One Less Apple in the Bushel
“You sure you wanna know sugar cube?” Applejack looked at her sister as her La Salle green eyes radiated a sense of curiosity.
“Please!? Ah’ve always wanted to know.” Apple Bloom pleaded her older sister to give in. It was hard for most normal ponies to break Applejack but her little sister had a special way of doing so.
“Alrighty then sugar cube, you best take a seat and take this here box a tissues.” Apple Bloom did as she was told and took a seat on the couch, beckoning her sister to join her. Applejack sighed and began her story.
~
7 years ago
Sweet Apple Acres
“Hey Pa we ain’t never gone campin’ before” A young filly named Applejack looked up at her father Norland, his pale blue eyes looked back at her, the burnt orange stallion who towered over most others, with a simple brown hat to top it all off. A light brown mane and tale accented his coat and adorned on his flank was a bucket of apples.
“Ah no honey bunch, but we’re mighty busy an ain’t got no time for foalin’ aound in the high country.” he gave a stern but compassionate look to his daughter and noted the tiny shred of sadness develop on her face. He couldn’t stand seein’ her upset, not in the slightest, she was his angel and would do anything for her. “Ah tell you what, this ‘ere comin’ weekend, if things ain’t too busy Ah’ll take ya.” This brought a broad smile across the tiny fillies face, she wrapped her forelegs around her fathers neck and thanked him unconditionally.
“Ah can’t wait, Ah wanna do so much! Oh this is gonna be fun, just me an you an the wilderness!” Her father couldn’t help but smile, he loved making his daughter happy.
~
“A bucket of apples?” Applebloom looked confused causing Applejack glared at her sister for her question.
“It’s not what the mark is sugar cube, it’s what it represents. Somethin’ you an yer filly friends need to get to figurin’ out right quick. Now can Ah continue?”
Apple bloom buried her muzzle in a pillow and eyed her sister nodding.
~
“Hey Pa! Time to get up! We’re goin’ campin’!” The stallion paid no mind to the ‘would-be-rooster’ he had for a daughter. “C’mon, up!”
“AJ the sun ain’t even out yet.”
“Ah know that, Ah wanna get a good head start!”
“Ya’ll go get breakfast ready an I’ll be out in a few.” Applejack beamed and galloped out of the room into the kitchen. “Ah swear that filly is something’ else.” The stallion rose out of bed placing his hat on his head, as he did so every morning. The realization was almost immediate “Ah dread the day that she leaves me…”.
“Hey Pa, want some waffles?” Applejack called from the kitchen.”
“That’d be great honey bunch.” Norland glanced over at the mare still asleep on the bed and said to himself “Ah got the best family anypony could ask for.” with that he smiled and walked into the kitchen to join his overanxious daughter.
~
“Hey AJ, what was mom like?” Apple Bloom looked inquisitively at her sister.
“Hold up sugar cube, Ah’m getting’ to that.” she gave a weak smile to her sister reminiscing. “Now Ah no ya’ll got a lot of questions, but just save ‘em till Ah’m dona alright?” The filly nodded still obviously enthused as to how this is will play out.
~
Applejack trotted in front of her father as they made their way toward the mountains. It was about 6 in the morning by now, the sun was up but things we’re still slightly cold, this however did not bother the filly as she made her way through the wildflowers and grasses. “Hey Pa, think we’ll see any other ponies there?” AJ made her way back to the stallion who seemed to almost strut through the field.
“Ah doubt it, ‘specially where we’re headed.” he smiled as the young mare sniffed at a random pink flower. “This place we’re headed, is where mah grandad took me when Ah was about your age.”
“Oh ya mean grampa Russet Apple?”
“The very same, Ah always liked that place, but never got a chance to go back. Up until now at least. Hey ya wanna have a little race?” Norland gave a smug look to AJ.
“Sure!”
“Alright, first one to that tree over yonder wins.”
He stood next to his daughter and readied himself. “On the count of three. One… Two… THREE!” He loped off ahead looking back, to his surprise the tiny pony was right next to him, and accelerating. He smirked and picked up the pace, AJ followed suit. She kept up with him for almost a hundred yards until she decided to kick her hooves into overdrive. She lashed out ahead leaving the colt surprised but not faltered. He too quickened his pace but with the load on his back was not able to catch up.
