Bright New Day
-*-Twilight Sparkle-*-
Twilight quickly made her way through the streets of Ponyville, her small passenger snoring against her back. She whisked a glance toward the filly, shaking her aching head as she forced herself to focus on the road, along with the promise she made to Diamond, err, Cain that is.
“Twilight slow down!!!” came a sudden yelp.
Twilight snapped her head forward, only to immediately slam into a short wooden wagon. She momentarily flew forward, doing a single roll before landing flat on her stomach - with an ‘oomf’ - as her head smacked the ground.
“Umm…Miss Sparkle? Are you alright?”
She lifted her head up, shaking it to make the small bouncing Pinkie Pies fade away, and allowing her to concentrate on the voice that had spoken up. She lifted her head to see both Silver Spoon and Apple Bloom, who were both pulling a small wagon filled with shopping bags.
DIAMOND!!! Twilight immediately looked at her backside, half expecting she’d bucked Diamond Tiara off into the night sky. Her panic swiftly subsided when she realized her stick-me spell had worked, keeping the filly firmly attached.
“Phew. Sorry about that girls.” Twilight carefully got to her hooves. “Is everypony alright? Sorry for making such a ruckus.”
“A ruck-what-now?” Apple Bloom quickly cut off Twilight, before she could speak further. “Aw shucks Twi, you don’t hafta apologize. It’s just an accident.”
Twilight nodded, a quick look around making it clear she hadn’t knocked anything over. Then she recalled how late it was, and asked “Why are you two out so late anyways? Aren’t your families worried?
“Mother already knows I’m out with friends, I told her I was taking Apple Bloom for a little shopping spree.”
Apple Bloom piped up, “And AJ’s used to me and mah friends hanging out late crusading for our cutie marks.”
“Well, just make sure not to stay out too late girls, growing fillies need their sleep after all.” Twilight said, her word being punctuated by a soft snorting sound from her back. The two fillies peered over Twilight’s back, spotting Diamond Tiara as she briefly shifted slightly before returning to sleep.
Silver Spoon’s mouth perked up, then she turned and ruffled through her saddlebag before fetching a familiar tiara. She hoofed over the trinket to Twilight. “Please, tell Diamond Tiara that I appreciate her letting me borrow it.” Silver Spoon said as Twilight placed it back where it belonged.
“She’ll be sure to know. Now be careful walking home, alright?” Twilight said, to which the two fillies nodded their heads vigorously. “I have to get Diamond home; I expect both of you to get a good night’s rest.”
“We will Twilight. See ya at school tomorrow Diamond!” Apple Bloom said, getting a stern looking glance from Silver Spoon and Twilight. Apple Bloom blushed as she said, in a softer voice “Sorry.”
Silver Spoon unhitched herself from her wagon, walking over to Twilight and reaching up to Diamond, giving her a hug as she whispered “Good night BFF.” She then returned to her wagon and waved at Twilight as she and Apple Bloom set off once more.
Twilight waved in kind, nearly forgetting her own aching limbs. With newfound determination she turned to resume her own walk, her other hooves already carrying her off in the direction of Rich Manor, her precious cargo shifting slightly on her back before finding a more comfortable position to continue her nap.
For the forty eight time, she looked over her shoulder. Then, at that moment, Twilight realized she was smiling. Twilight felt energy course through her, as she realized she was overthinking something that was so simple. And it had taken two well-dressed fillies to remind her. Diamond, or this new creature, was now her friend.
“Everything is going to be just fine.”
Twilight quickened her pace, her thoughts and plans scurrying in alphabetic and numeric order as she decided on the best course of action. If failure wasn’t so lethal, she’d probably be overcome with trepidation in discovering a brand new alien species. Still, at least this project reminded her of homework. Twilight sighed happily.
Her thoughts kept racing as she continued walking through the mostly empty streets of Ponyville. She watched as some ponies that were out began to head to their homes or set about preparing for bed. Others were just leaving their homes, grouping together and talking and laughing as they headed further into town, no doubt heading off to one of Ponyville’s few night-clubs.
It only took another ten minutes for her to reach the gates of Rich Manor, and she had to say that she was a bit impressed. Though she had seen plenty of magnificent and extravagant manors and noble houses back in Canterlot, this was the first time she had been this close to Rich Manor.
While it was by no means a large building, it was built upon a large, open estate. The front lawn was taken up by rows of tree’s even placed on opposite sides of a simple dirt path, with beautiful bronze lamps lighting a path to a small square, where a marble fountain sat slowly dribbling out a stream of cool water.
