Applebuck Season
Pony's Log Number 104: Self-determination can be a powerful tool, but it can be dangerous if used incorrectly...for everyone around you...
It was another beautiful morning in Sweet Apple Acres as Applejack and Big Mac were surveying a large and vast orchard, which every tree was loaded to the tree truck with juicy, delicious apples.
"Boy Howdy!" said Applejack as she survey the trees, "I got my work cut out for me. That there is the biggest bumper crop o' apples I ever laid eyes on."
"Eeyup," said Big Mac, "Too big for you to handle on your own."
"Come on, big brother!" said Applejack, "You need to rest up and get yourself better. I haven't met an apple orchard yet that I can't handle..." Applejack poked the white bandage, making Big Mac cringe as he gave her a death glare, "...Oops, sorry. I'll take a bite out of this job by day's end."
"Biting off more than you can chew is just what I'm afraid of," Big Mac said calmly.
"Are you sayin' my mouth is makin' promises my legs can't keep?" Applejack retorted indignantly.
"Eeyup," said Big Mac plain and simple.
"Why of all the...This is your sister, Applejack, remember?" she snapped, "The loyalest of friends and most dependable of ponies?"
"But still only one pony," Big Mac replied calmly, "and one pony plus hundreds o' apples just doesn't add up to..."
"Don't you use your fancy mathematics to muddy the issue!" said Applejack, now angry, "I said I could handle the harvest and I'm gonna prove it to you. I'm gonna get every last apple out of those trees this Applebuck season all by myself." Despite her determination, Applejack just gulped. She knew her work was cut out for her.
(Theme Song)
It wasn't long before Big Mac let Applejack be as she made her way into the apple orchards to look around.
"Well I better get kickin'," she said to herself, "These apple's aren't gonna shake themselves out off them trees." It was just then the ground began to rumble.
"Hey!" said Applejack when an apple fell out of a tree and bonked her square on the head, "OW!" Back in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash was searching about for the source of the rumbling. That was when she saw the source and the sudden "Mmmmoooooo!" of several cows approaching the town. The other ponies began to panic.
"Stampede!" A pony named Bon Bon shouted and the other ponies began to dash about. Some were also shutting up their windows, closing their doors, and even pulling the welcome mat inside (like that's gonna matter). Despite all the chaos, Pinkie was just laughing herself away.
"H-h-h-h-h-hey-y-y-y-y-y...! Th-th-th-this-s-s-s-s-s m-m-m-m-m-makes-s-s-s-s m-m-m-m-my-y-y-y-y v-v-v-v-voice s-s-s-sound s-s-s-s-silly-y-y-y-y!" she remarked as she bounced along the rumbling around, making her voice vibrate.
"Pinkie are you crazy?!" Twilight retorted as she dashed by and stopped, "Run!"
"Everypony calm down," said Mayor Mare as Mario dashed by frantically and came to a stop behind her, "There is no need panic."
"R-r-right," said Mario uneasily as he stood next to the mayor, "We...we gotta do something!"
"But Mayor, whatever shall we do?" Rarity asked worried. It was then Rainbow Dash noticed something else in the distance.
"Look there!" Rainbow called out. Amongst the cows was a familiar orange pony and her faithful dog whose name is Winona.
"YEEHAW!" Applejack chanted. The ponies stopped running about to watch her and gave her a loud cheer.
"Move aside Winona," Applejack called out, "Put 'em up, girl!" Winona barked excitedly as she ran alongside Applejack. Rarity just moaned as she and a few other ponies just watched Applejack in action.
"This is the best rodeo show I've ever seen," Pinkie exclaimed as she watched while eating a bag of popcorn. Twilight just rolled her eyes at her while Mario shook his head and did the same. Applejack continued to keep pace with the runaway cows.
"Come on, little doggies! Turn!" she called out as she gave a cow a bit of a shoulder bump and gave a whistle, "Winona, put 'em up!" Her dog barked and gave a light nudge as well from the other side.
"Haha! Gotcha!" Applejack called out as she grunted again and continued to try to redirect the cows. Winona gave another bark and continued to help Applejack. The cows were just yards away from the bridge that lead into town when Applejack and Winona successfully got the cows to turn to the side, running along the other side of the river and away from Ponyville town square.
"Attagirl," said Applejack with another grunt to keep them all in line, "Yee Haw!" Once they started to slow down did she manage to get ahead of the heard of cows.
"Whoaaa!" Applejack commanded as the cows came to complete stop, "Hooie. Now what was that all about?"
"Moo!" said a cow named Daisy Jo before coughing to clear her throat, "Oh my! Begging your pardon, Applejack, but Mooriella here saw one of those nasty snakes..." The other cows made startled expressions in agreement, "...And it just gave us all the willies, don'tcha know." Applejack just smiled sympathetically.
"I completely understand," Applejack replied gently, "Just next time, try and steer clear of Ponyville."
