The Apple Sleep Experiment

Chapter 3: First Effects

First Effects
Applebloom awoke just after sunrise when she heard a crash coming from the kitchen. She wiped the sleep from her eyes as she quietly trotted downstairs to see what was happening. When she entered the kitchen she was surprised to find row upon row of jars of freshly prepared zap-apple jam. Somewhere hidden behind them she could see the outline of her older sister who was busily stirring the current pot of jam while simultaneously measuring out the correct amount of honey.
"Sis?" She asked; her voice cracking as she was not completely awake yet.
"Applebloom!" Applejack said, startled. "What in the hay are you doin' awake so early?"
"Ah heard a crash..." Applebloom said. She maneuvered her way into the kitchen making sure not to knock over a single jar. "How long have you been up, Applejack? How'd you make all this jam?!"
"Once Ah got a little more focused the rest was easy. Don't you worry none little sis, Ah'll have all the jam jarred and ready for sale two days earlier than expected. Then we can be done with all this financial nonsense! He'll get his order alright." Applejack said, speaking so quickly it was hard for Applebloom to hear or understand what she was saying.
Applebloom took a step back and accidently hit the kitchen table where a completed jar of jam wobbled and threatened to fall. Applebloom gasped and tried to catch it before it hit the ground but Applejack beat her to it, swiping the jar from mid-air and setting it down on the ground before hurrying back to the jam she was making. Applebloom blinked a couple of times in awe of her sister's speed and agility. Had she always been this focused?
"Uh... how many jars do ya think you've got here, sis? Ah don't recall makin' this much jam last year, and we weren't even able to get to most the trees yesterday." Applebloom asked warily.
"Oh Ah finished the bucking." Applejack said so matter-of-factly.
"Finished the bucking? On your own? ALL of them?" Applebloom gasped in disbelief.
"Yup. We'll have more jam this season than ever before." Applejack said.
"But... when do Granny and Ah get to help make the jam?" Applebloom asked.
"You don't have to worry about that this year lil sis, Ah've got ya covered." Applejack said, oblivious to the longing in her sister's tone.
"But Granny promised!" Applebloom whined defiantly.
"The thing is, Applebloom, Granny's got a lot on her plate now what with Big Mac being gone and ah figure that ah can get the jam made a lot faster."
"But it just aint fair! Ah already told the crusaders they could come 'n help out with this year's batch!" Applebloom protested.
"Sometimes ya can't have what ya want, it's just how life goes."
"But..."
"Applebloom , Ah'm not arguing about this now."
"But Applejack..."
"AH SAID NO!" Applejack screamed. She turned to Applebloom and growled with a slight twitch in her eye. Applebloom felt the pit of her stomach drop and she backed away from her nervously; she'd never seen her sister so angry before and it frightened her. After a moment or so of silence Applejack blinked a few times and shook her head returning to the pot of jam.
"Ah was just gonna ask if ya needed mah help..." Applebloom whispered.
Applejack paused for a moment and looked back at her little sister with a frown.
"Ah'm sorry sis. Why don't ya just run along and play instead. Maybe you and the crusaders can try another one of your crazy little ideas to getcher cutie marks." Applejack said, laughing as she busily continued her work. Applebloom stormed angrily outside fighting back the tears that threatened to come.
*~*~*~*
"I'm sure she didn't mean it, Applebloom." Sweetie Belle reassured her friend. She and the other crusaders had all convened in their clubhouse after they'd learned the disappointing news that they couldn't participate in the jam-making.
"Besides, Applejack can't make ALL that jam by herself. It took you and your family almost two days to do it last year, remember?" Scootaloo offered.
"But that's what's so wrong... when Ah saw the kitchen this mornin' it was as if Applejack had been making jam all night! When'd she sleep?" Applebloom wondered aloud as she paced around the clubhouse. "And how in Equestria did she buck all them apples by herself?" She added.
"Maybe some of her friends came to help her last night?" Sweetie Belle suggested.
"Ah don't think so. She told me they were all too busy to help with the bucking." Applebloom said.
"Well, at least we know she's gotta get some rest eventually, right? I mean... she can't keep going on like this forever. We'll just make our batch of jam when she tires herself out." Scootaloo said.
"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle added.
"If there's any left to make. Ah don't think she's doin' it right, y'all. Granny says it's a long process but ya have to get it just right in order for it to taste any good." Applebloom said.
"Guess we'll find out." Scootaloo shrugged.
The three fillies paused when they heard the sound of a carriage making its way up the dirt path towards the farm. They each poked their head out of the doorway to the treehouse and watched inquisitively.
"What's he here for?" Applebloom asked bitterly.
"Maybe he's coming to take some jam?" Sweetie Belle wondered aloud.
