Today was a special day for the Apple family. It was the very first day of Applebuck season. Despite being the start of harvesting season, the atmosphere was gloomy and distant. The sun shone dimly hidden behind grey clouds that spewed cold icy rain upon Ponyville. No matter the weather the Apple family was dedicated,determined and perhaps a bit stubborn. Nopony else would be out in such a cold icy rain like todays. Only the Apples.
Applejack rolled over smacking her alarm clock with her hoof.
"Urgh...wheres that snooze button...!" she said missing it three times. "Shut it!" she yelled, viciously grabbing the alarm and sending it flying across the room. AJ turned back over and burrowed into the covers. Applejack had been up all night last night hauling barrels and baskets from the barns loft to the main level. She'd been worn out and plumb tuckered making it to bed sometime around the early morning hours. Suddenly, Applejack sprung out of her bed and clumsily landed on the floor. "Ah'm late! Oh no! Ah completely forgot 'bout Applebuck season!" She hurriedly ran out of her room and scrambled down stairs. She ran past the breakfast table and made it into the yard. She was in such a rush she had skipped eating breakfast or even tying back her scraggly mane. Big Macintosh was standing there tapping his hoof when he noticed his sister had finally come to help.
"Howdy Big Mac! Sorry Ah'm late." said AJ
"Took ya'll long enough to git here. Ah've bin waiting for an hour!" he said impatiently.
"Ah'm reallly sorry! Ah over slept and was really tired from last night."
"Ah know. Ah just thought we could start together this year. We don't need what happened last years Applebuck season to happen agin."
"Ah know,ah know. Lets git started." said AJ getting into a cart and beginning to walk towards the trees.
Applejack reared up on her forelegs and struck the tree with her toned back legs. The mighty apple tree shook sending apples plummeting to the ground. AJ swiped the apples from the ground and loaded them into her cart. Now she just had to repeat this act hundreds of more times.
"Ah'll git this done. Ah promise!" said AJ whispering to herself. As much confidence as she had in herself she was really dreading this awful weather. The cold rain stung her falling like rocks from the sky. On top of this lousy weather she was tired and hungry. She couldn't turn back now to eat. She had just started and didn't want to let Big Mac down. But really, she just had to much pride.
With every tree she became hungrier and sleepier. AJ fell to the ground.
"Maybe..maybe A'll just rest fer a minute..." she said closing her eyes. A minute turned into hours. She lay on the muddy ground with rain drenching her and pounding on her fur.
"Lil' sis..? Lil' sis...LIL' SIS!" said Big Mac poking AJ's side.
"AH!" she screamed being jolted from her sleep.
"Doh AJ! Ya'll doggone fell asleep on the job." said Big Mac
"What!? Impossible! Ah always keep a promise and Ah bucked 'least a hundred trees tahday! Ah' didn't fall asleep!" defended AJ
"No ya' didn't. Ah hate tah say this but ya only bucked ten trees. And Ah've no clue how ya fell asleep in such horrible rain. Ah'm kinda dissapointed..." said Big Mac. AJ couldn't believe what she was hearing. She looked around and saw a deep indent in the mud. She looked down at herself and she was covered in thick mud. AJ's eyes teared up. Not once had she fallen asleep on the job. Not once had she ever been as lazy as she was today!
"Oh no lil sis...Ah'm sorry Ah didn't mean it...Ah just thought you was buckin this whole time and Ah..Ah..." said Big Mac seeing that he had upset his baby sis.
"No...yer right...Ah didn't do what I was 'sposed tah...It's mah fault. Ah was slackin off and Ah should have been bucking trees." cried AJ. Her brother just frowned and began walking his cart full to the brim with apples to the barn. Applejack was afraid to look at her own cart but when she did she'd only had a lame amount of nineteen apples. AJ sullenly dragged her cart to the barn.
Once she was inside she got out of the cart harness and left the cart behind her brothers. AJ just fell onto the hay covered floor, burying her face in her hooves. She had really messed up today and she knew there was only seventy-four days left until Applebucking season was over and they had to start pressing cider for cider season. She had to live up to her expectations and if she wanted to do a good job she knew she had to buck at least a hundred trees or more every day. Warm salty tears were streaming down her cold stinging face. Suddenly she had an idea! She needed to talk to one of her friends to feel better. To share her emotions. Fumbling onto her shaky legs, AJ ran out of the barn and clear out of Sweet Apple Acres.
Applejack didn't care which one of her friends she talked to, but which ever one she was positive they'd understand. Which ever one she could find first on a dreary day like this. AJ was nearing Carousel Boutique. 'Good! Rarity is always there and she'll understand' thought AJ. Applejack then slid to a halt. The sign on the door said "Closed" and the doors were locked. AJ hung her head low and began trotting to the library. Surely, the bookworm Twilight would be at her quarters and she could talk to her. When she got there AJ knocked her hoof on the door but there was no answer. AJ looked up and there was a note that read: "Out helping Zecora"
Sigh. Another let down. Suddenly a familiar voice echoed through the rain. It sounded like a series of grunts. "Ah know who that is! It's Rainbow!" exclaimed AJ. She began galloping in the direction of the voice.
