//------------------------------// // Apple-ogy Accepted // Story: The Day I Became A Millionaire // by Ribe_FireRain //------------------------------// Well, this took a turn for the most unexpected. I stood within Sugarcube Corner with all three of the crusaders (I brought Sweetie along so she could prove to AB that she still likes Scootaloo) and currently, after a talk between AB and Scoots - after a short squabble here and there - have finally come to an agreement, leaving Scootaloo's face contorted in heavy uncomfortableness and shock, Sweetie's face holding the same expression as they both sat there staring at Apple Bloom who held a calm expression as she kept her eyes locked on the two, mostly Scootaloo. I too was a little surprised at the inquiry that AB made. ''Ya'll heard me.'' Apple Bloom smiled softly at the orange pegasus. ''So, are ya gonna do it?'' She asked, her voice calm and soft in tone. Scootaloo's expression transformed into a skeptical one, hoping that she wasn't serious. ''B-B-But, why?'' She asked, sounding like a whining filly. ''You seriously can't be serious! A-Are you?'' She asked that last part worriedly and slowly. AB gave an affirmative 'Mmm-Hmm', eliciting a groan from the pegasus. ''There ain't no backin' out of this one, Scoots. If ya'll do this to apologize, Ah'll also apologize. Deal?'' She asked with a smirk, holding her hoof out over the table to her. Scootaloo's frown deepened at the pure dread of what she was agreeing to do and ever so slowly, she too reached her hoof over and lightly touched it against Apple Bloom's. That smirk on Apple Bloom's face deepened. *** *** *** Outside on the streets of Ponyville, just outside of Town Hall, both me and Sweetie Belle stood beside each other whilst we waited for Apple Bloom and Scootaloo make their appearance. However, that wait was short lived as we saw both of them come around the corner and made their way towards us. AB looked like she has already been laughing hard and heavily and Scootaloo looked...funny. She was wearing a fluffy white chicken costume (courtesy of Pinkie Pie), complete with red gizzards under the beak and on top of her head. Her wings were encased in the constume that clearly wasn't designed for use by a pegasus and the only visible part of her was her orange face and purple eyes that held traces of embarrassment and uncomfort that I could tell already was going to be increased in time. ''Ah present to ya'll, Scoota-Chicken!'' Apple Bloom announced with a huge grin on her face as she motioned with both hooves to the massively embarrassed Scootaloo. Sweetie burst out laughing and I myself started to laugh uncontrollably at how daft Scoots looked in that costume. ''I am not a chicken!'' Scoots yelled in annoyance that the costume only seemed to increase greatly. We only burst into more laughter, including Apple Bloom. We spent a good five minutes rolling around in laughter before we decided that we've had our fun in playing a part in Scootaloo's torment. Getting back onto our legs, we wiped the tears from our eyes before we faced the infuriated, orange mare. ''Alright, you've had your fun.'' Scootaloo began, frowning deeply at us. ''Let's just get this over with. What do you want from me?'' She asked impatiently. Apple Bloom came up to her. ''Ya'll embarrassed me in front of everypony back at the farm, Scoots, now it's your turn.'' She went up behind Scoots and positioned herself into a rearing position before pulling her legs towards her and delivering a powerful buck that launched her friend into the crowd of ponies in the market that was taking place nearby. ''Now get out there an' act like a chicken!'' Scootaloo went flying for a short moment before she plumeted into the ground directly in the middle of the crowd of ponies who had their gazes locked onto her both out of shock of her sudden appearance and the costume she was wearing. From our position, we looked to her and she nervously looked back. Looking to Apple Bloom, she saw her miming a chicken pecking at the ground whilst clucking. Scootaloo took hint, mentally kissing her dignity goodbye as she began to act like a pony-sized chicken. She pecked at the floor like a chicken and began clucking. Ponies in the crowd of the market stopped their shopping and began to stare awkardly at her whilst others looked at her as if she was insane, however, some just laughed at the strange piece of entertainment. She spent roughly a few minutes pecking and clucking before she eventually broke up