The rays of the sun beat down on the treetops, the leaves and branches completely motionless in the midst of the torpid summer afternoon. With no wind or breeze to speak of, it was unnervingly quiet on Sweet Apple Acres, with only the tired protest of birds to pierce the thick veil of silent humidity. The shade under the trees offered the only reprieve that one might find on a day such as this, and even as she slumped against a tree trunk that was completely covered in shadow, the young Apple Bloom was still drenched in sweat.
With yet another wipe of her hoof, she cleared her forehead and brow of perspiration. She knew that it would only be good for a minute or so before more sweat secreted itself from her pores, but as long as she could keep the salty beads from stinging her amber eyes, she would. Resting on her lap was a large plastic cup that had, at one point earlier that day, been filled with shockingly cold ice water. Now, the liquid within was free of ice, and more predictably lukewarm than shockingly cold, but that didn't stop the filly from sucking hungrily on the tall pink straw to quench her thirst. Content with a deep draw that seemed to last for almost ten seconds, she uttered a refreshed "ahh", and leaned her head back against the trunk again. She was certain that bits of loose tree bark would entangle themselves in her long red mane, but she didn't particularly care. That's what baths - or showers, as she was often requested to take these days instead - were for. She closed her eyes, and sighed deeply.
This was the third break she had taken in the last hour like this. She knew that if her sister Applejack were to see her, she would disapprove quite vocally, and insist that the farm filly get back to bucking the apples loose from the trees, or watering the various crops, or plowing the fields, or whatever else Applejack had asked of her that day. Apple Bloom opened one of her eyes, her half-gaze settling upon the large red farmhouse that she called home. There weren't any signs of life on the outside, but she sure that her sister was inside, poring over forms and paperwork, occasionally cursing under her breath when she saw or read something she didn't understand. Apple Bloom giggled at the thought, but almost immediately ceased when she took into account the circumstances by which Applejack was tasked to her secretarial work.
If this summer was one of the hottest in Apple Bloom's memory, than that winter had certainly been the coldest. There were many struggles that the Apple family faced during the winter months, but there was one this year that came out of nowhere, one that the earth pony clan was entirely unprepared for. At Granny Smith's age, a persistent cough was enough to warrant most ponies to visit with a doctor, but she refused to. She insisted that it was nothing to worry about, and that she would be just fine. Within a week, her cough had subsided, just as she said it would. Within another, Granny Smith had passed away in her sleep.
As one of the earliest citizens of Ponyville, much of the town was shocked and dismayed to learn of the news, but none were more devastated than her family. For the next couple of months, the rest of the Apple Family was stricken by grief, inconsolable, and rarely left the premises save for purchasing necessary supplies that they couldn't produce on their own.
After a painful and tearful intervention from Princess Twilight and her friends, Applejack was finally prepared to start resuming the Apple family way of life again. Of course, with one less set of hooves to help, this meant spreading the work out in ways that none of the Apples were really used to. They hadn't completely stopped the farm work, of course, but it wasn't until Applejack closely examined the books that she discovered that she had completely neglected the taxes and record-keeping that kept the farm in good standing with the local finance and business licensing bureaucracies.
Apple Bloom stretched her hooves out above her head, and with a groan, she roused herself from the ground to all four legs again to resume her work. She eyed the wooded cart that was filled with an abundance of red apples, numbering easily up to at least five hundred or so. She felt a sense of pride that the entire cart had been filled by her and her alone, but at the same time, felt a sense of dread knowing how heavy it would be once she had finished bucking the rest of the section of orchard she'd been assigned.
The filly wiped her forehead again, leaving her foreleg damp with perspiration. It was early yet, only around noon or so, and the day would only serve to get hotter as the sun continued it's ascent. She knelt down, taking one last drink from the straw in her jug of water, until all she heard was the dissonant sound of air sucking against a shallow puddle at the bottom. Her thirst quenched, Apple Bloom stood up again and walked towards the buckets and poles she would be carrying her freshly bucked cargo in. It was a dance she had become well practiced in.
