The trip back to Ponyville marketplace was long and tedious. At least, it felt that way for Pear Butter. She, Cheerilee, and Apple Bloom had left the school moments ago, trotting along the dirt pathway together. The trip, however, was quiet. Ever since they left the school, none of them had spoken a word.
Pear quivered. All this silence made her feel anxious. Here she was, trotting beside her daughter and childhood friend, yet neither of them would talk.
She glanced over to Cheerilee. Despite their talk earlier today, the mare seemed skeptical she had any relation to Apple Bloom.
Then there was Apple Bloom herself. The filly hadn’t spoken a word to neither her nor Cheerilee in the last several minutes. What’s more, she had also physically distanced herself from Pear Butter, trotting at a much faster pace. Her reluctance made Pear wonder if it was because she didn’t trust her.
Pear bit her lip. This feels so wrong. I shouldn’t stay silent like this, especially to my own daughter. Maybe I should try to talk to her, bring up a conversation or something.
She stopped and called out to her daughter. “Apple Bloom? Do you mind if we—whoa!”
Before she could say anything, Pear soon found her mouth covered by Cheerilee’s hoof. She could taste the dirt seeping onto her tongue. She looked to her side. Cheerilee now stood very close, and was giving Pear Butter a fierce glare.
Pear raised an eyebrow and gawked at her friend. Huh? What on earth is she doing? She tried move Cheerilee aside, but the mare remained firm and continued to shove her hoof down Pear’s mouth.
It didn’t take long for Apple Bloom to notice this. She looked back at the two mares with her head tilted to the side.
“Um, Ms. Cheerilee, what’s goin’ on?” asked Apple Bloom. “What’re ya two doin?”
Cheerilee simply smiled in response. “Oh, don’t mind us, Apple Bloom. We’re just having a short talk, that’s all. No need to worry, just keep going and we’ll catch up in a little bit, okay.”
“Oh, okay,” replied Apple Bloom. She turned back around and continued moving along the dirt pathway. As she trotted away, Cheerilee shifted her gaze back at Pear Butter. Her smile had shifted to a frown.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?!” Cheerilee whispered in a soft, yet angry tone.
“W-what am I doing? I can ask you the same thing!” replied Pear Butter. “All I wanted was to talk to Apple Bloom, but you went n’ covered my mouth with that dirt-filled hoof of yours!”
She moved her head aside and stuck her tongue out. “Oh gosh, I can still taste the dirt in my mouth. Was it really necessary for you to push your hoof on my mouth like that?”
“Yes, it was,” Cheerilee answered back, bluntly. “You have to understand, Mrs. Apple, now is not the right time to talk to Apple Bloom. She’s too nervous! If you talk to her right now, all she’ll do is just shy away. She doesn’t trust you. To her, you’re just a stranger who showed up out of nowhere!”
“But Cheerilee I—”
“No, Mrs. Apple, I’ve made my point,” said Cheerilee. “Look, I’m sorry if I’m coming off a bit harsh, but we need to keep our conversation to a minimum until we get some things cleared up. Let’s wait until we meet up with Applejack first, then you can talk things over with Apple Bloom, understood.”
Pear raised her hoof to object, but Cheerilee just glared back at her. Realizing that she couldn’t convince Cheerilee otherwise, Pear sighed.
“Alright, you win,” said a defeated Pear Butter. “I won’t say anything else.”
“Thank you,” replied Cheerilee. “Now come on, let’s catch up to Apple Bloom.”
Pear grumbled, but nonetheless nodded her head in agreement. They continued moving down Ponyville’s dirt road and eventually caught up to the filly.
It did not take Apple Bloom long to spot them. She turned her head and, for a moment, looked at her mother in the eye. Seeing this, Pear grew excited and smiled. She attempted to reach out to her daughter, but her hope was cut short as Apple Bloom immediately turned away.
Pear frowned at the sight of Apple Bloom turning away. Guess I got no choice but to keep quiet till I meet Applejack. It’s horrible, but Cheerilee is right. Apple Bloom doesn’t trust me at all.