Beyond that lay the manor itself, which looked much simpler and efficient than she had expected it to be. Unlike most of the houses in Ponyville, it was made out of pale brown bricks, and stood at three stories high. The only thing taller than it in Ponyville was the Town Hall and Golden Oaks library, and that was only by a bit. Here and there small vines of ivy seemed to be climbing up the manor walls, but from the signs of it these were only the ones allowed to do so. It gave the old building an air of character to it that it would have lacked otherwise. Light shone out through most of the windows, casting their soft glow on the ground below.
Twilight walked up the steps to the large oak doors and rapped lightly on its surface, trying to peek a glance through one of the windows near the door to see if anyone was in. A moment later the front door opened and an old stallion wearing a suit stepped out, giving her a look of indifference as he asked “Can I help you?”
Twilight cleared her throat and offered the stallion, no doubt one of the Rich family’s servants, a smile as she said “Yes, I’m Twilight Sparkle, and I wanted to bring Diamond Tiara back home.” She turned to the side, her horn aglow with magic as she carefully picked Diamond Tiara up and set her softly upon the porch.
The movement seemed to wake Diamond Tiara up a bit, her tired eyes opening a bit and blearily looking around. Twilight gave her a soft nuzzle before looking back up to the servant and saying, “I know she was supposed to have been home earlier, but while she was helping me get the library organized we both lost track of time. So sorry for not getting her here sooner.”
The stallion glanced down at Diamond Tiara, who was beginning to drift back to sleep. He shook his head and let out a soft whistle, and two mares dressed in maid uniforms rushed over. He didn’t need to say anything as they quickly plucked the tired filly from the ground and took her inside. It was only after Diamond Tiara was inside that the stallion said anything.
“Thank you for bringing Lady Tiara home Miss Sparkle. We assumed she was just spending the rest of the day hanging out with her friends before coming home. We were going to send somepony into town to pick her up soon enough, but this saves us the trouble.”
“Oh, it was no problem sir. If you would, could you make a note for her? I would like to properly thank her for her help tomorrow, if that’s alright.” Twilight asked, and the stallion nodded in response.
They exchanged goodnights, than Twilight turned from the door and made her way out of the estate and back onto the road towards town. The walk back was uneventful, though her mind was certainly still abuzz with thoughts and plans. But though her mind desired to try and sort everything out, her body was telling her it was time for sleep.
“It can wait till tomorrow…it’s not like anything bad is going to happen before the morning…”
With a great big yawn, she stepped back into her home and made her way quietly up the stairs, stopping only to give Spike a gentle nuzzle and goodnight kiss before climbing under her own bed sheets. Worming her way into a comfortable position, it wasn’t long before she fell into a deep slumber.
-*-Applejack-*-
Luna’s moon was visible from the kitchen window. The light stretched across an old rickety table. From the nearby family room, a hoof-carved grandfather clock clicked and clacked continuously.
Applejack swerved away from the window to glare at its face. 10:15
She cracked her neck. The popping of joints sent a soothing sensation down her side. It didn’t last, as her forehead begun to burn. It wouldn’t bucking stop. She threw her head back, swallowing more of the Zecora’s remedy. The potion’s slimy and thick texture trickled down her throat. The pain doubled.
“You’re all worked up over nothin,” interjected Big Mac, his strong voice easily carried across the kitchen. “Applebloom is a sharp filly.”
“She needs to learn responsibility!” snapped Applejack. She stopped cold, realizin’ she’d screamed. She took a slow breath. “Ah’m sorry Mac. I’m just. . . tense yer know. . .”
Big Mac took a seat, the chair creaking under his weight. The moon light barely covered his large shape as he craned his neck her way, his eyes easily showing his concern.
Applejack hesitated, as if unsure of her own voice. “Ah don’t want to talk ‘bout it Mac.” The door chime jingled, as Apple Bloom entered.
“An’ where were you missy?” Apple Bloom wilted from her sister’s angry glare. “Tomorrow's a school day. Now what did ah say about school?”
“That-”
“Are those shoppin’ bags?! Of all the irresponsible, frivolous, and fru-fru frolickery ah’ve ever seen you-you-yo...” She sputtered, trying to gain control of her temple and only getting another throb of pain in her head. Shaking her head, she added, “Now go march up those stairs sister.”
“But ah-”
“Giddy up.”
Apple Bloom looked like she was going to protest, but after a moment she muttered,“Fineee.” under her breath, grudgingly trotting up the stairs, pulling along a trail of shopping bags. The last bag was pulled out of sight, and then followed with a door slamming close.
Silence filled the room for a moment after the outburst, and AJ was glad for the brief reprieve. Sadly, it didn’t last.
