Bad Day for the Apple Sisters
Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction; all characters & settings remain property of the copyright owners.
This story involves disciplinary spanking in a non-sexual context. If this is objectionable to you please take responsibility and stop reading now.
Today was the worst day ever.
At least that's how Apple Bloom felt about it. It was a beautiful summer day with all the potential to be a great day. It was the kind of day a young pony seemed destined to find her special talent and get her cutie mark. But that wasn't going to happen. There would be no crusading this day; Scootaloo was in Bridleburg visiting her Aunt & Uncle...and Sweetie Belle was grounded for doing something unspeakable with a balloon animal and a dozen eggs. Even Twist was busy today; she was taking a confection making class at Miss Bon Bon's shop.
With her friends all busy doing their own stuff Apple Bloom would have loved to spend the day with her siblings. But Big Mac had gotten up early to go work in the West orchard...he'd left before breakfast. At least there was Applejack. Applejack wouldn't let her down.
"Heya big sis," asked the yellow filly as she washed the breakfast dishes, "after we get done with chores around here ya wanna go on over to the old swimmin' hole and take a few dives off the rope swing?"
"Aww, sorry Apple Bloom" the older sister answered "but me & my friends got a picnic planned today. What about your own friends? Don't you have crusadin' to do?"
"Everypony is busy" Apple Bloom groaned, "they've all got their own stuff to do."
Before Applejack could offer any suggestions for how her younger sister could pass the time Granny Smith chimed in. "You got stuff t'do yerself, young'un. You was supposed to clean up & sweep the cider shed yesterday but ya didn't, did ya?"
"But Granny, Miss Cherry Berry offered us a free balloon ride yesterday" Apple Bloom explained "and we just couldn't turn that down! What if it was my destiny to get my cutie mark in feats of aeronautical adventuring?"
The elderly mare narrowed her eyes and snapped "Well I don't see no balloonin' mark on yer rump, but if'n you don't get that chore done today you're gonna have some marks from my wooden spoon down there." She turned to her older granddaughter and added "Applejack, you make sure that gets done. Give her a hoof once you finish up your chores."
"But Granny!" protested Applejack, "That ain't fair! She skips her chore yesterday so I get suck with it today? I had plans!"
Granny Smith rolled her eyes. "I said help her with it, not do it all by yerself. Tarnation...it won't take hardly any time with two a' ya working. You'll have plenty of time t'go picnicin' with yer friends."
Applejack shot Apple Bloom a dirty look, but did not have the nerve to disobey Granny Smith. "Yes ma'am. You hurry up with them dishes Apple Bloom. We've got a lot of chores to do before we even get started on that cider shed."
With Big MacIntosh busy elsewhere his usual tasks fell to the sisters. Granny Smith helped where she could, taking over Apple Bloom's usual chore of feeding the chickens & collecting eggs. That still left hay to be dried, pigs to be fed, compost to be turned cows milked and firewood to be chopped. The animals all needed fresh water, pumped by hoof from the well and 12 bushels of apples needed to be bucked...at least Mr. Filthy Rich was sending a cart to pick them up so they didn't need to be delivered, but they still had to be ready & waiting.
Apple Bloom wasn't big enough to buck apples or chop firewood so she got stuck with mundane tasks like pumping water and stinky tasks like slopping the hogs and turning the compost. None of this improved her already bad attitude. Granny Smith was no fool, she knew her youngest granddaughter was in a foul mood so she took the job of milking herself. The last thing the farm needed was a bunch of fussy cows getting angry about the way they got milked.
That left Apple Bloom to drag out the wet hay so it could dry in the sun, a messy, itchy job. Worse yet the pile was full of bugs & spiders. "Dumb hay!" cursed the filly, struggling to drag it out in great heaps.
"Carry smaller loads, half-pint" advised Granny Smith from her milking stool, but the youngster took this as an offense to her pride.
"I can handle it! I'm not a little foal!" Granny just shrugged her shoulders and went back to milking. Sometimes young ponies just had to learn on their own.
Because she had been so stubborn about taking her grandmother's advice the hay task took Apple Bloom twice as long as it should have. By that time the hogs were impatiently squealing for their breakfast. "Dumb 'ol hogs" muttered the frustrated filly, "why do we even raise hogs anyway? Ya don't lay eggs...ya don't give milk. Ya just eat & poop until the day the griffons come buy ya and carry ya off. Well good riddance! Let those silly griffons deal with you from now on!" But the hogs didn't even listen; they happily buried their noses into their slop as fast as Apple Bloom could dump it into their trough.
