Growing up as a filly on Sweet Apple Acres means a lot of things. It means you are always welcome. It means you will always be loved.
It also means a lot of responsibility.
Apple Bloom had always been thankful to belong to such a wonderful family, but on days like today, she sometimes wished she could be anyone else.
“Applejack, how much longer?”
The little yellow filly looked up to her big sister, a strong orange mare whose sturdy build bore the payoff of years of honest work.
“Just a few more down this way. What, can't handle a little heat?”
“A little heat?!” the filly squeaked, her red mane a matted mess from the sweat of their labor. “It's like the sun is shining right through the trees!”
Applejack tossed her blonde mane back with a hoof, wiping the sweat off her brow beneath her stetson. She knew to be patient with her little sister, as this was her first time working Applebuck season. “C'mon now, let's finish this last bit.”
Apple Bloom followed her big sister down the hill into the shade of the last row of trees. Empty baskets were strewn below each tree, waiting for a swift kick to collect the harvest. Applejack lined herself up with the first one while Apple Bloom grabbed hold of a smaller basket with her mouth.
“Ready, lil sis?”
“Mhmm!”
Applejack reared up her hind legs and gave the tree a powerful blow. The trunk didn't budge an inch, but a second later, red delicious apples began to rain down all around them.
Apple Bloom scurried around frantically, trying to collect as many as possible, while Applejack watched from her spot a few feet away with a grin. Once the downpour was over, Applejack walked up and looked into her little sister's basket.
“Awwh,” Apple Bloom muttered, eyeing the inside of her basket.
“Better luck next time!” Applejack sat down and pulled a total of two apples out, giving one a big bite.
Apple Bloom sat the basket down and shot a frustrated glare at her sister. “I don't get it! How can you and Big Mac do this every year?”
“Well, sugarcube, it takes practice! And besides,” she said, tossing the other apple over to the nearby baskets, now filled to the brim with ones just like it, “this here is the way we normally do it. We set out the baskets, give the trees a good kick, and let nature do the rest. I'm just showin' ya the ropes so you'll know how to work the fields when you're big enough to do the buckin'!”
Apple Bloom was not amused. “Why can't I be big enough now?”
“You will be sooner than you think, trust me.” Applejack took another bite out of her apple and placed a hoof on her sister's shoulder.
“I hope you're right.” Apple Bloom walked out from underneath her sister's hoof over to her basket. “Which one now?”
“Actually, I'm gonna look through some of these apples and pick out the bad ones. When I do, I'll kick 'em your way, and you catch 'em!”
“Got it!” Apple Bloom grabbed her basket, a new wave of enthusiasm radiating off the little filly. Applejack had been doing her best throughout the day to keep things fun so her little sister didn't get too cranky. While Apple Bloom hadn't collected many apples falling from the trees, it didn't mean she was a bad catch.
Finishing off the last bit of her apple, Applejack found a bruised one at the top of a nearby basket. “First one, get ready!” Applejack threw the apple behind her and gave it a light tap with her hind leg, just hard enough to send it flying straight up without turning it into a mess.
Apple Bloom bounded forward and caught the bad apple with her basket, a dull splat sounding from within. “I did it!”
“Great job, AB! Here comes the next one!”
As Applejack sent rotten apples flying back, Apple Bloom leapt in the air, dove to the ground, and jumped to the side to catch each and every one. Which, in fact, she did.
“See, I told ya you'd be a big help!” Applejack walked over to her sister who was setting down her now full basket. The little filly was glowing at the sight of the pile of smelly, splattered fruit.
“Can we do that again?!” Apple Bloom squeaked with a bounce, looking up with wide, eager eyes at her sister.
“Of course we can! We still got a few trees left, so let's get to it!”
For the rest of the afternoon, the two sisters worked together to finish up the day's harvest. As the sun slowly worked its way toward the horizon, a broad, red stallion made his way through the orchard with a wagon to help carry out some of the baskets. Apple Bloom bounded over to her brother Big Mac and told him all about her first day in the orchards.
An honest day's work complete, the three loaded up the baskets and headed home together while Apple Bloom rested at the top of the wagon.
__________
When the Apple sisters weren't busy with the harvest, they were often busy in the kitchen.
Applejack stood at the counter slicing some apples Big Mac had brought in, while Apple Bloom stirred a bowl of batter at the dinner table.
“Make sure you keep stirrin' back there,” Applejack shouted. “Don't let it sit, not even for a sec!”
“Got it.” Apple Bloom stirred and stirred away, her forelegs becoming warm with the effort as she balanced her rear hooves on a stool. It was hard work, but she knew the end result would be oh so sweet. “Can we eat this one today?”
