S7 E16: Strongest of the Apples (Campfire Tales, Part 1 - What If?)
With the ringing of the school bell came the end of another day of school for all the colts and fillies. But before classes could be dismissed for the day, there was an important announcement that needed to be presented. Cheerilee drew the attention of her students by tapping a ruler against her desk. The teacher smiled. "Thank you, everypony. This won't take more than a few minutes," She beamed and cleared her throat. "We're about to start covering pony myths and legends, and I always believe that students learn better when they have a personal connection to the lessons I'm about to teach. Therefore, I'm officially giving you all the following assignment, due a week from today's time."
Some of the colts and fillies whined. "Do we really have to do the assignment, Miss. Cheerilee?" Snips pleaded. "Some of us don't really care for old legends."
"Which is exactly why I want to give you all a chance to take a personal interest in the course content," Cheerilee replied and passed out several sheets of paper. "I want each of you to pick one legend from the following list and do a report on them. I want to know why you chose that particular legend and what you've learned from him or her. The more details you can provide, the better."
A few colts and fillies whined, while others (like Silver Spoon) could be heard commenting on how hard it was to choose from Cheerilee's broad list. There were all sorts of legendary ponies to choose from: including Starswirl the Bearded himself.
"Remember, everypony," Cheerilee called as her students put the assignment away in various saddle bags. "You need to personalize it, think about how the legend inspires you. Anypony can copy words from a book, the key to learning is finding that angle or avenue that appeals to you as an individual."
With that the children all departed, some heading straight home to get to work on the assignment and some heading for Twilight's castle (which had become the stand in library for the town after the old one had been unfortunately destroyed about two to three years ago), hoping to find a legend that appealed to them for the sake of the report.
"Well I know who I'm doing my report on!" Scootaloo proudly boasted to her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Rainbow Dash doesn't count, she's not an ancient pony legend, Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.
Scootaloo groaned. "Don't you think I know that? I'm talking about the second most awesome pony of all time, a pony that even Rainbow Dash admires! Flash Magnus!" Buzzing her wings in excitement the filly proclaimed. "If he's good enough for Rainbow Dash he's good enough for me! I just need to ask Rainbow Dash for a few more details on him."
"I think I'm gonna do my report on Mistmane. Rarity talks about her all the time," Sweetie Belle declared. "What about you, Apple Bloom?"
Apple Bloom grinned. "There's one legend even my family has heard about! A pony who stopped his home town from bein' engulfed by lava with only his bare hooves and his trusty shovel!"
"Who is that?" Both Scootaloo and Sweetie wondered.
"None other than the mighty Rockhoof himself!" Apple Bloom declared before her happy mood became replaced by one of worry. "I'm just not sure how I can relate to him. I know my family's talked about him and I've heard the legend multiple times. But I don't think that's what Miss. Cheerilee's lookin' for in a report. I think Big Mac told it to her more than a few times."
"Well I'm sure you'll think of something," Sweetie encouraged. "After all, you have a week to think of it."
"Yeah, a whole week to come up with somethin' that'll impress Miss. Cheerilee," Apple Bloom commented. "In case you haven't noticed, I ain't exactly been doin' great on these past few lessons. If I don't get my grades up soon I'm gonna end up grounded. That means no Cutie Mark Crusadin', and no helpin' other ponies with their cutie mark problems. Nothin' but chores and chores as far as the eye can see."
The farm filly strolled back home to Sweet Apple Acres, still trying to think of how she could relate to a pony like Rockhoof. All she had to go on was the fact that it was her sister and her brother's favorite legend, their equivalent of Starswirl the Bearded, and the fact that he was an earth pony. But that alone wouldn't be anywhere near enough to write a report, let alone one with a passing grade.
So what was she going to do? What could she do? There had to be something she just wasn't thinking of.
Applejack was the first one to greet Apple Bloom when she came inside. "Hey there, Apple Bloom," She smiled before taking notice of her little sister's frowning face. "What's with the long face, sugarcube? Somethin' got you all saddle sore?"
