//------------------------------// // 8. Applebucking Season - Part 1 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Midnight all stood upon a hill, overlooking Sweet Apple Acres. The three of them getting primed for the biggest harvest for weeks, it had finally arrived. Applebuck Season! “Boy howdy!” Applejack said, gazing upon the massive bounty before them, hard worked, rightly earned. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, that there’s the biggest bumper crop a’ apple Ah ever laid eyes on.” She was ready, eager for the challenge ahead. “Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed (with her observation, that is). “Lucky think Midnight saved me from that cart last week. Ah don’t even wanna know what would’a happened if Ah’d been hurt and you’d been left to do th’ work alone.” “What am I, chopped barley?” Midnight raised his brow. “Ya ain’t used to this kind’a work,” Mac responded. Midnight shrugged while Applejack was frowning, not appreciating what her brother was insinuating. “Well, Ah guess we’ll never know, will we?” Midnight realized something. Uh-oh, I changed the story again! But again he kept his words to himself. “Come on, gentlecolts!” Applejack was ready! “Let’s get to it…” Twilight and Spike were walking through the marketplace, Twilight was looking at one of her famously long to-do lists, while Spike was struggling to carry all the stuff they’d purchased. Twilight looked them over, as well as the list. “Let’s see…” she said. “Check, check, and… check! All done!” “Finally!” Spike collapsed, exhausted from the long outing and having to carry all the stuff. Twilight giggled apologetically and levitated the bags off Spike when she felt a trembling beneath her hooves. She looked around noticed everypony else did as well. “Run!” Everypony looked down the street towards a field and saw Midnight running towards them. “STAMPEDE!!!!” The vibrations grew stronger, and then everypony saw, just coming over the horizon, a herd of cattle, headed straight for town. The closer they got, the shakier it got in town. HhHeEeYyY!” Everypony looked to see Pinkie Pie vibratingly sliding as she spoke, “TtThHhIiIsSs MmMaAaKkKeEeSsS mMmYyY vVvOoOiIiCcCeEe SsSoOoUuUnNnDdD sSsIiIlLlYyY!!!” “Pinkie, not the time!” yelled Midnight as he ran past her, everypony starting panic. Ponies ran to and fro, screaming, others running inside, slamming their doors shut and locking their windows. “Everypony calm down!” Mayor Mare yelled, trying to control the situation. “There is no need to panic!” “But Mayor!” cried Rarity in drama queen mode, “Whatever shall we do?!” “Look there!” called Rainbow above as she pointed towards the cattle. Coming up on each side of the herd was Applejack and Big Mac. “Y’know what ta’ do, Big Mac!” “Eeyup!” Getting to it, Big Mac ran up in front of the herd, moving the cow beside him, and getting into a position to help AJ in case something went wrong. Applejack did the same on her side. Then she leaped onto a cow and sent her lasso flying. Her aim was true as it ensnared the lead cow. She pulled with all her might, Mac pushing the cow towards her right. And just like that, the Apple Siblings led the stampeding herd away from town. Everypony cheered, Pinkie waving a flag with an apple on it (odd as she didn’t have it with her a moment ago). “Whoa, ladies, whoa!” Applejack yelled, as the herd came to a stop. “Now, what was that all about?” A cow spoke up, saying, “Oh, begging yer pardin, Applejack but we saw one a’ those nasty snakes!” The cows all gasped at the very word, the cow saying, “And it just gave us all the willies, don’cha know?” “We completely understand,” Applejack said, “but next time, try ta’ steer clear away from Ponyville.” “Eeyup.” “We will, dearies,” the cow said as she followed her herd, “good day to you, Big Mac.” “Eeyup,” Big Mac replied in a neighborly way. Everypony cheered as the brother and sister came back, Pinkie Pie whooping, “Yeehaw, ride `em cowpony!” “Applejack, Big Macintosh,” Mayor mare spoke up, “that was just… just-” “Apple-tastic!” Pinkie offered. “Exactly!” she agreed. “We must do something to thank them for saving the town.” “I know!” Pinkie suggested, as the scenery suddenly changed into, “A party!” The town was covered in party decorations, Rarity securing a ribbon onto a tree. “Everything ready?” Twilight asked her. “Just one last thing,” she said and levitated a banner with a big apple patterned on it onto Town Hall. “Now we’re ready!” “Are Applejack and Big Mac all set?” Twilight asked. “Actually, I haven’t seen them or even Midnight all week,” Thunderlane popped up, Pinkie adding, “Not since the stampede.” “But they’ll be here for sure,” Rainbow assured them. “Apples are never late!” Later, everypony in town had gathered in front of town hall, where Twilight stepped up to the podium, levitating a stack of flash cards. “Welcome, everypony! Today we are here to honor two ponies we can always count on to help in matters great and small! Two ponies whose contributions to-” Rainbow