Applejack trotted up to one of the many trees that made up Sweet Apple Acres and placed the barrels on her back under the tree’s many limbs. As she worked, she constantly glanced up and noted the multiple red fruits that dotted the tree, moving her buckets around according to where most of the fruit was located.

After she set down the final bucket, Applejack went over to the tree’s trunk and lined herself up with the center of the tree. She swiftly lifted her hind legs off the ground, tucked them into her torso, and sprung them out to smack into the tree. A few bits of bark splintered off from the trunk due to the impact.

The force of her buck reverberated throughout the rest of the tree and up to the apples nestled in the tree’s branches. The first apple fell into one of the carefully placed baskets and produced a loud clunk when it hit the wood. The sound was muffled when the tree relinquished the rest of its fruit, which quickly filled up the buckets.

Applejack looked over all the full buckets and smiled. A cool wind of blew through her mane and filled her nose with the scent of ripe apples. “Now if only every tree was that easy.”

Apple Bloom’s winded voice ended Applejack’s moment of serenity. “Applejack! Applejack! Help!”

Applejack’s head jerked around to where Apple Bloom’s voice was coming from and she galloped off in that direction. She spotted her sister running through the rows of trees and ran faster to meet her. Apple Bloom looked okay from a distance, but with all the mischief she and her friends got into it wasn’t hard to assume she’d gotten scraped up in some crazy cutie mark scheme.

The sisters met each other and Applejack hastily grasped Apple Bloom and started inspecting her for cuts or other signs of harm. Up close, there were still no signs of injury, but the panicked look in Apple Bloom’s eyes told a different story. “What is it, Apple Bloom? What’s wrong?”

“I... I saw something awful!” Apple Bloom quivered.

Applejack took and deep breath and released her worried hold on Apple Bloom. She still ran a hoof through Apple Bloom’s red mane to calm her down. “Okay, just tell me what it is.” She shifted her body and readied herself for a fight. “Is it still after ya?”

“W-what?” Apple Bloom asked, confusion now mixed with anxiety on her face. She squirmed a little and avoided Applejack’s gaze. “Well... I mean... it’s not dangerous... but ya gotta take care of it, sis! It could ruin Sweet Apple Acres forever!”

“Apple Bloom, this had better not be another rabbit warren,” Applejack sighed. “I’ll admit, they’re annoying, but they’re not gonna ruin th—”

“No!” Apple Bloom interrupted. “This is much worse! I’ll show ya!”

Without a further word, Apple Bloom darted away from Applejack into the grove, made a sudden right turn, and disappeared among the trees. Applejack readjusted her hat and galloped after her.

She wound her way through the trees, skilfully avoiding the roots that popped up here and there. The trees above gained more errant branches that were in desperate need of a trim. The change didn’t get past Applejack and her breathing became a little ragged. Oh shoot.

The trees suddenly stopped and revealed a small meadow amidst the apple trees. Apple Bloom stood on the edge of it. She wildly gestured to the center of the meadow once she spotted Applejack. “Sis! Sis! There it is!”

“I see it, Apple Bloom.” A faint red tint emerged on Applejack’s cheeks and she lowered her head. “I was hoping to tell ya about this when ya were older but...”

“Ya knew?” Apple Bloom screeched. She raced over to Applejack and flailed at her chest. “You’re a changeling, ain’t ya! You’re trying to ruin the Apple family’s good name!”

“Now hold it right there!” Applejack placed a hoof on Apple Bloom’s head and pushed her away. That didn’t stop the younger Apple sibling from trying to hit her though. With her free front hoof, Applejack pointed at what had spooked Apple Bloom. “Just because we have one orange tree don’t mean I’m a changeling or anything else!”

True to Applejack’s word, a decently sized orange tree stood in the middle of the meadow. No fruit hung from the tree, but white flowers dotted its branches. A gust blew through the meadow, sending a few loose flowers into the air and filling Applejack and Apple Bloom’s noses with the scent of oranges.

A petal landed on Apple Bloom’s mane and she swatted it away as if it were a mosquito. “But we’re Apple family!”

“Yes, we are,” Applejack resolutely replied, “and growing an orange tree ain’t gonna change that. Come on.” She moved her hoof away from Apple Bloom’s head now that she wasn’t whipping her legs around and over to her back. She gave Apple Bloom a push and led her to the space under the orange tree. “Take a seat. It’s actually nice in the shade once it starts getting hot out.”