She bit her lip in frustration. Darn it! This is so frustrating! But I can’t let this get the better of me. Not in front of Apple Bloom. I jus’ need to be patient for a little while longer. Once everything’s settled, I’ll talk to her.
She paused for a moment, taking a few deep breaths to ease herself. Feeling relieved, Pear trotted alongside Apple Bloom and Cheerilee again. The three of them continued down the road in silence, until they spotted several shopping stalls from a distance.
“Good, looks like we’re here,” said Cheerilee. She trotted ahead of Pear and Apple Bloom, and examined the area around her. “Hmm, not lot of ponies in the area right now. There’s a few, but not a lot. I can even see some stalls empty with ‘went to lunch’ signs.”
“It’s ‘lunch hour right ‘bout now, Cheerilee,” spoke up Apple Bloom, surprising the two mares. “Almost everypony here has left ta get a bite to eat. Ah don’t think any of em’ will be back until later.”
Pear sighed, wiping her forehead with her hoof. Good. It’s better this way. The less ponies, the less possibility that we won’t run into any trouble and draw attention. I’ve already had enough problems today, and the last thing we need is a big argument that draws a crowd.
“What about, Applejack?” asked Cheerilee. “Is she still at your family’s stall?”
“Ah think so,” replied Apple Bloom. “She usually doesn’t go ta lunch ‘til much later, depending how busy she n’ Big Mac are at the stall. Ah think if we hurry, we might be able to catch em’ before they leave.”
Pear’s eyes went wide. Oh my gosh, Big Mac is here too?! A bright wide smile formed on her cheeks, something Cheerilee took notice.
This is perfect! I don’t have to worry about a thing anymore. My son’s known for bein’ calm no matter what situation he’s in. With him and Applejack here, I’m sure things will go down smoothly.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Apple Bloom. I’ve been to your family’s stall plenty of times,” replied Cheerilee. “Though it’s good to hear Applejack and Big Mac are here. Just lead the way and I’ll follow you, all right.”
“Okay,” Apple Bloom said, before continuing down the dirt road. Pear moved to follow her, but was again stopped by Cheerilee. The mare had blocked her way.
“W-what the—Cheerilee what are you doing?” Pear asked in confusion. She tried moving past her, but Cheerilee kept getting in her way. “Oh, for the love of—what are you standing there for?! We need to follow Apple Bloom now!”
Cheerilee, however, simply shook her head and remained firm. “I fully aware that we need to keep moving, but before we go there’s something I want to talk about first.”
“Can’t it wait?!” asked an agitated Pear Butter, who was now getting frustrated by Cheerilee’s actions. “Didn’t you hear Apple Bloom? We need to hurry before my children leave!”
Cheerilee groaned. “Please be patient, Mrs. Apple. I want to talk about your kids.”
“Oh, okay.” Pear stepped back and gave Cheerilee some space. “What is it that you want to talk about? And can you hurry up please, we don’t have much time.”
“I’m know of that already, Mrs. Apple, no need to constantly remind me!” replied Cheerilee, rolling her eyes. “Just…. look, I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s very unlikely that those ponies are going to believe you’re their mother. You don’t have any proof, and frankly they might accuse you of being an imposter.”
Pear sighed. “Yes, I’m aware that I’m facing a difficult situation right now, but I have faith my kids will come to understand things once I’m done talking to them. They will believe in me, Cheerilee. I just know it.”
“Your faith in your children is admirable Mrs. Apple, but I don’t think things will turn out that way,” explained Cheerilee, bluntly. “They’ve accepted the fact that their mother is long gone, and it’s going to be difficult for you to convince them otherwise.”
“Wait, so my counterpart did die in this world?” Pear asked. She ran toward Cheerilee and leaned her head against hers. “So, you do know what happened to the other me! Tell me, what happened to her? How did she die? How long ago was this?”
