At the crack of dawn at the farm of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was wide awake getting ready to prepare themselves and get everything set up for the annual Apple Family Reunion. After she got out of bed and put on her hat, Applejack walked out of her bedroom and then into the hallway to go see if her little sister, Apple Bloom was awake.
She somehow noticed that the door was slightly opened and then quietly nudged it open with her hoof. She saw Apple Bloom continuing to sleep in her bed, and then quietly trotted over to her. “Apple Bloom? It’s time to wake up,” she whispered. Apple Bloom woke up and then after she rubbed her eyes, she saw Apple Jack standing there until she went over to her and hugged her chest. “Good mornin’, sis,” she said with a exhausted smile. “Good mornin’, Apple Bloom. Good news. Today’s the Apple Family Reunion,” Applejack said. Apple Bloom suddenly gasped with excitement, “Yeah! I get to see my cousin Babs again!”
Applejack chuckled and then rubbed the top of Apple Bloom’s head, “Alright, simmer down. I got an idea. How would ya like to go over to Fluttershy’s and go get your little brother, Thomas to see if he would like to join the reunion with us today?”
Apple Bloom then beamed with excitement, and then hugged her big sister again, “Yeah! And I can introduce him to Babs! And we can have lots of fun!”
Applejack hugged her little sister back by patting her shoulder with her hoof, “Well, alright then. So after breakfast, go get Thomas while me, Big Mac and Granny Smith get things ready when everypony arrives.” Apple Bloom nodded, and then later on, after a serving of apple cinnamon oatmeal, Apple Bloom ran off to Ponyville to go get Thomas.
At Fluttershy’s cottage, Thomas woke up and went downstairs for breakfast, and then he saw Fluttershy giving him a plate full of freshly cooked sunny side up eggs with salted hash browns. After he finished his breakfast, he went upstairs for a bath, until Fluttershy heard a knock on the door. She went to answer it, and then saw Apple Bloom standing there. “Howdy, Fluttershy! Is Thomas up yet?” she asked. “Yes, he’s up, but he should be done with his bath momentarily,” Fluttershy said. “Okay, but I was wondering. Could he come with me to the Apple Family Reunion? I can introduce him to my cousin Babs Seed,” Apple Bloom said.
“I’m sure he’d love that. I’ll ask him if he wants to go, but make sure that you be careful when he’s there, because you know how sensitively shy he is around others,” Fluttershy said. “No sweat!” Apple Bloom said. Thomas then came down wearing a new set of clothes he got for his birthday, which consisted a bluish green ringed t-shirt over a sports gray long sleeve shirt, black jeans, and his sand green hoodie.
Thomas came over to his mother as she brought him over for a hug. “Thomas, Apple Bloom asked me if you would like to go to their farm for their family reunion. Would you like to go?” she asked. “Um... okay, Momma. But can I stay with Auntie Applejack in case if I don’t get lost?” Thomas replied. “Of course, sweetheart. Just go ahead and have fun,” Fluttershy said, until she gave him a kiss on the top of his head, and then hugged him one more time. After they broke the hug, Thomas got onto Apple Bloom’s back and held on tight to her. “And don’t ya worry about a thing! I’ll have him back by sundown!” Apple Bloom said. Fluttershy nodded, and then Apple Bloom took Thomas back to her farm.
When they arrived at the farm, everything was set up perfectly. There were lots of banners in red, yellow, reddish orange, and red, lots of food and punch bowls full of apple beverages, cauldrons with firewood underneath, picnic tables and benches, some tents, and some fun games to enjoy. Applejack saw Apple Bloom coming back with Thomas on her back. “Auntie Applejack!” Thomas said, as he ran over to her for a hug. “Hehehehe... Well, hey there, little feller. How’s my little nephew doin’?” Applejack asked as she looked down at him hugging her neck and resting his head on her chest. “I’m good. Thanks for inviting me to your reunion,” Thomas said. “Aww... no need to thank me, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “You may be in Fluttershy’s family, but you’re family too. So, I wanted to meet ya to our other family members, who should appear right about...” She suddenly heard the sound of thundering hooves clopping and wheels moving appearing from the distance. “Now!”