Apple Bloom looked up at her sister and at the tree above both of them. With a sigh, she sat down, but took care not to make contact with the tree.

“It ain’t gonna bite ya,” Applejack chuckled. She ruffled Apple Bloom’s mane and took a seat next to her. “Now, I suppose it’s time I told ya about this here tree. See...” She glanced down to the ground and took a deep breath. “I didn’t tell ya everything about how I got my cutie mark.”

Applejack stepped off of the train and onto the wooden platform that made up the bulk of Ponyville’s train station. When she’d left, it had seemed like such a massive place, but now it was a tiny thing compared to the goliath in Manehatten. Dozens of trains went out of there every hour and created so much noise that Applejack was still impressed that she or anypony in that city ever managed to sleep.

Sweet Apple Acres wasn’t visible from the train station, but Applejack still remembered the way. She made sure her knapsack that held all her things was secure over her back and began her trek back home.

Home, she thought. The whole ride back to Ponyville she’d been so eager to return home, especially after the sign from that strange rainbow. It had pointed her to where she truly belonged, but now that she was actually back in Ponyville, all she could think about was the day she’d left.

“Now ya be careful in Manehatten,” Granny Smith cautioned. “That city isn’t anything like Ponyville, there’s lots of bad characters there just waiting to take advantage of a pretty little filly like you.”

“Don’t worry, Granny,” Applejack smiled. “Aunt and Uncle Orange said they’d meet me at the station in the letter they sent me.”

Big Macintosh got close to Applejack and nuzzled her face. “Do ya have to go, sis? We really need ya here.”

“I’m sorry, Big Macintosh.” Applejack lifted up a hoof and gave her brother a hug. She ended the hug as quickly as she gave it and backed away. “But I wanna do more than just stay on this farm my whole life. I wanna see the city and live the fancy life Aunt and Uncle Orange are always talking about.

“But—”

Granny’s leg slid in between the two siblings and silenced Big Macintosh. “That’s enough. Applejack made her choice and that’s fine.” She craned her neck over to Applejack. “Ya do whatever makes ya happy and make sure to tell us everything about your trip.”

“I will, Granny,” Applejack said with a nod. “I’ll send ya letters every day. When I’m fancy like Aunt and Uncle Orange, I’ll even send money to fix up everything around the farm.”

“Oh dearie.” Granny’s eyes watered up and she pulled Applejack in for a hug. “Just remember, ya can come home whenever ya want.”

“Sure Granny, sure,” Applejack awkwardly replied. She felt Granny’s worn hooves on her back, which made her fur stand up a little . If she stayed on the farm, one day she would have hooves just like that, and a bad hip, and a hunched back. All of that just for a muddy farm that was nothing compared to the pictures of Manehatten Applejack had seen. There were buildings there that were taller than mountains and glowed like the sun, even at night. Ponies were dressed up in vibrant clothes that made anything on the farm look like rags. If stories were anything to go by, everypony there lived at the top of the world. That was where she wanted to go.

Applejack pushed herself away from the hug. A few of Granny’s tears had fallen onto her face and she wiped them off with a hoof. She turned around and made her way to the train station. Her steps were slowed by the damp earth of early morning that sucked at her hooves. She didn’t look back, but the soft sound of crying accompanied her all the way to the train station.

The memory stung Applejack’s eyes as she trudged through town.

Applejack stopped in the middle of the street. Her chest felt tight and her breathing was erratic. I... I never did get any letters back.

“Kid? You okay? Ya just suddenly stopped an—” A pony nudged Applejack’s shoulder.

“Huh?!” Applejack jumped at the touch. “Yeah-yeah!” she hastily replied, “I... I just gotta get home, now!”

She sprung up from the ground, kicking up a fairly large amount of dust. The pony that had tried to help her was left coughing and confused.

Ponyville became a blur around Applejack, but the race to Sweet Apple Acres seemed to take far too long. By the time she was at the front gates, Applejack’s throat was completely dry, a massive cramp had developed in her side, and her legs felt like they were made of stone. She stumbled along the path that led up to the farmhouse and banged her head against the front door to get it to open.

“Granny! Granny!” she rasped. A wooden spoon came from Applejack’s left and gave her a good smack on the head. The assault continued and left red marks all along Applejacks’ body.