"We certainly will, Applejack," Daisy Jo answered before she and the rest of the cows made their way back towards the farm, "So long, Winona!" The dog barked in reply. The ponies watching just continued to cheer excitedly, chanting Applejack's name.
"Yee Haw!" Applejack replied to all the praise, striking a pose.
"Yee Haw!" Pinkie added as she tried to mimic Applejack's pose and hopped around like she was a cattle ranching pony, "Ride 'em cowpony!" Some other ponies just watched her, but said nothing.
"That's actually not a bad imitation," said Mario as Mayor Mare was most impressed. With Applejack, not Pinkie's impression of the farm pony.
"Applejack was just...just..."
"Appletastic!" Pinkie said from up above, until gravity reminded her she couldn't stay in the air and landed on the ground on her back.
"Exactly," Mayor Mare replied, "We must do something to thank Applejack for single-hoofedly saving the town."
"I know," said Pinkie as she lay on the ground.
"Of course you do," said Mario, knowing exactly what she was going to suggest.
"A party!" she called out. Within a few minutes the ponies had the town square loaded with decorations, balloons, and party streamers of every kind.
"We are all ready?" Twilight asked as she and Spike arrived. Rarity tied a beautiful red bow onto a nearby tree.
"Just one thing," said Rarity. Using her magic, she lifted a large gold colored banner with an apple on the center and placed it above the stage where Applejack would come and claim her special prize, "Now we're ready."
"Is Applejack all set?" Twilight asked, facing Rarity.
"Actually, I haven't seen her all week," said Rainbow as she landed next to Rarity.
"Not since the stampede," Pinkie added as she hopped next to the three Ponies.
"But she'll be here for sure," said Rainbow, "Applejack is never late." Mario suddenly felt very worried as he approached Twilight as the other girls finished some final touch-ups.
"Oh I've got a bad feeling about this," said Mario.
"Thanks, Pony-one Kenobi," said Twilight with some sarcasm in her tone, "Can you please go see that Applejack gets here on time?" Mario felt indignant by her remark.
"Aye-ye," he replied before stomping away, grumbling to himself. He was still worried.
Later that day, all the ponies in town had gathered around the stage as Twilight made her way towards the podium, carrying a large stack of messily stacked note cards. Once she arrived, she used her magic to straighten out her cards, holding the first one up to recite her speech on it.
"Welcome everypony," she began, "today we are here to honor a pony who we can always count on to help in matters great and small. A pony whose contributions to-"
"Did you see Applejack's slick moves out there?" Rainbow interjected as she flew right in front of Twilight, causing her note cards to scatter about, "What an athlete! This week she's gonna help me with my new flying trick, and I know it's gonna be so awesome!"
"Exactly," said Twilight, shoving Rainbow off the stage, "and..."
"This week, I get to run Sugarcube Corner for the first time," Pinkie jumped in, right in front of Twilight.
"What does that have to do with Applejack?" Twilight asked curiously from behind the pink pony.
"Oh, Applejack, one of the best bakers ever," Pinkie answered, "is gonna help me. Applejack makes everything great, so free samples for everypony!" The other ponies cheered until Twilight shoved Pinkie off the stage.
"Oh-kay, that's great," Twilight remarked, "Now if I could just make a point without being inter-"
"Twilight?" said a familiar yellow Pegasus as she appeared under the left side of the podium.
"-rupted." Twilight remarked before giving Fluttershy a glare as the Pegasus stood beside her.
"Twilight, I'm so sorry," Fluttershy replied, "but I just wanted to mention that Applejack is also helping me this week with the official bunny census, where we count up all the new baby bunnies that were born this season. She's going to gather them using her wonderful herding skills." Twilight just rolled her eyes, showing her patience was thinning as she gave Fluttershy another dirty glare. Fluttershy just removed herself from the podium.
"Anypony else? Anyone?" Twilight asked in irritation. No pony dared to make eye contact with her and she finally settled down, "No? Well then, as I was trying to say-" Then Mayor Mare appeared with a toothy grin. A clear sign that Twilight had to wrap the speech up and the timing had pushed Twilight's patience to the limit.
"UGH! Nevermind!" Twilight barked as she let her cards scatter and stomped away angrily. Mayor Mare just smiled as she approached the podium.
"Ah-ahem. and so, without no further ado," Mayor Mare continued, "it is my privilege to give the prize, Pony of Ponyville award, to our beloved guest of honor, a pony of the utmost trustworthiness, reliability, and integrity. Ponyville's most capable and dependable friend: Applejack!" The ponies all cheered as the curtain opened to reveal...no pony. Soon the cheering turned into murmuring.
"Cool! Way to go Applejack, that was awesome! I mean-" Spike soon realized just how off timing his personal cheer was, especially with Twilight glaring at him.
"Heh..." was all Spike could say afterward. Then there was nothing but silence.
