Chapter 1
"Come on Pinkie! We're gonna be late fer the train!" Applejack called from the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, quickly removing her Stetson to wipe her brow from the burning heat of summer. Applebuck season was finally finishing, but it was still summer, and she was ready to get to her cousins to help with their own harvest. She stomped her hoof impatiently, as Pinkie had been taking her sweet time getting ready for the 'extraneous family' outing they had planned. Applejack was standing out here in the heat, while Pinkie was doing whatever Pinkie stuff she did in the farmhouse.
"I'M COMING!" Pinkie's high pitch voice burst from the direction of the house, and before Applejack could react, with speed matching that of a crashing Rainbow Dash, a pink blur embedded itself with the wagon attached to Applejack's back. With a loud bang, and an explosion of harvesting supplies, followed shortly after by what the girls only referred to as "Pinkie Special Effects,' which were a cloud of confetti and other party paraphernalia, Applejack finally had her Pinkie.
"Pinkie, what in tarnation do ya think ya'r doin' dashing all mad like that out of the barn? Now, ah know ya are doin' just fine, so how 'bout we get his here show on the road? I wanna introduce you ta the finest apple tree orchards outside o' Ponyville." Before Applejack could help the Pink menace to her hooves, she found herself being pulled along by the pink mare, her wagon already righted, reloaded, and strapped to her back once more, as if nothing had happened at all. "Ya know ya don't need ta push me, right? Ah'm a perfectly grown mare and can haul this all on mah own, so you can stop the shovin', kay?"
"But you just said that we are going to be late, and I wouldn't want to miss this super fantastic trip with my sort-of-connected-but-not-confirmed-distant-relative! That would be bad family-ing right there. So let's get a move on, young mare, and lets go see that famous apple orchard of yours, and then we can do some super fun family stuff together!" Pinkie bounced in circles around the farmer as the pair made their way into town, walking at a hurried pace down the trodden dirt path.
The mares made good time, and caught the train with more than enough time to get settled for the long trip to Appleloosa. And as the two sat in their cart, idle talk coming from Applejack's end, while Pinkie babbled nonstop for nearly the whole trip, the day quickly passed for them. Applejack was anxious to get to her cousin's ranch house, though for an extra reason than spending time with Pinkie and Braeburn. She was packing a few other essential items for a tree that she had growing in town; the finest tree she ever did grown. The only reason she had it blooming in Appleloosa was because it was going to get the finest soil in the region, with the high mineral content only found in that small town. She was growing this to be the best tree any apple farmer would ever see, and she needed it in Appleloosa.
With night quickly descending, Applejack watched with concealed humor as Pinkie ordered every treat off the trolley, and with an equal amount of worry as Pinkie devoured the mountain of sweets on her lap. The farmer was worried about the sugar high Pinkie would no doubt suffer through, but she knew that the pink party pony would handle herself well enough for her. And a nasty sugar high did indeed hit Pinkie, and if they hadn't been trapped in a small train cart, Applejack was certain that Pinkie would have been more than capable of running all the way to the Crystal Empire and back, without running out of breath.
Applejack didn't even try to calm the mare down, knowing full well that Pinkie was in no state of mind to listen to anything anypony had to say. She could only sit down and wait this out, though every time that Pinkie did a sugar-crazed Pinkie would do, she had to offer apologetic smiles to the other boarded ponies. Many of whom were already hitting the sack and trying to get some shut eye before the long day coming up.
Eventually, Pinkie's system cleared most of the sugar, and she was finally able to sit still without shaking like she was a cat playing with a laser. Luckily for the rest of the passengers, the pink party mare had begun to quiet down right as Celestia lowered her sun, so that they could all relax in peace. Applejack smiled at Pinkie, silently thanking her for not going absolutely crazy, and the two shared a content smile only family could share. Then the best blessing Applejack could receive happened, and Pinkie suddenly lost all control, her eyes snapped shut, and her head nearly slammed into her chest. She was snoring before her eyes even closed, that happy little grin still glued to her face.
Applejack sighed in relief, the rest of the ponies in the cart doing so as well, and the energy in the room dropped significantly as the others realized now was their chance to fall into sleep. She watched as the now-sleeping Pinkie slowly leaned to her side, steadily stooping towards the seat. To save the filly-mare some time, Applejack stood up, walked over to her, and helped her lay down on the whole bench, before returning to her own. She was tempted to sprawl out like the pink party pony, but decided against it, instead settling to just lean against the back of the bench, lowering her hat over her eyes.