"He can't be! It's only been a day since the zap apples were harvested, 'n Granny said he's got quite a large order this year." Applebloom pointed out.
"You don't think he'll take all of it, do you?" Scootaloo asked worriedly.
"Nah... we Apples need the money from zap apple jam sales there's no way mah sister would let 'im have more than his share." Applebloom said.
"Unless you owe him more than your precious jam is worth," came a voice from below. The three fillies cringed when they heard Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, none of them were in the mood to deal with their snobbery.
"Whaddya mean?" Applebloom snapped defensively.
"You mean they haven't told you?" Diamond Tiara said, followed by one of her cruel giggles. "Your granny owes my daddy a lot of bits and he won't settle for anything less than twice the amount of your zap apple jam."
"That's a lie!" Applebloom shouted defensively.
"Go see for yourself." Diamond Tiara offered.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Scootaloo asked, flapping her wings rapidly as she attempted to contain her anger.
"I came to make you crusader cry-babies a deal." Diamond Tiara said.
"Yeah" Silver Spoon added awkwardly.
"We'd never make a deal with you." Sweetie Belle said defiantly.
"Not even for a jar of your precious jam?" Diamond Tiara said.
"You might wanna reconsider." Silver Spoon said.
"Mah sister wouldn't give y'all every jar of jam; we won't need your stinkin' deal." Applebloom said. She and the crusaders had finally emerged from the clubhouse and made their way down the ramp to confront their filly bullies.
"You really don't know anything do you? My daddy gets every last jar or the deal is off." Diamond Tiara said with a smirk. "So... do you wanna hear my offer or not?"
Applebloom didn't respond. Instead, she raced away from the others towards the house. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were close at her hooves as she ran.
"Fine!" Diamond Tiara shouted from behind them. "But you can forget about making any deals, and forget about getting any of your precious jam too!"
"Yeah!" Silver Spoon added.
*~*~*~*
"My my my... that IS mighty impressive young filly!" Filthy rich exclaimed. He was watching in delight as his staff loaded the jars of jam into a cart. "It's nice to see a little hustle these days."
"And the debt?" Applejack asked, finding it difficult to remain still as she stood beside Filthy Rich.
"Repaid in full 's far as I'm concerned." Filthy Rich replied.
"Good." Applejack said, rubbing her right front leg with her left. She could feel the tremor in her body and was aching to get some more work done. "400 jars of jam for a debt repaid."
"Pardon?" Filthy Rich asked.
"400 jars... that was the deal. Twice your order from last year?" Applejack said cautiously.
"I believe I said the deal was every jar of jam young filly." Filthy Rich said with narrowed eyes.
"Now you're a reasonable pony 'n all... you know if we don't get the sales from the zap apples we'll be hurtin' again in the winter months. Ah figured since yer gettin' yer order so quickly you wouldn't mind us holdin' onto a few jars..." Applejack said, trailing off.
"I appreciate your business sense Applejack but a deal's a deal. Even with the extra jam that debt would still be technically underpaid. I'm doing you a favor, and all I ask is for the jars I was promised."
Applejack's heart began to race and little beads of sweat formed on her brow and cheeks. She could feel her blood pressure rising as she attempted to contain the anger boiling just under the surface.
"Now hold on just a minute!" Applejack said, her anger betraying her common sense.
"That aint fair and you know it!"
"Aint about bein' fair. It's about knowing how to conduct business." Filthy Rich said, cutting her off.
Applejack stamped her hoof in frustration but Filthy Rich held out a hoof to stop her before she could say anything else.
"Y'all know if you end up needing assistance you can come to ole Filthy Rich.  Maybe you can increase your cider sales this season. Tell you what, I'll let you buy back some of your jam - half price. For personal use of course."
Applejack snorted angrily her legs began to quake and her eyes narrowed. She clenched her teeth shut but thought better than to reply. Instead, she stormed away from Filthy Rich towards the orchard.
Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were watching Applejack and Filthy Rich's conversation from a safe distance behind a bale of hay.
"It can't be true... it just can't." Applebloom whispered sadly. Sweetie Belle threw her hooves around her friend in a hug until Scootaloo interrupted them.
"Um... guys? I think there's something off about Applejack."
"Whaddya mean?" Applebloom asked.
"Well... she seems kinda... mad." Scootaloo said warily.
"Of course she's mad! That greedy stallion won't even let us keep a single jar! And after she worked so hard too..." Applebloom said trailing off.
"Yeah but--" Scootaloo started
"I'd be mad too! I can't believe Diamond Tiara is gonna have this to hold over our heads. She'll never let you live this down Applebloom." Sweetie Belle pointed out sadly.
"Guys--" Scootaloo said, her eyes growing wide.
