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.
And just like that it all blows over?
Well things seem a little happier. This fic might not go on for much longer.
4443026
I'd have to agree with Mad Maudlin. This all seemed a bit abrupt. Both Apple Jack's appearance at the tree and the sudden relaxation of a lot of the built-up tension seem to come out of nowhere. With all the bad blood between AJ and Bloom, I'd expected a lot more of an explosion when they came together, even if ultimately they do end up in a tender moment.
I feel like this chapter needs a bit more to it in the first half. The size of the Crusader bit after the emotional moment feels awkward, like it's supposed to be the dénouement, rather than a bridge to another chapter (which the tone would suggest).
4443026 maybe, but maybe not, all we know is that things are slowly getting better.
4443249
No, I do not condone violence, though nor do I condone letting a little brat get away with emotional abuse and bullying. To claim that I do is a completely ridiculous argument.
What disturbs me is the absolute pleasure people here seem to take in the idea that a child of, let us say, between 8 and 12 deserves to be beaten violently. I worry for the world if you think any nine year old deserves to have their 'teeth stove in'.
There are ways to deal with bullies, ways that do not escalate the violence.
And if we are talking about letting bullies get away with something, the show most certainly does, the most come-uppance DT or SS ever encounter is a stern talking to by a father (and made to help Granny Smith) or falling backwards into mud. That is the entirety of how the show deals with the bullies. They get away scott free every episode.
Do Diamond Tiara & Silver Spoon deserve punishment for their words. Yes. As we are only seeing this story from Apple Bloom's perspective, we don't see what happened to DT & SS after the fact.
What happened to them was never the point of the interaction. I wrote that point as the height of AB's anger, that she was lashing out at a lot of ponies. That she was at breaking point.
I did not write it to be the revenge-porn quite a few readers seem to have taken it, and enjoyed it, as.
I'm glad Applebloom and Applejack made up.
This story gets better as it goes along.
4443055
The Elements seem to have lower standards than a sorority girl at a kegger.
I feel as if Diamond Tiara will crash the camp out... soon...
Yeah, agree with some of the comments as well. This conversation should have happened many chapters ago. There seems to be no reason why it only happens now, besides allowing for a longer story. All I have been wondering for a long time now is if we would get a reasonable explanation for why AJ isn't talking to AB (and things like "she wants AB to have some space" or "she is afraid and/or embarrassed" aren't reasonable.) Instead, the talk that should have happened ages ago just happens, without any explanation.
Another sweet chapter
4443640
I'm okay with this.
4446136 whether or not it's her "only" trait, it is her foremost one, and the one for which she received an Element of Harmony. Plus, she's been shown to be pretty much THE worst liar in history....
Look, I know everyone's jerkin' their morally superior gherkin over "unwed mothers", but this is just tiresome.
I was away for a bit and had two updates to read.
Oh, and I thought they were pretty good.
You're writing Berry Pinch off as an Earth Pony. Why? She's a unicorn!
4447890
Ahhh, bugger.
I was thinking of her from her appearance in the cutie mark chronicles, where she is an earth pony. http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Berry_Pinch (See 'Temporary' then 'Earth')
Hadn't noticed she was a unicorn in all subsequent episodes.
Consider this an Author Oops.
4447967
Don't worry about it. I once caught a guy mistaking Diamond Tiara as a unicorn in his story.
Edit: There's even the fact that a lot of fillies and colts are duplicated as well...
4443125
Nothing unrealistic about it. During a period where Bloom's just... had enough. She didn't want to be angry at any of them to begin with, and selfish anger is usually easier to diffuse than righteous anger. Especially when you know it's hurting you on some level. All the time spent being angry, trying to hate them, trying not to hate them, trying to run away from everything that was important to her to get away from hearing it. All the denial and depression and confusion. Then she hears something like that?
Far as I'm concerned, she was pretty much straight cracked at that point. Two things happen when you crack, you either move towards a fit of insanity which can manifest in actions that seem utterly random or violent, or you can move towards a practically catatonic state. There's a wide window of apathy there on the second track. When you just can't muster the wherewithal to do jack shit about anything, really.
From the way that scene was written, it feels like that's the point AB was at. And for AJ showing up 'fast', she pointed out she saw AB in the bush due to her bow. Obviously she followed her back to the farm, worried about her.
You know, despite the overall serious tone of the story, this line had me cracking up.