Apple Breaking: RotE Episode 3

by Dream Volt

The problem

It was hot, muggy, and it had just rained. Thus I couldn't be more surprised to see Rarity walking among the trees of the orchard. Clearly she was looking for me, but I figured she might just wait a bit well away from the mud. She looked in no big rush either, so it didn't seem like it was much of an emergency. She also looked completely clean. She cringed slightly as she stuck a foot in the mud, but it was completely clean when she pulled it out.

"What in tarnation? Now ah know some unicorns think they're too good for the dirt to stick, but this just takes the cake."

Rarity smiled. "Oh Applejack, it's a spell obviously. And quite a useful one at that I must say. I think I should even be able to enchant clothes with it, though that would take some doing and I'm not sure of the expense."

"Well ah'm sure some fancy city ponies would pay though the nose for clothes that don't stain. Ah'm at least sure my aunt and uncle Orange would."

"Ah yes, your aunt and uncle. It's so strange to think to think such a refined family is related to the apples."

"That sounds a might like an insult, but ah 'spose ah think it's a might strange too."

"Oh, my apologies, it's just while you and your family have many virtues, such a level of refinement are simply not among them."

I nodded "That's true enough. Fancy we sure ain't."

"So why is it so wet?"

"Well it rained of course. Dash just finished giving us a doozy of a downpour. Ah may be having trouble bucking, but I can still keep the trees in tip top shape no problem."

"Even the delicate work?"

"It's not all the time. Just bucking mostly. Ah mean pulling carts seems more an touch easier too, but with most stuff ah ain't go no troubles."

I then realized I was distracted by Rarity long enough and got the pole I had leaned against a tree. Trimming the trees isn't something I enjoy much, but it's got to be done. Of course some other contraption to do the trimming would be right helpful, but the dang pole is all we got. It had a saw on one end and had a comfortable enough grip, but it has always been unwieldy as can be. I then started walking down the tree line looking for a branch that was out of place.

"Oh my, I didn't even notice that dreadful weapon. Whatever is it for?"

I set the pole against another tree. "It ain't a weapon. It's a tool. For trimming trees."

"Oh, yes, of course. I suppose I have just read one too many romance novels set in the times of knights in shining armor wielding their mighty lances."

I let out a great big guffaw at that. "You do realize there's two ways to take that."

"What do you mean by…" Then she gasped "Oh, how crude."

"Didn't take you very long to think of it though, did it?"

Then we both laughed. Rarity don't seem much like my kind of pony, but she and I have been getting along much better since that slumber party at Twi's. I am never going to completely understand that fussy pony, but I do get now that Rarity isn't all flash and no substance. I then looked at the trees around me and sighed.

"Oh ferget it. I don't need to trim the trees in sweet apple acres that often and I just did it yesterday. I ain't gonna find more."

"Oh, you're still having your problem."

"Granny said ah should look at it as a gift, and it sure is useful for breaking rocks, but it doesn't seem like a fair trade ta me."

"So Twilight hasn't been able to help at all?"

I laughed. "So far Pinkie and Dash have been the most helpful in all this."

"Rainbow Dash? I heard about Pinkie stating the obvious from Twilight, which is odd in the extreme truth be told."

"You didn’t see the getup she put on to do it."

"I see. Still, I cannot imagine Rainbow being of much help in maters of magic."

"Well she figured that maybe it was nature magic protecting the trees, and Twi said she's pretty sure of that, but she said she ain't too good with that sort of thing, so…"

"You can really ignore her trepidation most of the time in regards to her own abilities. If she told you she thinks such, she is almost certainly right."

"Ah figured, but it's still what she dun told me."

"Hmm, you know from what you've said so far, it sounds like you're actually using some sort of strength spell, and not permanently enhanced."

I nodded. "Twi said the same thing. She gave me a doo-dad to turn off my magic, but that just meant the tree shook less, and the bark was only damaged a little."