"Ah-hem," Mayor Mare remarked, hoping for something or somepony to speak up, but...nothing.
"Awkward," Spike whispered and the rest of their friends agreed.
"I'm here. I'm here," said a familiar country voice with a yawn and a sigh. There was Applejack, carrying some baskets overloaded with lots of apples, some of them were falling to the ground as she made her way through the crowds. Her eyes were drowsy and there were bags under them as well. Mario just quietly headed over to his friends without saying a word.
"Sorry I'm late," said Applejack tiredly, "whoa-I was just-whoa. Did I get your tail? Miss Mayor. Thank you kindly for this here...award thingy..." Applejack yawned again and looked at her face in the reflection. "...It's so bright and shiny and, heh, heh-heh, I sure do look funny, heh. Ooo-ooo." Applejack began to lean back and forth at her reflection with a woozy smirk on her face. Then Pinkie joined her.
"Woo-ooo"
"Ooo-ooo" They chanted together.
"Okay," said Twilight nervously as she reached the stage, "Well thank you Applejack for saving us from that scary stampede, and always being there for everypony."
"Yeah, I like helping the ponyfolks and...(yawn)...and stuff..." Applejack suddenly dozed off standing up...for two seconds before she shot up, snorted, and shook her head, "...Oh, uh, yeah, uh, thanks." Applejack grabbed the handle of the trophy by the mouth and dragged it off stage, going down the exact path she came from but walking backwards. The other ponies just stayed quiet as Applejack took her leave.
"Was it just me," Twilight asked out of the blue, "or did Applejack seem a little-"
"Tired?" Rainbow proposed.
"Messy?" Rarity added, getting funny looks from the others, "Well, did you see her mane?"
"So what," said Mario remarked quietly, "she's still pretty." Though no pony heard him.
"She seemed fine to me," said Pinkie, "Woo! Woo! Wo-"
"Pinkie, please stop," Mario asked quietly, placing a hoof over her mouth. Twilight looked at him noticing that his tone was rather dreary.
"What happened?" Twilight asked him. Mario just gave her a sad look.
"I found Applejack working in the orchards and she looked pretty worn out," said Mario, "I had to tell her twice about the party before she stopped working and followed me. She was walking very slowly and I tried to offer her some help but...she...yelled at me."
"What?" Twilight retorted in surprise.
"She just exploded at me to leave her alone and that she would get there herself," said Mario, "I tried to stick around...but she yelled again for me to leave. I arrived after her because I had taken the long route because I was upset." Twilight looked at him concerned.
"You...gonna be okay?" she asked.
"I'll...I'll be okay," Mario said bravely, "Just...a little frazzled is all..." Twilight looked at him sadly. She could tell Mario was hurt. Pinkie then just gave him a hug and smiled at him. It wasn't much longer before Mario felt the corners of his mouth perk up. He rolled his eyes and chuckled.
"Thanks Pinkie," he replied, feeling better.
"It's what I do," she replied.
"So...what can we do to help her?" said Mario asked Twilight.
"Hmm," Twilight wondered. It wasn't much longer before she and Mario headed towards Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack was just busy working hard trying to collect as many apples as she could. As tired and exhausted as she was, she was breathing rather heavily as she bucked a couple of more apple trees.
"Phew," she muttered when she felt herself nearly fall asleep but caught herself and got back to work. She tried to buck another tree, but was so far away that all her rear legs hit was air.
"O-oah," she stumbled before trying to recompose herself. Twilight and Mario were not too far away when they saw her working.
"What on Earth is that pony doing?" Twilight asked herself.
"Harvesting apples?" Mario proposed as it was rather obvious.
"I meant that!" Twilight retorted as Applejack mumbled to herself and kicked an apple basket over.
"Whoops," Applejack remarked and walked around to clean up the mess.
"Point made. Let's go," said Mario as he and Twilight made their way closer to the pony.
"Hey Applejack!" Twilight called out, but Applejack had fallen asleep standing up again.
"Applejack," Mario called out but a tad louder, but the orange pony continued to snooze.
"Applejack," Twilight called out and then she and Mario together shouted: "APPLE-JACK!" The orange pony woke with a start and noticed the two friends standing nearby.
"Oh howdy, Twilight, Mario," she said, trying to sound normal.
"What is all this?" Twilight asked curiously.
"It's Applebuck season," Applejack replied as she continued on her way and went to buck another tree, nearly losing her balance, "Whoa!" Twilight and Mario used their horns to teleport towards her. By now they could handle short distances without getting too dizzy.
"Applewhat season?" Twilight asked.
"Nah," Applejack answered, not bothering to correct her, "It's what the Apple family calls harvestin' time. We gather all the apples from the trees so we can sell 'em." Applejack continued to venture forward as Mario and Twilight teleported back in front of her once more.
"But why are you doing it all alone?" Twilight asked worried.
"'Cause Big Macintosh hurt himself," Applejack replied simply.
