//------------------------------// // Chapter Nine // Story: Floret // by Crystal Moose //------------------------------// Apple Bloom staggered, falling against a tree, a numbness spreading through her limbs. They should have ached and burned; she had just run clear across Ponyville. Dirty little secret. Mistake. “Why couldn’t y’all be mah real parents?” she asked. “Why couldn’t Ah’ve grown up with a normal life? A momma and a poppa, a big brother an’ a… a big sister. Not— not this mess…” She poked forlornly at the soft grass with her hoof. “Why couldn’t it’ve all been real?” She opened her eyes in shock as she felt a warm body next to hers. Looking up through bleary eyes, she found Applejack sitting next to her. “Ah’m sorry, Bloom,” Applejack sniffled. “Ah really am. Ah know Ah’ve said it before. Ah wish… Ah dunno… Ah wish maybe none‘a this’d ever come out… Ah’m guessin’ ya feel th’ same?” Apple Bloom dug at the ground, breaking through the grass roots to the soft soil beneath. After a moment, she replied, “Ah dunno.” Applejack put a forearm around Apple Bloom, pulling the filly close. “Ah’m sorry, Bloom.” Apple Bloom closed her eyes and breathed in. The feeling of being in Applejack’s arms, the feeling of protection, took her back to a time before everything got complicated. She found, for the briefest of moments, she was back with her sister and all was right with the world. Then reality came crashing down on her again. “Are ya really…” Apple Bloom trailed off. “Am Ah really?” Applejack asked in a whisper. “A-Are ya really ashamed t’ call me an Apple?” Apple Bloom felt Applejack stiffen. “Ah never should’a said that, Apple Bloom,” she answered. “Ah was angry… Ah guess yer mom— Ah guess Ah’m not perfect either.” Applejack sighed. “Ah don’t know if either of us were good Apples that day.” “But…” “Yer not a bad Apple, Apple Bloom, and Ah ain’t ashamed o’ ya.” Applejack ruffled the filly’s mane. “Ya made a few mistakes, Ah’ll not lie, but Ah can hardly blame ya for ‘em. “It’s been hard, but… but Ah’m mighty proud of ya, Apple Bloom. Ah always have been.” Apple Bloom sank. She didn’t feel like anypony should be proud of her. She had yelled at her friends, and her family. She even felt a little bad (not very, though) for lashing out at Diamond Tiara… even if she totally deserved it. It was comforting to know that even through everything she had done in the past few months, that her family was not ashamed— “D’ ponies really think Ah’m th’ Apple family’s dirty secret?” the filly blurted out. Applejack gasped. “Now where did ya hear somethin’ like that?” “Ah—” Apple Bloom paused. “Ah went inta Miss Bon Bon’s shop, after ya left.” “Ah figured as much,” Applejack chuckled. When Apple Bloom raised her eyebrow in question, Applejack answered, “When yer hidin’ in a bush, ya gotta account fer this, too.” Applejack patted the filly’s large, pink bow. “Ah wanted t’ buy somethin’ fer after lunch,” Apple Bloom continued. “T’ say thanks t’ Big Mac fer helpin’ me this mornin’. And maybe a little somethin’ fer mahself, too,” she added sheepishly. “But when Ah got inside, Miss Carrot Top was there, an’… an’ she weren’t sayin’ very nice things about us— that Ah was th’ Apple Family’s dirty secret.” Tears trickled down her cheeks as the memories played over in her head. Strong forearms pulled her tight into a hug. “Now, you listen here, Bloom,” Applejack whispered. “Don’t ya go listenin’ to mean mares like Carrot Top. Ah was th’ one who made a mistake… and before ya ask, no, it wasn’t you. “Maybe if Ah was brave enough, Ah would have told ya th’ truth, right from th’ start. Ah jus’…” Applejack let out a deep sigh. “Ah jus’ wanted ya t’ have a normal life. Free from all’a this mess. “Good job’a that, Ah did,” she chuckled darkly. “Miss Doo said th’ same thing,” Apple Bloom whispered. “That ya did it so Ah could have a normal life.” “Eeyup.” Apple Bloom sat in companionable silence with Applejack, wrapped in the strong orange forearms. “Ah think Ah’m gonna hafta thump that Carrot Top next time Ah see ‘er,” Applejack chuckled. “Ah’ll buck her so hard she won’t land ‘til next week.” “Didn’t y’all tell me that violence never solved nuthin’?” Apple Bloom asked, a mirthful smile on her face. “Yer teachin’ me bad habits!” Applejack let out a boisterous laugh. “Ah guess yer right, Bloom… Ah guess yer right.” “It’s okay, though,” Apple Bloom replied. “Ah think Miss Doo did it fer us anyway.” “Did she now?” Applejack chuckled. “Ah’ll have t’ get Pinkie t’ make her a big batch o’ apple muffins, then.” A