MLP:RtM 4 Applebuck Season

>You’re hanging out in Vinyl Scratch’s house
“I can’t believe they made you an honorary Element of Harmony too!”
>She jiggles the blue gemstone carved into the shape of two eighth notes dangling from the chain around her neck
>”The Element of Music. Pretty sweet, right?”
>You think back to the human world and remember how good music is at bringing people together
>It’s probably not much different in Equestria
>It makes sense that it’s one of the elements of friendship
>”Well, Rising is coming over, so I should probably kick you out. He gets jealous.”
“Nah, Rising Star likes me. Ran into him on Mane Street the other day and talked for a bit.”
>”Yeah? Rad, dude. Aight, lates.”
>She walks you to the door and you step outside
“Oh, almost forgot!”
>You pull out a golden ticket from your pocket
“I got this extra  ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala that I don’t need. Do you want it? If you could get another, you and Rising could go.”
>She looks over the ticket and ponders
>”Hmm... the 21st of... Let’s see, 30 days in the month... every 20 days... last one was...”
>She claps her hooves
>”Nah, I’ll be in heat at that time, so Rising and I will probably be—“
>You hold up your hand
“EH EH EH! Too much information.”
>You pocket the ticket again
>She laughs and says goodbye, then closes the door
>You shrug and chuckle to yourself
>No filter on that girl
>Suddenly the ground starts rumbling
>Well, whaddya know
>Episode 4: Applebuck Season

>”STAMPEDE!” Rainbow Dash yells
>Ponies freaking out and screaming
>Ponies running all over the place
>Ponies ducking indoors
>kek.jpg
>You’re not afraid
>Since you know that Applejack is going to save everyone from being trampled to death
>At least, assuming that that isn’t completely fucked in this alternate continuity too
>”H-H-H-E-E-E-Y-Y-Y A-A-A-N-N-N-O-O-O-N-N-N! T-T-T-H-H-H-I-I-I-S-S-S M-M-M-A-A-A-K-K-K-E-E-E-S-S-S M-M-M-Y-Y-Y V-V-V-O-O-O-I-I-I-C-C-C-E-E-E S-S-S-O-O-O-U-U-U-N-N-N-D-D-D S-S-S-I-I-I-L-L-L-L-L-L-Y-Y-Y!”
“Hey Pinkie.”
>You look out into the distance and see a herd of cows heading your way
>You are actually a little worried she won’t come
>”Whatever shall we do?” Rarity swoons
>”Look there!” Rainbow yells
>Applejack is running alongside the cows
>Whew
>”Put ‘em up, Winona!”
>Winona helps round up the cows
>Applejack jumps on top of one of the cows with her lasso at the ready
>She lassos the cow at the front and yanks hard to the side
>At the last possible minute the stampede veers off to the side, avoiding Ponyville
>Everyone cheers
>You join in
>After conversing with the cows, Applejack appears at the top of the hill, silhouetted by the setting sun
>The crowd creams their jeans
>”Yee haw!” Ride ‘em cowpony!” Pinkie Pie shouts
>The mayor speaks up
”Applejack was just... just...”
>”Appletastic!” Pinkie interjects
>”Exactly! We must do something to thank Applejack for singlehoofedly saving the town.”
>”I know!” Pinkie Pie says, her eyes shining with hope and joy
>God damn it Pinkie why are you so fucking cute

“A party?”
>You sigh as you look up from your workbook in the library
>It’s a few days later
>You’ve been working on learning the fundamentals of the Equestrian written language
>With Twilight’s help, you’ve already figured out how to write your own name and some basic words
>Soon you’ll be writing letters to Princess Celestia, without Spike
>Pinkie Pie is bouncing up and down around you
>”Yeah! We’ll throw a big spectacular party for Applejack to thank her for saving us from that scary stampede! There’ll be speeches and games and dancing--”
“I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”
>You return to your work
>Pinkie stops bouncing and just looks at you, offended
>”What do you mean, Anon? Applejack loves parties!”
“She might not even have time for a party. It’s Applebuck Season.”
>”Apple what now?” Twilight asks
“Applebuck Season. Harvest time for the orchard. I uh... heard that Big Macintosh got injured, so she has to do all the applebucking on her own. It’s probably tiring.”
>”Then all the more reason for her to take a break and PARTY!” Pinkie exclaims
>”Are you gonna help or what, Anon?”
>You look up from your workbook again and smile
“Of course, Pinkie Pie.”
>You grab pink pone and pull her in close to you, scratching her on the head behind the ears
>”A-Anon!” she giggles
>Suddenly, your stomach starts to rumble
>Spike enters from the other room and sets a plate of vegetables down in front of you
>You look at it with disappointment
>The vegetarianism has been rough on you
>You’d kill for some steak or pork right now