“Sorry sugarcube, but it's gonna take a while to bake.” Applejack looked over her shoulder at her sister with a sly grin. “That's why Granny popped one in the oven earlier today.”
“Oh boy!” Apple Bloom bounced once on her stool as she continued to stir. “I thought I smelled somethin' yummy!”
After Applejack finished slicing the first set of apples, she pulled out a beautiful golden brown pie from the oven, filling the room with its wonderful scent. Setting it on a nearby countertop, she said, “Soon as I finish the next bit of apples, you and I will have a bite of this here pie. That way, it can cool a bit. Sound good?”
“Uh-huh!” Apple Bloom nodded quickly.
That pie was the perfect reward after a hard day's work in the fields, and a reminder of what they were working toward in the kitchen. As promised, once Applejack was finished, she cleared off a small part of the dinner table and cut three generous slices from the thick apple pie, setting each down on a small plate. As she stepped outside to call Big Mac in, Apple Bloom took a big whiff of the piece set in front of her. “Hurry up you two,” she shouted back to the open front door.
“Yeah yeah, we're comin'.” Applejack walked back in the kitchen, followed shortly by Big Mac, whose coat was partly covered in straw. They sat at the table and joined the filly for their treat.
Right before Apple Bloom went to take a bite, she looked up at her elder siblings and asked, “Hey, where's Granny?”
Applejack smirked as she glanced at the opening leading into the hall. “Takin' one of her naps. Said she'd be up in time to help clean up later.”
Apple Bloom looked around. The kitchen was a verifiable wreck; countertops that lined the walls were covered in apple shavings and juices, not to mention caked flour around the table they were sitting at thanks to her mixing. She knew they were long from being finished with the day.
But sometimes, it's good to take a break with some of your family and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
With a smile, Apple Bloom cut a small piece of her pie with a fork and said, “I'll make sure to help her when she wakes up.”
__________
Thankfully, life on the farm isn't all about hard work. It's also about having fun – and more than just catching some bad apples.
“C'mere, you!”
Applejack galloped around a bushel of hay inside the barn, chasing after the squealing blur that was her sister.
“You'll never catch me!”
Apple Bloom scampered on top of one of the bushels, hoping she might get out of her sister's reach. But before she knew it—
“Gotcha!”
With a single bound, Applejack dove on top of her little sister, the dry hay giving way just enough underneath them to keep her from smooshing the filly.
“Hey, no fair,” Apple Bloom squeaked. “You're bigger than me!”
“Ya got that right!” Applejack sat upright, keeping her sister pinned down as she proceeded to tickle her senseless.
“S-stop it! Haha, g-geroff me!” Apple Bloom squealed and squirmed as she tried her hardest to push her sister off, but she simply wasn't strong enough. “Haha-ah-ah can't— stop it! I can't breathe!”
Applejack threw her front hooves to either side of the filly as she watched her take a long, dramatic breath, then let it all out in one last laugh.
“Sorry lil sis," she said with a smirk, "looks like I'm still the fastest!”
“Only cause I jumped!” Suddenly, the little filly wriggled her way free of her sister's grasp and dove back to the ground.
“Oh no you don't!” Applejack leaped off the bushel of hay, sending her sister squealing out the barn door and around the corner.
Apple Bloom ran as fast as she could, screaming once when she looked back to see Applejack gaining on her fast. She spotted the cask which they used to make grape juice, and without another thought, she hurried up its stairs and dove in…
To an empty vat.
“Aaahh!!” Apple Bloom fell muzzle-first into the wooden vat and crashed into the side, collapsing to the bottom with a hard thud.
“Apple Bloom!” Applejack raced up the stairs and looked inside to find her sister lying motionless at the bottom. Without hesitation, she clambered inside and picked the little filly up. “Apple Bloom, are ya alright? Can ya hear me?” She shook her sister ever so slightly. Her eyes were closed tight as she whimpered softly into her big sister's foreleg. Panic began to grow in the elder mare. But then—
“My turn.” Apple Bloom flipped her whole body toward her sister and proceeded to give her a much deserved tickling in the belly.
“Aahh, no!— haha, wai-wai— you're alright?!“ Applejack was glad to see her sister was just fine, but every attempt to voice her relief was drowned out by the laughter caused from her sister's counterattack.
Once she was satisfied, Apple Bloom pulled back and gave her sister a big smile. “Yup! I'm a big pony, sis! No mean ol' barrel's gonna stop me!” She kicked the nearby wall of the vat with her hind legs and recoiled in pain. “Ouch—hey!”
“Here, lemme see that.” Applejack examined her sister's leg, which thankfully only had a couple small scrapes from the fall.
“Awh, I'm fine, sis. Just… no more jumping fer a while.” She nodded dramatically and looked up at her sister with a cheeky grin.