They saw a lot of ponies galloping, trotting and riding carriages all the way over. They all went over to get situated and then walked out of their carriages to meet up with the others. Thomas hid himself underneath Applejack and hugged her leg. “Don’t worry, sugarcube. Auntie Applejack’s gonna take care of everythin’,” she said. Thomas nodded and then she gently lifted him up with her right foreleg and as he held her hoof, she placed him on her back so that he can be comfy. “Feel better?” Thomas nodded and then she took him for a stroll around the party, and as she was walking by, Thomas softly smiled at some of the other Apple Family members, as they turned and looked at the child on his Auntie Applejack’s back, and then they made a “d’awwww” reaction about how cute he looked and then they waved at him, and then he waved back.
“Hey there, li’l whippersnapper. I’d like ya to meet Apple Rose and Auntie Applesauce,” Granny Smith said. “Hi,” Thomas said. “Hello, little sprout,” Auntie Applesauce said. “It’s very nice to meet you, little dearie,” Apple Rose said. “Thank you,” Thomas said. “Thomas! There ya are! I’ve been looking all over for ya!” Apple Bloom said, as she trotted over to him. “Applejack? Can I take him somewhere? I wanna introduce him to Babs as a surprise.”
Applejack then grit her teeth on Thomas’s jacket and then lowered him onto Apple Bloom’s back, “Go right ahead. I’ll check up on some of the others while you youngins have fun.” Apple Bloom nodded and then took Thomas back over to the young ponies. When she got there, she saw a filly with brilliant brownish orange fur, a light and brilliant amaranth mane and tail, green eyes, and her flank had a cutie mark of a pair of red scissors. “Babs!” Apple Bloom shouted as she galloped over to her cousin. “Cuz!” Babs replied, giving Apple Bloom a hug. “Good news! I finally got my cutie mark!”
“Wow!” Apple Bloom said. “Hey, you got yours?! That’s awesome, cuz!” Babs said. “Thanks,” Apple Bloom said. “Oh! I would like for ya to meet somepony, but he’s ridin’ on my back.” She then turned around, revealing Thomas. “Thomas, I’d like ya to meet my cousin, Babs Seed. Babs, this is Thomas, who is both my best friend and my little brother, along with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.”
“Hi, Babs,” Thomas said. “Glad to meet ya, pal,” Babs said. Apple Bloom and Babs talked about how things have been for them both, and then Applejack came over to them. “Well, I’m glad ya met Babs Seed there, Thomas. Now that y’all gotten aquatinted with each other, how about y’all do some fun things together and do a little stroll?” Applejack said. “Okay,” the three said in unison. Thomas suddenly felt his stomach growling. “Can we stop for some snacks?” Thomas asked. “Sure. Why don’t ya go over there and get some apple fritters from Apple Leaves and Apple Dumpling over there?” Applejack replied. “Okay!” Thomas said, then Apple Bloom and Babs took him for another stroll and walked over to the apple fritter making tent, where two mares were both deep frying and wrapping up apple fritters for everypony.
Apple Leaves had orange fur, a streaked white and green mane and tail, grayish violet eyes, and her flank had a cutie mark of a apple with five leaves. Apple Dumpling had light green fur, a two-toned red mane and tail, green eyes, and her flank had a cutie mark of a dumpling with two apple slices. “Hello there, Apple Bloom. Can we help... you? Oh my! Who’s this adorable little one?” Apple Leaves asked. “This is Thomas, he’s my friend and my little brother,” Apple Bloom said. “Aww... look how cute he looks,” Apple Dumpling said. “Yes. He almost looks as cute as my little baby Apple Bud,” Apple Leaves said. Thomas then smelled the aroma of the cinnamon filled apple fritters, “They smell really good. Um... can we try some?”
“Of course you can,” Apple Leaves said, as she passed them three for themselves on a napkin. “It’s on the house, dears,” Apple Dumpling said. “Thanks!” Apple Bloom said, and then they went somewhere else to eat them.
