A/N: So, I’m not reduxing this like I had originally planned, however I am continuing this again. The sad part is that the updates will be very sporadic because I’m working on two other fanfictions that warrant higher priority, running a group, and I edit for a few people now. Plus school and other stuff. I just don’t have the time I used to have. I may be ending the story a lot earlier than planned because of this as well, but stay tuned.

“So, does applebucking take more than the name implies?” you ask formally.

“Actually just a little.” She grins back at you. “Hit it too light and the apples don’t fall. Hit it too hard and it flings them all over the place.”

“And if you hit just right?”

“Well… perhaps I’ll give you a demonstration. But just once yah hear?”

You nod as you feel that’s pretty fair. You continue to trot beside her, watching her Stetson bounce up and down against her yellow mane. She looks directly at you and you pretend like you’re looking into the distance at other trees. Subtle, very sublte.

You arrive at no particular tree in the vast orchard and she stands next to it. “Alright Mr. Essence, here’s how it works. You’re going to take your hind legs and hit it just below the middle of the tree.” She draws an imaginary circle at the proposed area. “You’ll want to hit it slightly up so that the force goes straight up.”

“Wow, that actually sounds-“

“I ain’t finished.” Applejack interrupts your… interruption and then promptly continues. “If the tree wobbles and not all the apples fall out, you’ve hit it too light. If they start flinging themselves like mad in everywhich way, you done it too hard. You’ll know if you hit it right.” She backs up and rotates her body, backside to the tree. With swift and brute force, she bucks the tree and every apple falls down into neat piles. You find that pretty astounding and unique

.

“Well, good luck. I’ll come back ‘round noon to check on your progress.”

“Thanks Applejack.” You try your hooves at bucking the nearest tree. Unsurprisingly, you hit it a little too softly and only several apples fell. You hear the farm mare scoff a bit in the distance; you can only assume she watched you fail. You look around for her, but she’s disappeared behind a few of the hills.

Trying again, you put in a little more “oomph” into striking the tree and the results are satisfactory. Only two apples remain in the branches and you decide to cheat a little and run up the tree and strike them down with a fore hoof.

~~~

The work is strenuous and the sun hasn’t moved much since you started. You’ve cleared the first ten trees with minimal difficulty, though each one takes a little more out of you than the previous. Sweat is drenching your head and you presume that you’re still a little weak from everything that’s happened thus far.

You approach the next one and look up. It’s a taller than the rest by a large margin and it’s got a huge collection of plump red fruit. You’re not entirely sure if you’re ready for this one, but it is in your section so it has to be done. You rear your hind legs back and give it a solid whack.

Nothing.

You add some more force to your next buck.

One apple falls.

You give it one more go. You actually do worse this time.

Dang, this one’s tougher.

You think that maybe you can get a running start, spin in midair and then whack it. The extra momentum should aid you in completing the task. You refuse to be beaten by something as stationary as a tree.

You run a few paces back.

Wipe your brow.

Focus on the trunk.

And run.

~~~

“Hey Lunar, I thought I’d come see- what the hay happened here!?” Applejack asks with extreme fervor.

“I got a little… stuck.” There’s apples littering the ground in perfect piles but you’ve gotten your back legs completely

wedged into the trunk.

So, I’ll know when I hit it just right huh…