As the farmer let sleep drift over her, she hoped that once the two got to Appleloosa, Braeburn had taken good care of her tree. She knew that he was more than qualified to take care of the tree, but who could blame her: she had raised this tree as if it was her own foal. Soon, the sweet caress of slumber enveloped her in its tender hold, and she welcomed the chance to rest her weary mind after a busy day of preparing for the overnight trip.
As the train marched across the barren land, the gentle rocking of the cart, along with the soft rhythm of the rails under the wheels only lulled Applejack deeper into slumber. She was no longer able to maintain her grip on reality, and darkness overcame her at last.
Applejack awoke with a mighty yawn, and begun the daily routine of stretching every limb in her body, letting the stiffness from sleeping in a seated position all night leave her bunched muscles. As she arched her back, she lifted her Stetson off of her eyes, allowing her to see who else was up, as well as check the time. The morning was just beginning, with the sun rising from the eastern horizon, and she seemed to be the only pony awake at the moment. Stifling another yawn, she settled into her normal sitting position, while she looked around the cart, noting all the other ponies that were in similar predicaments she had been in. The ponies were either doing as she had done, with sitting as straight as possible, or had pulled a Pinkie, and were sprawled on their benches, sleeping as most normal ponies would.
Applejack stood from the bench, walking to Pinkie to wake her with a gentle shake, and through the early dawn sunlight, she could just see Appleloosa in the distance. She smiled as she thought about the trip, and all the good times she was going to have on this little visit with Pinkie.
The rest of the passengers began to wake up as the train was reaching the mile outside of town, and the energy in the cart was rising. Applejack was excited, and as the train pulled into the Appleloosa station, she could have been confused for Pinkie with the amount of giddiness she was displaying. Braeburn happened to be standing outside the doors, waiting with a fat grin on his face for his cousin. Pinkie had a moment of clarity in her mind, and she smiled happily at seeing Applejack so out of character, and it brought her immeasurable joy to see another pony, besides Cheese Sandwich of course, who was sharing her levels of excitement. She decided to hold back on the jumping around in joy until after she had gotten off the train, so she was more than willing to let Applejack carry the torch for a while.
The moment the doors slowly creaked open, Applejack yanked Pinkie off of her hooves and pulled her before the doors, allowing both mares to be blasted by the dust coming from the station. Once the doors had opened enough for the pair to get out, she hauled Pinkie along, then let the mare go so she could meet Braeburn half way between them. The two shared an impressive hug that those that witnessed it would have sworn would hurt another pony.
"Ah'll be right back, Ah just got some things ta get from the back of the train, and then we can go over to the farm an' talk 'bout the harvest, yeah?" She didn't wait for an answer, she just took off at a steady trot, heading towards the storage cart where her cart was. Braeburn opened his jaw to tell her something, but she was gone before he could get a sound out, so he just turned to Pinkie, who smiled merrily and shrugged. He shook his head, knowing full well that Applejack was going to be excited for this year's harvest, especially with that tree of hers that she had spent the last few months meticulously caring for. He motioned with his head for Pinkie to follow, then began to walk after his cousin, hoping to catch her before she decided to run off too far.
He hadn't even gotten past the cart that they rode in before she flew back to them, grinding to a halt and creating a bit of a dust cloud, inciting the passersby to start coughing. Once the cloud had settled, the groups of ponies around them attempted to glare at Applejack for making a dust cloud when there was already so much dust, only they didn't get very far, as the mare in question was already gone for good. She was busy hauling both Braeburn and Pinkie in her cart of supplies out of the station and towards the farmhouse that the former stayed in. As she pulled the two along, she made great time, and in less than two minutes, she slid to a stop in front of the porch. Sitting on the porch, enjoying some apple cider while taking a break from the beating sun, was a still small Little Strongheart.
"Howdy, there, Miss Strongheart. Ah see ya sitting there and enjoying a bit 'o the shade and famous Apple Family Cider." Applejack called out as she unhitched herself from the wagon, though both Pinkie and Braeburn had to steady heir shaking heads and pause for a moment to eliminate the dizziness. The agile buffalo set her mug on the table and stood on all fours, walking to greet her friend in a hug.
"Yes, this summer has been pretty rough on us."
"Ya can say that again: Ponyville has felt like it's been roastin' in an oven, and we've felt like we're the apple pies bein' baked. Ah can just barely imagine what ya'll have had to deal with out here in the empty plains an' all that, just has to be bad." Applejack said as the two parted ways, allowing Pinkie to run up from the wagon and pull Little Strongheart into a mighty hug. "Been a while since we had Pinkie up here for somethin'."