Cheerilee shrieked. “H-hey, stop that! We’re out in public right now! Give me some personal space!” She pushed Pear off and distanced herself from the farm pony as much as she could.
“Do not do that again!” said a bright red Cheerilee. “I know you want answers, but that was very inappropriate!
“Sorry,” replied Pear Butter.
Cheerilee groaned. Her cheeks still flushing bright red. Then, the two ponies soon heard voices not too far away from them. They looked around the vicinity. A small crowd of ponies had gathered. All of whom were staring directly at them, whispering to one another.
“What’s goin’ on? Why are all these ponies looking at us?” Pear asked.
“They’re gossiping, Mrs. Apple,” said Cheerilee, groaning. “Looks like our little scuffle caused some unwanted attention.”
“W-what? Oh, no.” Pear tumbled back, flushed red herself. She lowered her head and used her mane to cover her face. “Oh shoot, I messed up! Getting unwanted attention is the last thing I want to happen!”
“There’s nothing we can do about it. Ponyville is a small town, so gossip spreads pretty quickly,” Cheerilee explained. “It’s just a misunderstanding. I’m sure after I’ve explained myself, things will die down in a couple of days.”
Pear sighed. “If you say so.” So much for not drawin’ any attention!
“Come on, we have to catch up to Apple Bloom. She’s probably wondering where we are right now,” said Cheerilee. “Ignore these ponies. Let’s just focus on finding Applejack before lunch hour.”
“R-right.” Recovering from her stupor, Pear followed Cheerilee further down Ponyville’s marketplace. The two of them galloped past the onlooking ponies, ignoring their stares and whispers. After losing the crowd, the two of them spot Apple Bloom down the road.
“There she is!” said Cheerilee. “Come on, let’s not keep her waiting any longer. We need to—oh!”
“Huh? Cheerilee why’d you stop?” asked Pear Butter. “Is something wrong?”
“Apple Bloom is speaking to somepony right now,” explained Cheerilee.
“What?! Who?!” Pear asked, frantically. “Is it Applejack?”
“No, I don’t think so,” replied Cheerilee. “But I can tell it’s a mare. I—oh gosh, all these ponies are blocking my vision. Hold on a second, let me get away from these crowds.”
Cheerilee squinted, trying to get a glimpse of Apple Bloom and the pony that was with her. “Let’s see. It looks like she’s speaking to an adult right now, but I can’t figure it out who it is. Darn it, these ponies are just get in the way! I can’t—oh!”
“What is it?”
“Looks like Apple Bloom managed to see me,” replied Cheerilee. “She’s headed this way right now along with the mare.”
Pear looked at the direction Cheerilee was pointing at. She spotted Apple Bloom not too far away, alongside another pony trotting next to her. It was a mare, just like Cheerilee said, but she had difficulties seeing who it was. The crowd blocked her view. However, she did manage to get a quick glance at the mare’s coat and mane.
Let’s see. She's got a blue coat and a pink mane. She’s also a bit bulky compared to the other mares around here and has a hairstyle that looks like swirled ice cream. Hmm, she looks familiar. Have I met a pony like that before?
“Oh, it looks like Mrs. Cake is with Apple Bloom right now,” Cheerilee said. “Gosh, I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her. Her mane style should’ve been a giveaway.”
“W-what? Chiffon’s here?!” Pear froze. Her teeth chattered, and her body shook uncontrollably. This isn’t good. I didn’t think I’d be see Chiffon again so soon! What’s gonna happen if she sees me? Is she gonna panic like before and run away?
“Hey, are you alright?” Cheerilee asked, raising an eyebrow at the now panicked Pear Butter. “Is something wrong? You’re looking a bit pale and you’re kinda shaking right now.”
Pear’s eyes widened. A cold shiver flowed through her spine as she shifted her head toward Cheerilee.
Oh no. With Cheerilee here, this will jus’ makes things worse! If Chiffon reacts badly like she did before, Cheerilee’s gonna be even be more suspicious of me!
