> Human Love
>  by REDPONY writer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter One: The Harvest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is a beautiful day at Sweet Apple Acres. The sun is high, and the apples are ripe for farming.  And of course, the Apples are ready for Applebuck season.
“Anon! You ready? Applejack and Big Mac are already outside.”
“I just got up, Apple Bloom, I’ll be right out.” You reply.
“Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to wake ya,” Apple Bloom says a bit sad.
“Don’t worry, Celestia beat you to that,” you assure her.
“Oh!” Apple Bloom laughs, “see ya in a bit.”
You then head to your closet and get out of your pj’s and put on some overalls and a shirt for harvest day. You look in your mirror, you and your shirt and overalls look pretty good for today, but something is missing...
“Ah, yes, my hat!”  You then get the hat Applejack gave you, “Heyyy country girl! Oh that’s just me,” you say as you think back to when AJ gave you that hat as a symbol of the Apple team. You, AJ, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom.
“Time to hit the trees.”
It’s been about a year since you came to Sweet Apple Acres. It was just a wish one night that came true. You’ve always wanted to help out on AJ’s farm and it was a dream come true to finally meet her and her family.
You set up some buckets by the trees you are working with. Normally, the Apple Family bucks the trees to get the apples down, but you just get to use your hands to pick the apples off the trees. Turns out that the apples you pick tend to be tastier than the bucked apples, so they became a premium product for their business. You are so proud to be such an important member of the team.
You get started on the first tree and pick about ten apples before putting them into a bucket. You continue this until you have 4 buckets with ten apples each.
“Anon!” Apple Bloom calls from behind you.
“Apple Bloom! You’re are just in time, I got four buckets ready.”
“Nice! ah’ma start takin’ em back.” She carefully takes one bucket back to the barn.
This is normal for you, as the Apple Family are very careful with the apples you pick.
You wipe the sweat of your forehead and finish up the tree you were working on, you finish that tree with 8 buckets total with 2 buckets of rejected apples, mostly from worms. Yuck.
Before you tackle the next tree you take a little break for a drink of water.
“Howdy, Anon!”
“Hey Big Mac.” you reply.
“Seems you’re taking things easy,” he grins. 
“Hey!” You shout at him, “I’m just getting a drink.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac chuckles.
You couldn’t stay mad at him, after all, he was the best company you could have at this time. After all, it’s not like one pony, or one human, can harvest an entire apple farm, so Big Mac starts bucking the trees around you.
He usually does this with you, you don’t really know why, but you like the company, Apple Bloom is usually carrying your buckets back to the barn with some empty buckets back to you, so you can harvest more, but Big Mac has more time to talk about stuff as he just bucks trees. Actually, you were planning on asking him why he always works close to you.
"Mac?” A short name you gave him a while ago.
“Eeyup?”
“What do we do with the rotten apples?” You change the subject of the question quickly because you are scared he might take the question the wrong way and leave.
“Oh, it’s simple. We use them as fertilizer for the next crop.” Answering your non-intentional question.
“Oh, that makes sense.” You remember how you used compost back home. Anyway, you start picking from the next tree and got 2 more buckets before Apple Bloom finished delivering the buckets from the first tree.
“Here are five more empty buckets, Anon!”
“Thanks, Bloom,” Another nickname you gave.
Grabbing the empty buckets, you stack them onto the rest of the empty buckets you’re gonna use.
“You know, you and my li’l sis make a great team.” Big Mac compliments.
“It’s just a simple system of produce, transport, and storage.” You explain while counting the steps on your fingers,  remembering an inventor who did an almost same system back home.
“So who does what?” Big Mac questions.
You respond with “I produce the buckets, Apple Bloom transports the buckets and Granny Smith stores the apples.”
Big Mac thought it over. “I guess it works better than one pony doing all three. That’s smart.”  
“Thanks, but I can’t take all of the credit! It’s just how humans have done things to improve life.”
“Yet you’re the only human workin’ on this farm, and I thank ya for it.”
You blush a little. “Thanks. But really, you had almost the exact same thing going when those Flim Flam Brothers came.”
“Eeyup,” He bucks a tree and fills his barrels with apples.
“Although I don’t think my apple picking can be as fast as applebucking,” You say, comparing techniques.
“It may be fast, but we wait till all the trees are bucked, then start moving them to the barn. Your picking is getting the apples to our barn faster.”
“That’s... true…” You reply, while inside a tree.
“What are you doing up there?”
“I’m just getting the last ones on top,” you reach for the highest apples. Suddenly you hear a loud crack. The branch below gave away and you fall from the tree.
“Gotcha!” Big Mac catches you. You are now on the grass, with Big Mac holding you in a position that shows that he leaped from a distance to catch you. His hooves holding your back and legs.
“Thanks, Mac,” You blush a little from the catch.
“Now Anon, I say you forget about them apples for now.”
You nod and get up from grass and proceed to place your apples in a bucket. That was amazing! You think to yourself. Who knows what kind of injury you might have suffered if he didn’t catch you. As you look back, Big Mac’s back to bucking the trees.


