Cutie Mark Conundrum

by cyberpeajay

Rating: everyone
Tags: Applejack, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Slice of Life
Length: 4006

Applebuck season has arrived once again! This time the whole Apple family must help! (Except Granny Smith.)

Applebloom has to help out in the orchards this Applebuck season, but her small legs aren't strong enough to buck the apples out of the trees. She doesn't want to be known as the weakling of the family, so she asks help from her fellow crusaders to come up with a way to get those apples out of the trees, besides, the last thing she wants to do is be put on apple catching duty.

This fanfic is also supposed to feel episodic.

Published 2013-01-05 13:30:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-05 13:30:02 UTC

Cutie Mark Conundrum

You should listen to BGM while reading to give it a more episodic feeling to this!

Outside of the Apple's barn, there was a bright flash and crack of thunder that shook the entire place. It was pouring rain and only once in a while could a small patch of cloud have an opening to give the moon an opportunity to shine some dim light on the orchards before it was blocked again. "Whoa Nelley, it's just comin' down! I hope Rainbow was right when she said it'll be sunny in a couple days. We're already late for applebuck season as it is!" Applejack spoke.

"Looks like you two have yer work cut out for you this season." Applebloom said sitting on the couch.

Applejack just shook her head. "Sorry little sis, but this season you're going to have to help out."

Applebloom's eyes widened and she looked towards her big sister. "What?! How'm I supposed to help out?"

Applejack just returned the look. "It doesn't matter. As long as you're helping. We're already behind because of these dang storms, and besides, when I was your age ah was already apple buckin'."

Applebloom just shrunk in spot, looked back at her hind legs and spoke quietly to herself. "How could she already be apple buckin' at my age?"

*Play Intro theme*

"Ah have to work during applebuck season! I know ah should be excited, but ah ain't!" Retorted Applebloom inside the Cutie Mark Crusader's club house.

"Well what are you worried about?" Scootaloo asked with a raised eye.

Applebloom shook her head with her eyes closed. "Applebuck season isn't like any other apple work on the farm." She said. "It's where we clear all the apples from all the trees in all the orchards! What's worse is Applejack told me she was buckin' apples at my age already!" Applebloom finished by throwing her front hooves in the air for emphasis.

"Well can you buck the apples off trees?" Asked Sweetie Belle.

"Course not!" Applebloom said turning around to Sweetie.

"Maybe you just need practice?" Said Scootaloo.

Applebloom turned to face Scootaloo again. "Ah live on an apple farm, ah'll know when I can do it."

"Let's see what you can do maybe?" Scootaloo asked waving a hoof in the air.

The crusaders exited their clubhouse and shielded their faces briefly forgetting about the rain storm outside. They made their way to a nearby apple tree. Applebloom turned her back to the tree, facing her friends. She gave a conscientious look at them, then closed her eyes shut and bucked the tree trunk. Applebloom opened her eyes and looked up to see one dead leaf fall to the ground.

"Er, anything else you can do?" Scootaloo said in a mellow-dramatic manner.

"Well, there's apple catching duty, but I don't want to do that! My sis was already doin' what she does now at my age! If I can't, I'll look like a baby!" Applebloom said. All three crusaders walked back into the clubhouse, shaking the rain off them.

*****

Applebloom was lying in her bed awake. "If I can't think of something, I'm gonna look and feel ridiculous!" She said silently to herself. She got out of her bed and walked to her window. She looked outside and saw the rain and wind still howling, hoping it would last until all the apples were too rotten to bother, but she knew that wasn't going to happen. She groaned and went back to bed.

*****

A rooster cock-a-doodle-doo'd early in the morning. However the sun wasn't appearing since the storm was still raging on. A knock on the door immediately banged throughout the place. A sleepy Applebloom came to the door. She answered it rubbing an eye and yawning.

"Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo? What're you doin' here so early?" Applebloom asked half dazed and confused.

"Follow us!" They said at the same time and motioned with a hoof. Applebloom just shrugged and went along with it. After a little bit of walking they entered the main streets of Ponyville, considerably less populous due to the storm.

"You mind telling me where we're goin'?" Applebloom asked.

