Ten Days, Ten Pony Stories

Ten Days, Ten Pony Stories

Day 2: The Wheatworms, by Applejack

Spike, write this f'r me, sugarcube.

Howdy, y'all!

I’m Applejack, the loyalist of friends, 'n' most dependable of ponies. I work in my farm, Sweet Apple Anchors, with my family, the Apples!

So, I got this letter from this ‘DrWhoFan’ fella with a number ‘611’ 'r somethin’, sayin' he wants me t' write a story about me f'r him. Twilight told me ‘bout this, 'says that she herself got a letter too 'n’ wrote about the time Ditzy borrowed a book. So, I accept, 'n’ have Spike write this fur me.

Hope y’all will like it!

Y'r Honest writer,

• Applejack

It all started nice 'n' early in the morin’, you see, when I was a-buckin' 'em apples- like I always do. It woulda had been a perfect time f'r  buckin’ apples if it weren't f'r what I discovered on that fateful day.

        “What in tarnation!?” I asked when one of my apples rocked in a odd way. I looked closely at the apple, th'n somethin’ popped out. I flinched, then saw what it was. “Worms,” I said aloud. “Jus’ typical. 'Looks like that one’s a-goin’ t' waste.” I pushed the apple ont' the ground f'r it t’ suffer that disgustin’, ugly, no-good-free-loadin’ worm. I carried the basket on the way back t' the farm, 'n' whistled my favorite tune t' myself on the way.

        “What in tarnation is that!?” my little sis', Applebloom, exclaimed while she was a-pointin’ at my basket. I looked, 'n’ saw the whole thing started t’ shake.

        “What in Celestia’s mane…?" I mumbled t' myself. I dropped it down t' take a look, th'n suddenly there came 'em worms everywhere, in every apple! I stared at them with a very cold, disgusted look. 'Em worms eat like a starvin' 'coon berried 'n a trashcan 'n a cold win'r day. I could hear my big brother, Big Macintosh, stop his wagon suddenly. He definitely saw them worms that was in my basket. “Big Mac'…” I said, “... it’s a-startin’ again, is it?”

        “Eeyup.” he answered.

        “Time f'r a little pesk control?”

        “Eeyup.”

        “Big Mac... we need Granny Smith...”

        “Eeyup... I’ll get her…”

        “-... why, those disgustin’, ugly, no-good-free-loadin’ worms! They’re worth not'in’, I tells ya! Not'in’!” said my good ol’ Granny Smith, the oldest of us all. “Why, we hadn’t had a wheatworm plague since I was a little filly, like Applebloom is now.”

        “Hey! Ah ain't little!” spat little Applebloom.

        “Hush now, sugarcube. The grownups are a-talkin’.” I ordered her.

        “Anyway,” Granny continued. “From what I remember back in my day, was that we use to smoke 'em wheatworms out with that ol’ bee smoker we used. I think itmight of worked... it’s worth a try.”

        “Ah heard you can kill a worm with wheat!” Applebloom rudely interrupted.

        “Not now, Applebloom!” I scolded. “Now, where did our great grandparents even keep that ol’ bee smoker?” I asked Granny.

        “Ohhh… I can’t remember! It’s been so long, I don’t think I remember where pa 'n’ ma kept it! It could be in the kitchen, or the apple cellular, or in the attic, or-”

“- Or maybe right here.” said Big Macintosh, and gestured to the dusty ol’ drawer.

“Ah, good job Big Mac!” I congratulated.

“Now wait jus' one pony-pickin' moment; so if ah talk after Granny was done talkin’, y’all take it interruptin’. But if Big Mac' talks while Granny was a-talkin’, y’all say, ‘Good job’!?” Applebloom whined.

“Why, Applebloom! I told you t’ hush! Now be a good little filly 'n’ stay outta the way so the big ponies can handle it, you hear!?” I scolded her with a stern look.

“But-"

“- No buts, Applebloom! To y'r room, now!!!” I yelled. She gave me the stink-eye, that little stinker, then crawled her way upstairs t' her room- like I told her to. And she thought I wasn’t a-lookin’ when she stuck her tongue out before she got in her door.