“Take take that, ya var—” Granny suddenly stopped her attack. She dropped the spoon and bent her head down to Applejack’s level. “Applejack? Why, I didn’t expect ya back so soon.” Her gaze drifted down to the spoon and to the marks all over Applejack. “Sorry about that. Ya made such a commotion, I thought ya were ne’er-do-well. C’mon, lets get some ice on ya or you’ll have bruises for da—”

Applejack latched onto Granny and buried her head deep in her grandmother’s chest. Tears streaked down her face and sobs spilled out of her mouth. “Granny! I’m sorry I left!”

Granny stroked Applejack’s mane with one hoof and brought her in closer with another. “Sh-sh, it’s fine, child. I told ya I was fine with whatever choice ya made... I am happy that you’re back though.”

Applejack let out a bigger sob while Granny continued stroking her mane and hugging her. When Applejack calmed down a little, Granny led her into the kitchen and gave her some ice for where she’d gotten hit with the spoon and a slice of apple pie, which disappeared into Applejack’s mouth in an instant.

“Seems like ya haven’t eaten since ya left,” Granny commented.

Applejack licked the crumbs from her face and stared down at her empty plate. A faint blush crept over her face. “Well, the food in Manehatten was small and I wasn’t really thinking about it when I came back.”

“We’ve got plenty to eat.” Granny cut out another slice of pie and placed it on Applejack’s plate. Applejack ate the slice a bit slower. “Truth-be-told, we’ve actually had a bit of a surplus without ya around.” She pulled out a chair and took a seat next to Applejack. “So, I’m guessing that mark is what got ya back so fast.”

“Mark?” Applejack paused devouring the pie and corked her head at Granny. “What mark?”

“Don’t tell me ya got it while ya were running back here.” Granny let out a small chuckle and gestured to Applejack’s flank.

The sight of three red apples there made Applejack smile from ear to ear. “A cutie mark! When did that get there?”

“I was hoping you’d be the one to answer that.” Granny bent down and closely inspected the new mark. She scratched her chin and scrunched up her eyes but then backed away and fell back into her chair. “Ah, we’ll have plenty of time to figure it out later, but for now, we need to celebrate ya coming home and getting your cutie mark.”

Granny pushed herself off her chair, producing a few cracks from her limbs. She shuffled over to the pantry and reached up to the top shelf. She extracted a large grey box from the shelf, brought it over to the table, and opened it up. “Time I told ya about oldest Apple family tradition there is, even older than Zap Apple harvesting.”

Inside were an assortment of seeds of every shape and color, each type of seed in its own compartment. Granny shifted a hoof through the multiple seeds and pulled out a medium sized white one with lines running across its skin and placed it in front of Applejack. “There we go. Your very own seed.”

“What am I gonna do with it?”

“The only thing ya can do with a seed! Grow it!”

Applejack twisted her head back in forth between the seed and Granny. “I’ve never grown a seed before!”

“Don’t worry,” Granny calmly replied, “everypony in the Apple Family has grown a seed once they’ve gotten their Cutie Mark. Your Uncle Orange probably didn’t tell you, but I’ve never seen him happier than the time he got his Cutie Mark and grew his first orange tree. Your brother has a decently sized tree near the edge of the southeast field and my first tree is probably keeping a few critters happy on the road to Canterlot.”

“But...”

“Ya won’t be working on it alone, but it will be your responsibility. You’ll need to water it, feed it, and find a proper place to grow it. I’ll be here to help ya on all of that though, just like my pa and ma helped me.”

Applejack reached out and tenderly grasped the seed. She brought it close to her chest and looked down at it. “I’ll do it, Granny. This is gonna be the best apple tree ever!”

“That’s the Apple spirit!” Granny delivered a playful slap to Applejack’s back.

“I’ll go plant it right now!”

“Woah woah!” Granny placed a hoof on Applejack to keep her from leaving her seat. “Ya can’t just go planting a seed whenever ya want! We’ll find a spot in the morning. You’ve been on long trip and it sounds like ya had a really bad case of homesickness, so just take a rest for now.”

“Thanks, Granny.” Applejack bent her head over to Granny and nuzzled her.

A rooster crow awoke Applejack. She smiled at the bird’s cries when she would have normally given an annoyed stare in the rooster’s general direction. She jumped out of bed but remembered to pick up the seed on her bedstand and tucked it behind her ear before rushing downstairs.

“Granny! I’m ready!”

A sharp fit of laughter from the kitchen answered Applejack. “Ya young’uns, always dashing everywhere. Ya need some breakfast first or you’ll be pooped before noon!”

