//------------------------------//
// Dreams of Repentance: Applejack 
// Story: Tabluna Rasa 
// by SIaanme 
//------------------------------//

	After successfully repressing the memories of Fluttershy's dream, Luna was once more on her way. She stuck to the outskirts though, because she was sure there was at least one more of the Elements of Harmony living out here. But which one? Oh, if I only I remembered their names. Come on brain, I know you were paying attention SOMEWHERE in there when Celly talked about them...

Luna tried to marshal her thoughts. There had been Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy... who else? Magic, Loyalty, Kindness.... What was the Element of Honesty's name? That would probably be her best bet if she wanted to find somepony with a good impression of her. If she could just remember her name... Something Jack, wasn't it? Luna tried a few.

"Umm... High Jack, Captain Jack, Sparrow Jack, Black Jack, Jack Russell... no, those are colt's names. I'm sure all the Elements of Harmony were fillies." As Luna continued her flight, she noticed that she was headed into farmland. She was sure she vaguely remembered something about the Element of Honesty being a farmer. That seemed promising.

Eventually Luna came to a farm house. She could sense four sleeping ponies inside. The sign above the gate read "Apple". One day I need to remember to ask Celestia why we started using pictures for signs instead of writing. But the picture sparked Luna's memory. Applejack! That was the name. She knew there was a Jack in there somewhere.

Entering the house, Luna managed to find the right pony after only four tries. She slept in a rather bare room, containing not much more than a bed and hat-stand. And on that bed was the orange work-horse, not so much under the covers as lying amongst them. Clearly a restless sleeper. Hoping she wasn't the source of Applejack's restlessness, Luna entered the dream.

§§§§

It was another fine summer's day, with light cloud providing some shelter from the sweltering sun. Applejack was glad for this small mercy, as she had a long day of applebucking ahead of her. Big Macintosh was off in Appleloosa for a week, helping with the applebucking there, as the settlement had had a recent outbreak of the flu, limiting workers for the orchards. Applejack had assured him it was fine, and she'd make sure to get help BEFORE she was in over her head this time. But she didn't see the harm in working alone for one day. Applebloom was still too little to help, and was out with her friends shenaniganing anyway. And while Granny Smith had the spirit of a younger mare, she didn't have the body of one anymore.

No, one day of working alone would be fine. She'd get help from Twilight and the others tomorrow. She'd start with the western orchard today, and would work her way eastward as the day went on. As Applejack approached the orchard, she noticed that there were some trees that were bare.

"Huh. Ah coulda sworn that they were ready for harvestin'." Upon closer inspection, Applejack found a trail of apple cores leading into one of the bushes. "Aha! Looks like Ah've found me an apple poacher." She followed the trail, slightly impressed at how many the thief had managed to eat. Of course, it could always be more than one thief. The cores eventually lead to one of the trees. Faint snoring could be heard from the branches.

Aha. There's the varmint. Well, whoever it is, they're about to get a rude awakenin'. Applejack gave the tree a powerful kick, cause the tree to shake violently. "Ah know you're up there! Come out with your hooves up!"

This was a small shriek, followed by a thud. Applejack headed round the tree to truss up the offender. "Okay then, Ah hope you've got a good reason to be robbin' mah family and me of our livelihood."

"Oww... I forgot falling hurts more here...." The poacher staggered to her feet. Applejack let out a gasp.

"Princess Luna?" Applejack was too flabbergasted to bow. "Wh- what the hay were you doin' in mah apple tree?"

Luna dusted herself off with her wings. "Oh, were those your apple trees? Oh, I'm sorry, I thought they were wild." She gave a sheepish grin. "I guess I shouldn't have eaten all those apples then..."

"Yeah, you shouldn't." Applejack quickly remembered who she was talking to. "Ah mean, uh.. it's no problem. You're a royal, not like Ah can do much about what you choose to do. Your highness."

"Well, no I suppose not. But I feel terrible after eating those apples."

"What? Are you tryin' to say there were some bad apples in mah orchard? And uh... if you're gonna throw up, can you face the other direction please?"

Luna was confused, until she realised the farmer had misunderstood. "Oh! Oh no, I didn't mean terrible sick, I mean terribly guilty. I simply must make it up to you for this."

Applejack shook her head. "That's mighty generous of you, your majesty, but if you'll pardon me, Ah'm not sure there much to do around her suitable for royalty."