shrill voice pierced the air of the quiet park. “Apple Bloom!” Apple Bloom pulled herself out from between Applejack’s arms as three fillies came bounding across the grass. “Apple Bloom! I thought it was you!” Sweetie Belle tackled her friend in a hug. “We haven’t seen you since school let out.” “Ah’m sorry, gals…” Apple Bloom looked to Applejack, blushing. “Ah guess Ah’ve jus’ been a bit busy with stuff.” “Yeah, that’s cool and all,” Scootaloo said, leaning against Berry Pinch, “but you know what we haven’t had a chance to do yet?” “The Cutie Mark Crusader Holiday campout!” Sweetie Belle squealed. “Yay!” “Oh, uhh, Ah dunno, girls…” Apple Bloom shuffled nervously. “Ah’m not sure—” “Ah think that’d be a great idea,” Applejack interrupted. When Apple Bloom looked up at her, Applejack whispered. “Ah know ya might still be a little embarrassed about all this, but ya got two… err, three fillies here that are ya friends, an’ love ya very much. So go on, have a li’l fun… school’s back next week, an’ it ain’t gonna be good fer ya if ya don’t get some fun in before ya head back.” “Okay, Applejack,” Apple Bloom answered, a weary— but genuine— smile on her face. “So, ya gals are gonna have a campout at th’ clubhouse?” Applejack asked “If that’s okay…” Sweetie Belle replied. “Well, so long as y’all get yer parents’ permission, Ah don’t have a problem.” She turned to Berry Pinch. “Howdy there, Ah’m guessin’ yer a newcomer t’ the group. Let yer momma know if she has any concerns t’ jus’ come out t’ Sweet Apple Acres t’ have a chat with me or Big Mac.” “Yes ma’am,” Berry Pinch replied, quietly. “Now, why don’t y’all go an’ have some fun?” Applejack pulled a small sack of bits from her saddle bags, and counted out a few bits. “Bloom, why don’t ya go treat yer friends t’ somethin’ nice at Sugarcube Corner?” Apple Bloom gratefully accepted the bits (she still hadn’t had lunch), then followed her friends towards Sugarcube Corner. She chanced a look over her shoulder; Applejack was still there, sitting under the tree they had been under, smiling. Apple Bloom smiled back. Not everything was fixed… but even if things still hurt, at least they hurt a little bit less. “So Berry here has been our stand-in earth pony,” Scootaloo said around the donut crammed in her mouth. “She’s been doing all the earth pony stuff.” Apple Bloom looked towards Berry Pinch, who for some reason looked very embarrassed. “Ah’m guessin’ they’ve been makin’ ya carry th’ heavy things?” Apple Bloom asked. Berry Pinch nodded. “Yeah, we got the earth pony for lifting stuff…” Scootaloo motioned towards Berry Pinch. “…we got the pegasus for the athletic stuff, and we got the unicorn for the brains stuff.” “Really?” Apple Bloom deadpanned. “Yeah… it’s lucky Dinky’s been hanging out with us, too,” Scootaloo said, before cramming a second donut in her mouth. “Ye— hey!” Sweetie Belle yelled, tossing her half-eaten chocolate eclair at the pegasus. Apple Bloom shook her head at the arguing pair, noticing that Berry Pinch was doing the same. She must have been away from them for a while, if Berry was aware of their habits, too. “So where’s Dinky? And Alula?” Apple Bloom asked. “Are they comin’ to th’ sleepover, too?” “Dinky is coming,” Berry Pinch answered, “but Alula is, uhhh…” She trailed off. “At Junior Speedsters flight camp!” Sweetie Belle finished, ignorant of the glares from the pegasus filly next to her. “I could have gone if I wanted to,” Scootaloo scoffed, “but I just didn’t see the need.” “Yeah, because you can’t fl—” Apple Bloom was surprised at the speed with which Berry managed to cram her hoof into Sweetie Belle’s mouth. Ah guess Ah won’t be th’ only one on ‘Sweetie Belle’ duty no more. “So what are we gonna do at the sleepout, girls?” Apple Bloom asked, trying to diffuse the pending argument. “I was going to see if Dinky wanted to practice some magic with me,” Sweetie Belle answered. “I was thinking maybe we could build an awesome skate ramp. We could try doing some awesome tricks.” “But you do that all the time,” Berry Pinch responded. “Yeah, Ah dunno if that’s th’ best way t’ get yer cutie mark, Scoots.” The pegasus grew a wicked grin. “Oh, I wasn’t thinking for me…” She leered at the two earth ponies. “Not it!” Berry shouted. “Not— dang it!” “Don’t worry, Apple Bloom. We’ll make sure you’re safe,” Scootaloo chuckled. “You just have to wear two helmets…” After several more donuts, and more than several absurd plans later, they exited Sugarcube Corner to go find Dinky and invite her to the park to play.