“You could have at least let her finish.” Big Mac spoke up, his face expressing his thoughts on how AJ had reacted.
“Let it go Mac.” Applejack gritted her teeth, as another headache ripped into her skull. “Ah’m goin’ ta bed. G’night.”
She slipped into her room, tail snapping the light switch off, and then climbed into bed and slid under the covers. She was more than ready for a good night’s sleep and to wake up feeling collected and ready for another day of well-earned hard work.
But no matter how much she tried, her body wouldn’t relax. Sweat was now visibly dripping down her mane, and she was sure her face was turning a bit red.
She tossed and turned, threw off the blankets, fluffed her pillow and every other thing she could think of at the time to try and get to sleep. After about an hour of agony, and a slight gurgling from her stomach, she decided that maybe a midnight snack would be what was needed.
She attempted to tip-hoof from her room and down the steps, but ended up stumbling against the banister. The stairs creaked in protest, causing her to sloppily slow her steps.
Her stomach churned painfully, until she reached the fridge. Hurriedly, she opened it wide and gazed inside. Freshly baked apple delicacies were proudly positioned on several individual racks, all awaiting the same fate at the hooves of a hungry pony.
But something was wrong. Normally the mouthwatering delectables would soothe about anypony’s taste buds, AJ’s especially, but the familiar strong apple scent was causing her to gag. Wiping her tearing eyes, she snatched the least repugnant snack from the ice-box and quickly bucked its door close.
Applejack peered downward, taking in a couple seconds to realize she’d grabbed a basket of oranges. The grandfather clock continuously clicked behind her. For a moment, she simply gazed at the orange globes, trying to recall where they’d come from.
...Oh yeah, Auntie Orange sent them for Granny last harvest. Guess Granny must’ve forgotten ‘bout ’em. She looked them over, and with but a moment’s hesitation, set the basket on the counter.
She normally wasn’t a picky mare, so she chomped down on one.
“...” The chilled juice that dribbled down her muzzle was-was-was... Applejack snagged another and ravenously devoured a second, and a third, and then a fourth. With each bite, her body’s aching lessened and a euphoria of sudden happiness filled her. She squee-ed in content.
Applejack immediately clapped a hoof over her mouth a moment later. She kept it there and listened to see if anypony heard her, but except for Granny Smith’s snores, the house was quiet. Applejack then burst into giggles. To think... oranges were the perfect remedy for head pains.
She then proceeded to take another bite, and another, until the basket was empty.
Her joy evaporated, until she realized she could wake up early and buy some more. Her mind was already concocting several recipes that made her mouth water.
“Ah’ve gotta thank Aunt and Uncle Orange,” smiled a content Applejack. Her excitement doubled as she fetched some parchment and quills. Her happiness made her feel like a little filly again. “Now what ta write...”
“Dear Aunt and Uncle,” she whispered out loud as she wrote. “AJ here. Ah wanna give a mighty thanks...” Applejack paused, before trashing the letter. She shook her head. “They deserve better than that.” She licked her muzzle, sighing as the tangy flavour relaxed her shoulders further.
“Ahem.” She quickly pulled another blank parchment.
“Dearest Aunt and Uncle,
This is Jacqueline Apple. I apologize for not writing sooner, but I must say ‘thank you’ for your latest assortment of fruits. They were simply divine. Until now, I haven’t realized how much...
I love oranges...
-*-Cain (Diamond Tiara)-*-
I bolted upright, barely managing to contain a scream as my mind was swiftly dragged from sleep into that of the waking world, hooves holding tightly to the blankets that were draped over my small pink form.
“Maybe this is normal for Diamond Tiara...” I said to myself, trying to recall the images and sounds of the dream-no, nightmare I had been having just moments before, but the details were quickly fading away. All I could remember was the sound of sobs and a cruel laugh. Both of them sounded familiar, one of them shockingly so, but that was all I was able to retain it seemed, much to my annoyance.
“Stupid body comes with stupid dreams...” I muttered, tossing the blankets off, then glancing at the clock sitting on the nightstand. It silently told me that it was 5 in the morning. I frowned, looking around me as I tried to remember something else, specifically, how I had ended up back here in DT’s room.
Shaking my head, I decided to go ahead and get out of bed and get ready for the day ahead. I certainly wasn’t going back to bed, in no mood for more nightmares I was about to head for the door, planning on heading to the little fillies room first and take a nice hot shower, but a small glint of light drew my attention back to the nightstand.
Sitting next to the clock, I had somehow missed DT’s trademark jewelry. I briefly thought about ignoring the thing, not wanting to wear it and having enjoyed the previous day not having to deal with the thing.
