"Apple buckin'?" Dylan was confused. He'd never heard of such a thing. Both him and Applejack were standing next to an apple tree in the orchard. It was early, and he still had some sleep in his eyes. The sun wasn't even up yet.

"Yup! We here at Sweet Apple Acres pride ourselves on buckin' apple trees and reapin' the rewards!" Applejack proudly declared. She turned away from the apple tree and gave a mighty kick, causing the tree to shake violently before releasing its apples into a basket she had set out under it. "As easy as apple pie!"

Dylan just stared at the now fruitless tree. "And... I'm supposed to be able to do this?"

"It's easy! Ya just gotta practice! Now that you're helpin' out, we gotta get ya prepared for the harvest!" said Applejack. She wrapped a foreleg around Dylan and ruffled up his hair with her hoof. "When I'm done with ya, yer gonna kick with the force of a speedin' train!"

"If you say so..." Dylan said, unsure of his strength. Applejack led him to another tree, expecting him to give it a try. He raised his leg and held his arms to his chest, karate style, like what he'd seen on TV, and kicked with all his might. The tree didn't even budge.

"That's ok, Applejack comforted, "When I was first startin', I couldn't get a single apple. But I practiced over and over until I got it right. I expect you do to the same. I have faith it ya, Dylan. It doesn't have to be right away, and even if ya can't get it before harvest time, ya can always try next time."

"Can't I just pick 'em if I can't kick 'em outta the tree?" Dylan asked.

"Nu uh. Apple Harvest is when we get them at their prime," Applejack explained, "We can't waste too much time. If we take too long, they'll go bad."

"Then I guess I got a lot of kickin' to do..." Dylan said to himself. He began kicking at the tree over and over, starting his practice.

Applejack smiled and picked up her basket already full of apples. "While yer practicin', I'll be takin' the apples I got over to Granny Smith so she can use 'em for tonight's dessert," said Applejack.

Dylan just grunted in response and kept kicking. He kicked, and he kicked, and he kicked, and he kicked, over and over for hours. He didn't want to give up. He owed the Apple family. He couldn't let them down. All that mattered to him was getting better. When he got tired, he rested for several minutes before going back at it. Day and night, he kicked, from the moment he got up to the minute he went to bed.

The first few days were grueling. His legs ached and felt like jelly. He strained just to keep standing up. He would bare the pain and keep kicking, finding what angles were better to kick at. Within the first week, he had gotten the tree to shake slightly. It fueled his determination and made him continue to practice. Applejack would come by and watch at times, cheering him on, and so would Big Mac, occasionally giving him a nod of approval.

His father had always called him worthless, saying he would never be successful. The words would buzz around in his head at times and get him feeling bad about himself, but whenever Applejack saw him looking down, she would give him words of encouragement. It strengthened him, making him feel like he was worth something. He would keep on kicking until...

"Applejack! Applejack! I got it!" Dylan exclaimed as he ran into the home. "I got... hanhh....hahh.... I got my first apple!"

Applejack wrap a foreleg around him and ruffled his hair. "See?" she said, "All ya gotta do is practice!"

Dylan panted, beads of sweat dripping down his face and wetting his white t-shirt. It was the only shirt he had since he arrived. He would wash his clothes behind the barn so no one would see his body with a bucket and a bar of soap that Granny Smith would give him. He would have to wash it again after today.

"I'm so tired... But I gotta keep goin'..." he mumbled, his words slurring a bit, "Harvest is in two weeks..."

"I think," Applejack reassured, "You'll be ready by then. I'm mighty proud of ya!"

Dylan could hear those words echo in his head. No one had ever said they were proud of him. He had constantly sought approval from his father, who never once glanced his way. He felt pride, something he'd never experienced before.

That night, Dylan laid in his bed. Thoughts raced through his head. He felt at home, more at home than he ever did with his father. He kept telling himself that he was only there to pay back the Apples. He felt guilty for intruding on their lives. If he had finished his chores... if he had just gotten inside before the storm started, he wouldn't be burdening them in the first place.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He got up from his bed and walked over to it. He reluctantly opened the door to see Applebloom. "Howdy, Dylan!"

Dylan smiled. He couldn't be mopey around her cute face. "Howdy, Applebloom! Can I help you?"

"Ah just wanted to tell ya that me and Applejack were talkin' about takin' ya to Apple Con this week with us!" Applebloom excitedly reported. This caused Dylan to tilt his head in confusion.

"Apple Con?" he quizzed.

"Yeah! Farmers from around Equestria go there to sell their wares and have fun tradin' secrets! We don't normally go with anyone but family, but Applejack seems very keen on takin' ya with us!"

"Are y'all sure ya wanna take me with ya? I don't wanna be a burdan..." Dylan admitted.

"You don't gotta be nervous! I reckon since you're helpin' us out, you deserve to go and have some fun with us!" Applebloom replied.

"I guess I'll go, but only if y'all are sure," said Dylan.

"Great! I'll go tell Applejack! I'll see ya tomorrow at breakfast!"

After Applebloom left, Dylan closed the door quietly and turned to look outside. "Apple Con, huh? Sounds... fun, I guess."

Author's Note

Tell me how you feel about this story. I'm looking forward to your thoughts. I felt more flow with this one, and it made me feel good!~<3