Farmers and Swindlers, Friendship and Pain

by Wunderbrony

Chapter 1: Apples Without the Acres

Chapter 1: Apples without the Acres

Applejack and the rest of the Apples stood despondently outside their old farmhouse. Each had a few saddlebags filled with belongings, and Big Mac was harnessed to a medium sized cart holding whatever didn’t fit in the bags.

“Well ya’ll, Ah reckon it’s about time we saddle up and move out,” Applejack said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

“Eeyup,” said Big Mac in a dull voice. His eyes were blank and clouded over with grief.

“Ah still say, t’aint fair that them Flim Flams are bootin’ us outta our own home! This is our land! It aint fair,” Applebloom protested angrily.

“We lost fair and square, even steven,” Granny Smith replied dispassionately. “The contest won them Flim Flams the right to vend cider, but they won a whole lot more. Without that cider business, we went plum belly up. We have no money. We had to sell evertything to those dad-gummed Flim Flams.”

“But where do they ‘spect us tah go?” Applebloom cried, tears welling up in her eyes as she thought about leaving the home she had grown up in.

“We’re gonna stay with Twilight in the library for tonight, and then we'll see if we can get work on another orchard somewhere,” Applejack said.

“But---“ Applebloom started to protest, but was hushed by a shaky hoof on her shoulder from Granny Smith. The sorrowful Apples, all traces of their usual pride and confidence gone, looked toward Applejack. She was the one who was expected to lead them now, in a time where all they wanted to do was go back inside their heritage farmhouse and pretend the Flim
Flam’s had never driven their fancy contraption into Ponyville.

Without a word, Applejack turned away from her family, and started along the dirt road towards Ponyville and Twilight’s tree library. She faced resolutely forward, refusing to acknowledge the familiar farm buildings to her right, or the orchards stretching for acres upon acres to her left. To even look upon these obsolete remnants of her life up till this point would overwhelm her in grief, and right now, her family needed her to lead them.
And so the Apples proceeded down the worn dirt path, carrying all that they owned on their flanks, and leaving all that they loved behind.

---

Princess Celestia was expecting the unicorn when he walked in to the courtyard. They were outside the castle in Canterlot, in the courtyard that acted as anteroom for the large steps to the palace. It was there she met the sterling colored unicorn, an accountant and news bringer of the region of her realm that contained Ponyville.
The unicorn knelt respectfully to the Princess and introduced himself as Quill Books, and at the Princess’s urging, they began to walk out of the courtyard and into the scenic Canterlot Royal Gardens.

“Mr. Books, I could not help but notice that your report was a few weeks ahead of schedule. Is anything amiss?” the Princess asked.

“Yes and no, Princess. You see, something is out of the ordinary, but the situation is complicated.” The Princess stayed expectantly silent, and Quill continued. “I have with me financial reports regarding Ponyville and the surrounding area. The economies of the countryside surrounding Ponyville report nothing exceptional, simply agriculture as usual. However, it is in Ponyville itself that we find this, ah, peculiar happenstance.”

The Princess became slightly distressed at this news. Ponyville was home to her student Twilight Sparkle and her friends, and while the six ponies were the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony and had proven time and again that they were capable of handling adversity, Celestia also noticed they were prone to inciting adversity as well. She wondered If they had anything to do with the news Quill was bringing. “Has something gone wrong?” she iquired calmly.

“No, and here is the strange part. Things are going good. Very good. Cider sales alone have reached record highs. Last year, the Apple family reported a sale of around 40 barrels of cider during the entire Cider Season.”

“A productive year for them,” the Princess remarked.

“Yes, but here is the thing. This year, a sale of over one hundred and fifty barrels has been reported, in the first week of the season!” Quill looked up at Celestia, awaiting her response.

Celestia was genuinely taken aback. “How…how is that possible?” She worked hard to regain her regal composure, but it was difficult in light of this news. How was so much cider being made and sold in the first week of cider season? she wondered.

“I have yet to thoroughly investigate, as I rushed here to deliver my report, but a colleague of mine in the area says it has something to do with some traveling salesmen, the Flim Flam brothers. They have a machine, I hear, that produces cider of quality rivaling the Apples’ at an exponentially faster pace.”

Celestia was silent for a moment. The pair of ponies turned a corner and stopped next to an ornamental fountain. “If what you tell me is true,” the Princess said slowly, “then these Flim Flam brothers are onto something huge. This machine of theirs could mean big things for our realm.”

“Believe me, Princess, I know. The calculated effect a machine like that will have in the long run for our economy is staggering.”

The Princess had heard all she needed to hear. She turned to face Quill, and gave her orders. “Thank you for your report, Mr. Books. If all of this is true, then our future is looking exceptionally bright. Please, make haste back to Ponyville and create a detailed report about this machine and the situation with the Flim Flam brothers. I want to know everything.”
This was exactly what Quill wanted to hear. He himself could not wait to find out more about the situation (he had to calm himself down and avoid thinking of it as an “economic revolution”) in Ponyville. “Of course, your Highness,” and with that, he bowed, and took his leave.

Big things were happening in Ponyville, and neither the Princess nor Quill Books had any idea the impact they would have.