”Yo, Twilight.”
>It’s a few days later again
>You’re in town square tying balloons to lamp posts and trees for AJ’s celebratory party
>The ponies know how to put your unique dexterity to use
>Twilight comes up to you
>”What is it, Anon?”
“What do you ponies eat to get your protein?”
>”Well, there are certain kinds of vegetables, like legumes—“
>Fuck off, Twilight
>You’ve been eating so many beans that you feel gassy as fuck
>You almost even ripped one while hanging with everyone the other night
>It would’ve been embarrassing but you held it in
>But despite all the beans, you still feel like there isn’t enough protein in your diet
>Sure, you feel energized from all the healthy fruit and vegetables
>And you actually used to love vegetarian food from time to time, back home
>You’ve eaten plenty of meat that was fucked up by bad cooking
>But with vegetarian food, there’s no fucking around
>It has to be seasoned and prepared just right
>That’s why it’s so damn delicious
>But what little muscle tone you have is going to disappear if you don’t get some meat in you

>”Oh, excuse me, Anon, it’s time to start soon!”
>You go and stand in the audience while Twilight heads up to the stage
>Twilight starts with the proceedings
>Dash flies up and interrupts her, talking about how AJ is going to help her with a new trick this week
>Pinkie shows up and interrupts her, talking about how AJ is going to help her run Sugarcube Corner
>Fluttershy shows up and interrupts her, talking about how AJ is going to help her with the bunny census
>Twilight is finally about to resume her speech
>Mayor Mare shows up
>Twilight blows a fuse and storms the fuck off
>lol
>Mayor Mare introduces the guest of honor
>You rest your chin on your hand, knowing what’s going to happen next
>The curtains are pulled back
>No Applejack
>Twilight looks at you
>You jab a thumb over your shoulder at the back of the crowd
>”I’m here! I’m here! Sorry I’m late!”
>Applejack bumps into a bunch of ponies, dropping a bunch of apples from the basket she’s carrying
>She makes her way up to the stage, yawning and speaking semi-incoherently
>She makes a fool of herself on stage
>You smile
>This scene always made you laugh way back when
>Rarity looks appalled that you find this embarrassment amusing
>You bite your lip to stifle your laughter

>”Anon. Can I talk to you?”
“Sure thing, Twilight. What’s up?”
>You respond without looking up from your book
>You’re in the library reading a book about the griffon kingdom
>Actually more like flipping through the book, looking at illustrations and maps
>Trying to see if there’s anything about their diet
>”Anon... did you notice anything... strange about Applejack at her celebration?”
“You mean besides the sleep deprivation?”
>”That’s exactly what I mean. So, I paid a visit to Applejack on the farm afterward.”
“Yeah?”
>”She seems really exhausted from all of the hard work that she has to do by herself. I offered to help her, but she refused.”
“That’s AJ for you. She’s really stubborn.”
>”I’m really worried about her.”
“Uh huh.”
>You go back to the book
>”Then I started wondering. You seem to know a lot about this Applebuck Season. More than I do.”
>You look up from the book at her
>Uh oh
>I think I know where this one is going

>”There’s an episode of the show about this, isn’t there?”
>Busted
>You avert your eyes
“I’m not supposed to spoil the future.”
>”Come on, Anon! I just need some assurance that she’s going to be all right! I’m really worried about her!”
>You look into Twilight’s eyes
>And see genuine worry
“She’s going to be fine. But she is going to struggle.”
>You ponder it for a moment then decide to reveal more
“It’ll be an important friendship lesson for you, Twilight. I can’t tell you any more, because it’ll ruin the lesson.”
>”But what do I do? How am I supposed to help her when she just refuses?” Twilight begs
“Sorry, Twilight. That’s not why I’m here. This is a lesson you have to learn on your own. I’m not meant to interfere. You trust me, right?”
>She nods
>But she still looks scared
>You think for a minute
>Actually...
“Wait, Twilight.”
>”Yes, Anon?”
“I think in this particular case... telling you what’s going to happen won’t change much.”