Compost duty was no better. The immense pile of decomposing fruit, vegetables, leaves & yard trimmings needed to be turned daily. If it didn't get turned it could start a fire...or so Big MacIntosh said. Apple Bloom couldn't see how a big pile of stinky rotten garbage could just burst into flames. Probably just some nonsense her big brother made up so she'd take the chore seriously.
At least she'd left pumping water for last. After three messy jobs the filly got to wash up a bit before beginning the laborious task. It took a dozen buckets to water all the animals on the farm. All of them had to be pumped by hoof then carried to the barn, coop & corral. "Now I know how all them crystal ponies felt when they were enslaved by mean ol' King Sombra." Apple Bloom felt like a slave...forever chained to the water pump. Well, at least for part of the morning.
It was nearly 11 o'clock when Apple Bloom finally finished her chores. About the same time Applejack came in from the orchard pulling a cart with the last 6 bushels of apples. "That's mighty fine work you two" praised Granny Smith. "Set a spell and have some'a these crullers...can't have you workin' on an empty stomach."
"There's more?" groaned the little yellow filly.
The elder mare wrinkled her brow and replied "Now don't you tell me you forgot all about that cider shed needs t'get cleaned up."
"That'll take all day" groaned Apple Bloom.
Granny Smith was getting a little annoyed at all her youngest granddaughter's complaining. Everypony has a bad day now & then; there's no use bellyaching all day about it. "It won't take but a half hour with both'a ya workin' on it. And besides, you already told us you didn't have any plans for the day so what's it to ya?"
"Well I got plans" muttered Applejack, talking with her mouth full, "so let's get to it. I don't wanna be late fer my picnic." She grabbed her reluctant little sister by the arm; hurrying her along to their next & final task.
"This is messier than I thought" muttered Apple Bloom.
"Well you shoulda did it yesterday" Applejack replied, tossing her sister a broom.
The yellow filly rolled her eyes and exclaimed "What difference would that have made?"
"By procrastinatin' you let it get one day messier." Applejack was trying to make a joke to cheer up her surly sibling, but it had no effect; she just got a dirty look in response. "Well excuse me fer carein'. Let's just get this done and be on our separate ways." She was met with a snort, but at least Apple Bloom started working.
AJ was in no good mood either. She wanted to be done, and it seemed unfair that she'd gotten stuck with this additional job...one Apple Bloom should have done yesterday. She swept out the corners aggressively, kicking up a dust storm in the confined space.
"*cough* Applejack! Cut it out! Yer gettin' it all over where I'm workin'!"
"Well work over there for a while, you're right in the way!"
"You work over there! I was here first!"
Applejack knew it was a silly argument but if that's what her sister wanted she was gonna get it. She stubbornly kept sweeping right where she was, kicking up dust that settled right where Apple Bloom was working. With a indignant snort Apple Bloom began returning the gesture, sweeping her refuse straight into her older sister's path.
"Apple Bloom...consar'nit! We ain't never gonna get done if you keep actin' this way!" complained AJ.
"Well you started it, sweepin' right into where I'm workin'!"
The older sister scowled and offered up a truce. "Look...this side of the shed is yours, this side is mine. Now we don't have to get in each other's way."
"But my side is bigger than yours!" Apple Bloom protested.
"That's 'cause this was your job to begin with!" snapped Applejack, "You ought to be grateful I'm even helpin'!"
The younger filly was just as stubborn as her elder sister though. She stuck out her bottom lip & replied "You ain't helpin' just to be nice. You're helpin' because Granny told you to."
"That don't mean you shouldn't still be grateful fer the help!" muttered Applejack. She turned her back and got to sweeping, ignoring any further protests from her sister.
Being bigger & more experienced, Applejack got her side of the shed swept faster. She ran her broom around the high corners of the shed (her side at only) to gather up the cobwebs. She was almost done, the floor just needed a good rinse. AJ trotted over to the well, filled a bucket in a few pumps & carried it to the shed where Apple Bloom was still sweeping her marked territory.
Applejack saw what was about to happen...she was not dumb. But she was in a bad mood over being stuck with this job and felt like getting back at her sister for not doing it when she should have. Besides, if Apple Bloom wasn't being such a slowpoke her side would be ready for a rinse too. So Applejack kicked the bucket over.
It had the intended effect on her own side of the shed, rinsing away the last dust & leaving the floor boards clean...but the water knew nothing of the territorial line between the sisters. It ran across onto Apple Bloom's side, turning the pile of dirt, straw & rat turds she had collected into a muddy mess. "Applejack!"