        “Ah… AJ?” said Big Macintosh.

        “What!?” I asked.

        “I think you were bein' a bit harsh there.” he stated.

        “Why, in all the- didn't ya see how Applebloom was disrespectin’ me back there!? Bic Mac', she’s just a little filly!”

        “You d'rn tootin’! Why, I was just as irresponsible when I was a little filly. When my parents told me t’ hush 'n' I kept on a-talkin’ anyways, they woulda give me a good spankin’! Y'r kinder compared t' how foals were raised back in my day.” Granny Smith agreed.

        “Well, I think y'all should listen to Applebloom a little more. She’s smart filly, you know. Size just does not matter sometimes.” Big Mac advised.

        “Why, out of all the wise things you had ever said, that’s the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard! She’s a filly, I'm a mare, 'n’ you're a stallion. She’s a little pony, we’re big ponies. Got it!?” I angrily spat with a close glare, shootin’ him right in the eye. He stayed silent 'n’ calm, like he always is. So I considered that close enough to a 'yes', then moved on. “Now, let's get a move on! We got some wheatworms t’ get rid of!”

        “Alrighty, you lazy, mindless, free-loadin’ varmints! We work f'r our food, 'n’ ponies pay f'r our food! Now it’s y'r turn t’ pay; y’all are a-gonna’ be wiped out, you hear!? Even it’s the last thing I do!" I announced to 'em worms proudly while I aimed the smoke gun at the same wagon of apples I found 'em in ('n' most of those perfectly good apples had been ruined 'n’ ready t’ rot, those poor things). "Prepare t' be exterminated!” after I said that, Big Macintosh shuddered at the word. (well, as clearly frightened as he could get, really) Gave him the willies f'r some reason.

        “Wait f'r it…!” Granny yelled while she wore a silver helmet made f'r war. ('n’ t’ pressure 'em jars f'r zap-apple jam season) “Ready… FIRE!!!”

Right on her command, I shot a ton of smoke right towards the wagon. “Ha! How do like them apples, you freeloaders! Oh, wait, y’all can’t enjoy 'em no more, Y'R ILLIMIMATED! HA!!!”

        “Um… AJ…"

"Yeah, Big Mac'?"

        “I know this sounds like somethin’ we said three years ago on applebuck-season, but… ‘how do you like them apples’?”

At first I didn’t get what he was sayin’, but then the apple trees started t’ shake, 'n’ out came the worms all over our field as far as I could see!

(Twilight told me to add that after that episode, Twilight calculated that only 25% of AJ's field was infested on that day, not all of it. -Spike)

F'r once Big Macintosh was right, but I honestly wished he wasn't that time.

“Celestia! Now that’s jus’ dandy, Luna-d'rn dandy!” I swore.

“Applejack! You watch that little ol’ mouth of y'rs, young filly! Why, back in my day, I would'a' been slapped f'r that!” Granny scolded.

“Sorry Granny…" I said through my teeth, then looked at the entire chaos with my own scared little eyes. “... my apples… sweet Celestia, my apples…” I stared off int' the distance with eyes of absolute horror. I was so close t’ losin’ hope. It was like… like I was watchin’ my home burn down, 'n' I couldn't do anything about it. You know what it's like to make somethin' you worked real hard on, then have some distasteful pony who doesn't even appreciate y'r work destroy 'n' consume it? Well, that was basically what I was a-feelin’. Why, that's really sayin' somethin', 'cause I ain't normally all that dramatic! (that’s Rarity’s job. Friend of mine) “Big Mac'…?” I asked t' break the sad silence between the three of us.

“Yes, AJ…?”

“What now…? If we smoke 'em again, they’ll jus’ spread over to the other crops 'n’ stands 'n' ruin everypony else’s work.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac replied.

“So, Big Mac'... got any ideas?” I asked. Granny looked up t’ Big Mac' as well. Together, Granny 'n' I waited f'r somethin’ nice 'n’ deep. We needed it right then. After a moment of silence, he finally answered.

