Chapter 174: The Great Seedlin'
All was peaceful at Sweet Apple Acres; the sun slowly rose as the rooster made a sound. Approaching the farm was a figure on horseback as they galloped along the trail. Storm was heading to Applejack's farm as the Jedi had offered to help the girl pick her apples; something big was happening. She didn't tell him what it was when she asked him, but it seemed like something that could use the help of a Jedi.
Storm soon arrived at the entrance of the farm as he trotted inside. He arrived at the house as there was a single light on, signaling that someone had already awakened. Most likely, the country gal herself. He tied his horse to the post before petting its nose and giving it some treats; at the same time, Applejack was indeed up, as was the rest of her family. Applejack had been up the longest as she made many pancakes at the stove. The door opened as Storm stepped through; the farm girl smiled at seeing the Jedi Knight enter before putting some pancakes on a plate for him, throwing it like a discus that Storm easily caught. She then put some in a bowl for Winona and turned to the others.
"Ah, know we've had this day marked on the calendar for quite a while, but it's finally here." She placed plates down, the group still tired, with Big Mac seeming especially exhausted.
"Eeyup," said the girl's older brother, moaning as he poured some blueberry juice on his pancakes.
"Sure is," Applebloom nodded as she used her pancakes as a pillow.
"What?" Granny Smith asked, Storm wondering if her hearing had gone again or if she had just forgotten what today was.
"The Confluence," Applejack said, "A harvest a hundred moons in the makin'. When every apple comes ripe at the same time." Storm was curious since he still didn't know exactly how apple growing worked. "Big Mac's been up late workin' on this schedule so we can be sure not to miss a single tree," Applejack showed them a map of the orchard that had trees colored with red, orange, green, and yellow. "All it'll take now is a few days o' hard work. Who's with me?"
Soon, snoring was heard as Big Mac fell asleep on his pancakes.
"That looks like a lot of work," groaned Applebloom.
"Aw," Granny Smith patted her head, "Don't you worry, chick-a-bidee. We got this Confluence under control. I got us some help."
This made Applejack smile. "That's great, Granny! Twilight was too busy to lend some help. We could sure use some more muscle. Who'd you get? Braeburn? Honeycrisp?"
Granny Smith just chuckled in response. "Even better." As soon as she said that, a sound filled the air. It started weak but grew louder until the sound was outside the door. The sound of many, many...cats. The door flew open, and a giant wall of cats filled the opening, eventually exploding in all directions to reveal an old lady smiling at them.
"Howdy, y'all!" Goldie Delicious giggled.
She was an old orange lady with curly white hair. Storm had never met her, but he had heard many stories about her. The cats ran around the place, jumping about and trying to find comfy places to sleep. One of those places was the head of the sleeping Big Mac, another leaping up onto him and using its claws to knead his ear. Obviously, this woke him up and made him cry in pain, the group all flinching as he fell back, his pancakes being knocked off the table and slamming into him.
"Now, that's how you wake someone up," chuckled Goldie Delicious.
"Goldie Delicious!" Applebloom ran up and threw her arms around the woman, who smiled and patted her on the head.
"Granny told me y'all could use a helpin' hoof with this here Confluence, so I came a-runnin'."
Applejack flinched at this while Mac tried to pull the cat off his head. "Well, with a harvest this big, we're grateful for all the help we can get...ah guess."
"Eeyup," Mac pulled the cat off of him and threw it over to Storm. The Jedi caught the feline, only to see the little thing begin waving its tail in his face.
And as it did this, he suddenly felt something in his nose.
"Ah...ah...ahhhhh-CHOO!" He dropped the cat, the apples looking at him in shock. "Oh," he wiped his nose, "Sorry about that."
Soon, another cat approached him as it brushed up against him. It meowed as if to signal for the others as they gathered around him, with some trying to climb onto his head and lap.
"Well, looks like someone is a really animal magnet," snickered Goldie Delicious at the boy for how all her cats liked him.
"Great," groaned Storm as he shook himself and got all the cats to disburse.
"It's too bad y'all ain't ever caught the Great Seedling. He'd have granted you a perpetual harvest, Confluence or no."
"The what?" Storm scratched his head at what Goldie Delicious said while Applejack and Mac laughed.
"The Great Seedlin'?" Applejack chuckled, "Well now, ah, haven't thought about that old folk's tale for years."
"The Great Seedlin' ain't no folk's tale!" Goldie replied, looking angry that she would say such a thing. "He's a magical spirit."
"Really?" Storm asked, "What's so special about him?"
"It's not real," Applejack said, "Just a legend about a magical being shaped like a deer."
Goldie nodded, "Imagine a buck, all the colors of the harvest, that travels from farm to farm, daring farmers to catch him. And those that have the ingenuity are rewarded with crops that are always in bloom." She suddenly looked angry again. "And he's as real as you and me!"
"Hmm. Well, I have seen weirder things across the galaxy," stated Storm.
"Across the galaxy, ehh?" said Goldie Delicious as she scanned the boy and looked him over. "So you're the Jedi Applejack's been talking about?"
"Yes, he is, Auntie Goldie. He's Princess Twilight's friend and has offered to help us," said Applejack as she put her aunt's arm down to stop poking at Storm's facial features.
"Thanks," said the boy to the country gal for that, "Don't worry, ma'am. I'm just here to help with the harvest."
"As I recall, Applebloom loved settin' traps for the Great Seedlin' when she was a young'un." Granny Smith laughed, Big Mac doing the same as Applejack rolled her eyes.
"Well, I'm pretty sure she's outgrown the whole thing by now. Right, Applebloom?" She turned to her sister, only to see the girl was nowhere to be found.
"Or maybe I'm big enough now to finally catch him!" They turned to the voice, seeing Applebloom dressed in a helmet covered in leaves and sticks while carrying a saddlebag stuffed with nets and other trapping supplies. "Who's with me?!" She smiled like a kid in a candy store, Goldie chuckling as Applejack sighed.