“Sorry, Granny.” Applejack awkwardly ran a hoof over the back of her neck. She wandered into the kitchen where Granny was at work over by the stove. “Guess I got a little caught up in the hussle of Manehatten.”

“Sure sounds that way from all the stories ya told last night.” Granny’s face soured a little. “All concrete and no soil. How’s a pony supposed to live like that? Eh, it’s their problem. For now, take a seat and join me and your brother. I made your favorite pancakes.”

Applejack took her seat next to Big Macintosh. He was already tearing into his own stack of pancakes. Granny laid down a huge plate of the pancakes in front of Applejack, who mimicked her brother and began gulping down the delicious cakes.

Granny went to her own seat and had some oatmeal with applesauce mixed into it. While Applejack and Big Macintosh voraciously devoured their food, Granny finished her own meal and quietly slipped out of the kitchen.

The last bit of pancake went into Applejack’s mouth and she let out a small belch. She gave her full stomach a pat and leaned back in her chair. “Ah, they don’t make food like that in Manehatten.”

“I’m surprised ya lasted as long as ya did,” Big Macintosh commented.

“I told ya! I wanted to impressed Aunt and Uncle Orange... that don’t mean I liked them itty bitty...”

Applejack trailed off when she saw Granny enter back into the kitchen. A large floppy white hat adorned her head, sunglasses obscured her eyes, and multiple gardening tools lined her sides. A stetson hat rested on her back as well. “Get those dishes cleaned up and get ready to plant, Applejack! Big Macintosh, you’re still good to till the southwest field?”

“Eeyup,” replied Big Macintosh. He bit into his plate, carried it over to the sink, gave it a quick wash, and set it out to dry. He disappeared out the back door and went off to do his work, leaving Granny alone with Applejack, the latter of whom was still gawking at Granny’s unfamiliar get-up.

Granny trotted over and poked Applejack in the side. “No time to dawdle, young’un. We’ve got to find ya a good spot while the soil is still nice and damp.” She reached back and held the stetson hat in front of Applejack. “Here, time ya got a proper hat to shield ya from the sun.”

“Thanks, Granny.” Applejack tentatively took the hat with her hooves. She brought it up to her face and ran a hoof around the rim. She smiled and placed the hat atop her head, only for it to fall down over her face and obscure her vision. “Granny! I can’t see!”

A small chuckle escaped from Granny’s lips. She reached out and readjusted the hat so that it no longer covered Applejack’s eyes. It was still incredibly lopsided though. “It’s a little big on ya now, but you’ll grow into it.”

Granny trotted over to the backdoor that Big Macintosh had previously gone out of and held it open. “So, lets go plant that seed.”

Applejack nodded and made her way over to the door. Walking was a bit more difficult with the hat since it kept shifting around, threatening to completely fall off her head. She managed to make it outside and down the steps before it fell in front of her eyes again. “Darn it.”

Granny readjusted the hat again and stuffed Applejack’s mane into the it to keep it from moving around. “There. That’ll also keep your mane from getting too messy. Now, off to find a good planting spot.”

“Um...” Applejack glanced off to the horizon. The rising sun spread light on the farm and showed off the rows and rows of trees of varying height and age. Closer to the farmhouse were saplings and even closer than that were the sprouts. “Why don’t I just plant it along with the other seeds?”

“Oh Applejack, this is your seed,” Granny explained as she filled up a watering can and leveled it over to Applejack. “It’s important that ya care for every tree on the farm, but your seed has to be special. Plus, how are ya gonna find it among the rest of the sprouts?”

“Guess ya’ve got a point... but what is a good spot?”

“Hmm...” Granny scratched her chin and stared out into the fields. “If I recall right, the edge of the northeast field is fallow right now... or was that the northwest? Bah, I know there’s a good spot of land somewhere in the north.”

Granny trudged off with the garden implements bouncing and clinking against her sides. Applejack hefted the watering can onto her back and followed Granny through the saplings up to the full grown trees and into the shade under them. Granny’s eyes scanned around the sea of trees but didn’t stay in one spot for long. “Coulda sworn... no... it should be...”

After spending a good time mumbling, Granny emerged through the trees with Applejack right behind her. They were met with the fence that marked the end of Sweet Apple Acres and the beginning of the Everfree forest. Granny wiped some sweat off her brow and spun around. “Dagnabit, I must’ve been thinking of the southeast field. Sorry, Applejack, but don’t worry, we’ll find ya a good spot soon.”