As friendly banter was being spread between the three of them, Braeburn grabbed Applejack's wagon and started pulling it around back so that he could put the stuff away. Applejack saw what he was doing, and made her excuse to get away, intending to help him move the things inside that she needed in there, but also wanting to help him know what she needed out here for the tree.
"Hey, Braeburn, wait up a moment, would ya?" She asked as she trotted up to him as he turned around the back corner of the farmhouse, him leaning back around it so he could look at her, a confused look on his face. "Just wanted ta let ya know which stuff Ah need to stay out here, and what Ah'd like for ya ta help me take inside."
The two quickly placed the wagon up against the back wall of the building, and began to unload everything that they needed. It wasn't terribly difficult, as she had already sorted everything, well, she was actually forced into letting Twilight sort everything, as that mare had a way with persisting to organize that made her crazy. She grabbed the two medium sized bags that Twilight had already packed, one meant for her and the other, which was packed with candies, was safely bet to be Pinkie's. She thanked Braeburn for the assistance, and went back to the front of the house, where Pinkie and Strongheart had begun an energetic game of tag. The Apple's simply sighed and shook their heads in humor, knowing that while Pinkie had energy and some speed, she was playing way out of her league.
Eventually, the gamers saw that their host and cousin of host had returned from the trip, but what really caught Pinkie's attention was the subtle scent of candy wafting in the sweltering heat. She had literally frozen mid-air, her nose suddenly taking quick whiffs of the air, her head slowly inclining towards the bag sitting on Applejack's back. She didn't even bother landing back on the ground, and allowing the now-visible scent-trail to pull her closer to her farmer friend.
The pink party pony gently touched back down in front of Applejack, staring at her with a small string of drool hanging limply from her muzzle as she stared at the farmer with begging eyes. Applejack, meanwhile, could only watch in equal parts disgust and amazement at how Pinkie was always able to shatter reality just to get a laugh out of somepony. Braeburn was, of course, laughing his flank off at the sight of a floating earth pony who was now begging for a snack. Eventually, the begging got to Applejack, so she turned her head and grabbed the bag in her jaw, tossing it in the air in front of Pinkie.
The pink mare did a backflip underneath the floating bag, then leapt into the air and snatched it with vicious movements of her hooves. She had begun munching on the candy before she touched down, in typical Pinkie fashion, not that any of the others really minded. Pinkie was going to Pinkie.
"So, how about we all head into the house an' get ourselves settled, then Pinkie and Ah can go visit mah tree and see how the beauty's doin'?" Applejack asked as she led the snacking Pinkie towards the front porch before turning around so she could speak with Little Strongheart. "Are ya gonna be around here for the next couple 'o days? 'Cause Pinkie an' Ah are going to be here for today an' tomorrow, and we don't have a whole lot planned."
Little Strongheart nodded in affirmation, and smiled before taking off, presumably back to her tribe. Applejack was grateful that the whole Buffalo-Pony conflict was resolved the way it was, and it meant that more and more creatures would get to experience the greatness that was an Apple Family Apple Pie. Her family pride always made things like these extra sweet, because the town had been saved, her family got to keep an amazing farm, and they all had more ponies and creatures wanting the best apples in Equestria. Braeburn led them inside, showing them to the room that they would share.
The room itself was far roomier than Applejack would have thought, as if the building was larger inside than it looked from the outside. Not that she was complaining, of course, just that it pleasantly surprised her. She was going to lay on her bed, to help ease her muscles, but the day was still young, and she had a lot to do. She led Pinkie out of the room once they had gotten their things settled, though Pinkie was now short quite a bit of candy. They made their way into the living room, where Braeburn was busy sitting on a couch, sipping at a mug of apple cider the aroma covering the room in spiced apples and utter delight to Applejack's nose.
"Pinkie an' Ah are gonna head on out and spend some time in town before we come back and help ya with the last of the harvest. Expect us ta be back in 'bout an hour an' a half, maybe two if we get held back." She explained as she led a very excited, bouncing blur that was Pinkie out the front door once again. The two made their way into town, deciding to make an immediate pit stop at the local saloon to get a drink before the heat got too bad. They walked in through the typical western-style swinging doors, and had to pause at the door, as there were a few ponies horsing around at the entrance. It looked like a friendly scuffle, so neither mare made an effort to intervene, and instead chose to walk to the bar counter, where two stools lay bare of pony behinds. The took their seats and waited for the bartender to give them the only drink available: apple cider. For Applejack, living in a town built for apple farming, this was basically the best paradise her family could ask for: weather that grew some of the better apples this side of Equestria, friendly locals. Even the stampeding buffalo had proven to be great for the town, giving it the atmosphere that she just loved, like a massive family that had put their hooves into everything that happened around here.
