Apple Family Breeding Program

Big Mac plopped down into the pile of hay at the barn’s wall and let out a long, heavy sigh. A single lamp swayed gently above him, casting a long square shadow of the roof at the tips of his hooves. He didn’t take this place because of a shadow though; the sun had long ago rolled away beyond the horizon and the air was cool and crisp and nibbling at his skin through his fur. No, he took this place just because it was the closest spot he could drop his ass on. He sat there unmoving. Five minutes, then ten, then twenty. Then he tried to move a muscle of his body that wasn’t hurt or strained but failed. So he decided to sit there for another few moments until his time was up. He forced his aching limbs up and shambled home. Not in the direction to his bedroom he really wanted to but to Sweet Apple Acres’ annual business meeting Applejack hosted in the drawing room.

Applejack always chose estrus season for such meetings and this year wasn’t an exception. Instead of working in the fields, she spent most of her time in the pool nearby, cooling her heat. As such, she had lots of free time on her hooves to think about the direction their farm should take in years to come. And now, she had finally come up with her plan and Big Mac was obliged to attend this meeting and stay awake despite all the work waiting for him tomorrow early morning. The situation he found himself in was worsened by the fact that at least he had Apple Bloom helping him the previous years. Not this time. His little sister wasn’t that little anymore and as such joined Applejack on her quest of trying to subdue her heat in the chilly waters of the pool, leaving him completely alone in the vastness of the fields. Not that his sisters would be any help in their current state anyway, Big Mac reckoned. Most likely they would just get in his way and their pungent scent make him even stiffer than he wanted it, sabotaging his work.

It wasn’t like he complained that he had to do almost everything by himself now. He actually quite enjoined the peace and solitude of the fields and the fact that there was nothing but an honest work standing between him and the next day. But there were only so many hours he had in one day and he couldn’t physically finish the job in time no matter how hard he worked. As a result, failed orders and angry clients began to pile up, tainting their farm’s almost impeccable reputation. That was a new and quite unpleasant feeling and it gnawed at him like an itch in his back he had no way to reach.

With a sigh, Big Mac pushed the doors to the drawing room open and walked in. Applejack and Apple Bloom were already waiting for him, their sharp scents permeating the whole room despite every window being set wide open. Big Mac shuffled to a bench in the middle where Apple Bloom was sitting, fidgeting in her seat as she saw him coming, her face tinted with red. He plumped down heavily beside her and threw his head back, making his best to keep his eyes open and not fall asleep right here and now.

Before them, Applejack stood in front of a white canvas scattered with pictures and charts and numbers Big Mac was too tired to process. Most likely something to do with profits and such.

Applejack cleared her throat loudly to get everypony’s attention and took a pointer in her hoof, her visage a mask of seriousness. “Thanks for coming, big brother,” she said, giving Big Mac a short nod. “I know you’ve been working hard for the last week and ain't very interested in the nuts and bolts of how our farm operates but this time I really need close attention of everypony here.” She paused, licking her upper lip nervously. “Our farm is not doing as great as it was in the past and if we don’t change this trend I’m afraid we might lose our business in the future completely.”

Beside Big Mac, Apple Bloom gasped and the stallion himself had to straighten up and turn his eyes to the charts on the canvas, his brows frowning in the mix of concentration and worry. Applejack wasn’t a pony to panic over small things and bring up such bold statements to scare her family without enough evidence supporting such a claim. It was something serious and Big Mac didn’t like the smell of it at all.

Applejack reached up to point at a green line on the first chart. “This is our production volumes.” She traced the pointer over the line, a steady, almost perfectly straight string of data points with slight pits here and there, the biggest one being in the center of the graph depicting the current year. Apple Bloom’s Cutie Mark was pinned under it, further below a note that read “first estrus”. Then the green line straightened again and went on and on to the right for many years to come.

“As you can see, our production volume doesn’t grow at all,” Applejack said. “It’s particularly noticeable during estrus season where me and Apple Bloom can’t assist Big Mac to the fullest extent.” She pointed at the pit with Apple Bloom’s Cutie Mark under it, then continued. “But that’s not the source of my concerns. We could get through this unstable period by putting more of our time beforehoof. But...” Applejack trailed off and let out a puff of air. She pointed at another line, this time red, that began its climb from the very bottom on the left. As she trailed her pointer along this line, it rose and rose until it met the green line in the center of the chart in the current year. It continued to climb up after that even faster, overshadowing everything else and skyrocketing all the way up to the top right corner.

“This red line is consumer demand,” Applejack explained. “When our granny had laid the foundation of this farm, the town was small and its demand for apples was smaller still. But as it continued to grow, more ponies began settling down here, their demand for apple products becoming as diverse as the cultures they had come from. And finally, after Twilight has become a princess and erected her castle, more than ever ponies are now moving to our town to build a life here, some of them are farmers.” Applejack’s brows drew inwards, hard grooves cutting into the bridge of her nose. “We’re already beginning to lose some of our most loyal customers to them because we can’t meet deadlines. In my estimation, we have ten, maybe fifteen years if we’re lucky to rectify the situation and catch up with the demand.”

“But how do other farmers keep up?” Apple Bloom asked hesitantly.

Applejack snorted. “By using machinery,” she said, her snout creasing as if she inhaled something awfully fetid. “Similar to those Flim and Flam used. Of course, the quality of their product is nothing compared to the one we produce with our own hooves but it’s still better than nothing at all. And ponies will eventually get used to it and buy it instead.”

Big Mac cringed at that. Their situation was every bit as bad as he had been expecting and he had not the slightest idea how to fix it. He and everypony on the farm knew that stooping to the use of technology and trading quality for quantity wasn’t an option. He put his head into his hooves, fearing to think of what might become of their parents’ legacy.

