A Year In Manehatten

ROUND 1 - Applejack VS. Apple bucking

It took a lot of begging and pleading (mostly from Granny Smith, Applejack refused to listen to Apple Bloom very much after their fight, but she was finally able to convince her to come back to the orchard and help with some work. According to their plan which they made in two minutes, they would bring her to do some tasks aiding the barn, she would realize how much she missed it, she would beg for forgiveness, there would be a long and perhaps even emotional apology, the two sisters would hug, reunited, and then life would finally return to normal. Nothing could be simpler!

Dragging Applejack back to the farm, she brought her to the inner orchard where Applejack spent most of her day bucking apples.

“This dirt and sun is terrible,” Applejack complained, taking quick steps as if the floor was acid.

Apple Bloom ignored her, “Alrighty, sis. Why don’t ya help me buck some of your apple trees!” She demonstrated, kicking the first tree in range of her back legs, causing the apples to fall from the tree into baskets Big Mac had placed that morning for collection at noon.

Granny Smith clapped her hooves proudly, remembering the first day Apple Bloom bucked her first tree when she grew strong enough.

“This is stallion’s work. Ladies do not work.” She turned up her snout in disgust.

It took all the Apple Bloom’s willpower and strength to not stomp over there and slap some sense into her. She rolled her eyes, “Come on, sis! Just one, please?” She stood next to her grandmother with wide pleading eyes, quickly getting the message, Granny looked at her with the same expression.

“Come on, dearie. It won’t bite ya.” Granny Smith said, “At least not here.”

Outnumbered, or maybe realizing she didn’t have a choice, Applejack sighed. “Fine. But I’m not going to like it. Here it goes, I suppose.” Mumbling things under her breath, Applejack approached an unharvested tree. Assuming the position, she relaxed her body, looked behind her, and bucked the apple tree with confidence…

…Before promptly falling to the floor, screaming in agony.

“Oh my Celestia, are you okay, dearie!?” Granny Smith said, limping over to Applejack as quickly as she could.

Applejack cried out so loudly that one could probably hear it in Canterlot if you listened hard enough. The thing was, this wasn’t a scream of pain. There was no pain in her voice. She was screaming the way Rarity sometimes did during her episodes when she had lots of clients to make things for. She wasn’t hurt.

“Get up, sis.” Apple Bloom said with another roll of her eyes.

“My leg! My leg, it’s broken!!” She yelled, “Oouuhhh This is All your fault, oh Celestia it hurts so bad!”

“Oh, brother.” Apple Bloom said as her grandmother checked both of Applejack’s back legs, though she didn’t need to. She had bucked that tree with perfect form; exactly the way she had done it hundreds and hundreds of times before she left. Perhaps she still had that knowledge stored in that giant bouffant of hers, and maybe her natural Earth Pony strength just died away after she grew soft from city life.

“You’re as fit as a fiddle, dearie.” Granny Smith said, “‘Ah reckon you’re just a tad rusty, give it another go.”

“Oh Celestia I’m laying in the grass, there’s dirt everywhere…” Applejack whimpered, “Ya have to take me to the hospital, I can’t move all of a sudden, I think I broke my legs…”

Granny Smith smiled, “You know we don’t have insurance, dearie.”

“OHHHHH what am I going to DOOO!?” Applejack cried, with about as much dramatization as Rarity often had, except worse!

“Okay, okay fine! We’ll go to the hospital. Apple Bloom, go get the first aid kit, we need to make a split for her.”

“No. Get Big Mac.” Applejack whimpered. “Have him carry me…”

ROUND 2 - Applejack VS. Apple bucking

Thankfully, they were turned away, no matter how much Applejack pleaded for treatment. When they refused to see her, as her ‘broken legs’ were probably just a pulled muscle from the strength of her kick, Applejack told them that she was being forced to work like an animal against her will, to which the receptionist said: “We are animals, miss. Please get out of my waiting room.” And threw them out. Good thing too, because Granny Smith was not kidding about the insurance thing.

An hour later after apple-bucking proved to be disastrous, Granny Smith executed phase two of their plan: Selling their apples in the Ponyville square.

Applejack scoffed at the sight of all the ponies walking by, most of which she knew by name, and often waved to or exchanged friendly words with on other sale days. Apple Bloom remembered fondly of the times AJ brought her along when she was still very little. Either to help sales or because she didn’t want to leave her alone with Granny, she didn’t know. She didn’t remember any of it, of course, but whenever Applejack told the story, she always said: “Folks always have a soft spot for fillies, sugarcube.” Apple Bloom sighed, those days were long gone.

“How can anypony even live in this town?” She said, looking down at her hooves that were touching the dirt road. Scandalous.

“Never you mind, dearie. Look, it’s a great day, lots of ponies out shoppin,’ ‘ah reckon we’ll make lots of bits!” Granny said cheerfully, and she was right. This was one of the better days for sales. Celestia’s sun was out and shining, and the market was packed with ponies, more so than usual! On normal days, Applejack wouldn’t be wasting a single second of the day, selling as many apples as she could to provide for her family. This is it. Apple Bloom thought hopefully as a brown Earth pony approached their little stand, This will show her how much she missed being a part of our family! After all, providing money to keep us fed and the lights on brings her no greater joy!

Straightening her body, Applejack tried to look the least bit interested as the customer greeted them.

“Oh, Applejack, you’re back, I almost didn’t recognize you!” The pony said happily. She didn’t recognize the stallion, working sales wasn’t her thing, but she knew he was probably a regular.

Applejack put a hoof in her mane, “And I almost didn’t recognize you! What do you think about my new look? Don’t I look simply ravishing?”

