Ponyville [Sweet Apple Acres] An Apple A Day

[WillowWisp]

It was a nice fall morning and Fluttershy was out bright and early. She needed to run some very important errands. It seemed that a little cold had broken out among the wild bunnies and she wanted to treat them all. So after gathering all the sick ones, and cleaning the warrens they lived in so the cold wouldn't spread, she was off to get supplies.

She believed in home remedies, such as bed rest and a good bowl of soup. That always worked. Well except when trying to treat a Phoenix who wasn't really sick to start with. She laughed a little to herself at that thought.

"Lets see, I've got the carrots and lettuce... oh and the herbs I need grow in my garden... ah I got the alfalfa as well... I just need one more thing..."

The yellow Pegasus paused and looked down the path to her destination. She needed fresh apple juice for her soup and no better place to get it than the farm. She just hoped somepony would be up as it was rather early.

"Um...hello?" she called out quietly as she walked through the entrance gate. "Ah... is anypony up?... I... I can come back later if... if I have too."

[SunsetSombra]

Big Mac was currently momentarily occupied with the bucking of trees nearby - his apple collection quota for the morning was almost done, then he could freely move onto sorting and washing them before getting them down to Ponyville in order to sell them on. Once that would be taken care of, he'd be due back to take care of other crops and general farmhouse chores that made up a good portion of his day. Most other ponies would have taken offense to living such an overly monotonous and workaholic lifestyle, but Mac had his own ways of appreciating things he had, and some of the things he valued more than anything was how this afforded him chances to just relax and talk to other ponyfolks living in ponyville.

Just as he raised his right hindleg to thump the tree behind him once again for it's red-coated apple wares, his eyes catch ahold of a familiar pegasus...one of Applejacks friends, he remembered - she was a quiet unassuming but painfully shy pony, and he hadn't really spoken to her on many occasions.

Seeing as Applejack and Grandma apple weren't immediately on hand to tend to her, and Applebloom was off on one of her mystery romps with those two other young fillies, he figured that going down to meet and greet the mare was probably the most polite thing he could do until somepony else showed up.

Stepping away from the overly large apple tree he was currently tending to, he canters slowly down to where their visitor was awaiting reception...

" Well howdy, Miss! " Macintosh says, giving a light smile as he approaches. " Is thar anythin' ah can get for ya t'day, or are y'here t'talk with Applejack? "

He at least had hoped just to offer a friendly welcome - the last thing he ever needed to do was give the poor pegasus a heart attack with a greeting!

[WillowWisp]

True, Fluttershy was expecting a greeting from her friend Applejack, but Big Macintosh wasn't bad. She gave a meek smile and then nervously looked to the ground. She hoped she hadn't interrupted his work.

"Oh...no... I'm sure you can help me. I mean, if you're not busy. I can come back later... or wait... it's fine."

She shuddered a little, true to her nature, not wanting to be a bother. But at the same time she needed the apple juice, it wouldn't really do her any good if she went home without it.

"No, wait... I mean,"

The yellow Pegasus sighed. Her friends always tried to encourage her to be more assertive, but it was just so hard. Still she needed to deal with those sick bunnies. So with that in mind she took a deep breath and tried again.

"I... I need some apple juice. The fresher the better. I need to make some soup for some sick little bunnies."

[SunsetSombra]

Big Mac took a moment to chew lightly on the straw strand between his teeth, smiling softly at the pegasus before him as she explained in her typically cautious style what she had come here for - the poor girl was clearly taking all her courage just to speak plainly about what she was actually here for, and the stallion couldn't help but chuckle a little as she took a deep breath and spoke more directly and clearly...

" Needin' Applejuice, eh? " He says, a pondersome look on his features before nodding slowly. " Well, ah reck'n ah can certainly help ya'all with that. "

The red earth pony shot a small playful grin before heading over towards where he'd just bucked down a bunch of fresh red apples, picking up the handle of the bucket in his maw before making his way back to the quiet and shy young filly he'd been talking to. He takes just a moment to place the bucket down again and turned his attentions back towards Fluttershy with a smile.

" Ah'm a-thinkin' these might jus' do the trick - they're about as fresh as it gets, an' ah figure ya'all be deservin' nothin' but apple acres freshest! "

Now - all they needed to do now was crush the apples...and that wasn't really a problem for a stallion such as Mac.

" Alright, Miss Fluttershy " he says, nodding his head in the intended direction. " Let's go make us some juice! "

[WillowWisp]

"Oh, thank you very much."

Fluttershy smiled. At least Big Mac was one of the quieter and gentler ponies in town. Honestly sometimes even her friends could make her nervous. Pinkie Pie always had so much energy and Rainbow Dash could be loud... Applejack could be just as so for that matter. Perhaps that's why she considered Rarity her best friend. Sure the Unicorn was a little dramatic at times, but she usually wasn't bouncing off the walls or trying new "tricks".

As he brought over the bucket of apples and suggested they make the juice she needed, she nodded, her gaze darting to the ground and back again. Even when she tried to be assertive, it seemed like unless there was impending danger, her shy demeanor wouldn't leave her completely.