“Hey! Are you listening to me or not?!” Cheerilee asked in a louder tone, trying to get Pear’s attention. “Answer my question, Mrs. Apple! Are you alright?”
Pear gulped. I have no choice. I need to tell her. Listen, Cheerilee, I’m sorry for spacing out like that, but you need to listen to me! Earlier today I ran into Chiffon and—”
“Ms. Cheerilee, it’s good to see you!”
Pear flinched. Oh no, I’m too late! She’s already here!
“Wow, I didn’t think I’d be meeting you and Apple Bloom here this time of day,” said Chiffon. “Doing some shopping right now? It’s an early release today at school, so I assume that’s why you’re here.”
“Oh, yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing,” replied Cheerilee, turning away from a distraught Pear Butter. “My pantry is getting a bit low on food and I need to stock up again. Though there is another reason why I’m here Mrs. Cake.”
“Really?” Chiffon asked. “What is it?”
“I need to talk to Applejack regarding something important,” answered Cheerilee. “You see, Apple Bloom and I have been trotting together with this mare right here. She wants to speak to Applejack right away.”
“What?! No, wait! Cheerilee, please, let me explain first!” Pear panicked. She nudged on Cheerilee’s coat with her hooves, pleading to the mare not to move. But it was too late. Cheerilee had already stepped aside, revealing a distressed Pear Butter to Chiffon.
Pear gulped again. For the second time today, she would meet the pony counterpart of her best friend. She wished that she didn’t encounter Chiffon again, at least until she cleared things up with her family. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side.
“Oh, u-um…. hey there, Chiffon,” greeted Pear Butter, awkwardly. “Fancy meeting you here again.”
“Y-you!” Chiffon gasped. Her hooves began to shake, as she fumbled helplessly onto the ground.
“Mrs. Cake!” Cheerilee quickly dashed toward the bakery pony and helped her up. “What’s gotten into you?”
“I-t’s that mare!” shrieked Chiffon, pointing her hoof accusingly at Pear Butter.
Cheerilee raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth between Pear and Chiffon. “What? Her? What about her?”
“W-what about her?!” stammered Chiffon in disbelief. “For goodness gracious, Cheerilee! That changeling is masquerading as my childhood friend!”
Pear groaned. Oh no, not this again.
“I’d really hope that I’d never meet up with this creature again. It was bad enough that I met her earlier today, but now she’s here again still disguised!” Chiffon continued. She pointed her hoof at Pear again. “Why haven’t you dropped that disguise yet!”
“Wait, you two have already met each other?” asked Cheerilee. “When was this?”
“Earlier today, yes,” Pear admitted. “I ran into her and Burnt Oak when I was wanderin’ around town. Chiffon ran away as soon as she saw me while Burnt Oak stayed behind.”
“And he should’ve turned you in!” continued Chiffon. “Cheerilee, how long have you and Apple Bloom been with this changeling?”
“She’s been with me ever since I left the school,” Cheerilee explained. “She wandered into school grounds and got in an argument with Mrs. Rich.”
Chiffon blinked. “Wait, she defended Apple Bloom? Why?”
“Apparently, our head of the school board harassed Apple Bloom and her friends, believing that they were bad influence on her daughter,” answered Cheerilee. “She even threatened to suspend the filly.”
Pear drifted her head away, hiding a nervous smile on her face. Well, that’s not entirely true. She only threatened suspension after I slapped her across the face.
“But that doesn’t explain why she’s here!” Mrs. Cake shouted.
“Like I said earlier, she’s here to meet up with Applejack. There’s something important that this mare needs to tell her,” Cheerilee explained further.
Mrs. Cake gasped. “And you’re letting her do this?! For Celestia’s sake Cheerilee, think of what might happen if Applejack saw her. She’ll panic once she sees this changeling imitating her mother!”
Pear winced. Okay, I’ve had enough of this! Having three different ponies accuse me of something I’m not is one thing. But my best friend? This has gone too far.
