It was an early foggy morning, and Applejack was even foggier.
She stumbled out of her farmhouse on heavy hooves, staring at the ground as she approached the barn. The mare was too tired to trot straight... yet too depressed to release it all with a yawn.
As she came closer to the structure, she heard loud claps echoing from the orchard.
"Mrmmff...?" She tilted her head up. Tear-stained freckles scrunched as she squinted into the mists.
Big Macintosh stood, facing out into the apple trees.
"Huh...?" Applejack picked up the pace, shuffling towards him. "Uhhh... Big Mac?" She just then noticed row upon row of baskets filled with apples. The mare's muzzle fell agape, and she spun to look at the barn. She noticed that the door had been left slightly ajar, and a pair of wagon wheels led out into the orchards. "Big Mac, have... have you been buckin' the apples overnight?"
"Grmffff..." The stallion's reply was a surly growl. "Eeeenope." He stood up, nostrils flaring, and marched off into the fog with an impenetrable glare.
"But..." Applejack blinked again. "Then who...?"
Once more, there was an echoing clap. Applejack spun to face the orchards. She made out the outline of a wagon, and beside it a figure... shuddering... limping... but proceeding to approach each tree one by one, bucking them hard and with diligent motions.
Muzzle agape, Applejack slowly approached the scene. She passed by bucket after bucket—filled to the brim with freshly harvested apples. At last, she stood within earshot of a panting, wheezing breath.
"... ... ...Stu?"
"Mrmmmmf!" Stu threw himself at another trunk. Clap! Apples fell neatly into a pair of buckets beneath the branches. Sweating and out of breath, the stallion leaned against the tree. He bore a haggard expression as he swiveled about. At last, his eyes met Applejack's, and he jolted in place. "AJ..."
"Stu..." Applejack was too confused to grimace or frown, so she chose a breathy wince in between. "Just... j-just what in tarnation have you been doing?!"
"I... I-I wanted..." He wheezed, fumbling for a voice. "I wanted to give... give you a break..."
"And so ya cleared out half the dang orchards on your own?"
"Look, I... I know it doesn't make up for what I've done..." He gritted his teeth, shivering. "I know it doesn't make up for anything. But... but I wanted you to have some time off. You deserve some time off. And... and I also wanted an opportunity to give... to f-finally give you this..."
Applejack merely blinked.
Stu jerked into movement. He hobbled behind the wagon, grunted, then came back dragging a tall object covered with a tarp. He slid it before Applejack, paused to wheeze once again, then yanked the tarp clean off.
Applejack's green eyes reflected a shiny crystalline ornament of an orange tree.
"Is..." Applejack blinked. "...is that supposed to be an orange tree?"
"Yeah... I know. I-I get it." Stu gulped. "To you, it's probably junk. Heh... to anypony, it's probably junk. But... b-but I got it for you with several months' worth of savings because... because I thought it might somehow impress you or... or win your heart or... or I dunno. It... it j-just seemed like the romantic thing to do."
Applejack squinted. Hard. "An orange tree."
"Because... b-because your mother was all about oranges. Her side of the family... one half of you. And... and..." Stu pointed. "You've gone on and on about how your Pa wanted to make half the orchards dedicated to orange harvesting at one time. But he never got to it. And... and I wanted to make it real for you... more than just a comfortable thought. But then... then..."
Stu sniffled. He sat on his haunches, gazing at the crystalline branches of the gift.
"...then you showed me their graves, Applejack. And... and it became real for me. And... I wasn't strong like you. I couldn't handle how real it all was..." He looked up with pained eyes. "How real we were. It suddenly dawned on me that... that the road that you and I have been taking... and how much we've been enjoying each other's company... I might... I might someday be buried here too. And... and I didn't feel that I deserved it, Applejack. This place is so amazing... you are so amazing. But... but to pollute all of that with a moron like me?"
Applejack stared at him silently.
Stu gulped hard and looked at the orchards abroad. "I only came to Ponyville because I felt like I had to. If I was any other stallion... any other pony, I would have stayed in Cloudsdale. But... but I didn't fit in there. I was so... so pathetic... so wishy washy. Everypony talked down on me. And the cruddy thing is... I-I began believing them. I didn't think I could make it there in Cloudsdale. So I came down here and... tried to start over. And for a while there... I-I began believing that I had what it took to not be... such a lame fool. Spending so much time with you... receiving your attention. I started to feel confident. But..."
He clenched his eyes shut.
"...to possibly... maybe be part of your family here? On this farm? Where you, your family, your parents and your forebearers and so many other ponies far more awesome than me have made a name for themselves?" He gulped hard. "I... I just didn't feel worthy. Cloudsdale caught up with me, and I didn't want you to be... poisoned by the same thing that drew me out. And... And I punished you for it, Applejack. I punished you for it and I fled like a coward because none of it seemed possible. None of it."
He looked up, his eyes teary. A fire flickered across his pupils.
"But then... just yesterday... I did something impossible." He gulped. "I saved all of Ponyville from a tornado." His head shook. "I didn't do it on my own... but in the end, it was all up to me. And I made the impossible happen. And... and I didn't have any time to feel proud about it. All I could think of is how I failed you when I could have had the strength... I should have had the strength to carry on. And... I'm sorry, Applejack. I'm so very sorry..."
He pointed at the tree.
"You can have this if you like. You can enjoy this whole early harvest of apples if you like. None of it can make up for what I've done to you, and I know that. But... but I also know now that I'm strong..." He clenched his teeth. "I'm strong, Applejack... but I ought to be stronger. And... and there's only one pony in this world who can help me get there." His sad eyes darted to her. "And that's you, Applejack. If you're willing to let me back in, I promise I will never hurt you ever again." He swallowed a lump down his throat. "I'm... not scared anymore..."