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The Waking Dead1,314 words
The Apple Family2,283 words
One of the Family1,397 words
A Hat In The Storm2,024 words
Starting Over1,647 words
Ponyville1,152 words

The Apple Family

The pegasus pony slowly opened his eyes as the morning sun filled into to the guest room. He looked around the small room beside his bed was a tray with a glass of apple juice and a slice of apple pie.

“Who left this here? And…where am I?” He tried to get up when a sharp pain shot through his left wing “Gaahh!” He winced and fell back on his bed. Seconds later the door opened to reveal an orange mare with a Stanton hat on her golden mane.

“Well its ‘bout time yah got up.” The mare said smiling as she walked in.

“Who…who are you? And where am I?” The stallion asked.

“Names Applejack and you’re at sweet apple acres stranger.” She walked over to the side of his bed and inspected his wing which had been bandaged. Well you’re grounded for the time being, but that wing should heal up lickety split so long you don’t try to fly with it.” The stallion took the glass of apple juice in his hooves and took several gulps “So, what’s your name stranger?” The stallion looked to Applejack.

“I…I don’t remember.” Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“How do you not remember your own name?”

“I don’t remember anything honestly.”

“You must have hit your head pretty hard when you crashed.” The pony shook his head.

“I didn’t remember anything before I ended up here. All I know is that I woke up in a morgue, then I was chased by guards, I tried to lose them in that field of apple trees and that’s when I hurt my wing.”

“Woke up in the morgue…you were dead?” He shrugged.

“I guess. But as you can plainly see I’m not dead anymore.”

“Yah sure ain’t. And since you are awake I’m going to give it to yah straight. Since you’re hurt and you were found on mah property that means you can stay until you’re well again. However that don’t mean you can just lay in bed all day, this is a working family, and everypony that lives at sweet apple acres works no matter how big or small the job, ah hate slackers. You can stay in the guest room, but everypony else’s room is off limits unless ah say otherwise got it?” The Pegasus nodded “Good, now if you’ll excuse me ah have apple to buck. And if yah feel up to it you can join me later to help with the harvest.”

“Well my legs still work so I guess I can’t refuse.”

“Glad tah hear it stranger.” Applejack furrowed her brow as if she was thinking “You need a name, we can’t be calling yah stranger forever.”

“But I don’t have a name.” The stallion replied.

“Well we have to call you something.” The stallion began to think, but no matter how hard he tried his name eluded him.
“I…I can’t just can’t remember it at all.”

“So ah guess you’re completely anonymous than.” The stallion’s ears perked up.

“Anonymous…I like that. That’s what I’ll call myself.”

“Really? That’s what you want to call yourself?”

“Why not? Seems to fit me perfectly.” He chuckled.

“Well if that’s what yah want to be called then so be it. Meet the rest of the family in the kitchen when you’re ready…Anonymous.” Applejack said uncertainly.

“Sure thing Miss Applejack.”

“Just call me Applejack.” She corrected.

“Alright…Applejack.” Applejack left the room as Anonymous reached for the apple pie slice realizing he was starving. He ate the pie in two large bites then got out of his bed to inspect himself in the bedroom mirror. He looked to be in his thirties, he had a jet black mane and tail with a blue coat, and his eyes were bright green. As he inspected his back he saw his bandaged wing and then his eyes fell on his flank and saw that it was vacant of a cutie mark.

“No name, no memory, and no cutie mark? This just keeps getting weirder.” Anonymous said aloud as left the room to see the rest of the house.

Anonymous made his way to the kitchen to meet the rest of Applejacks family. At the table was a red draft stallion, a red headed mare with a red bow, and a small filly that looked startlingly similar to Applejack save for her mane being braided and minus a cowpony hat.

“Uncle Big Mac look! Our guest is awake!” The little filly cried excitedly.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said flatly.

“We were startin’ tah thing you’d never wake up. Yah already missed breakfast.” The mare with the bow said sounding slightly relieved.

Anonymous smiled weakly and sat beside the filly at the table.

“Mah names Apple Tart, what’s yours?” She asked.

“Anonymous.” He stated.

“What kind of name is that?” Apple Tart asked.

“Apple Tart it’s his name so leave him alone!” The mare scolded. As Anonymous picked up a rather juicy looking apple and was about to eat when Apple Tart spoke again.

“Hey you’re a blank flank just like me! Why is that?”

“Apple Tart hush now!” The mare said frowning.

“I’m just curious Aunt Apple Bloom!”

“Well it ain’t any of your business. If he doesn’t want to talk than leave him be.” Anonymous raised a hoof.

“It’s okay Apple Bloom; I don’t really know why I don’t have a cutie mark. I guess I never found what made me unique. As for my name…I can’t remember my name so I chose Anonymous until I do.”

“Why can’t you remember your name?” Apple Tart asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Why?” Apple Tart asked
.
“I just don’t.”

“Why?” She continued.

“Well you are just full of questions aren’t you?” Anonymous chuckled.

“Too many if you ask me.” Apple Bloom said munching on an apple.

“How long are you staying her Anonymous?” Apple Tart asked.

“I think a week at the latest.” He said drinking some apple juice “Is Applejack still…what was it she said? Apple Bucking?”

“Eeyup.” Said Big Mac.

“Sorry if she laid to many rules on yah Anonymous, but mah sister takes pride in her work and she doesn’t like slackers.”

“Don’t worry; I don’t want to be a moocher. If I’m stuck here for a week or so I might as well pull my own weight.” Apple Bloom looked to Anonymous with an expression of surprise.

“Well ah didn’t expect yah to be so ready to help so soon. Ah expected yah to stay in bed for a day or two.”

