After a while back in the barn.
"So what you come over for?" Apple Bloom asked going over to the straw bench while Tiara was still on the fence.
"Well you weren't in school today, so we came over to see if you were alright." Tiara said.
"Of course I'm alright." Bloom said a bit fast.
"Bloom. I know I haven't know you as long as Scoots and Sweetie have," Tiara began "But I've learnt how to tell when you're lying."
Sighing Apple Bloom Bloom said "I... I locked and barricaded myself in my room this morning."
"Because..." Tiara said trying not to laugh.
"Because I thought 'If you didn't want me, you wont have me'." Bloom said "Or care that I'm missing since you've been avoiding me."
"Bloom," Tiara said coming over "No one ever said we didn't want you. And... We're not trying to avoid you." she said carefully.
"Then why do you always go off on your own into the forest and with the others?" Apple Bloom asked getting up and hopping over to Appleseed hugging him a bit to stay up.
"I cant say anything at the moment Bloom..." Tiara said getting up and standing behind her going to reach for her, but stopping. "Just... Just know it's something for you."
And with that and before Apple Bloom could ask anything Diamond Tiara ran out of the barn and back home.
The next morning, Apple Bloom was in the dining room just finishing her waffles with everyone else when the phone rang and Mac went to answered it.
"Yep?" he said listening. "Ok. AJ?" he said handing the phone over "Here she is,"
"Hello?" Applejack asked. "Oh hey Rainbow. What? Rainbow I already said we're not doing that..." she said as she took the phone to her room for privacy.
"What was that about Mac?" Apple Bloom asked turning back to her brother.
"Just something AJ and the girls are putting together Bloom," he answered rinsing his and her plate off before helping her down and picking up the truck's keys.
"Bye Granny," Bloom said leading Mac outside and into the truck and buckling herself in.
"But what are they 'putting together' that caused AJ to say that as the first thing to Rainbow?" she asked once Mac got into the other side and were on their way to Bloom's school.
"I don't know sis," he lied eyes on the road so she wouldn't see his infamous I'm-lying-eye-twitch.
"Did you know Scootaloo was afraid of horses?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.
Mac didn't have anything to say to this. In truth he did know, but he had promised the tomb-boy he wouldn't say anything.
"Well...?"
"Yes I did Bloom," he said sighing a a little.
"It's just, I woke up to see that they came into the barn yesterday, and Scoots and Sweetie were arguing over if Scoots was afraid or not. I was asleep for the start so I don't know how it got there, but I think it had something to do with Seed." she explained.
"Not again..." Mac said to himself quietly rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Just then they pulled up into the school's car park and Mac escorted Bloom inside.
There were nearly at the class room's door when Apple Bloom stopped and moved to the side a bit.
"Bloom?" Mac asked getting down to look his sister in the eye.
"What... What if they heard about what happened yesterday and... And they..." Apple Bloom said trying not to let tears shed.
"I'm sure the only ones who knew what happened are Miss Cheerilee and your friends Bloom." Mac said hugging her gently and pulling some tissues out of his pockets to give to Bloom.
"But what if they stare... Or... or ask questions Or..."
"Then you ignore them and tell them it's none of their business." Mac said drying her face for her. When this didn't work or encourage her to continue down the corridor, Mac played his Ace in the Hole.
"I'll tell you what sis," Mac said smiling gently "If you go in there, and stay here all day," he said "Then I'll talk Granny into letting us have a camping weekend in the grotto. What do you say?"
After thinking this over Bloom sniffed and nodded smiling a little too.
"Ok," Mac said getting up "But you'll need to do your half first." he said holding his hand out for her.
After Mac dropped Bloom off he went straight home to tell Granny and AJ who just got off the phone what he promised.
"You can't do that Mac," Applejack said once he finished.
"Why not?"
"Because neither of you are fit to spend the weekend in the middle of the forest." she retorted throwing her hands up.
"If she can spend an afternoon in a barn, she can spend a few nights in the woods AJ," Mac said.
"And how do you plan on getting there youngin?" Granny asked as if the argument didn't happen.
"Well since I can't ride but she can't walk, we'll need at least one of the horses," Mac said thinking it out.