interrupted, saying, “Did you all see AJ and Mac’s slick moves out there?! Such athletes!” Twilight narrowed her eyes as Rainbow kept going. “This week, Applejack’s gonna help me with a new flying trick, and I know it’s gonna be so awesome!” “ANYWAY!” Twilight tried to get back in, only for Pinkie to pipe up. “This week, I get to run Sugarcube Corner for the first time!” “And what does that have to do with Applejack or Big Mac?” Twilight asked. Pinkie blinked a couple times and said, “Oh! Applejack, one of the best bakers ever, is gonna help me! Applejack makes everything great, so free samples for everypony! Everypony cheered, Twilight reasserting her place at the podium, “Yes, yes, that’s great. Now if I could just make a point without being inter-” “Twilight?” “Rupted!” Twilight dropped her speech. “Twilight, I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy apologized, “but I just wanted to mention that Applejack is also helping me this week with the official bunny census, where we count up the baby bunnies that were born this season. She’s gonna help gather them using her wonderful herding skills.” Fluttershy saw the impatience on Twilight’s face as a cue to leave as she said, “Anyone else? Anyone? No?” She levitated her cards again, saying, “Anyway, as I was trying to say-” But then she noticed Mayor Mare all smily, and groaned, letting her cards fly out as she exited, saying, “NEVER MIND!” Mayor Mare stepped up, saying, “And so, with no further ado, it is my privilege to give the prized Ponyville Award to our beloved guests of honor, ponies of the utmost trustworthiness, reliability, and integrity, Ponyville’s most capable and dependable friends, Applejack and Big Macintosh!” Everypony cheered as the nearby curtain unveiled… “Midnight Blaze?” Midnight stood there, looking tired as he entered the stage, saying, “Pardon me, Miss Mayor, I’m here to accept the Ponyville Award on behalf of Applejack and Big Mac.” He yawned as he stepped up, saying, “My deepest apologies, everypony, but I’m afraid AJ and Mac are extremely busy with the harvest, it is Applebucking season y’know! Anyway, I am sure they’d thank you deeply for this award, and will appreciate the gesture. Now… I’ll just take this, I have to get back and help with the harvest.” Midnight levitated the trophy, Twilight saying, “Well… Give them our biggest thanks when you get back, Midnight, for saving us from that scary stampede and always being there for everypony!” “Sure thing,” Midnight said with a tired voice, but then she heard him mutter, “I’ll give them something alright… A piece of my mind, is what I'll give them...” As Midnight left, Twilight said, “Was it just me or did Midnight seem…” “Tired?” Thunderlane offered. “Snippy?” Fluttershy added. “Messy?” Rarity brought up, earning her a look from the others. “Well! Didn’t you see him?” “He seemed fine to me! Whoo! Whoo!” Pinkie whooped but Twilight wasn’t so sure. Midnight sighed as he levitated several baskets full of apples, and started making his way back to the barn. Boy was he tired! Not just from using his magic but the increasingly-longer trips to and fro. He’d been going between Applejack and Big Mac back to the barn, taking the apples they’d gotten to be stored. He came close to the road when he heard, “Midnight!” “Yow!” The baskets all fell, spilling the produce all over, making Midnight groan. “Great!” “I’m so sorry!” He looked to see Twilight and said, “Oh, Twilight…” “Hey Midnight,” she said as she concentrated, all the apples floating back into the baskets. “Where are Applejack and Big Macintosh?” “Ugh! Don’t get me started on those two!” Midnight snapped with a groan. “What’s wrong?” “It all started a week ago,” Midnight explained, “Big Mac made a comment how he was glad he hadn't been hurt by that wagon incident, which might have injured him, leaving AJ to do all the work. AJ didn’t say anything at the time, but after the stampede? The issue came up again!” “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Well, AJ was like ‘Are you sayin’ mah mouth is makin’ promises mah legs cain’t keep?’ Big Mac just said ‘Eeyup’, and that’s where it all went downhill. Now those two have split the orchard down the middle and are trying to finish applebucking their half first.” “So it’s basically become an applebucking duel,” Twilight gathered while thinking, He's a good impressionist! “YES!” Midnight groaned as he sat down. “And I’m caught in the middle! I’m telling you, Twi, I've been gathering basket after basket of apples, collecting them from one half of the orchard, taking them to the barn, and then going to collect baskets from the other half! It’s stressing me out!” “Hmm,” Twilight mused, and asked, “Where’s AJ? I wanna go talk with her, and you should probably go speak with Big Macintosh.” “It’s a waste of time but okay,” Midnight sighed. He pointed in the direction he’d been coming from saying, “That way’s to Applejack’s half of the orchard. I’ll go see Mac. But don’t be surprised if Applejack doesn't listen.”