"What about all those relatives we've met when we first came to Ponyville?" Twilight wondered.
"Can't they help?" Mario asked, "and where are they?"
"They were just here for the Apple family reunion," Applejack explained with a sigh, "They actually live all over Equestria and are busy harvestin' their own orchards. So, uh, I'm on my own. Which means, I should really get back to work." Mario and Twilight refused to move.
"Ahem...," said Applejack in a soft tone, "Hint, hint? Get back to work?" Mario and Twilight just glared.
"Fine," said Twilight and Mario together with a snooty demeanor and moved out of her way. Applejack just stood still, wobbling a bit from side to side.
"Could you step aside, Twilight? Mario?" she asked woozily.
"We just did," Twilight answered. Applejack looked at Twilight, even her vision looked rather fuzzy as Twilight continued to speak, "Applejack, you don't look so good." Applejack just shook her head again to refocus.
"Eh, don't any of you six worry none," Applejack retorted, "I'm just fine and dandy! Whoa!" Applejack nearly lost her balance again when Twilight stepped in front of her with Mario doing to the same.
"Do you want some help?" Twilight asked.
"Remember how helpful my..."
"Help?" Applejack retorted, cutting Mario off, "No way, no how!"
"But there's no way you can do it all on your own," Twilight protested.
"I agree," Mario added.
"Is that a challenge?" Applejack demanded, getting in both Twilight's and Mario's faces. Mario looked nervous.
"This is what I put up with earlier today," he warned as Twilight felt a little nervous herself.
"Uhm...no?" said Twilight timidly.
"Well, I'm gonna prove to you both that I can do it!" Applejack snapped, "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got apples to buck." Mario and Twilight just watched her walk away.
"Did...did you wanna borrow my freight cars?" he called out shyly.
"NO!" Mario flinched and dashed behind Twilight, shaking a little. Twilight just bit her lip and watched nervously as Applejack disappeared.
The next day, Rainbow Dash was just standing on the support post of a nearby fence waiting for Applejack. She was tapping one of her front hooves impatiently as she waited for Applejack to arrive.
"There you are," Rainbow exclaimed impatiently. Applejack just gave a yawn in reply.
"I'm a mite sorry, Rainbow," she said, "I was busy applebuckin' and I guess ah, I closed my eyes for a second and, when I woke up, I was late. Now what's this new trick a' yours?"
"See this contraption," Rainbow pointed out. There just a few yards away was a tall platform with a teeter-totter like mechanic near it.
"Uh...yeah?" Applejack answered.
"Well, I'm gonna stand on one end," Rainbow explained, drawing mentally what she wanted Applejack to do on screen, "then you're gonna jump down from that platform, launching me into the air faster than I can take off on my own. Once I'm in the air, I'm gonna do some amazing flips and spins that are sure to impress the Wonderbolts."
"Isn't that a mite dangerous?" Applejack asked, not fully comprehending Rainbow's idea.
"Pfft, heh, not for a pony who can fly," said Rainbow confidently and zoomed about the sky. Applejack just smiled as she made her way to the top of the platform. As she gazed down at the platform, she started to feel a little nervous. Whether it was her lack of enough sleep or a sudden case of vertigo, Applejack had trouble focusing on her landing point. Rainbow was just sitting quietly on her end of the teeter-totter.
"Ready?" Rainbow called out, "One...two...THREE!" Applejack made her jump...but landed beside her landing point with a PLOP.
"Umm...maybe I wasn't clear," said Rainbow slowly, "You're supposed to land on the other end." At that moment, Mario had decided to take a little walk around the town to clear his head. That was when he noticed Rainbow and Applejack in the distance. Rather than draw attention to himself, he decided to just watch how things turned out a few yards away. Luckily, neither pony noticed.
"Got it," said Applejack as she tried again. Each time she missed the platform, landing on her stomach, her flank, and even on her head. Mario just flinched and groaned each time she missed. Rainbow was losing patience.
"Applejack, what the hay is going on?" Rainbow demanded, "I mean, I thought I was working with Ponyville's best athlete. Applejack shook her head a bit recompose herself. Mario was just shaking his head indignantly in the distance.
"You are," Applejack replied, "I'm okay. Really. I-I have an idea. Watch this." Applejack groaned as she pulled the other side of the teeter totter and sat squarely on it. Rainbow just glared.
"Oh...Maybe not," said Applejack, "Okay one more try. I'm sure to get it this time." Applejack crawled off, causing Rainbow end to slam back down the ground.
"Ugh!" Rainbow groaned, feeling a little dazed. Mario was worried as Applejack climbed back on top of the platform and struggled to vision her target.
"What is she up to?" Mario asked with worry.
"Heh-heh...Here I go!" said Applejack as she backed up and got ready to make the jump. Mario's eyes shrunk.
"No..." said Mario and dashed right up to Rainbow and grabbed her from behind.
"ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!" he cried out as he got on Rainbow's end and tried to pull her off. Rainbow was taken by surprise and was trying to push him off.
"Mario what are you..." Rainbow struggled then saw Applejack take off for a belly flop and now she realized why Mario was there, "Wait..." It was too late as Applejack made her landing perfectly, sending both Rainbow and Mario into the air at high speed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPLEJAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK..."
"Hoo-Hoo-WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HEEEE-HEEE-HEEEEEEEEEEEE..."
Rainbow and Mario screamed as they went airborne and out of sight.
"You're welcome!" Applejack said, feeling she did her job and headed back to the orchard. It was another few seconds later as Twilight was just enjoying a book on her bedroom balcony when Rainbow crashed into the front railing. Mario, who was still holding her, lost his grip when she hit the railing. This sent him flying over Twilight and into the railing behind her upside down.
"Can I help you?" Twilight asked plainly.
"I think somepony else needs your help," Rainbow told her wearily.
"Applejack?" Twilight replied in the same tone.
"Yep," said Rainbow and lowered her head since the impact left her slightly dazed. Twilight just felt indignant until she heard a loud groan from behind her. Mario was still upside down and his eyes were swirling in a dazed manner.
"And how did you get mixed up in all of this?" Twilight asked, "you said you were going for a walk."
"I'm okay," Mario replied in a dorky tone, "I'm fluffy." Twilight just blinked before rolling her eyes. She knew she needed to speak to Applejack again. This time...she decided to do it alone.
By now, Applejack was back on the farm doing her work, but the fatigue was continuing to take its toll on her. She bent down to pick up some Apples and missed a low branch underneath her head.
"Ow!" she exclaimed as she rubbed the back of her head. Just then, Twilight arrived.
"Applejack, can we talk?" she asked. Apparently the impact had done a number on Applejack's hearing, for she was having a difficult time even hearing what Twilight was saying.
"Applejack, can we talk?" Twilight repeated but all Applejack could see was Twilight moving her lips and barely what was being said.
"Can bees squawk?" Applejack said loudly, "I don't think so."
"No. Can we talk?" Twilight said more firmly.
"Twenty stalks?" Applejack replied in the same tone, "Bean or celery?"
"No!" Twilight snapped, raising her voice, "I need to talk to you."
"You need to walk to the zoo?" Applejack said loudly, more confused than ever, "Well, who's stoppin' you?"
"I need to talk to you!" Twilight yelled.
"Oh! Well why didn't you say so?" said Applejack, in clear denial she was having hearing problems, "What you wanna talk about?"
"Rainbow Dash dropped in to see me today," said Twilight.
"That's quite neighborly of her," Applejack replied.
"Yes, except that she and Mario crashed onto my balcony right after you launched them into the air," said Twilight indignantly, "And I think Mario may have landed on his head cause he's claiming he's prettiest girl at the Gala and singing songs back from magic kindergarten!" Applejack just blinked before turning around in shame.
"Oh yeah," said Applejack, using her normal voice, "I wasn't feeling quite like myself this morning."
"That's because you're working too hard and you need help!" Twilight snapped as she approached her. But Applejack was dozing off again until her hear shot up.
"What? Kelp? I don't need kelp," Applejack retorted, showing that her hearing was still impaired, "I don't even like seaweed!"
"HELP!" Twilight shouted at her, "You need HELP!"
"Nothin' doin', Twilight," Applejack shot back, "I'm gonna prove to you, t'everypony, that I can do this on my own." Applejack turned to leave and collided forehead first with the same low branch.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, looking rather dazed, "Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta help Pinkie Pie." With that, Applejack wobbled away.
"Ugh!" was all Twilight could say before she headed back to the library. She could only hope Mario hadn't started singing the one song she despised the most:
Unicorns are fluff fluffy, unicorns are lovely...
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
...
I don't like that song either.
A short time later, Saffron Cake, the wife of Carrot Cake and co-proprietor of the sweetest and most delicious bakery in Ponyville, Sugarcube Corner, was double checking things with their assistant and apprentice, Pinkie Pie.
"Now Pinkie Pie," Mrs. Cake asked as she and Carrot, or Mr. Cake, got ready to leave, "are you sure you're up for baking the muffins and running the store this afternoon?" It wasn't that they didn't trust Pinkie Pie, but the pink pony's randomness often times made ponies question if she could handle serious responsibility. Pinkie didn't seem to mind these opinions and was ready to prove herself.
"Yes siree bob, Mrs. Cake," Pinkie answered, "Plus I have Ponyville's prized pony to help me out. Why she's the best baker ever. Right, Applejack?" Applejack just gave rough shake of her head since she was fighting not to doze off. Plus instead of not hearing ponies, Applejack was now hearing them as if she were underwater or moving in slow motion.
"No?" Mr. Cake said puzzled, "You're not the best baker ever?"