“... I don’t know.”

Those were the words we would had never heard him spoke in that sorta time. He had nothin’, 'n’ it was obvious then that Granny was outta’ ideas too, 'n’ I’m sure as sugar y’all can already tell that I was out too. We stood there; hopeless, unable t' do anythin' about it as all 'em wheatworms enjoyed their winnin’s. I still hear them laughin’ t' this day at me f'r how foolish we all were.

“Stand aside! Twilight’s a-comin’ through!” Applebloom suddenly announced.

“Applebloom! I toldcho t’ stay in y'r room!” I scolded.

“There’s no time f'r that now! Ah asked Twilight ‘bout mah idea, 'n’ ah think-”

“- Why, Applebloom; if I would have said that when I was a little filly, my parents woulda-”

        “- Who cares right now, Granny!? There’s somethin’ serious a-goin’ on now! Not 'back in y'r' day'!”

        “Applebloom!” I scolded.

        “Listen to her!” Twilight ordered. She's another friend of mine. She’s an alicorn; princess too.

        “She’s right. Applebloom’s plan just might work. She has got the Princess of Friendship herself on her side, so it must be good.” Big Mac' defended. “Applebloom, Twilight…?” he gestured them t' continue.

        “Thanks, big brother,” Applebloom thanked with a smile. “Finally! Phew! Now, as we all know now; smokin’ the worms out didn’t work, right? So, as ah tried t' say earlier; ah’d learned in school last week ‘bout how wheat can kill worms, which was what they were famous for. So they call 'em ‘wheatworms’.” she explained, then looked t' Twilight.

        “Applebloom told me of her idea, and I too had studied the same subject a year ago. So after a quick re-read through my book, ‘Handling Worms: Tricks and Techniques That May Help with Your Crops When They are Infested’, to refresh my memory; I did a few quick experiments to test the theory that I may be able to clear all the wheatworms by combining the spreading with the multiplying spell I just learned yesterday. So I think this might work.” Twilight added.

        “You ‘think’!? You mean ya don’t know f'r sure!? How much worse can things get if it turns out it doesn't work!?” I yelled in a panicked tone.

        “Well, how much worse can things get f'r us at this point!? The spell's as simple as this; add 'n’ spread, nuttin’ more! Not like the time when Twilight made the parasprites stopped eatin' all the food!” Applebloom pointed.

"I told you not to mention that again..." Twilight grumbled with a blush.

"Sorry, Twi'..." Applebloom muttered back.

        “Well, I-... it's jus-...” I tried t’ argue, but I jus’ couldn’t. I turned t’ Big Mac' f'r advice. “Big Mac... Applebloom is jus’ talkin’ nonsense, right...?”

        “Eenope.”

        “But… I'm-... it must be-... there’s another way, is there...?”

        “Eenope.”

        “So… we’ll jus' have t' have faith in Applebloom 'n’ Twilight since there’s no other choice, then?”

        “Eeyup.”

        I sighed. “... fine… Twilight, do it. Do y'r magic… go with Applebloom’s idea… she-… she jus’ might be right this time…”

        “That's the sprit, Applejack! That's all I needed to hear." Twilight said determinedly and encouragingly with a grin.

        “Why, Applejack; if I woulda done that back in my day-” Granny tried t' give another lecture, but her voice was muted out from the sound of Twilight’s magic shinin’ through. And then that one little thing; that small, tiny, insignificant little piece of wheat multiplied int' thousands, then flew through my field. And before I knew it, all the worms fell dead.

We won, 'n’ they lost…

(Twilight and I helped Applejack pull through most of those personal details on her feud between her and Applebloom, and we had already pushed hard enough. Applejack said she is not willing to go over what happened next in detail, but the least she gave me was that there were tears and apologies, and also added what she learned afterwards -Spike)

From that day on, I learned t’ always listen t' other ponies, big 'r small. I shouldn’t of let my pride get the best of me; but now I know t' listen to the others' opinions, 'n’ maybe you might learn somethin’.

The End