//------------------------------// // Chap 7 // Story: A Stallion with a Question // by Ugly-Duckling123 //------------------------------// At school everyone was gone except The Crusaders none of whom wanted to talk about Honey-Crisp for fear of jinxing something. "I knew you girls were there when I was telling Miss Cheerilee about Honey earlier," Apple Bloom said letting Sweetie Belle place her mark on her cast. "We didn't mean to listen in Bloom," Scootaloo said her jacket around her waist now the school day was over. "It's ok," Apple Bloom said smiling at how great her friends were. "I mean you were going to find out at some point right?" "So what was the song Fluttershy sang Apple Bloom?" Diamond Tiara asked once again braiding Apple Bloom's hair. "Well I'm not sure I should sing it, I mean she said it was something her mother use to sing to her." "I'm sure she won't mind Bloom," Tiara said smiling, keeping the news about the ring she got from her father, who got it from her Aunt Topaz at the jewellery shop in town. "Well... Ok, err.. it went like..." but before Apple Bloom could get the first note out Big Mac was at the door of the class room. "Ready to go Bloom?" he asked swinging his keys round his fingers. "Yes." Bloom said getting up and hobbling as fast as she could to the door so she could get to see Honey all the sooner. "Thanks for keeping her back Miss Cheerilee" Mac said holding the door open for his little sister laughing on the inside as to how determent she was, but then again she was an Apple. "You're welcome Big Mac," Cheerilee said as she finished wiping the board clean. Waiting a few minutes to be sure they were gone, the girls turned the other way as they left the school to go find Pinkie and Twilight. The girls had just made it to Sugercube Corner where the twins, Pound and Pumpkin, now seven years old, turning eight the next day, were outside giving away free samples of that weeks weakest selling brands to get the people of Ponyville to remember how good they are. "Hi guy's" Scootaloo called as she pushed her scooter along towards them. "Hi!" they both replied. "Would you like to try some free samples?" Pumpkin asked holding out the tray with gingerbread men on it, while Pound held one with chocolate chip cookies. "I suppose we could try them," Sweetie Belle said thanking the two as she took one. "But we actually came here to see Pinkie." "Auntie Pinkie's in the kitchen," Pound said smiling. "Yeah," Pumpkin said "She thinks we don't know what's going on, but we had an idea since we came home and Mum and Dad gave us these trays, but we know she's planning something big for us tomorrow and wants it to be a surprise." "Err... you two do know what 'Surprise' means right?" Diamond Tiara said grinning at how happy the twins were. "Of course. Why?" they asked together. "No reason..." she said as the girls went inside. "Hello girls," Mrs. Cake said from the counter "The usual?" she said getting her pen and pad out. "Not today thank you Mrs. Cake," Scootaloo said resting her scooter by the door. "We actually came to ask Pinkie if she could put together a party for Apple Bloom on Field Trip Day." At that moment a 'BANG' came from the kitchen and they all went to the door to see what happened, seeing Mr. Cake, and Pinkie covered in flour. "Whoops," Pinkie said grinning "Sorry Mr. Cake, I guess I added too much baking soda." "That's alright Pinkie," Carrot Cake said cutting his burning torch off, brushing the flour off himself. "It was an accident." "Are you two alright Mr. Cake?" Sweetie Belle asked, Tiara and Scootaloo holding back their laughs the best they could. "We're fine Miss Belle," because Carrot was always in the kitchen, he wasn't that close to the customers as Cup Cake was. "Would you like some help?" she continued. "Why thank you girls," he said going into the broom cupboard to get some more brooms handing them and dust pans out. After Mrs. Cake went back to the counter to oversee the shop, and a few minutes of clearing away the flour, Pinkie spoke up. "So what kind of party do you want for Bloom then girls?" she said her pile of flour the biggest one of the others. "We just learnt one of the things we would of gone and seen up there was a solar eclipse." Scootaloo said dumping her heap into the bin. "So we thought you can throw her a Solar Eclipse party so she wouldn't be left out." "Sure I can do that," Pinkie said now dumping her own heap of flour to the bin. "Err... Pinkie," Tiara asked carefully "Just asking here, but do you know