Apple Bloom sat at the dining room table, resting her front hooves against the wooden surface of the table. Since she concluded her break and emptied her cup, she had been in constant motion ever since. Now, at almost five in the evening, the fatigue she had eschewed so often throughout the day had finally caught up to her. The young earth pony was equal parts hungry and tired, and she didn't know which sounded more appealing - eating whatever Big Mac had prepared for dinner, or laying her head down to sleep. The large red stallion standing over the stove uttered a contented grunt, signalling that the meal was finished. Apple Bloom lifted herself from her slouch, and decided that she could keep her eyes open for a bit longer to eat.
"Here you go, AB," Big Mac told her as he placed a bowl of steaming liquid down in front of Apple Bloom's eagerly awaiting smile.
"Thanks," she uttered in reply, taking her spoon in hoof and stirring to hopefully dissipate the heat to an edible temperature. Through the steam, she could see the chunks of tomato, potato, and carrots swimming in the broth within. "Vegetable Soup again?"
"Eeyup." Her brother sighed, pouring himself and Applejack a bowl. "I know you're probably sick of it, seeing as it's all we've had the past few days an' all, but..." He gently beat the ladle against the inside of the pot to knock any excess liquid off of it before setting the utensil on the cutting board and placing the glass lid atop the soup to keep it warm.
Apple Bloom shook her head, though Big Mac was turned around and couldn't see it. "Oh no! Ah understand. It's cheap, easy to make, good for ya, and tasty to boot." It was still too hot for to test this particular batch, though she suspected it was probably composed of leftovers from dinner the night before anyways, and would taste just as good.
"Still..." Big Mac sighed again. "I know you're used to better. Back when-"
"No. It's fine." Apple Bloom interrupted sharply, knowing exactly where Big Mac was going with his train of thought. "Is Applejack comin' to eat with us tonight?" She asked, both out of curiosity and to steer the subject from the rocky waters. "It's been a while since we all ate together."
"Eeyup, I should think so. APPLEJACK!" He shouted suddenly, causing Apple Bloom to jump ever so slightly in her seat.
An annoyed and distant voice came from the doorway. "Yes?"
"Soup's on. Come in an' eat."
"Just - Just a couple minutes!"
Big Mac didn't look particularly convinced. "Watch this," he whispered to Apple Bloom. "Applejack..." He called out slowly, deliberately.
"Ah said just a couple minutes!"
"Applejack..." Big Mac drawled again, smiling at his younger sister cracking up in front of him.
"ALRIGHT!" There was a commotion coming from the other room, and the unmistakable sound of four chair legs scraping across the floor. Apple Bloom could hear faint grumbling getting louder as a series of hoofsteps neared the dining room. With a cross look on her tired face, Applejack walked in and grumpily sat down at the table where her bowl was waiting for her. "There, Ah'm here. Happy?"
"Eeyup," Big Mac answered, winking at Apple Bloom from across the table.
"Land's sake, Big Mac, this is too hot to even eat!" Applejack mumbled as she stirred the soup forcefully, a small drip of broth running down the side of the bowl . "Ah was in the middle of organizing a whole bunch of receipts and other documents, you coulda let me finish."
"I - we - thought it'd be nice to sit down and eat together," Big Mac explained, pointing at the wide eyed Apple Bloom opposite him at the table. "Thought it'd be nice to talk."
"Okay, then. What do you want to talk about?" Applejack crossed her hooves in a haughty fashion.
"How was your day, Applejack?" Apple Bloom piped up energetically, her fatigue evaporated like the steam from her soup.
"Fine."
"Whadja do?"
"Paperwork."
Apple Bloom frowned, dismayed at the short and unfulfilling responses from her sister. She had hoped for a pleasant meal, with jokes and conversations, and plans for the weekend, like old times. But ever since Applejack had taken a step down from the physically taxing work on the farm, her mood had been getting noticeably more irritable. She had taken the reigns on the logistics side of Sweet Apple Acres and it's enterprises, and that meant poring over cabinets and drawers filled with paperwork that Granny Smith had been handling. Apple Bloom admitted she didn't fully understand how something as simple as selling and delivering apples and apple-based products could conjure so much red tape, but as Applejack was keen to remind them, "it needed to be done".