"WHAT?" Applejack exclaimed as she woke up, "Oh no! I mean, don't you fret. I can bake anything from fritters to pies in the blink of an eye." Mrs. Cake still didn't feel so sure about this, but she and Mr. Cake needed to do something outside the shop.
"All right," Mrs. Cake said with a sigh as they both made their leave, "Well, see you later, girls!" Mrs. Cake then made her way out of the shop. Applejack was still shaking her head to stay awake when Pinkie grabbed her head.
"Stop with the shakin', it's time to get bakin'," said Pinkie. Soon Pinkie had the recipe book open and Applejack was standing across the table with the mixing bowl before her.
"All right-y," said Pinkie, "I'll get the sugar and the eggs. Can you get me some chocolate chips?" Applejack was still zoning out.
"Eh, uh, whu, what was that?" Applejack asked again.
"Chocolate chips," Pinkie repeated, but Applejack was still having hearing trouble...and in denial of it.
"Chips...got it," she replied and grabbed a bag on the shelf, "Tater chips, a little salty and dry, okie-dokie. What next?"
"Baking Soda," Pinkie said next.
"Soda" Applejack repeated and grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge, "Perfect. That'll get the tater chips nice and wet. Now what?"
"A cup of flour."
"A cup of sour? Well, lemons are sure sour. One cup of sour, comin' up. Anything else, Pinkie?"
"One last thing. Wheat germ." Applejack made a face.
"Wheat worms?" she repeated, "Oh, that must be fancy talk for earthworms." Applejack went outside and dug up some earthworms and dumped them into the bowl. Pinkie at this time had just dumped the sugar and eggs.
"Now that's gonna be delicious," Pinkie said excitedly. Had she even looked at the bowl?
"If you say so," said Applejack, trusting Pinkie's judgment or Pinkie had put too much trust in Applejack. Regardless of the mixture, once the muffins had cooked, they were put on a tray for the group of ponies awaiting excitedly to pick up a free sample.
"Free muffin sample spectacular!" Pinkie shouted excitedly.
"Mmm, muffins," the ponies all said excitedly as pony after pony grabbed a muffin to eat.
"Yeah! Muffin Spectacles!" Applejack added, "Get 'em while their hot."
Whether Applejack's lack of sleep and hearing was to blame or the fact that Pinkie didn't bother to double check the batter was the cause, no one will know.
The consequences were the same.
It wasn't much longer before Twilight, Spike, and Mario, now back to normal with a light headache, had arrived at what was a temporary hospital.
"We came as soon as we heard," said Twilight.
"Yeah, how can we help?" said Mario.
"On thank you, Twilight, Mario," said a white pony named Nurse Redheart, "We need all the help we can get." Mario and Twilight gasped as they saw dozens of ponies looking very sick and moaning.
"Oh no! What happened?" said Twilight as Spike sniffed something.
"It's not contagious is it?" Mario asked worried, "I don't know a germ shield spell..."
"No, no," said Nurse Redheart, "It was a mishap with some baked goods."
"No, not baked goods," Pinkie groaned, "baked bads." Pinkie groaned again and both Mario and Twilight flinched uncomfortably.
"Applejack," Twilight and Mario sneered.
"Want one?" said Spike as he was chomping what was apparently the bad muffins that had been made. Twilight and Mario just made a face and then glared indignantly to find a certain farm pony once again.
Applejack was already back at the farm. Now she was so exhausted to even get all the apples into the baskets and was using a single cart to carry them all. She continued to grunt and snore as she tried to keep herself from falling asleep. Then she reached a larger basket and went to dump her apples into it, but she ended up tilting the kart too far back and ended up stuck in the harness upside down, now asleep. That was when Mario and Twilight arrived.
"Applejack, we need to talk," said Twilight.
"Wha huh?" Applejack started as she noticed them while she was still upside down, "Oh it's you, Twilight, Mario..." she gave a yawn, "...I know what you two are gonna say, but the answer it still no."
"Not to upset your apple cart," said Twilight, "but you need help."
"You're upside down for crying out loud," Mario added.
"Hardy har," said Applejack with a groan, "and no I don't."
"Here, let us help," Twilight offered.
"Help? No thanks," said Applejack with a groan as she tried to get herself and the cart back upright, "A little more...little...there." Mario and Twilight just groaned.
"That was sad," Mario remarked even though Applejack did succeed in getting herself upright.
"I'll prove that this here Apple can handle these apples. Come on...apples...fall off!" Applejack continued to grunt as she used one and eventually both hind legs to try and buck apples off the tree.
"AJ, think you're beating a dead...tree," Twilight pointed out. Applejack looked and found that the tree was fruitless and one of the few leaves had fallen off.
"I knew that," Applejack plainly before walking away.
"Actually Applejack," said Twilight as she and Mario followed her, "I had something else to talk to you about. Mario and I just came back from Urgent Care and-"
"You know," said Applejack, losing her patience and unwilling to admit she messed up again, "I'm a little busy to get lectured right now."
