//------------------------------// // A Day on the Orchard // Story: The Elements of Unity // by Wolfe and WindSilver //------------------------------// Braeburn The sweet sound of bucking rang all through the orchard. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed the sound. Of course, It had only been a few weeks since I’d been fired from Appleloosa’s orchard. But a few weeks away from the job ya love can feel like a lifetime. I sighed, my mind wandering from Appleloosa to Strongheart. Or the buffalo ya love. "Hey Braeburn!" “What’s up AJ?” I called. “That’s enough for now,” Applejack called from the hill just ahead of me. “Got word from Rainbow Dash, she reckons that there’s another storm brewing.” She pointed above the trees toward the clouds. “Alright!” I called back. I lifted the last apple baskets and emptied them into the wagon. As I hitched myself to the wagon, I realized she had come closer. “Have ya seen Macintosh?” She asked as she glanced around. "Nope.” I lifted my apple baskets from the ground. “Tarnation," She said. "That mule-headed stallion’s gonna put himself in the hospital.” She kicked at the ground. “Applejack,” I chuckled. “Mac’ll be fine. This isthe stallion who kicked Uncle Jersey’s flank every year at the reunion.” She snorted. “Pa was asking for it. Always boasting about being the 'Iron-Pony' or something. Ya remember those wrestlin’ shorts he used to wear?” I laughed at the the memory of my uncle in those way too tight shorts that he would parade around in at every reunion. “Don’t remind me!” I told her as we started walking  We were silent for a while. “Ma hated those things. Ah swear, she tried to chuck those things out hundreds of times." I didn't have a response for that. "Remember the first time him and Mac went at it?" I asked. She nodded. I could tell she was barely holding back her laughter. "Remember what Jersey said?" I asked, snickering at the memory. She held up a hoof and tried to do a deep, rough voice. "Now son, you don't reckon ya can take on yer ol' man do ya?" "Eeyup," I said, playing Big Macintosh's part. "Well, ya gotta get your flank whooped sometime," She went on. We went silent. "OW! Uncle! Ah give. Ah GIVE!" Neither of us could hold back the laughter. I nearly fell over and had to lean on Applejack. She had  the same idea, and next thing we knew, we’d both fallen to the ground. Still laughing, we tried to pry ourselves off of each other. I went for the spilled apples, but fell over again when AJ did her impression of Uncle Jersey’s face. “Hold on,” I gasped. “Let me… catch… my breath.” She let me take a few deep breaths while she gathered up some apples. After we had them all picked up, we headed for the barn to store them. “How’s our guest doing?” I asked. She shook her head. “Out like an ursa in the winter.” I sighed. “What did Ms. Redheart say?” “Bruised ribs. And a chill something fierce.” I hissed in sympathy. She nodded. “Ah admit, Ah feel kinda bad for him. Nurse Redheart said to keep him warm or he might get new… new-mon…” She stopped and huffed. “Pneumonia?” I tried. She glared at me. “Yeah, that.” “He’s in for a rough few weeks,” I said when we started walking again. She smiled, grateful I hadn't teased her, and nodded. She was still worried about him. That was obvious. The sky started showing signs of the storm that she was so worried about. "Hey, AJ?" She gave another tug to the rope on the cart. Making sure that the knot was tight. "What's up?" She asked as she dropped the rope. I glanced at the sky again, the clouds started clumped together almost directly above us. "How 'bout Ah go looking for Big Mac while you and Granny get dinner ready?" "Alright, but ya'll hurry back." She took a look up too. "This one gonna be a big'un. Ah don't want either one of ya gettin' caught in it." I flashed her a grin. "Don't worry 'bout it AJ. Ah will personally drag him back here if Ah need to." She gave me a look. "Yeah Ah don't believe that either." I headed out the barn and in the direction Big Macintosh. Big Macintosh “♫Trot outside and you see the sunshine, something’s in the air today. Sky is clear and your feeling so fine. Everything’s gonna be A-Okay.