"It's nothin' you need to worry about," Apple Bloom groaned. "I just gotta figure out how I'm supposed to come up with a convincin' report on Rockhoof in a week's worth of time."
"What's the matter with that? Don't you like Rockhoof? You've heard about him so many times." Applejack commented with concern.
Apple Bloom shook her head. "It ain't got anythin' to do with Rockhoof, aside from the fact that I can't think of a reason why I could relate to him. I like him 'cause you and Big Mac always talk fondly 'bout him, and I like how he was strong enough to stop an entire volcano's worth of lava with only a shovel. But Miss. Cheerilee's probably heard all about that stuff from Big Mac. I gotta come up with somethin' she ain't heard before."
At that Applejack threw back her head and began to laugh. "Oh, is that really all there is to it, Apple Bloom? I reckon there's a lot of things you could relate to from Rockhoof," And she adjusted the stetson atop her head. "Big Mac appreciates him 'cause Rockhoof always believed actions speak louder than words. Granny Smith likes how he made friends into family durin' his time in the Mighty Helm. And me, well there's all sorts of reasons why I like him. He was strong, honest, gentle, carin', determined, I reckon there aren't enough words to describe what kind of a pony he was."
"Well why do you like him so much? And how's any of that supposed to help me?" Apple Bloom pondered. "Sounds like you like him just 'cause he was so strong."
"Oh he was strong alright," Applejack answered. "Stronger in more ways than one. It took me a long time to learn that. When I was your age I just admired Rockhoof 'cause he was so powerful, made even the greatest of physical things look like child's play. And there was a time where I wished more than anythin' I could have his physical strength."
"You about to tell me another of them stories? Like about how you came to value honesty so much?" Apple Bloom questioned her sister.
The earth pony with a coat of orange nodded. "It's more than just a story, Apple Bloom. It's a life lesson, one I took to heart. And it was years and years ago, before you were ever born. A way back!" And this is how Applejack's story went:
It happened many years ago, when Applejack was still a filly. In fact it was just after she'd gotten her cutie mark and come to realize that her place was in Ponyville on the farm at Sweet Apple Acres.
"Ow! Easy there, Ma, you know that's a delicate area." Bright Mac groaned as he lay on his stomach, his massive form splayed out across the family coach.
Meanwhile, Granny Smith was busy removing small chunks of wood from her son's back and frowning. "Oh quit actin' like such a foal, Bright Mac!" She scolded. "You're supposed to set an example for your children."
"That's exactly what I was tryin' to do, Ma, honest!" Bright Mac shot back the most innocent smile he could. "Wasn't my fault that old tree couldn't handle a swift buck. It ain't like I broke somethin'."
"You really don't know your own strength, do you?" Granny Smith continued to frown. "You're just lucky Buttercup wasn't here to see this, she would've fainted to see her lovin' husband in such a mess," And then she sighed. "I reckon it's time you started lettin' the little ones help you out around the farm. They ain't little foals anymore you know, and I ain't exactly gettin' any faster in my age."
Big Mac grinned in a rather giddy appearance. "I'll help you out, Pa!" He proudly proclaimed and puffed out his chest. "Ma says I'm a chip off my old stallion, right down to the hooves. Reckon between the two of us, the apples would be harvested in half the time. Heck, I could probably buck the whole orchard by myself and not be winded."
Bright Mac laughed. "And what would your mother say if I let you do that? She'd have a heart attack or take it out on me. And y'all know your ma's scary when she's angry," Then the stallion stretched out his hooves as his eyes focused on his son. "Still, I suppose the time has come to start teachin' ya the ins and outs of managin' Sweet Apple Acres. After all it'll all be yours, someday."
"What about me, Pa?" Applejack asked as she shuffled into the living room. "I wanna help too, especially since Mother's still gettin' over that cold of hers. I'm just as strong as my brother!"