"More tax stuff?" Apple Bloom asked timidly, unsure exactly what it was she was asking, but she was determined to try and get the conversation flowing.
"Is it ever!" Applejack cried as she removed her hat, setting the brown cover on the empty chair beside her. "There's taxes for every darn thing! And of course, when it comes to filing time, since we're a business, the tax folks need to see this years AND last years receipts, and the way these papers were scattered around the office, it's a wonder that Granny Smith could keep everything straight!"
Applejack drew in a deep breath, and Apple Bloom could tell from the melancholy expression on her freckled face that the mention of Granny Smith was still a sore spot for her. Not that it was any less pleasant for the younger of the two sisters, either.
"She really was a special mare, Applejack... Ah miss her," Apple Bloom said throatily, feeling that odd burning sensation in her eyes as tears threatened to form.
"Ah do too, Apple Bloom. Ah do too."
"Eeyup."
For the next couple of minutes, the table had grown silent other than the sounds of soup spoons clinking in the bowls, and the occasional slurping. But then, much to Apple Bloom's delight, Applejack broke the silence.
"How was your day, Apple Bloom?"
Apple Bloom's face lit up, her recollection of the days events quickly wiping away the melancholy of Granny Smiths absence.
"It was really good! It was another scorcher, but Ah finished all of my chores this mornin' and this afternoon, Ah bucked the hay out of my section of the orchard. Almost beat Big Mac, but he barely finished before I did."
Applejack looked bemusedly at her brother, who hid his face behind the bowl he was slurping from loudly. With one of the first smiles that Apple Bloom had seen in days, her sister turned back to the filly.
"Good job, sis. Definitely an Apple, through and through. Ah'm awful proud of you, and..." Applejack paused for just a moment. "And, Ah really want to thank you for stepping up to bat for us these past few months. You've no idea how helpful it's been, especially considering the late start we all got after sortin' ourselves out."
Apple Bloom followed her brother's example, hiding her blush behind a bowl of delicious, and still somewhat uncomfortably hot, vegetable soup. When she finished, she lowered the dish slowly, her face still flush, and offered as nonchalantly as she could a simple "Thanks."
"Ah mean it. Ah know it hasn't been easy, and you've had to make more sacrifices than somepony your age ought to be makin'." Applejack continued. "Ah know Ah ain't exactly been too clear about that, but it really means a lot."
"Nothin' to it, Applejack," Apple Bloom replied, though this wasn't exactly true. Apple Bloom would be lying if she said she hadn't been affected by the change. Most of all, she missed the summer days devoted to relaxing, and the time with her friends that she had been granted (and admittedly, taken for granted as well) a year ago. She hadn't been on a crusade in what felt like forever, only seeing her friends when they stopped by to see what she was up to. As Apple Bloom's answer to that question grew more and more predictable, she saw less and less of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. A thought entered Apple Bloom's mind, no doubt spurred by the praise her sister was doling out.
"Say, Applejack..." Apple Bloom started as casually as she could muster, her calmness showing on her face, but underneath the table, her left leg was bouncing furiously.
"Mm?" Her sister looked up at her, the wooden spoon filling her mouth preventing a more eloquent reply.
"I was wondering if maybe, since Ah've been working so much, and so well, these last couple of weeks if maybe Ah could hang out with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo this weekend? Maybe?" She added again for good measure, doing her best to disguise how badly she wanted her sister to say that it was alright.
"This weekend?" Her sister asked for clarity, a worried expression spreading across her face.
"Y-yeah... You know, to relax? S-since Ah've been workin' so hard and all?" Apple Bloom's subtlety vanished.
"The thing is, sugarcube..." Applejack started, exchanging an uneasy glance with Big Mac, who wore a similarly pained look. "This weekend, your brother and Ah are headin' out to make some deliveries over to Baltimare and Manehattan before the storm rolls in here."
"Alright?" Apple Bloom acknowledged hopefully.
"And, well, we were countin' on you to watch over the farm for us while we were gone, especially if the storm is going to be as big as Rainbow was tellin' me," Applejack concluded.
"So, can they come over here?" Apple Bloom pleaded, though she knew full well what was coming next.
