Apple Bloom played with her dolls in her bedroom one late summer morning, only to stop for a moment and walk toward her window to gaze at her older brother and sister. Macintosh stacked hay while Applejack bucked some trees, making apples fall into the baskets that were under them. It was truly remarkable that Apple Bloom had such hardworking siblings. She thought about an old saying that Granny Smith always said to them: A day without hard work is a day wasted. She said that back in the days when she too used to buck apple trees.
Apple Bloom wished she could be out there with them. Time and again she’d attempt to prove herself as a hard working Apple. She used to accompany Applejack during her shift at the market square. She usually tried to get customer’s attention in eccentric ways, something Applejack never approved. One time she forced a poor stallion to pay extra for a single apple, followed by shoving as many apples in an unsuspecting mare’s saddlebag. In retrospect, those days could have been better. Macintosh, on the other hoof, was more lenient than Applejack. Apple Bloom often tried to imitate the way her brother bucked apple trees. A long time ago she tried to buck an apple tree as hard as she could, which caused a minor injury in her hind leg.
Since she couldn’t be outside performing the major farm work with her siblings, Granny Smith had Apple Bloom do the usual house chores; cleaning her room, cleaning the bathroom, dusting the bookshelves, things like that. Apple Bloom’s reward was her weekly allowance, six bits.
However, she still imagined herself joining her siblings during apple bucking season. If not that, then she would stack hay with Macintosh or plow the fields on Winter Wrap-Up with Applejack.
When the day was done, the Apples assembled themselves for their evening dinner. Tonight was leftover carrots and spinach, along with mashed potatoes and gravy. Apple Bloom didn’t mind the carrots and potatoes, it was the spinach she wasn’t looking forward to. Whether it was spinach, peas, or any green vegetable, Apple Bloom tried her best to eat around it.
During the course of dinner Applejack talked about how many apples she harvested. She gave thanks to her “good ‘ol bucking leg” for getting the job done. Macintosh, as always, hardly said anything; only nodding, and answering with the occasional “yep” or “nope” when he was asked a question. That was probably the reason why most mares liked him so much, Apple Bloom thought. Granny Smith spoke about gibberish that somehow made sense later on, like how she invented the first electric fryer.
Dinner was over, and Apple Bloom helped gather the dishes from the table. Afterward, they retreated into the living room and listened to another episode of The Masked Stranger on the radio. Before they went off to bed, Applejack reminded Macintosh of something very important.
“You ready to make that delivery tomorrow?”
Macintosh nodded, his only reply being “Yep.”
Apple Bloom grew curious. Macintosh and Applejack were taking a trip? “Where are y’all going?”
“Big Mac and I are delivering twelve barrels of apple cider to the next town over,” Applejack said. “In fact, we already set the wagon up a couple of days ago.”
Apple Bloom’s face gleamed with excitement. Finally, the opportunity to learn the tricks and the trade from her big brother and sister. “Can I come with ya? Please?”
“I don’t know,” said Applejack, rubbing her chin. “Galloway is several miles from here. It might take a day to two.”
“As long as you don’t cross that bridge,” Granny Smith said from the other room. She was about to go to bed until she heard Applejack talking about tomorrow’s delivery.
“Bridge? What bridge?” asked Apple Bloom.
Granny grabbed her youngest grandchild by her shoulder and pulled her close. “Apple Bloom, your brother and sister are about to venture into dangerous territory. There’s a reason nopony goes in or out of Galloway.”
“Not this again,” Applejack sighed. “Granny, I told you there is no troll under that bridge.”
“There’s a troll under a bridge?” Apple Bloom asked with fear in her voice.
“No, there isn’t a troll under the bridge that leads to Galloway. Granny here is just telling stories.”
“It is true!” exclaimed Granny. Her eyes shifted sideways, as though she feared somepony was about to sneak up on her. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” she whispered. “It’s big and green, with nasty yellow teeth and beady eyes. It gobbles you up even if you take one step on the bridge. Stallions, mares, even little fillies like Apple Bloom.”
Apple Bloom trembled where she stood, her teeth chattering like a pony caught in the middle of winter.
“Enough with the stories already,” Applejack said. “Apple Bloom, you know there’s no such as trolls, right?”
She had to stop and think for a moment, something Applejack rolled her eyes at. “Right,” she answered.
“And you do know that if anything goes wrong, Big Mac and I can handle it, right?”
“Uh, right.”
“Now get ready for bed, we have to wake up early tomorrow.” Apple Bloom nervously compiled and paced herself as she went upstairs, still unsure about the troll under the bridge to Galloway.
