloom put the basket down and along with AppleJack began to weed the garden. AppleJack, as was her nature, quickly got in the spirit of hard work. She weeded, pushed roots into the soil, straightened plants and checked on leaves and stems for any pesky bugs that could damage the plants. However, as with most things, once she had a goal, she seldom noticed anything around herself. Had she been paying attention, AppleJack would have noticed how much or rather, how little AppleBloom was working. It wasn’t until she had finished her third row and had paused to wipe the sweat off her fur, that she saw that AppleBloom had barely gotten through half of her first row. She watched as AppleBloom would take a step down her row, her head facing the small basket, as she lowered herself to the ground to bite the weed and just stood there with her mouth open watching the egg. Until after a minute she would bite the weed, slowly pick it up and drop it in her saddle basket. Then the process would begin again. With an exaggerated sigh, AppleJack decided enough was enough. She walked toward Applebloom, who was at the moment staring at Cinnamon Muffin. Upon reaching her, Applejack poked her in the shoulder with her hoof. “Auugh!” Screamed Applebloom as she jumped up in surpirese. “Land sakes, suger cube, your jumpier then a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.” Applebloom blushed at that comment and ducked her head in embaresment. “Sorry sis…Only…” “Ah know, ah know. Yah wanna do ah good job on yer project, but let me tell yah a little secret. Whether it’s rasin foals, puppies or dragons, or even eggs, th’ one thin yah don’t wanna do is hoover. That’s the worse thin you kin do to a baby.” “But Applejack! It’s mah responsibility tah…” “Ah know, an yer doi’n ah great job at it, only yer not treatin it like ah real foal.” “But I’m watchin it like ahm sposed tah.” Pouted Applebloom as her bottom lip stuck out. “Yeah, but yer not actin like a parent. Ah parent’ll watch their foal sure, but they won’t act like you. If they did, nothin would git done.” Seeing Appleblooms confused face, AppleJack tried another approach. “Ah newborn foal needs to be fed, warm, safe an loved. Yer Cinnamon Muffin is the same way. It’s purtected, warm, and loved. As its an egg ah don’t think it needs any food, an unless theres a baker around lookin for random eggs ah think it’ll be OK.” Applebloom frowned at what AppleJack had said. Looking back and forth from Cinnamon Muffin to her sister, she kept trying to understand what Applejack had been saying. Finally, “You promise, nothin will happen?” “Ah promise. Yew can trust me.” Taking off her Stetson, she raised her hoof and made a Pinkie Promise. “OK. Then let’s git to work.” Applebloom quickly bit off a weed and moved further down the row. AppleJack just smiled and went back to her own work. XXXXX “An that’s it. Ah spent the rest of the weekend looking after Cinnamon Muffin an doin mah chores.” Shrugged AppleBloom as she finished explaining to her friends. “Oh, so I guess, Cinnamon Muffin is in the basket huh?” Sighed Sweetie Belle, beginning to look discouraged again. AppleBloom’s cheecks redend, “Not exactly,” she mumbled. “What do you mean not exactly,” questioned Scootaloo. “Well, ya see….ah was so excited tah come to school and tell ya’ll about mah weekend, that I ran down the road, tripped over a rock and out fell Cinnamon Muffin smashin on the ground.” Explained Applebloom quickly. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle blinked once, twice, three times, and then burst out laughing. Sweetie Belle saw AppleBloom’s face droop and instantly stopped laughing. Placing a hoof over Scoot’s mouth, she stopped laughing as well. “Sorry, Applebloom.” Squeaked Sweetie. Scoots nodded in apology as well. The three fillies looked at each other awkwardly for a few moments, and then Scootaloo bit her muzzle as she pondered a question. “Applebloom, what is sex?” questioned Scootaloo. “Sex? Why it’s when….” Started Applebloom, before she was interrupted by a scream. “What do you mean you used my egg?” Screeched Diamond Tiara at Twist. Twist, shook in embarrassment. “Well, I needed eggs to make some candy. And I fogot that it was yours. Sorry. You can have your bits back.” Twist took the bits out of her saddle bag and held it out to Diamond. Diamond Tiara snatched the bits out of her hoof and stormed into the school. As Diamond trotted into the classroom the CMC burst out laughing. When they finally stopped, Applebloom grinned at her friends. “Hey, ah just had an idea. We all have to go to summer school right?” Her two friends nodded. “Yah know what that means right?” Comprehension dawned on Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, SUMMER SCHOOL STUDENTS CUTIE MARK!” The fillies clapped their hooves together and raced into their school to let Ms. Cheerilee know they were going to go for their cutie marks in Summer School.