Rotten Fruit, Damaged Goods
Applejack smiled weakly for a job well done. Applebucking season was over, and it only took her, Macintosh, and that little group of her sister's to do it.
In a sense, Applejack felt not as proud as she did regularly, when they did, in fact, have the help they so needed around their quaint little farm. She and Macintosh did all the heavy work, while they fillies carried the apple buckets back to the farm in shifts, that was all that was needed. Applejack chuckled and shook her head at the thought.
"What?" asked Big Macintosh.
"Aw, nothin'. Just thinkin': we did all this work here in not even twice as meany days it'd 'ave taken if we'd 'ave had the help! Maybe we should just leave the rest of the folks in the Apple Family be ev'ry year! It'd a-be a lot less favors to pay off, tell y'all that!" Applejack dreamed. The all-too familiar smell of rain hit her muzzle and she stumbled to a determined gallop. "Race ya home!"
Big Mac chuckled and galloped after her and yelled: "In your dreams!"
The race to the giant barn that centered the farm ended in a draw, leaving Macintosh winded. Applejack was perfectly fine. She sniggered at her big brothers state. Granny Smith wobbled over and glared at Macintosh.
"C'mon, ya big lug, git! Yer not done yet, so y'all need eat lunch, ya hear?" she yelled and sat back down at a nearby picnic table inside the barn. "And you tell 'em the news, AJ! Yer tha one who done told me!"
"Applebucking season is over, which means we're ready for winter, right? Well, the Royal Pegasus Weather Committee has gotten together and decided there's no need for snow this year," Applejack explained as everyone else ate. Scootaloo gave a quizical look. Applejack pointed in the distance. "The trees in the north pasture, down yonder, already died by now, so, Macintosh and I are gonna be plowin' over there. The trees are so withered that, heck, by now we c'n prob'ly just kick'em over. So, Applebloom, Sweetie, Scootaloo, you and Rainbow Dash will be on that." Scootaloo cheered.
"Afterwards, Spike will be helping us gather the leftover wood into the cutting barn, so that Macky here can cut it up into firewood later." Big Macintosh warned her not to call him Macky.
"So, not that I have a problem with it or anything, but... Why is Spike helping us, again?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Well, what with the dea... unfortunate, passing of Twilight..." Applejack fought back tears that had been welling up inside of her for years now. "...I thought he... well, could use something to do. They've condemned the library, and he has nowhere to go, so working would do him a might good."
"I thought you said you were tired if him tryin' ta help 'round the farm," Macintosh pointed out. Applejack shrugged.
"Well, you know... That whole thing, I'm not gonna have him around twentyfour-seven, just long enough to do what's needed. I feel sorry for the little ol' guy. Just damn depressing," Applejack shook her head.
"Watch yer language around the young'uns, sis'!" warned Macintosh. Applejack apologized.
"That about sums it up, y'all. Le's get ta workin'!" she exclaimed and walked out the door.
A large rainbow-coloured explosion filled the sky with a ear-shattering "bashoom". Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had to cover their ears, but Scootaloo ignored it and stared in awe. This sonic boom wiped out more than half of the previous apple orchard. Rainbow Dash hovered down in front of the three fillies, crossing her arms.
"Now how's that for awesome?" she boasted and flew a few loop-de-loops.
"Aw-w-w-some!" responded Scootaloo.
"Now, the rest is up to you two, and Spike'll be burning the stumps of what you do," promulgated Rainbow Dash before flying off. Knowing that they would have no aumildar to watch over them, the girls nearly squee'd with joy. Scootaloo dismissed herself to grab her scooter, and the other two girls vivaciously went to work, by bucking down trees and using various tools and sundry objects in a slapdash fashion.
"GANGWAYYYY!" yelled Scootaloo as she flew overhead on a makeshift ramp she built. She flew for a nearby thick-trunked tree, and did a kickflip on her scooter. The world seemed to slow down for Scootaloo as her realization that he tree would not break under her weight sunk in. A sharp pain filled her leg as she slowly faded out of consciousness.