>Her eyes light up
>OK! What do I need to know?!”
“Um...”
>You still don’t want to give away too much, but you think you know what to tell her
“Twilight. Applejack will never be able to buck all of the apples on Sweet Apple Acres in time by herself. She needs help. But her stubborn pride is going to stop her from accepting it. You need to offer to help her. She will refuse. Then you need to offer again. She will refuse again. You have to do this over, and over, and over, with dedication. Then, in her darkest possible moment, she will realize how futile her crazy mission is, and accept help from you because she will see what a supportive and loving friend you are.”
>You take a deep breath
>Twilight looks fascinated, and seems to expect you to go on
>You pantomime zipping your lips closed
>She smiles and closes her eyes
>”Thank you, Anon. What a wonderful friendship lesson. I’ll go bug Applejack again, right now!”
“Don’t breathe a word of this.”
>”You can trust me, Anon.”
>She leaves
>You sit there, thinking to yourself as you absent-mindedly thumb through the griffon book
>You really hate to see Applejack suffer like this
>And you know that in the coming days, other ponies will suffer because of her negligence
>You wish you could help
>Instead of just idly sitting by helplessly, while the episode runs it course
>You really wish there was a way to play your part
>But secretly, so as not to ruin the episode
>What if there was a way?

>As soon as Twilight and Spike are asleep, you carefully rise from your makeshift bed on the floor of the library
>It’s time.
>You start putting on your shoes
>You listen carefully
>You can hear Spike snoring
>Just to be safe, you tiptoe over to the stairs and climb up them halfway so you can get a peek
>Twilight is sound asleep in her bed
>So far so good
>You head back down the stairs as quietly as possible
>You grab one of the ladders leaning against a bookshelf and tuck it horizontally under your arm
>You silently open the front door
>With some careful maneuvering, you manage to get the ladder outside
>You reach back inside and grab an unlit lantern that is hanging off of a hook by the door
>You close the door slowly and silently
>You take a breath of the cool night air and look around to admire the beauty of Ponyville at night
>The sky is lit by hundreds of stars and the moon
>Crouching down on the ground outside the library, you light a match
>You carefully light the lantern
>You stand up and take the lantern in one hand and the ladder in the other
>You set off into the night

>You make it to Sweet Apple Acres without anyone spotting you
>In the distance you see the farm house
>None of the windows show any lights on inside
>Good
>You creep past the barn and chicken coop
>Some of the animals might’ve heard you because you hear rustling inside
>You pick up the pace and climb over a fence into the orchard
>Now, now, now
>Where to begin
>There are acres and acres and acres of apple orchard
>Hundreds of trees dotting the rolling hills
>Their little red spheres glistening in the moonlight
>You decide to start far away, where there’s less chance of getting caught
>When the farm house is out of sight, you set the ladder against an apple tree
>You run and grab some baskets from a nearby stack of them
>You place them all around the tree
>You hook the lantern onto your belt
>You climb the ladder

>The sun is going to be up soon
>You make it back to the library
>Manage to sneak in without waking Spike or Twilight
>Put the lantern and ladder back
>Crawl back into bed
>Instant knockout
>”Anon?”
>You bolt awake
>The room is awash with morning sunlight
>You heard birds chirping outside
>Rainbow Dash is hovering over you
>”Anon, wake up! You’re gonna help me build the catapult contraption, right?”
>You groan and try to clear a lump in your throat
>You probably only got two or three hours of sleep before Dash woke you up
>You slowly rise to your feet and are suddenly hit with a throbbing headache
>Fffffuck
>You didn’t think an entire night of moonlit farm labor would wipe you out so much
>Actually you did, but you thought you’d get to sleep in
>Forgot that Dash wanted you to help her with her crazy device for her flying trick with Applejack
>You try to remember exactly when you agreed to do this
>But your brain is too cloudy and slow
>It takes all of your effort just to rub the blurriness from your eyes and try to focus your vision on Dash
>”Come on, Anon! Let’s go!”