"Rainbow! Rainbow!" yelled AJ. Rainbowdash was trying to move a group of thunder clouds from the sky but they kept on zapping her. Rainbow turned her attention to the voice she recognized. It was Applejack! She zoomed down from the sky to meet her.
"Oh Rainbow Ah'm so glad I can talk to ya! Ya see today was the start of Applebuckin season and-"
"Hi AJ um I'm kinda busy right now. Can it wait?" said Rainbowdash. Applejack frowned. She really just needed to talk to her friend but it seemed nothing was going her way. A burst of petty anger coursed through AJ.
"No. No it can't." snapped Applejack. Surprised by her friend's unusual tone she knew something was up.
"Fine. What is it? I've got to get those clouds out of here before the sun sets." said Rainbow.
"Well today was the start of Applebuck season and Ah was 'sposed to help Big Mac but...but..."
"What?" asked RD
"Ah fell asleep and didn't buck more than 10 trees!" cried AJ. Expecting to be comforted she was surprised when Rainbow started to laugh.
"You fell asleep? That's it? That isn't so bad. I don't know why you seem to upset, AJ." replied Rainbow.
"No, no, no, y'all don't git it. I was 'sposed to buck a hundred trees and Ah only did ten. Can't ya see that's horrible?" said AJ hysterically.
"It happens." shrugged RD as she began to fly back up to the clouds. Applejack felt so let down. She needed some cheering up but got nothing!
Applejack moped into the house. She was wet, cold, muddy, and covered in hay. To top it all off she was incredibly hungry. She grabbed a bowl of cereal and went to bed. Maybe tomorrow would be better. Tough luck. Applejack couldn't sleep and was up all night, staring at the ceiling.
Way into the midnight hours Applejack was thinking about what happened today.
'Ah very upset with mah self. Ah shoulda been helping Big Mac' she thought to herself.
'Wait a minute! Ah know! Ah can start bucking early and bring back the apples before Big Mac to make up for what happened!' AJ thought. She quietly got out of bed and made it down stairs. She quietly ate some food and left the house to be greeted by the same weather but worse. She rounded to the barn and got into the harness of the cart. She went out into the grove of apple trees and began to buck until day light.
It was morning now and the rain had stopped. Big Macintosh got up at the right time and had some breakfast. He left the house and stood out side the barn. To his amazement there was a cart overflowing with apples.
"Wha..what in the hay!" exclaimed Big Macintosh. Suddenly alert, Applejack popped out of the cart. She had fallen asleep underneath the apples.
"Ah told you Ah could get this done. Ah was up all night last night bucking for these here apples." said AJ with pride.
"That was mighty thoughtful AJ but being out in that harsh weather last night didn't bother ya?"
questioned Big Mac.
"Nope. Now, lets get started." said Applejack hauling her cart to the barn to empty it and start more buucking.
"Now hold yer horses! Ya bucked all night and ya'll aint tired?" said big mac suspiciously.
"Um..." AJ held her breath. She was truly exhausted and couldn't lie to her brother. But, she was only trying to help the farm "No Ah'm not tired. I could buck the trees all day If Ah had too." she lied.
The storm had wrought havoc on the grove of trees. There were big branches everywhere and it would be difficult to move the carts through the field. Whatever the terrain AJ just lugged her cart on through. The muddy ground made it almost impossible to get a footing. Suddenly a scream rang through the air. It was Big Mac! AJ abandoned her cart and ran to help her brother. When she arrived he was stuck under a giant tree branch. AJ helped pull her brother out from underneath.
"Are ya'll ok?" asked AJ
"Ah'm fine but my leg hurts..." he said desprately trying to kick with it but it was no use.
"Oh lil sis Ah don't think I can keep buckin. My leg hurts really bad." said Big Mac
"That's fine. Ah can handle it." said AJ. Big Mac flinched at those words. He knew she couldn't but he limped away to the house.
AJ began to buck more than her fair share of trees. She bucked days and nights often goign without much food or sleep. Her friends started to worry about her. One day Pinkiepie approached her in the field.
"Oh hi Applejack! I am hosting the awesomest party ever today! Your totally coming and we'll have so much fun and we'll eat sweets, and play games, and talk, and-" Pinkie rambled
"Pinkie" she snapped. Working with little food or sleep made AJ cranky an ill-tempered. "Ah aint coming to yer party." she said rather rudely. Pinkie frowned and was upset.
"But...why? You love my parties! All our friends will be there and we'll play games and-" she began.