♫” I hummed to myself as I  bucked at the tree. The apples fell perfectly into the baskets on my sides. Something you could only do with years of practice. I was mighty excited for the Next Ponytones show. Almost as much as Rarity. I had the whole show plan memorized. After my bit, Torch would come on just a second before Toe-Tapper. Just enough of a difference for you to tell their vocals apart. Everyone knew this part, but what they wouldn’t expect was the new twist. The clash of vocals. Bass and Tenor against the Soprano and Mezzo. “♫ Find the music, Real deep in your heart Gotta find it, Oh yeah! Everybody’s got the music buried deep inside—♫” “Whooo-we!” I spun around. “Celestia’s sun, Braeburn, I told ya to stop sneakin’ up on me.” He laughed. “Ya woulda heard me if ya weren’t so busy singing.” I shook my head and raised a back leg to kick the tree again. “How’s Flim?” I asked. “Couple of bruised ribs, bad cough. Coulda been worse.” I nodded, emptying my buckets in my wagon. “How many more ya got?” He asked. “Um,” I paused and turned to the rest of the trees. “Ah’d say ‘bout six more.” “Perfect,” he said, and reached for one of my baskets. “What do ya think you’re doing?” I asked, stepping back. “Uh?” He looked confused. “Helping?” I shook my head. “Eenope.” He sighed when I started walking away. And it was a little while before he followed me. “Big Mac,” he started while falling into step beside me. “Ah know ya like to do things yourself. But look…” I walked past him to get to the first tree, gave it two quick one-legged bucks. When the apples had fallen we kept walking. “AJ says we got another storm coming, and neither of us want to be out here when that happens.” “It’s just a few trees Brae,” I told him. “We’ll be back in plenty of time.” It took me a moment before I’d realized he’d stopped. When I turned back to see what was up, he looked at me like I’d hit my head. “What?” I asked. “Big MacIntosh,” he said. “You do realize that we’re over an hour’s walk from the barn, and we still have to pull that wagon of yours.” Braeburn “C’mon, hurry!” I yelled. “I’m moving!” Mac yelled back. I tried to tell him. But darn him and that pride of his. Mac didn’t have a big head, oh no. He was very humble. But the things he knew he could do, oh he had to do those alone. He wouldn’t let me help with the tree or loading the wagon. I had to pull his teeth just to pull the wagon. And we still got caught in the storm. An hour’s walk means a two hour walk with a wagon. I felt bad for him though; if Applejack was as good as tongue lashing as Strongheart, then he’d be getting an earful. Can’t say he doesn’t deserve it. A clump of snow hit me in the face for thinking like that. Can’t say Ah didn’t deserve that, I mused as I shook the snow from my face. “Up there!” I hadn’t even realized my head had dropped and my walk had slowed. But when I saw the house, I felt new energy flowing in my body. Which was just enough for me to make a considerable effort to pull the wagon into the barn (Though Big Mac did most of the work.) I closed the door behind us. I felt the adrenaline leave my body, and with it, my will to stay awake. “Don’t fall asleep on me now,” I heard as Mac propped me up with his shoulder. “C’mon now, let’s get you somewhere warm. “And another thing, next time I tell you to rest, I mean it!” My own ears fell flat in shame. And I wasn’t the one being yelled at. I’d expected Applejack to have a few words with her brother in private. But all she did was step to the side and let Applebloom into the room. And, boy howdy, did she let him have it. I was shocked she hadn’t run out of air, or strained her throat, or shattered the windows with the voice she had. “You are going to spend the next few days in bed. You aren’t going into town to sell anything. You aren’t working on the barn. You aren’t bucking apples. You are staying in this house and, unless absolutely necessary, in your room.” She grabbed his yoke and yanked his head down to eye level. “Got it?” He nodded slowly. She let him go, turned around, and walked upstairs. For a second, nobody said anything. I shifted nervously under my blanket. Then, neither Applejack or I could hold back. We started laughing so hard that we had to shush each other. Which lead to more laughter, and more shushing. Mac wasn’t as amused. He huffed and followed after Applebloom. We waited until he was gone, then we started giggling again. “Alright, alright,” Applejack said as she calmed down. “You need to get some sleep, you’re gonna have to take Big Mac’s place tomorrow.” I saluted. “Yes, sir.” She tried to hide a laugh behind her hoof. “Get some sleep,” she ordered as she turned towards the stairs. “Good night,” I called as I headed for my own room. “‘Night,” she called back. “You know it’s hopeless, there is nothing you can do.” I ignored the voice. It was wrong, it had to be. “You can’t help them, and now, no one can help you.” I turned back; just for a second, but that was all it took. The fog caught up to me. It completely covered me. It choked me. I couldn’t breathe, everything was dark. I sat up, sweating and gasping. Just a dream, I reassured myself. Just a dream.  