---

“Thanks again for lettin’ us crash here, Twi’,” Applejack said to Twilight Sparkle. The purple unicorn chuckled and said,
“Don’t worry about it, AJ. The library has plenty of space, and I am glad to help any way I can.”

The Apples had put all of their baggage in an unused closet in the tree house, and Big Mac, Applebloom, and Granny Smith had all gone out into Ponyville to walk around and try and take their minds off their current hardship. Applejack had stayed behind, as Twilight’s calm organizational skills and easygoing manner was exactly what she needed. It was a relief to be able to share the burden of leading the family with Twilight, at least for an evening.

“Well, Twi’ I could certainly use yer help now. I just can’t reckon what Ah’m s’posed to do!” Twilight guided Applejack over to a sofa, where the two ponies sat down. Twilight used her magic to levitate a brush over, and began brushing Applejack’s mane soothingly while she spoke.

“Sometimes things happen in our lives that require us to make a change. I don’t think I could begin to understand the impact the loss of your farm has had on you, but you can bet that I have your back. Don’t worry. We will think of some way to get your family back on its feet, and then we can worry about how we are going to deal with those Flim Flams.”

Applejack was visibly relaxed by the calming ritual of mane-brushing, and was able to think lucidly as her fatigue was worked away by her friend’s presence. “Ah think our next step should be to find some work, so that we can get ourselves another place to stay. Not that there’s anythin’ wrong with your tree house, a’course,” Applejack smiled briefly. “Ah guess I could go back to Dodge Junction and see if Ah could get work with Ms. Jubilee again…if she would take me back,” Applejack said worriedly.

“I am sure she would. Your work ethic and good reputation will be all the recommendation she needs to take you back into her orchard!” Twilight said enthusiastically, although she was inwardly saddened to hear of Applejack’s plans to leave Ponyville for Dodge Junction.

“Ah just wish we never had t’ sell the farm to those slick con-ponies. If only Ah could get it back somehow,” Applejack mused.

“There is plenty of time to think on that. But for now, it’s almost dinner time. Let’s go out and see if we can find Big Mac and the others. Dinner’s on me tonight,” Twilight said.

“Aw shucks, sugarcube. That’s mighty kind of ya to offer,” Applejack said gratefully as they walked out the door. Twilight just smiled and followed Applejack out, extinguishing the candles with magic as she shut the door.

---

Three weeks had passed, and Applejack had followed through on her plan and moved her family to Dodge Junction where they worked for Cherry Jubilee. It was good work and paid well, but it was demoralizing to the Apples to work for someone when they used to be the owners of the most prestigious apple ranch in Equestria.

Rainbow Dash and Rarity where sitting in Twilight Sparkle’s living room, while Twilight brought out chilled mugs of Flim Flam cider.

“Doesn’t it bother you to support those shady traveling hucksters? Especially when they drove our friend out of town?” Rainbow Dash demanded as she inspected the cider suspiciously.

“And how do you ever manage to maintain such a stock of cider? Isn’t it expensive?” Rarity inquired as she sipped her cider.

“That’s the thing,” Twilight started, as she sat down with her mug. “The Flim Flam brothers make so much cider, they can sell it for ridiculously low prices. No offense to our friend Applejack, but if the brothers had set up shop in Ponyville, they would have run the Apples out of business in a month. They have already made so much money they are renovating all the old farm buildings and building a bigger cider squeezing machine. All the business they have brought to Ponyville is great for the town.”

“That might be true, but I still think it was low of them to waltz into town and cut in on Applejack’s business like that,” Rainbow Dash said. After another moment’s hesitation, she sampled the cider, and begrudgingly admitted to herself that it was as good as any cider the Apples had ever made.
“If only Applejack had negotiated further for a partnership in their business,” Rarity drawled as she lounged. “She would have enough money to buy out the Flim Flams three times over.”

“Hey, maybe that’s what we need to do!” Exclaimed Rainbow Dash as she stood up suddenly.

“Rainbow Dash, calm down! What ever are you talking about?” Rarity cried, barely keeping her cider from spilling from Rainbow Dash’s sudden movement.

“I’m saying, what if Applejack got herself one of those machines? She could make a bunch of money and come back to Ponyville! And I bet the town would buy from her instead of the Flim Flams! After all, she was the town heroine,” Rainbow Dash continued eagerly. She was pacing back and forth across the living room, her wings extended with excitement.

“That is actually a good idea, Rainbow,” agreed Twilight. Twilight thought hard for a moment, and then continued slowly, “But how would she get the money? One of those machines surely costs more than any of us make, and I haven’t a clue as to how to make one. I haven’t even ever read anything relating to them!”

“Well, perhaps if we---“ Rarity started, but was immediately interrupted by Rainbow Dash flying out the window, breathlessly calling over her shoulder “I got this, guys! Leave it to me!”

The two unicorns looked out the window where Rainbow Dash had gone for a moment. Then Rarity said “I say, some ponies. So impatient!”

Comments

[Shadow Scryer]

But... Dashie wouldn't know what the Apples cider's like would she? It's implied that she's never actually tasted it or at the very least, it's been years since she has.

But I digress. This story's well-written and looks promising.