But then, a sudden and incredibly strong wave of emotion rode over my thoughts and I very nearly charged at the nightstand in an attempt to get the thing upon my head. Only once it was sitting firmly atop my mane did I feel like my old self…or as much of myself as I could feel.
“Ugh, what is wrong with me, it’s just a dinky little tiara. If DT’s dad wasn’t rich I’d swear it was plastic…” Nevertheless, I felt a strange sense of comfort and security with it on my head. Shrugging, I decided to push the weirdness of it to the side and get on with my morning. With the first day of me having to take DT’s place at school, I needed to be prepared as I could be.
With that thought in mind, I left my room and headed for the bathroom, surprising several manor staff by apparently being up this early. I managed to wave away the one who tried to help me take my shower, in no mood to be pampered today. This feeling followed me into the kitchen as I took the initiative with my own breakfast.
I couldn’t have sausage and bacon like I wanted, but I settled for my next favorite of grilled PB&J. It took two tries, but after a bit of a mess and a number of expletives that made the cooks nearly faint, the third sandwich managed to stay together and with a triumphant cheer I took my plate and made my way to the dining room and set about enjoying the fruits of my labor.
“Umm…Excuse me Miss Diamond?”
I looked over and saw Ginger Gold peeking out at me from a nearby door, her eyes clearly showing a combination of disbelief and amazement. I took that moment to look down at myself and realized that my earlier attempts at sandwich making had nullified my earlier shower.
I must be surprising everypony today…good, I’m tired of even trying to act like that prissy little brat. I thought to myself as I offered the mare a tired smile and replied “Sorry, the kitchen and I had a disagreement. Can I help you?”
My response seemed to only further confuse Ginger Gold, but she got over that as she rattled out “I was instructed by Jeeves to let you know that your mother and father will both be coming home today. Your father will arrive shortly after school, and your mother is coming home ahead of schedule. She should be here before dinner is served."
“Thank you for letting me know Ginger, I can’t wait to see mother again.” I said sincerely, that same strange feeling I felt when wearing the tiara coming to me with those words. I pushed away the feelings as just my own inner curiosity about DT’s mother, the mare having never made it into the show thus far. “By the way, think you could help me get back to the shower after I’m done eating? I think I’ve already made enough messes today…”
Ginger Gold nodded affirmative, and patiently waited till I was finished devouring my sandwich to pick me up by my neck and transport me to the bathroom. This time I didn’t fight her efforts to assist me in cleaning up, figuring it was a better use of my energy to mentally prepare myself for the day ahead.
School in Equestria!? I’ve never felt so nervous-xcited in my life. My thoughts were in a whirl as Ginger Gold helped me out of the tub and proceeded to mercilessly wield a hair dryer at me. Once I no longer looked like a filly that had decided to play in a pool of peanut butter and jelly, I had Ginger Gold help me gather up all the school books I’d need for the day.
“You’re all set Miss Tiara. At 6:45 Rickshaw will take you on up to the school. Try to behave yourself in the meantime; I think you nearly gave Chef Iron Stove a heart attack.”
“Probably get one from natural causes…” I murmured, remembering how large Chef Iron was. Just then panic gripped me as I noticed Ginger’s horrified expression. “…kidding! I’m just kidding! Ya don’t need to give me a look like that! I’ll be good. Probably.”
She gave me a look that told me she wasn’t really buying it, but I didn’t give her a chance to push it as I pulled out one of the school books and flipping it open. I had no intention of going into class blind, and I had a good hour and a half to prepare myself.
If only I’d inherited my mother’s speed reading…Shaking my head at the thought, I delved into the books, telling Ginger Gold to pull me out of the books when it was time to leave.
-*-
“Miss Tiara, it’s time for you to get going.”
I pulled my head out from between the pages of Equestrian History- A Beginners Guide and yelped as I discovered that Ginger Gold’s face was just inches away from mine.
“Are you trying to scare me!?”
Ginger Gold shrugged. “Well, I tried to get your attention from the door, but your nose was so far inside that book I almost thought it was glued to the pages. Now come on, I’ll walk you to the carriage.”
I closed the book and slipped it back into my bags, quickly falling into step beside her, my face expressing my displeasure at the idea of having to have an escort. Then again, I still wasn’t entirely used to the layout of the house, so I just told myself it was better than getting lost in the mansion and having to ask for help.
Soon enough, I was being lifted into the carriage as Rickshaw hooked himself up, still looking as bored as he had been yesterday. Once I was in, we set off, on what for Rickshaw was just another day of service to the Rich family, but for me was a daunting prospect. I silently prayed to any spirits that were merciful that the day would go over smoothly.
