It took a particular skill to use cutting instruments without any particular digits to speak of, but there was a reason the Apple family were known as some of the most talented bakers in Ponyville. It helped that hooves weren't prone to being cut by pizza wheels. It also helped that most of their confections involved the same ingredients, so only so much variety was necessary.

Granny Smith loved trying to push the phrase "If there are Apples involved, we can do it" on people, but it never really caught on.

Today Applejack was working hard in the kitchen, preparing turnovers and hand pies out of a few bushels pulled in from the storage cellar. After many years of doing it, the process was practically automated for her; roll the dough, cut the rounds, roll the scrap, cut the rounds, roll the rounds, flour, flour everywhere.

Her eyes looked up when the saloon doors to the kitchen got pushed open, a sullen Applebloom striding through them with heavy schoolbags on either side of her abdomen. "What's wrong, sugarcube?" Applejack asked with genuine concern, letting her hooves continue her work without her.

Apple Bloom reared up, sliding her saddlebags onto the kitchen floor before hopping onto a stool beside the table to watch Applejack work. "In class today, miss Cheerilee asked us to research into our ancestors and write a report on them. I asked Granny Smith, but-"

Outside on the front porch, Apple Bloom's elderly grandmother continued to jaw on, rocking back and forth in her favorite apple wood rocking chair.

"Yeah, Granny likes her stories." Applejack spoke with a short, affectionate laugh, then suddenly realized her rolling pin felt awfully squishy. "I was wonderin' why you only just now came in with your bags, what with the sun goin' down." Soft orange light filtered in through the kitchen window. Somewhere, an owl hooted, technically an early riser.

"Yeah...so I was wondering if you knew anything about our ancestors?" Apple Bloom ducked her chin down close to the table, trying to put on a pitiful look to win her sister's favor. Applejack was busy trying to flatten her pie dough back into a disc after accidentally rolling it into a new pin.

"Well sure I do! Tell you what, I'll teach you about our most famous ancestor, feller by the name of Apple Seed." Applejack narrowed her eyes and started speaking in a more dramatic tone, the sure sign a story was about to start. Apple Bloom clopped excitedly as the world around them began to get all wavy, in traditional flashback fashion.

Now see, Apple Seed was a pioneer pony! One of the frontiersman of otherwise vacant land. 'Cept fer, you know, the buffalo. And the coyotes. And the wild ponies, o' course-

The present day came back into focus, with Apple Bloom looking frustrated. "Applejack! You're turning into Granny Smith!"

Applejack looked genuinely concerned and pressed her hooves against her face in a half-hearted attempt to trample out any age lines, only succeeding in covering her muzzle in flour.

"Applejack, the story?"

"Oh, uh, right. Where was I..."

Anyway, Apple Seed loooved apples, and wanted everyone to love apples. Not a hard task if you ask me, but history isn't written by the present. Well I mean technically it is, but...you know what I mean. Apple Seed roamed the countryside all on his own, staking out good land to plant apple tree nurseries on. Then he fenced 'em up and left 'em in the care of a business associate or friend of his or just whoever happened to be around. Most of the nurseries went on to form towns around 'em. Accordin' to Granny Smith, Ponyville was founded around the very first nursery he ever planted!

"And that's the whole story." Applejack finished, looking proud of herself.

Apple Bloom was less happy. "...That's it?"

"That's it." Jack raised an eyebrow, not sure how anyone could be unhappy with such an interesting tale.

"...I'm gonna go find Big Macintosh." Apple Bloom hopped off her stool and wandered out into the back yard, where Big Mac could usually be found relaxing on the porch.

Applejack shook her head and went back to cutting discs out of her dough. "Some ponies just don't appreciate a good story, I swear. That girl ain't right."

-~-~-

"Maaac!" Apple Bloom called out from the back porch, rearing up on her hind legs in hopes it would send her voice farther through the orchard. Her forehooves hit the apple wood deck, and a quizzical look crossed her face.