"Oh no, but I insist! I don't mind really, and it'll be interesting to see the kind of work ponies do in this age." Applejack still didn't look convinced, so Luna continued. "I mean, I can at least help pull your barrows for you, right?"

"Well..." Applejack couldn't think of a reason to turn the princess away. "Oh, alright then your majesty. You've twisted mah leg, so to speak. But if you've got other things to do, Ah understand if you need leave."

Luna was already busy magicking the barrow pull over herself. "Oh no, don't worry. My sister has everything taken care of today. My only job is to raise the moon really, and that's not until the evening." She started heading off. "Shall we?"

"Uh, Princess Luna? The orchard's this way..."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

It wasn't much further before they reached the western-most orchard. Luna maneuvered the barrows into position under the trees, and Applejack kicking them so the apples fell off. The workhorse kept a running commentary while she worked.

"So Princess, how'd you find yourself in this neck of the woods anyways? Ah woulda thought you'd be in Canterlot, livin' the easy life."

Luna looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well yes. Most of the court really still hasn't come to terms with the idea that I've reformed yet, so most of the time I'm in my room anyway."

"Oh. Well, that still don't explain why you're out here instead of there."

"That's easy enough to answer. After I raise the moon, I usually fly for a bit, to stretch my wings. Last night I'd been too busy reading to get dinner, so when I saw the orchard below, I thought, What the hay. I didn't know it was anypony's. Anyway, I guess I fell asleep after my snack. And then you found me, so I guess that explains it."

"Ah reckon it does." Applejack gave the tree she was at another solid kick. Apples rained down into the barrow. "Okay, let's try the trees over there. They usually produce a good crop."

"Um.. do you think I could have a try at getting the apples this time?" Luna almost looked embarrassed. "It looks like fun..."

Applejack thought for a bit. "Well... okay. Ah mean, if you want to do it, it's not like Ah can really say no."

"Oh thank you!" Luna removed the harness and headed over to the first tree.

"So, are you gonna magic the apples down?" Applejack remembered the efficiency Twilight's magic brought to the last harvest. Luna shook her head.

"Oh no. I mean, I could, but when in Roam, right?" Luna looked over her back, taking careful aim at the tree. She focused, and the lashed at out the tree with her hind legs.

"Okay. That wasn't so hard. How'd I do? She turned to look at Applejack, who was just standing there with a look of shock on her face. "What? Did I do something wrong?" Applejack still didn't speak, and raised a hoof, pointing behind Luna. Luna turned around just in time to see the tree fly beyond the horizon. "Oh. Um... whoops?"

Meanwhile, in Ponyville central, a pink pony was busy going about her daily deliveries when she had a funny feeling. Her tail was twitching. She dropped her basket and galloped as fast as she could towards the library. "TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT! Twitchy tail! Twitchy tail! Something's gonna fall on the library!"

Twilight stuck her head out the window. "Oh come on Pinkie. How could something fall ON the library? Don't you mean-" The rest of the sentence was lost to time, as out of nowhere, an apple tree crashed into the library. The impact knocked Twilight off her feet, and half the books fell off their shelves.

"TWILIGHT!"

Twilight managed to stand up and look out the window again. "Yes Pinkie?"

"That was it!"

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Luna was once more pulling the barrows, and still apologising. "I'm so, so sorry about that! I guess I don't know my own strength. I'll do better on the next one, I promise!"

"Uh, no that's okay Princess." Applejack was back to bucking. "Ah think maybe you should just stick with pulling the barrows for now, okay?"

"But I know I can do better, please give me another chance? Please? I won't send anymore trees into orbit."

Applejack considered. Applebucking was hard work after all, and she could do with a break. "Tell you what. How about you use your magic to get them apples? Ah'm sure that way will be quicker, and less risk of flying trees as well."

Luna perked up at the idea. "Ooh yes! I can do that, I'm good at magic."

"Great! You do that for a while then, and Ah'll go get us some cool apple juice from the house."

"Thank you! I'll make up for that tree, I promise!" To demonstrate, Luna magicked the apples off the next tree all at once, and levitated them safely into the barrows.

Applejack nodded, and headed back to the house. She returned about ten minutes later with two ice-cold apple juices. "Okay Princess Luna, Ah've got us some- WHAT THE HAY HAPPENED HERE?"

Luna was standing in the middle of the orchard, or what was left of it. Half the trees were on a distinct lean, and the other half were somehow upside down. "Oh, um, hi Applejack!" Luna followed her stare to the orchard. "Um... would you believe a really strong wind? No?"