Knowing how me and the universe got along, I wasn’t expecting much.
-*-Apple Bloom-*-
If this morning was any sign of what her day was going to be like, Apple Bloom was in for an exciting and fun filled day.
And by exciting and fun, she meant crazy and weird.
When she had woken up, Apple Bloom had immediately sniffed out what she could only figure was supposed to be breakfast. It smelled a little different than normal, but her nose assured her that whatever it would be was going to be good.
She had leapt outta bed, nearly tripping over the bags she had unceremoniously dumped on the floor in her haste to make it to the kitchen. Racing down the stairs, she made it to the kitchen door, only to crash into a big red wall of pony.
The kitchen was a mess of flour, orange peelings, and various other cooking utensils. The only thing that seemed to have any order in this room of chaos was the dinner table, which was fancily decorated with a green lace tablecloth that Apple Bloom only ever saw come out for special occasions. Piled atop the table was a smorgasbord of orange themed dishes, from orange cobbler to a citrus-zest quiche.
And in the center of it all, snoring softly into a cake bowl, was Applejack. She was wearing a frilly looking apron and one of those chef hats she had seen Rarity wearing once, and her hair was done up all fancy-like.
“Apple Bloom, go wake up Granny. I’ll check on AJ.” Big Mac had said, and Apple Bloom hadn’t needed to be told twice. She ran back up the stairs and jumped into Granny’s bed.
“Granny Smith! Granny Smith! Something weirds goin’ on in the kitchen.”
“Hey now, hold your horses, Ah’m not used to bein’ bounced on so early in the mornin’.” Granny Smith yammered out as she was rudely awakened. Apple Bloom hopped off the bed, fidgeting as she thought about what could be wrong with her sister.
Granny took a few minutes to slide out, stretching out her old bones before sighing in relief as a series of loud pops echoed through the room, making Apple Bloom’s ears twitch.
“Alrighty then, what’s all the hubaloo again?”
Apple Bloom lead Granny Smith downstairs so that she could see for herself. When they reached the kitchen, they saw Big Mac just beginning to rouse a smiling AJ.
“Oh, morning everypony, I hope I didn’t disturb any of you last night with all this. Heheh, I just don’t know what got into me.” She said sweetly, gently rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she used Big Mac as support.
“Applejack, what in tarnations is all of this?” Granny Smith demanded, Apple Bloom and Big Mac nodding in agreement.
AJ looked around at the state the kitchen in and giggled, sounding more like Rarity than her old self. “Oh this? Well, I just couldn’t get to sleep last night, so I figured I’d get myself a little midnight snack. I found the oranges that Auntie Orange sent, and well, I guess a snack wasn’t enough” She took a whiff of the delicious aroma that filled the room and smiled. “Not that I’m going to complain, I do believe I’ve done a wonderful job, if I do say so myself.”
Apple Bloom looked to her big brother and Granny Smith, and was glad to see that she wasn’t the only one thought AJ was acting…well, weird. “Ah…AJ, are ya feelin’ alright? Ya don’ sound like yourself.”
AJ’s smile seemed to flicker, faltering as she thought about it. “Ah…I…I think so. I don’t have that headache anymore…though I’ll admit I do feel kind of strange.”
Granny snorted “Ya sound like yer Auntie Orange Applejack, and yer hair is all gussied up too!”
Applejack’s eyes narrowed, as she caught the unsaid insult. “Granny, now you hold yer prejudice to yerself. Ah never questioned how ya made yer Zap Apple Jam, so don’tcha criticize how ah think up mah orange recipes.”
AJ’s frown softened as she looked to her family. “Ah know it might seem strange, heck... it’s a bit strange ta me too... but dressin’ and talkin all fancy like helps me with makin’ orange treats.” She took a deep breath, and carefully straightened her apron. “An’ I would honestly appreciate my family’s support.”
Granny resembled a pointed statue, before slumping her shoulders followed with a short sigh. “I reckon Ah was a bit harsh.” She motioned everypony to sit down. “Now ya’ll, this here delicious lookin’ breakfast ain’t gonna eat itself.” And with gusto, she heartily slurped down some orange-ginger soup dazzled with freshly plucked mints.
Apple Bloom watched as Big Mac followed suit. Shrugging, the filly sipped the murky orange broth. “Now ain’t that fancy!” she exclaimed, before taking another spoonful. She was about to refill her bowl, before AJ had stopped her with a hoof.
“Sorry for last night,” she whispered. “...Ah promise to be a better sis. Ah love ya, Apple Bloom.”