As they sipped on their drinks, the two made plans for what they wanted to do, who they were going to visit, and what else they could do before they went back for the final harvest. Pinkie started an argument with one of the locals over the best tasting apple cider, her siding with Applejack, while the local was, obviously, siding with Appleloosa. Applejack was thinking about stopping it, but she was more than happy to see one of her closest friends, basically family, standing up for her and what she took utmost pride in. That said, she was content watching the two stubborn ponies standing their ground. The argument was broken when Pinkie was offered another mug of cider, to which she downed without hesitation, though the act seemed to be all the local needed to cease the banter.
"Let's ago, Applejack!" Pinkie led the way through the saloon, and the spent close to two hours talking with locals, and just enjoying the time together, though the heat bothered them, they weren't about to let some harsh weather ruin the trip.
As they made their way back to the farmhouse, Applejack was getting nervous about seeing how well her tree was doing. She knew the worry was pointless, but she just couldn't help herself, she really wanted to see that the tree was doing fine, even if she knew it was, she just had to see it. Pinkie picked up on her thoughts as the pink party pony bounced around her, and attempted to ease the unease with a cascade of punny apple jokes that had the farmer groaning the whole trip back. Eventually, they found themselves standing at the back of the farmhouse, waiting on Braeburn to get them some buckets to finish this year's harvest. Pinkie was taking the mantle of catching falling apples, while both Apples were going to do the bucking, as to be expected.
Even in the midday blistering heat, they all had more than enough enjoyment out of the hard labor, something both Applejack and Braeburn were used to, and Pinkie had grown up with. Farms ran in all of their blood, so the work was pleasant, and the heat wasn't unbearable. Two hours passed before they knew it, but the harvest was getting to the halfway point, but Braeburn knew that they should take a break. He pulled the two under the leaves of a nearby apple tree, dragging one of the buckets filled with apples with him, and they all enjoyed a lunch break in the shade with some might fine apples to munch on. Half an hour later, and the urge to get this over with returned in Applejack, and she was the first to rise back to the challenge. Braeburn hesitated for a moment, not quite wanting to put his muscles back under pressure, but his competitiveness with his cousin would not allow him to sit idly by while she worked. Not on his watch.
Pinkie, as was always the case with Pinkie, was basically powered by the sun, and was already bouncing under the next tree Applejack was going to buck, her bucket already on her head as she prepared for the load to drop. And two more hours passed, during which they made significantly more progress, finishing the remaining sections of the orchard.
"Ah think Ah'm gonna go head on inside an' clean up before going to check on that tree, Braeburn, so if ya need me, ya'll know where ta find me." She called as she took off at a trot to get to the farmhouse, ready for a wonderful cool, relaxing shower to wash this sweat off of her. Pinkie bounced merrily behind her, though Braeburn nodded and continued to walk in the shade under the trees.
Applejack felt that the shower was possibly the best thing about the day so far, though spending two whole hours with Pinkie was a close contestant. She was toweling herself off in her and Pinkie's room when the latter came in, somehow in possession of her Stetson. She blinked in confusion before Pinkie was suddenly in front of her. "So, how big is the tree? I mean, I already know, because I may or may not have already snuck a peak at it during our lunch break, but I really want to hear you say how big you think it is because when I looked it was pretty big, but I've seen a lot bigger at your farm."
Applejack waited for Pinkie to inhale before she snatched her hat back and placed it back over her straw-blonde mane. "Ah think it's getting alright, but still has a few more years before it'll be ready for harvest, and it'll be growin' during that time. Don't worry 'bout it, Pinkie, 'cause it'll get bigger, and it'll be the best darn tree Ah think Ah've ever grown."
"Or course it's going to be the best tree you've ever grown, you've been spending so much effort taking care of it, some ponies might have thought you were raising a foal!" Applejack had to shake her head, though she knew that she had spent a lot of extra time growing this tree, but it wasn't really out of character for her to take an invested interest in a growing apple tree. "But that's why we're going to go see it, right? Maybe I can help you. Ooh, that would be amazing, the two of us getting to spend family time by helping make that tree super big and strong!"
Applejack chuckled, because Pinkie had basically read her mind, though she had a few other ideas that she had buzzing around in her head. Still, she smiled warmly and nodded at Pinkie, making the pink party pony only gasp and bounce around with extreme Pinkie-ness.