Scootaloo woke up in a hospital. At her side was Rainbow Dash. She looked over to see Applebloom and Sweetie Belle being escorted inside by a nurse, and Applejack waiting outside, looking very solicitous. Scootaloo smiled and fully opened her eyes.
"Hey, kiddo," said Rainbow Dash and smiled thankfully. "Glad you're awake, Applebloom and Sweetie are here. It'd be disappointing to have to wait a near couple of hours to get in here for you to be less conscious than a rock."
"How'd you get in so fast?" asked Scootaloo, squinting her eyes. She focused on one eye at a time, maladjusted to the lighting.
"Next of kin gets the earliest visit," sniggered Rainbow.
"But, we're not rela--" began Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash shushed her.
"They don't know that," smirked Rainbow Dash. "Let them be. The worst they can do is charge a fine."
"Heya, Scootie," said Sweetie Belle softly. "How are you feeling?"
Scootaloo laughed. She looked to check if her parents were coming, but, as usual, they seemed to be out of the picture. "Like shit," Scootaloo said with a big smile. "You guys finish up?"
"Wayl, yes..." said Applebloom. "Spahk's workin' on th' stumps ayuz we speak!"
"As we speak? Damn, he's on top of it," said Scootaloo and covered her eyes with the inside of her right elbow.
"I'd appreciate it if you lay off the cursing," demanded Sweetie. Scootaloo rolled her eyes.
Applebloom heard Applejack call for her to go. A good half-hour later, they arrived on the farm.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" screamed Macintosh as a recondite pain spawned. He wasn't sure what was happened, only that he couldn't feel his hind legs. The pain focused mainly where his plot ended and his legs began, and some strange liquid seeped up his flank. He was dragging his plow behind him, and he tripped on... something, he did not catch what, and then he landed with a loud thump, followed by a crack and a sound like a knife cutting a carrot.
He heard Applejack yell to ask if he was okay. Applebloom emerged from the trees and went pale as she began to scream:
"Your-... Your legs!" Applejack ran thru the trees and screeched to a halt next to her little sister. "You cut off your legs!"
Rainbow Dash flew over, having been notified of the situation. Sweet Apple Acres was just a few miles away, she could make that in three minutes flat. Rainbow sped up, in a state of pure worry.
"Don't y'all worry, big brother! Ah'll get help!" assured Applejack while running in circles, looking for an instrument to help him. She found some gauze bandages and wrapped his legs in it. The plow had flown up when he tripped and cut off his hind legs at the flank. She began to try and list friends that could help her, but came up with nothing. "Fluttershy moved to the Crystal Empire... Rarity went bankrupt and lost the store... Pinkie Pie... Well, who knows what's happened to her after she tried to rob that bank for money, in fear of the bakery going bankrupt... That leaves nopony! Oh, Celestia help me... Wagon! 'Bloom, help me get Big Mac into this wagon, we're gonna have to get him to the barn!"
"Granny Smith! Granny Smith!" yelled Applejack. "Macintosh is injured!"
"Oh, hogwash, ya big baby! I--.. oh, my..." began Granny Smith before looking at Macintosh directly. "I durn hope that's a cataract that's makin' me see things."
"Cataracts don't work that way, Granny, now what do we do?" yelled Applejack. Granny thought about this.
"Go outside and get some water in a bucket. 'Bloom, get a fire goin', we're gonna have to make this good. I'll get a bowl and a stand, we're gonna have to put the boy under!" Granny demanded. Everypony stood and stared at her blankly. "GO!"
Applejack ran outside and grabbed a bucket. A loud thump was heard from the side of the barn, but as Applejack went around to examine it, a loud explosion blew the barn to bits, sending Applejack flying.
Rainbow Dash was less than a mile from Sweet Apple Acres, when the big red barn that landmarked it blew to bits. She stopped flying and stared at the scene. Bits of barn and pony flew past her. Rainbow dash sat and looked as these flew past, get splattered with blood. A red bow hit her in the chest. She began to laugh maniacally, looking around, twitching in the eyes.
Rainbow Dash had gone quite insane.
Author's Note
Yes, the title and song are Radiohead. Yes, the song is Backdrifts. Yes, all the chapter names will be the song's lyrics.
