Pilgrim on Sweet Apple Acres
Harvest time was always break neck busy at Sweet Apple Acres, even for the diligent Apple family. Applejack, Big Macintosh, Applebloom, and Granny Smith stood and surveyed the orchard as they did every year, red dirt under their hooves, the smell of apples saturating the air with just a touch of vinegar from the bad apples on the ground.
The trees looked as if they had more apples on their branches than leaves their branches bending low to the ground reflecting brilliant red, gold, and green in the sunlight making it look more like an orchard of gems.
“Ooooiiieeee, it doesn’t get much better than that!” Applejack whooped flinging her hat in the air.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac replied stoically, not one for words contentment shining in his tired eyes.
“This is the biggest harvest ah ever laid mah ahs on.” Applebloom stared wide eyed, she was easily amazed.
“Shoot, this ain’t nothin’ wha you shoulda seen the harvest on the year of the flood.” Granny Smith reminisced.
“That was a harvest ah’ll never forget.” Applejack pushed her hat back on her mane remembering the fateful bucking. Applejack was always fidgeting with her hat but that was just a part of her.
“Well these apples ain’t gonna buck themselves, move your caboose!” Granny Smith hollered with a grin plastered across her wrinkled visage.
“Eyup.” Big Mac said picking up his apple buckets and trotting off to his harvesting acres.
As soon as Big Mac left Applebloom turned to Applejack, “Can ah help buck this year sis, paaaleeeeeeessssssssseeee?” Applebloom begged flashing her best sad eyes, which would be enough to melt the heart of anypony who didn’t know her.
Applejack steeled her heart she had seen this look before and it always meant trouble. “Heh heh, whoa slow down little filly, you’ll be bucking apples before ya know it but yer a maht small ta be bucking yet.”
Applejack said ruffling her sisters hair, “But ah never get to buck.” Applebloom pouted.
“Tell ya what lil sis, iffn ye can fill these here buckets ah’ll let ya buck to yer heart’s content.” Applebloom couldn’t hold back her smile almost eclipsing her face. SQUEE!
“But ah’m warnen ya sis apple buckin is no joke, ah don’t wanna see ya givin up halfway through yer acres.” Applejack said skeptically.
“Ah won’t let ya down sis!” Applebloom shouted galloping over and winding back for the biggest buck she could manage. Her tiny hooves hit the tree with all the force of a vicious falling feather knocking what few leaves were on the branches off as the immoveable tree sent Applebloom sprawling in a cloud of red dust from the recoil of her buck.
Applejack pulled her hat down low over her face stifling a whinnying laugh “Ah seen ponies buckin trees but ah never seen trees buckin ponies afore. Ye sure bit tha dust that tahm sugar cube, are ye ahlright?” Applejack asked more amused than concerned.
“Eyup.” Applebloom said sullenly brushing herself off.
“Maybe next year sugar cube.” Applejack said consolingly “Wha ah ruhmember when Big Mac and ah were foals, Big Mac was always well Big Mac, he was born buckin. It took me four years afore ah was ready ta buck.”
Applebloom gave Applejack a wounded look, “Ah understand what yer sayin sis but ah still just wanna buck.”
“Soon lil filly, soon.” Applejack said ruffling the filly’s hair again and picking up her buckets “Ah can still use yer help though, could ya set these buckets under all tha trees, and sort out tha bad apples? Ah’d sure appreciate it sugar cube.” Applejack said bucking the tree closest to her.
“Sure thing sis.” Applebloom said glumly trotting off with Granny Smith who was cackling and singing one of her harvesting songs.
They started on the trees closest to Applejack and soon worked their way deeper into the orchard, “Ah wish ah was big enough to buck apples almost as much as ah wish ah had mah cutie mark.” Applebloom mumbled to herself shadow bucking as she set out the buckets.
“As soon as ah’m big enough ta buck ah’ll bring home the biggest harvest they’ve ever seen ah swear it.”
Granny Smith glared at Applebloom with a gaze that meant business, “Watch yer mouth youngun’ usin such language at yer age? Wha iffn ye wer’nt ma grand filly ah’d have half a mahnd ta scrub yer mouth out with soap.”
It took them the greater part of the morning to set out all the buckets, the sun was blazing directly overhead and the only shade was under the low hanging branches luckily for Granny Smith and Applebloom that was where they spent most of their time working. But it was still hot and underneath the trees it was almost stiflingly humid, Granny Smith’s hair became more frazzled than usual as sweat rolled down her forehead.
“Hot one today.” Applebloom observed.
“Eyup.” Granny Smith replied.
They made their way back to the main path at the entrance to the orchard and they saw a pair two legged creatures approaching them from the distance shimmering in the heat waves as they came closer. They were dressed in black waist coats and cravats with black breeches white long stockings and square toed buckle shoes. They both had large powdered wigs. One of them carried a large notebook with a quill and inkwell and the other carried a wicker picnic basket.
“Well ain’t they the strangest critters ah ever laid ah ever laid ahs on.” Applebloom said, Granny Smith just watched them approach with a glint of recognition in her eyes.
“What can we do fer ya gentlemen?” She called out to them as they were close enough to hear clearly.
“Well Mr Stukeley what do you make of this?” The first stranger said to his comrade
“It appears to be a pair of quite charming ponies, the equus ferus caballus family I believe.”
“Ahem!” Applebloom cleared her throat loudly to get their attention.