"Wha-what happened to mah orchard?"

"Umm..." Luna pawed the ground. "Well, I was using my magic, and it was going fine, but I thought, if I increase the range of the spell, I can get all of the trees harvested much quicker. And so I did, but... um... it sort of interpreted the planted apple seeds as apples as well, and ripped the trees out..." Luna couldn't look Applejack in the eyes. "But I replanted them all, see? And I only got about half of them upside down..."

Applejack could feel her eye twitching. Now, don't be mad Applejack. It was just a mistake, and besides, she's a Princess... no, just stay calm... "That's okay Princess..." Applejack managed through clenched teeth. "But what happened to all the apples?"

"The apples? Oh... um... I sort of panicked, and accidentally flung them all into the lake.... hehe.... sorry?"

Deep breaths AJ, deep breaths.

"Oh, but I can make it up to you! Here, I'll just cast a multiplication spell on the apples we already harvested!"

"Nononono, no more magic please!" But it was too late, Luna's horn was already glowing, and so were the apples With a  *POP*, there were suddenly twice as many apples.

"See? No problem at all." *POP* Luna turned to find the source of the noise. The apples had doubled again. *POP* And again. "Uh oh...."

*POP POP POP POP POP* The apples were now the height of a mountain, and swaying. It didn't take long for gravity to realise it had a job to do, and there was a sudden cascade of apples headed straight for the two ponies.

"APPLELANCHE! RUN!" Applejack was already sprinting as fast as she could, but the tide of apples washed over her. For about thirty seconds all she could see were apples, then the flow stopped. Applejack poked her head out of the ocean of apples to see Luna flying just above.

"Oops... I'm really, really sorry about that Applejack! I can make it up to you I promise, let me just-"

"No, no NO!" Applejack snapped. "Everytime you've tried to help today it's been a DISASTER! First you kick one of mah prize trees townward, THEN you uproot over half of an orchard, AND NOW THIS!" Applejack gestured to the sea of apples she was in. "Ah don't need your help! Just leave me alone!"

Tears welled up in Luna's eyes, and she flew away, sobbing. Applejack just sat there, huffing and puffing after yelling at Luna. Yelling at Luna. Yelling... at.... Princess.... "Oh horseapples, what have Ah done?"

It took Applejack about ten minutes to finally get out of the all the apples, during which her mind had already gone through all the worst possible scenarios. What if Luna told Princess Celestia? Or maybe she was even allowed to make judgments herself Applejack could see it all too clearly.

"Oh please your majesty, Ah'm sorry!"

"I'm afraid sorry is not good enough. Straight to the moon with you!"

"Ah've got to find her and apologise!"

It took Applejack another half hour before she heard a gentle sobbing coming from one of the apple trees. "Uh, Princess Luna? Is that you?" No response, but the sobbing seemed to get quieter. "Uh, listen... Ah'm sorry that Ah yelled at you before... Ah was wrong to do that, you were only tryin' to help." The sobbing had completely stopped now. Luna poked her head out of the tree. "So uh... can you please forgive me? And can you please not tell your sister and have her banish me and then throw me in prison where Ah was banished to?"

Luna flew down from the tree branches, keeping her head low. "No, you had every right to be angry with me. I'm the one who should be sorry. It's just... I've spent so long not being able to help anypony, I wanted a chance to be able to make up for all the years of lost time..."

Applejack lay a comforting hoof on Luna's shoulder. "Aw shewt, it ain't your fault. Ah mean, if you can forgive me for the way Ah acted, Ah can forgive you for your... over-enthusiasm."

Luna gave a sniff. "You mean it?"

"Ah do. And Ah'd be honoured if you helped me with the rest of today's harvest too."

Luna smiled. "Oh yes, I'd be happy to help! And I have the perfect spell to clean up that applelanche..."

"NO! Uh.. Ah mean, no thank you, your majesty. Ah think we should avoid anymore spells today, okay?"

"Okay..."

§§§§

Luna slipped out of the dream unnoticed. Applejack's dream had given her a lot to think about. Was she the kind of pony who would try her best to help? She wasn't sure still, but at least it wasn't something she was sure she wasn't. That was progress.

"Well, that's half of them done." Before she headed off to the next place, Luna made a quick visit to the apple orchards nearby. Satisfied that there hadn't been an applelanche, she magicked some apples of the tress and arranged them in words on the ground before she flew off.

The apples read: "Sorry about your dream."