They walked back along the path. Granny kept her eyes straight, no longer interested in that section of the farm. Applejack’s eyes wandered, not to find a spot, but because the walk had severely bored her. At least on a normal work day, she’d be tilling the soil or clearing out muck from the irrigation system. Just walking through the fields and doing nothing to them held no joy for her.

A shaft of light appeared in the corner of her eye and she turned her head to it. Amongst the deeply shaded ground, there was a clear part in the trees a little ways away from the main path. She walked up to Granny and poked her on the shoulder to get her attention. “Hey Granny, I think I might have found something.”

“Ya have?” Granny looked at Applejack, who pointed over to the break in the trees. “Well, I’ll be.”

Granny changed directions and made her way over to the open space. Applejack followed and they both came out to an empty meadow. A few wildflowers popped up here and there, but the ground was otherwise bare.

“What is this place?” asked Applejack.

“An old part of the farm,” Granny answered as she took in the tranquil area. “See, back when we were just starting off, we tried growing Zap Apples a bit too close to the rest of the crops. They lived up to their name and zapped everything close to them and scared everypony half to death. Everything regrew with time, but my ma and pa weren’t too keen on growing anything above where they planted the Zap Apples.”

“Oh...” Applejack hung her head low and began to turn around. “Guess we can’t grow here then?”

Granny grabbed her and spun her back around. “Nonsense. I was just a filly back then and nothing bad has happened here since. We’d have a few more trees here if I’d remembered it, but now we’ve got the perfect spot to plant your seed. There’s sunlight, shields from the wind, and enough space to grow. The choice is still yours though.”

Applejack looked around the meadow. She felt the soil beneath her hooves, still damp from morning dew. A breeze blew overhead and filled her nose with the scent of apples. A vision of a tree standing in the middle of the meadow came to her. The tree was big and tall and filled with more apples than she could count, more than enough to fix up the older parts of the farm and maybe even get some new additions.

A quick poke in the side from one of Granny’s hooves brought Applejack back to reality. “Ya can’t just go sleeping on the job like that.”

“I... I wasn’t, Granny. I just thought...” Applejack stared out into the meadow again and focused on the spot where she envisioned her tree. She reached up, took off her hat, and pulled out the seed from behind her ear. “This is where I want to plant my seed.”

The sun hung over the sea of trees and casted its glow down on Applejack and Granny. Both of them were covered in soil up to their knees and they had a few flecks of dirt mixed with sweat on their faces. Applejack gently smoothed out the upturned soil in front of her and backed away. She nervously looked over at Granny. “Is it good?”

“More than good. Ya did great making a new home for your seed. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for it to sprout. Ya should be fine taking care of it until it starts growing some actual leaves and branches, then I’ll go over pruning with ya.” Granny patted Applejack on the back and left a distinct muddy hoof print on her coat.

“So now what?”

“Clear out some of the dead trees we lost to the frost.” Granny started back to the main path. “Big Macintosh and I had hoped they’d be brittle enough now to uproot, but the dang things just won’t budge. I bet ya can take of it though.”

Applejack stayed rooted by the upturned soil and glanced down at it. “Will my seed be alright?”

“It’ll be just fine,” Granny smiled, “but ya can’t stay around here all day.”

After one last glance down, Applejack nodded and followed after Granny.

Applejack looked out her window to the fields beyond. It was a hard task given that it was late at night and cloudy to boot. She sighed and backed away from the window. Instead of going to bed, she paced back and forth in her room until Granny came in.

“Applejack, you’ve been walking around in your room for the past week. No offense young’un, but some of us like to sleep.”

Applejack’s hooves folded down. “I’m sorry Granny, I’m just worried about Curtis.”

“Curtis?”

“Yeah...” Applejack blushed a little. “Big Macintosh told me that every good tree has a name, so I thought I’d call my tree Curtis. I just wish it’d grow.”

“It is, dearie, it is.” Granny walked over and stroked Applejack’s mane. “It’s just getting nice and secure in its home with some roots.” She led Applejack over to the bed and tucked her in. “It still needs your help to grow though and it can’t get that if ya don’t get some shut eye. I’m sure it’ll be popping out of the ground any day now.”

“Yeah, Granny... right.”

“Oh, you’ll see.”