“That’s why I came up with this plan,” Applejack said, her voice full of resolve. She turned over the page of the canvas to a new one that didn’t contain any graphs. Instead, it was dominated by a rough pencil-drawn image of a dozen ponies standing together with their smiles wide in front of a building resembling a barn, lots and lots of foals frolicking around them. Applejack slammed the image with her pointer. “Family,” she stated proudly. “It’s already helped us to defeat the technology once but we need a much bigger and stronger family to fight against what awaits us ahead. We won’t lose nothing our parents worked so hard for to these soulless apple juice squeezing machines!” And she stamped her hoof hard against the floor to emphasize her point. “Never!”

Applejack turned over the page again. Big Mac’s eyes went wide as a new pencil-drawn image appeared before him, this time using quite a bit of color. It depicted a red stallion with orange mane mounting a mare with a cowboy hat from behind. Another smaller mare with a big red bow was lying exhausted on a pile of hay not far away from them, her hindlegs spread wide, rivulets of white liquid coming out from her crotch. Big Mac could feel the bench he was sitting on shake as Apple Bloom squirmed beside him harder than ever before, her face a single spot of red. “I was helping sis to prepare the presentation,” she whispered in his ear.

“As you can see, my plan is simple.” Applejack traced her pointer over the smaller pony with a bow, tapped at the splashes of white on her groin. “But it’s not an easy one. We all will have to work hard to raise the foals Big Mac is going to impregnate me and Apple Bloom with. But I am sure they will be an invaluable addition to our family and help us save the integrity of our farm.”

Applejack turned to Apple Bloom and gave her a short nod. “Apple Bloom, you’re an adult now so it’s important for me to hear your opinion on everything related to running our farm from now on. What do you say about my plan here?”

“If it will help to save our farm...” Apple Bloom paused, rubbing her left foreleg against the right one anxiously. “And if it’s with Big Mac, I know there’s nothing to fear.” She wrapped her tiny hooves around Big Mac’s huge foreleg and gave him a brief smile. “I will gladly bear his foals,” she said in a near whisper.

“Well, then it’s all settled if nopony has nothing to add,” Applejack said, nodding to herself. “We will begin implementing our plan tomorrow. Right now we’ll have to–”

“Wait a second.” Big Mac cleared his throat audibly.

“Big Mac?” Applejack asked in surprise. “Of course, go on. It’s just you never commented on any of my plans since...” She paused to ponder over it for a few moments. “Since that accident with Rich Family when we were teenagers. Do you have anything to say?”

“Just one thing.” Big Mac sucked in a deep breath. “Are you crazy?”

“What do you mean?” Applejack asked, raising her brow in confusion. “What part of my plan has a flaw?”

“The one where I am to impregnate you and Apple Bloom.” He shook his head in disbelief.

“Do you have any other candidates?” Applejack asked. “Ones as strong, loving, hard-working, and virile as you are. Because for my plan to work we need the best stud there is to plant his seed in us.”

“It’s not about that...” A sweet tingling swept across his face and a sudden flush of warmth spread down his groin. It was perhaps the biggest praise he’d ever got from a mare. From anypony. And unlike others ponies who often spoke sweet words to get him to help with their luggage or sometimes house repair, he knew that his sister was totally sincere. She really thought him the best stud in the world to father her foals. How could he fail her in such an important matter? Definitely not by allowing some lousy stallion to put his dirty hooves, let alone his cock, into the two most loved ponies in his life.

“I just thought... ” he trailed off not finding the right words to say. He was always short on them when it was about such personal subjects, even while blabbering nonstop all day when he was a teenager. “It’s just so sudden. And I’m worried about Apple Bloom.” He could still feel his little sister fidgeting in her seat nervously, her hooves wrapped around him tightly. He pressed her closely to himself and patted her head. “Applejack, you know how big my cock is and Applebloom hit her first estrus what? A week ago? You sure she can handle it?”

“I believe in her,” Applejack said. “She’s a strong filly. Been helping me on the farm since she could walk and complained less than any one of us in her age.” She gave Apple Bloom a smile. “In any way, it’s for you to decide, sugarcube. Whatever you choose, I will always be proud of you.”

“As I said, if it’s with Big Mac I’m totally fine. He will never hurt me.”

“Of course not. But I’m not sure that you quite understand how big my–”

“She doesn’t have to give her answer now,” Applejack interrupted him, walking to the pair and ruffling Apple Bloom’s mane with a hoof. “If you feel afraid or it gets hurt, sugarcube, just one word and we will stop immediately.”

“I’ll be fine,” Applebloom said through her gritted teeth. “You don’t have to talk to me like I’m a child. I know how to express myself!”

“I’m just worried...” Big Mac trailed off as he saw Apple Bloom’s hard stare drilling into him. Perhaps it was time to shut up. He’d already said his week’s share of words in one day. If his sisters decided on their plan, there was no point in trying to stop them now. All he could do was to support them and do his best to bring their plan to fruition.

“Then, if nopony has anything to add,” Applejack said. “I declare this Sweet Apple Acres’ annual business meeting finished. We will begin expanding our family tomorrow morning. We can’t delay it any further, there is little time left until the breeding season ends. Right now though Big Mac will need a good night of sleep before he sets to impregnate me and Apple Bloom.” Applejack watched her brother closely. “No slack here, big boy. I know you’re very tired plowing all those fields there but you’re not going anywhere until you have plowed your sisters’ wombs full of your seed as well. You better be fully ready for this, stud.”

“Yup.” Big Mac waved his hoof dismissively, holding in a yawn. Celestia, he was tired.