"Well if you weren't takin' half the mornin' t'do a simple job you'da been ready for the bucket too! Did ya expect me to wait all day for you to be done?"
"You did that on purpose! Now it's a bigger mess than before!" snapped Apple Bloom. In truth that was absolutely true, but the family quarrel had gone beyond that point by now. Apple Bloom swung her straw broom through the muddy mess, splattering her sister.
"Why you!" cursed the older pony, wiping mud off her face. Her patience gone, AJ shoved Apple Bloom so that she plopped down into the mud herself. And then it just turned into chaos. Apple Bloom leapt at her sister and succeeded in knocking her to the floor where both of them wrestled around in the mud, spreading the mess even over to Applejack's clean side of the shed. It didn't matter...both fillies had the red mist in their eyes and they were determined to win this fight even if the whole cider shed came crashing down around them.
And then it nearly did.
Applejack shoved her younger sister off her and into a support beam. It did not budge, but the rope tied to it did slip. That rope was holding barrels of cider aging in the rafters. When Apple Bloom saw this the fight was forgotten in an instant. "Applejack, lookout!"
She would not have seen it if not for her little sister's warning. AJ scrambled out of the way just before a barrel came crashing down. She snatched up Apple Bloom, pulling her to safety as several more barrels tumbled down from the rafters, some breaking, some bouncing around dangerously.
When the final loose barrel stopped spinning and the danger had passed Apple Bloom found herself safe in the arms of her big sister, shielded from harm. "AJ, are you okay?"
The bigger pony nodded. "I'm okay, are you?" Both sisters were uninjured but trembling after the close call.
As soon as she heard the noise Granny Smith came galloping as fast as her aged legs could carry her. When she saw the damage...shattered barrels, mud, debris, soaked floorboards...she frantically searched for her two granddaughters. "Applejack! Apple Bloom! Where are you!?"
"We're safe, Granny" AJ assured her, as the two picked themselves up from the corner they'd sheltered in.
"Thank Celestia!" sighed the elder mare, hugging them both. Her expression of relief turned to a scowl though as she demanded "Now what in tarnation happened here?"
Two red faced young ponies explained what had gone on, step by step...Apple family pride prevented them from lying but there were plenty of accusations as to who was most responsible. With an impatient hoof tapping the wet floorboards Granny Smith listened to the whole story...quarreling, fighting and eventually disaster. "Well...first thing's first, you two got some cleanin' to do."
Under the supervision of one angry matriarch the sisters got to work fast. As Applejack ran for water, Apple Bloom carried the pieces of broken barrels outside. They worked together to roll the unbroken barrels to the wall & stand them upright. They'd have to wait there for Big MacIntosh to return; only he had the strength to lift them back into the rafters where they would be secured for storage.
Once that was completed the buckets were dumped out & both sisters got down on the floor to scrub, getting the floorboards cleaner than they had ever been. Despite their best efforts the shed would smell like spoiled cider for several months after this day. Granny Smith made her inspection, pointing out a few spots not cleaned to her satisfaction, which Apple Bloom & Applejack attended to "lickity-split." Done at last the chastened sisters waited for the inevitable lecture but Granny Smith ordered them to go get cleaned up first. "You two look like ya slept in an outhouse...and ya smell like drunken sailors."
Neither had the nerve to keep their angry Granny waiting so the sisters galloped over to the well pump. Despite their shared predicament there was still no co-operation...the two fillies washed separately in tense silence. This time it was Apple Bloom who finished first but as soon as she saw her little sister dash away to return to the cider shed Applejack gave herself a last rinse and fell in right behind. She did not want to allow the younger pony even one minute to fill Granny Smith's ears with recriminations & tales of her own innocence.
Now that both her errant granddaughters had returned Granny went about inventorying the damage; "Three barrels ruined! Do you two have any idear how much money that is washed away on them floorboards? Well do ya?" Both younger ponies hung their heads in shame and meekly admitted they didn't, so Granny Smith made them do the math. Neither Applejack nor Apple Bloom were very good at mathematics even on a good day, but under the distracting gaze of an angry matriarch they struggled mightily. Standard 31 gallon barrels...8 pints to a gallon...two bits per pint mug...three barrels destroyed...
At last Apple Bloom came up with an answer; "1,488 bits?"
Granny Smith scowled and let that sink in. "Dern near 1,500 bits washed away like nuthin'. Well I hope it was worth it. The money we make on cider keeps us goin' through the winter. Now that money has to come outta somethin' else like repairs or new tools!"