Later on, it’s about 3PM you’re guessing. Big Mac went to another section and you’re filling about your 50th bucket, but who's counting anyway?
Applebloom is about to take another bucket. “*Sigh* This is tiring work.”
You’re feeling like taking a break. After all, it was Apple Bloom that was taking the buckets back to the barn. 
“I guess I can take a break for now,” Apple Bloom then drops to a position where her hoofs are stretched out of her sides and her belly is on the grass. You look at the scene with awe and pick up her up. “Here, have some of my water.” You give her your canteen, and sit down by a tree with her in your arms.
“Thanks Anon,” She then takes a long drink, “Ah!”
“So what’ve you and your friends been doing?” You ask her while scratching her mane.
“Oh, Scootaloo was hangin’ out with Rainbow Dash all weekend so I didn’t see her, an’ Sweetie Belle was with Rarity.“
“Oh, so, sister messin’ with sister?” You ask with a grin.
“Yeah, she loves to do that,” She pauses, “you know I can’t get enough of this.”
You proceed to tickle her. “So I’m your mane scratcher now, am I?
“Hah hah hah, Oh, ok, stop!”
You stop the tickling. “Since when do you hate my tickling?”
“I don’t.” She then buries her muzzle into your arm proceeds to tickle you.
“Ha ha ha ha, cut it out!” you tickle her back. This goes on for about a minute, ‘til you admit defeat.
“Looks like I win!” Apple Bloom cheers. You hug it out and continue your work.


The sun is setting and now you are about to fill your 120th bucket.
“Hey, Anon!
“Hey, AJ.” You greet Applejack as you fill the bucket, “120.”
“Hoooo weeee! Great job,” Applejack congratulates you.
“Thanks but I’m not done yet,” You start picking more apples.
“Is something wrong Anon?
She’s right. ever since Big Mac caught you, you couldn’t get it out of your mind, besides the tickling by Apple Bloom.
“Everything’s fine AJ, just got to get as much done as possible,” You assure her.
“Now, now, I’m only asking. You know I can tell when something’s up,” Again she’s right, every time you had a problem she would help you get through it. 
Sighing you say: “I fell.”
“You fell? But you don’t look hurt.” Applejack doesn’t know much about the human body, but she certainly can recognize bruises. 
“It’s ‘cause Mac caught me.”
“That’s my big brother for ya, always there to help,” she said, praising her brother. 
“But that just it, I can’t stop thinking about it,” You explain.
Applejack thought about it for a moment. Then rethinks. Then she gives a small smile. “Maybe it just that you feel that you have to repay him?”
“Maybe, but.”
“Don’t worry about it. I can help if you need anything, “ she says, trying to comfort you.
“Ok AJ.”
“Now don’t stay too long out here, we’re almost ready for dinner. Granny Smith is makin’ your favorite!” Applejack turns to head for the house. 
You imagine your favorite dinner, but it doesn’t help you with your thoughts of Big Mac. trying to put your thoughts aside, you continue picking apples.