"Ah ain't gonna give her the satisfaction! Ah say we grab us a couple jars and hide 'em before Mister Rich can get 'em all from the house." Applebloom said.
"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle replied happily.
"GUYS!" Scootaloo shouted.
"What is it Scoot--" Applebloom started but was cut off when she followed Scootaloo's gaze and saw something she'd never thought she'd see. Applejack was bucking one of the regular apple trees but not in any way she'd seen before. She was kicking the same tree repeatedly and it was beginning to weaken. The branches shook and the three fillies could hear the unmistakable sound of the trunk cracking. They all raced from their hiding place towards Applejack, calling out her name in warning. With the rate Applejack was going, she could be crushed.
Applejack couldn't hear the fillies' cries as she kicked madly at the tree. She was imagining that she was bucking a certain greedy pony and had lost her ability to think straight. With every buck she could see his smug grin and that selfish gleam in his eye reflected in the trunk of the apple tree. She was panting and sweating, so focused on getting out her frustrations that she didn't realize that the tree was falling apart. Branches were coming loose and cascading down around her. Several of them cut her fur when they fell but she remained unphased; she didn't feel the slightest bit of pain. The image of Filthy Rich on the tree began to laugh, mocking her in her efforts to take out her anger. Although her back hooves were physically unable to handle the amount of stress she was making them perform, she didn't care; all she could think of was bucking that smile right of that pony's face.   Even though the tree was weakened, it was still far too strong for a pony to bring down all alone.
Applebloom and the other crusaders were only a few yards away when they heard a terrifying crunch sound. At first they believed that Applejack had actually managed to buck down an entire apple tree but upon closer inspection they realized the sickening truth: it wasn't the tree that had cracked, but the bones in Applejack's back legs. The broken bones were unmistakably visible under Applejack's skin, jetting out to the side causing her hooves to turn the wrong way. Sweetie Belle screamed in surprise and Scootaloo lost all the color in her cheeks. Applebloom screamed, wishing she could turn away but found she was unable to solely because of the concern she had for her sister's well-being.
Applejack's ears were ringing and she felt a wave of nausea as she attempted to buck at the tree again. This time, however, she felt a tremor in her body when her hooves made contact with the bark. She didn't recognize the feeling as pain and it only served to confuse and anger her more. When she tried bucking again the ringing got louder and her vision blurred. Contact with the tree sent a wave of shock through her body and she felt her muscles tense and freeze. Applejack stumbled to the ground still oblivious to the broken bones. She looked up at the tree but saw that it no longer resembled one at all; instead, she saw Filthy Rich towering above her, mocking her defeat.
"Applejack!" Applebloom cried, avoiding looking at her sister's back hooves. "Applejack!" she screamed again. Applejack seemed unresponsive; she just stared up at the apple tree. Applebloom caught the look of fear and anger in her eye and looked at the tree in confusion.
"Applejack?" Applebloom asked in a voice barely above a whisper. Somewhere behind her she could hear Sweetie Belle throwing up.
"I'll get help!" Scootaloo offered, taking the first opportunity to get as far away from that place as possible.
"Quit yer laughin'!" Applejack gasped, her voice cracked as she spoke. She still didn't understand why her body refused to respond to her. She attempted getting up but each time she tried she faced a new wave of nausea.
Applejack noticed her vision would become blurry now and again and furiously blinked her eyes in an effort to clear it. She felt some pony tugging at her front hoof and turned to see Applebloom hovering over her. Applebloom was saying something to her but all she heard was muffled shouts with no meaning. She tried once more to get up but Applebloom protested, pointing to her back hooves. Applejack propped herself up to see what all the fuss was about and realized what had happened.  She tilted her head to the side, wondering how she could be feeling no pain. She didn't even notice the cuts and scrapes from the fallen branches; several of which were bleeding. Applebloom shouted something incoherent again and ran away. As soon as Applebloom left, the ringing in Applejack's ear decreased but didn't disappear. Applejack pulled a few branches within reach closer to her looking for a few thick and sturdy ones. Her head was swimming and she felt wave after wave of nausea but wasn't deterred from her task. She pulled her useless back legs in front of her and laid them out as straight as they could go. Her heart was still pounding rapidly in her chest as she calmly searched for some rope from her saddle bag. Once she had the sticks in place and the rope in her mouth, she positioned her front hooves over her back right leg. Applejack wasn't sure what to expect when she applied force to her leg. She'd never set a bone before, but she wasn't willing to wait there useless on the ground until some pony found her.  She heard a snap and felt a shiver run up her spine, but pain didn't follow. The second time was even less of a shock, despite the multiple snapping sounds she heard. Once she'd properly tied her make-shift splints to her legs she pulled herself up using what strength she had in her front hooves. Now she just needed to figure out a way to make it to Ponyville hospital across town...