"Sorry Granny" both fillies said in unison.
The elder mare snorted, letting the tension build as she considered their fate. "Well I'm awful glad yer sorry, but I'm afraid that ain't gonna be enough. You get out to the orchard and pick yer switch."
Tears burst from Apple Bloom's eyes. "A lickin'!? Please Granny! I'm sorry, I'll do extra chores, I'll work harder than ever t'make up fer what I done! Please don't whup me, Granny, please!"
But once Granny Smith had made up her mind there was no shaking her. "Oh yer right, you'll do extra chores and you'll work hard, that much is plain as day. But right now you'll be marchin' yer little rump out to them trees and pickin' out a switch fer me ta work on that little rump." Granny was immune to her youngest granddaughter's big, sorrowful eyes looking up at her, imploring her for mercy. She'd seen it all before. "You pick a good'un, and don't make me wait all mornin' neither. Scoot yer caboose!"
With a dreadful look of fear & misery on her face Apple Bloom accepted her fate, or at least the fact that she'd make it worse on herself by stalling. Shuffling her hooves in the dust she trudged off to the orchard to select the dreaded implement.
"I know she done brought this on herself, but I feel kinda sorry for her" sighed Applejack. "You won't go too hard on her, will ya?"
"I'll go exactly as hard as I need to" answered Granny Smith, "she'll cry a river but she won't come to no harm. But I don't understand what you're standin' around waitin' for. I thought I told you to get out to the orchard and pick a switch!"
Applejack's eyes grew wide with surprise. "Beg yer pardon, Granny?"
"You heard me" snapped the older mare, "little Apple Bloom didn't break those three cider barrels all by her lonesome...did you think she was the only filly gettin' punished fer this?"
In truth, that is exactly what Applejack had thought. She'd felt guilty watching Apple Bloom take that awful walk out to the orchard, but she had not even considered that Granny Smith expected her to take that same walk. "B-but Granny...I'm a grown mare! You can't be serious...I ain't had a lickin' in years!"
"Maybe I made a mistake by that" muttered Granny Smith in her most serious tone. "And fer a grown mare you sure ain't actin' very grown up. Raisin' all heck and fightin' with yer sister, at your age! Yer supposed to be a good example she can look up to."
AJ realized her grandmare was serious and had every intention of laying a very juvenile punishment on her grown-up rump. She danced nervously on all 4 hooves, desperately trying to talk her way out of the situation; "Okay, okay...ah understand...ah wasn't usin' my good sense or bein' a good role model. Granny, I swear I'll do better, I don't need a whuppin' I promise!"
There was no swaying Granny Smith. She furrowed her already wrinkly brow and warned "Applejack, I done made up my mind. Now act yer age and take yer medicine...you know you deserve every lick you got comin'. It's just gonna get worse if you make me wait."
"But Granny...I didn't know I could still get a whuppin' at my age! I swear if I'da known I wouldn't have been so foolish. There's really no need...I done learned my lesson and I'll use my common sense from now on! Honest!" Sweat rolled down AJ's forehead as she pleaded for reprieve. But her last defense backfired.
"Well, if I had any doubts about tannin' your backside they're all gone now!" snapped Granny Smith, "What you're tellin' me is the only reason to behave & conduct yourself like a mature grown mare is to avoid gettin' punished? That's the sorta thinkin' I'd expect from a little filly, and since you're behavin' like one you're gonna be treated like one." Granny could see her granddaughter was not taking this well...indeed Apple Bloom had accepted her fate with more dignity and maturity. She softened her harsh tone and rubbed muzzles with the nervous filly to calm her. "Applejack, you're a wonderful young mare and I'm real proud of how you've grown up. All the important work you and your friends done for the Princess. How you always help the ponies right here in yer own town.
"But the change I seen in you ain't all good. You always had a stubborn streak in you but lately it's gettin' reeeeeaallll noticeable. Arguin' about trifflin' things...backtalkin' yer elders...tryin' to run everything all by yerself. You may not'a noticed it but I sure as heck have, and you been raisin' the eyebrows of other ponies around town too. Lately there been a few times I've been tempted to send you out fer a switch but I've kept my peace...until today. Imagine; fightin' with yer little sister! She's half yer age, what came over ya?"
The younger mare felt duly chastened by her grandmother's rebuke, but it did not ameliorate her anxiety about getting a whipping. "I understand, Granny, and I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me, it was silly an' immature. I promise I'mma think more and remember to be respectful and all the stuff you just said."
