An Apple in a Bushel of Peaches

Chapter 1 - ‘Crushes’

An Applejack in the Vogonverse Story

Ah groaned as Ah pulled the wagon of peaches, peach jelly, and peach preserves upta the Market. Robert and Stephanie came out thankin’ me and they brought Apple Bloom a piece of Honeycomb. Ah didn’t have the heart ta tell ‘em not ta do it. After all they liked all of us purty well, and Ah liked them.

“APPLE BLOOM!” a young human colt’s voice yelled.

Ah watched ma little sister’s become excited, and she jumped off of the wagon in time to get a hug from Harold. The little fella lifted ‘Bloom off the ground. She let out a surprised squeak before she bared down on him and hugged him hard. Ah let out a laugh and I watched as ‘Bloom’s face bushed somethin’ furious. She stepped back from the hug and tried ta fix on me with a glare.

“I think think it’s sweet that they’re both so sweet on each other,” Stephanie said.

“Mom!”

Ah watched the little human colt look plum embarrassed. He kicked his left foot on the ground for a moment before Ah walked over and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“Ain’t nothin’ ta be embarrassed about. ‘Bloom talks ‘bout ya all the time,” Ah said.

“APPLEJACK!” ma sister shouted.

Ah smiled at her as she looked like she was ready to bite some roofin’ nails in two. Ah laughed again and started toward the wagon. ‘Bloom followed me and grabbed a flat of peach preserves.

“Applejack, that was purty low,” she whispered.

“‘Bloom, Ah’m jest messing with the both of ya’ll. ‘Sides, if’n something does happen and ya’ll get together he’s gonna need to be ready fer a little pickin’,” ah whispered back.

She shook her head and carried the flat inside. Harold came over, grabbed a flat, carried it and both Stephanie and Robert started working on the peach bushels with me.

“Harold’s got a birthday coming up, and since he and Apple Bloom are such good friends we thought that we’d like to invite her,” Stephanie said.

“That’s mighty nice of ya’ll. Ah’m sur we could bring her on out here,” Ah replied.

We worked together fer a little to unload that old wagon. When it was finished I leaned against it and took a breath. It wasn’t that Ah wasn’t used to hard work. Being a farm mare Ah’m used to working from sun up sun down, but it feels a little different here. Ah’m feeling strong, but the first couple of weeks it took me twice as long to haul this old wagon out here, and now it’s easier.

That’s not the only thing. Ah’ve seen the reaction of the peach trees to me. At first Ah was jest buckin’ ‘em, but over the last month Ah’ve watched how much bigger and sweeter the peaches have been gittin’.

“Applejack, would you like a glass of cider?” Robert asked.

Ah felt ma ears perk up. Cider, Ah hadn’t had cider in a dog’s age! Ah nodded my head and he motioned fer me ta follow him. We walked into the market, and he popped the cork on a glass bottle. He poured me a mason jar full of the amber liquid. It was worth more to me than all the bits Ah’d ever see. He pushed it over, and Ah took the first drink. It wasn’t Sweet Apple Acres Cider. The slight tart bite told me that, but it was good and cold. Ah loved every single swallow, and when Ah finished Ah put the jar down and smiled at Robert. He grinned, took the jar, washed it out, and put it back up.

“So where’d that cider come from?” Ah asked.

Robert looked at the bottle and shook his head, “It’s from Rider Farms. I’ve heard about those places, and while they ain’t Corporate Farms… They’re close.”

The mention of Corporate Farms made me mad as a hornet. Big Mac had told me ‘bout some of the things they did, and not a lick of it sounded good. He even told me about the bruiser they tried to send over to scare him and Jessica off of our farm. Ah’d plum like to see ‘em try that again! Robert looked at me and Ah shook my head.

“Ma brother had some trouble with a Corporate Farm a while back,” Ah said.

“We heard. They sent over Anthony. I really hope it wasn’t because of us,” Robert said.

Ah shook my head.

“Naw, Jessica dun figured that they was a wantin’ to scare ‘em off ‘cause of the amount of business they were a doin’,” Ah said.

Robert nodded his head and walked out from around the counter.

“That makes sense I suppose. I’m just glad that Mac was there,” he said.

“Ya and me both. I dun wanna see anythin’ happenin’ to Jessica. She’s been right good to ‘Bloom and me,” Ah said.

“She’s good people,” Robert replied.

Ah grinned and walked out with him. Apple Bloom had broken her honeycomb in half and was sharing it with Harold. He in turn was sharing his Coke with her. Ah dun tried that once, and it ain’t bad, but Ah ain’t too fond of it neither. ‘Bloom sure liked it though. She took a drink, and handed him back the bottle. Ah know she didn’t think that Ah was a watching, but Ah saw her lean over and give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Isn’t that just the sweetest thing you ever saw?” Stephanie whispered.