"Over this way!" Big Macintosh's voice came from just within the tree line, eventually stepping out of it with a harness tied to the yoke he always seemed to wear. Trailing behind it was an adult pony on a cart, apparently unconscious. His fur was a bright yellow, with messy, ill-groomed mane and tail of a vibrant red. Big Mac pulled the cart closer and Apple Bloom quickly darted to its side, looking over the edge at the passed-out pony.

"Is he alright?" She asked, peering close and waving a hoof a few inches from his face. Big Macintosh stepped out of the harness and sat on the grass, staring down at his workload in apparent concentration. Finally, he spoke.

"...Don't know."

Apple Bloom glared at her brother, disappointed in his lack of helpful words. The pony they were both watching began to stir, and she hopped off the cart with a short gasp of surprise. The unknown pony sat up, glanced around, and spoke:

"...Shee-oot."

"...Eyup."

"Uhhh..." Apple Bloom shook her head quickly, trying to disengage from the riveting conversation. She spotted a deep frying pan in a corner of the cart, and picked it up, showing it to the older ponies. "Hey! What's this doin' in the cart? Shouldn't ie be back in the kitchen?"

The unknown pony perked up, quickly reaching down to pluck the pan up with his teeth and skillfully flipping it up onto his head. "That's my hat! Been lookin' for that. Thankin' you kindly fer findin' it. Coulda used it back in the orchard."

"Your...hat?" Apple Bloom questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah. You ever been hit on the head with an apple? It ain't pleasant. And I found out first hand just a little while ago. Thanks for pickin' me up, by the by."

"Eyup."

"Name's Apple Seed, by the by. Right pretty orchard y'all got, you should be proud!" He stood up and hopped off the cart, his pan rotating around on his head, the handle lining up with his mane.

Apple Bloom didn't feel inclined to take this in good faith. "You're Apple Seed? THE Apple Seed? 'Cause my sister just told me all about Apple Seed, and he was around a long time ago!"

"Well I'm sure to a young'un, five years is a long time ago. You ain't much older than that, are ya? But look, if you don't believe me, I got my name written on my flank here." He stepped forward and pointed his tail end to her, allowing her a good look at his cutie mark; a collection of three apple seeds, plain as day on his fur. This was enough to please Apple Bloom.

"You ARE the real Apple Seed! This is amazin'! I never thought I-OH! Hey, could I get your help with my homework?"

"Do what now?" It was Apple Seed's turn to raise an eyebrow. He shook his head quickly, shaking off the excited young girl and walking towards the house. "Listen, before I do anythang, I'd really like a nice tall glass of cider, if'n y'all could oblige an injured feller. You don't mind, do ya big guy?"

"Nope." Macintosh stood up and followed Apple Seed inside, who was himself quickly trailed by Apple Bloom. But as soon as Apple Seed was inside, he ran back out again, rather in a panic. "GET THAT CRAZY FELLER AWAY FROM ME! HE'S BEEN TRAILIN' ME ALL DAY!"

Apple Seed was quickly followed by another pony...a brown one with a darker brown mane, and an hourglass on his flank. Applejack and Apple Bloom had seen him around Ponyville before, but didn't actually know much about him. "YOU are going to cause a LOT of people a LOT of trouble if you don't GET BACK HERE!"

Applejack was third in line, and quickly catching up. She didn't know much of the situation, but she wasn't about to let chaos run rampant through her orchard. She was able to dart ahead of Apple Seed and give him a good shove onto his side, subduing him harmlessly and putting a stop to the chase. "Now just what in tarnation is happenin' around here? I want answers, and I want 'em now!"

The brown pony came to a slow stop in front of the crashed Apple Seed, and was breathing hard. "Right...well...there's been...something of an accident. I really can't apologize enough. So if you'll allow it, I'll just be taking our friend Apple Seed here and I'll be on my way-"

Applejack blocked the brown pony off, standing over Apple Seed. "Hold it right there, partner. You're not goin' anywhere until you tell me who you really are."

The hourglass pony looked concerned for a moment, then put on an expression of resignation before speaking. "You can call me Doctor Whooves. I'd really appreciate your cooperation."