"Applebloom," she marched up to her, "You haven't hunted for the Great Seedlin' since you were little. Why would you want to start again now?"
"Cuz the Confluence is so big!" She exclaimed, "He's bound to show up! And if we catch him, he'll make all the apples ripe all the time! Right, Goldie?"
"Mm-hmm," the old lady nodded, "That's right, young'un'."
This made Applebloom laugh. "Just imagine. Sweet Apple Acres would be the busiest orchard in Equestria!" She turned to Storm, "I bet you could help me find the Great Seedlin' in no time. So, wanna help?"
"Um, well..." Storm didn't know how to respond. Sure, he'd seen many creatures across the galaxy during his travels, but trying to catch a spirit that was of folktale... seemed more like impossible, in a way. "Maybe..."
Applejack glared at her friend for agreeing to her little sister's antics.
"Great!" shouted the small girl as she rushed over to hug Storm's body, wrapping her arms around his waist as she snuggled against him.
Applejack groaned at how delusional Storm was while Granny Smith and Goldie Delicious smiled at the girl hugging Storm as they saw her small crush on the Jedi.
"Now, if y'all excuse me, I've got work to do!"
She ran off at this, Applejack rushing to the door to call out after her. "Don't forget we have actual work to do!" But Applebloom either didn't hear her or was too excited about the traps to call back.
"Nothin' like a little girl enjoyin' the harvest," Goldie chuckled.
"Ah, don't mind Applebloom havin' fun," Applejack replied, "But there's honest-to-goodness work to do that doesn't have a thing to do with an old legend."
"Aw, quit worryin', sugar booger." She looked back to Granny, who had taken all the plates and started washing them. "Applebloom can hunt for the Seedlin' all she wants. If you're so fret-a-fied about work, why don't you and your brother get to buckin' your own selves?"
Applejack nodded before rushing to the chart, "Granny's right." She took it off the wall and turned to Big Mac, asleep on the ground while using a cat as a pillow. "Come on, sleepyhead. Let's get to work." Mac lifted his head, yawning as he replied with his signature catchphrase. But despite wanting to, he was too tired to really get to work. Luckily, or unluckily, the cat he held had had enough and slashed at him. This really woke him up and allowed the cat to jump free, running off as Mac got up.
Storm was looking to follow them before he was addressed.
"Tell me, Jedi? Are you dangerous?" asked Goldie to the boy.
"No. I'm just... I'm just Twilight's personal guard," said Storm to the old lady.
"Alright then. You go on then," said Goldie to the Jedi as she took his plate.
The boy nodded as he began exiting the house to help the others. Storm made his way to the barn as he looked to get some things when he noticed Applebloom was already there.
"What are you doing?" He asked, seeing she had made a large wicker basket and tied some rope to the top.
"Building my Great Seedlin' trap," Applebloom replied as she threw the rope's end over a beam and used it to pull the cage up. "What do you think?" She released the rope, and the cage flew down, hitting the ground hard and looking quite sturdy.
Storm hummed as he stared at it, "Isn't it a bit big?"
"Of course!" Applebloom exclaimed, "The Great Seedlin's large, so the trap's gotta be big too!"
"Yeah, but if it's too big, then I doubt you'll be able to hide it properly." Applebloom hummed at this, "Besides." He moved over and lifted it, showing the basket was light despite being big. "If the Great Seedling's as good as they say, I'm pretty sure he'll be able to escape this."
"Aw, donkey butter." Storm gasped, though he wasn't sure if that was a bad phrase. "Guess I'm gonna have to start from scratch. Something heavier, but easily camouflaged."
"Well, good luck with that, AB. I'll help you once I'm done getting through a few trees. Okay?" said Storm as he got some stuff.
"Deal!" said the girl as she ran out of the barn to set up her other traps.
Once Storm got the things Applejack asked for, he began to head to where the girl was. The others began their apple-bucking as Goldie and Granny Smith talked by the wagon to load some barrels.
"There you are, Jedi. Hurry up, we're behind schedule!" exclaimed Applejack.
"Hey, Aj. Can I ask you something? Is there any reason to believe it's not real?" Storm asked as they started walking around to buck the apples. "After everything you've seen in your adventures, is a legendary earth spirit any different from a Spirit of Chaos of any of the other monsters I've faced on my previous adventures?"
"Ah, guess," Applejack shrugged, "Come on, let's just focus on getting this field bucked." The others nodded and started bucking as fast as they could, but it was slow.
Storm had finished his third patch of field as he set the baskets aside. He wiped his forehead as he began to head off to find Applebloom to keep his promise of helping her set up traps.
"Applebloom? Applebloom!"
The Jedi Knight called out to the girl as he passed by more trees. He was so busy trying to spot the farmer that he didn't notice a set of ropes. He tripped it as he heard something; immediately, he sensed something as he leaped forward and rolled as the trap went off. The Jedi then quickly cartwheeled, followed by a back flip, then leaned back as he avoided a syrup web being flung at his face. The Jedi then leaped over a pitfall as he spun on a single hand, did a double somersault, and landed.
"Gotcha!"
Storm didn't look as he put a hand up. The Jedi caught a net by the end as it was inches above his head. He stood up from his crotch stance, and Applebloom was lifted off her feet as Storm turned to look at her.
"Heh. You're not the Great Seedlin'," said the girl nervously as she looked at the perturbed Jedi.
"No," responded the teen rather bluntly as he shook the net to make Applebloo let go of the map as she fell on the ground.
Storm tossed the net by her feet as he looked back at all the traps he had set off and avoided.
"Aw, man. I worked for hours on those!" said Applebloom.
"Needs work," said Storm.
"Can you help me reset them?" asked the girl.
By the time the sun went down, they had only managed to get through three and a half of the five fields they had hoped to get through that day. The Apples were exhausted, one significantly more than the others, with Applebloom looking excited that the Great Seedling would be in her trap when she woke up the next morning. Especially with Storm's help, the Jedi offered his knowledge of traps and snares from his Jedi training as he helped improve the girl's traps.