"We're going to my sisters." Sweetie Belle responded looking over her shoulder to Applebloom while continuing walking. "We have a surprise for you!" She seemed rather excited herself, bouncing in the air as she said that.

"Sweetie and I were working on something all night at Rarity's." Scootaloo said. "I spent the night there, no biggie." They entered the boutique, Rarity wasn't home. The crusader's walked up the stairs to Sweetie's spare bedroom.

"Tada!" Sweetie squeaked as she opened the door to reveal what looked like armor standing up in the middle of the room.

"It's!..." Applebloom gasped then squinted a bit then walked up to it. "What is it?"

"It's something that will give you a little extra kick if you know what I mean." Scootaloo gave a smug look when she said that last part of her sentence. Applebloom just seemed more confused than last time.

"They're accessories that are basically robotic, and gives your legs extra force when you want to buck the trees!" Sweetie exclaimed. "Why, with these you'd probably be stronger than Applejack."

"Allow us to demonstrate." Scootaloo said with her eyes closed and gave a look of confidence. Applebloom just took a step back as Scootaloo was putting on the equipment. It consisted of metal boots that folded up her hind legs, two front metallic horse shoes, a metal collar, and a metal girdle that clicked together to keep it on straight. The girdle also had an antenna that unfolded upwards.

"Whoa! What is this?" Applebloom said in astonishment.

"Isn't it sweet?" Scootaloo said. "But that's not all." She nodded her head towards Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie gave a nod back and was also holding some kind of rectangular remote. Applebloom saw her press a button which caused the bottoms of the boots and horse shoes to start glowing orange. The collar also had a red and yellow light illuminating on it. "bucking trees have never been so easy!" Sweetie said.

Scootaloo walked over to a round beach ball in the room and pushed it towards Applebloom. "Here you go, try bucking this like you would a tree."

"Um, alright..." Applebloom said looking at Scootaloo. She seemed a little more nervous around her orange friend at the moment. All that metal around her made her look fierce and intimidating. Applebloom lined her back legs up with the ball and kicked. It bounced to the other side of the room and hit the wall with a pong.

"That's the normal way." Scootaloo said. She took the ball and placed it in an easy spot to line up with. "This is how you're going to help with applebuck season, and be better than your sister at it." She lined her back legs up and stomped a front hoof on the ground. Sweetie Belle pressed another button on the remote which caused Scootaloo to stand on her front hoofs slightly while reeling up her hind legs. Almost instantly her legs shot back which caused the ball the blow up with a loud BANG! causing it to rain plastic momentarily.

"Oops, I must have had it turned up too high." Sweetie said. Applebloom sat there speechless with her mouth agape. "You see, this suit basically gives your kicks some extra thrust to them, which is controlled by another pony, like how I controlled Scootaloo's kick." Sweetie explained.

Applebloom shook her head fast to snap out of her daze. "But how did you create this in one night?!"

"Oh I love robotics!" Sweetie Belle said in a happy tone. "I don't know why, but I just seem to understand everything that needs to be understood about them!"

Scootaloo grinned standing beside Sweetie Belle. Applebloom just looked at them blankly.

*****

Applebloom walked back in her home carrying a heavy bag in her teeth. "There you are Applebloom!" Applejack said cheerfully. "Go play with your friends?"

"Uh yep." Applebloom said muffled caused by the bag in her teeth. As she was going upstairs to her room Applejack had another question which caused her to stop half way.

"What's in the bag? Apples?" She asked.

Without really thinking Applebloom gave a quick nod and sprinted up the rest of the stairs and into her room, closing her door. She spat out the bag and opened it. Inside was the answer to Applebloom's problem. She took out the metallic accessories and hid them in her closet. She doesn't want Applejack to know about this booster equipment.

"Applejack is always saying how proud she is about honest hard working labor on the farm. I can't let her know I'm using this, it's basically the complete opposite of what Applejack would want." Applebloom thought to herself.

Just then Applejack walked in the room. "Well you should enjoy this day and stay rested." She said tipping her hat, "You gotta save your energy for the applebucking tomorrow." AJ turned around to leave when she stopped immediately. This caused Applebloom to stiffen. "Oh yeah, Rainbow said the storm will definitely be gone by tomorrow, so it's gonna happen." She left the room which let Applebloom wipe some nervous sweat she perspired.