Ah nodded. It was mighty sweet, and Ah knew better than to tease her ‘bout it. There are things that are open season. Knowin’ she likes somepony is one of them, but a first kiss is different. Even if’n it’s an innocent peck on the cheek a first kiss is somethin’ ya never tease ‘bout. Ah kept ma thoughts to maself. Harold’s a good colt, a bit excitable, but a good colt, and Ah figure he won’t try to talk ‘Bloom inta somethin’ she ain’t ready fer.

“‘Bout ready ‘Bloom?” Ah asked.

She looked at me a little surprised, and then she nodded.

“Come back and see us whenever you want,” Stephanie said.

“We will, and if’n ya’ll want Ah’ll tell Mac and Jessica ‘bout the party too,” Ah replied.

She nodded. It’d be good to be with friends. Ah got hooked up to the wagon, and ‘Bloom and me made our track back to the farm.

“Sis, what do ya figure Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are a doin’?” she asked.

“Ah can’t say Ah know ‘Bloom. Ah know Big Macintosh said that he dun saw Pinkie a while back. He said she t’was with a right nice fella. Ah guess that if’n she’s here then maybe Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are too,” Ah said.

“Where do ya reckon they are?” she asked.

“Ah dun know ‘Bloom. Ah figure they got ta be around somewhere, and Ah’m sure that they’ll find ya. The three of ya were peas in a pod. Ain’t nothing gonna change that,” Ah said.

“Ya think that they’ll pick on me ‘bout Harold?” she asked.

“‘Bloom, they’re your friends. Of course they’re gonna pick on ya a little, but only ‘cause they like ya,” Ah replied.

We got back to the farm in time to see a large figure walking toward the barn. Ah saw a torch in his hand and saw him trying to toss it.

“Hold it right there!” Ah yelled.

He didn’t even wait. His wrist flicked and Ah saw the torch hit the hay loft of the barn. Ah saw Big Macintosh running fer the barn and Ah ran toward the big fella. He tried to out run me, but ain’t no one gonna outrun a set of apple, and recently peach, bucking legs! Ah jumped and tackled him knocking ‘im to the ground. ‘Fore Ah could get a word out Ah felt something hit me right across ma muzzle.

I rolled off and he stood up.

Now, Ah’ve seen all kinds of these humans, but this was the first time Ah’ve ever seen one that looked like he could be a match for Big Macintosh.

“You wanna tussell do ya?” he asked.

“Mr. Ya ain’t never known what a tussell is until ya’d tusselled with an Apple,” Ah replied.

He jumped toward me, and Ah jumped back. Ah kicked out with my right leg and felt it connect with part of him. Ah expected him to slow down, but instead he caught my leg, twisted it, and made me lose balance. Ah heard ‘im falling, and Ah rolled outta the way. Ah got ta my hooves and watched him get to his feet.

In the dim light Ah could see the slight crook in his nose that Big Macintosh had caused in their fight.

“Don’t ya get it? Yer not takin’ on a single guy here! Yer takin’ on the entire McDonald’s Corporate Farm! They ain’t gonna let this be!” he shouted.

“Mister, if’n they plan on takin’ on us they better pack a lunch, ‘cause we’re in this for the long haul,” Ah said.

He grinned, but the entire time his eyes seemed to follow ever’ move Ah made. Ah could tell that Ah wasn’t just having a tussell with somepony who didn’t know how to fight. He knew, and he was waitin’ fer me to make a mistake.

He moved toward ma left, giving me a half hearted kick. Ah reacted like he must have wanted, ‘cause he stopped the kick and instead jumped toward me. Ah felt his shoulder connect with ma waist, and suddenly Ah was knocked to the ground. Ah kicked up and Ah saw his eyes close tight. There was no doubt in ma mind that Ah got ‘im in the tater sack.

He groaned, rolled away from me, and Ah stood up.

“Damn it, I’m trying to be nice about this. It ain’t often I git folks that can fight,” he said.

“Same here,” Ah replied.

“They ain’t gonna stop. Whatever happened it was enough to piss them off. They’re right mad about it, and they ain’t gonna stop until either they’ve made you move, or you’ve proved that there ain’t a damned thing they can do to get to ya,” he said.

“Like Ah said, they’re gonna have ta pack a lunch,” Ah said.

He smiled at me, turned, and waved.

“Maybe we’ll see each other again,” he said.

“Ah otta take what ya did outa yer hide!” Ah shouted.

“I’ll give you another chance,” he replied as walked off of our property.

Author's Note

(And here’s the latest chapter of An Apple in a Bushel of Peaches. Yeah… I’m introducing the Bruiser here, and you’ll get to see the fight between him and Big Mac in Plowed Fields.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

LF)