"You've gotta be really careful," she told Storm as Applejack dragged her back to the house to bed. "If you make too much noise, the Great Seedling might escape."
Storm sighed, "I'll be sure to stay as quiet as possible." Applebloom smiled as she happily let her sister drag her the rest of the way home while Storm headed to the barn to put some stuff away.
The next morning...
Before the sun was even up, Applejack was awake and busy getting breakfast sorted. Granny and Goldie were soon up, as Applejack quickly made some pancakes. "We fell behind a bit yesterday," she pointed out. "So we need everybody at their best."
She put the plate down in front of Goldie, who had to protect it from her cats. But as she did this, she noticed a very tired Mac walking into the room. "If that's your brother's best, we might be done. Mm-hmm."
Applejack sighed at this, "He was just up late workin' out a new schedule so we can stay on track." She took the paper as Mac fell to the ground asleep. As he did this, Applebloom ran downstairs and jumped onto her brother.
"I didn't sleep either!" She cheered, "I was too excited! I can't wait to see if I caught the Great Seedlin'!"
She then rushed out as Goldie smirked at Applejack. "I hope you're ready to cheer Applebloom up when her traps come up empty," Applejack glared at her.
As she said that, Applebloom shot back into the farmhouse. "Everybody! Come quick! You got to see!" She ran back out, and the adults shared a glance before following her. Applebloom quickly grabbed Storm, who was working on fixing a window, when the younger teen dragged him.
They followed her to a hill overlooking one of the fields. "What in blazes is all the excitement about?" Applejack asked as Applebloom jumped up and down in joy.
"Look!" She pointed at a clearing in the field, and when they looked down, they gasped, seeing a bunch of apples arranged on the ground in a pretty pattern. They could only watch, their mouths hanging low as Applebloom smiled at Goldie. "The Great Seedlin' did this! Didn't he?!"
Goldie laughed at this, "Well, braid my hair! These sure look like Great Seedlin' tracks to me!"
This only helped to excite Applebloom. She leaped up for joy, "I knew it! He was here!" She grabbed Applejack and hugged her. "The Great Seedlin' was here! Ain't that amazin', Applejack?!" She ran off, wanting to examine the tracks closer, while Applejack just stared at the sight.
"Yeah..." She scratched her head, "Amazin'..." But then she turned at Goldie, who laughed as she watched Applebloom run around the apples. She wasn't sure, but she had a feeling she knew what caused this. The country gal looked at Storm and glared at him.
"Don't look at me!" said the boy, as he had nothing to do with this.
Applejack glared into Storm's eyes as she tried to use her stare and family trait to see if the Jedi was lying. Storm returned the glare, showing Aj he wouldn't be intimidated as Granny Smith broke them up.
"Applejack, knock it off, alright," said the old lady to her granddaughter.
"Fine. If you didn't do it, Jedi. Who did?"
"How the hell should I know?!" responded Storm as he stared at the farm gal.
"Isn't it beautiful? I just can't believe the Great Seedlin' was really here!" Applebloom cheered as Applejack sighed.
"Neither can I."
Applebloom picked up one of the apples, looking it over, "What do you think this means?" Goldie moved over to her, a smile on her face as she let out a laugh.
"Well, it looks to me like a challenge. The Seedling wants you to know that he was here, and he's daring you to catch him. Mm-hmm." Granny Smith stepped up next to her, nodding as she did so.
"You think I still have a chance?" The girl asked. Granny gave her a playful elbow.
"You're an Apple, ain't ya?"
Goldie giggled at this, "Why, if you set enough traps, you're bound to catch him."
"You're right!" Applebloom cheered, "And that's just what I'm gonna do! Look out, Great Seedlin'! Here I come!" She exclaimed before running off toward the barn, looking to build as many traps as possible. Granny and Goldie laughed at this as Applejack frowned at the pair.
"Now, why would you go and do a thing like that?" She asked Goldie, who just raised an eyebrow.
"A thing like what?"
"You know what I mean!" Applejack grumbled, "We got enough work to do without you distractin' Applebloom by makin' some apple tracks and pretendin' the Great Seedlin' did it."
This got a gasp from Goldie, who looked insulted. "I did no such thing!"
Granny pointed a finger at her granddaughter, "What in the tater tarnation would make you say a thing like that?!"
Applejack rolled her eyes, "Well, somebody did it." She turned to Goldie, "And she sure seems to be enjoyin' this quite a lot."
Goldie glared back at her. "I'm enjoyin' it because Applebloom's enjoyin' it!"
"Uh-huh," Applejack sighed before turning to the others. "And I suppose you two didn't do it either?"
"Nnnope," Mac shook his head as he picked up the apples.
"I already told you, country gal!" said Storm as he and Applejack stared at each other again.
"Applejack, stop fightin' with yer beau."
"Granny!" shouted Aj as she looked at her grandmother for saying that.
"What does that mean?" asked Storm as he didn't know what was said.
"Nothing!" responded the farm girl to the Jedi.
"Besides, I suppose it could've been Goldie's cats! Why don't you ask them?" Applejack turned to the cats, who were playing around with the apples and clearly not smart enough to make such an elaborate display.
"Have you considered that maybe it was the Great Seedlin' after all?" Goldie asked as Applejack rolled her eyes.
"Ha-ha. Very funny." She walked off, picking up her apples as the others frowned.
"I swear," Granny Smith said, "Sometimes I think she's part mule."
Storm went after Applejack as he saw the girl returning to the barn. He arrived at the back of the yard as Applejack walked in, the Jedi hearing the girl talking as he approached.
"Are you sure you want to spend time tryin' to catch somethin' that... might not even be real?"
"What?!" Applebloom yelped, "But the Great Seedlin' is real! You saw the tracks! You think those appeared all by themselves?"
"Ah don't know who made the tracks," Applejack replied, "But ah don't think it was the Great Seedlin'."
"Why not?" He arrived as Applejack took her hat off.
"Because the Great Seedlin' is just somethin' to make the harvest fun for young'uns. And you're old enough now to know that there's a time for fun and there's a time for work."