"No you ain't! Y'all couldn't even beat Cousin Braeburn in a hoof wrestlin' contest, and he was distracted the entire time!" Big Mac protested. "You're too little to be of any help, sis. Besides, you just got back from Manehattan two weeks ago. You're still gettin' used to bein' a country pony again."
But Bright Mac stood up, adjusting his signature stetson that he loved to wear so much. "Now Big Mac, you be nice to your little sister. Nopony is too little to make a difference. Your mother's always fond of sayin': 'Even a little Apple can make a big difference in the world.' Applejack's not much younger than you are now, only 'bout two and a half years or so off. If Ma thinks she's ready to start helpin' out 'round here, I'm inclined to believe her. After all, my mother is always right."
"You're darn tootin'!" Granny Smith declared. "But the both of ya better be careful and listen to your father. Last thing I need is your mother worryin' herself sick all over again."
The next day (after his back had healed) Bright Mac led his two children out to the orchard, all the while he was explaining at length about the different chores his son and daughter would soon take on. Neither little pony paid much attention to any of it for they were too busy focusing on the task they'd seen their father do many times. Something he made look so easy: Apple bucking.
Eventually the tall stallion with a coat of very light green approached the apple trees, filled with lush red apples that rested firmly on its many branches. He could tell just by looking at Big Mac and Applejack how eager they were to learn. He could remember his mother showing him how to apple buck when he was about their age (though he'd been slightly older than Big Mac). "And now we come to one of the most important jobs on the whole farm," He explained in his usual laid back tone. "I know I make apple buckin' look as easy as apple pie, and once you get the hang of it it really is. However it's also very dangerous. You gotta the buckin' process just right or else you could get really messed up. First time your mom tried it, she almost threw her back out. Don't tell her I told you though, or she'll make me sleep on the couch all week."
Big Mac and Applejack chuckled at the image, their father could barely fit on that old couch without sitting up.
"Now then, watch what I do," Bright Mac instructed to his two children. "First ya gotta give the tree a good tap with your hoof, so you can feel how deep the wood runs and know how much strength to use. Too little and ya won't knock anythin' done, but too much and you could bring more than just apples down. I should know, I've accidentally felled a few trees before their time," He proceeded to tap one of his front hooves against the trunk of the tree, getting a good feeling for just how sturdy it really was. Then he turned around so that his back hooves were facing toward the tree.
"When you're ready it's a simple matter of linin' up your hooves just right and kickin'! If you feel like you need more power you can run up to the tree and turn around right at the trunk. All that matters is that you put as much effort as you can. Do that all just right, and the apples will fall," Bright Mac proceeded to effortlessly kick the tree and knock the apples down where they landed in several wooden buckets. "Apple buckin' doesn't just happen whenever you want it to happen," The stallion was quick to add. "The apples need time to ripen, which is why we have specific buckin' times."
"That's easy! A mere child could do all of that in a heart beat!" Big Macintosh boasted.
"Yeah, I reckon Big Mac and I could buck just as many trees as you can, Pa." Applejack smiled even though deep down she was not so sure of her own strength. Granny Smith said it had taken her longer than most foals to start walking on her own power. But nopony ever said that had anything to do with apple bucking.
Bright Macintosh looked at his children, ruffling their manes with a hoof. "Well then, how's about you both try it out for yourselves? Don't worry, it's okay if you don't get it right away. Took me months before I could even come close to considerin' myself an expert on apple buckin'. So who'd like to go first?"
Big Mac raised a hoof. "Me, me!" He declared.
The elder Mac nodded, he'd always noted how similar his son was to him. There was a reason why they'd called him Big Macintosh after all. "Okay, Big Mac. You can go first. Don't be shy, just give it your best shot."
Big Mac seemed to suddenly grow ever so slightly nervous. He usually didn't ever admit to it, especially not within ear shot of his sister. His father seemed to know what his son was thinking without him even needing to say, he was good in that fatherly sort of way. "It's okay, son. It's a first attempt, nopony expects you to be perfect."