Applebloom opened her closet again to bury the metallic equipment under an assortment of clothes to hide them. She shut her closet door and went to the club house to meet up with her fellow crusaders.

"Ya'll sure this ain't cheating?" Applebloom asked with drooped ears. "It just doesn't seem like honest labor, and Applejack is crazy when it comes to honesty and honest labor!"

"You'll be fine!" Scootaloo said. "Just don't let her see you working tomorrow while you do it. We've got your back on this too you know."

*****

'Cock-a-doodle-doo!' The rooster yelled as the sun was rising over the horizon.

"Yee-haw!" Applebloom heard her big sister burst through her room. "It's officially applebuck season! We better wrap this up today though since we've missed a few days prior!" Applejack trotted to Applebloom's bed and pulled the covers off waking her up more so. Applebloom just groaned and fell out of bed landing on the back of her neck and had her back leaning against the bed post. "Get a move-on! We have work to do!" Applejack said sounding rather enthusiastic. She walked out of Applebloom's room and down the stairs.

Applebloom opened her closet and snatched the bag out from under the clothes. She walked downstairs and snuck outside, making sure no family members saw her with her secret bag. Behind the barn in the back waited Sweetie and Scootaloo. They all greeted each other and Applebloom plopped the bag on the ground. "Well, I guess we'll be startin' soon, I'll let you know where I'm goin'."

"APPLEBLOOM!" Applebloom could hear AJ calling her.

She just sighed and started to walk away. "Guess we're starting now actually." Applebloom said but stopped to turn around. "I'll try to be in one of the far orchards." She walked back around to the front of the barn to see her sister looking for her.

"Oh there you are, where'd you go?" Applejack asked her young sister.

"I just came out for some uhh... Fresh air and to.. To check the orchard I want to work in!" Applebloom said, obvious to her lie.

"Well alright then." Applejack responded. "You sure you can work by yourself?"

"Yes!" Applebloom yelled which made AJ wince. "I mean, yes." She said calmer. "Ah don't need no help from no pony. I'm not a weakling."

"Never said you were, but okay." Applejack said looking a little puzzled as to her sisters blurt.

"Uh, I'mma buck the apples in the West orchard." Applebloom said pointing way in the distance. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle saw their friend point to an orchard way off in the distance, far out of sight from any other pony and took off with the bag.

"Way out there? Well, I mean, if you want to, I guess."

*****

Applebloom looked back and saw Applejack as a tiny orange speck way in the other orchard. Big Mac is on the other side of Sweet Apple Acres, so there was no chance of him even spotting the CMC.

"Ready for the fastest apple bucking in the history of Sweet Apple Acres?" Sweetie said as she took the metal equipment out from the bag. Scootaloo took the remote and rested it beside her.

Applebloom put on the boots first, unfolding the layers of metal as they went all the way up her hind legs. She then stepped onto the horse shoes. She did this in the wrong order and tried putting on the girdle but it just kept slipping from her grip.

"No no. Here." Sweetie said and latched it on for her. She took the antenna and extended it upwards. After that she clipped on the collar and looked more robot than pony.

Applebloom moved her back legs around, trying to get used to the cold metal that now engulfed her. She couldn't twist around due to the girdle and the collar seemed a little tight. "Ugh." Applebloom struggled and put a hoof up to the collar. "What do ah need this thing for?" Sounding a little annoyed.

"It's for stability." Sweetie encouraged. "Trust me."

Applebloom was still getting used to the suit, but didn't seem as uncomfortable from a few moments ago. The back legs were flexible due to the folding layers, so walking was no problem. However, they seemed to weigh her down a little, which caused her front hooves to feel lighter. She started walking but stumbled when her front hooves didn't touch the ground when she was expecting and fell over. Scootaloo laughed as Applebloom got back up with a derped face, which she shook off almost immediately. "Whoa, this thing sure is wobbly."

"You'll get used to it fast." Sweetie said reassuringly.

"Enough with this mucking! It's time to get bucking!" Said Scootaloo flapping her small wings excitedly.

