Saga of the Great Kingdom

Chapter 5: The Eye of the Apple Storm

Applejack finally got back to Sweet Apple Acres. She found that Apple Bloom was looking after Big Macintosh over in the barn, and he didn't exactly look pleased to see her.

"Applejack," he asked, "Where have you been?"

"I'm so sorry I'm late, y'all," she said nervously, "I hadda stop a stampede from overrunnin Ponyville."

(Author's Note: Yes, there was a stampede, but I felt there is not a need to cover the whole thing other than to mention it. She's not lying.)

"That took all mornin?"

"Well no. I can't remember what I did this mornin. The last thing I remembers is going out ta help Apple Storm with t'applebucking, and then I a woke up at Pinky Pie's house. I rustled up Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle to hep us, and they was there at Pinky Pie's too. None o'them could remember a party neither."

Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom looked at Applejack like she was plum loco.

"I swear tha's the truth. Y'all believe me, dontcha?"

"Well," said Apple Bloom, "If you say so, I guess it musta happened."

"Apple Storm is workin like 3 ponies anna dog, an I'm'a worried she's gonna do herself harm," said Big Macintosh.

"I'm on it! I'll make Apple Storm let me hep her no matters what!" =ZIP!=

"They's like birds ofa feather," sighed Big Macintosh.

"What does birds have to do with anything?"

"Nuthin."

"Older folk say the funniest things."

"We does, don't we?"

...

"Oh Odin, All Father," said Apple Storm as she looked up into the sky, "This work is glorious and my new friendship is wonderful. I wish I could stay here."

She looked around to see that all the baskets were in place, then took her hammer by the strap in her mouth. By spinning the hammer at crazy speeds, she slowly rose into the air. When she was about 15 feet off the ground, she hurled the hammer into the ground beneath her. The hammer made the noise of thunder as it struck, and a hundred apple trees dumped all of their apples into the baskets all at once. She dropped to the ground, and slung the hammer over her neck.

As she was packing the apples into the cart, she noticed that Applejack was running towards her.

"Be careful," she said as she ran up to Apple Storm, "I heard thunder around her somewheres, so they gotta be a storm nearby."

"I did not hear it," she replied with an awkward smile as she started collecting baskets of apples and moving them over to the cart.

"Well, I's here to helps you whether you wants my hep or not."

"But Big Macintosh..."

"Apple Bloom is lookin after him, and doin a dang good job if'n I sez so."

"But..."

"NO BUTS! I sez I's helpin you, and I'S HELPIN YOU!"

"Okay, I's sorry for bein sucha bother." She hung her head lower as she said it.

"You ain't no bother, you's kin. I should be apolgizin for lettin you work so hard on your own. I know Big Macintosh would be real sore at me if'n I let you carries on like this."

"Thanks Applejack," sniffed Apple Storm, "I couldn't ask for better kinfolk than you."

"Even the ones way way way way up north?"

"Life's hard up there. The soil is rocky and farmland is scarce. Most folks make there livin out on the sea. Dad and Mom is good folks, but they can't understands why I don't want'ta live by the sea an work offa boat. I have ta work three times as hard to get half the crops cuz the growing season is shorter. You needed a boat just to get to the farm cuz there's mountains on all the other sides of it. I wish I could stays here with you!"

"I had no idea..."

"Well, gotta runs these apples back to the farm. I'll be back quick."

Applejack quietly watched as Apple Storm hooked herself up to the loaded apple cart, and ran off back towards the barnyard. She gathered up some of the now empty baskets, and went off to do some applebucking.

...

Apple Tricks walked around town, looking at how the ponyfolk of Ponyville carried on in their normal lives. Now that she had all of the knowledge she could squeeze out of the library, she needed to gather intelligence on the ponies of Ponyville themselves. Since she thought no one suspected, she didn't even have to sneak around. Even the blatant clues she left in the scroll she deliberately left in Twilight's Library was not enough to arouse their suspicions. She wondered if the soft and easy living had dulled their senses and muted their warrior spirits.

"It would be so easy to take over," she mused aloud.

"Take over what?" asked Pinkie Pie as she poked her head in from apparently no where.

"A new life," she said quickly, "It would be easy for Ponyville to take over my life." Small laugh.