"But catchin' the Great Seedlin' is helpin'!" Applebloom replied, "He can make the trees blossom all the time!" Applejack sighed at hearing this, seeing she could not convince her sister.
"All right. How about this? If you help me with the harvest today, I'll help you set traps for the Great Seedlin' tonight. Deal?" She held out her hoof as Applebloom cheered.
"Woo-hoo! Yes!" She shook, "It's a deal!" She hugged Applejack, who hugged her back.
"Great," Storm chimed in, "But if the orchard's really gonna be a Great Seedling death trap, I think I'll be staying far away from it."
Storm had finished his section as he began using his Force powers to lift all the barrels he had filled and take them back to the barn. Once he put his load away, he headed back out into the orchard while being sure not to fall into any more traps. He found the family in Orchard Five, meaning they were still far behind.
As he got closer, he saw Applebloom bucking while Applejack pushed a bucket of apples across the ground. Several fell out and landed in a swirl pattern as she did this. "Kinda looks like those Seedlin' tracks, huh?"
Applebloom rolled her eyes. "Sure. If there were hundreds of apples in a bunch of different lines."
"Well," Applejack thought, "If enough apples fell or got knocked down by the wind, maybe." One of Goldie's cats then leaped onto the spiral of apples, knocking them away. "Or animals." Goldie stepped up, frowning since it was clear Applejack thought it was her who was doing all this. "I'm just sayin' there's a lot of possible explanations."
Goldie nodded, "And one o' them is the Great Seedlin'!"
"And the rest of 'em ain't!" Applejack growled, only for Granny Smith to shake her head.
"That ain't what you thought when you were a young'un." That statement widened Applejack's eyes, as she clearly did not want that information leaked.
"What does that mean?" her sister asked.
"Your sister was plumb loco about catchin' the Great Seedlin' when she was your age. Same as you are now." She shot the teen in question a frowny glare. "Worse, even."
Applejack looked a little miffed while Goldie smirked. "Oh, is that so? Do tell, Granny."
"Well, it must've been the last Conflu-inky, I reckon. I was supposed to keep an eye on your sister, but she was slippier than an apple seed." She told them the tale of how Applejack had been so gung-ho about catching the Great Seedling that she had accidentally fallen into one of her own pitfalls. "She spent the better half of the day stuck in that trap!" Granny laughed her side off while Applejack sighed.
"And missed out on helpin' with the harvest because I was chasin' somethin' for little young'uns." Applejack commented, "I felt guilty everybody else had to work harder because of me. So, I decided right then and there that I was too old to waste any more time on Great Seedlin'."
"Oh," Granny giggled, "We finished the harvest just fine. But we laughed about that story for years!" She let out a laugh again, Goldie doing the same.
"I'm still laughin'!"
Applejack huffed as her sister stepped up next to her. "I'm sorry that happened, Applejack, but it won't if you and me set traps together like you promised." Applejack frowned back at her, only for the girl to add, "Plus, we'll get 'em done twice as fast and won't miss out on any of the harvest!" She smiled at her sister, that Applejack could never say no to.
"Then let's get to work." Applebloom gasped before running off, Applejack looking back at the others and shrugging.
And so, they started working on the traps, leaving the others to harvest. Mac and Storm did their best to get as much of the work done as possible while Applejack and Applebloom set traps covering every inch of the farm. Whenever the Jedi spotted the pair, they were laying something down. He also noticed whenever Applebloom wasn't looking, Applejack tried to get in some extra work. But Applejack's interest in the Confluence decreased with every trap they laid, although several didn't work out quite like they hoped. Big Mac needed to be released from at least three snare traps, which did not help as they tried to get as much of the harvest done as possible.
Eventually, the sun set, and they were barely halfway through field six. When Storm returned to the farmhouse carrying a large bucket, he heard Applebloom laugh. "It sure was fun settin' up all those traps together."
Applejack laughed, "Ah, forgot what a good time it could be."
"Glad you two enjoyed yourself," Storm grunted as he staggered under the weight of the bucket. The pair watched him bring it in, shutting the barn and letting out a yawn. "If you two think I'm guarding the orchard with all those traps set up, forget it. I'm going to bed." He walked off, the sisters shrugging at this before heading toward the house themselves.
"If anybody can catch the Great Seedlin', it's us."
Applebloom nodded, "I can't wait to check in the mornin'." But Applejack noticed Storm's tiredness and realized Mac was probably even more exhausted. This had been fun, but they needed to focus on the Confluence.
"Now, there's still plenty of harvestin' to do. So promise me you'll help, even if all our traps are empty."
"I promise," Applebloom replied, "So long as you're ready for the bountiful harvest the Great Seedlin's gonna give us when one of our traps nab him!"
Applejack laughed at this, "Deal."
The next morning...
The sun began to rise, and the cockcrow was just waking up, the bird stretching itself out, preparing its throat to do its morning ritual. But before it could, the front door slammed hard enough that the bang terrified the avian. Applejack and Applebloom rushed out of the house, leaping over and through their many traps on their way to the field.
"Come on, Applejack!" Applebloom cheered, "If we hurry, we can check every trap and still stay on schedule!"
Applejack smirked as she put the schedule chart into her bag. "Now that's what I like to hear-" She stopped when they reached the top of the hill, only to go wide-eyed, "Whoa." It was another apple circle, larger than the last one. Hundreds of apples, arranged in patterns and swirls, were amazing to see.
Applebloom gasped as Mac arrived; Storm was on his horse, pulling a wagon with Granny and Goldie. "I don't believe it!"
"This must've taken all night," Goldie commented as Granny nodded before noticing Mac had fallen asleep against the cart, the old lady smacking him awake.
"Eeyup."
"Augh! Nothing! Ah, can't believe this! Ah checked all the traps near the tracks. Everyone was sprung, but they're all empty!" said Applebloom as she appeared before the others.
