The Life and Times of Everypony

by Leafdoggy

Homecoming (Applejack, Applebloom, Diamond Tiara)

Author's Note:

And we're back!

This series is gonna be picking up from right after the lunajack side story I just finished up, so if you haven't read that and don't want spoilers, do so before continuing.

If you've already read it or just don't care, read on! And thanks, as always, for the continued support.

“My sister’s a Princess, my sister’s a Princess!”

Applebloom was hopping excitedly around Applejack, singing loud enough for the whole town to hear. Applejack was staring down at her with the sternest look she could muster, but she couldn’t do anything to calm down her hyper sister.

It was a sunny afternoon in Ponyville, and today was the first day since the ceremony that Applejack had been able to return home. Or, at least, to her old home; She wasn’t entirely sure where her home was now.

Applebloom had been so excited to see her sister than she was at the train station hours before the train arrived, and her grin stayed plastered to her face the whole time she waited. Applejack would have gotten mad if she know how many ponies Applebloom had bothered, jumping out in front of them to tell them that her sister just became a Princess, but Applebloom didn’t care that she might get in trouble. She was just too excited.

“Ooh, ooh!” Applebloom stopped in front of Applejack and jumped up and down. “Can I try on your crown? Where is your crown? You know you’re supposed to wear your crown, right? If you don’t they’ll take it away and give it to me and then I’ll be Princess and—”

Applejack’s stubbornness could only go so far, and she snorted as a laugh forced itself out. “Y’know, I’m not sure you’re allowed to be more excited than the pony who actually became a Princess.”

“Pfft.” Applebloom waved her hoof dismissively, and they started walking towards the farm. “If that was true, nopony could be excited at all! And don’t even try to tell me you’re more excited than Luna.” She dragged out Luna’s name, saying it as teasingly as possible.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothin,” Applebloom said. “Just that it’s gotta take somepony real special to make you become a Princess.”

“Of course she’s special!” Applejack huffed. “What in blazes are you gettin at, girl?”

Applebloom laughed. “You’re in love,” she said, again dragging the word out to taunt her.

Applejack pursed her lips. “And? How’re you gonna tease me for somethin that ain’t even a secret?”

Applebloom grinned. “It’s workin, ain’t it?” She started skipping around and singing again. “Applejack’s in love, Applejack’s in love!”

“You’re treadin in dangerous waters,” Applejack warned. “Granny Smith told me how much Diamond Tiara’s been at the farm lately.”

Applebloom tripped and tumbled over as her face went red. “H-Hey, no fair!”

Applejack laughed and picked Applebloom up off the ground. “You started it.”

Applebloom pouted. “Yeah, but everypony knows about you and Luna.”

“Everypony knows about y’all, too. You’re just not in the papers cuz of it.”

“No they don’t! We’ve only told our families.”

“Applebloom, I love ya,” Applejack said, “but you’re about as subtle as a steam engine.”

“Am not!”

“You wanna bet?” Applejack grinned and turned down a side street.

Applebloom scurried along after her. “Where’re you goin now?”

“Oh, you’ll see.”

That was all she would say on the matter as they walked through the streets. They stuck mostly to the back roads, trying to avoid the crowds, but even then Applejack got stopped several times by ponies who wanted to talk to the new Princess. She did her best to politely move along, but it made the walk far longer than it normally would have been.

It was only when they turned onto Ponyville’s main road that Applebloom had any idea of where they were going.”H-Hang on,” she said, “why are we goin this way?”

Applejack smiled innocently. “What, can I not go say hello to one of Sweet Apple Acres’ best business partners? He’ll wanna know what’s gonna happen at the farm now, after all.”

Applebloom glared at her. “Don’t act like you ain’t plotting something.”

“Plotting?” Applejack chuckled and stopped in front of a grand, extravagant house that stood out amongst all the rest. She knocked on the door, then turned to Applebloom. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Just cuz you’re a Princess don’t mean I won’t tell Granny Smith you’re bein mean to me,” Applebloom said, “and then you’ll—”

The door opened, and Applebloom zipped her lips. Filthy Rich smiled brightly when he saw the two of them.

“Well, now, isn’t this a nice surprise,” he said. “Sweetie,” he called out into the house, “your little friend is here!”

Applebloom’s face started turning red, and she crossed her legs awkwardly.

Applejack chuckled. “Howdy, Mr. Rich,” she said. “I just got back in town and figured I’d stop by.”

“Ah, yes, you were away for the coronation! Congratulations, Applejack, really. Your parents would be proud.”

Applejack smiled softly. “Thanks, that means a whole lot to hear.”

In the house, rapid hoofsteps rang out as Diamond Tiara bounded down the stairs. Her father smiled and stepped aside, and she practically leapt at Applebloom, wrapping her in a tight hug and nuzzling her excitedly.

After a few moments, Diamond Tiara stepped back with a bright grin on her face. “Hey, Bloomie! What’s up?”

Applebloom’s blush deepened, and she smiled back. “H-Hi, Diamond Tiara,” she mumbled.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Bloomie?”