I wiped the sweat from my forehead, my hooves still shaking. Just a dream. But it was the third nightmare I’d had since leaving Appleloosa. And the third I couldn’t remember. Maybe I was just homesick. Homesick and dying of thirst. “Well I can fix one of those things,” I whispered to myself. I slid out of bed and made my way towards the kitchen. “Hmm, a nice cup of cider should do the trick.” I muttered. “Why exactly am I talking to myself?” I questioned, then shrugged. When I left the kitchen, I bumped into what felt like a brick wall, fell on my rump, and dropped my mug of cider which spilled on the ground. I rubbed my head and looked up at Big Mac. Of course he had barely moved an inch. “What are you doing down here?” I hissed. “Me?” he asked. “What are you doing?” “Well Ah was having a nice glass of cider, when somepony knocked me for a loop.” I muttered. “Hey, who’s down there?” We both stopped squabbling and looked up the stairs. Hoofsteps sounded from just to the right of them. “Big MacIntosh that’d better not be you down there,” Applejack called down. “Hide,” I hissed, pushing him out of the light from the kitchen as Applejack came down the stairs. “Oh, it’s you Braeburn,” She yawned. “Huh? Oh hey, AJ. Yeah sorry ‘bout that,” I said. I scratched the back of my head, trying to look embarrassed. “Ah spilled a cup of cider’s all.” She shook her head and yawned again. “There’s some rags under the sink,” she said tiredly. “Make sure you get it all.” She turned away and started up the stairs. I waited until her door close before hissing, “She’s gone.” "She's gone," I heard him whisper. I stepped out carefully, no sense making anymore noise. We both flicked an ear at the staircase. Complete silence. I sighed in relief. "Thanks, Brae." "Don't mention it, especially not to Applebloom." He shivered. "That filly scares me." I chuckled. "She's had a pretty rough day. She's usually a bit nicer." He nodded and looked at the cup and spilled cider on the floor. "The least Ah can do is help with the mess," I offered. "It's mostly my fault." He gave me a look. "Okay, all my fault," I admitted, chuckling. He laughed and headed into the kitchen to grab the rags while I picked up the mug and set it in the sink. "What were you doin' down here anyway?" he asked while I cleaned the cider. "Oh, Ah was… uh…" Buck. "I had just got a drink, and I was bringing it back and didn't see you there." Yeah, that's believable. I'd believe that. "You didn't have anything with you when I ran into you." And apparently I'd be dumb for believing it. "Are you hiding something?" He asked me, stepping forward. "E-eenope," I stammered. I tried for the stairs, but Braeburn blocked the way. I tried for the kitchen, but he stuck a hoof out. I backpedaled. Okay, no problem. Just avoid the couch and he'll never- I bumped into the couch and fell into the cushions. Knocking Smartypants to the ground. Neither of us said a thing. Him staring at the doll. Me staring at him. And the doll staring at the ceiling. Braeburn reached for Smarty, and I couldn't stop myself from snatching her away. I held her close and brushed the carpet hairs from her face. "Go ahead," I said bitterly. "Laugh." He said nothing. "What, is it just too easy?" He sighed. "Mac..." He walked in place for a second before sitting down. "Did Ah ever tell you Ah slept with the lights on until Ah was about 15?" I shook my head. "Well you remember what happened with Pa." I shivered, Uncle Red was, and still is, a cranky and violent stallion. "Well he took all the money with him. We had no light, food, water, just, nothing." He shook his head and pointed at me. "You know how it was." I nodded. "Having the lights on after all that. It... it..." "Reassured you," I said. "Exactly. It comforted me. The same way..." "Smartypants," I mumbled. "...Right. The same way she comforts you. You've got a lot weighing on you. So Ah'll never judge you on that." I smiled gratefully at him. "Just one question though?" I nodded. "Why did you bring her down here anyway?" I felt my face flush. My red fur didn't do much to hide it. "Well," I said, turning my head to the side. "I though Flim might feel a bit better if he had something to..." "Aw, the big lug has a heart after all," he cooed, punching me in the shoulder. I gave him a glare which he just laughed off. "Don't stay up too late," he said sing-songy. Then he gave me a wink, giggled, and ran upstairs. I took my brain a minute to understand what he'd been hinting at. My first instinct was to toss him out the window and into the snow. Then I looked at Smarty and smiled. "Tomorrow," I said. And with that, I headed into Flim's room.