Half-Hour Horses

by HoofAndQuill

Had Enough [Slice of Life]

(The Prompt: I quit.)

"I don't see why I gotta be here doin' work when my friends can go crusadin' all they want." Apple Bloom sulked as she collected the fallen apples. It was a sunny, warm day in Ponyville, but none of the pleasant weather seemed to be reflected in the young pony's mood.

Her sister Applejack frowned as she kicked hard against the trunk of the tree again, causing more apples to shower down. Most landed in the buckets, but the ones that didn't only added to Apple Bloom's workload. "I don't care what your friends are doin', Apple Bloom. It's harvest season an' until you're old enough to start apple buckin', you need to pick up the apples that miss the buckets. There's a lot of work, and everypony in the family is helpin' however they can."

Apple Bloom stomped around as she picked up the apples, dropping them carelessly into the buckets after. "Why am I even doin' this? It ain't my special talent or I'd already have my cutie mark."

Applejack just shook her head and kicked again. She looked up into the branches after, and moved to the next tree. "I grew up doin' the same thing, Apple Bloom, an' I didn't get my cutie mark 'till later. It ain't about trying everything you can, it's about learnin' to look at yourself right."

"Well I'm never gonna get my cutie mark if I can't go crusadin'! I'm gonna be a blank flank forever!"

Applejack sighed. She glanced back at the tree, and then over to Apple Bloom. "Hush now, little sis. Just get your chores done th' rest of today, an' you can go and play with your friends tomorrow."

Apple Bloom reared up, and then slammed her hooves down on the ground, though there was less impact and no thundering noise that she'd hoped for. "I'm not doin' this anymore! I'm goin' out crusadin' right now. I don't want to work on the farm any more, I quit!"

"Darnit Apple Bloom! You can't quit, workin' the orchard is part of bein' an Apple!"

The filly turned and ran off at full speed. She could hear her sister shouting behind her, but she didn't even slow down. She galloped hard, not knowing where she was going, until she was certain she couldn't hear any hoofsteps following her. She looked around, finding herself at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, toward Ponyville. She'd go find her friends, and when she got her cutie mark, that'd just prove to Applejack that she was right.

--

Apple Bloom drooped dejectedly as she walked up the planks that lead to the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse in the late evening light. A whole day of crusading was over, and she still didn't have anything on her flank but tree sap and baking flour. Suddenly, her ears perked up. Somepony else was inside the clubhouse. Was Applejack up there looking for her?

She burst through the door of the clubhouse, ready to yell at whoever might be snooping around in there, Applejack or anypony else. Instead, she just found a very surprised looking dragon. Spike jumped at the noise of the door being slammed open, and staggered backward a few steps, dropping the handful of gems he was carrying in all directions. "Agh! Don't hurt me, I'm just a baby drag-- oh, wait, Apple Bloom? What are you doing here?"

"Uh, it's the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse, Spike. What're YOU doin' here?" Apple Bloom set to helping Spike collect the fallen gems, and tried to ignore how much it reminded her of collecting fallen apples.

Spike set the gems onto a small square of cloth he had laid out on the floor, and then pulled the cloth up around them, tying it into a little makeshift bindle. "I quit my job as Twilight's assistant. I just can't take it anymore! She's so demanding, and she never lets me just do what I want to do."

Apple Bloom sat down heavily on the floor. She didn't care if she looked like she was pouting like a child. "I know what you mean. Applejack's always makin' me do all these chores, when what I should be doin' is trying to find out what my talent is. It ain't fair."

Spike laid down on his back, and stared up at the ceiling. "But I kinda stormed out, so I can't go back to the library. Guess I can't stay in here either."

Apple Bloom looked at Spike, and then laid down next to him. "I'm stayin' here 'cause I can't go back home after quittin' farm work. Applejack said it herself, workin' on the farm is part of bein' an Apple. So if I'm not doin' that, I guess I'm not an Apple."

"Yeah, I don't think they're going to kick you out of your family just because you don't want to do chores."

"What do you know? You're the one runnin' away 'cause you don't want to shelve books."

The two lay there on their backs, looking upward for a few silent minutes. After a while, Apple Bloom sighed. "I guess we gotta go somewhere else if we can't go home."

Spike shrugged, and picked a gem out of his bag, before crunching on it loudly. "Where though? Even if I sell my gems it's not enough for a train ticket."

Apple Bloom rolled over onto her hooves and stood up. "Come on then, Spike. Let's jus' start walkin' and see where we get to. Maybe I'll get my cutie mark somewhere other 'n Ponyville."

Spike hopped up, grinning. "Yeah, and I'll show Twilight I don't need her rules and lectures! I'm not a kid, I'm a mighty dragon! I can do whatever I want!"

After a few minutes packing, Spike and Apple Bloom started down the ramps to the ground. Spike had his gems in his knapsack and a crusaders cape around his shoulders. Apple Bloom had her own cape and her saddlebags stuffed with blankets and pilfered apples.

Spike looked up at the clear night sky, and smiled. "It's thirty miles to Canterlot, we've got two saddlebags full of apples, a knapsack of gems, it's the middle of the night, and we're wearing capes. Let's go!"

Apple Bloom laughed, and they set off on the open road, neither entirely sure of what they'd find, but knowing that there had to be some place better than here.