A Timber Wolf's Benevolence

by MLP Warrior Cats

Chapter 1

AppleJack and Big Mac watched the sky as the sun rose over the dawn horizon. The sky looked ablaze in a fire of crimson and orange, fading to a soft pink and finally blue as the sun ascended into the morning sky. The two ponies knew this sunrise was special. It marked the beginning of Applebucking season. The orange mare looked over at her brother with a look of glee, as if she were a little filly who had just gotten a great birthday present. "We better start bucking", AppleJack cheerfully said to Big Mac, who simply replied with a "Yup".

Apple Bloom was finally allowed to help out now, although she didn't think that her job was as fun as kicking the trees and sending the apples plummeting to the ground. AppleJack still didn't trust her with stuff like that sometimes, and Big Mac agreed that she shouldn't do anything that could hurt her without learning how first. AppleBloom had been told to bring the apples to the barn, so they could be washed off and put in a cart to be sold. She all too obviously hated doing that, but she did it usually without complaint.

"AppleJack, it's no fun simply bringing the apples to the barn! Why can't I help you and Big Mac?", AppleBloom grunted as she stepped over to a basket of red, ripe apples. She proceeded to grab an apple out of the basket, biting into it. "AppleBloom, ya already know why Big Mac and I aren't lettin' you buck apples yet. It's just too hard for a lil' filly like you. Anyway, isn't helpin' us out by takin' the apples to the barn better than doing nothin' at all?" AppleJack asked as she noticed the upset look on her sister's face. AppleBloom picked up the basket, setting it on her back to make it easy to carry it. "I guess it's better to have some way to help than to just do nothing at all. I just wish i had a more important job".

The filly turned around and headed back towards to barn before AppleJack had a chance to say anything to her sister. She knew that AppleBloom would rather have been bucking apples with her and Big Mac. But the filly sometimes, and usually, had a hard time at doing it. There was always the chance to hurt yourself doing it, of course. AppleBloom had attempted bucking a tree one time, and got a splinter in her hoof because she hadn't been cautious about where her hooves would hit the tree. The filly still limped once in a while, claiming her hoof was sore and hurt every time she took a step.

That had been the day that AppleBloom learned she should listen when she was told not to do something. Maybe it might not have even been the first time, for there were a quite few times that she had done something she was told not to do and got into some sort of trouble. If she hadn't gotten hurt by doing something, she was usually repayed by being grounded at the worst, and at the least, not allowed something for a day. At least she hadn't gotten grounded or anything for trying to buck the apple tree.

AppleJack knew that getting a splinter of wood stuck in your hoof was definitely all the punishment needed for not listening. It hurt badly to get a splinter in your hoof. The hardest part about it was getting it unstuck from your hoof, which AppleBloom had struggled to do so for an hour straight. Finally she had gotten it out, and was upset to find that even when you get out the splinter itself, the pain tends to remain for a few days sometimes. AppleBloom had nearly been driven crazy by the annoying pain every time she took a step.

AppleBloom was feeling better lately, and the pain that had been bothering her so much had seemed to have gone away. AppleJack hoped she could help get her little sis to feel better about helping out them with the apples. Personally, AJ had to admit that carrying the apples to the barn didn't exactly sound like the best job ever during AppleBuck season. Her sister's upset feelings about doing that instead of bucking the trees could easily be understood, thinking hard about how boring a job like taking apples to the barn would be. There was always the possibility of turning it into some sort of game, but that was only fun if someone else was there to do it with.

"Never mind that", AppleJack murmured to herself, seeing that she was supposed to go get the apples off of the trees in the furthest field. For some odd reason, being in a field on the edge of the everfree forest felt somewhat creepy. Especially being out there all alone. The everfree forest was feared by alot of ponies, mostly because of the creatures that inhabited the forest. The most well know of all the everfree animals were the Timber Wolves. Even the thought of those creatures sent a chill down most ponie's spines. An awful lot of timber wolves lived in the forests around Sweet Apple Acres.

AppleJack cautiously walked to the edge of the field, looking out at the forest that stretched for the whole field length and into the distance. For a second, a flash of movement in the bushes caught her attention, but she looked over to the bush to see nothing. She shrugged, turning to the trees in the field behind her. At the same time, she could have sworn something, out there in the shadows of the forest, was watching her every move.