Apple Bloom and Granny exchanged a look with one another, they were conversing, and maybe she would make a sale. The plan was working!

“Well, you certainly did spend time in Manehatten, that’s for sure.” He chuckled, “Is it nice?”

“Oh, it’s absolutely divine! I have been thinking of going back again soon.” Applejack said, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m afraid I must ask you to leave. I cannot be seen around you.”

“What?” The station said.

“What?” Said Apple Bloom.

Applejack sighed, “I’m sorry, I have a disease where I cannot talk to boring ordinary stallions such as yourself, so I will have to bid you farewell. Good day.” Making a shooing motion with a hoof, Applejack only watched with a judgemental stare as the friendly face shifted from confused to insulted until I finally turned around and walked away grumpily.

“Well, that went well. Honestly is there a single mare or gentlecolt I can relate to in this town?” Applejack complained.

“Applejack what the hay is wrong with you?” Apple Bloom said, “That’s the writer of the newspaper!”

Applejack scoffed, “Relax, darling~ He’ll be a little mad for a bit, but then he’ll come to understand.” She said, the tone of her voice making it seem kike she knew she was right and would not be persuaded otherwise.

“‘Ah hardly think so.”

The following day, on the way to school, Applebloom found a copy of the newspaper discarded on the street in the middle of town. This was on the front page:

BREAKING NEWS: Applejack: Element of dishonesty? Local hero of Ponyville turned spoiled and rotten after a year-long trip to Manehatten.

Some time ago, the Apple family bid farewell to their beloved Applejack, a hard-working Apple farmer, as she left her home here in Ponyville to visit her family in Manehatten. Last week, she finally made her return, and ponies rejoiced to have her back.

But in a stunning turn of events, the country mare that we all know and love has completely changed! That hardworking and responsible pony has changed into what can only be described as your run-of-the-mill Manehattenet. As a frequent buyer of her produce and an enjoyer of her pastries, I was looking forward to seeing her in the market again, but I was surprised to find not Applejack, but some snobby entitled child.

This… Pony which I regretfully have to say was Applejack, looked completely different that I didn’t even recognize her! Her mane was all done up in some fancy style that looked hideous, she was covered in makeup and jewelry, and I even noticed that her cutie mark was gone, and in its place, a ring of stitches, meaning she had undergone the controversial surgery doctors are now referring to as ‘cutening.’

“Cutening is a procedure where the patient is sedated, and the skin on the flank is cut and removed. Then, little bits of skin from other places on the body are removed, and placed to cover the wound. The wound is then stitched, and the other areas where skin was taken are cauterized.” A doctor who wishes to remain anonymous says. “The removing of the cutie mark is a topic that has been debated for a long time actually, I never thought I would see the day ponies would resort to having them removed surgically.”

Ponies are urged to talk to a REAL doctor if they wish to have their cutie marks removed, and ponies are also urged to avoid Applejack. It seems Manehatten has corrupted her mind, like it has done so many others, leaving ponies to wonder: “Is Applejack being honest with HERSELF?”

That night, the family was discussing the paper at dinner. Usually, they never did such a thing, never caring to do so, but it was a different story when it was talking bad about a member of your family.

“Told ya he would stay mad about it.” Apple Bloom, who had been waiting all day to say ‘I told you so.’ said.

“It really is a darn shame he took it out on you, dearie. I always thought he was a mature stallion.” Granny Smith said, who had told Apple Bloom in secret that she understood why he did it, being unhappy with AJ’s behavior himself.

“Eeyup.” Said Big Mac.

“I don’t know what’s all the fuss about. He can’t change the way he is.” Applejack said dismissively, “He’s boring and common like dirt. Everyone in this town is. Even this family. It isn’t anything like Manehatten.” She looked at her fork as if she was wishing it was made of gold.

That was enough. She had crossed the line. Apple Bloom had been waiting for so long, spending a year without a sister, without an important member of her family, and after all of that time, after all of that waiting paid off, she was brought back this!? This Manehatten scum? She was done. She had enough. She couldn’t look at her. She couldn’t be in the same room as her, no, she couldn’t even be in the same HOME as her anymore.

Apple Bloom was a small pony, and there was only so much anger she could hold inside of her, so, unleashing the anger she she had hidden inside her, she said everything she wanted to say to that beat ever since she stepped off the train:

“SHUT YOUR TRAP!!” She slammed her hooves on the table and stood up. Granny Smith looked startled, Big Mac just kept eating, “AH’M TIRED OF YOU!! I AM SO TIRED OF YOU!! I HATE WHAT YOU’VE BECOME!! AND ‘AH AM SO TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT MANEHATTEN!! YOU LOVE IT SO MUCH? GO BACK!! GO BACK AND WE’LL ALL BE HAPPY!!”

Applejack gritted her teeth, getting up, ready to yell back at her, “I AM!!” She said, “I’M LEAVING IN TWO DAYS, I JUST GOT TICKETS.”

She reached into her mane and pulled out a train ticket, and there it was: a one-way ticket to Manehatten. Guess she really did want to go back. But wait… Something about this made Apple Bloom’s blood run cold.

“Where did ya get the money for this…?” Apple Bloom asked cautiously.

Applejack raised her head, “Well I needed money for a train ride and this beautiful home I was eying during my last trip, so I sold the farm.”

And that’s all Apple Bloom needed to hear. Her heart jumped into her stomach. Granny Smith fainted once more, and this time, Big Mac came with her, leaving the two clashing siblings alone with their rage.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to the boutique. They might have a decent dress for me to take as a souvenir.”

She dabbed her muzzle clean with a napkin, pushed back her chair, and walked out the door…