Diamond Tiara sighed. “Yes, I know, it doesn’t really work. It’s just really hard to come up with a nickname off of ‘Applebloom,’ you know?”

Applejack chuckled. “You’ll find one. It doesn’t hafta be based on her name.”

“I don’t get why you can’t just call me Applebloom.”

“Well, that’s just preposterous.” Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. “If I just called you Applebloom, how would everypony know how special you are to me?”

“Why do they gotta know?” Applebloom asked, her blush only getting worse.

“Because I want them to,” Diamond Tiara told her. “What more reason do I need?”

Applebloom fumbled over her words, trying and failing to come up with a response.

“So,” Filthy Rich spoke up, “was there something you needed, Applejack?”

“Nah, not really,” Applejack told him. “I just know Diamond Tiara well enough to know she’d wanna know me better now that I’m a Princess, and I figured I’d take the chance to get to know my sister’s special somepony better.”

“Well, that’s a fantastic idea,” Filthy Rich said. “Darling, what do you think? Would you like to spend the day with Applejack and Applebloom?”

Diamond Tiara looked up at Applejack with stars in her eyes. “Can I really?”

“Of course,” Applejack told her. “We’d be real happy to have you along. Heck, you can even spend the night at our place, so long as it’s fine with your dad.”

Diamond Tiara gasped and looked at her father. “Can I? Please, please, can I?”

He chuckled. “If Applejack is fine with it, I certainly can’t object.”

“Yay!” Diamond Tiara wheeled around and squeezed Applebloom excitedly. “We’re going to get to spend the whole night together!”

Applebloom’s whole face was red now. “Y-Yeah,” she stuttered, “real excited.”

---

“Order up!”

Pinkie Pie plopped two milkshakes down in front of the ponies, one of which had two straws stuck in it, and gave them a wide grin before bouncing away again. Normally she would have stayed to chat, but the Sugarcube Corner was busier than normal today, probably at least partially because ponies heard the new Princess was there. They were sitting in a secluded booth in the corner of the room, but Applejack had taken the more visible seat so the kids could stay hidden, so she still felt eyes on her the entire time they were there.

Diamond Tiara dug into the milkshake right away, and with some coaxing managed to get Applebloom to do the same despite how nervous she was. Applejack watched them with a smile, her face filled with both love and amusement as Applebloom stumbled her way through romance.

Eventually, though, Diamond Tiara decided to speak up and break the quiet that had settled over them. “Um, Princess Applejack?”

Applejack laughed. “Ain’t no need for all that, now. You don’t see a crown, now, do ya?”

“Actually, that’s what my question is,” Diamond Tiara said. “If you’re a Princess now, why aren’t you acting like it?”

Applejack snorted. “Geez, you’re even less subtle than she is.”

“Well, of course,” Diamond Tiara said. “How can ponies know what I want if I don’t tell them?”

“Fair enough,” Applejack replied. “Well, to answer your question, I just don’t wanna. I’ve got no interest in all that high falootin fancy stuff. Uh, no offence.”

“None taken,” Diamond Tiara said. “But, if you don’t act like a Princess, how are ponies going to know if you’re a good Princess? I mean, if you can’t do that part right, what’s to say you can do any parts of being a Princess right?”

“Guess I’m just gonna have to be extra good at the other stuff.”

“But from Ponyville? We don’t need much from a Princess with Twilight here.”

Applejack pursed her lips. “I, uh… Well, yeah, you’re right. I was plannin on tellin the family later, but…” She paused and took a deep breath. “I ain’t gonna be staying in Ponyville.”

Applebloom coughed and sputtered in shock, and her face fell. “What? B-But what about the farm, what about your friends, what about…” She trailed off as a grim expression fell across her face. Diamond Tiara frowned and wrapped a leg around her.

“Hey, hey, there ain’t no need to worry,” Applejack said. She reached out and grabbed one of Applebloom’s hooves to reassure her. “I’m still gonna visit as much as I can, I promise. I know it’ll be weird without me there, but you’ll always be my little sister. I’ll never stop wanting to see you and spend time with you.”

Applebloom sighed. “Do you have to? Why do you gotta do Princess stuff at all?”

“Cuz I’ve got a responsibility to,” Applejack said.

“W-What about the farm?”

“Big Mac’s always wanted the run of the place,” Applejack told her. “He’ll adjust quick, and we both know he ain’t ever leavin, so there ain’t no worry of you gettin stuck there.”

“But…” Applebloom looked down at the table and lowered her voice. “But what if I need you.”

“Applebloom, you haven’t needed me in a long while now,” Applejack said. “I trust you. And, if anything does happen, you’ll have Big Mac and Granny Smith right there with you, and if you aren’t at home, Diamond Tiara’ll look after you. Ain’t that right?”

“Of course it’s right.” Diamond Tiara squeezed Applebloom tight. “I’d never let anything bad happen to my Buttercup.”

Applebloom nearly choked and started coughing again. “B-Buttercup?”

“Yeah, it just kind of came to me,” Diamond Tiara told her. “What do you think?”

“Uh, well, I, um—”

Applejack cut her off. “I think it’s perfect.”