Applejack sprung out of her bed. The rooster wasn’t even crowing yet. She hurried downstairs, filled up a watering can, and put on her hat. The water in the can sloshed around as she ran out the backdoor and out to the meadow.

Sunlight was just creeping over Sweet Apple Acres when Applejack reached the spot where she’d buried the seed. She sighed at the sight of the same brown mound of soil that hadn’t changed since the day she’d planted Curtis. She picked up the watering can and poured its contents over the soil. When the soil was sufficiently watered, Applejack put the can down and looked at the ground.

Her eyes lit up when she noticed a green spot amongst the soil. She put her head to the ground, muddying up her face. Her inspection revealed that a tiny spout had emerged from the soil.

“Curtis! Ya sprouted!” Applejack left on her hooves and bounced around the newly exposed plant. “Ya did it! I knew ya could do it! I’m gonna tell Granny and Big Macintosh right now!”

The trip back to the farmhouse only seemed to take a second. Applejack darted into the kitchen, causing Granny and Big Macintosh to jump a little in their chairs. “Granny! Big Macintosh! Curtis sprouted!”

Granny slowly shifted back into her chair. Big Macintosh did the same and went back to eating his breakfast. Granny softly smiled in Applejack’s direction. “There, see? Your tree is growing good and strong. Plus, since it looks like ya already took care of it, you’ll have more time to work around the rest of the farm. For starters, the floor is gonna need a good cleaning with the mess ya just made.”

To Applejack’s dismay, she realized her hooves were caked in dirt and that she’d left a muddy trail all the way over to the table.

The days following saw an end to Applejack’s pacing in her room. Every day, she awoke either at or when the rooster crowed, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and set out for Curtis. Some days she watered it and other days she fed it fertilizer. Regardless of what Applejack did, Curtis grew taller every day and gained additional green limbs.

After a few weeks, Applejack awoke one day at the sound of the rooster crowing as usual and performed her daily morning routine. At the door, she adjusted her hat, which was starting to sit better on her head, even without stuffing her mane into it. Outside, the air was balmy and thick with humidity.

Don’t see why those pegasi gotta make it so dang muggy out. The thoughts and minor complaints about the weather preoccupied Applejack’s mind on her way to the meadow. They faded away when she entered the enclosure and spotted Curtis. She dropped the watering can and rushed over to it.

A bud was growing from the end of one of Curtis’s longer limbs. Applejack approached her tree with wide eyes and stared at the tiny bud. It was green like the rest of Curtis but it made Applejack grin. “My first bud. I can’t believe it. Why Curtis, soon you’ll have an apple blossom and then an actual apple! I hope it’s red like the ones on my cutie mark.”

“Oh!” She turned around and grabbed the watering can that she’d dropped. “That was silly of me. Can’t have a blossom or an apple without water.”

She gave Curtis its water and admired the healthy sheen of its limbs and leaves. With her work in the meadow done, Applejack started back to the farmhouse. On the edge of the enclosure, she turned her head around and looked back at Curtis. “I’ll be back later to check on ya.”

On her way back to the farmhouse, Applejack spotted a shape darting out of the house and into the air. Huh, wonder what a pegasu was doing here so early.

Curious, she made her way into the house, only to find the inside in chaos. Granny was running around, carrying all manner of tools and affixing boards to the windows. “Uh Granny, what are ya doing?”

“Bracing the house,” Granny answered. “Weather team just dropped by to warn us about a big storm they got cooking up.”

“Storm?” Applejack quivered.

“Yep, glad they told us early. We’ll need to secure the house and as many trees as we can.” Granny gestured over a stack of boards sitting in the middle of the kitchen. “Mind helping in here? I think your brother can handle the trees outside.”

“Yeah... sure.” Applejack’s legs shook a little. There’d been light showers over the past few weeks, but Curtis hadn’t dealt with a full storm. Granny had said that the meadow was a good defense from the elements though. The worst Curtis would suffer would be a little extra water.

The sound of dripping water filled the farmhouse. It fell into buckets, pans, and cups wherever the old house let water in. Rain splattered against the windows of the house while the wind wailed outside. Lighting occasionally illuminated the outside of the farm. Trees of all sizes swayed back and forth in the wind and the paths were submerged in mud.

Granny sat in the rocking chair by her room’s door and watched the storm play out. A clap of thunder resounded and shook the house. “Hoo-wee! Haven’t seen a storm like this for a while. Best go check to make sure the young’uns are okay.”