"Ah...so..." she went to follow as he nodded in the direction they were going to head. "How do you make the juice? Do you smash them all on your own? That must be very hard."

[SunsetSombra]

As they started to head on their way, Big Mac gives a small chuckle as she posed the question - well, there certainly wasn't any harm in giving her a tidbit of information, and in all honesty the stallion didn't really mind talking a little about just how things worked around the farm...if anything, it was a change of pace!

" Well, ah suppose it's not a terribly hard thing t'do... " he says, after putting down the bucket and glancing back at Fluttershy over his shoulder briefly.

" We got ourselves a l'il apple press out back o' the barn - all we gotta do is put a whole load of apples in, press 'em down with the wooden presser, then flush a l'il water in there to allow the juice to mingle a l'il. - Not too much though, don't wanna spoil th' applejuice after all...just need t'make sure there's more apples than there is water so that th' apple juice comes through stronger. " Mac added, just to clarify a little on how things worked.

Once he picks up the bucket again, The pair of them head towards where the barn is...Mac stopping briefly to check out and place a few more buckets of apples on a small cart which he promptly hooks up to his harness with an adeptness befitting one whom had done do for many years, before promptly heading out towards the back of the barn to where their current destination would be - in this case, the apple family 'Apple juice presser'.

" Apples are a lot tougher than ol' grapes...we'd usually jus' stomp on those a l'il in their own vat - with apples, ah got's t'use the presser jus' to get the job done at all. " the stallion explains as he unhooked himself from his cart of apples. " All we gotta do now is put'em in there an' crush 'em down into pulp. "

Macintosh looks at the young mare and chuckles slightly as he looks back at the dozen or so Buckets.

" How's about this, Miss Fluttershy? Ya'all can help toss 'em in if ya like. Honestly, t'ain't too heavy...and ah think that ya'all should be able t'manage! "

He wasn't really sure if she was prepared to take up that idea or not, but he didn't think it would hurt all that much to at least ask and find out!

[WillowWisp]

It may have seemed a little odd to most ponies, actually listening to Big Macintosh talk. He was a stallion of few words usually. But being quiet herself, Fluttershy was more than happy to listen. She trotted along nodding now and then as he explained the juice making process. She'd seen Applejack stomping grapes before, but nothing like the apple press.

"Oh, you want me to help? Well... I don't know... I don't want to mess it up but..."

She trailed off as she looked over to the apple buckets. She could lift one right? She wasn't that weak.

'You can do it Fluttershy! Remember, you're stronger than you think.'

And with her little mental pep talk, she put her things down then trotted over to the apple barrels. It took her a moment, but she managed to get one up on her back, which led to a proud little smile.

'I did it! And somepony saw!'

With the barrel in tow she went back to the press and then poured them into the opening they went in. "Do we need all the barrels?"

[MephistoFiesta]

(I hope it's okay if I just jump in :3)

Carrot Top was way over her head. Pulling carrots and squash in her tiny wooden wagon was something neither of them could handle. Carrot was not a particularly strong pony, and neither was her wheelbarrow. She strained to move the cart as the dirt lane got softer. She let out an audible grunt as she tried to pull it out of the dirt. She strained and moaned and gave it all of her might and...

SNAP

A wheel flew through the air and landed with a soft thud. Carrot stared at it for a moment, and angrily yelled and kicked her hoof at the cart. "Great! Just GREAT! Now I have to go back with the cart on my back!" Anger quickly turned into sadness as she slumped over, not sure what to do. She looked around, seeing a farm. Sweet Apple Acres, a huge orchard and home of the Apples. She never had any real conversations with them, but she took her time to know the other farmers. She trotted up the hill and noticed one of the Apples, Big Macintosh she assumed, and a local resident. "Hello, Mr. Macintosh, right? I'm Carrot Top, a local farmer. I had a bit of a problem with my cart, do you have a spare wheel I can borrow?"

[SunsetSombra]

Big Mac chewed on his hay strand a moment, watching as Fluttershy achieved something she hadn't expected on doing by herself - of course, the red stallion knew that the young mare was more capable of things than she ever let on or even realised, but it was a reserve of hidden strength that she often needed to acknowledge for herself more than others around her did...and sometimes, she would undoubtably need somepony giving it a little nudge, here or there.

Upon her question of how many mmore they might need, Macintosh took a moment to ponder the answer...and simply came up with the most relevent answer he could. " 'bout half a dozen more for a good amount o'juice, give or take!

He then proceeds to dump his own bucket of apples into the vat before hearing nearby the sound of another pony, quite clearly asking a question - it was a young pony, perhaps no older than the young pegasus he was talking to already...

he'd seen her around town before, and was vaguely familiar with their crop, carrots.

" A loose wheel, eh? " He says, echoing the name of the desired object the young pony had spoken of absently, realising where he might have something that could help. " 'scuse me briefly, Miss Fluttershy. " Big mac says, addressing her before heading towards the toolshed nearby, glancing over at Carrot Top with a lazy smile. " Ah'll only be a moment...think ah've got somethin' on hoof that'll work jus' fine! "

[SunsetSombra]

{{ Thread on hiatus until Willow returns! }}