The following day went much the same as the previous with Midnight getting up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast for the Apple family. Taking their requests and making the home cooked meal they wanted. Applebloom was already outside with many water pales filled to the brim and ready to be sung to, there was one slight problem though.

"But uncle Midnight?! You promised!" Applebloom whined while giving a pitiful pouty lipped face to the Alicorn.

"I seriously don't understand why I have to be in a bunny costume hoping over each pale while singing my A B C's." He groaned.

"It's how the Apple family has done this for years, and ah ain't about to start doing it any other way." She grumped crossing her arms defiantly.

"Ain't gonna happen AB." Midnight snorted crossing his arms while sitting on the dirt within the middle of the circle of water pales.

Now at this point Applebloom was getting upset since her uncle said he would help but now he wouldn't because of the silly way things would be done. She knew there was only one way left to get things done and decided it was time to pull out the big guns.

*sniff*

Midnight turned his head back toward Applebloom as he heard a soft sniffle. Once his eyes fell onto her he looked in horror as she had her little forelegs up rubbing her eyes as a pout threatened to break into a cry. He continued sitting there until he watched her give a little shuddering whimper as a few small tears fell to the ground dampening it.

"Nooooo nonono don't cry sweetheart." He tried to comfort her but was failing as she suddenly erupted into a loud cry.

"Don't cry! Please don't cry! Look Uncle is in his costume now, see!? A B C D E F G......" He spoke out as he manifested a large bunny costume onto his frame before jumping over each pale while singing. He continued until he made at least one complete revolution arriving back at Applebloom who still had her eyes covered.

"Applebloom please stop crying. I'm sorry. Uncle won't argue anymore about how things are done and leaves you in full charge of the zap apples. I'll do anything you need me to without question from this point forward." He smile nervously awaiting her reply. His smile left him however as Applebloom removed her hooves from her face and smile widely, her face completely dry. She trotted past him giving a big grin as she got into her costume.

"Wait?! You weren't crying? But how?" He began but stopped as Applebloom held up a hoof.

"You said no more questions Uncle Midnight." She grinned causing Midnight to slouch over with an annoyed and defeated look spread across his face.

"You are so manipulative you could give Rarity a run for her money." He snorted hearing AB giggle.

"Come on Uncle, lets sing to the water." She smiled as she began to hop around singing. Midnight following her as he began to sing in a monotone but stopped as AB looked at him.

"Sing in a happy tone Uncle." She huffed causing him to roll his eyes as he started back up in a happier tone.

As the two ponies hopped around the water pales, they were oblivious to the three ponies casually looking out their windows from upstairs, down onto them below. One orange earth pony had a video camera mounted on a tripod looking down at them as they continued hopping around. Completely oblivious to the blackmail that was in store for them.

Once the water had been sung to and poured onto the trees the third sign finally appeared as the two ponies watched in awe as crows filled the sky for a short time just before flowers began to bloom onto the Zap Apple trees.

"I must say AB, those flowers are beautiful." Midnight smiled as he stood up taking a sniff of one of them. "They smell just like a fresh rainfall." He smiled down to the filly.

"Let me smell one." She smiled as Midnight hefted her up with his magic while she took in a deep sniff of one of the flowers.

"They do smell like a fresh rainfall." She smiled as he set her down.

"Alright then, whats next?" Midnight asked as they trotted along.

"We need teh go inteh town an get some fresh honey." She smiled.

"Well that doesn't sound to hard." He smiled.

"You have got to be kidding?!" Midnight spoke up as he watched Applebloom talking to the bees as she poured the fresh honey from some honey combs into a few jars.

"Come on Uncle, you kin help talk to them to." Applebloom smiled as she wore a beard of bee's.

Midnight hesitantly stepped forward as a bee landed on his nose. "H-hi there little bee." He put on a nervous smile as several more bee's flew onto his face.

"See Uncle, they like ya." Applebloom giggled as her beard slowly left her and onto her uncle.

"Well this isn't so bad." Midnight smiled as he continued talking to the bee's, his nervousness leaving him. That was until one of the bees landed on his ear causing him to instinctively flick it away.

*ZAP*

"HNNNNNNGH!!" Midnight held in a yell as the bee came back stinging him on the side of his head. He let out a shuddering breath just before all the bee's began to fly from his makeshift beard and swarm around him.

"Uh oh...... *ZAP* AAAAH!!! *ZAP ZAP* OH GOD!" He shouted as he ran around while the bees chased him angrily. Applebloom taking this time to gather up a few more jars before yelling to her uncle.

"I'll meet you back at the farm." She shouted before trotting off happily, leaving her uncle to the bees as he yelled from the stings.

After arriving back at the farm, Applebloom made her way into the kitchen as she began to set up a long line of jars all around her. Midnight strode in with a groan as many tiny red bumps could be seen all over his frame. He took a seat on the floor with a sigh.

"I hate bee's."

"Well then how about you do the next part uncle, you helped train the royal guard so ah'm sure you got a loud voice right?" Applebloom smiled to her uncle who only cocked a brow at her.

"Yea, what do you want me to do that requires me yelling?" He chuckled.