She shuffled out of her room, into the hallway, and slipped into Big Macintosh’s room. His mane was visible from his bed and the calm rise and fall of his torso stood in stark contrast to the raging tempest just past his window.

Granny ducked back out into the hallway and made her way to Applejack’s room. The poor filly had fallen asleep with her hat still on her head. Granny couldn’t blame her, the day had been especially long securing the crops and waterproofing the house as best as they could. Everypony had been plum tuckered by the time the storm had rolled in.

A flash of lightning illuminated the room and revealed a wet spot on the floor. Granny sighed and trudged over to the spot under the leak. There was an empty glass by Applejack’s bed and Granny decided that was as good a water collector as anything else. She trotted up to the bed and grabbed the glass, taking a moment to brush Applejack’s mane.

Her hoof only met pillow. She felt around and only touched more of the pillow. In a flash, she swiped away the covers and was met with an empty bed. “Oh, ponyfeathers.”

Outside, the wind whipped at Applejack from all directions. She squinted up her eyes and covered her face with a hoof, but it did little to shield her from the storm. She’d considered wearing her hat, but the winds would have ripped it right off her head and it would have been lost forever. Granny would be mad enough with her going out in the storm.

A massive wave of rain washed over Applejack, completely soaking her. She shivered and bit down on the umbrella in her mouth. The mud almost completely buried her legs and her strength was the only thing that kept her from getting stuck. Movement still took a lot of effort from her and she was gasping for breath by the time she reached the meadow.

Curtis was soaked but otherwise unharmed. Other parts of the meadow weren’t so lucky. Broken branches littered the enclosure and a few of the heavier ones were sinking into the ground. Applejack rushed past the debris and over to Curtis. She relinquished the umbrella and propped it up over the sapling. If not for the trees encircling the meadow, the umbrella would have folded in an instant, but here it provided the additional protection Curtis needed.

A sharp crack broke Applejack’s attention on Curtis. There was another crack and this time Applejack was able to pinpoint where it had come from: a tree with long branches that stretched into meadow. One of them was at an odd angle and swaying rapidly in the wind.

A gale blew through the farm and snapped the loose branch. It came crashing down on Curtis and Applejack, but she spun around and delivered as strong a buck as she could to it. The blow was enough to send the branch a few inches away from Curtis. It landed in the mud and coated both Applejack and Curtis in a deluge of grime.

Applejack spat out some mud that had gotten into her mouth and wiped it away from her eyes. The rest of her body was completely obscured by the muck. Curtis wasn’t in a much better state with his limbs drooping due to the mud. Applejack tenderly reached out and began scraping the mess off the sapling, taking special care not to damage the leaves or the bud.

“Don’t ya worry, Curtis. I’ll have ya cleaned up in jiffy,” she huffed. The buck had taken away the last of Applejack’s reserves. Her limbs shivered in the rain but she continued to clean up Curtis. “Glad I got here when I did. What if that branch ha— Ow!”

Applejack reeled back away from Curtis. Something had stung her leg. She held it up and noticed a small dot of blood coming from a tiny puncture wound. Confused and alarmed, she looked over at the spot where she’d been cleaning Curtis. She remembered Granny’s advice about poisonous critters and searched for whatever had stung her so she could get the right medicine for it. She also wanted to make sure it didn’t hurt Curtis.

She found no critter, but her discovery made her heart stop. Jutting out of Curtis’s side was sharp thorn.

“W-what? No... apple trees don’t have thorns,” Applejack stuttered. Her eyes widened in despair as the realization hit her. She’d seen a tree like Curtis before. Her aunt and uncle kept an orange sapling in house.

Applejack fell to her knees and screamed, “Ya can’t be an orange tree! Ya can’t be! I... I...”

She spun around and bolted out of the meadow. Her legs were aflame with pain but she kept running. A combination of mud and roots tripped her and she fell onto the wet ground. She got her head out of the mud but didn’t move from the spot. The sound of the storm blocked out her sobs.

“Applejack!” Big Macintosh’s voice called out. Applejack couldn’t tell from which direction he came from, but he was galloping to her one second and then she was on his back. She buried her head in his neck and cried all the way back to the house.

Applejack awoke to the feeling of her pillow on her face. The memory of last night made her bolt up in her bed. “Huh? Oh thank the stars, it was just a nightm— Atchoo!”

The sneeze sent Applejack into a fit of coughing. Her door opened and Granny trotted in with a bowl of soup perched on her back. “That’s what ya get for running out into that storm last night. Nearly gave me and your brother heart attacks.”