Gathering her courage, Pear trotted in between Cheerilee and Chiffon. “Now hold on a second here. Before you go around accusing me of something I’m not, let me—”
Her rant was immediately interrupted when Cheerilee covered her mouth. Pear grimaced, irate that Cheerilee had done this again.
“Oh, come on! What do you want now?!” said an annoyed Pear Butter.
“Saving your flank, that’s what. We don’t need you rambling right now. It will only make our situation worse,” Cheerilee said, whispering in Pear’s ear. “Leave Mrs. Cake to me. I’ll speak to her in private and convince her to leave.”
“Wait, what?! Why should I let you speak to Chiffon alone?” Pear asked in suspicion.
“Because she’s unwilling to listen to you right now!” Cheerilee answered, bluntly. “Just…. leave her to me, alright. I’ll convince her to leave so we can move on.”
Pear groaned. Guess I got no choice. We wasted enough time and I don’t want to end up arguin’ with my best friend. I’ll jus’ let Cheerilee do the talkin’.
“Alright, I understand,” Pear answered back. “Jus’ don’t take too long. Remember, we need to hurry. Applejack might leave at any moment.”
Cheerilee nodded. “You don’t have to remind me.” With her message made clear, she removed her hoof off Pear’s mouth.
“Mrs. Cake, I’d like to speak to you regarding this mare,” said Cheerilee. “There’s something that you need to know about her, and I’d think it’d be best if we speak in private.”
“Wait, what? You want to talk in private?” Chiffon asked, surprised by Cheerilee’s offer. “S-sure, I don’t mind. But what about Apple Bloom? We can’t just leave here unattended.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t be far. We’ll just find a place close by where we can keep an eye on Apple Bloom,” assured Cheerilee. She moved her head to side to side, surveying the area for any good locations.
“Hmm, there’s got to be someplace around here we can talk freely. I just need to find—ah ha!” She pointed her hoof to an empty stall just a short distance away from them. “Let’s have our talk over there. It’s not too far and we can keep a close eye on Apple Bloom pretty easily.”
Chiffon brushed her coat, thinking hard on Cheerilee’s proposal. “Sounds fair I suppose. Very well, I’ll here you out. But let’s be quick about this, alright. I don’t trust this thing being near Apple Bloom at all! She might do something to her.”
Pear rolled her eyes. Gee, thanks a lot Chiffon.
Before she followed Cheerilee, Mrs. Cake took one quick glance at Apple Bloom. “Alright, dear, you wait here, okay. Cheerilee and I will have a quick talk and we’ll be back in a little bit. If anything happens, just let us know.”
“How will I do that?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Try shouting,” said Cheerilee. “There are a lot of ponies here. I’m sure somepony would take notice if you shout really loud.”
Apple Bloom nodded. The two mares soon made their way over to the empty shop stall. As soon as they reached their destination, they began to talk.
Pear watched from afar as her two best friends spoke to each other. She couldn’t hear them; they were too far away to be heard. However, she could still see their expressions.
Chiffon was the worse out of the two. Her body gestures made it easy for Pear to realize Chiffon wasn’t happy. Panic and frustration was written all over her. Her forehead was wrinkled, and she often frowned a lot when Cheerilee spoke to her.
Cheerilee, however, remained calm. Compared to Chiffon, she showed no signs of anger or frustration, and she even attempted to calm the distressed mare.
Pear bit her lip. I hope Cheerilee can convince Chiffon to look the other way for now. Once I get things settled down with my pony family, I’ll go back and befriend her.
She smiled. Thinking about her longtime friend made her feel happy. It’ll just be like the friendship I have with the Chiffon I know! Oh, that’s something I’m looking forward to! It’s like meeting someone new, but that someone is a pony counterpart of a person I already know!
Her excitement quickly died down as frown formed on her face. Still, hearing Chiffon yell at me and accuse me of being that—thing again hurt. I’m supposed to be dead, at least my counterpart should be. Seeing me wandering around town twice today must’ve scared her.