Before the filly could speak, Applejack swiftly slipped into that crisp accent. “Now you simply must try my mandarin-orange cake, dazzled in dried orange strips.”
“Um... sure.”
“Marvellous!”
The rest of the morning was spent sampling the many dishes AJ had spent the morning making. Everything was delicious, but things just felt a little...odd. Applejack had never had an interest in making anything with oranges before, and as they ate she seemed to speak more and more in that funny accent.
“Hey AJ, are ya sure ya’ll feelin’ alright?”
“Apple Bloom!” chastised Granny Smith, “Now you be a mindin’ yer manners.” The elderly matriarch settled on snatching the remaining empty dishes off the table and brought them to the sink. “Thank ya for the lovely breakfast Applejack, an’ for remindin’ me on a thing or three. Sometimes ah forget how grown up you are.”
The filly watched as Big Mac nodded in agreement, and she sighed as she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to get in any trouble. Still...this just felt weird, and not exactly the good kind of weird.
“Well, Ah think Ah’ll slip into the bath for a few, can’t just waltz around looking like I’ve spent the day rolling in flour after all.” AJ said, the fancy accent slipping for a moment before returning in full force.
While Granny Smith set about cleaning the dishes and Big Mac headed out to get a start on the morning chores, Apple Bloom took a look at the clock and decided that after she got ready for school, she’d check on her big sis.
It only took a few minutes of work to have her bags set and ready next to the door, and with that out of the way she was free to spend the next ten minutes checking up on her sister.
Making her way up the stairs, she stealthily slid up to the bathroom door and quirked her ears, catching the telltale sound of the shower turning off and hooves on the tile. Apple Bloom squinted through the door suspiciously, as she caught her sister touching up on her mane, now wrapped again in her usual ponytail.
“Hmm…everypony seemed to love my creations… maybe I should share some with the rest of the gang. I’ve heard Twilight say she loves orange dishes, maybe she can give me some inspiration…”AJ seemed to say to herself, all the while touching herself up and all around acting more like Rarity than anything.
“Somethin’s goin’ on here…” Apple Bloom muttered to herself, moving away from the door and managing not to alert her bigger sister. “Maybe Twilight would…That’s it!”
The idea was obvious to the filly, heck, AJ herself had just mentioned it. She did a 180 and dashed into the bathroom, nearly running over AJ in her excitement as she said “Hey AJ! Ah got great idea!”
“By Celestia, please knock next time Apple Bloom!” AJ exclaimed, clearly surprised by Apple Blooms sudden appearance. She calmed down quickly though, shaking her head as she added “Ah’m sorry sis, what was it you were saying?”
Apple Bloom ignored the outburst, deciding it was probably due to whatever was making her big sister act so weird. “Ah overheard ya thinking about sharin’ those treats ya made with yar friends, and Ah think that’s a great idea! If ya’ll want, Ah could even take some with me to school to share with Sweetie and Scoots.”
“Apple Bloom, you know better than to eavesdrop on somepony…” AJ reprimanded, causing Apple Bloom to briefly bite her lower lip in guilt.
“But I’ll let it slide, because that’s an even better idea! I stashed some of what I made in the fridge; give me just a minute more to touch up and I’ll have a grab bag of orange goodies ready for you to share with your friends.”
Apple Bloom nodded, even as she grew more concerned. Gussying up? Speaking Fancy? Making a smorgasbord of orange themed dishes and treats? This was just so out of the blue that it made no sense. She dearly hoped that when her sister went off to share her treats that one of her friends would figure out what was wrong.
After spending the last few minutes she had left putting away some of the things she had gotten the night before with Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom was standing on the front porch, school bags on her back and a snack pack or orange goodies clenched tightly between her teeth.
“Make sure to have a nice day at school Apple Bloom, and let me know what your friends think of the snacks.”
“Ah will.” Apple Bloom mumbled before setting off down the road at a brisk pace.
This brought her back to where she was now, half-way down the road to school and her mind awhirl with thoughts of what could be wrong with her big sis. Was she sick? Did she accidentally hit her head and think she was some fancy orange chef or something?
“Hey Apple Bloom!”
“Huh?” Apple Bloom turned her head to see where the voice had come from, and was surprised to see that the carriage that carried Diamond Tiara had stopped right behind her, its two passengers gazing at her curiously.
How in Ponyville didn’ Ah hear that thing? Apple Bloom thought as her two former bullies waved her over. With some caution, she trotted over and asked “Ya want something?”
“Not really, I just figured you might like a change of pace.” Diamond Tiara stated matter of factly, patting the spot next to her as she added “Wanna ride with us?”