"You're not seriously going with this are you Granny?" Applejack said.
"Applejack," Granny said turning her attention to her. "Do you remember how boring it was when you were broken?"
"Sorta..." Applejack said in a questioning voice.
"Well Bloom has it worse dear," Granny said "At least you could get around by yourself and could still do your day to day stuff. But because of that busted leg her whole life's been flipped."
After a while...
"So what do you need Mac?"
*
That afternoon as soon as Bloom was home and said 'Hi' to Granny and AJ, she was on top of Honey while Mac was walking beside her guiding her and Appleseed to the grotto hoping this will cheer her up a bit while still keeping the surprise.
Ten minutes after entering the forest they got to where they wanted to go and Mac helped Bloom down.
"Now remember Bloom," he said going over to unpack the camping things from Appleseed, "You're suppose to be at the hospital tomorrow morning so we'll need to get up early, but then we can come back ok?"
"Ok Mac," Apple Bloom said playing with Honey-Crisp the best she could while sitting down by their parents tree.
Shaking his head smiling, Mac just started pitching up the tent and gathering sticks for that nights fire.
A few hours later, the siblings were having the pre-cooked dinner and roasting marshmallows.
"Hey Mac," Apple Bloom asked twirling her stick slowly thinking about something. "Are you sure my leg will get better?"
"I'm sure Bloom," Mac said biting the head off of his most resent sausage "Me and AJ made it though when we got hurt."
"But what if I'm different," Apple Bloom said "What if my bones don't mend like yours do..." she said not caring her marshmallow just caught fire.
"Bloom. You are just like us, and all the other apples," Mac began "You're.... Sweet, innocent, loving, joyful," he said counting his fingers off grinning slightly "Stubborn, a pain in the neck in the mornings, record holding grudge master, and a pie's worst nightmare." he said flinching as Apple Bloom threw a punch at him with the change of tune he was singing to her.
"I am not stubborn, or a pain in the neck," she said folding her arms and turning away from him.
"And low and behold Madame Stubb-Orn," Mac said chuckling a bit.
"AJ's Madame Stubb-Orn Mac," Apple Bloom said joining in now. "I'm Lady Love-Ing"
"Well then My Lady," Mac said getting up and bowing to her to show respect smirking "Will you forgive me for mixing you up with the evil Queen of Apple Acres?"
Thinking for a while for a name for Mac Apple Bloom said "You are forgiven Sir Pie's W. Nightmare. And will be even more so if you sing to me Late Queen Joy-Full's lullaby."
"As you wish My Lady," Mac said sitting down again wrapping his arm around her.
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.
"And tell me a story," Apple Bloom said rubbing her eyes yawning slightly.
"Any in mind you request My Lady?" Mac said collecting water from the river to pour onto the fire when they were done.
"Your side of what happened with the wolves that night." she said.
Pausing Mac looked up. "I'm afraid I do not know that one My Lady," he said checking the bags were done back up.
"You know when Honey went for that walk and you and Scoots went to find her..."
"Bloom!" Mac said cutting the act "I'm already freaked out enough out here. I don't want to rethink that night right now. Pick another story."
Seeing and hearing the fear coming from Mac, Apple Bloom nodded and rethought.
"The day the evil Queen came home." Bloom said shifting into a more comfortable position.
"I was hiding in the barn's hay loft," Mac said poking the fire a bit. "That was my secret moping place. Whenever I got upset or mad at something or I just wanted to be alone, I'd go up there.
Fancy Pants was the only one who knew where I was and all morning, he was trying to get me to come out and be in the house when Ma and Pa came home with Applejack."
"Was AJ the same when I came home?" Apple Bloom asked timidly wondering.
"Yes, but it wasn't for you," Mac said sticking a new marshmallow over the fire. "She... was still a tad upset over losing Pa. Anyway...
***
'Come on Mac' Fancy Pants said looking up into the hay loft from the ground. 'You can't stay hidden for the rest of your life just because you're getting a new sister.'
'Say's who?' Mac's voice replied. 'I live here, so I can be wherever I want for as long as I please.' he said crossing his arms.
'What's so wrong about getting a new sister? I'd love to have one.' Fancy said getting comfy on the ground seeing this will take a while, leaning against the wall.