The not so little colt with a coat of red, feeling boosted by his father's words, repeated the steps he'd seen his father make just moments earlier. Planting his hooves firmly against the tree trunk he gave it a good, swift kick. The trunk shook in response and a couple of apples managed to fall into the buckets.
Bright Mac clapped his hooves as Big Mac swelled with pride anew, and Applejack found herself struggling to keep from getting flustered. Why did her brother have to always be so good at everything? Just once could she be better at something than him?
Well she was about to find out. Now it was her turn to attempt apple bucking. The filly tried her best to concentrate on what she'd already seen her father and her brother do. "I've gotta be strong, just like Rockhoof!" She thought to herself. "They say Rockhoof was as strong as ten regular stallions and mares combined! And he used to be a scrawny little colt. If he could become even stronger than my dad, a pony like me should be able to buck a few apples from a tree."
In her mind the filly imagined herself not unlike Rockhoof when he was staring down that angry volcano threatening to engulf his beloved village in molten lava. The mighty stallion had shown no fear on that day, he'd simply let out a roar and proclaimed for all to hear. "I shall defend my village to the very end if I must! For that is a part of my creed!" And in the end, armed with nothing but his trusty shovel, he had managed to dig a deep enough trench for the lava to harmlessly flow away.
"Applejack, I already know the story of Rockhoof. You've told me to a hundred thousand times already," Apple Bloom protested as she interrupted the story. "And Miss. Cheerilee ain't gonna be interested in hearin' it again. I thought you were gonna tell me how you came to appreciate Rockhoof so much and how he wasn't just strong in a physical sense."
Present Applejack sighed. "I know, sugarcube, I know," She motioned with her hooves. "It's just... what comes next... it ain't somethin' I like talkin' bout or even thinkin' about."
Apple Bloom just scoffed at her big sister's worries. "Oh come on now, it can't be any worse than when your lies almost cost ya your friendship with Rarity."
But Applejack shook her head in shame and covered her raging blush with her stetson. "Oh it was worse than that, alright. Least when that happened I could honestly say that nopony got hurt. But if I said the same about my first apple buckin' attempt in front of Pa and Big Mac, I'd be lyin' through my teeth."
"Really? How bad was it?" The farm filly questioned her elder sister with a curious look on her face.
"Bad enough to put me in the hospital. I thought for sure I'd busted my legs up so much that I wouldn't be able to buck again." Applejack shamefully confessed.
In Applejack's flashback her story picked up from that point, many painful days of laying in a hospital bed with her back hooves in tightly wrapped casts. At one point all of her family was by her bed side, looking over her with varying displays of worry.
Through it all her father never left her, not even once. He seemed to blame himself for what had happened.
A young Nurse Redheart simply tsked as she changed the bandages on Applejack's hooves for what felt like the hundredth time. "You're lucky you only sprained your hooves, young missy. I've seen ponies your ages with far worse injuries, some of whom have never recovered," In a softer and gentler tone of voice she then added. "So long as you stay off those hooves and don't try anything too stressful, you can go home tomorrow."
"I take it she won't be doin' any applebuckin' anytime soon?" Bright Mac questioned the nurse as the casts were done up with fresh bandages.
Nurse Redheart shook her head. "I most certainly think not. Doctor's orders are for her to stay away from anything that taxing on her hooves for the better half of a month, maybe even longer," And she frowned. "In fact I'd say her hooves aren't strong enough for applebucking and won't be for at least another two years."
"What?! Two years?!" Applejack and Bright Mac both exclaimed together!
"Yes, two years," The nurse firmly replied. "Any premature applebucking runs the risk of permanently damaging her hooves to a point where it'll be far worse than a sprain."
"Can't you just cast spells that'll make my back hooves stronger?" Applejack pleaded. "I wanna be as strong as my brother."