"Well good" answered Granny Smith, "now time's a wastin'. Go fetch yer switch so we can have this foolishment over & done with."
The realization that her granny was not going to back down sent Applejack into a frenzy of worry. She considered running away to camp out in the woods until this all blew over...maybe she could hide at Twilight or Rarity's house for a few days? Fluttershy lived by herself, away from town, it would be easy to disappear there. But respect for her family was bred into Applejack deep down to her bones, and as much as she desperately wanted to avoid a switching she could not bring herself to disobey Granny Smith. "Granny, please! Ain't there nuthin' I can say t'change yer mind?"
Staying calm but firm the elder Apple told her "No there ain't. Now take a deep breath, wipe yer eyes and accept that getting' a licking ain't the worst thing in the world. You had 'em before an' carried on just fine, remember? Now I'm a little surprised an' disappointed that you need one today, at your age, but you do need one and you are gettin' one. The sooner you march yer rump out to that orchard an' bring me back a switch the sooner we'll be done with all this unhappy business."
With that Granny Smith ended the debate. Applejack let out one final whimper before trudging off, following her little sister's hoof prints in the dust. With a lump in her throat the size of a red delicious she allowed her eyes a few self-pitying tears. Today had started with such promise. Wonderful weather and the prospect of a picnic with her friends...how had it all gone wrong? She could have blamed Apple Bloom and the chore she had blown off yesterday, but that would not be taking Granny Smith's lecture to heart. Applejack was the holder of an Element of Harmony; the most powerful magic in all Equestria. She had faced a dragon, fought a changeling invasion, escaped a pony-eating hydra and done battle with the Spirit of Chaos himself...but today she had behaved foalishly and was gonna get a spanking for it. The young mare felt as if she did not deserve one scrap of the honor & distinction she had earned over the past few years, but she definitely deserved the striped rump she was soon to receive.
It was not hard to find Apple Bloom; she was struggling with a very difficult choice but limited to the branches she could reach. "Find any good 'uns?" asked Applejack nervously.
The younger filly snorted in contempt. "I suppose you came to gloat."
"Nothin' like that little sis" answered AJ, "I'm...well...I'm here fer the same reason you are." The pale yellow filly looked at her with puzzlement. "I'm here t'pick my own switch. There's gonna be two Apple gals takin' their turn bent over the haybale today." Apple Bloom's jaw dropped wide open at this revelation. "I expect that gives you a little satisfaction at least."
It took a few moments for the younger sister to process and fully comprehend the new information but when at last she did speak her answer surprised Applejack; "NO! I don't get no satisfaction at all from that!" The filly's bottom lip quivered as tears pooled up in her eyes. "Applejack, I been thinkin' and this is all my fault. If I'da finished my chore yesterday like I was supposed to none'a this would'a happened. Sure I was angry cause be fought, but I'd feel plumb awful if'n you got whupped fer somethin' that was my fault."
The elder sister shook her head. "It ain't all your fault. I coulda stopped all this foolishment too but instead I acted just like I had rocks in my head. I wasn't a very good big sister and I'm sorry for it."
Apple Bloom cocked her head sideways and asked "You didn't ask Granny Smith t'give you a switchin' cause ya felt guilty...did ya?"
"Heck no!" answered Applejack. "Truth is I'm shakin' in my horseshoes. I'd give just about anything to get us outta this pickle...but we got ourselves into it and Granny Smith ain't one to bluff." There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two sisters as they both considered what was going to happen in just a few minutes. "Well, let's get to it. If'n I remember right Granny don't like to be kept waitin'."
"It's gonna hurt, ain't it?" muttered Apple Bloom.
That was something Applejack was trying to put out of her mind for now, but her little sister was right. "Always does. It's been a long time since I had a whuppin' but ya just don't forget a thing like that." She put her arm around Apple Bloom's shoulders and said "Nuthin' we can do about it now though. We made our beds and now we gotta lie in them."
"We gotta go to bed early too!?" wailed the younger pony. That drew a chuckle from Applejack in spite of herself.
"No, it just means we got ourselves into this mess...now we gotta accept the consequences." Apple Bloom nodded sadly before trudging back to the nearest tree, intent on finding that perfect stick which Granny Smith would deem acceptable but would not destroy her tender rump. Thinking she'd found one, the filly hopped up on her hind legs to snap it from the tree. "Whoa, little sis! You don't want that one...it's got a big ol' knot right there where it's gonna hit yer backside. That'll leave a welt."
"But I can't reach any better ones" she lamented.