“That sounds like a good idea.” Applejack pulled the filly up in a hug as the two sat at the bottom of the grape-stained barrel.
__________
When all the work and fun have come to pass, the day must eventually come to an end.
Apple Bloom yawned as she pulled the blankets of her canopy bed toward her chin. Applejack sat beside the filly against the headboard, finishing reading one of her favorite stories.
“… The fox was cornered. Would the hedgehog make it in time? He closed his eyes and waited for his friend to save the day once again.” Applejack closed the book and set it down on the floor next to the bed, eliciting a pout from her little sister.
“It ain't fair. I always think he'll make it this time.”
Applejack smiled a little as she said, “Well, don't you worry. He gets out just fine.”
“Really?”
“Sure does.” Applejack paused, letting her sister's curiosity build.
“… Well, how's he do it?!”
“I guess you'll just have to find out tomorrow night!” Applejack pulled out a new book from behind her, the next in the series, and waved it around her sister.
Apple Bloom reached above her, trying to grab it from her sister's hooves. “Hey, gimme that! Let me least see the cover!”
“Nope!” Applejack quickly tucked the book back behind her. “Yer just gonna have to wait 'til tomorrow!” Apple Bloom pouted again, but this time, Applejack pulled her toward her and ruffled her mane. “Awh, yer just too cute when you make that face!”
“S-stop it, Applejack! I just brushed it!”
“Well, I'm brushing it some more for ya!” Applejack playfully tousled her sister's mane as Apple Bloom squirmed to escape her embrace.
“Ugh, just—“ Apple Bloom finally pulled away, sporting a silly frown. “At least leave the mane alone… geez.” She patted her head tenderly, as if her mane might somehow fall out.
Applejack laughed and gave her a soft nudge. “You wear that bow so much, I don't ever get a chance to do that!”
“Yeah, why d'ya think I wear it?” Apple Bloom tried to form a serious expression, but not even a few seconds later, she broke into a laugh.
Once the two settled down, Applejack grabbed the story books and set them down on a small table just outside the bedroom door, then walked back to Apple Bloom's bedside.
“Hey sis,” Apple Bloom quietly called out.
“Yeah, sugarcube?”
“D'ya think school's really gonna be fun?”
Tomorrow would be her first day, Applejack remembered. With a soft smile, she looked down at her little sister who was holding onto the edge of her blanket. “I'm positive. Why, when I was a filly, I made some of my best memories in school!”
“Really?”
“Ya darn tootin'! There'll be lots of other fillies and colts your age, and you'll get to make friends and do all sorts of fun things with them!”
Apple Bloom shuffled a little under the covers. “D-do you really think so?”
“I know so.” Applejack gave a sure nod and smile. “You just wait.”
Apple Bloom looked off the side of her bed. “… I'm a lil' scared.”
“Hey, it's alright to be scared," Applejack cooed as she sat next to the bed. "I was too the first time I ever went to school.”
“… You were?”
“Yep. I'd never been around other ponies my age, 'cept family 'n such. But it was one of the best experiences I ever had!” Applejack gave her a reassuring smile. “And I'm sure it will be for you too.”
Apple Bloom smiled in return, her eyes struggling to remain open as she fought to stay awake. “I sure hope so.”
“Tell ya what. When I pick you up from school tomorrow, we'll stop by Pinkie Pie's and get us a couple of cupcakes on the way home. Whad'ya say?”
As much as Apple Bloom loved the pies they baked at home, Pinkie Pie's cupcakes were always something she could look forward to. “That sounds great,” she whispered as she started to let her eyes fall close.
“Alright then.” Applejack gave her sister a goodnight kiss, then walked to the doorway. “Goodnight, AB. Sweet dreams.”
“G'nite, sis.”
With a smile, Applejack quietly closed the door behind her before walking over to a nearby window. Looking out at the clear night sky, she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
As a cloud passed overhead to reveal the moon, something glistened in her peripheral vision. Turning to her side, Applejack saw the end table where she sat the story books down. A single picture frame sat behind the books, reflecting the moon's rays streaming in through the window.
Wiping a hoof across her brow, she stared at the dark photo for a moment before hearing a set of heavy hoofsteps come from behind her. She looked over to find Big Mac walking up the stairs with a tired expression.
The stallion strolled up beside his sister, glancing at the photo for a moment. With a sigh, he looked back to Applejack. The two gave each other a knowing, exhausted smile.
Turning their attention to the night sky outside, Big Mac placed a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. With a contented sigh of her own, she leaned into his side and whispered, "Another day done."
The two enjoyed the silent moment together as they reminisced on life at Sweet Apple Acres.