“Oh, please forgive us, allow us to introduce ourselves I am Sir Isaac Newton loyal knight of her Majesty Queen Anne of England.” He said with a bow, “And this is my compatriot William Stukeley.” He said gesturing to his partner who also bowed “We wish to inquire about the use of your fair orchard for studies in the advancement of the physical sciences.” Sir Newton said gesturing grandly toward the orchard.
“Well ah don’t understand any of them fancy words ya’ll jus said but ah’m sure sis won’t mind as long as ya don’t interrupt tha harvest. What do ya think Granny Smith?”
Granny Smith sized up the two incredulously “Sure, iffn ya can find a place out of the way fer yer studies then yer mahghty welcome ta use our orchard.”
With a smile and a bow Sir Newton thanked them “Our most sincere gratitude, we shall as you say seek out a secluded spot for our studies.” Sir Newton said proceeding off into the orchard.
Granny Smith watched them as they disappeared into the orchard, “What a well mannered young man.”
“What sorts of creatures were those Granny?” Applebloom asked, her face the picture of curiosity.
“Ah seen their kind once before when ah was a filly. It was when the Apple family was wanderin Equestria lookin fer a place to settle down. We came to the edge of Equestria and ah seen em when ah went off on one a ma explorin adventures. Come on young buck only half done, tahm ta sort apples.” Granny Smith said crow hopping off in one of her shuffling dances.
They met up with Big Macintosh carrying a mountain of apples to the cellar. “Did ya already sort through all a them apples Big Mac?” Applebloom asked in disbelief.
“Eyup.” Big Mac grinned at the surprise on her face.
“We better get crackin Applebloom, move yer caboose!” Granny Smith said picking up her pace, sorting the apples was easy all it took was a half second glance and a toss over the shoulder into the vinegar basin or setting it back in the pile. The afternoon passed almost as quickly as Applebloom and Granny Smith sorted the apples.
Applebloom was exhausted, hot, and hungry it had been a long day. She dragged her hooves as they made their way to the last tree to sort the apples. Applejack was sitting leaned up against the tree waiting for them. All of the sorted buckets had been taken to the cellar except for the ones around this tree.
Applebloom waved to her sister, “Hah there sis, ah thought ya would’ve taken care a this tree all by yerself.”
“Well ah could’ve but ah wanted ta give tha last buck a tha day te ya.” Applebloom immediately brightened up and cantered over.
“Wha thank ya sis this means allot.” Applebloom gushed hugging her sister.
“She’s all yours.” Applejack said beaming.
Applebloom dug in her hooves feeling the dust beneath them, she was going to get a clean buck this time she could feel it. She put all of her focus on the tree trunk behind her taking a couple slow practice bucks and adjusting her position feeling for the tree’s sweet spot that would bring the apples down from the branches.
She wound back her hooves for the last time every muscle tensed to the limit, took a deep breath and, “YIPPIEKIYAY!” Applebloom hollered throwing her weight into the buck giving her tired hooves more force.
She felt the tree shudder under her hooves and time seemed to slow as she held her breath looking up in the branches for anything to fall. Then after what seemed like an eternity a golden delicious plummeted from it’s perch.
“Awww yeeeeeeah!” Applebloom shouted imitating Rainbow Dash.
From the far side of the tree “Ow, by Jove one of those infernal apples struck me on the head.” Came a familiar voice.
“What in tarnation?” Applejack asked peering around the tree. There on a picnic mat were Sir Isaac Newton, William Stukeley, and Twilight Sparkle all drinking tea in the shade of the tree.
“Oh, we’re sorry Applejack we didn’t mean to intrude we thought you knew we were here.” Twilight apologized.
“Ya know yer always welcome in ma orchard Twahlaght, ah just wish ye’d let me know when yer bringin company over.”
Just then Sir Newton’s eyes light up and he looked over at Mr. Stukeley and said, “Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground? Why should it not go sideways, or upwards, but constantly to the earths centre? Assuredly the reason is that the earth draws it. There must be a drawing power in matter, and the sum of the drawing power in the matter of the earth must be in the earths centre, not in any side of the earth. Therefore does this apple fall perpendicularly, or toward the centre. If matter thus draws matter; it must be in proportion of its quantity, therefore the apple draws the earth, as well as the earth draws the apple.”
“Brilliant! That must be it!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Ah’ve no idea what ya’ll er talkin about.” Applejack said perplexed.
“Don’t you see Applejack this explains everything! The reason that we are able to walk the ground of Equestria and not fly off into Luna’s Space it’s gravity!” Twilight chattered excitedly.
“Sure Twahlaght, next ah suppose you’ll be tellin me that a cannonball and an apple dropped at the same tahm from the same haght will hit tha ground at tha same tahm.”
“That is precisely what it means!” Sir Newton said pacing.
“And ah suppose that means Equestria is round lahk this here apple.”
“Precisely, Precisely!” Sir Newton said getting more and more excited.
“Well ain’t that the biggest load a horse apples ah ever did hear.” Applejack said mockingly, “Ya’ll er bound to be executed ba Celestia’s royal inquisition.” Applejack exclaimed harshly.
“Uh, Applejack I believe you’re thinking of Galileo and I’ve never heard of Celestia executing anyone.”
All of a sudden Sir Newton threw up the West Coast sign and shouted, “Word to thine mothers, foals!”
Applebloom saw the sky shatter as she heard her sister’s voice seemingly coming from everywhere. “Hey Applebloom, up an at em lil filly!”
Applebloom rubbed her eyes as she came awake, it had all been a dream? But it had been so vivid, “Ah told ya not ta eat all them apple strudels afore bed tahm silly filly. Tahm ta get up we got ah big harvest ahead a us.” Applejack said walking back out of Applebloom’s room.
