“Hey dad, DAD!” Honey Crisp trotteded excitedly behind his proud papa's legs. The little lavender colt with the strawberry blonde mane seemed to have limitless energy as he picked up speed and started racing around his giant of a father.

Big Mac, being a pony of few words just smiled at his son and waited patiently for the question to come out of his eager mouth. The giant of a horse had actually gotten even larger and more sturdy of build as he continued to work on the farm for years.

“I told Auntie AJ that you were so strong, you could buck a whole tree with one leg, but she told me no. You were plenty strong, but you never could get all the apples with one leg.”

Letting out a snort, the big stallion walked over to the nearest tree, “Watch me.”

Raising one heavy rear hoof from the dirt, he lashed back with a kick that shook the ground under the little colt enough to make him stumble around. Apples came tumbling down into the bushel baskets that circled the base of the tree until every last one fell, except for one.

Mac stared up at the apple on that low-hanging branch and gave out a hearty laugh, reaching up to pluck it from the branch and toss it to his young son.

*********************************

A teenage Honey Crisp trotted up to the orchard, a song in his heart until he saw his father out among the trees again, bucking apples as always. Big Mac was a little older now, going gray along the edges of his mane but he still looked like he was made of steel.

“Dad! Hey dad, stop that! Ya know the doc told ya to take it easy for a while! Yer heart can't take the strain!”

The huge stallion gave a grunt of annoyance. Both he and AJ were getting on in years, and Apple Bloom had moved off to Manehattan with Sweetie and Scoots. Honey was a big help on the farm, but he couldn't do it all by himself. He just walked over to the next tree and gave it a hard buck with both legs, every apple raining down except one as the big stallion paused to catch his breath, sweat pouring down his brow.

Face twisting in a mix of anger and worry, HC stomped a hoof in front of his father. “I swear't you're even more stubborn than Auntie AJ. If ya keep this up, you're gonna be UNDER the trees instead of buckin' 'em, then what's the family gonna do? Ya can't just keep goin' like this.”

His great barrel chest heaving like some kind of over stressed steam engine, Mac wiped the sweat from his brow as he frowned at his son.

“Watch me.”

*********************************

Now living on the family farm with colts of his own, HC was shaken out of sleep by his wife, a look of worry on her face.

“Hmm? Wha... what is it, Peachy?” The big stallion shook off his drowsiness quickly at the sight of her concern.

She placed a yellow hoof on his mouth, “Shhh... listen...”

His ears twitched as he could hear a soft thunk and the sound of falling apples, then a few moments later he heard it again. He hopped out of bed, set the heavy yoke his father had left him over his neck, settling it in front of his broad barrel and put on his hat. “You stay here and keep an eye on the foals. I'll be right back. I promise.”

Planting a light kiss on her forehead and picking up a lantern, he tromped down the stairs and out into the orchard.

Just a few moments later, he saw just what he was afraid of. The lantern's light fell on a huge skeletal horse, bones held together by tree roots as it moved from tree to tree at a shuffling pace. It would then stop, lift a back hoof, then slam it into the tree, knocking every apple down but one, filling the bushels that were left out for the next days work.

The big stallion wanted to be surprised, but he had known how stubborn his papa was. He wanted to tell him off but he knew that wouldn't do any good. Should he call a doctor, a priest, Princess Twilight?

He followed his skeletal father around for a few more trees until finally, a bit of old Granny Smith's common sense finally sparked in his brain.

“Ya know, Auntie AJ always said you'd never be able to rest like her...”

The skeletal horse paused, turning towards his son. Those empty sockets seemed to bore into his soul as it leaned forwards before slowly opening its mouth, a gravelly voice saying.

“watch.... meeee...”

A chill running down his spine, HC watched the remains of his papa slowly turn and start shuffling back towards the Apple Family burial plot at the back of the orchard.