>Nailing boards together
>You nearly crush your thumb with the hammer
“FUCK!”
>You’re losing focus and motor control from staying up all night working
>Partying and hunting down Nightmare Moon on a no-sleep binge is one thing
>Doing two back-to-back shifts of monotonous labor is another
>It’s so boring that you keep nodding off
>And almost hurting yourself with the tools and lumber
>You lift up your safety goggles and rub the sleep from your eyes
>You chant a little mantra to yourself to try to stay focused
>”Okay, Anon, we’re done!”
>Rainbow Dash dashes up and down the tower structure as you descend from the ladder
>Even with the help of several other ponies, the hard work still took up the better part of your morning
>You’re extremely fucking hungry now since you didn’t eat breakfast
>You feel exhausted and weak and just want some food to give you some energy
>You could really go for some steak and eggs and hash browns right now
>Oh wait, you can’t
>Vegetarian World
>Fuck everything ever
>You feel cranky and just need to sit for a moment
>You kind of rudely push past Rainbow Dash rudely and go sit down on the low end of the seesaw
>“Anon? Everything OK?”
>You nod casually and just collapse on the platform, clutching your head
>”Hey, Rainbow Dash!”
>You turn and look at the pony shouting from the top of the jump tower
>It’s Applejack
>She looks sleepy and completely out of it
>”Here I go!”
>She jumps
>You look down and sort of slowly realize that you’re sitting on the far end of the seesaw
>It’s too late to jump off

“AHHHH PULLLLLL JAAAAAACCCKK!!!”
>You scream as you hurtle through the air
>You soar over all of Ponyville
>Somehow the view isn’t as magical
>You brace for impact as you make an inbound landing on the balcony of Golden Oaks Library
>You slam into the guard banister
>You hit it right in the middle of your torso
>It knocks the wind out of you
>You wrap around the railing
>Your gut wrenches
>You throw up all over the balcony
>Then you slip over the railing and fall in the pile of your own vomit
>You lie there in your immense pain
>Your stomach feels emptier than ever
>You’re so hungry that it hurts
>You’re also nauseous, cramped, exhausted, and dizzy
>”Oh my Celestia! Anon!”
>Twilight comes over and picks you up
>”Let me help you!”
“I think someone else needs your help.”
>”Applejack?”
“Yup.”
>You close your eyes
>”Actually, I think she’s not the only one who needs help.”
>You open your eyes and look at her
“What do you mean?”
>”Anon, you look awful.”
“Well, I DID just get launched through the air and slammed into a rail.”
>”I mean besides that! You look exhausted. Did you not sleep well last night?”
>You stand up and head to the door to look for a towel to wipe the vomit off of yourself
“Don’t worry about me. Just deal with Applejack.”

>Night time again
>Spike served a delicious salad for dinner
>Or at least, it would’ve been delicious if it had a grilled chicken breast in it
>Or a hard boiled egg
>Or bacon bits?
>God fucking damn it you can’t stop thinking about meat
>You’ve been eating three square meals a day and you still feel hungry
>It’s difficult to abruptly switch to vegetarianism
>But you know you can do it
>You just have to struggle through the hunger and weakness
>No sound coming from upstairs
>Twilight and Spike asleep
>You rise to your feet and grab the ladder and lantern again
>You head out the door and make your way to Sweet Apple Acres

>”ANON!”
“Huh? What?”
>You’re back in the library again
>It’s day time
>How did you get here?
>What the fuck is going on?
>Twilight is pacing back and forth talking to you
>You can’t focus on anything she’s saying
>You clutch your head and try to remember
>Oh, right
>Last night you snuck out and picked apples by moonlight
>Crawled back into bed just before dawn
>And now Twilight’s woken you after only minimal sleep
>You pull the covers back over your head and curl up into a fetal position
>”So, what should I do, Anon?”
>You poke your head out and kind of hiss and grunt at her
>You can’t really form words, and start making faces
>She leaves and comes back with a glass of water
>You take a sip to moisten your dry throat
“I told you what to do, Twi. Just keep offering to help her.”
>”Not Applejack! You! You need help! And you won’t tell me what’s going on!!”
“I’m FINE, Twi. Look, you said I need rest, right? I’m resting. So GO. AWAY.”
>You grumpily disappear back into the covers
>”F-Fine.”
>She sounds hurt as she turns and heads out the front door
>SLAM
>You slip into a deep sleep again