But Nurse Redheart protested quite firmly. "You probably never will be. Your brother's as strong as any earth pony since your father was his age. Your strength isn't anywhere near the same level, it's not likely to be much higher than it is now. Besides, your father is still in the prime of his youth, I reckon he's got several years worth of applebucking left in him. There's bound to be other chores you can do around your family farm." And with that she departed, leaving a disappointed and dissatisfied Applejack to sulk and stew in her hospital bed.
The farm filly let out a groan. "It's not fair! Why does my brother have to be so much stronger than I am?! I wanna be as strong as Rockhoof, Pa! I wanna be able to buck just as many trees as you can!" Then she unhappily sighed, it was a long, drawn out sigh too. "But I couldn't even buck one measly tree. I'll bet even Granny Smith can buck better than I can. Why can't I be as strong as Rockhoof? He was never weak, he could handle a tree like that no problem."
At that Bright Mac looked down at his daughter and his face morphed into a rare frown. Applejack could seldom remember a time when she'd seen her father not looking chipper and upbeat. "Applejack, there's a whole lot more to a pony than just physical strength. Rockhoof was admired not just because he was strong, but because he had a big heart," Bright Mac told his daughter. "Even when he was just a scrawny little colt though, there was one thing he had that others had never seen before. Courage. Courage that guided him even when he was afraid."
"You mean, like when he saved his village with only his trusty shovel?" Applejack asked.
"Eeyup," Bright Mac nodded. "But that courage came in handy for more than just facin' down an angry volcano. Did I ever tell you the story of how Rockhoof joined the Mighty Helm in the first place?"
"I... don't believe you did." Applejack realized.
Bright Mac laughed and then adjusted his stetson. "Well of course I haven't. I reckon though that the time has come for you to hear it. It's quite the tale."
Long ago in a village that sat alone on a volcanic island, a scrawny young colt by the name of Rockhoof became fascinated by the guardians who watched over his village like a hawk protecting its nest: The Mighty Helm.
Led by their fierce captain, the Mighty Helm trained hard everyday not far from where Rockhoof lived. He would often sneak away to watch them practice, his eyes lighting up like a little kid on Hearth's Warming Day as he observed all the ins and outs of their movements.
At last he became old enough to enlist in the helm itself. The very day he was able to meet the age requirements, the colt marched himself over to the helm and announced his intent to join them.
But the members of the Mighty Helm all laughed at him, for his body had not kept up with his age and he remained as scrawny as he had ever been. "You could barely even lift ten pounds, kid," A helm member snickered. "You'd have to be able to manage at least ten times that weight to join."
"Tell you what," Another helm member taunted and threw a shovel at the colt's hooves. "Why don't you use that and knock yourself out? It'll be good practice for lifting swords and spears."
Rockhoof ignored all the taunts and jeers the helm members threw at him and he accepted the shovel without hesitation. It took every ounce of strength he currently had just to be able to lift it.
Not one to give up when the going got rough, Rockhoof dedicated himself to growing and building up his strength. "I'll show them all. If my size is the problem then I'll just have to beef myself up until I can prove to them I'm every bit as strong as they are!" He declared.
Day in and day out from that point forward, Rockhoof trained hard. With the shovel in his teeth or his hooves he would dig holes until his body ached. He also ran laps all around his village until he had no more breath, and set up a make-shift obstacle course to push every part of his body and mind to its absolute limit.
The training was intense and most ponies would've likely called it quits from day one. But Rockhoof would never give up, days stretched into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. All the while those who were close to Rockhoof became amazed at the transformation he underwent. In the blink of an eye he seemed to go from being that scrawny little colt to being a towering giant. Before long he was digging mile wide trenches with the greatest of ease and could even lift boulders with his shovel, which never left his side.
In fact he was heard to say. "My shovel and I, we make a fine pair. I'd sooner die than part with it."
At last the stallion felt that he had pushed himself as far as he could go, and there was only one thing left for him to do. Marching up to the Mighty Helm one day, all were amazed to see just what had become of the little colt they had dismissed all those years ago. "I hope you lads have saved a spot for me on the helm," Rockhoof declared to them. "Because my shovel and I aren't taking no for an answer. We're ready to serve."