"You already know how your sister and I feel about having your friends over when we're gone," Big Mac answered much to Apple Bloom's surprise and dismay - she had planned on begging him to convince Applejack to change her mind if she said no.
"But why? Ah can take of the farm, and we won't get into any trouble, honest!"
"And we trust you, AB," Applejack assured her calmly. "And, we know that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are good ponies at heart. Thing is, we don't want anypony over while we aren't here in case somepony gets hurt, or if y'all three get in over your heads around the farm while crusading and something happens."
"But we won't get hurt! Don't y'all trust me to hold the fort? What's the worst that could happen?"
"A dangerous question," Big Mac interjected solemnly. "I almost got married to your teacher once, and your cousin very nearly got seriously hurt during that parade. I know you don't mean it, but those things tend to happen when you three get together."
"And let's not forget you sneakin' off to help make a delivery and nearly getting killed," Applejack added. "Ah don't think you would have done that if your friends weren't there to help you. Your brother's right."
"But - But Ah haven't seen my friends in forever! They probably forgot that Ah even exist!" Apple Bloom shouted from across the table, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"That's silly, and you know it, Apple Bloom," Applejack said. "Why don'tcha have them come over on Monday after we get back and the storm has blown over?"
"Because they know better!" Apple Bloom snapped angrily, pounding her hoof on the table.
"What in tarnation is that supposed to mean?" Applejack cried back, the volume of voices in the room steadily escalating.
"Because every time they come over, all they do is help me with chores around the farm. By the time we're finished, we don't have any energy to do anythin' else!"
This time, it was Applejack that was tongue-tied. The mare looked to Big Mac for help, who stared back at her helplessly, unable to say anything to dispute it. "Listen, Apple Bloom," she finally eked. "We know it's been hard on you, but-"
"-But nothin'! This is downright unfair! Ah want to be able to have a social life again! Just because YOU shut yourself away from your friends don't mean that Ah should be forced to abandon mine!"
All pretense of calm had been abandoned.
"Now listen here, young 'un!" Applejack shouted. "You think havin' to spend less time with your friends to help your family is so bad? Who do you think took care of you instead of havin' fun when - when -"
"Applejack!" Big Mac uttered warningly, trying to defuse the conversation after it had already blown wide open.
"No! She has no right to act like such an entitled little thing just because she's finally started puttin' in her fair share!" Applejack shot back, her chest heaving in and out rapidly.
"Mah fair share? That's a lot comin' from from somepony who sits inside all day fussin' over paperwork while Big Mac and Ah bust our humps doin' actual work!" Apple Bloom sniped again, her disregard for hurt feelings utterly apparent.
"Don't mouth off to me, missy! Ah've half a mind to ground you until you're old enough to move out and live on your own!"
"WHAT DIFFERENCE WOULD IT MAKE?" Apple Bloom screamed in her sister's face. She leapt from her seat, the spoon clattering to the floor as it fell from the soup bowl. "Ah hate it here! Ah hate you!" She cried as she galloped up the stairs to her room.
"See? Being a grown-up isn't all fun and games, is it? It's called responsibilities!" Applejack called up the stairs after her, the slightest hint of a smile crossing her face. The door to Apple Bloom's door slamming echoed throughout the house, which had grown eerily quiet after the torrent of voices ceased.
Applejack mumbled under her breath as she returned to her seat to finish her meal, catching Big Mac's disapproving glare as she hopped back into her chair. "What?" She snapped at him with her spoon in her hoof.
"That was completely uncalled for, and you know it," he spoke quietly.
"That's absolutely right, and Ah'm glad you agree with me."
"Not her. You. You should know better than to yell at her for something like that."
"Me? How could you possibly think AH was out of line?"
"Because you ARE grown up, and she's still getting used to this. It's been hard for all of us, AJ, but at least you had Granny Smith to help with raising her after... well, you know."
Applejack sighed exasperatedly, lowering her gaze to look into the bowl of tomato broth.
"You're right, Big Mac... I forget sometimes that she's still just a filly."
Applejack looked upwards again, listening to the faint sounds of her younger sister sobbing into her pillow.