It took a long time for her get to sleep, the troll having occupied her thoughts. Apple Bloom feared it might make an appearance in her dreams. The imaginary creature grew into size in her little mind, then it vanished when Apple Bloom shook the thoughts out. Maybe Applejack was right, she thought, the troll being just one of Granny’s many stories. She pulled the blankets over her and closed her eyes, waiting for Celestia to raise the sun.
When Applejack said they were going to begin their journey early, Apple Bloom had no idea that “early” meant five o’clock in the morning. It surprised her that she and Macintosh were awake much earlier than that. She looked out her window and groaned that the moon was still out. There was no point in trying to struggle with Applejack after she pulled the blankets away.
“Let’s get a move on, Apple Bloom,” she said, “we got a long way ahead of us.”
“Can’t I at least have some cereal first,” yawned Apple Bloom.
“We ain’t got time for that. Just have an apple. They’re good for you anyway than all that sugary stuff.”
Apple Bloom grumbled under her breath about how it was way too early for her to be up at such an hour. There’s a reason ponies say “rise and shine,” she mumbled. She wiped the crust from her eyes, climbed out of her bed, stumbling as she set her legs on the ground. Applejack led her into the bathroom so she could wash herself.
Applejack then led Apple Bloom outside, where she could still hear the crickets chirping. A few tiny fireflies blinking yellow light flew over her head. Walking ahead Apple Bloom saw Macintosh testing the rope that bound the barrels of cider on the wagon. Granny Smith was outside as well. There were a few times in the past where she was the first pony in the house out of bed before the sunlight ever reached the plains, so Apple Bloom wasn’t totally surprised about that. Macintosh nodded to Applejack when he felt the ropes were tight enough to hold the cider.
“Alright Granny, we’re about to head on out,” said Applejack. She and Macintosh stepped in front of the wagon, ready to pull it forward. “We’ll be gone for at least two days. Remember not to talk to any strangers.”
“Bye Granny, see you when we get back,” Apple Bloom said as she climbed on the back of the wagon. Granny brought her face close to Apple Bloom’s. She leaned to mouth toward the young filly’s ear, whispering, “Watch out for the troll.”
She didn’t know what to make of that. However, she silently nodded. As Applejack said before, it was possible that there wasn’t a troll under the bridge to Galloway, and Apple Bloom will always trust her older sister to speak the truth. The wagon shook slightly just as her two elder siblings began to pull. Apple Bloom waved good-bye to Granny one last time before they disappeared through the trees and over the hills.
Apple Bloom’s back was on one of the barrels of cider. She gazed at the dark blue sky as the wagon pass through the shadowy trees. Despite having a rude awakening in the terribly early hours of the morning, she was glad she tagged herself along for the lengthy trip to Galloway. Ponyville was nice, and besides Canterlot she had never been to another town or city. With enough experience Apple Bloom would be able to make a delivery to another town herself. Macintosh began to whistle a familiar tone, and Apple Bloom forgot about how tired she was that she never realized she had fallen asleep.
****
“What do ya mean we’re lost?” Applejack yelled. The volume of her voice had once again gave Apple Bloom a rude awakening. When the blurriness cleared from her vision she saw it was already daylight. She also realized Applejack and Macintosh stopped pulling the wagon. Apple Bloom sat up and saw an open field with tall grass, a peaceful image filled with heated voices. “Do you at least have the map?” Applejack asked in a frustrated tone.
“About the map… I forgot it,” Macintosh replied.
“How could you forget the map?” she yelled again. “How are we supposed to know where we’re going?”
“I don’t need the map! I know where we’re going!”
“What’s going on?” Apple Bloom meekly asked. Realizing their outbursts had awoken Apple Bloom, Macintosh and Applejack glanced at each other in guilt, having completely forgot that she was riding in the wagon. Still, Applejack’s frustration over her brother’s mishap was not dissolved.
“Well, if you want know, we’re lost. And the worst part is that Big Mac left the map at home. I ain’t turning around to go get it!”
“I told you we don’t need the map!” Macintosh said. “I’ve been to Galloway before!”
“Oh really?” There was a hint of irony in her voice. “Well, show us the way then, if you can remember.”
Apple Bloom noticed the squinted glare he gave to Applejack, and on his lead they pulled the wagon again. So far the morning was off to a not quite great start. Apple Bloom listened as Applejack scolded her brother for forgetting the map. From the tone of her voice it was obvious that she has never been to Galloway either. Macintosh mumbled some unpleasant things under his breath. Apple Bloom, and possibly Applejack, pretended not to hear him.