Applejack stood next to the tree breathing heavily. “AH WON! Betcha didn’t think Ah would!”
“Now now, Ah woulda beat ya if I didn’t have all this gear on mah back.” said the stallion as he set his pack down and sat next to his daughter. “Ya’ll are mighty quick Ah’ll give ya that.” he winked at the foal and gave her a fatherly nudge. She returned the notion by laying next to him and nuzzling his chest.
“Ah love ya Pa.”
“Ah love ya too honey bunch.” Letting a hoof slide over her back embracing her. Leaning back he glanced up at the sky, not a cloud in sight and a cool breeze whisked over them.
They rested for about a half an hour until they decided it was time to move on. Once again Applejack was up front, taking in every scent and sight. Hours passed as they made their way up the mountainside. To Applejack everything seemed alien, but to Norland Apple things were nostalgic. He seemed to recall every tree in his memory as they made their way through the rarely used deer trail.
Another hour slipped by. The duo began to crest a large hill, splayed beyond it was a valley with a large lake in the center. Trees of birch lined the water’s edge as they approached.
“We’re here.” Norland looked over at his daughter who was obviously tired from their excursion. She beamed and trotted to the water taking a drink. The water was ice cold, glacial runoff fed the lake from a nearby stream, giving the liquid a crisp fresh taste. It appeared almost like glass as they peered along the surface, mirroring the scenery and sky above.
“Sure is pretty.” AJ said glancing at her father who was busy unpacking and setting up camp. He looked up and noted his daughter’s reaction.
“Eeyup. Hey think ya’ll can go fetch some firewood? We’re gonna be needin’ it tonight.”
“Sure thing!” Applejack trotted off with an empty saddlebag. It was about 15 minutes until she returned, the bags were full of dry sticks and branches. “Here ya go.” She emptied the contents on the ground in front of her.
“We might be needin’ a bit more than that honey bunch.” Norland gave an appreciative look to AJ who gladly trotted back the direction she came to gather more.
Thirty minutes and two trips later Norland decided the amount would suffice for the night. “Did Ah ever tell ya how to get a fire goin’?”
“Nope!” Applejack grinned “Are ya gonna teach me?”
“If’n ya think you’re ready to, takes patience when you ain’t got no matches.” He smirked as AJ simply nodded. “Alright here” he said handing her the tools she would need “take these here sticks and these wood shavings. Now see that slit I cut in the big stick?” Applejack examined the wood and gave a confirmatory nod. “Now what ya need to do is take them shavings an pack em in there real tight.”
The filly proceeded keenly obeying each word. “Now take that smaller stick, place it in the groove and rub it forward an back.” He motioned with his hooves pantomiming the job. “Do that for a while, and if ya get nothing try goin’ a little faster.” Applejack obliged, doing as she was instructed. This went on for about n hour, with Norland giving her tips and tricks along the way until she finally caught a flame.
“Now what ya need to do is lightly blow on that, give that flame some life.” she blew lightly, failing to effect the smoldering shavings. “Try again just a bit harder.” Once again she blew on the source of heat, causing it to burst into a small spectacle of yellow and orange heat.
“WOW! That was cool! Whats next?” AJ implied anxiously.
“We get the campfire goin.” Norland motioned to the formation of sticks he had set up while AJ worked on getting a flame. “Just set that in there an Ah’ll do the rest.”
AJ laid the burning branch in the center of the structure. Norland took it upon himself to congratulate AJ on doing such a fine job. “Ya did pretty good for your first time, Ah’m proud of you honey bunch.”
“Thanks Pa, it takes a long time though.” AJ wrinkled her nose as she said this causing Norland to laugh.
“Ah know, but hey it took me longer. Ah’d say you got a knack for it.” he winked at Applejack making her feel triumphant.
“So what’s next Pa?”
“Simple, I get the fire goin’ then we relax.” throwing wood shavings on the growing flame as he said this.