"So applebucking requires some small bit of magic to work properly?"

"Seems it. Now ah feel bad about some of the ponies ah said are doing it wrong. Sounds to me like they just didn't have strong enough nature magic not to hurt the trees, or enough earth magic to shake em proper."

"Don't feel too bad. If that's the case that most likely means they should not be working with plants, or at least not your trees."

"Oh, ah guess that makes some sense."

I grabbed my pole and walked back to the barn. All this magic talk is a bit weird, but makes some sense. I mean I've always known there are some things earth ponies are just way better than any pony else at, but never really thought it was our own special type of magic. I set the pole up in the tool rack. I held up a hoof and looked at it.

"Ah suppose ah like the idea of earth ponies even do magic with our hooves, but it's just not the sort of thing ah thought about much."

"I must wonder what water magic uses as a focus. I suppose it could be…"

"Blood." I siad

"What?"

"Seems obvious enough to me even if it is a bit odd but blood. I mean mah grades weren't that great but even I remember ponies is mostly water. And…"

"Hmmm, you might have a point there even if the though is oddly ghastly."

I nodded. "Speaking of mater magic…"

I then walked outside to the pink tree with yellow leaves and bright magenta apples. I then shook my head.

"Pinkie, that's a might better than last time, but even if you got the colors right I know every tree on Sweet Apple Acres. I also know where every bit of shade they throw is, so I didn't even have to look up to know you didn't belong."

"Oh my, I thought Rainbow was exaggerating."

Pinkie was then a pony again. It still made me a bit queasy to see her shift back down from something bigger. I was just glad it was so fast I couldn't really track it all proper. She had a big smile on her face.

"So you totally knew." She laughed. "But I'm getting better. Oh, I love this so much. It's so much fun being other stuff. Being a turtle is so exciting."

"Ah, see."

"So Pinkie, is there some reason you have for visiting Applejack?"

"Uh, it's the middle of the week?"

"Actually, that reminds me." I turned back to Rarity "Did you come here just to show off or was there something you wanted from me?"

"Oh yes, we got talking and I just quite forgot myself."

"Oh no." Pinkie gasped. "That's horrible. Don't worry, we'll help you. Your name is Rarity, and I'm Pinkie Pie and…"

Then to my shock Pinkie seemed to stop talking on her own. Then I realized she was now wearing a fancy scarf around her mouth, and she was still trying to talk though that. I checked to make sure, but Rarity had no saddlebags on.

"Where the hay did that come form sugarcube?"

"Oh, my personal collection of course. I still cannot fathom how to teleport a pony, but I am much better at moving clothing thanks to Twilight. I'm beginning to think I will soon be able to teleport clothing to myself anywhere in the world. Won't that be wonderful?"

"Ah guess." I slowly shook my head. "Ah can see how looking all fancy whenever you want is something you'd love, even if ah ain't have much use for it."

"So you would not enjoy being able simply have an apple appear before you wherever you are? Just because you do not see the need for fashion doesn’t mean that…"

"Ah get ya. Though honestly I would be a bit creeped out if I could do that. I'm kinda glad that Twi said I will never get anything like that."

"Hey, you don't sound like you forgot yourself at all."

Pinkie had removed the scarf from her mouth and was glaring with one eye at Rarity. Rarity merely laughed.

"I do not have amnesia, no. It is just an expression."

"Oh, so why are you here?"

"Fluttershy. I'm deeply concerned about that hat she's wearing. I mean refusing to wear my stylish gift is one thing, but her current…" Then she paused, looking at my head.

"I've seen you wearing hats before. You got a problem with mine."

"No, though far too rustic for a lady such as myself it fits you quite well. Not appropriate for an event like the gala but…"

"Don't mention that mess ta me. If it weren't for Twilight that would have cost me way more than I made."

"Twilight? What does she have to do with anything."

"Okay, remember how Dash and Pinkie here wandered off to find some other party once we decided to take Fluttershy home?"

