Fluttershy collapsed onto her bed with a sigh. All afternoon she had been helping Pinkie Pie clean up litter around the town. The winds of the storm had blown around some interesting things; they had found Ms. Cheerilee's lesson plans from the previous week, Rarity's favorite pair of slippers, some tax forms for Quills & Sofas, and what looked like the beginnings of the next great Equestrian novel. Unfortunately, they hadn't found the owner of the last item.
Angel hopped up onto the bed next to her and stood above her head, staring upside-down at her. She blew a piece of her mane out of her eyes and sat up, crossing her forelegs. "What's wrong, Angel?" she demanded. "I thought you'd be glad that I came home, but you've just been acting strange all day."
He shook his head and jabbed her bed, as if to say, Go to sleep, you're exhausted.
Fluttershy wasn't giving in. "Was it the storm?" she continued. "Are you still scared from it?"
Angel hastily nodded his head and tried to hop down. Fluttershy, sensing that there was still more, caught him by the tail and hauled him back up. She spat fluff out of her mouth and looked at him, concerned. "Angel," she said. "I know storms are scary, but you normally don't act like this for very long after they're over. Now, tell me what's really on your mind."
Her rabbit sighed and dramatically flung himself onto his back. He chattered away, waving his paws for emphasis. Fluttershy scooped him up in a hug.
"Oh, Angel," she laughed. "What made you think of that all of a sudden? I'm not going to leave you for somepony else. You're worrying too much. I promise, I'm staying right here for now."
Angel sighed in relief and snuggled into her hug. Her words rang through his head, and he thought, Darn right, she's not. Not if I have a say in it.
Apple Bloom was sick and tired of bucking. Until recently, her siblings had told her she was too little for it. Now, she supposed, they were only making her help because they needed it, but it didn't mean she had to like it.
It had been three days since the storm, and they still weren't caught up. To make matters worse, AJ was off in town with her friends for the day, so Apple Bloom had been forced to stay home from school and do her sister's work. The little filly didn't think it was fair; how come she always had to put aside her friends for last, but Applejack got to skip everything for them?
As it neared three o'clock, Apple Bloom heard voices coming up the path. She stopped bucking and snuck up along the edge of the path, crouching in a bush to see. Applejack was coming back, and she had brought her friends with her. She tried to scramble back to her buckets, but Pinkie saw her.
"Aw, hey Apple Bloom!" she cried. "Are we playing hide-and-seek? That's my favorite!"
Sighing, Apple Bloom left her hiding spot behind and stepped into view. She expected Applejack to rip into her for slacking off, but her sister just grinned. "Hey, can you go ahead and let Granny know we're comin'? Ah brought the girls by to try that new cider recipe."
The little filly nodded and started towards the house, but then she remembered something and doubled back. "Gimme a minute, sis," she said. "Ah just gotta get Big Mac to bring ma apples in real quick."
She raced back to her section of the orchard. She heard her brother pounding away a few yards behind her. Quickly, she scooped a bucket of apples onto her back and headed towards the noise. She found Big Mac, bucking trees with rapid precision. He had his eyes closed and was humming a little tune to himself. A half-full cart stood behind him, and she jumped up, depositing the bucket onto the cart.
Apple Bloom tapped her brother on the shoulder, and he opened his eyes in alarm, his front hooves slipping out from under him. He had been in the middle of a kick, and his back legs swung wildly as he tried to regain his footing. He crashed onto the ground, exhaling forcefully as all of the wind was knocked out of his lungs.
His baby sister grinned sheepishly at him. "Eh heh, sorry about that. Ah need you to come pick up ma apples for me. AJ needs me back at the house."
He glared up at her, then struggled to his hooves. "Eeyup," he wheezed.
She nodded gratefully. "Thanks, big brother!" She ran down the path, yelling over her shoulder, "Ah owe you one!"
Apple Bloom skidded through the open door of the farmhouse. Granny Smith was in her favorite chair, taking her afternoon nap.
"Granny!" The filly panted. "AJ's comin' by with her friends. Where's the cider?"
Her granny jerked awake. "What? Who's there?" she mumbled. Her eyes focused on her granddaughter. "Apple Bloom! What are you doin' in here? S'it dinnertime already?"
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Never mind that, Granny. Where's the cider? AJ wants to test out the new recipe."
Granny yawned and lazily waved a hoof at the kitchen. "In the icebox. Now let me sleep."
Apple Bloom ran into the kitchen. She flung open the door to icebox, grabbed six bottles of cider, and placed them carefully on her back. Then she went over to the counter and picked up a cup full of straws, balancing in precariously on her nose. She walked slowly out the back door and set the drinks on the picnic table. Her sister and her friends rounded the corner a few seconds later.