> Chapter 2: stuck in bed.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

You wake in a daze, trying your best to look around. Your ears recovering, you hear a familiar voice. “Twilight?”
“Oh no! she’s awake! Quick…..”
You fall back asleep. You wake up again but not sure how long since you were last awake. You gain your senses back only to feel a sharp pain and you scream.
“Anon! don’t worry! you’re ok.”
“Apple bloom?” You reply, as your eyes go into focus. The little filly is right next to you, holding on to you with her hooves.
“You’re ok.” She says, trying to comfort you.
You look at your arm; it’s in a cast, hanging from a small crane. Upon further examination, the sharp pain seems to be coming from your head.
“What happened?” You ask.
“I don’t know but I found you and we brought you here.”
You realize that something must have gone wrong while you were picking apples. And Apple Bloom to her horror found you unconscious. Using your right arm you pick up Apple Bloom and hug her. “I’m sorry you had to see me this way.”
Apple Bloom is trying her hardest not to cry but tears still flowed. Then came in a nurse.
“How are you feeling?” She asks.
“I’m in pain, but I don’t know why.” You reply.
“That’s ok, at least you’re feeling the pain.” The nurse checks her chart. “You have suffered a minor concussion and sprained your left arm.”
Thank Celestia it’s not broken. “How long will I be here?” you ask the nurse.
“We will monitor you for a week and go from there,” The nurse responds.
A WEEK! The shock of it all coming in. you’ll no longer be able to help the Apple family this harvest. Tears begin to flow from this realization. No, I will not cry not in front of Apple Bloom. I will be brave for her.
“You have friends that wish to see you.” the nurse says as she opens the door. In comes Big Mac, Applejack, and... Princess Twilight?
“Howdy Anon!”
“How are ya doing, sugar cube?”
“Wish I was better,” You say, but you know it will be a week before you can get outta there.
“So, how did you get hurt?” Big Mac asks.
“I don’t know,” you reply, “all I know is somehow I hurt my head and arm.”
“And it’s a good thing we got you here. Who knows what would have happened if we left you out there,” says Applejack horrified by the possibilities. “By the way, thanks, Twi.”
“I’m always there for any human problems,” She says proudly. 	
That’s right, Twilight has experience with humans so she was overseeing the operation. You thank Twilight then ask: “so why do I need to stay a week?”
“We need to make sure everything went smoothly. Don’t worry it’s just a week, it will be over before you know it.”
The Apples besides Apple Bloom look down.
“So that means she can’t continue the harvest.” 
“Eeeyup,” Big Mac says, although not as proud as normal.
"Think about it this way Applejack," Twilight's attempt to lift the mood, "It’s better to have her ready and able for the next harvest than to not have her able at all."
“I guess you’re right,” AJ says, obviously knowing Twilight is right.
"Can I stay with Anon? Please Twilight?" Apple bloom gives Twilight those puppy dog eyes.
“Sure!” she giggles, “I think it’s for the best that Anon has some company while she’s here.”
"Thank you, Twilight!" you say as you hug Apple Bloom like a teddy bear.
“Now Apple bloom,” AJ in an authoritative tone, “you be nice to them nurses when Anon need care.”
“I will, AJ!” She assures her while hugging you.
Applejack and Big Mac leave the room, and you might have seen the red one look to you for a second then continue out. It’s going to be lonely for him, but he does have his sister to talk to.

“So, Anon, how’s your head?” Twilight asks.
“It hurts a little,” You reply.
She then lights her horn and closes her eyes for a second. You then feel a little relief in your head but the pain still lingers.
“Hows that?” she asks again. 
“It’s a little better but still hurts,” You then hug Apple Bloom a little tighter, But not too much. She takes notice of this and puts her hooves around your neck and setting her head to your left.
Twilight then leaves the room to give you and Apple Bloom some alone time. Using your good hand you start scratching her mane. She then lets out a sigh of pleasure, but you can still feel her tears on your cheek.
“Don’t worry, Bloom, I’ll get better,” you say in order to try and cheer her up. 
“I know but when I found you I thought it was over,” She tightens her hold on you.
“Don’t worry I’m still part of your team,” You assure her.
"Oh I wasn’t worried about that," She replies.
You are confused by her sudden change in emotion. "What were you worried about then?" You ask her for clarification.
“I was worried that my personal mane scratcher couldn’t scratch my mane,” She snickers.
"Oh, is that what I am to you?” You proceed to tickle her back. This sends her into a laughing fest although she doesn’t tickle back. You assume it’s because you are injured and that she doesn’t want to risk hurting you more. What a gentle little filly. 
After a while she calls uncle and lays down under your left arm and falls asleep, tired from waiting  and tickling. 
This is a beautiful sight to you, a little filly sleeping next to you. The pain keeps you awake for awhile so you decide to keep a lookout although you’re in a hospital. 

A few minutes pass by and a nurse comes in.
"Would you like anything?" She asks, After all, it’s her job to make sure you’re well. 
You realize you didn’t have dinner and are a little hungry. "Yes," She then gives you a menu of what is available. Looking at the menu you see that there is a small section labeled special apples from Sweet Apple Acres and pick the cinnamon apple slices and a water. 
After a few minutes, the nurse comes in with a tray of food. "Here you are," the nurse says, setting the tray on your bedside table. "Anything else I can get you?"
You think about it for a second. “Yes, can I get another blanket?” You point at Apple Bloom.
“Sure, I'll be right back with a blanket.”