"Every trap sprung?" Applejack said. "No way critters did this. Or the wind. I can't believe I'm sayin' this, but...maybe the Great Seedlin' really was here!" This announcement by the older teen made Applebloom smile, Granny and Goldie, smirking at one another while Mac looked exhausted.
The old ladies got off the wagon and moved over to Applejack, Goldie looking like she had just predicted snow during the summer heat. "So," she smirked, "You're finally ready to admit the Great Seedling might be real?"
Applejack looked back at the tracks, her brain trying one last time to figure out how it really happened. But nothing came to mind. "I can't think of anything else that could've laid out these tracks and sprung all our traps."
Applebloom grinned at this, "And if he left this many tracks behind, he's practically beggin' us to catch him!"
Granny stared at the large tracks, "Ah ain't never seen anything like this before."
"Well," Applejack looked more excited than Applebloom, "Tell us what you have seen! Goldie, you too! We need to know it all if we're really gonna catch him!"
"Sure," Granny nodded, " Goldie and I'll tell you all about the Great Seedling all day." They began to walk toward the fields. "While we work." Applejack stopped at this, Applebloom thinking she was about to agree. But instead...
"Work? Applebloom and I don't have time to work today! We've got to set up traps in every row! Even the carrots! Just to be sure!" Applebloom was surprised by this, tapping her sister on the shoulder.
"Yesterday, you said the Great Seedlin' was just somethin' to make the harvest fun for young'uns."
"That was before I thought we could actually catch him! Besides," she gestured to their yawning brother, "Big Mac can make time in the schedule for us to set traps, right?"
Mac's eyes went wide, "Uh...eeyup?"
"Great! Get to it! Applebloom and I are gonna go capture us the Great Seedlin'!" With that, the pair rushed off and left Mac, Storm, and the oldies to do the work.
"So I'm stuck doing all the work again? Great," groaned Storm as he flicked the reigns of Spirit to move the cart into a section of the orchard.
Hours of work later, Storm was exhausted. He desperately wanted a break but knew Mac likely wouldn't stop, so he couldn't either. However, the pair soon reached an area that left them both scratching their heads. Storm followed Mac into an area that didn't have any apples, the farmer preparing to buck one of them. "Big Mac, you've already done that one." Mac barely registered this and looked up, seeing the tree was bare. He then turned to see all the other trees around them were also bare; the farmer taking out his chart, but seeing that area wasn't supposed to have been touched yet.
"What's up?" Storm asked over his shoulder, realizing the issue, "Did you forget to mark this area off?"
"Eenope," he replied as Applejack and Applebloom returned.
"Whew!" Applejack wiped her brow, "All right! Just one more hill to go!" But then they noticed the boys, "What's wrong?" Applebloom asked as her sister checked the chart.
"Huh," she turned to Mac, "Is this right?"
"Eeyup," Mac nodded as Applejack tilted her head.
"But that doesn't make any sense. How can all these trees be bare if we haven't bucked 'em yet?"
"Seems like more work of the Great Seedlin' to me," Goldie chimed in, all turning to see the old ponies pushing barrels of apples into a wagon.
Applejack and Applebloom smirked at one another, stepping over to the wagon. "How do you mean?"
"The closer you get to catchin' the critter, the more mischievous he gets."
"You're sayin' the Great Seedlin' is takin' our apples?" Applejack asked as Granny pushed the last barrel onto the wagon.
"Yes," the old woman replied, "Sounds like he's fixin' to throw you off the scent." She tried to get the barrel to stay on the wagon, but the wooden structure suddenly fell off as a bunch of cats fell out of it.
"Have you ever heard of anybody actually catchin' him?"
"Yeah..." Storm added, "I'm not really up for an impossible pursuit."
"Oh," Goldie smirked, "There are stories. But it's hard to say for sure. He's quite a trickster. Guess that's why the reward is so great if you can trap him."
As she said that, Storm noticed Mac rolling his eyes while Applejack added, "Well, his tricks have given me an idea." She turned to Applebloom. "Settin' traps is one thing. But I reckon if we keep watch over the trees that haven't been bucked, the Seedlin' won't know what hit him!"
"That's a great idea!" Applebloom exclaimed before turning to the others. "Anybody else want to stay up with us?"
"Ah, no." Granny Smith turned away. "A girl like me needs her beauty rest. But you young'uns have a good time." She walked away, Goldie following suit.
"My kitties can't sleep unless they're curled up on my haunches," she explained with a titter. "But I can't wait to see the Great Seedlin' with my own eyes once you catch him."
Applejack smirked at Applebloom, "Guess it's just you and me."
"Storm?" asked Applebloom as she looked at the Jedi with puppy dog eyes.
"Eh, I got nothing better to do," responded the teen.
"Great!" said both Apple sisters as they each grabbed his arm and began to drag him away.
The boy let the two girls pull him as they all ran off to make preparations, leaving Mac to look at all the trees he still had left to buck on his chart. That is, till the older male growled before ripping the chart into a million pieces and walking off.
The rest of the day was filled with the trio of teens setting up traps and snares to catch the great spirit. It took quite a while, but soon, the orchard was filled with tons of traps, all of which were improvised by Storm using his Jedi tactic knowledge of trapping foes and hunting. The sun was beginning to set as Applejack returned to the house to get some supplies for their stakeout. As for Storm and Applebloom, they were looking for a spot to watch for the Great Seedling as they found a sizeable tree that they could use for the night.
"Hey, Storm. I appreciate you helping."
"Eh, no trouble at all, Applebloom. I'll be honest; I'm interested to see if this thing exists. I've seen some weird stuff before."
"Like what?" asked the girl, curious to hear about some of the Jedi's adventures when he wasn't on Equis.
"Well, for starters, I've ridden on the back of a giant dragonfly. Been held captive by pirates with my Jedi pals, stranded on a planet, and had to defend a colony of Lurmen. Stopped a Blue Shadow Virus from spreading, liberated a planet from Separatist control. Chased a bounty hunter who stole a Holocron, had to face a Zillo Beast...