"We need to make sure none of the jars are weak so they crack under pressure, think you could give them a stern talking to?" She giggled looking around at all of the jars. Midnight gave a smirk looking around to all of them.

"I guess I could whip them into shape." He chuckled just as Applebloom tossed him her granny's helmet before he began. She stood at the door watching as Midnight strode back and forth around the room looking at the jars, that was until he began to shout at them in the royal whee.

"LISTEN UP MAGGOTS! YOU ARE ABOUT TO FACE THE TEST OF YOUR LIFETIME! YOU WILL BE PUT TO THE TEST UNDER SHEER PRESSURE AND LOTS OF HEAT! YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO GIVE NO LESS THAN A HUNDRED AND TEN PERCENT TO PROTECT THE JAM THAT WILL BE PLACED INSIDE OF YOU FOR THE PLEASURE OF ALL THE PONIES WHO WANT THAT JAM! IF YOU DO NOT FEEL YOU CAN TAKE THE PUNISHMENT, YOU HAD BETTER SPEAK UP NOW BEFORE I STOMP YOU INTO THE GROUND!"

He watched as seven jars crack and three exploded from the sheer force of his voice. He smirked before looking back to ask Applebloom if he had done a good job but saw her wide eyed, her mane, coat, tail, and bow looking as if she had just been hit by a tornado. Midnight, thinking he may have went to far began to say something but stopped as Applebloom shouted back.

"WOW UNCLE! THAT IS ONE WAY TO GET THE WEAK ONES OUTTA HERE!" She giggled.

"Glad I could help. Midnight smiled.

"WHUUUUUT!? AH CAINT HEAR YA!" She shouted back only to make him chuckle, shaking his head.

The following day the two ponies headed back out to the field to water the trees once more after singing to it of course. As they finished though, the fourth sign appeared as greyish colored apples began to pop up from all of the flowers in the trees.

"So are they ready yet Applebloom?" Midnight asked looking down to the filly.

"Not yet, but why don'tcha go over and buck a tree to make sure." She smiled innocently.

"Midnight gave a smile as he trotted over to a tree and gave it a firm buck, he listened as what sounded like a charge began to stir up the tree before reversing and sending a bolt of lightning through him, launching him away from the tree in into the dirt.

"Looks like they ain't quite ripe yet." She giggled staring at her uncle who was face down in the dirt.

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" He spoke out in a muffled voice before pulling his face away from the dirt.

"Me? NEVER!" She giggled loudly giving an innocent expression.

"Uh huh." He smirked before they headed back into the farmhouse for the day. "So what do we do now?"

"Now we gotta paint some pink polka dots in the kitchen." She smiled but stopped seeing her uncles expression. He just gave a chuckle shaking is head.

"I'm not going to even ask why this time." He laughed as the two stepped into the kitchen before pulling out the pain to start.

The following day they arrived in the orchard just as the fifth and final sign appeared making the apple turn into a beautiful rainbow color each. Midnight stood in awe as a rainbow shot from tree to tree causing the fruit to explode in color.

"I take it they're rip now?" He asked Applebloom as she gave a nod happily. "Then lets get'a buckin!" He grinned as they spent the next few hours bucking the trees, sending fruit in the the empty bushels below.

Once the trees had been cleared of fruit, the bushels were taken up to the farmhouse and set to the side as Applebloom began setting up everything before she started to make the Zap Apple Jam. It took many hours over the next few days but Applebloom had turn most of the fruit from the trees into a colorful jam that would be enjoyed by everypony around. The other members of the Apple family had finally healed from their colds and made their way downstairs to the fresh scent of some of the finest jam they would ever taste. They all sat around the kitchen table as they tried different items made from the zap apple harvest. Every item made by Applebloom herself, with a little help from her uncle of course.

"This is the best jam ah ever tasted pickle pear, even better than my own recipe. How didja pull it off?" Granny Smith asked, wide eyed at the magnificent flavor of the jam on some toast she had just taken a bite from.

"Uncle Midnight helped me out a lot. Ah even got'im teh sing teh the water." She giggled causing him to smirk.

"Yea yea, but you did all the hard work sweetheart. You stepped forward in your families time of need when they were down and out with a cold. You made them and me very proud by doing this week long event so that they could have the best jam Ponyville will ever taste." He smiled causing Applebloom to blush.

"Aw shucks, t'ain't nothing really." She smiled sheepishly.

"But it is AB, if it weren't for your hard work and skill, we may be in a lot of trouble right now. We're all very proud'o ya." Applejack smiled pulling her sister into a hug.

"Thanks sis, ah'm proud teh be an Apple an will always be here teh help out." She smiled.

*FLASH*

Everypony sat there blinking for a few seconds before looking to Applebloom who sat there staring at her flank seeing her new cutiemark that had appeared.

"Isn't that the zap apple flower?" Midnight asked looking at the blooming flower on Appleblooms flank.

"Ah....... ah did it...........AH GOT MAH CUTIEMARK!" Applebloom yelled as she bowled her sister over hugging her while giggling loudly.

They family sat there laughing loudly, enjoying each others company while tasting the best batch of Zap Apple jam they had ever had. That week had been long and hard for that young filly and her family, but one thing is for certain. Having a family that takes care of one another is a truly happy family.