With a nod Applejack scooped her up, lifting her higher into the tree than she could reach herself. "Get me one too while yer up there. Nothin' too awful, but nothin' Granny Smith is gonna reject neither."
Sitting on her big sister's head, Apple Bloom was able to reach some much safer looking switches. The thought of any of them whacking her rump filled the little filly with dread, but at least these were smooth, lacking those painful knots AJ had warned about. "Okay, got some. You can lemme down now."
With her hooves back on the ground Apple Bloom handed over the switch she'd selected for her sister, but AJ disapproved. "Whoa, nothin' doin' there sis. That one you kept fer yourself is thicker. Give it here."
"Well there ain't no such thing as two switches being perfectly identical!" protested Bloom, "One's always gonna be bigger than the other, and since it's my fault we're both in this trouble I ought to get whupped with the bigger one!"
"Nope" answered the older filly, snatching away the slightly thicker rod, "big sister's prerogative. I'm takin' the bigger one."
"Big sister's what? You just made that up! That ain't even a real word!"
"Is too a real word! I heard Twilight say it once. It don't matter either way 'cause I'm takin' this one and that's final." Apple Bloom's bottom lip quivered and tears pooled up in her eyes. A rush of emotions overtook her...fear, guilt, relief and most of all love for her sister. She rushed forward and threw her arms around Applejack.
"You ought not to even be in trouble...and yer still tryin' to protect me from the worst of it!" sobbed the younger filly. "You should let me take the bigger switch! It's my fault after all! You shouldn't get a worser whuppin' fer somethin' that's not yer fault!"
Applejack returned the hug, surprised at how much it helped ease her own nervousness. "I'm older and I'm bigger...and I'm just as much to blame as you" she assured her sobbing sibling, "If id'a done right earlier neither one'a us would be getting' switched today. I'm the big sister...I'm keepin' the big switch." She took a deep breath and added "Honestly, I don't think it's gonna matter much. Big switch or little one; with Granny swingin' 'em they're both gonna hurt like Tartarus!"
They returned to find Granny Smith waiting in the doorway to the barn. The two nervous fillies handed over their switches for approval, but their grandmare too so long inspecting the implements that they both feared they'd be sent back for heavier rods. Finally, she said "These'll do" drawing a sigh of relief from her grand-daughters. "Now follow me."
Heads hung low they followed their elder into the barn, where a sight that made both young ponies shiver awaited. There before them was a single hay bale with some burlap thrown over it. The wait was over...in a matter of moments they'd be taking their turns bent over that hay bale. "I sure wish we didn't have to do this today" lectured Granny Smith.
"If you don't wanna do it either I'm sure neither one'a us would mind skippin' it!" chimed in Apple Bloom, but a quick kick from her sister silenced the filly.
Granny Smith continued; "If'n you two had just done yer chores like you were supposed to, with no gripin' or fightin' about it everything would be done an' we'd all be free to enjoy the rest of this beautiful day. Instead, we got 3 busted barrels a'cider and a shed that's gonna stink fer months. Was whatever you was fightin' about that important? Was it worth all the extra trouble...the lost income fer the farm...and the lickin's yer about to get?"
"No Granny" muttered both contrite fillies.
The elder mare snorted and finished up by saying "Well, I suppose that why they call 'em lessons, and yer both gonna learn one today."
Apple Bloom jumped forward. Tears streaming from her big eyes she begged "Granny Smith, none'a this is Applejack's doin'! I shoulda had that shed cleaned up yesterday and none'a this woulda happened. Please don't punish her fer somethin' that's all my fault! Let me take both whuppin's myself if I have to! Please!"
"That's nonsense!" objected Applejack, yanking her sister back by the tail and stepping in front of her, "I'm the big sister...I shoulda knowed better than to be such a blockhead! If Apple Bloom is in trouble it's because I wasn't a good role model or a good sister! Truth be told I knew Bloom didn't get to that chore yesterday...I could'a helped her right then & there, before it became a big thing. If anypony deserves t'get both whuppin's it's me, Granny!"
Granny Smith's dour expression never changed. "I think it's awful sweet that you two girls wanna protect each other...but it don't matter one lick. Yer both gettin' yer rumps roasted today and there ain't nothin' either'a you can say to talk yer way outta it." She beckoned to her younger grand daughter and said "Apple Bloom, you're first, come on now." With a glance to her big sister the filly stepped forward on shaky legs. She tried to swallow but her mouth was dry. Apple Bloom made it about halfway to the hay bale before her nerve gave out and she froze, but her Granny walked over to gently usher her the rest of the way. "Now come on, Half Pint...I know yer not lookin' forward to this but there ain't no point in draggin' yer hooves. The sooner it starts the sooner it'll be all done."