>Time seems to be a blur as your whole sleep schedule is off
>But at some point you eventually awaken from your semi-coma
>You haul your ass out of bed and go for a walk
>The sun is going down
>And as you pass Sugarcube Corner, you remember
>"Anon! Please come and try the free muffins tomorrow morning!"
>Pinkie Pie said that to you
>Yesterday
>You missed it
>Fuck, you were going to be there to support her
>She was actually really nervous about running the bakery while the Cakes were gone
>And she didn't share that with anyone but you
>You let her down
>Man, you were even planning to get there early and try to prevent the whole "Baked bads" accident
>Could that have been what Twilight was talking about this morning?
>When you were chewing her out
>F-fuck
>You really messed everything up this time, Anon
>You try to think about what you should do
>But your headache starts to come back
>Even after sleeping all day, you still feel tired
>Your circadian rhythm is so messed up that you can't think straight
>You're such a fucking failure.
>No
>I have a mission
>I'm not letting Applejack shoulder the weight alone
>You head back to the library
>You eat dinner in awkward silence
>You and Twilight exchange very few words
>You poke disinterestedly at your veggie casserole

>You’re back at Sweet Apple Acres in the middle of the night
>Your sense of time is completely fucked now
>You don’t even remember how you got here
>But you’re here now, and you’re gonna pick some fucking apples
>You set the ladder against an apple tree and hook the lantern to your belt
>You start to climb
>Man, this apple picking is really slow work, especially in the dark
>Even the light of the lantern’s flame is dim when reaching for far-hanging fruit
>I wish I could just fucking kick a tree and make it rain apples whenever I want
>But alas you do not have Applejack’s godly hips or toned legs
>Your boner presses against the bark of the tree
>Focus, Anon
>As you grab another apple and toss it down below into the basket, you start to wonder if there is a better way to do this
>Maybe you can’t applebuck but you can try to replicate it
>You grab a hold of a big branch of the tree
>And just start shaking it
>The leaves rustle
>A couple of apples actually are shaken loose easily
>They tumble to the ground
>Hey, it’s actually working!
>Shake harder, Anon, and more will come out
>You start shaking it more violently
>A few more apples
>You lose your balance

>You try to swipe at a tree branch on the way down
>You scrape your hand and fail to get a grasp on it
>You tumble all the way to the ground and hear glass shattering
>The ladder falls on top of you and one of the rungs clubs you in the head
>Fuck
>You feel something warm
>You look and see an orange glow
>Where your lantern came detached from your hip and hit the ground
>The flame has caught onto the grass
>It’s spreading

>FUCK FUCK FUCK
>You try to get to your feet but pain shoots up your leg from the ankle
>Did I mention FUCK already?
>Just in case, FUCK
>You scramble over on hands and knees to the flame
>You pick up a nearby tree branch and start beating on the fire
>The flames just get bigger
>You throw the branch aside
>You go to take your shirt off to use it to dampen the flames
>Wait this is your only shirt in Equestria
>What do
>You sit back on your knees pulling your hair out as you try to think of a solution
>The fire is quickly spreading across the grass
>Water, I have to go find some water
>You slowly get to your feet
>Ankle hurts like a motherfucker
>You start hobbling away but don’t get far
>In a matter of moments the flames catch up to you
>And catch onto your pant leg
>What the fuck
>You’re back on the ground again, slapping that leg with your hand and hitting it against the ground
>Did I mention it’s the one with the twisted ankle?
>Ow it’s hot
>You finally get the fire on your body out
>Fucking finally
>You get to your feet again and look around
>The fire is all around you at your feet
>Even the tree has caught on fire
>You watch in horror as it is consumed by a roaring blaze

>Everything is fucking ruined
>Your dream life in Equestria, over
>You’ll be jailed for trespassing and arson
>That is, IF you don’t burn all of Equestria to the ground first
>The horror is so surreal
>Your perception is all distorted and weird and you feel dizzy
>Even the ground seems to be bending and warping beneath your feet
>Wait
>You’re thrown to your feet again as the ground rumbles
>A thick, square patch of earth lifts up from the ground and tosses you aside
>It peels away from the ground like a band-aid, revealing roots and dumping dirt everwhere
>Then it starts curving upward
>In the light of the flames you look across to the other side of the tree, where the same thing is happening on the other side
>All of a sudden the two hunks of earth clap together, with the tree and all of the burning grass in the middle
>There’s an explosive sound as the two sheets of earth crush the tree like a vice
>After a moment the glowing embers seem to die down
>The earth falls away, revealing the charred, black husk of a tree
>The flames are out
>”ANON!”
>Twilight comes galloping up to you
>”Ah ha! I thought I’d find you here! And I had to save you, no less. You have a lot of explaining to do!”
>Tell me something I don’t know, Twi