Applebloom listened quietly as she enjoyed Storm listing every single one of the adventures he had encountered in the past three years of the Clone Wars. The farmer was amazed at how someone slightly older than she had seen so many people, planets, and different species that many would spend their whole life, and he did it in just three years.
"And recently, we and Twilight fought. It stemmed when someone we knew left. But... we made up. And I'm here now. Trying to catch a spirit that may or may not exist." said Storm as he began to climb a tree and toss some pillows and blankets to where they would be spending the night.
"Storm. When you finish fighting your war? Are you ever gonna come back?" asked Applebloom.
"What do you mean?" said the boy, looking down at the girl.
"Well, I know you leave to go back to your home. But... what if the war ends, then... will you ever decide to come back here?"
Storm sighed as he could see what the girl was trying to say. She worried she might never see him again when the war ended. The boy jumped to drop to the ground as he looked at Applebloom, the girl standing there with the cute pink bow in her hair as she looked at the older teen. Storm raised his hand to rub her head, running his fingers through her red hair. The Jedi leaned down to kiss Applebloom on the cheek as he looked at her.
"Even if the war ends, I'd come back to visit my favorite Jedi Crusader," said the teen.
"You would?" said Applebloom.
"Yeah," said Storm as Applebloom hugged him tightly.
"So, can you teach me some stuff?" said the girl as she looked at the Jedi.
"Sure," sighed Storm as he pulled out his lightsaber.
The boy stepped back and turned it on as he began to spin his lightsaber. The Jedi Knight moved his arm so fast and gracefully as his lightsaber did so many cool tricks. He then began to spin in place while wielding his blade, showing off even more of his moves as Applebloom had the biggest smile on her face. It ended with Storm dodging several slashes in place before doing a back flip and landing as he had a leg stretched out and circling to return to his original position. The Jedi stood up and held the lightsaber parallel to his face as it shut off.
"That was amazin'!" shouted Applebloom as loud as she could.
Storm smiled as he liked entertaining the girl. He approached Applebloom, stood behind her, and dropped his lightsaber in her hand. The girl felt the weight of his weapon as he had his hands over hers; the younger teen felt a bit red at having the older boy so close to her as he adjusted her posture to hold his blade.
"Hold it like this," instructed Storm as his hands over Applebloom's were positioned on the blade's hilt to get the best grip possible. "Now... push the button to turn it on."
Applebloom brought her thumb to push the button as the yellow blade ignited. Upon first impression, Applebloom was starstruck at holding such a powerful weapon; she felt a sense of great power rushing through her body and a great responsibility.
"Let me show you some basic swings," said Storm as he stood behind the girl and guided the girl's arms.
Applebloom giggled some more as she imagined she was a Jedi fighting evil. Storm could see how the girl was having fun, making him smile. Watching the pair was Applejack as the country gal had gotten the final supplies they would need for their stakeout as she saw Storm with her little sister. The farm girl could see the Jedi's effect on her younger sibling as she sighed. Soon, she saw Storm remove himself from standing behind Applebloom as the girl faced him; he held his lightsaber and spoke to her.
"My Master always told me this lightsaber represents more than just a weapon. It's my life, and I guard it, and no matter what, I should take care of it and never let it out of my sight. It's my responsibility, and I should only use it for good. Do you understand?"
"I understand," responded Applebloom.
Storm smiled as he rubbed the girl's hair again before kissing her forehead. Applejack could only sigh at seeing her little sister and the Jedi Knight. The farm girl arrived as she began to climb up the ladder, as did Applebloom; Storm was about to climb up when something caught his attention. The Jedi Knight turned as he noticed Luna standing there; the Jedi Master stood there with her hands behind her back as Storm eyed his teacher.
From up above, Applejack peered down to see Storm as the Jedi drew his lightsaber and began to do some swings. Thinking nothing of it, she rolled her eyes and went to set up their base. As for the boy, he was doing some swings as Luna was shown circling her student; the Jedi Master began to speak to her student.
"As your Master, it's my responsibility to prepare you. So, practice these forms often. I won't always be there to look out for you, my student. If we get separated, or something happens, you need to be able to make it on your own. Don't be afraid. Just remember what I taught you and trust your instincts."
Storm turned as he did a rotation in the air and landed as he came about front face to see his Master. The boy stared at Luna, who stood there with a distinguished smile.
"I know you can do this, Storm."
The Jedi Knight bowed to his Master as Luna did the same. Soon, she disappeared as Storm was left staring at the tree.
Nighttime fell as Storm found himself in a tree alongside the Apple sisters. He was crotched on a branch next to a makeshift tree fort the pair had created. Applejack and Applebloom were wearing stick and leaf-covered helmets, trying to blend in as they kept an eye out. Applejack had her binoculars ready while Applebloom was wrapped in a blanket and pillow.
"Too bad nobody else wanted to come out," Applebloom whispered, "But I'm glad we're doin' this together."
Applejack chuckled at this, "Me too. It's been a long time since I was on a real Seedlin' hunt." She patted her on the head. "And this is the first time doin' it with mah little sister and a Jedi," Storm smirked as he grabbed the binoculars, using them to watch on the field while Applebloom yawned.
"When did you start tryin' to catch the Great Seedlin'?"
Applejack touched her chin, "Ah couldn't have been much more than a young'un. Ah, remember our parents tuckin' Big Mac and me in and tellin' us all about the Great Seedlin', and I got so excited that I could barely sleep. So ah-" She stopped when she heard snoring, making her look down and see Applebloom had fallen asleep. "Don't you worry, sugarcube?" She ensured she was tightly wrapped up, "We won't let him get away. Right, Storm?"
"Yeah!" The Jedi nodded as he kept looking out.
"Hey, Jedi. Can we talk?" said Applejack as she climbed up to where he was.
Storm shifted to sit on the branch and scooted over as Applejack climbed up. He extended a hand out to the country gal as she accepted it and helped the girl up. The farm girl soon adjusted to sit on the branch as she looked at her friend.