Silence.
'It's because of a girl isn't it?' Fancy said hitting the nail on the head.
'What?' Mac said moving over and looking down to his friend. 'No... Come on Fancy seriously? Me with a girl?'
'What's her name?'
'I don't know,'
'That's a strange name,' Fancy said laughing a bit at his joke, hearing sighs coming from above him. 'Ok ok I'm sorry.' he said calming down 'So what's she like?'
'I... Haven't talked to her that much yet,' Mac said rolling over and looking to the ceiling.
'When did you see her?'
'Last week,' Mac said his voice getting all dream like. 'She said she and her friend were coming from Cloudsdale.'
'I don't remember any new kids coming to school,' Fancy said with a questioning voice.
'They said they were going to a different school, but didn't say where they'll be going.'
'Have you seen her since?'
'No...' Mac said sighing.
'So she's keeping you up there and not your sister then?' Fancy asked.
'Why do you care so much?' Mac said reaching for the sky shaking his head.
'Because that baby has been in your mam for nine months and has just been born and is experiencing the world around her. And the first thing she would want to see is her section of family, which includes one stubborn big brother.' Fancy Pants explained never taking his eyes off of the hay loft. 'But you know, if you don't want to see her and continue moping about that new girl... See you later Mac,' Fancy said getting up and going back to the house and the welcome party.
It hadn't even been ten minutes before someone else came in. Hearing them coming up the ladder Mac dove into the bales of hay stored next to him.
'I know you're there son,' his father's voice said 'One of the few Apple Traditions is that when a Apple's upset they go to the highest concealed place they can find to be alone and mope.'
Slowly Mac got out and joined his dad leaning on the barrier swinging his legs a bit.
'So, is it that girl or AJ you're up here for?'
'AJ' Mac said not bothering to ask how her found out about the girl.
'What for?' Appleseed said giving Mac his hat to cheer him up a bit.
'Why did you have to have her?' Mac asked taking no note of the hat. 'Didn't you like us being only us Ma and Granny?'
'Son, with each year an apple-tree grows new flowers on their branches,' Appleseed said 'Give those tree's time and those flowers turn into apples, and then next year more come.'
'But why did she have to join this tree Pa?' Mac asked a bit loud scaring the animals below a bit.
Knowing he won't get anywhere, Appleseed just asked.
'Will you at least come and see her? If you're not happy you can come right back here and we'll leave you alone.'
'Fine,' Mac said after thinking this over. 'But I won't like her.' he said letting his father go down first.
'We'll see...' Appleseed said snatching his hat back as Mac came down.
^*^
Inside Honey-Crisp was in the living room sitting down a small bundle in her arms, baby presents, family and friends all around her.
Slowly Mac made his way to the front with Appleseed and tried to get a better look at his new sister.
The baby was small but had big green eyes and freckles all over her face and was sucking on a dummy that was shaped as half of an apple.
Slowly tiny arms with grabbing hands came out of the blanket and she giggled nearly letting the dummy fall out. Mac leaned closer to see what she wanted when she pulled on his hair making him cry in pain.
'Ow!' he said backing away and rubbing where it hurt, just making her laugh and clap more.
'I think that's her way of saying "hello" sweetie,' Honey said bouncing Applejack slightly.
'And I was just beginning to like you...' Mac said leaning in nose to nose with the baby.
Seeing this new toy she had just played with not look like the other toys made Applejack upset and she cried because she wanted her toy back.
'Mac!' almost everyone said disappointed that Mac caused his sister to cry and went to see if she was alright which only made her cry more.
'You're only making it worse!' Mac said trying to pull everyone away or at least get back to Applejack.
After five minutes he just gave up.
'Fine, fine... See if I care, but don't blame me when you're all deaf!' he said turning and running back to the hay loft.
***
"And that's all I remember," Mac said getting snores in return. Shocked he looked around to see everyone, even the fire was asleep. "Well how'd ya like that? Spill a bottom of the heart story and everyone falls asleep." Then he checked his watch 11:05pm.
After pouring the water over the fire just in case Mac gently lifted Bloom up and carried her into the tent and put her to bed before closing the tent up and falling asleep himself.