She sighed. Thinking about all these pony counterparts makes me wonder how mine died. How did everyone react to the news? How did my all my family and friends handle my death?
“Hey, what’s goin’ on over there? Where’s Mrs. Cake goin’?”
“Huh?” Pear’s head jolted up. The sound of a filly’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned her head around. It was Apple Bloom. The filly had finally spoken up. Not only that, she was looking directly at Pear Butter.
Pear blinked. Then, a wide smile crept up on her face. Oh my gosh, I’m finally gonna talk to Apple Bloom! Oh, this is so exciting! What should I say to her? Should I ask how her day was? Should I ask what kind of pony Applejack is like? Oh, so many questions!
“Um, miss, are you okay?” asked Apple Bloom.
Pear flinched. “Uh, yes. I-I’m fine.” Calm down, Pear Butter. No need to make a fool out of yourself in front of your pony daughter. “W-what were you saying dear?”
“I said something is goin’ on between Ms. Cheerilee and Mrs. Cake,” Apple Bloom said again. “They stopped talking jus’ a while ago and Mrs. Cake went up and left.”
“What?! They’re finished!” Pear looked back at the vacant stall. Apple Bloom was correct. The two ponies had finished their conversation and left the stall. She could see Cheerilee waving goodbye to Chiffon as the mare galloped away.
“Huh? Where’s Chiffon goin’?” Pear asked. Apple Bloom provided no answer and merely shrugged in response.
Pear stared at the direction where Chiffon ran off. Questions started piling up in her head. What happened over there? Did Cheerilee convince Mrs. Cake to leave them alone? What did she say to her?
Her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted Cheerilee trotting back to her.
“Sorry to keep you two waiting,” said Cheerilee. “Our conversation took a bit longer than I thought, but I did manage to calm Mrs. Cake down.”
“Where is she goin’?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Oh, she’s just going back home,” replied Cheerilee in a casual tone.
“Wait, that’s it?” Pear asked. “She’s jus’ goin’ home?”
“Correct,” Cheerilee replied again. “We had a long talk, but I convinced Mrs. Cake that you weren’t going to hurt Apple Bloom. She agreed to leave us for now and allow you to meet up with Applejack.”
Pear raised an eyebrow. Her eyes were fixated on Cheerilee. “I-I see. Well if that’s the case, I guess we’re done here.”
Cheerilee nodded. She then looked over at Apple Bloom with a smile on her face. “Alright Apple Bloom, let’s go ahead and meet up with Applejack. You lead the way and the two of us will follow you, alright.”
Apple Bloom nodded. She turned around and resumed trotting down the dirt road. Cheerilee followed the filly, showing a bright smile on her face.
Pear glared Cheerilee, now growing skeptical toward the mare. How did Cheerilee convince Chiffon to leave? It doesn’t seem possible. Not with the short amount of time they had. Sure, they may know each other well, but Chiffon made it clear that she didn’t trust me.
Pear bit her lip and began rubbing the dirt with the tip of her right hoof. Cheerilee, are you hiding something from me?
“Are you coming, Mrs. Apple?” Cheerilee asked, turning back toward Pear Butter.
Pear flinched. “Y-yes I am. Sorry ‘bout that, I was lost in thought.”
“It’s fine,” replied Cheerilee. “Let’s hurry and get a move on okay. I don’t want to lose Apple Bloom in the crowd again and waste more time.”
Pear hesitated to move, but eventually nodded in agreement and followed Cheerilee. But in her head, she couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation between her two friends. She believed Cheerilee told Chiffon something, but what? What exactly are those two hiding?
Despite these suspicions, Pear needed to remain focused her family. They are her top priority, not Cheerilee or Chiffon. She’ll talk to them and get some answers later.
With her head held high, Pear Butter galloped to Cheerilee and caught up with her. They started blankly at each other. Pear tried her best to hide any suspicions toward the mare, while Cheerilee remained poker faced. After a moment of silence, the two of them galloped further down Ponyville Marketplace.