//------------------------------// // Cart Vandal // Story: The Rotten Pear // by Catrina37 //------------------------------// Chapter 1: Cart Vandal It was a beautiful day in Ponyville... And today... It’s time for the Farmer’s Market in the Town Square. There’s lots of hustle and bustle going on today. Farmers from all over Equestria had come to Ponyville to present their harvest and the goods baked from their fruits and veggies, as well as customers who are wanting to buy the harvest presented and take a sample of it. There was a grape cart, with a female purple pegasus with a grape cutie mark behind it. “Come get your grapes!” shouted the grape pony, “Nature’s medicine is ripe for the picking!” There was also an orange cart, with a male tangerine unicorn with an orange cutie mark behind it. “Fresh oranges and orangeade!” the orange pony said, “Freshly squeezed and right for the day!” There was also a lemon cart, with a male yellow earth pony with a lemon cutie mark behind it. “Get your lemons and lemon squares!” said the lemon pony, “You can’t go a day in the sun without lemons for lemonade!” And finally, there’s Applejack and Big Mac’s cart with Megan helping them. “Come and get your apples!” shouted Applejack, “Freshly picked and perfected! Courtesy of the Apple Family!” “Eeyup!” “We even have apple-baked goods! The finest and tastiest in Equestria!” Megan cried while holding an apple pie. A female gray pegasus by the name of Ditzy Doo (or Derpy, as most would call her) suddenly flies to the apple cart and lands in front of it. “Can I have an apple muffin, please?” she asks. “Of course,” Megan responds, “Coming right up.” Putting the pie down, Megan opens up the cart, reaches in, and brings out an apple muffin. “There you are.” Megan says, while handing the muffin to the pony with ease. “Thanks, Megan.” Derpy thanks. “You’re welcome, Derpy.” With the muffin in her hooves, Derpy flies off into the air as Megan watches her leave. “Seems like we’re doing pretty well today, Applejack.” Megan states to her friend. “You said it, Megan,” Applejack replies with a giggle, “I don’t think we’ve had so many apple-hungry ponies since a couple years ago.” Applejack suddenly saw a pear booth set up from across her cart and recognized the old pony handing out samples of pear jam. “Hey, Megan, there’s my old grandfather Grand Pear, over there!” Applejack tells her. With a hoof pointing to Grand Pear, Megan sees who Applejack’s talking about “Hey, Grand Pear!” Applejack calls out. Hearing his name, Grand Pear turns his attention to find Applejack not too far from his stand. “Applejack! How’s my eldest grandfilly?” he asked as she trotted up with Megan. “Doin’ great. This is my human friend Megan. I told you about her, right?” “Yep.” “And Applejack told me a great deal about you and her parents.” Megan said as she shook his hoof. “Only the good stuff about me I hope.” Grand Pear blushed. Suddenly, the three turned toward the sounds of clattering and boards falling. Applejack’s and Grand Pear’s ears were held high, while Megan had herself at full-on attention. What they found once they had their eyes and ears in the direction of the noise is something that shocked the three of them to where their mouths went agape... They saw a young stallion with yellow squares for a cutie mark, and... he was knocking down the grape stand. “My stand!” the grape pony cried. “No non-pears allowed, you grapevine!” the stallion shouted. Then, he kicked down the lemon stand over the orange stand, turning both into a pile of rubble covered in lemonade and orangeade. The two salesponies lifted each other from out of the rubble. The stallion turned his sights onto Applejack’s cart and gritted his teeth. “I especially hate apples!” the stallion yelled. The stallion quickly buck-kicked the cart and caused the baked goods and apples to fall all over the square. When Applejack, Big Mac, and Megan saw what he just did, the expressions they had went from shock to furious. “Hey! Who do you think you are knocking over carts?” Applejack shouted with anger. “You could have hurt somepony!” Megan yelled. “Eeyup!” Big Mac said. “Who cares! Anypony who hates pears deserves a good kick, and anypony who sides with non-pears is no good!” the stallion shouted. The stallion’s hooves take him to an immediate run. He ran and ran, until...he was no longer within sight. Applejack and Big Mac ran to the other ponies and looked at their legs, making sure there are no injuries. The ears of the two apple-loving ponies were still held high enough for them to be hearing any sound surrounding them. “Oh no! Not again! He was supposed to be helping his mom this week!” Grand Pear complained. “Grand Pear, do you know that vandal?” Megan asked. Grand Pear sighed glumly, “His name is Peary Bits, and...he’s my youngest son.” Applejack, Big Mac, and Megan gasped. Shocked beyond anything.