//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Rotten Apples // by Visual Spectrum //------------------------------// The bells rang signaling the contest was about to start. The contestants were led to different areas of the orchard. Applejack and Corn Maize were ready to buck some trees. A loud stallion voice was heard by every pony, "You have one hour to buck as many trees as you can! Ready! Set! Go!" As soon as the last word was spoken, the contestants bucked as many trees as they could. Source Code knew he was being watched, and he started to feel nervous. Braeburn saw that his brother wasn't doing anything, so he told him, "Ya need to quit worryin' and get buckin'! I know you have strong legs. I've seen ya buck before." Source Code tried to buck a tree, but his nerves got the best of him. "I'm sorry. I wasn't in a competition when you saw me buck trees. I get nervous when I'm competing." "Everyone does. Doesn't mean ya should give up," Braeburn told him. Source Code bucked trees even though they weren't as good as when he was back in Appleoosa. Braeburn didn't mind and continued working as well. Meanwhile, Applejack and Corn Maize continued bucking. Applejack was tempted to go check on what the Flim Flam Brothers were doing, but she thought better of it. Corn Maize was glad that his cousin wasn't worrying too much. Without warning, the bell rang signalling that the first round was over. The contestants stopped what they were doing, and other ponies went by to pick up the baskets of apples. Applejack glanced at the Flim Flam brothers and noticed they weren't sweating, "Look at them. They ain't even exhausted!" Corn Maize looked over at the unicorn brothers as well, "They do seem awfully suspicious, but we have no evidence that they cheated." Applejack nodded in agreement. The two of them drank a cup of cider before going to the stand where the second round was to take place. Each pair sat in front of a basket of one hundred apples ready to start peeling. The bell rang signalling the start of the second round. Applejack and Corn Maize worked together peeling apples. They worked as fast as they could. The apples were ready to peel, so they felt that they were in luck. That was until Corn Maize was about to peel his sixth Apple. The bell rang signalling the end. "What the hay?" Corn Maize asked irritated. "There was no way anyone could've peeled that many apples without magic!" Applejack sighed and whispered so only Corn Maize could hear, "Now do ya see why I'm nervous?" Corn Maize shook his head, "I understand why you don't trust 'em, but ya shouldn't be nervous 'cause of them. We ain't gonna have any chance of winning if you're worrying about them." Applejack took her cousin's advice and grabbed a mug of apple cider to keep her mind off the two unicorns. Corn Maize remembered Applejack mentioning that she was going to be with someone else but decided against it, "Where ya going to compete with Pinkie Pie? I heard she was the newest member of the family." Applejack shook her head, "No. I was considerin' going with Rares. Pinkie's planning the party and couldn't attend." "Rares?" Corn Maize asked confused. "Rarity. She's one of my friends. We aren't anything alike, but we still get along," Applejack explained. "She sounds mean," Corn Maize commented. Applejack chuckled and shook her head, "Ya got it all wrong. She's very friendly. She's very generous and caring. She got me out of a tight spot." "What do ya mean?" ask Corn Maize. "I was makin' dresses," Applejack stated. Corn Maize laughed at that then took a drink of his cider. The bell rang signalling the beginning of the final round. The ponies started doing the peeled apples without carrying about anything else. Applejack saw a knife floating from the corner of her eye. She glanced for a second and saw that the Flim Flam brothers were using magic. She became angry, but she still continued making the pie. When she was finished, she noticed that several teams, including the Flim Flam brothers, were finished. Braeburn and Source Code finished shortly after. The bell rang, and the ponies stood up to stretch. The scores were still being figured, so Applejack took the chance to confront the Flim Flam brothers. She walked up to them and told them, "Y'all were cheatin'! The brothers laughed. Flim responded with, "Oh yeah? What proof do you have?" "That you were spying on us?" Flam continued. "Would you really throw away all your chances of winning just so we don't win? What would Rarity think?" Flim said mockingly. "Y'all leave her out of this!" Applejack shouted in rage. She knew they had a point, though. She was being a bit selfish. She trotted back to her cousin who was drinking his cider and told him, "I've been selfish tryin' ta bust them." Corn Maize looked at Applejack in shock, "What do you mean?" "If they win, I will be fine. I don't wanna do anything selfish. Rares would be mad," she explained. "Is it really selfish ta want the prize to go to somepony who deserves it?" Corn Maize asked. Applejack looked through the crowd and saw Rarity. ‘Corn has a point. I'm letting someone who deserves to win too get the prize,' she thought. She got up and trotted to the judges' table and stated, " Ah saw the Flim Flam brothers use magic." One of the judges replied with, "Thank you for bringing this to our notice, but we have to disqualify you. You were spying, and that is against the rules." "I understand," Applejack said before she walked off. Secondly after, Source Code was seen walking to the judges and talking to them.