"Listen, sugar. I appreciate you helpin' Applebloom. And for me, in that manner. You didn't have to, but you did. I'm grateful. I'm grateful for you lendin' a hand whenever you can and for all our times together. But... I just don't want you makin' a promise to mah sister that you ain't gonna keep."
"What makes you think I'm not gonna keep it?" asked Storm as he looked at the country gal.
"I've seen yer kind, sugar. When you rescued me from that fortress so long ago, I had my doubts about you. But Twilight trusted you, and so I decided to. And you, over time, you've more than earned my respect. So much so that... I can feel safe that I can confine with you." said the country gal as she recalled the Apple Family reunion and how, that night, the girl poured her heart out to Storm about her insecurities as he just held her.
"Where's this going, Aj?" asked Storm.
"Maybe... take a break. From... all of this."
"We both know what happens when I stay in one place too long," responded the boy to the girl.
"And then what? You just gonna go back to your Republic and fight some more droids? Keep on with this war of yers till you turn old and gray?" said Applejack.
"Yeah! Maybe!" expressed Storm at the farmer. "Twilight's too busy with becoming the ruler of her planet that she's not gonna stick around to continue the fight. So somebody has, too!"
The Jedi glared down the country gal as she looked at her friend.
"Walking away is not an option for me, Aj. I have to hold the line."
"And where's that gotten ya, sugar?" asked Applejack with a concerned look. The girl placed a hand on Storm's cheek as she cusped it to look into his eyes. "I wish things were different, but... you said yerself. You keep losing people, and you yerself said that war is takin' its toll on the galaxy. Every day, more planets were being drawn into your war! Now, maybe it's time for you to be something more than just a lightsaber. More than a soldier. Think about yerself, sugarcube! Settle down, find a home! Find... someone to love."
"What home, Applejack?! There is no home. Home is the Order. It's my Master. It's my teacher. It's everything to me!" said Storm. "Besides... what does everyone who died in this war, what do their sacrifices mean if I go and I just... give up and stick my head in the sand?"
"I know you were dealt a bad hand. You don't have any parents; I know that feeling, sugar. I can relate to you more than you know. But take it from me." said Applejack as she leaned in and wrapped her arms around the boy as he held her in his arms. "Somebody who had to learn the hard way. You gotta know when to walk away from a rigged game! Otherwise, you are gonna end up losing somethin' you can never replace!"
Storm had his head down as he listened to Aj speaking to him. The boy knew what the girl was trying to tell him, but his code of honor was too strong to ignore, and he was too loyal to the Jedi to betray the only home he had ever had.
"I wish I could. But I can't. This my destiny, Applejack." responded Storm as he brought a hand up to stroke the girl's cheek. The Jedi soon removed the girl's around his neck as he climbed back down to where Applebloom was sleeping.
"Alright," sighed Applejack in disappointment as she climbed down and kept watch with Storm but remained quiet.
The pair remained silent for over an hour, not wanting to risk missing a sound while talking and to... move past the conversation they had. Despite being up so long, Storm was feeling awake. His natural ability to stay up late at night meant he could stay up as long as he needed to, though the same couldn't be said for Applejack. The hour they spent in silence was soon broken when he heard snoring.
He turned to see Applejack had fallen asleep against the planks that made up their base, Storm chuckling at this and using his left arm to keep her warm as he pulled her in and had the girl resting against his side as Applebloom had her head napping in the Jedi's lap. The Jedi Knight kept both Apple sisters warm and safe as he continued the stakeout. He watched out for another half hour or so before anything happened.
It was then that he heard it. A thumping sound coming from one of the unharvested orchards. He turned to it, the noise also happening to wake Applebloom up. "Over there!" Storm pointed to a tree that suddenly started shaking, the apples falling to the ground.
Applebloom gasped before shaking her sister. "Applejack, wake up!"
"Huh?" Applejack yelped, "W-what is it?"
"I think a trap went off!" She pointed at the tree, and Applejack smirked.
"Well, let's go check it out!" She leaped down, and Storm grabbed Applebloom to place her on his back, the Jedi instructing her to hold on as he jumped down. They began to make their way to the sound carefully, Applebloom starting to look a little freaked out. "See anything?"
"Mm-mm," they both shook their heads.
"Don't scare him off," Applejack whispered, "We got to lead him into one of the traps."
Applebloom let out a whimper, "I'm not worried about scarin' him." Storm raised a hand to tap her hands, trying to comfort her. He was used to being in the orchard at night, so he was trying to assure her they would be okay.
However, the Jedi suddenly heard a sound and spun around, only to notice some movement, "There!" Applejack turned but saw nothing. "It was just here a moment ago."
They then heard another sound coming from behind, making them spin around. Applejack charged at this, Storm following since he didn't want to be on her own, with Applebloom holding on for dear life of the Jedi's back. They approached a bush and pulled it away as something was seen moving through the trees in the distance.
"I thought it was supposed to be all the harvest colors," said Storm.
"Why?" Applejack asked, "What color is it?"
"Red." As he said that, the figure stopped momentarily and bucked a tree. The apples fell, and as they did, they heard cans rattling coming from a trap they had set earlier.
They all turned to this, a presence suddenly appearing behind them. Applebloom had decided to climb off of Storm and quickly hide under one of his arms as she shivered with fear. Before Storm could look around, Applebloom screamed. "AH THINK THE GREAT SEEDLIN'S HUNTING US!" She let out a cry of horror and ran off, the presence behind them following after the girl.
"Applebloom!" Applejack raced after her, "Wait!"
Storm took to the air as he leaped high into one of the trees. He began to jump through the woods, getting above the commotion while Applebloom ran through the trap-infested forest. The Jedi Knight jumped down and spotted the Great Seedling, but as the creature got closer, he could finally see what it was.
"Huh?" He yelped, "Big Mac?!"