It was quite possible that Macintosh didn’t know where he was going. As he and his sister pulled the wagon, the landscape changed from the lush field of tall grass to loopy hills. Applejack asked him if he even remembered where he went several times, in which he wouldn’t answer. Apple Bloom didn’t have a watch on her, so there was no telling how long they have been traveling on the dirt road.
“Admit it Macintosh, you don’t know where we are!” Applejack referred to him by his full name. That meant she was absolutely upset. Apple Bloom prepared for the worst.
“I told you we ain’t lost!” Macintosh bellowed back. “It’s just a little farther than I remembered!”
Apple Bloom wanted to say something to the two of them, but they were so loud that she couldn’t raise her little voice. Macintosh and Applejack kept their attention on each other instead of the road. Apple Bloom was the only one who saw that the road was about to split into two opposite directions. She climbed onto the front of the wagon, yelling in their ears, “Guys, look!” Macintosh and Applejack ceased pulling the wagon at the end of the main road.
“Well I’ll be,” Macintosh said. “I don’t remember this being here.”
“Ain’t that a surprise,” Applejack said sardonically.
“Which way do we go?” Apple Bloom asked.
The Apple siblings look toward the roads ahead. They had no idea where those roads will lead them to. There wasn’t a sign that indicated if they were close to Galloway. Macintosh held his front arm up to point the way, but Applejack stopped him before he could choose. “Since it’s obvious that Big Mac here don’t know the way, I say we should go to the right!”
“Who made you leader?” said Macintosh.
“I did. Just now.”
Apple Bloom gazed at the right side of the two roads uneasily. “Are you sure we won’t get lost?”
“I’m positive, Apple Bloom. Unlike Macintosh here, I have a great sense of direction. You’ve been camping with me before, haven’t you?”
Apple Bloom nodded her head.
Macintosh grumbled under his breath as he watched his sister lead the way.
“Applejack… where are we?” Apple Bloom asked, her voice shaking with fear.
The wagon passed under tall, menacing-looking dark trees. From both sides of the road their branches extended outward, resembling arms and hands growing out of their barks, ready to swipe them off the ground, or steal their cider if they liked that sort of thing. The trees were so high that sunlight couldn’t break through, leaving as though they were traveling at night.
Applejack swallowed the saliva that was building in her mouth, then answered cautiously, “We’re in a forest… I think.”
“You think?” Macintosh said cynical manner. “We sure ain’t at the county fair!”
He shut his mouth when he heard strange voices coming from behind the trees. There were crows and ravens squawking from all directions. Apple Bloom shivered in her yellow coat at the hoot of an owl.
“Applejack... “ Apple Bloom swallowed, “are you sure we’re not lost?”
“We ain’t lost,” she said quickly. “We just took an accidental detour, that’s all. We’ll be out of this forest in no time at all, I tell you what.” She wasn’t so sure of herself.
Apple Bloom tried to pretend she was someplace else instead of being dragged through the dark forest. She closed her eyes and imagined herself under the blue sky and yellow sun, white, puffy clouds strolling by above her. She saw herself rolling and tumbling on the soft grass, landing into a patch of flowers. Another hoot from the invisible owl took her away from her pleasant fantasy world.
Meanwhile, trickles of sweat damped Macintosh’s red coat. He shifted his eyes on each side of the forest to make sure nothing will come out and attack them.
“I’m scared,” said Apple Bloom.
She, along with Applejack and Macintosh, shriek when the wagon hit a bump on the dirt road. The bump forced Apple Bloom out of the wagon and made one of the cider barrels fall over. On impact the barrel splinter into pieces of broken wood, the cider mixing with the soil and drying up.
“Gosh-darnit!” Applejack cursed, “Our merchandise! We have eleven barrels of cider left!”
“And the wheel is broken,” Apple Bloom added after pulling herself off the ground. Just like what happened to the barrel, the wheel was broken into fragments of wood. She started once she heard hoots from the unseen owls, as well as other strange noises that she didn’t like. “Applejack, we can’t stay out here! It’s scary!”
“But how are we supposed to move the wagon without a wheel?” Applejack placed her hoof under her chin, deep in thought. Her eyes widened as she came up with an idea. “Apple Bloom, how about you find a way out of the forest?”
“What,” Apple Bloom asked in a fit of shock. “Why me?”
“Well, somepony has to guard the cider in case some troublemakers might try to steal it, and you’re too little to do that.”
“But why do I have to find a way out myself? It’s scary out here!”
Apple Bloom shivered and hid beneath her red mane when she heard the howl of a wild wolf. Then, there was the screeching of a cat, apparently in a struggle with an animal, possibly the howling wolf.
“That ain’t nothing,” Applejack said. “Now get on going, we’ll be here waiting.”