The helm's captain, Steela Oresdotter stepped forward to greet Rockhoof and extended her hoof towards him. "And serve you shall, Rockhoof. From this day onward, the Mighty Helm is your family. And you will know me not only as your captain, but as your best friend."
Rockhoof beamed with delight and shook Steela's hoof, surprising everyone with how firm his hoofshake was. "A thousand pardons, Captain," He said with a blush. "It seems I will have to learn to control my strength. After all, I wouldn't wanna send my new family members to the hospital." And at that everyone had a good laugh.
"So do you see now, Applejack?" Bright Mac inquired of his daughter. "True strength isn't about bein' the best at somethin' or bein' able to bend trees to your will with one kick. True strength comes from within and takes on many different forms. True strength can be doin' what you know is right even when it costs you personally. True strength can be standin' up for what you believe in. And it can even be simply the act of gettin' back up and tryin' again when you fall down . To be strong is not to be without equal, to be strong is to work hard, to do better than what you could do before."
"So you mean, if I really work hard enough, I could one day buck apples like you and Big Mac?" Applejack questioned in reply.
Bright Mac laughed anew. "Probably, I reckon. But for now you heard what the nurse said, best if you stay away from the buckin' and let those hooves rest," When his daughter frowned and let out a sigh he quickly added. "Oh, don't look so down in the dumps there, sugarcube. There's plenty of other chores you can do to help out around the farm, and all of 'em are just as if not more important than applebuckin'."
Applejack was released from the hospital the very next day and for a couple of days she had to walk around on crutches so as to take pressure off of her hooves. Once they had recovered and the casts came off, she started pitching in with some of the household chores. Things like washing the dishes, sorting out the laundry (as well as putting stuff out to dry or bringing it in from the clothes line), sewing, and preparing the meals.
Eventually when her hooves had fully recovered, she started doing some of the outside chores. Granny Smith taught her how to milk the cows and feed the pigs, and she was even allowed to bring in the buckets full of apples when her father and brother were done applebucking.
But the farm filly never gave up on her hope that she could one day applebuck just as well as her brother and father. Day after day when her chores were done, she would practice the procedure over and over again until she was confident she had the kicks just right. She built up her strength by kicking small rocks across the pond where she and her family would often go swimming on hot Summer days.
At last Applejack felt that she was ready, at least a year and a half had passed since her disastorus first attempt at applebucking. The doctors had said at least another half a year would be necessary, but what did they know? "As long as I'm careful I shouldn't have any trouble. I've been practicing extra hard. If Rockhoof could build himself up from a scrawny little colt with just a shovel, I should be able to buck a few apples out of a tree." She thought to herself.
It was nearly sundown and the orchard was empty, Applejack knew there wouldn't be another opportunity like this for quite a while. It was now or never! Approaching the first unoccupied tree she could lay eyes on, the filly with a coat the same orange as the sky itself at this time of evening began to repeat the process she had rehearsed numerous times before in her head. Slowly and carefully she lined up her hooves with the trunk of the tree. Any doubts she may have had about the strength of her hooves was gone, replaced by a determination to do it.
The young earth pony proceeded to charge up to the tree trunk and at the last minute she turned around and planted her back hooves firmly against the trunk, kicking hard! Nothing happened, the tree didn't even shake. Applejack felt her heart sink. This couldn't be it, after all her efforts she was still not strong enough?!
But the filly's thoughts of depression were interrupted when something suddenly struck her on the forehead. Looking up her green eyes fell upon a lush, red, apple that now rested atop her forehead! Looking down at the ground she saw that several other apples had fallen as well, bruised but otherwise unharmed. Applejack jumped for joy and let out a hearty "Yeehaw!" She then rushed back to the farm house, eager to tell everypony about her first successful applebuck!
