//------------------------------// // Apple Pie // Story: Society as We Know It // by Comma Typer //------------------------------// "A smorgasbord of the best apples and the best crust, teeming with flavor and tasty pleasure!" a mare said, chewing on the slice of apple pie she was holding. "How do you ever make such apple pies without fail?" "Well," Applejack began, talking behind the window, "it's a family recipe that involves hard work an' love." "Can I have one, too?" a changeling asked as he made his way to the window, holding up a few bits. "Hey, I was here first!" the mare yelled at him. She pushed him. "Wait for me to finish!" "What about you wait for me to finish?" He pushed her. "Oh, is that a fight you want, changeling?" the mare said, readying a fighting pose. The changeling growled and stomped on the ground with his hooves. "Uh, Ah don't think ya' should be fightin' over apple pie." And the two punched each other and fought. Then, Applejack plunged herself and stood in between the two battlers. "Stop it, will ya'?!" Applejack yelled. And the two stopped. They straightened themselves. "Ah' know that our apple pies are really good, but ya' don't have to go actin' like that!" Applejack sternly told them, eyeing the mare and then the changeling. "Just, uh, learn to compromise! Agree on somethin'!" "He started it first!" the mare yelled, pointing at the changeling. "No, she started it!" "Quiet!" Applejack shouted. "Can ya' ever stop accusin' each other of who started it first? Ah' don't want friendships to be broken because o' apple pies! Instead o' blamin' each other about it, why not talk about it?" "Well, he started it!" Applejack groaned. "That's not what Ah'm talkin' about!" "Apple pie!" the changeling yelled. "OK, if an apple pie is goin' to make ya' happy, here!" Applejack gave him a fresh hot apple pie. "Now, why don't ya' apologize to each other?" The mare's ears drooped. "Looks like I was being too angry. Sorry." The changeling was looking at the mare. "Sorry." Applejack smiled. "See? Now, why don't ya' go an' maybe try goin' to a place together like Twilights' castle?" "Nah, I'm alright," the changeling said as he buzzed away from the scene, holding his apple pie. "Bye!" Applejack yelled. "Farewell!" the other mare shouted. "Apple pies from Applejack," the changeling said as he hovered over the streets of Ponyville. The sound of ponies talking with each other was there as he passed by those ponies. He smelled the apple aroma of the apple pie. "I just cannot wait to have a seat to enjoy this apple pie! Too bad my friends aren't here." His expression saddened as his flight also slowed. "A changeling?" a voice asked. The changeling looked to his side. "Apple Bloom? Scootaloo? Sweetie Belle?" "You recognize us!" Scootaloo said. "And, is that my sister's apple pie?" Apple Bloom asked, pointing at the apple pie he was holding. "Uh, yes!" "Ya' haven't eaten it, yet?" Apple Bloom said. "I was just looking for a place to eat, that's all," he said. "Ya' can eat 'em anywhere!" "Yeah!" Scootaloo added. Then, the changeling took a hoofful of the apple pie and stuffed it into his mouth. He chewed on the apple pie as the fillies watched him eat. The changeling gulped. "Is that apple pie?" Pinkie Pie, walking towards him. "I can tell you that Applejack's apple pies are the best apple pies in all of Equestria! But, my cakes and pies are the best in all of Equestria!" "Uh, what are you doing here, Pinkie Pie?" the changeling asked, puzzled. "Just going to Twilight's castle! I heard that Twilight has this book club session thing and I'm going to join in and contribute by baking cakes and pies and cakepies!" "Cakepies?" Apple Bloom asked. "It's a cake and a pie!" Pinkie explained. "When did you come up with that?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Some time ago!" Pinkie smiled. Then, she looked at the changeling. "Ooh! Can I have some?" Then, she got the rest of the apple pie and gulped it down. "Mm-hmm! It's tasty, delicious!" "Uh, that was his," Apple Bloom said. "Don't worry!" Pinkie yelled. "If he comes to Twilight's castle later tonight, he's going to have cakes, pies, and cakepies!" "Uh, alright?" The changeling looked confused as he looked at Pinkie. "Maybe I could invite Applejack to give the ponies there some cakes and pies—but not cakepies because that's my invention that only I can actually make! Nopony is allowed to copy the recipe at all!" Then, she rushed off towards Twilight's castle. "That's Pinkie," Apple Bloom commented. "Does that mean you're going to go to Twilight's castle for the book club session?" Scootaloo asked. "Because I'm going there, too! Rainbow Dash is gonna be there!" "Nah, it's alright," the changeling said. "Thanks for the meeting." "Bye!" the Cutie Mark Crusaders yelled as the changeling flew away. "So, how's the apple pie?" Blue Alarm asked as they flew over the streets of Ponyville. "It was good," the changeling said. "Flavorful?" he asked. "Yeah." "Are you going to the book club session at Twilight's castle?" "Yeah." "I'm going there, too." "What do you plan to read there?" "Anything," Blue Alarm replied. "It's fun to be there. Twilight's friends and Rainbow Dash are there." "I heard Pinkie Pie is going there." "Why?" "She's going to offer her sweets to the ponies." Blue Alarm smiled. "That would make for an even livelier and friendlier night." He was quiet for a while. "So, how did your trip to Appleloosa go?" "It was fun," the changeling replied. "Braeburn showed us all the sights and the landmarks and all the events and everything! Before that, some ponies named Flim and Flam were selling these souvenirs. They were nice. Then, when we left, all of our souvenirs started to get broken and break down. I bought a bell and a history book of Appleloosa, but the bell became broken on the way to Ponyville and the history book actually had no words at all on the pages! It was just a collection of pages, that's all!" "Looks like you've been conned," Blue Alarm said. "They must've been selling you things they knew were going to get broken sooner or later. It's always for a quick way to get bits." "But, why would they do that?" the changeling said, sounding sad and sorrowful. "I don't know," Blue Alarm said. "They just think that deception is better than truthful business. Besides, it's quicker to cheat ponies out of their bits than to wait and do things the right way."