Apple Bloom stared blankly at the open seat next to Diamond, wondering if she had heard her correctly. She set her bag of treats down and looked at Diamond Tiara directly as she asked “Ya’ll really want me to ride with ya?”
“Of course Apple Bloom, why wouldn’t we?” Silver Spoon asked, an eyebrow quirking up as she added “Aren’t we all friends now?”
Thinking about it, Apple Bloom had to admit they certainly weren’t bullies anymore. Silver Spoon had already proven she had turned over a new leaf, and Diamond Tiara seemed to be doing so as well.
“Yeah, Ah guess we are, never thought Ah’d be sayin’ that though, but Ah don’ know... Ah usually walk with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.”
Diamond Tiara surprised her then, as she smirked and said “Well then they can ride with us too. There’s more than enough room, and it’ll be a good way to start making it up to them as well. Two birds with one stone.”
“Uhm. Alright then.” Apple Bloom climbed in the carriage and set down her basket. She looked at the strange assortment of snacks, and remembered that she was supposed to share them... “Cupcake?”
Diamond Tiara took the offered treat, while Silver Spoon opted to snag a pastry. She paused, immediately recognizing the snack. She bit into the soft pudding filling, and smiled at the familiar taste. “This is delicious! I usually import my tarts from Prance. Where did you get these?”
Apple Bloom eyed the orange confectionary. “Heck if I know.” She was greeted with playful laughter, as if she’d made a witty joke.
The filly didn’t bother to correct them. Instead she settled on looking out the carriage side, as she settled herself into the carriage’s plush cushions. The carriage started back up, its steady pace helping to calm her down.She tried to get into the conversation Silver Spoon was having with Diamond Tiara, but she didn’t know much of anything about Manehatten fashion or the latest gossip from Canterlot.
Sighing to herself, Apple Bloom simply watched the countryside pass her by as she lost herself in her thoughts...
-*-
A few yards away, two fillies peaked from behind a dead tree. They just stared at the spot where the carriage had stood.
“What... just happened Scootaloo? Scootaloo?” The soft flutter of Scootaloo's wings answered back. “Wait. Wait for me!!” Sweetie Bell leapt onto the scooter, just as the orange pegasus pushed her wings into high gear. Rapidly they sped down the path to the school house.
Scootaloo narrowed her eyes, as she replayed in her mind how Diamond and Apple Bloom spoke to one another. If somepony would betray the special covenant of friendship it would be that spoiled prissy filly.
Nopony messes with my friends. Scootaloo thought to herself as she increased her speed. Sweetie Belle held onto her for dear life, unaware of the pegasus’ menacing grin...
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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If you see any errors, please let me know so I can go ahead and fix them. Typo's, a word missing or something like that. Don't focus too much on major grammar issues, I'm planning to get to those after I finish the story.
Yay!
I screamed when I saw it on my feed. Family thought I hurt myself or something
2810542>>2810600
I hope it lives up to expectations
nervous-xcited
I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE!
Is Diamond like a chaos virus now? Applejack is infected and Twilight might be next.
Missing double quotes there.
If I recall rightly, Scootaloo's scooter doesn't have pedals; she propels it forward on wing power.
Anyway, it was a great chapter
If I may offer a suggestion for minor improvement? As I re-read the last chapter to remember where it was that we left off, I realized that you use all caps and multiple exclamation points quite liberally for expressing surprise; try not to do that. Just stick to good ol': "This expresses surprise and shock!", "!", "?", and "?!" (order of this one does not matter, trust me. Just be consistent with it). All caps is not acceptable within a narrative, it's generally reserved for titles and headers.
It's silly reasoning --considering this is fanfiction--, but it looks more professional.
2810785
First is a thought, no quotes needed.
Second is being fixed. And fixed it is I believe.
2810825
I shall have to ponder it. While it is certainly sound advise, and I thank you for it, I can't gurantee that I won't do so again in the future. It should be noted that some of it is mine, and some is possibly HoneyHoneyHoney's. Probably mine, but we both write the story, so it falls to both of us.
As for the bit about it looking more professional, eh, I'm honestly not terribly upset if it doesn't look professional or not. My main concern is if people enjoy reading it. Now, I can definitively say that if large numbers of people started saying "Hey, we want this to look more professional" I'd be doing my level best to set that to one of the top priorities. As it as, on my list of priorities for the fanfic, professional is somewhere under making sure there aren't horribly major grammar mistakes. Minor grammar mistakes don't bother me because I generally auto-correct it as I read.
2811114 That's what Bronies say. It was never mentioned in the actual series.
2810825
*glomps*
OH MAH GAWSH! IT'S MAH LONG LOST TWIN SISTER!