“Well Applejack made it clear that I have to earn my keep around her so I might as well get started.”

“Eeyup.” Replied Big Mac.

Anonymous finished eating and made his way outside to meet with Applejack. He soon found her bucking a tree and collected the stray apples that didn’t land in the large buckets. While walking over to an apple she spotted Anonymous.

“Howdy Anonymous. Yah ready for some apple buckin’?” She asked placing the apple in the bucket.

“That’s what you do? No offense, but apple bucking seems…dangerous.”

“It can be if yah do it wrong, but I’ve been bucking apples all mah life so it ain’t a problem with Bucky magiligily and Kicks magee.”

“Who?” Anonymous asked confused. Applejack raised her right back leg and then the left.

“You named your legs?” He said baffled.

“Why not? I’m going to be stuck with them forever, might as well give them some personality.” Anonymous shook his head and walked over to Applejack “Now since you’re new around here and new tah apple buckin’. I’m going to give you something easy, just pick up all the apples that don’t fall in the buckets while I do all the hard stuff.”

“You got it.” Applejack walked over to another tree and gave it a hard kick causing the apples to fall “You make it look so easy.” He mused.

“Like ah said I’ve been apple buckin’ all mah life, and it’s given me the strongest legs in Equestria, next to Big Mac that is.”

“It certainly shows.” Anonymous commented looking at her toned rear. Applejack gave him a look “Uh, in the apple bucking I mean.” He started to blush from embarrassment.

“Well thank yah for the complement, mah girls appreciate it.” As Applejack moved to another tree Anonymous realized something.

“Hey, I met your sister, brother, and daughter. But I haven’t seen your husband yet, does he go to town and sell apples?”

“Ain’t got a husband anymore.” She said sadly.

“Where is he? Did you two get divorced?”

“No he…he died.” Anonymous flattened his ears.

“Oh…I’m sorry…how did he die?”

“Stampede…tried to corral the animals but…” She went quiet.

“I’m sorry it was none of my business.”

“No…it’s okay. You would have found out sooner or later.” She bucked the next tree slightly harder than before.

“Great job idiot!” Anonymous scolded himself as he went to pick up the apples.

The apple bucking continued for several hours until it was finally done. Anonymous was exhausted from the sun heating his head and seeing how Applejack herself was from all the hard work.

“Do you want me to take over?” He asked her.

“No!” She snapped. She glared at him, but it soon vanished “I’m…I’m sorry Anonymous, but apple buckin’ is a family matter and yah ain’t quite family.”

“That’s okay. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No…no it ain’t your fault. Ah know you just want to help it’s just…apple buckin’ used to be what me and mah husband used to do.” Anonymous nodded.

“I completely understand, but you don’t have to do all the work yourself.”

“Ah don’t, Big Mac takes care of the other side of the farm and ah do this one. Apple Bloom and Apple Tart take care of making Apple juice and cider.”

“And I pick up the apples.” He remarked.

“And you pick up the apples, so yah see everypony has a job.” Applejack looked to Anonymous and saw him sweating profusely. She then walked over and took her hat off and placed it on his head “You need it more than ah do.” She then walked back to the farm house “Well our jobs done so I’d say it’s time to get somethin’ tah eat.” Anonymous heard his stomach groan.

“I guess I am pretty hungry, watching you buck those trees gave me an appetite.”

“Well that’s good, because Apple Bloom loves to hear what newcomers think of her cooking.” The two ponies walked inside the farm house and their nostrils were hit with the aroma of apples.

“Mmmm.” Anonymous said as he trotted to the kitchen and sat at the table. Before him were apple pie, apple juice, apple slices, apple jam, caramel apples, apple cinnamon crisps, and apple tarts. Anonymous couldn’t believe the assortment that was before him, and he didn’t know where to start first. Soon he decided on one everything and filled his plate. After finishing minutes later he gave a satisfied sigh.

“Ah guess my cooking was to your likin’” Apple Bloom Chuckled.

“That was some of the best apple anything I have ever tasted.” Anonymous replied smiling feeling full.

“Glad you liked it. Always like to know what strangers think of mah home cooking.” She took his plate and brought it to the sink.

“All right Apple Tart time for bed.” Applejack told the filly.

“But ah don’t want to go to bed yet momma! Can’t you let me stay up just a little longer?” She whined.

“Don’t sass your mother now get goin’ young lady.” Apple Tart huffed, but sat up and trotted upstairs.

“Ah love that filly, but sometimes she can be bull headed.” Applejack got up from the table and followed her daughter upstairs “Make sure yah brush all your teeth! Ah don’t want to see that tooth brush bone dry!” She hollered.

Anonymous trotted back to his room ready to refresh his body from the day’s events. He pulled the sheets with his mouth and slowly lowered himself onto the bed, careful not to lie on his injured wing which was still sending off waves of pain. As he lay there Applejack suddenly entered his room.

“You alright sugar? Do yah need anything?”

“No, I think I’ll be fine. But thanks for asking.”

“Alright then, I’ve got to put Apple Tart to bed, but give a holler if yah need anything.”’

“I will Applejack, thanks.” Applejack shut the door and left Anonymous alone with his thoughts.

“I guess once my wing heals I’ll have to find out who I am or where I came from.” He thought back to the cold dark room of the morgue and he shuddered “How did I get there, how did I die?” He rubbed his temples “Well maybe it will come to me tomorrow.” He rested his head and suddenly his thoughts turned to Applejack, her accent, her green eyes, her golden ponytail mane, she began filling his mind “She’s cute I’ll give her that, but I don’t have feelings for her…do I?”

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