It was Big Mac, the farmer staggering around with his eyes shut. He was wearing a sleeping cap with a pair of branches, likely caught on the headpiece while pushing through the trees. The sleeping farmer pushed past him without realizing it and continued to follow after Applebloom, Applejack having caught up. The sisters had become so terrified that they tried to high-tail it back to the barn, but it was locked to ensure the Great Seedling didn't steal any more apples. Storm landed on the beam above them and watched Mac staggered over, the sisters screaming in terror since they couldn't open the barn.
"STORM!" Applejack screamed, "Use yer Jedi powers and do something to save us!"
The boy chuckled, "I don't think that's needed." The two went wide-eyed, only to hear movement and see the dark shadow moving up to them. And when it did, the house light finally illuminated him.
"BIG MAC?!" The girls cried as their brother staggered around, still asleep.
"He's been harvestin' in his sleep this whole time!"
Applebloom yelled at this, "Big Mac is the Great Seedlin'?!" As she said that, Mac accidentally stepped on a skateboard they had set as a trap. The older male cried out as he finally woke up, the board rolling out from under him and causing him to fly into a pitfall trap.
He screamed as he fell into the hole, the three running over to him, "Y-You okay, Big Mac?" Applejack watched as her brother picked himself up, very tired and very annoyed.
"Nnnope." They couldn't help but laugh at this, their hunt for the Great Seedling having been quite the adventure.
By the next morning, they had managed to collect all the apples Big Mac had bucked down while telling the old ladies what was going on. "...And thanks to all of Big Mac's late-night work, we brought in the whole harvest with time to spare."
"No wonder you were so tired all the time," Goldie chuckled as Mac nodded.
"Eeyup."
"I'm glad we solved the mystery," Applebloom said, "But I really wanted to catch the Great Seedlin' before I get too old to try."
Applejack giggled at this. "You know what, sugarcube?" She ruffled her sister's hair, "You're never too old to be a kid. There will always be work to do, but havin' fun together is somethin' you never grow out of."
Everybody nodded at this as Winona panted as behind her, all of Goldie's cats emerged from the barrels. The dog turned to look back, but the cats all ducked back down and were gone as the canine was confused.
"Well, looks like you don't need me anymore. Time to get home before Dottie gets in the catnip again. I have stories about that, I'll tell you what." said Goldie as she got up from the rocking chair she was seated in next to Granny Smith and prepared to head home.
"We're real glad you came, Goldie," chuckled Applejack as she hugged her relative.
"Sure are! Come back next year!" said Applebloom as she was seated on a barrel and hugged her aunt.
The old lady began to walk as she realized she was missing something. She turned, brought her fingers to her mouth, and blew a whistle. The old lady then pulled out her bag and placed it on the ground as all the cats she had brought rushed into the bag as it filled up. Once they were accounted for, she grabbed the bag and began to walk with two cats popping their heads out of the bag. As Goldie began to pack up to head home, she noticed something.
"Oh. Looks like you forgot to clean up the carrots," said the old lady as he placed her bag down momentarily and pointed that out for the others to notice.
She picked up her bag and continued walking as both Apple sisters rushed over to inspect the vegetables scattered across the ground.
"Huh. Big Mac wasn't harvestin' the carrots. Just the apples." said Aj.
Big Mac turned to look at his little sisters as he put some barrels into the barn; he gave an "I don't know" response followed by a shrug. The two Apple sisters noticed more carrots all laid out in a design that got Applejack to sport an excited smile, followed by Applebloom.
"You know what this means?" said the older Apple sister.
"Time for another hunt!" responded the younger sibling.
"Look out, Great Seedlin'! Here we come!" exclaimed Applejack as they continued their quest to capture the Great Seedling.
Meanwhile, Storm was off to the orchard to deal with some final sections. However, when he reached the area with his trees, he stopped at the sight of something unbelievable. Standing between two of them was a stag, one so large it could pluck an apple from the tree without lifting its head. Its body was a range of colors, with an orange head, neck, chest, yellow body, and green legs. Its antlers were wood and had leaves with many different fruits growing out of them.
The creature walked around the trees until it noticed it was being watched, causing it to stare at the boy. The stag's ears flicked every second or so as it examined the human; Storm slowly began to approach the deer as he stuck his hand out, trying to use the Force to connect and communicate with the spirit to show he meant no harm. The Jedi Knight inched toward the majestic creature as the stag did the same; it soon stopped as Storm approached it. He kept his hand out as the creature tilted its head at seeing the Jedi.
Storm couldn't believe what he saw as he slowly extended his arm. The boy continued using the Force as he was looking to place his hand on the stag's nose. The deer pulled its head back as Storm kept calm and focused his mind on being one with the Force. He soon put his hand out as far as he could as his head turned away; the deer saw the hand as it examined it. It could sense the boy's spirit as it moved in, and its nose touched the Jedi's hand. The teen sensed and felt the creature as he turned to look at the deer with its face in his hand as if petting it. The animal looked at the Jedi momentarily as it absorbed everything about him.
A smile appeared on its lips before it pulled back, turned away, and leaped down the other side of the hill. "Wait!" Storm went after it, but when he reached the top, he found the Great Seedling was nowhere in sight. "Wow..."
He instantly spun around to tell the others, but a smirk appeared on his lips. Where was the fun in going after something you knew was real? It was better not to know whether you were wasting your time or not. No, Storm would take this secret with him to the grave. And he'd enjoy setting traps for the Great Seedling with Applebloom and Applejack. And maybe one day, they would actually catch it and allow the farm to bloom all year long truly.
The Jedi Knight turned and disappeared beyond the hill as the Great Seedling watched him. The stag was shown among the forest as its ears flickered, recalling everything it saw in the boy when they made contact.
"Enjoy your life, Jedi. You don't have much of it left."
The spirit then turned as it began to trot into the forest and soon disappeared.
Author's Note: A little adventure that has given us uniqueand interesting moments. The wonders of being a kid again to chase something that you once believed in from anything make believe. And for Storm, sharing and teaching Applebloom some Jedi techniques and the very emotional talk with Applejack about his life as a Jedi in the war. Though, I doubt many of you expected the actual spirit of the Great Seedlin' to show up.