"But if you'd just let us help-" Twilight called out.
"Ugh, No, no, NO!" Applejack retorted angrily, "How many times do I gotta say it? I don't need no help from nopony."
"At least take some of my freight cars!" Mario snapped, "They helped you win that bet with Big Mac after all."
"I said NO!" Applejack yelled.
"Fine!" Mario yelled, "But do us all a favor AJ, just focus on the apples and stop trying to help the other ponies. Because your help isn't helping anypony at all right now!" Applejack got right into Mario's face.
"Don't. Tell. Me. What. To. Do." Applejack said angrily in a low voice before stomping away. Mario was furious. Twilight agreed with what Mario had said and was just as upset as he was for Applejack's reaction.
"Ugh, that pony is as stubborn as a mule," Twilight retorted.
"You said it," Mario said angrily. Then a familiar neighing was heard.
"No offense," said Twilight as she and Mario smiled apologetically.
"None taken," said the mule. How he showed up out of the blue was anypony's guess.
Later on, Applejack was with Fluttershy in a area that was loaded to the brim with bunnies of all shapes and sizes.
"Oh Applejack!" said Fluttershy happily, "Thank you so much for offering your herding skills for the annual rabbit roundup.
"Ugh," Applejack groaned in irritation, "Why are we doin' this?"
"Well, lots of new baby bunnies have been born," Fluttershy explained, "so it's my job to get a count of all the new families."
"Fine," Applejack snapped, "Can we just get on with it?"
"Certainly," said Fluttershy, not noticing Applejack's sour mood, "but remember, these are bunnies we're dealing with, not cows. They're a timid bunch and need to be treated gently."
"I do NOT need any direction on corrallin' critters," Applejack snapped, "Right, Winona?" Her faithful dog barked excitedly.
"Okay, little bunnies!" Fluttershy called out, "I need you to all gather here in the middle." Applejack then charged forward and began to round them up her own way, completely ignoring Fluttershy's advice.
"That's right! Let's go, bunnies!" Applejack shouted, "In the center. Hop to it." Obviously, Applejack's way wasn't very effective as some of the bunnies ran away from her.
"Swell. Just swell. Put 'em up, Winona," Applejack commanded. Winona just barked as they continued to chase the bunnies about.
"Applejack! Winona! Stop!" Fluttershy cried out, "You're scaring them!"
"We know what we're doin'," Applejack retorted, "Get along, little bunnies." After some effort, they were able to successfully gather all the bunnies into the middle area that Fluttershy wanted. But the poor bunnies were trembling and terrified.
"Oh no," Fluttershy said with worry, knowing what would happen next. It wasn't long before the bunnies were overwhelmed, and they charged between Applejack and Winona towards Ponyville. Once again, another earthquake-like rumble was heard and felt by the ponies as Rainbow began to survey the land from the skies. She soon saw the smoke cloud approaching.
"STAMPEDE!" She called out. Unlike last time, there was no stopping the bunnies from charging over the bridge and into the town.
"Stampede!" Daisy called out before yelping as she got out of the way of the rampaging bunnies. Other ponies were screaming and finding a place to hide. One pony named Lily Valley saw the bunnies coming towards her. She was so frightened that she passed out, yet all the bunnies did was run around her and kept going.
A couple of minutes later, Twilight and Mario were enjoying a nice little walk together. After their heated confrontation with Applejack, Mario had suggested a nice relaxing walk in the Ponyville park to clear their minds. Twilight agreed and both were feeling in good spirits, humming in tune with each other as they reached the town square. They gasped and found Lily Valley, Rose, and Daisy laying on the ground, looking traumatized.
"The horror, the horror," said Rose in a dramatic tone.
"It was awful," Lily Valley added.
"A disaster," said Daisy, "A horrible, horrible disaster." Mario and Twilight just had blank looks on their faces.
"I don't get it," said Twilight.
"Me neither," said Mario, "I don't see anything that would be..."
"Our gardens," Lily Valley pointed out, "destroyed."
"Every last flower, devoured," Rose added, showing her ruined flower garden.
"By...by...THEM!" finished Daisy, pointing a hoof to a large collection of bunnies that were literally nibbling and chewing everything in sight.
"Oh my. Oh...Please stop, little bunnies," Fluttershy pleaded, but it was falling on deaf ears, long ears that is, "Oh no! Please, let's go home. Oh my goodness!" Mario felt his blood boil.
"Where was Applejack when all this was happening?" he asked, through his teeth.
"She...never showed up," said Rose sadly. Mario and Twilight were indignant.
"All right, Enough is enough," said Twilight.
"You said it," Mario added, "How could Applejack just let all these bunnies rampage since she obviously went to help Fluttershy? That's just irresponsible! That pony's stubborn nature is gonna bring Ponyville to the ground. Something has to be done!"