"I'd never felt as proud as I had in that moment," Applejack narrated to Apple Bloom. "Ma and Pa could hardly believe it, and Big Mac was so impressed he was speechless for the first time in his entire life! Pa was still quite reluctant to let me applebuck after that, but eventually I won him over. I still loved to hear about Rockhoof, but I came to realize that I'd been lookin' up to him for all the wrong reasons. I admired him solely because he had power, and I failed to see that he was strong in more ways than one. All the physical strength in the world is meaningless if you don't have the emotional strength to carry on, and to keep tryin' even when you stumble. After Ma and Pa passed, that emotional strength was at times all that I had that kept me goin'."
Apple Bloom found herself stricken with amazement. "Wow! I never knew about any of that before! I knew Rockhoof wasn't just strong in a physical sense, but I never knew he felt that strongly 'bout them Mighty Helm Ponies!" And then she realized. "It's just like that lesson you learned about how friends can be like family."
Applejack nodded and then winked. "I reckon you can finally write that there report now, Apple Bloom. After all, Granny Smith says it won't be long now before you're buckin' entire orchards."
"Especially since Big Mac's got that special somepony of his he keeps sneakin' off to see." Apple Bloom teased.
"Y'all talkin' 'bout me?" Big Mac asked as he entered the room. "I thought heard ponies talkin' 'bout Rockhoof? Now that there is a pony who knew how to get a lot done while sayin' so little."
"It's for a report for Miss. Cheerilee's class," Apple Bloom explained as she trotted out of the kitchen. "And if I don't write it down soon I'm probably gonna forget about all about!" She skipped up to her bedroom and could be heard shouting. "This'll be the easiest A I ever earned!"
Big Macintosh looked across to Applejack and gave a wink. "You told her 'bout how you came to admire Rockhoof, but you never mentioned how I was the one who helped you practice applebuckin', did you?"
Applejack tried to keep a straight face. "Must've slipped my mind."
Big Mac lightly ribbed his sister. "It's alright, I don't blame ya. But next time it's my turn to tell Apple Bloom a story. There's a lot she doesn't know about me."
"Like about your whole 'Cousin Orchard Blossom' routine?" Applejack teased.
"You would've done the same thing if you were me," Big Mac defended. "And it worked, didn't it?"
"A little too well from what Granny Smith told me," Applejack giggled. "Now, about that special somepony of yours..."
Big Macintosh suddenly started to break out in a cold sweat. "Oh gee, would you look at the time? Really must be goin', I got things to do and places to be." And he left the kitchen without saying another word. Applejack just gave a knowing wink. "Oh Big Mac, there's no need to hide it. Everypony knows." She thought to herself.
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Once again, a very good job on this latest chapter. You make some excellent points in the author's notes as usual and you, of course, did a great job on the exchanges, characterizations, general wrap-up and future story set-up in all the right places. And, yeah, I especially liked the flashback appearances by Bright Mac and the effort to tie in two different sets of flashbacks (i.e. the Rockhoof legend being tied into Applejack's early lessons).
I am most assuredly going to be looking forward to more.
Super Pink Brony:
I will confess that your re-write of Rockhoof's tale in this chapter was...something I can personally relate, and has encouraged me. Both Rockhoof and Applejack, in their efforts to become stronger through their training, have brought inspiration to me. For you see, for the last year or so, I have been training in empty-handed self-defense and firearms application. It does get frustrating when I come up short in the techniques I'm trying to apply, especially when I'm under stressed, or when I can't get the perfect marksmanship at a faster pace. Your tale here has taught me to keep at it, and keep practicing, knowing that I will get better and be able to protect the innocent in my line of work as a security officer.
Applejack's story with how she needed to be patient with her recuperation from her wounds, and her constant practice in applebucking, hit very close to home. I've gotten small injuries in my training, forcing me to stop for periods of time, which puts a halt to the progress I've made up to that point. While it is very frustrating and discouraging, your story reminds to never give up. With God's help, I will succeed in my goals.
Thanks for reminding me to keep training, get stronger both emotionally and physically, and never give up. Hat tip to you. 👍