AJ started when she saw the drinks already laid out. "Thanks a bushel, sugarcube," she said, patting her sister's head.
Apple Bloom scowled. "How come we've had to work our tails off these past few days, and now all of a sudden y'all can just take a day off?" she demanded.
Applejack grinned. "Because, you silly filly, the girls're here to help us out."
Her sister continued glaring at her. "Why didn't they come earlier?"
Applejack looked sheepishly at her friends, her face glowing with embarrassment. She turned to her sister and whispered, "Because they offered to help today. Ah'm not gonna be ropin' 'em into things they don't wanna do. Now go finish your homework. Ah'll have somepony else pick up your work."
Apple Bloom perked up as she realized she was done with farm work for the day. She began to head upstairs when her sister called her back. "Bring Mac somethin' to drink, wouldya?" she asked. "Ah'm afraid he'll never take a break otherwise."
The little filly nodded and scurried into the kitchen, snatching up a bottle of cider and popping off the lid. She stuck in a straw and placed it on her back, tearing back out into the orchard. She approached her brother more carefully this time, calling his name while she was still several feet away. He turned to face her, and she dropped his cider bottle on the apple cart.
"This is for you," she told him. "AJ's lettin' us all take a break 'cause her friends are comin' to help afterward."
Big Mac gulped down the cider. "Thanks," he said gratefully. He took another sip of the cider and smacked his lips suspiciously."Tastes diff'rent..." he mused.
"It's a new recipe or somethin'," Apple Bloom explained. "Anyways, Ah gotta go do ma homework now. You're cleanin' up after yerself!" She ran back towards the house.
Big Mac sat down and stretched out his aching muscles. He had been working so much these past few days, he hadn't even given himself time to be sore. He had tried to avoid taking breaks, because it would be that much harder to pick back up again, but he stayed sitting. He sucked once more on the straw, and it gave a hollow slurping sound. He left the empty bottle on the cart and hitched himself into the harness, trotting back to the barn to unload. The buckets of apples jumped and jostled as he walked leisurely down the path.
Meanwhile, AJ and her friends assembled in front of the barn. Applejack cleared her throat. "Alright, y'all," she began. "Ah think it's best if half of us buck and half of us haul. Big Mac'll be on haulin' duty, too. Now, Twilight, Pinkie, can you help him? Then Fluttershy, Dash, Rarity, and Ah can buck."
Rarity grimaced. "Not to, erm, impose, Applejack, but is there something that I can do that involves less dirt?"
Applejack chuckled dryly. "Well, Ah suppose you could always unload the carts in the barn. That clean enough for ya?"
Rarity smiled. "But of course, dear. I'm always happy to help."
She retreated into the barn, and the other five ponies proceeded on to their jobs. Big Mac pulled his cart up to the barn as Twilight was struggling to make sense of the straps on her harness. Applejack trotted over to give her a hoof and nodded up to her brother. "We're splittin' up into teams. You just keep bringin' apples to the barn, alright? We'll buck the rest of these."
Big Mac unhooked himself and pulled a bucket onto his back. "Eeyup."
The girls headed out into the orchard. Fluttershy contemplated the tree before her, peering up into its branches. She turned around and shot her back legs out, making contact with the tree. A handful of apples fell into the buckets around her. She sighed and bucked again. A few more fell, but most of the apples stayed firmly attached.
A chuckle sounded from behind her, and she whirled around, her face red from exertion and embarrassment. "Ah think AJ's got it all backwards," Big Mac said. He picked his way around to face Fluttershy and wriggled out of his harness. "No offense, but Ah don't think you're gonna get very far like that. Here, why don't Ah buck, and you can carry the cart."
Fluttershy dropped all four hooves onto the ground. "Is it really that bad?" she asked.
Big Mac shook his head. "Nah, your method's good, but you don't have enough power. Ah've just had more practice at it. See?" He kicked out his back legs, and a shower of apples fell from the tree behind him. He tossed a full bucket into the cart and gestured toward it. "Plus, Ah figure you'd be better for this kinda thing, with your wings and all."
She relented, and the two traded places. In no time at all, Fluttershy needed to go to the barn and unload. When she left, Big Mac found himself wanting to follow her. He shook his head, wondering at himself. He had certainly been talkative today. And now, with his sudden separation anxiety, he felt like he hadn't since, well...
Since Hearts and Hooves Day. But that was silly. Apple Bloom had promised to never do it again. And it's not like he had anything to drink lately, except the cider, so he was probably fine.
He froze. He remembered commenting that the cider tasted different, and his sister just brushed it off and then darted away. He was convinced, now. It explained so much! He set off towards the house at a run. Oh, Apple Bloom was really in trouble now.