"The Nightmare Ball was such a better party." Pinkie began "I mean not only was DJ Pon3 there, but they had so much food, and neat lights and…"

"We know Pinkie. You told us before."

I nodded. "Yea, it sure sounded like a good time. Anyway they took off on their own, and we went strait home. Twilight at least finally got what she was hankering for and was alone with the Princess. Well they also talked about what we wanted from the gala."

"Ah, and what you lost became clear in value to the princess. Thus naturally our generous monarch reimbursed you for your losses."

"Not exactly. She showed up the next day and just fixed up everything on the farm, including granny's hip. The only thing she didn't do was paint, and Appplebloom loves doing that. Enough that I'm pretty sure it's the sorta thing that'll get her a cutie mark."

"Yes, just like singing is clearly Sweetie Belle's talent, but convincing her to do so can be quite troublesome. I'm hoping music in general might inspire her, and Lyra is offering both magic and music lessons so hopefully something good will come of it."

"And Twi won't try teaching her after that little dust up."

Rarity nodded then sighed. "Indeed. I can hardly blame her."

"Wow, and they say I'm easily distracted." said Pinkie

"Hmm, yes, again, we're off on a tangent."

"Oh yea." I rolled my eyes. "You're worried about Fluttershy's clothes."

"It is not just that, she absolutely refuses to remove her hat no matter what. She's even forgone some parts of our normal spa treatment to insure she won't remove it."

I nodded. "Oh, is that all? Yea, Dash said the same thing, but I agree with her, it ain't our business what's she's hiding and she'll tell us when she's ready."

"But now it's that awful…" She again looked at my hat. "..and by awful I mean horribly tacky caricature of a white cowpony hat that makes a mockery of all they stand for. I just can't abide by that, no matter how lovely an accessory Philomena's feather may be."

"Look I was thinking of seeing if I could help her a bit with some animals today anyway, since until I can get some control ah'm a hazard to ma trees."

"I'm so sorry for you. It's obvious how much you love your trees."

"Oooo, That gives me a great idea. I know just how to fix you AJ, so don't you worry your orange little head. Pinkie Pie away."

Then Pinkie grew wings and buzzed away. I'm never going to get used to that. I watched her go then turned to Rarity.

"What da ya think the chances are she can actually help."

"I'd say better than even, at least 60%. Though it's so hard to tell with Pinkie, and she might only be able to help you with her version of your problem."

"Her version of…" I gave a little snort. "What the hay does that mean?"

"I mean, that at times what Pinkie thinks is your problem, and your actual problem can be worlds apart."

"Ah, yea. Ah remember one time she heard me say Big Mac was under the weather, and then came back later talking about wasting Dash's time cause there weren't no clouds around Sweet Apple Acres at all, and accused me ah lying."

Rarity laughed. "Indeed. Well, I need to get back to work. Orders to fill and all that. You know how it goes."

I nodded. "Yea, I sure do. It's funny I never thought of it before, but you and me are really about the same as far as jobs go in lots a ways. I mean Twi works hard on her studying but ah'm not sure she really has to do anything."

"Yes, and Pinkie and Dash get their work done, but laze about most of the time."

"Fluttershy works hard too, but there ain't much stress in taking care of animals and most days she don't even have to do that much."

"Hmm, mostly correct, but I have a few stories. Her job can be monumentally stressful at times, even if most of the time it's peaceful."

"Hmm, maybe ah could ask her myself. Even if there ain't anything ah can help her with ah could sure talk. At least it would be something to do."

"Fare well, and at least think of trying to convince her to part with that hat."

"Ah supose ah sure enough could."

Then she waved and talked away. The sun was already drying the mud so there wasn't much squelching sounds, but she still occasionally looked utterly disgusted by what she was stepping it. I wonder if that means the mud still feels the same even if it don't stick to nothing? I then sighed. I guess a day with Fluttershy could be a nice way to spend a day, and I haven't talked much to her lately.