“So...” Applejack laid back down on her pillow and frowned. “It wasn’t a nightmare then.”

“I can understand being worried about your tree, but this is the sort of thing I warned ya about.” Granny put the soup by Applejack’s bed and placed a hoof on Applejack’s forehead. “Yep, ya got a fever. Now ya stay here and rest while your brother and I clean up around the farm.”

“Sorry, Granny,” Applejack dejectedly replied.

Granny sighed and made her way out of the room. She began to close the door but stopped with enough space to allow her head to poke in. “If you’re worried about your little Curtis, I’ll make sure it’s nice and safe.”

The door closed and Applejack was left alone in her room. Her face had gone completely pale and a single thought dominated her mind. Granny can’t find out!

She tried to lift a hoof to remove her covers, but her limbs wouldn’t listen. It felt like they were glued to the bed in addition to being made of rocks. The exertion of trying to move them left Applejack breathless and a little dizzy.

“No,” she moaned. Granny couldn’t find out, not after how happy she’d been with Applejack’s Cutie Mark. A fear seized her chest and she glanced down at where her flanks were. She was an apple farmer, that was what her cutie mark meant. Growing an orange tree was just...

“Wrong,” she cried. “Wrong, wrong wrong!”

Applejack’s pillow was stained with tears when the door opened again. She ducked head below the pillows and tried to make herself small despite her inability to move.

She heard Granny’s steps coming closer and closer to the bed. They were too soft to be Big Macintosh’s. “Applejack.”

“Go away,” Applejack sobbed. “I didn’t mean it. I... I tried really hard to grow an apple tree, I swear! P-please Granny, don’t kick me out!”

The sheets flew off and Applejack was met with Granny’s concerned face. “That fever must be worse than I thought for ya to say stuff like that.”

“But... the tree,” Applejack hiccuped.

“Curtis? Why, it’s fine. Lovely flower, by the way.”

Applejack sniffled and stared at Granny in surprise. “Why aren’t ya mad? It’s an orange tree!”

“Oh...” Granny blushed a little. “I was a bit surprised when I saw it too. Imagine, an orange sapling amidst a grove of apple trees. I realized I was so happy ya came back home and wanted to hear about your trip that I must’ve given ya the wrong seed. I’m sorry, dearie.”

“So...” Applejack’s eyes met her grandmother’s. “You’re not gonna kick me off the farm?”

Granny pulled Applejack in for a hug. “Oh dearie, ya could grow fire-breathing tomatoes and I wouldn’t kick ya off the farm. This is your home and you’re always welcome here.” She broke away from the hug and gestured to Applejack’s cutie mark. “This is the first time I’ve heard of somepony growing their first tree and it’s a completely different fruit than their Cutie Mark though. Not only that, but Curtis is looking like it’s gonna be a good tree, what with it blooming so early.”

“Granny...” Applejack teared up again and hugged Granny harder.

“Ya’d best save your tears for the other news I’m going to tell ya,” Granny chuckled.

Applejack held her hug but looked up. “Other news?”

“And big news at that. Not every day that ya become a big sister.”

“What?” Applejacked asked with a stunned look in her eyes.

Granny produced a letter and showed it to Applejack. “Mailpony delivered it after I checked on your tree. I swear, every time your ma and pa go on a trip, there’s always a new pony that comes back with them.”

“I... I can’t believe I’m gonna be a big sister.”

“Well, if Curtis is anything to go by, I think you’re gonna do a fine job.”

They both looked at each other and then fell into a fit of laughter. Tears trickled down both of their faces. They were still laughing when Big Macintosh came in to check. He saw the scene, shrugged, and quietly left the room.

“A few days later, I was on my hooves again and ma and pa dropped ya off. Now, the months after that are a whole ‘nother story.” Applejack finished her tale and laid her back against Curtis’s trunk.

“Wow,” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “So am I gonna get a seed when I get my Cutie Mark?”

“Of course.”

“Even if it doesn’t involve apples?”

Applejack pushed herself up and softly smiled at her sister. “Apple Bloom, the important thing is that it’s a family tradition, not a Cutie Mark tradition.” She reached out and tapped Apple Bloom’s chest. “I know you’re always worrying about getting a Cutie Mark, but you’ll always be marked as an Apple in here.”

“So... you’re saying I should get my Cutie Mark in family making?”