>Before you can explain, she’s ripping into you
>”How can you do this to me? How can you do this to US?”
“Shut up, Twilight. I couldn’t stand by and watch Applejack suffer. But I can’t reveal the future. Not when you girls have a friendship lesson that you need to learn. I can’t interfere. So I had to do this instead.”
>You sit back and start rubbing your ankle
“Ow, fuck.”
>You look up at Twilight
>She is bubbling with rage
>You give her a look that says
>U mad bro?
>She goes full Rapidash
>”FUCK THE FRIENDSHIP LESSON!”
>That shuts you up
>”I don’t care about the friendship lesson, Anon! I care about YOU! You need help! You’re sleep deprived and you’re sneaking out in the middle of the night to put yourself in danger without ANY consideration for how that makes any of us feel! For how that makes ME feel!”
>The flames are gone, so the only light is the white glow of the moonlight
>It reflects off of the wetness on Twilight’s cheeks
>”A-anon... don’t make me worry about you any more... please. I...”
>She swallows
>”I’m your friend. And I will be there for you no matter what. I’m GOING to help you. And I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”
>She comes over and stands above you
>It feels strange to be below her in height for once
>It’s really jarring and even a little intimidating
>You flop backward onto the ground and start laughing
“Twilight... thank you. Please, please help me.”
>You softly chuckle
>She giggles and pats you on the head

“I think I understand now.”
>”Understand what?”
“This is the same exact lesson that Applejack learns in the TV show. ‘Let go of your stubborn pride and don’t be afraid to accept the help of your friends.’”
>”That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!”
“Right! I just never thought it could be me. I thought I learned the lesson from watching the show.”
>”Anon, you were so stubborn that you didn’t even see yourself falling into the same trap!”
>You scratch your head and smile
“I guess I wasn’t really thinking straight. Y’know, since I haven’t been sleeping much.”
>”That’s why we need to get you some rest. Since I’ll be needing your help tomorrow.”
“For what?”
>”We still need to help Applejack, right? She’s going to kill herself trying to buck this whole farm by herself.”
“Right, and she’s still got a bunny census to mess up.”
>You think for a moment
“There may be a way to save the bunny census before she fucks it up.”
>”You have an idea?!”
“No. But let me sleep on it.”
>You yawn
>Suddenly, you hear voices in the distance
>Sounds like Big Mac and Granny Smith
>Fuck, they’re heading this way
“Quick! We need to get out of here!”
>Twilight sighs
>”AFTER we get things sorted with Applejack, you’re going to come clean. About what you’ve been doing every night, and about the fire. UNDERSTAND?”
>You nod
>”OK! Hold on tight!”
>You grab her body tightly
>Together you disappear in a bright flash of light

>You get a full night’s rest for the first time in a while
>Thinking with clarity again, you wake up with insight for the plan
>You wake Twilight and Spike up early
>She’s kind of tired from saving your ass last night
>Spike brings you tea and breakfast
>No meat, but you actually feel pretty energized by it
>Still needs eggs or bacon though
>You go over the plan with Twilight
>It’s so straightforward it’s almost silly
>Just her style
>Right after breakfast, you head to Fluttershy’s
>Several hours before she’s scheduled to meet with Applejack
>”Hey Fluttershy!” Twilight says to her as you two arrive
>”Applejack is way too busy with harvesting apples to help today. She asked us to help you with the bunny census instead!”
>Fluttershy nods
>”Oh... I see. All right then.”

>It takes the better part of an hour, but Fluttershy trains you in how to deal with the baby bunnies
>She explains that they’re very timid so you must be gentle and quiet with them
>It’s rough at first and you scare a lot of bunnies
>But you start to get the hang of it when you coo softly and offer carrots to beckon them closer to you
>You were never good with animals back home
>But with Fluttershy’s guidance it’s actually doable!
>Not easy, but doable!
>You never thought that some portion of her talent was teachable.
>Before long you’ve already rounded up all of the baby bunnies in the area
>Twilight handles the census quickly and efficiently before Applejack ever even arrives
>The bunnies disperse when she shows up with Winona
>”All right, let’s get on with this!”
>Fluttershy looks surprised
>”Um, Applejack! What are you doing here?”
>”Helpin’ you with corrallin’ the critters, ain’t I?”
>”Um, but Twilight and Anon already did it.”
>”Say wha now?”
>”Um... They said you sent them instead.”
>Fluttershy gestures over to where the two of you are standing
>You both give her a coordinated wave and a big shit-eating grin
>Applejack looks pissed
>”D’yall think I can’t keep mah promises? This is the Element of Honesty we’re talkin’ about here!”
“More like the Element of Stubbornness.”
>”Whadjyou say, Anon?!”
>Sorry, AJ
>Doctor wrote a prescription for tough love
>You shrug nonchalantly
>She grunts and trots away
>She nods off while walking and almost trips
>Applejack will be pretty hurt now
>But she needed a little humble apple pie
>To soften her up
>Once she realizes she still has a long way to go, she’ll cave in for sure
>You wink at Twilight and she runs off after Applejack
>”Are you coming?”
“I’ll meet you there. I’ve got one thing left to do.”