"Alrighty, let's try a tree." Said Applebloom. They walked up to the nearest one with buckets ready to catch the apples. She positioned herself correctly and awaited for the automatic kick. "Is this going to hurt?"

"Nope!" Scootaloo quickly replied and picked up the remote and pressed a button. The gear turned orange on the bottoms of the feet and the collars light turned on.

At that moment Applebloom felt herself feeling more balanced than ever. She was quite impressed with this piece of technology. But before she could say anything, Scootaloo pressed another button which caused Applebloom to stand on her horse shoes momentarily before bucking the apple tree with incredible force!

The apples fell from the tree and landed right in the buckets. With one kick, that tree was finished. "I told you it would be fast!" Sweetie Belle said excited and grinning. But right as she finished talking, all three crusaders heard a loud crack coming from the tree base. They all turned to see the whole tree fall over, with just a jagged stump sticking out of the ground.

"Uh oh." Said Scootaloo. "Guess I had it turned too high up this time." She then moved a dial down a bit on the remote. Sweetie snatched the remote from Scootaloo and gave a glare. "What? You had it up to max last night."

"Let's just get to the next tree." Said Applebloom. They all trotted to another apple tree complete with buckets underneath. "Be more careful this time!"

Applebloom lined herself up again and looked at Sweetie in front of her. Sweetie pressed the button again. Applebloom bucked the tree again, but this time the boots barely tapped the tree, not even causing it to shake. AB's ears went down and she made a lame look on her face. "Whoops, too low." Said Sweetie. She adjusted the dial again and had Applebloom buck the tree once more. This time more force was applied and all the apples fell. They cringed closing their eyes waiting to hear the tree falling over- but never happened. They all sighed, then let out a cheer.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER APPLE COLLECTORS! YAY!"

*Montage of the CMC's working together to get apples out of the trees with this music:*

Applebloom was bucking trees left and right, collecting multiple apples and filling the baskets with ease. Sweetie and Scootaloo gave each other a hoof bump knowing everything was now a success. Everything was going according to plan and couldn't have gone better. Buckets of apples were being grouped together in one large clump. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle would help Applebloom carry the buckets to the others and had almost 100 buckets full of apples, with more trees in the distance. Applebloom wasn't even tired, the only thing that really took any energy was the moving of apple buckets.

The three friends all sat against a tree eating a couple apples, taking a break. "I bet Applejack hasn't even finished a row of trees yet, let alone an entire field!" Applebloom said excitedly.

"Yeah, Applejack will be quite impressed by your ability!" Sweetie said.

"Applejack... Is coming this way!" Scootaloo pointed in the direction of said pony.

Sweetie spat out her apple and both of them bolted off to the side, hiding in a nearby shrub. Applebloom quickly hid on the opposite side of the tree from her sister, and took off the gear and shoved them in the bag, tying the end up. She zipped back to the other side of the tree, leaning against it standing on her hind legs and resting her head on her elbow which was supported by the trunk. She gave a fake grin at an attempt to trick her sister.

"Well I'll be!" Said Applejack looking impressed. "You've gone and bucked all these here apple trees all by yourself?" She finished.

"Erm, yep! Didn't need any help whatsoever. It's not like I had a machine to help me buck these trees because my leg aren't strong enough yet!" Applebloom said sounding rather brash.

Applejack squinted at her sister and put a hoof on her chin. "Hmmm, something's not right here..." She then tipped her hat backwards and looked around the field. Applebloom gulped. "How could such a little pony clear all these trees by themselves? Heck, I haven't finished mah field yet." Applejack caught the shrub rustle a bit in the corner of her eye. She slowly walked towards it and parted the shrub with her front hooves. There she saw the other two crusaders cowering giving sheepish grins. "What in they hay is going on here?!" Applejack said sounding slightly annoyed.

"Well you see... Um, the crusader's-" Applebloom got cut off.

"Face it Applebloom. We've been caught." Scootaloo said.

"Caught doin' what?" Applejack asked, stepping back.

"I'll show you." Applebloom answered, slowly walking behind the tree and revealing the bag and its contents to her sister.

Applejack just took off her hat and scratched her head. She put it back on and didn't know what to make of the contents. "Well ah don't get it." She admitted.