After they finished their apple fritters, they played some fun games together. And then later on, Thomas laid his head on Apple Bloom’s belly and slept while she comforted him with one little foreleg around his neck, and sat with Babs underneath an apple tree. “Man, this Apple Family Reunion is one of the best than last year,” Apple Bloom said. “Yep. You said it,” Babs said, until she saw Thomas curled up and resting his head on Apple Bloom’s belly. “Ain’t he a cutie pie when he sleeps like that?” Apple Bloom asked. “Totally, cuz. So, uh... how exactly did you and your peeps meet him?” Babs asked. “Well, it’s kind of a long story short, but here’s the truth,” Apple Bloom said. “He used to live in an orphanage in his world where he came from, but the problem was that nopony wanted to adopt him because of the other kids being special and stuff. He also didn’t have any friends to rely on. So one night, Thomas made a wish to Princess Luna’s moon.”
The other family members were listening, so they came over. “What did he wish for?” Babs asked. Apple Bloom then continued while Thomas kept sleeping on her tummy, and after a few minutes of explaining, the others felt sorry for his past hard life and felt proud of Fluttershy taking care of him and raising him as his mother. Applejack came over and saw Apple Bloom keeping Thomas comfortable, and then smiled warmly. “I’m proud of ya both watching over him,” she said. “You may want to wake him up. It’s time for the hay ride later on.”
Apple Bloom nodded and then Thomas woke up, until he got up and climbed onto Apple Bloom’s back. She and Babs then did another stroll before the hay ride. Thomas met some other family members and then he received a few hugs and thoughtful comments from them for a few minutes, and finally, he and his big sister and her cousin climbed onto the hay ride carriage and sat with each other, until he saw himself sitting next to Apple Bloom and then saw Applejack next to him, and then they enjoyed the hay ride.
“So, Thomas. How’re you enjoyin’ your home so far?” Peachy Sweet asked. “It’s going good. I’m enjoying my new home, and I love living with my Momma, and my friends and aunties,” Thomas said. “That’s good,” Apple Leaves said. “I’m also sorry about your hard life from before, dear.”
“That’s okay,” Thomas said. “No, it’s not okay. Because no child as sweet as you should ever be treated that way! Ever!” Caramel Apple said. “I’m afraid she’s right, sweetie,” Jonagold said. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Thomas said, until he felt Apple Bloom rub his back. “And at least you have three fillies who will always be your best friends and your big sisters. Thomas then smiled warmly, “And I’ll always love you three for letting me your best friend and your little brother.” He then hugged her, until she hugged him back. They then looked up and saw a swarm of multicolored fruit bats. “Wow... I’ve never seen fruit bats like those before,” Thomas said. “Well, I’m glad it’s your first time,” Apple Bloom said.
After the cart ride, Applejack was setting up the camera with a tripod near the front of the barn. “Alright, everypony. Now it’s time to take the family photo. Come on over here and get yourselves ready,” she said, and then they all nodded and climbed off the cart and went over to stand in front of the barn.
Thomas then helped Applejack finish setting up the camera, and then she looked down at him with a warm smile, “Thomas? I realize you want to take the shot, which is mighty nice of ya, but I was thinkin’. How about if ya join us for the group picture?” Thomas nodded and then he climbed onto her back. Applejack then set up the timer and then trotted over to the group and turned herself to another side where the camera can see Thomas. The timer clicked and then the camera flashed, until the annual Apple Family Reunion photo was taken.
Thomas even got a copy for himself, and then placed it in his dresser before he went to sleep. Fluttershy came upstairs to check to see if he was asleep, and then she saw that he was sleeping and smiled warmly, and then she went over and fixed the covers and tucked him in. She then saw the picture of him with the Apple family members, then she smiled warmly at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek with a hug. “I’m glad you had fun, sweetie. Goodnight,” she said softly and then she left the bedroom and let him sleep. Thomas then slept with a warm smile on his face.