what a solar eclipse is?" A pause came as the girls watched Pinkie waiting for her answer. "Nope." she said to sighs from the girls. "But we can go and ask Twilight. She'll know what it is." she said hanging her apron on the hooks by the kitchen door. "That is if we can go see her Mr. Cake?" she said turning to Carrot who was just bringing out a tray of brownies from the oven. "Of course you can Pinkie." he said smiling "Would you take these to Cup Cake as you're going that way please?" Without further delay, Pinkie and the Crusaders were off to the library to see Twilight. * When they got there, the first person they saw however was Fluttershy looking at the children's books. "Hey Fluttershy." they all said. "Eep..." she said jumping as she didn't hear them coming up behind her. "Oh er... hello everybody." "Why are you here Fluttershy?" Scootaloo asked picking up the book Fluttershy had just dropped on the floor. "Well the baby animals at the clinic and my house, were getting bored of the stories I kept reading over and over, so I decided to come and get some new ones." "Are you alright Fluttershy?" a new voice called out as sofly as it could, seeing that it was a library. "I'm ok Twilight," Fluttershy called back, as a late teenaged girl with purple hair with stripes of pink and violet going through it, stood at the door to see what happened. "Oh hey girls, hi Pinkie," she said seeing the Crusaders and Pinkie Pie had just come in. "Anything I can help you with?" And for the rest of the afternoon, the Crusaders were discussing their plans with Pinkie, Twilight, and Fluttershy, who after a while had to leave to tend to her animals. At the farm, Apple Bloom spent all her time, since she got home after school in the barn to help Winona watch over Honey-Crisp, but had fallen asleep in the straw, but woke up as Mac came in to see if everyone was alright and say good night to them. "Everything alright then Bloom?" he said coming over to sit next to her in the straw opposite Honey. "Mac..." Bloom asked not looking up at him. "Yep?" "Will... Will Honey be alright." Apple Bloom asked "I... I told Miss Cheerilee about the snake at school, and said that Fluttershy said she would be fine. But then I remember she didn't say anything about Honey when I asked her." "I'm sure she'll be fine Bloom." Mac said bringing his little sister into a hug "She's a big girl now remember? And we Apple's can get through anything. Granted sometimes we need help from our friends...." Mac said remembering AJ's first lone apple harvest when he hurt himself and was so determined to get it done as well as help all her friends, she made half of Ponyville sick and caused a stampede of baby bunnies to run though town. He also remembered that afternoon when he called Fancy Pants to help him work out how to ask Fluttershy the question. "Mac..." Apple Bloom said bringing Mac back to the barn. "Er... yep?" he asked. "Can... Can you sing me Ma's lullaby? The one that Fluttershy sings to calm down her animals." "I'm not much of a singer Bloom," Mac said ears turning pink. "I don't mind Big Brother," she said getting comfy in Mac's arms, closing her eyes. "Ok, but don't judge me." Mac said taking a deep breath. Hush now quiet now, It's time to lay your sleepy head, Hush now quiet now, It's time to go to bed. Drifting off to sleep, Leave this day behind you, Drifting off to sleep, May good dreams come to find you. Hush now quiet now, It's time to lay your sleepy head, Hush now quiet now, It's time to go to bed. As he finished he heard Apple Bloom's soft snores and smiled. Gently pulling out a pen and some paper he had in his pocket, Mac wrote a quick note to Granny and Applejack and gave it to Winona, telling them that they would be sleeping in the barn tonight. * Applejack was just finished playing cards with herself in the Living room, when Winona came in Mac's note in her mouth placing it at her mistress's feet and twirling with happiness that she had done her job right. Applejack picked the note up and read: Me and Bloom are sleeping in the barn tonight to watch over Honey. Don't worry we'll be fine. Mac. A bit shocked that Mac would even think to write this Applejack ran out to the barn to tell him how foolish this was. But changed her mind when she got there seeing Mac and Bloom both asleep in the straw. Sighing Applejack went up to the hay loft and fished out the Apple Reunion Quilt, came back down, and draped it over the two of them. Said goodnight to everyone, pushed the doors closed and went to bed.