"Right," Twilight nodded and then gave Mario a glare, "And put that rope away." Mario was twirling a rope using his horn, ready to tie Applejack down to make her surrender.
"We've tried being reasonable," said Mario, but Twilight just glared.
"Oh...fine!" Mario pouted as he made the rope disappear.
Just as Mario and Twilight expected, Applejack had returned to work but she was so worn out that she couldn't even buck the tree at all.
"Must...keep...buckin'..." Applejack panted heavily, "just...a few...more. Must keep harvestin'."
"All right Applejack," said Twilight sternly as she and Mario stood their ground, "Your applebucking hasn't just cause you problems. It has over-propelled Pegasus' and Mario, practically poisoned plenty of ponies, and terrorized bushels of brand new bouncing baby bunnies. I don't care what you say, you. Need. Help."
"And you need it now!" Mario added.
"No, I don't," Applejack grunted as she finished collecting some apples from a tree, "Look, I did it. I harvested the entire Sweet Apple Acres without your help. How d'ya like them apples?" Applejack gave them a prideful look as she showed them the entire area of empty trees. Mario and Twilight just glared as they shifted their eyes in another direction. Big Mac mysteriously appeared beside her. He had heard everything.
"Um, how do you like them apples?" he told his sister as he tilted his head in the other direction. Applejack gasped. Apparently she had only done about half of the field, possibly two thirds, but either way. She still had work to do.
"Where'd all the apple...?" Applejack mumbled as her eyes crossed and continued to mumble for a few seconds before fainting. Fortunately she wasn't knocked out for too much longer and when she opened her eyes she saw both Mario and Twilight standing before her.
"Applejack."
"Applejack." said Twilight and Mario in succession.
"Huh?" Applejack mumbled as she found herself laying on the ground. By now, Mario had collected the spilled apples and had taken them to the barn with the rest.
"Oh good, you're okay," said Twilight, "Now Applejack, I completely respect the Apple family ways. You're always there to help anypony in need, so maybe you can put a little of your stubborn pride aside and allow your friends to help you." As Twilight was speaking, Applejack's eyes shifted from the two ponies to the remaining part of the orchard. Her eyes were still as big as saucers. Mario couldn't tell if Applejack was going to scream or cry. Instead, she just gave a long sigh.
"Okay Twilight. Okay Mario," Applejack said in defeat.
"We're not taking "no" for an answer-" Twilight continued until she heard what Applejack said.
"what?" they said together in shock.
"Yes, Twilight. Yes, Mario please," Applejack replied, putting her front hooves together as if she was begging or pleading, "I could really use your help." They both chuckled and gave a sigh of relief.
"Alright AJ," said Mario, "come on. Let's get you back on your hooves." Applejack allowed Mario to help her sit up, but her exhaustion made her feel woozy as she stood up and Mario helped her keep balance.
"I think a nice nap will do you some good," said Mario as he used his magic to place her on his back, "We can handle the rest of the apples...Applejack?" He turned his head to find that Applejack had not only conceded, but was already fast asleep on his back. Mario and Twilight just chuckled to themselves as Mario summoned some of his freight cars for Twilight and the others and then he took Applejack back to the house to sleep. As she slept, he returned to help the rest of their friends with the Apples.
"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight recited from a letter she wrote before they all had started applebucking, "My friend Applejack is the best friend a pony could ever have, and she's always there to help anypony. The only trouble is, when she needs help, she finds it hard to accept it, so while friendship is about giving of ourselves to friends, it's also about accepting what our friends have to offer.
You're faithful students, Twilight Sparkle and Mario Star."
Just as they had collected a large amount of apples, Applejack returned, looking much better and pushing a metal serving cart with drinks that had straws on them.
"How about y'all take a little break?" Applejack proposed as she brought the drinks to a wooden table, "I got some fine apple juice waiting for ya!" The others gathered around her to enjoy their drinks as Applejack gave a sigh.
"Girls, Mario," said Applejack slowly, "I can't thank you enough for this help. I was acting a bit stubborn..."
"A bit?" Twilight and Mario replied with smirks on their faces.
"Okay," Applejack corrected, "A mite stubborn, and I'm awful sorry. Now, I know the town gave me the Prized Pony award, but the real award is having you six as my friends." Everyone agreed to that statement.
"Phew! That applebucking sure made me hungry," Rainbow pointed out.
"And I've got the perfect treat," Spike replied as he held a plate of...the bad muffins.
"Eeww...Spike," Pinkie exclaimed, leaning away from the plate, "I threw all those away. Where'd you get them?"
"From the trash," Spike answered as if it was no big deal.
"EW!" all seven ponies said at once before they left the table in disgust. Spike still didn't see the big deal.
"Just a little nibble?" Spike offered as he tried to catch up with them, "Come on."
"EW! Gross!" the seven ponies all remarked as they got back to work.
There completes another Episode of chills, thrills, and (eww) icky muffins.
Peace Pony Fans!