The young filly did as she was told, hopping up onto the hay bale and getting into position. It was a position she'd have given anything to escape. Rump high in the air, with the scratchy burlap making her belly itch; Apple Bloom just clenched her eyes tight and waited for the initial flash of pain. It was a gentle hoof she felt first though, sweeping her tail out of the way and coming to rest on her croup with such tenderness that Bloom thought for a moment Granny Smith had relented and forgiven her.
She was wrong.
"OOOOooooWWWW!" the filly cried out the instant a blazing hot stripe of pain streaked across her rump. Every muscle tensed, her back legs scrambled to escape but got nowhere. Granny's hoof on her back was perfectly balanced to prevent any escapes. The elder pony wasted no time, applying a stinging salvo of switch slashes that made poor Apple Bloom wail at the top of her lungs. "I'M SORRY GRANNY! I'M SORRY! WHHHAAHHH! PLEASE NO MORE!"
"We ain't even close to done, young filly" answered Granny Smith in a calm & measured tone. This was something she obviously had a great deal of experience with. In spite of the burning agony building up in her bottom her grandmare's voice actually calmed Apple Bloom, steeling her nerves for the ongoing ordeal. Granny did not sound angry or out of control...the calmness in her tone reassured the filly that no matter how badly it hurt she was not being beaten within an inch of her life. Tears ran down her cheeks and an unrelenting fire continued to build on her rump but Apple Bloom actually felt...loved.
From her vantage point a few yards away Applejack's emotions alternated between sympathy, guilt and fear. She hoped and silently prayed to Celestia that each spank her little sister suffered would be the last, but Apple Bloom's switching seemed to go on forever. AJ felt awful for her sister but at the same time dreaded the coming of her own turn. The older sibling was sure to get it longer & harder than the little filly. As much as she wanted Bloom's switching to end Applejack dreaded that moment because that meant her punishment would begin.
Granny Smith continued laying stripe after painful stripe onto Apple Bloom's little yellow rear end, but at last she was nearing the end. From years of experience she knew exactly how much the filly could take. There was still a second granddaughter to deal with as well, so she had to conserve some strength for the next round. Granny put a little extra effort into the last strokes, breaking up Apple Bloom's sobs with a few squeals of anguished pain. For her at least it was over.
Granny permitted Apple Bloom a few moments to cease crying and compose herself but ushered the filly to her hooves more quickly than if this had been a private chastisement given in her bedroom. Big sister was next; it seemed cruel to prolong her fearful wait. "Dry yer tears, young'un. I know that hurt like the dickens but it'll all be worth it if ya learn a lesson from it."
"Yes *sniff* ma'am. I p-promise I'mma remember this forever!"
With one last gentle stroke of Apple Bloom's mane the elder mare turned her attention to the next filly. "Applejack, come on now. No sense delayin' this."
"Yes'm" the orange pony croaked out, her mouth completely dry. She hung her head low in shame as she walked those few dreadful paces to the hay bale. For Apple Bloom to get the occasional spanking was normal, it was expected that little ponies got into trouble now & then. Applejack had certainly suffered her share of lickings when she was that age, but now she was a grown mare. She didn't remember Big Mac ever needing to have his rump tanned when he'd been this age. He'd never deserved it of course, but Applejack held no doubt that she did today. The ignominy of her guilt stung as much as the switch was sure to. Without any urging she laid down over the scratchy burlap and lifted her tail. "I'm r-ready, Granny."
In her ear AJ heard Granny Smith's gentle voice. "Applejack, you done wrong today but yer a good pony. Don't you never forget that. Once all this is over don't you mope on it; you got every reason to hold yer head up high." She nodded but said nothing, nervously watching as her grandmare picked up the switch she'd argued over with Apple Bloom. It was time. Applejack tensed her rump in anticipation of the first lash.
"OOOOOWWWWWWAAHHHHHH!" Nothing could have prepared her for that. In her few years of reprieve from the switch Applejack had forgotten how much a spanking hurt. She howled and tried to struggle forward...anything to escape the awful sting. Granny Smith did not permit any escapes though, holding her granddaughter in place as fresh stripes crisscrossed her violently trembling rump. All those thoughts of shame and guilt were driven out of AJ's head; there was only one thing occupying her mind right now and it was the burning fire in her hindquarters that only got worse. Granny Smith was a master at this unpleasant business...how could I have forgotten!?