Applebloom put the suit on and walked up next to a spare tree with a few apples still clinging to its branches. She got in position and nodded to Sweetie Belle. Applejack didn't know what to make of this. Sweetie pressed the button and Applebloom bucked the tree with just enough force to cause the apples to fall from the tree.

Applejack's eyes widened and the three crusaders sat down in a gloomy state. Applejack looked back at her sister and her friends and said something that wasn't expected at all. "Applebloom, this... Whatever this thing is, is incredible!" She sounded chipper.

"It is?" Sweetie Belle asked in astonishment.

"Eeyup!" Applejack said getting a closer look. "I mean, this is great!"

"But we thought you'd be upset since it's well, like cheating." Applebloom said.

"Well, it's not really cheating. It is still honest labor, I'd say this thing is more of a booster."

"Yeah! I kind of is it guess!" Applebloom said with a wide grin.

"Now you can help buck the trees with me and Big Mac every day!" Applejack said excitedly.

Applebloom's grin immediately turned into a lame frown. "Oh yay. Lucky me."

Right when Applebloom finished saying that, her back legs bucked the air behind her forcefully. "Ah, hey! Stop that!" Applebloom snapped at Sweetie Belle.

"I didn't do anything!" Sweetie said holding the remote in front of her. Just then Applebloom bucked the air again.

"What's goin' on?!" Applebloom asked. Then she started bucking the air at a constant rate. As soon as one buck was done, she'd immediately wind up and buck again, causing her to constantly stand on her front hooves.

"I think it might be broken!" Scootaloo said side-stepping a wild buck from Applebloom.

"Git it offa me!" Applebloom said panicking. Applejack raced over towards her sister and tried grabbing a hold of one of her boots. This just caused Applebloom to buck her sister right in the head, making her eyes wobble around and her head to bob. "I'm sorry Applejack, I can't control it!"

Sweetie was pounding away at the remote with a hoof but it just caused the thing to shatter, and the suit to keep bucking wildly. Applebloom was getting nauseous at the constant movement of her back legs.

"Get the collar!" Scootaloo exclaimed and just dashed over to Applebloom's front side. She reached around her neck and unclipped it, and threw it to the ground beside her. Applebloom's suddenly had to balance naturally, since the collars job was to enhance that. Needless to say, she fell right on her back, her hind legs still kicking at nothing in the air.

Applejack came to and grabbed a strong branch off one of the trees and started hitting the metal boots with it at a strong force. She didn't hear Applebloom in any pain, so she kept smashing the branch on the boots. Eventually when they were all bent and destroyed, the boots stopped kicking. Applebloom stood up and the whole suit just crumpled and fell apart in a heap of scrap metal on the grass.

"Guess I can't help you with the buckin' anymore sis." Applebloom sheepishly said. Applejack just gave a disapproving look.

*****

"Ah don't take kindly to lyin' little sis." Applejack said looking at the empty trees from inside. "But I know you had good intentions." Applejack walked over to her sister and gave her a pat on the head.

Applebloom corrected her mane and straightened her bow right away, looking at Applejack. "Yeah, sorry about the lying and secrecy. Guess we just thought you wouldn't like it." She sounded sincere.

"Nah Applebloom, I learned a few applebuck seasons ago to accept help when offered and needed. Us Apple's are proud to be hard honest workers on the farm, but need to remember to be grateful to those who wish to help... And not scheme." She gave a playful squint at Applebloom.

Applebloom returned the playful smile.

"Besides, you can still help us out in the orchards!" Applejack said looking back outside.

"Uhhh, how?" Her sister asked.

"Why, you can be on apple catching duty." Applejack said looking back at her sister.

Applebloom had a look of annoyance. "Ah hate apple catching! It makes me feel less superior than you! After all, you said you were my age when you apple buckin'!"

"Ah was capable of it by then, it's not a competition Applebloom." She reassured her sister. "You'll be good and ready one day, just stick to what you're capable of right now."

Applebloom pondered the thought in her head looking skyward, then gave a shrug. "Ah guess that makes sense."

*End credits*

Author's Note

I know Applebloom was showing bucking a tree in Apple Family Reunion, but this idea came to my head.