"I have to buck these trees. Big Mac is hurt and Ah'm doing double time." she mumbled.
"I think you need to take a nap you look tired." said Pinkiepie. AJ's head swung around.
"Tired? Me tired? Nonsense! Ah'm perfectly fine! Can't ya see?" said Applejack. Pinkie examined her friend. Her mane was ragged and knotty, her normally sleek orange fur was pale and unkempt, her eyes had become dull and grew bags underneath them. Seeing that her friend would not accept the obvious she knew she should go. Pinkie hung her head low and went off to invite the rest of the gang to her party.
At Pinkies Party
"Hi everypony! Im super happy you all could come!" said Pinkie exuberantly. Rarity, Rainbowdash, Twilight, and Fluttershy walked in the door.
"We are gonna have SOO much fun! So what do ya wanna do first? We can play pin the tail on the pony, or tag, or we could eat candy or- Oh Oh, or we could dance-"
"Darling, pardon me but where is Applejack?" asked Rarity. Twilight and Fluttershy and Rainbowdash looked around then turned to Pinkie waiting for an answer.
"Oh...um..she couldn't make it." she answered quietly.
"Oh but why?" asked Fluttershy
"She's busy..." replied Pinkie
"Doing what?" asked Twilight
"Apple bucking..." Pinkie said as a big frown bent across her face. Twilight narrowed her eyes. This was all to familiar as to what happened last year.
"C'mon Pinkie, we can still have fun even if Applejack is busy, right?" said Rainbowdash.
Pinkiepie smiled. "Lets PARTY!" she yelled as gummy hit the music.
Back at the Farm
"Just...seventy-two...more..." said Applejack. She was sweaty, starving, dirty, and over worked. Her vision was a bit blurry and her hearing was not as keen as normal. Every time she reared on her front legs she had to take a few tries to actually hit the trees with her back legs. She was sleep deprived and starving and certainly couldn't think straight. Moving to the next tree, cart flowing with apples, she saw a familiar blurry figure in the distance. She rubbed her eyes with her hooves.
"Applejack!" it cried. AJ squinted.
"Abbleploom?" shouted AJ. The figure skidded to a halt appalled by her sisters appearance. She knew her older sister Applejack was not a prissy pony but she knew she would take time to be hygienic. Applebloom scanned her sister from ears to hooves. Her mane was matted and thick with mud, her eyes were blood shot and dull, her fur was plastered with dirt, leaves, and hay, and her normally quaint country accent was slurred horribly.
"Applejack...?" questioned Applebloom, not even sure if this was her sister.
"Wha?" she replied
"You look...horrible! How long have you been out here?"
"Five days an nights." she replied. Applebloom's eyes began to water. She hated to see her sister like this!
"Applejack! You NEED to stop! Stop this now!" wailed Applebloom. Being short with patience AJ was enraged. How dare her little sister tell her what to do! She reared on her back legs and stomped the ground, snorting viciously. Frightened, Applebloom backed into the cart and a tower of apples came crashing down. Applejacks eyes widened with anger.
"No!" AJ screamed. She began to buck and spin wildly, thrashing at the air.
"Applejack! You aren't thinking straight! Listen to me! YOU NEED SLEEP!" yelled Applebloom running away from her sister. Applejack picked up the apples and put them back in the cart.
"Shhh...shhhh...lil apples, don't cry Ahmma pick ya'll up." she whispered. Moving along to the next tree she reared up and fell over. She fell straight on her face and started to cry.
"Why...WHY" she shrieked "Ah just wanna buck all the trees! Why does everypony keep bothering me! Ah swear Ah could just...just..." but Applejack's mind fell into a dark descent. Falling far beyond reach and into an abyss of wicked things. A crooked smile crept across her face as she got up to continue her work.
At Pinkies Party
The ponies were having a fun time at the party. Pinkie was dancing crazily, Fluttershy was sipping on a juicebox while Rarity and Rainbowdash talked. Twilight was...wait where was Twi? She wasn't around her friends. She was in the kitchen.
'Grrr! How could this happen again? I thought Applejack understood that it was okay to take her time and ask for her friends help when she needed it.' thought Twi angrily to herself. Just then a head peeked around the corner of the kitchen wall.
"Um...Twilight?" It was Fluttershy.
"Oh hi Fluttershy." said Twilight trying to be very enthusiastic but she was a terrible actor.
"Um if you don't mind me asking um why are you in here? Are you upset?...You don't have to tell me if you don't want I was just um wondering..." said Fluttershy.
"I don't mind. Im just upset Applejack would abandon the thought of going to Pinkie's party to buck the trees instead. I know she has responsibility but lots of towns folk have seen her working non-stop. They say she's been sleeping in the fields and gabbing nonsense to the trees." Twilight responded.
"Oh..I see. If you don't ummm think this is to brash I might go talk to her."