into a chicken-dance, continuing to cluck as she moved as best she could in the restraints of the costume to form some kind a weird dance. Both me and Sweetie laughed along with everyone else as we held each other and as for Apple Bloom, she stared on at her friend, clearly not expecting this to happen. None the less, it was still quite entertaining. Momentarily turning to face me and Sweetie, still laughing and holding each other, her eyes shrank a bit and she yelled to us, ''Hey! Get a room, why don't ya?'' Her tone sounded jealous. We both blinked, staring into each other's eyes for a brief moment before looking down, seeing that our arms and hooves were wrapped around each other. In an instant, we were off each other, mad blushes upon our cheeks as we rubbed the back of our necks awkwardly. Laughter was still roaring from where the market was taking place and Scootaloo was still doing her awkward clucking and dancing that only lasted for around twenty minutes at the most and by that time, around half or more of the town of Ponyville were witnessing and laughing at the embarrassing but entertaining act. Feeling that her embarrassment was over, Apple Bloom went over to get her from the humongous crowd of ponies. Upon returning, Scoots took off the chicken suit costume in a flash, revealing a large, rosey coloured blush engulfing her cheeks. Apple Bloom laughed at her in torment. ''Yeah, yeah,'' Scoots lightly punched her in the shoulder. ''are you satisfied? Because I sure as Celestia am that I lost my dignity!'' She said, only making Apple Bloom laugh harder at her friend. ''Y-Y-Yeah, yeah, A-Ah'm satisfied.'' Apple Bloom wiped a tear from her eye. ''Ah believe that ya'll have fulfilled your part, Scoots, so Ah forgive ya.'' She smiled to her friend who smiled weakly back. In moments, they both found themselves in a tight, friendly embrace, nuzzling each other's cheeks. ''Friends?'' Scootaloo asked hopefully, both of them breaking from the hug and looking into the calm, amber-orange eyes of Apple Bloom. ''Friends.'' Apple Bloom said before she and Scootaloo shared a hoof bump. Sweetie gave a soft 'aw' and I stood with a smile on my lips, just happy that they were back to being friends. ''And Ah'm so sorry Ah broke yer back, Scoots. Ah was just so mad that Ah-'' She was stopped by Scootaloo placing a hoof on her mouth. ''You don't need to apologize for that, Apple Bloom.'' She removed her hoof and placed it onto her friend's shoulder. ''I deserved it for what I said. I'm only glad that we managed to work things out.'' She smiled along with Apple Bloom. ''Well, I'm glad you two managed to make things right.'' Sweetie Belle said with a smile of her own, happy for the two of them. ''Best friends are meant to stay best friends, and we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We're meant to be together forever!'' ''Hey, girls, I have an idea.'' I piped up, catching all three's attention. ''Since you two are back to being friends, why don't you all have a sleep over at Sweet Apple Acres?'' I suggested, and their faces immediately brightened up in excitement. ''That's a great idea, Matt! But will you be joining us?'' Scootaloo asked me, to which I simply shrugged. ''Yeah, sure, why not? It'll be fun.'' *** *** *** Night had fallen over the farm a few hours earlier and all four of us were sat together in the living room of the farmhouse, arranged in a small circle. I sat next to Apple Bloom who sat beside Scootaloo who sat next to Sweetie Belle. They all were sat snug in their sleeping bags, all the same colours as their manes and as for me, I didn't feel the need for one as my clothes insulated me just fine. The rest of the family allowed us to all stay over and they had long since turned in for the night. As we sat, we were all talking about cutie marks, a conversation brought up out of my curiousity. Apple Bloom's cutie mark of the artist's brush and pallet I knew was for creativity and craftsmanship, Sweetie Belle's I found was for having a beautiful, unique singing voice (not surprisingly, I also learned she was a singer) and Scootaloo's of the tire trailed by a blaze of fire was for setting the land speed record on her scooter. Apple Bloom was curious about where both of them have been and how they've been doing for the time they were away from town and both of their answers were said with a hearty smile. Scootaloo told of us the time she was away with a few other scooter enfusiasts in a few races and even a stunt show around