When Apple Bloom was getting her whipping her cries were audible all the way out to the barn, but now that it was Applejack's turn howling & bawling could be heard as far out as the limits of Sweet Apple Acres. AJ did not care if ponies could hear her in Canterlot...she did not have a shred of pride left and if hollering made the pain more bearable she intended to holler. She had good reason to cry out. Granny hoped this would be the last licking she'd ever have to give Applejack so she put in the extra effort to ensure that it was a memorable one. The way she looked at it the young mare was being punished for needing a spanking at her age as much as the actual error that had been committed. With luck this would make a significant impression on Apple Bloom too. Anytime the young filly felt "too big for her britches" during the next few years she'd have the memory of her big sister's reddened rump to consider. Big ponies can get their rear ends whupped too.
Much of the energy & will to struggle had left poor Applejack. She lay across the haybale bawling, hoping it would end soon. Her backside was now as pink as that of her hyperactive friend in town, adorned with painful looking red lines where the apple switch had left its mark. Granny Smith decided she'd had enough, so with a few extra hard stingers she brought the punishment to a close.
With nopony waiting next in line Applejack was allowed more time to compose herself that Apple Bloom had gotten. It seemed fair to all; AJ had gotten a much more painful switching. Once she had stopped crying and her breathing had become regular Granny Smith leaned down to pet the younger mare's mane. "There, there. Ya got through it, yer all done." To her surprise Applejack popped up quickly, tossing both arms around her grandmare, embracing her in a tight hug.
"Granny I'm s-so sorry! I promise I'm never gonna be such a big numbskull again! I promise I'm gonna be a better mare!" Sobbing out her last few anxieties and shameful feelings Applejack melted into her matriarchs arms.
"Me too" added Apple Bloom, joining the family hug. Nothing more needed to be said and for a long time nothing was said. Granny Smith hated having to punish either of her granddaughters but today two genuinely sorry fillies expressing their gratitude for her love let the elderly mare know this had been a job well done. "I hate it when I need t'get a spankin'" Apple Bloom finally said, "but when I get one I'm so glad it's from somepony who loves me." That sentiment made Granny Smith shed a tear too.
An Apple family ritual was next, one that all three parties looked forward to but AJ & Apple Bloom enjoyed most. As they walked back to the house the trio paused at the woodpile. Granny Smith broke both switches in half and tossed them in with the kindling. It was symbolic, the punishment was now officially over. Though they both remained outwardly aloof the act brought a sigh of relief to both chastened fillies.
Granny Smith turned to her elder granddaughter and commented "Now that all that business is done with, ain't you got plans with yer friends?"
The picnic! Applejack had totally forgotten. She'd had a lot on her mind. "Is it okay? Can I go?"
"Well you better hurry, or else yer gonna be late" admonished Granny Smith.
With a smile AJ took off, but only got a few paces before she remembered something important; "Apple Bloom, you said you had nothin' doin' today, wanna come along? I'm sure my friends would love t'see ya and since Pinkie's bringin' the lunch there's sure to be more than enough."
The filly's face lit up like sunshine, as if everything bad which had happened this day was forgotten in an instant. "Sure thing big Sis!"
"How about you, Granny?"
Granny Smith chuckled but politely declined; "Oh I think I've had enough excitement for one day. You two young'uns have fun. I think I've earned an extra long nap this afternoon."
Before rushing off the two fillies paused to give their grandmother one last unexpected hug, but neither said a thing. "Come on," exclaimed Applejack, "if we're late Rainbow Dash will put hot sauce on the cupcakes and pour our punch into dribble glasses!" The sisters galloped down the path, Apple Bloom straining to be as fast as her elder sibling, Applejack carefully keeping the pace in check so as to not outrun her little sis. "Heya, Bloom...when we get there let's not say anything about...you know...what happened earlier."
"Huh? Yeah, I guess so...sure."
"It's just that, if they find out we each got a lickin' we'll never hear the end of it. Fluttershy'll wanna nurse you back to health...Rarity & Pinkie will tease me to pieces...Twilight will probably write a letter and tell Princess Celestia about it...and if Dash finds out we destroyed three barrels of cider she's liable to cry!"
Apple Bloom giggled as she ran, but answered "Okay sis, I'll stay quiet, but I doubt our secret is gonna last when they get a look at our rumps!"
"Oh horseapples you're right!" cursed AJ with a laugh. There was less that a half mile left to run and the sisters enjoyed every step of it, looking forward to the fun at the end of their trail. It had turned out to be a pretty good day after all.
END