>You should’ve eaten one of those bunnies when you had the chance
>Rabbit stew
>Dear god yes
>Well, now that there’s been a census, Fluttershy will know if one of them is missing
>Should’ve done it before the census
>Oh well
>You finally arrive at your destination
>The sick tent
>You enter and find Nurse Redheart taking a thermometer out of Pinkie Pie’s mouth
>Pinkie Pie doesn’t see you until you’re already sitting at her bedside
>”A-anon!”
>Nurse Redheart ignores you and reads the thermometer
>”Fever’s gone for now. I’d say you’re all cleared up to go home, Pinkie Pie!”
>She looks ecstatic
>”I can’t believe I got food poisoning!” Pinkie Pie exclaims as she jumps out of bed and pounces on you for a hug
>The two of you almost tip the chair over and fall on the floor
“You can blame Applejack for that. You’re not mad at her, are you?”
>”A little bit! But we all make mistakes, Anon. And friends forgive each other!”
>You chuckle to yourself
>Yeah, Pinkie, I know
>I’ve been getting it hammered into my head lately and I still don’t quite get it
>But one of these days, I will
“Well, we’re all heading over to Sweet Apple Acres to help her out a little. You feeling up to it?”
>”Am I!!”

>Together you and Pinkie arrive at the farm
“So, you also forgive me for missing the free muffin samples, right?”
>”Trust me Anon. You didn’t miss much!”
>The two of your are still laughing hysterically about it as you reach the orchard
>Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy are diligently harvesting apples
>You approach Twilight
“I take this to mean it all went well?”
>”Just like you said it would, Anon. Once Applejack realized there was another entire section of the field she hadn’t done, she begged me for help!”
>You survey the landscape
>Looks like the small amount of work you did during the graveyard shift hardly made a dent
>Figures
>Still, it seems everything turned out all right in the end
“I’m glad it all worked out. Where is Applejack now?”
>”Getting some rest, finally. She’s taking a nap over there.”
>You spot Applejack with her hat over her face in the shade of a nearby tree
>You yawn and walk over to join her
>“Aren’t you going to help, Anon?” Rainbow Dash asks
>”I think he’s done enough already,” Twilight says
>You collapse on the ground next to Applejack in the shade
>You close your eyes
>And you pass out instantaneously

>You wake up to hear Applejack’s voice
>”How about y’all take a little break? I’ve got some fine apple juice waitin’ for ya!”
>You look up and see her rolling up a cart with bottles of juice on it
>Sounds like she woke up before you and prepared some juice for the hard workers
>The others all set their baskets of apples down and head for the refreshments
>You groggily rise and shake it out
>You go join them
>”Girls, Anon. I can’t thank y’all enough for this help. I was actin’ a bit stubborn.”
>”A bit?”
>”OK! A might stubborn! And I’m awful sorry. Now, I know the town gave me the Prized Pony award, but the real award is having you all as my friends.”
>You all toast with a sip of apple juice
>It’s damn tasty
>”Phew! That applebucking sure made me hungry!” Dash says
>”And I’ve got the perfect treat!” Spike says as he walks up with a plate full of muffins
>”Ewww! Spike, I threw those all away. Where'd you get them?” Pinkie asks
>”From the trash!”
>”Ewwww!” Everyone shouts in unison
>”Just a little nibble? C’mon!”
>All the ponies are grossed out and making faces
>Hey, wait a second
>Those ‘baked bads’...
>They have earthworms in them, right?
>And earthworms are meat, aren’t they
>You walk over to Spike
>You pick up one of the muffins
>And you pop it in your mouth

THE END