Equestria and it was then that during a race in which she won, she earned her cutie mark. As for Sweetie, she started to take lessons in singing surprisingly from the last person I would of thought would know about singing - Fluttershy. She then went on to tell us that from what she learned from Fluttershy, she then went on to study musical theory with the help of some books on the topic that she got from Twilight's library and from there, she went on to teaching herself until the point she thought she was ready to perform in front of a live audience, where she earned her cutie mark after wowing the audience with her extraudinary voice. As the night progressed into its later hours, we continued to talk about our lives and learned more about each other, including sharing some funny stories. Scootaloo told us about the time she was part of a small stunt-pony group and when she was performing a loop in the air, she misdirected her timing and speed and ended up landing hard from a long fall, luckily walking away but with a broken wing and a small fracture to her front left hoof from her scooter that fell on top of her. Shortly afterwards, she was back in the show. Sweetie told us of the time she got to do a duet with Equestrian singing legend, Sapphire Shores and how they spent the day together. Of course, when she told her sister Rarity about it, she got incredibly jealous, on account of her being a huge fan of her music and that she occaisionally designs pieces of clothing for her and her crew to wear on stage. When Apple Bloom's turn came up to tell a story, she went on about telling them about the barn that she and Applejack built shortly after they left town and even earned a laugh or two from them. And then she turned the conversation to the day she found me. Sweetie and Scootaloo sat listening intently to her story and I barely even noticed that she scooched closer to me, nearly touching my side. She told about how she fixed me up and when Applejack first found her with me in the barn with my car. We all seemed to of lost track of time as she told the story as if it only happened yesterday and like Sweetie and Scootaloo, I too felt a tear stroke my cheek. By the time Apple Bloom finished the story, we were all in tears and she was now sat that close to me she was physically touching me and I she was holding my hand gingerly in her hoof. I leaned down and hugged her, kissing her forehead. ''I never would have survived without you, Apple Bloom.'' I told her as I broke from the hug. She smiled sweetly at me. ''Ah'm just happy that Ah could save you so ya could be in mah life, Matt.'' She said as she kissed my cheek. Sweetie and Scoots looked on at us with smiles of their own. ''Gosh, Apple Bloom, why didn't you tell us sooner?'' Scoots asked, wiping her eye, as was Sweetie. ''Well, Ah was busy with seeing you two again after bein' gone for years. We were catchin' up, remember?'' ''Oh, yeah. I suppose so.'' Scootaloo scratched the back of her neck. ''For one, I think you two are pretty good for each other.'' Sweetie chimed in. ''I think its pretty sweet of you two of looked out for each other.'' She smiled sweetly at us. Looking to Apple Bloom, I saw her smile to me before she wrapped her hooves around me. Leaning down, I hugged her back, resting my chin atop her head. ''She looked out for me mostly.'' I said, looking to Sweetie. ''It isn't everyday you meet a pony like her, and to be the human that did meet her, I wouldn't have it any other way. We've known each other for a while now, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't love her. To me, she's family.'' ''Ah love ya, too, Matt.'' Apple Bloom said as she continued to hug me close. ''Hey, Matt?'' Scootaloo asked me with a soft but hopeful smirk on her lips. ''How fast do you think that car of yours can go?'' At that, I blinked, confused at where she was getting at. ''Uh...maybe around a hundred and fifty miles per hour? Depends where you're going with this.'' Her smirk grew. ''I was thinking - I have the land speed record for highest speed on a scooter in all of Equestria. Out of curiousity, I was wondering if you would consider racing me in your car. Y'know, if you think you're up to it.'' That smirk was beaming at me, now, challenging me. I matched her smirk. ''You really think I'm going to back out of this? If you think you can take me on, by all means, lets.'' I said with high confidence. I haven't met a challenge yet that I backed out of. Scootaloo smiled cooly. ''Sweet.''