"Oh, so you want to stay here?"

"No, I have to move on to College. As soon as Apple Storm is done playing farmer, we'll be moving along."

"Playing farmer?" asked Pinkie Pie with her head tilted, "What kind of game is that?"

"Nothing. I don't think I will miss you much when I'm gone."

"Aw come on. If you actually attended one of my parties, I'm sure you'd feel differently. Even a certified book worm like Twilight Sparkle comes to my parties! No, really – I've seen her Book Worm Certification. She keeps it on a wall near the door. Heck, even Applejack comes to my parties, and I don't think anyone works harder then her."

"I doubt it."

"You'll come to my 'End of the Applebucking Season Party' even if I have to make Applejack drag you there herself," she said with a scary look in her eyes.

"Okay," squeaked Apple Tricks as she shrank away from Pinkie Pie's scary look.

"Yeah!" shouted Pinkie Pie suddenly happy again.

...

Applejack came across a patch of apple trees where all of them were dead, as if they were killed by a sudden frost. It was a small area compared to the farm overall, and it was on the edge of the property, but still she couldn't understand what happened.

Apple Storm came by and asked, "What'sa matter?"

"Oh," she replied, "Looks like we had a spot of weird weather here. A freak frost killed some of the trees. It don't look bad though."

"Stuff like that happens more often on the farm way way way way up north."

"It almost looks like an ice dragon attacked though."

"Ice dragon?" laughed Apple Storm nervously, "Perish the thought."

"I suppose. I mean, an Ice Dragon would have done a lot more damage than this."

"Yep."

Applejack suddenly stopped, went wide eyed, and then violently shook her head.

"What is it?"

"I mus be daydreamin, cuz I swore I jus saw an Ice Dragon attacking you, and you wuz shielding yourself by crazy spinning y'all's hammer you keeps around your neck."

"Crazy thinkin alright."

"C'mon, some applebucking while put me back in my right mind."

"I's sure it will."

Applejack and Apple Storm went away from the dead trees and back to bucking the good ones.

...

Big Macintosh looked over at Apple Bloom, and said, "Now that Applejack is helping Apple Storm, your cousin's slowed down some. I think Apple Storm is going to be alright now. I wish I could help."

"I could help," offered Apple Bloom.

"When you's a little older, you can helpz our as much as you wants to. Y'all can go play with your Cutie Mark Crusader friends if'n you wants to. I'll be fine here."

"Okay," say Apple Bloom as she skipped away.

Chapter 6: Apple Storm Pie

The week seemed to pass fairly quickly for Applejack. With Apple Storm's able assistance, the job seemed to be much more manageable than when she tried to do it all on her own. She had someone to keep up the pace of applebucking even when one of her friends over in Ponyville required or asked for Applejack's assistance.

There was even talk about another award for saving Ponyville from another stampede, although she would gladly turn down the award if it could make up for the whole bunny stampede incident that happened later on.

She never could quite put her hoof on what the source of the strange thunderclaps were though. Her cousin almost never heard them, and certainly never saw anything that could account for it. The funny part of it all was that she only heard the thunder when her cousin was far away bucking in another part of the orchard. Rainbow Dash couldn't explain them either.

Twilight Sparkle stopped by every day to make sure the work stress wasn't making her or Apple Storm go all wonky on her. She clearly remembered the stress that Applejack put on Ponyville because she was just too stubborn to accept their assistance until she was almost worked to death.

But things were not the same this time. She did have help. Someone she could share the workload with equally and continue the proud traditions of her family. Between the two of them, the apples were getting bucked as fast as she could ever remember.

In fact, she would soon have to go into town with her cousin to sell a few loads of apples just to make enough room to store the rest of them.

...

Applejack, Apple Bloom, Apple Storm, and Big Macintosh all stood in front of the barn. There was two big wagons overflowing with apples just begging to be sold at the market.

"I'm shor glad you's feelin up ta a trip to town, big brother," said Applejack.

"I'd feel better if you'd let me help pull one of those wagons."

"NO WAY, NO HOW!" said Applejack and Apple Storm together. They looked at each other and bust out laughing.

"Now Apple Bloom," said Apple Storm, "I knows you's a big girl an all, but if you should get yourself tuckered out, you jus tell your cousin and I'll put you on my wagon, kay?"