"Its okay Fluttershy. If I have something to tell Applejack I shoud do it myself. Maybe, if I share my feelings with her she'll understand she needs to take a break."
"Oh that is a good idea!" agreed Fluttershy. Twilightsparkle followed Fluttershy out of the kitchen and joined in the party again.
"Excuse me Pinkiepie, but Im going to see Applejack. Maybe I can convince her to come join us." said Twi
"Oh that's a GREAT idea! Good luck! AJ is a bit stubborn! Oh that silly pony!" giggled Pinkie waving her hoof at Twilight. Twilight left Pinkies. Little did she know, her friend Applejack was no longer the same...
At Sweet Apple Acres
AJ did something unexpected. She stopped bucking for a moment. She looked at her cart and knew it was too full to put anymore apples in. She only had three more trees in this grove but she decided not to risk it overflowing. Applejack heaved her heavy cart chock full of apples down the hill side. She was making her daily trip to the barn to deposit apples. Once in the barn she unloaded it. Before making her way back to the grove she decided to have a chat with her "friends". She was talking to the apples again...
"I'm so glad all of you are here! It was a lot of work to get you all but I'm so excited! When I get the rest of you I can squish you and stomp you into juice! Hahahaa!" laughed AJ manically.
AJ hobbled out of the barn and squinted really hard focusing on the tree tops.
'Wow' she thought 'Ah've got almost all the trees bucked! Just need to finish the last couple then I can move onto the last field!' but then she realized what would be the point of heaving such a big cart for only three more trees? She grabbed her finest wooden bucket with an iron ring keeping it together. She weaved her way back into the grove to find the last couple trees.
"Here here little trees...Come on out where evar ya'll are...Mama AJ aint gonna hurt ya'll none..." she whispered calmly. "AH HA! FOUND YA!" she yelled running up to one of the trees. She placed the bucket under the tree, swung her legs up, and-
"APPLEJACK!" cried the voice. AJ missed her mark and toppled over in result.
AJ's mouth contorted to a snarl.
"APPLEJACK! It's me Twilight!" Applejack got up and eyed Twi up and down. She frowned and turned away from her attempting to buck the tree again.
"Applejack, STOP NOW! You need rest,food, and-" Twilight sniffed the air " a bath."
AJ ignored her and got into the bucking stance.
"Listen to me! Stop this madness!" Twi shouted. AJ bucked but missed the tree again.
"Applejack!' she shouted and put her hooves on AJ trying to get her to look at her. Applejack pulled away and glared at Twi.
"Now that Ive got your attention" Twilight began "This isn't good for you, AJ. Your family and friends care for you. Pushing yourself over the limit puts a lot of stress on your body as well as your mind. You haven't eaten much at all or slept as much as you needed to. Come on now. We need to get you to your house to rest."
Applejack bent her head down by the wooden basket.
"Applejack were you even listening! If you don't stop this...YOU'LL DIE!" shrieked Twilight.
"AH CAN STOP WHEN AH'M DEAD!" shouted AJ
AJ gripped the basket in her mouth, whipped around real fast and hit Twi with the metal ring right in the temple. Twilight was hit with such force and fell on her back knocking her head on the tree.
Twilight was dizzy and bleeding from when Applejack hit her. Instead of feeling instant regret or upset her mouth crept right back into that wicked smile she had the other day. Twilight stared in horror but couldn't say anything.
"Applejack...no!" whispered Twilight. Applejack picked up the basket again and loomed over Twi. She began hitting her with it harder and harder each time. Twi was bruised and bloody. Her body cold and lifeless. Applejack didn't need to ponder her next move she knew exactly what she wanted..what Twi wanted...what everypony wanted...
The Next Day
"Howdy everypony!" greeted Applejack. All her friends wondered why so suddenly AJ had stopped bucking, why Twilight had not returned, and what was so important that AJ had to gather her closest friends up for.
"Hi Applejack!" Pinkie smiled. Applejack smiled too...
"So umm what is it..?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yeah AJ whats up? All of the sudden you stop bucking and invite us over?" questioned Rainbowdash. Rarity nodded. Applejack grinned. "I made ya'll a cake!" said AJ in a pitchy tone. Everpony was stunned. Applejack, the workaholic, made them a cake!? AJ sat everypony around the table. They stared at the white cake box in the center. Applejack slowly unwound the string on the box and opened it. Pinkie set out plates. AJ held a cake cutter and slowly cut four pieces, enough for all her friends. She set them on the plates. Everypony stared at the cake suspiciously. Their friend who worked non-stop suddenly make them a treat? Applejack urged them onward. Fluttershy took the first bite and her face lit up with glee. Everypony else saw her reaction and started eating too. A deviant smile crept across her face. All her friends were enjoying the cake... enjoying their friend, Twilight. Applejack thought back on all the fun she had this applebuck season. She couldn't wait until next year...