2811170
Yes, and everyone would be none the wiser. That puts me in a position a Changeling could only dream of...
2811186
Now yer just bein silly.
2810785
Shhhhhhhh!!!!! Magic makes the pedals work... erm... duh.
Hahahahahah. Good catch. Your enthusiasm tis awesome.
And it makes Rainbow Sparkle ever so happy, so major thankies!
*shares an invisible cookie*
2810777
*sneezes on warpd*
I haven't even started reading, and I know this is gonna be good....
2810766
A thousand times yes. You have.
Well... time to wait for half a year ...for another chapter*Hits head on my table repeatedly*
2811223
So I go from warpd to straight?
2812221
You understand me so well.
Rainbow Sparkle on the other hoof...
2812245 I do? Is my insanity really useful for something after all? YES!
Have all my yays!
I say, that Apple has found herself in quite an odd pickle.
The future looks to be very peculiar indeed.
2811685
Not true! After Chapter 7 got finished, it took a week before I even started writing anything for Chapter 8. Chapter 9 has its own GDoc, its own MS doc for when I'm not online, and it already has a start going for it. Which actually reminds me I should copy pasta whats on the GDoc onto the MS doc...
Granted, I can't guarantee that it won't take time, as me and HoneyHoneyHoney are likely to go back and forth over minor details, but I'm actually in a writing mood right now.
2813167
We use bold format when we're adding new stuff to the GDoc so that when one or the other comes online, we know what is new and needs to be gone over. Sometimes, after transferring it here, I miss a few boldeds and other things.
2813784
Psssst. Rainbow. Who leaked that we're updating next year!?
2813921
Well, we may will be updating next year probably. I don't know after all if the story will be finished in a year or not.
2814077
Bahhhhh! You and your seriou-bles-ness.
When did this story get so... meh? //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Twilight_Sparkle.png
2815848
That would depend. What is it about this chapter (or perhaps previous chapters) that makes you go meh?
2816155
i0.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/000/341/i-dunno-lol_1_.jpg
2816174
That's not very helpful.
2816231
//dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Derpy_dealwithit.png
2811214
Where's the invisible milk?
2817056
You so silly.
Discord is messing with Applejack. Harvy, get back to work on that interdimensional portal maker!
Yes, sir!
I will not accept Discord messing with their personalities! I had enough of that with MY LITTLE PONEY: The parody from Hell.
2817056
I wasn't thinking of that at the time. Plus, I'm not quite good at trolling on purpose, its more of a subconscious thing.2817426 I did not realize this situation was an enchilada. Where'd the sauce go?
2817487
Only works if the song isn't annoying. Annoying songs have a tendency to drawn anything out.
2818714
Hey, at least he didn't turn her into a bad liar. Now he's just turning her fancy.
Flower Ponies-The Horror, the HORROR!!!
Oh put a sock in it. *stuffs socks in flower ponies mouths*
2820485
*sneezes on Rainbow Sparkle*
2820596*throws a balloon full of strawberry jelly at honeyhoneyhoney*
2820623 Um, Harvey?
Yes, sir?
When did things get freakishly weird?
I have no idea, sir.
2820793
Oh don't cling to sanity, join us and Discord on the Chaos train!! or is it a waterbuffalo today, I can't remember...
2820966 While I've always wanted to ride on something that runs on Chaos, today is a bad day for that right now as I have a bad case of HARVEY FINISH THAT PORTAL!
2821999
Arghhhhh-range.
Glad to see this updated.
So it appears that Diamond is dormant but aware somewhere in their mind.
...hopefully, lest she returns and ruins Cain's hard work.
And or course, jealousy.
Awaiting further releases.
My feed didn't show this when it updated, which is a shame because Apple/Orange-jack is great. I wish to see how this develops.
2835190
I've been noticing that some stories getting updated don't seem to pop up in one's feed...however, I think that might have something to do with whether one follows a user or not.
2836420 If that was a subtle hint at getting me to follow you, it worked. I expect great things, Rainbow.
2836895
It wasn't, but hey, hooray for unintended consequences!
Seriously though, I've actually noticed that I don't receive actual notifications for say one of my favorite stories getting updated, and have to actually look through my favorites to find out if some of them have updated. However, If I'm following someone, I receive notifications for new stories, new blog posts, and new chapters.
2838277 i thought our favs were the only way to see updates. Gwah
2838480
They're supposed to show up in your favorites by moving to the top of the list of stories with unread chapters, but they don't always seem to do this. As an example, one of my favorites Rhubarb updated recently and a note popped up in my notifications feed thingy. If it hadn't been there, I wouldn't have known without going through my favorites and tracking it down.