"Hey," said Applejack, "don't you be hornin in on my job."

"You don't have to treat me like a foal, you know," sniffed Apple Bloom.

"I know," they said together again. Giggles.

"Okay," said Big Macintosh, "Let's get these apples to town. Sooner we gets there, the sooner they's sold and the sooner we's gettin back home."

"Okay," they said together again. Giggles.

Applejack and Apple Storm hooked themselves up to the wagons and started on their way to town with Apple Bloom bouncing in front, and Big Macintosh coming up behind.

...

The first stop was the Sugarcube Corner, considering they were among the best customers for the produce of Sweet Apple Acres.

Mister and Mrs. Cake came out personally to inspect the apples, and pick the ones they wanted to buy.

Pinkie Pie was there as well.

"Hey Applejack!" she squeaked as she bounced around the wagons.

"Heya Pinkie Pie!" said Applejack in reply.

"So is this her?" asked Pinkie as she bounced around Apple Storm.

"What? She's been here over a week and I haven't introduced you yet? Where IS my manners?"

"Hi," said Apple Storm.

"This is my 6th Cousin from way way way way up north."

"Way way way way up north?"

"Yup."

"Wow, that must be... uhm... way way way way far away."

"It shore is."

Apple Storm smiled awkwardly.

"So you ARE coming to my 'End of the Applebucking Season Party', RIGHT?"

"If'n it wouldn't be no bother."

"You better agree," said Applejack, "cuz Pinkie Pie here don't take no for an answer. Really, I've tried saying 'no'."

"Okay, I'll come. I promise."

"Hurray!" yelled Pinkie Pie.

She zipped over to Applejack and said, "and you'll help me bake the Apple Pies, RIGHT? I think you owe me one from THE LAST TIME."

"Last time?" asked Apple Storm.

"Don't ask," replied Applejack, "PLEASE don't ask."

"Okay, Cousin Applejack."

Applejack and Apple Storm unhooked themselves from the wagons long enough to help unload a half a dozen bushels of the finest apples in the whole orchard, and then moved them into the pantry.

While passing through the shop, who should they happen to run into but Twilight Sparkle and Spike. Twilight looked a little green under the gills because Spike was eating those "special" muffins again. Twilight had no idea how he reconstructed the recipe, or how he even remotely managed to convince the Cakes to her them bake more of the muffins.

"Hey Twilight, hey Spike," said Applejack, "This here is Apple Storm, my 6th Cousin from way way way way up north. Have you met yet?"

"I don't think so," said Twilight, "but I do remember meeting your other 6th Cousin, Apple Tricks. She's a frequent visitor to my Library. Such an avid reader, too."

"Hey Apple Storm, you just have to try one of these!" He tossed a muffin in her direction. The eyes of everyone went wide with terror as Apple Storm grabbed it out of the air and ate it in one big bite.

She closed her eyes and made a face, puckering her lips like she was trying to suck them completely into her own mouth. Her eyes watered as she chewed, and then everyone watched as she swallowed, the mouthful visible traveling down her throat. She stood perfectly still for several seconds, and no one besides Spike was breathing either.

"Ooo we!" said Apple Storm, "I never hads such fancy city food afore! Y'all eats this good allathe time?"

Everyone aside from Spike and Apple Storm could have been bowled over by a gently falling feather at that point. All of their eyes were huge like dinner plates, and their mouths hung open as they were struck speechless (Even Pinkie Pie!).

"If'n your gonna has fancy vittles like this at y'all's party, I jus knows I'll has a wonderful time!"

She then burped and watched as the little green cloud that came out of her mouth floated up towards the ceiling. "Oh, pardons me," she said.

"Well," said Spike smugly, "It looks like at least one pony around here has excellent tastes."

"When I get home," said Twilight, "I'm going to totally freak out and lose my mind."

"That's okay. I always help you find it again."

"That's reassuring," she replied.

"Well," said Applejack, "Them thar apples is in the pantry, and we has some more stops t' make."

"Why don't you stop by next week," said Mrs. Cake, "We might need to buy some more by then."

Meanwhile, outside the window, the happy scene was being watched by Apple Tricks. "It looks like my half-sister has forgotten why we're here. It's time to make some... reminders."