//------------------------------// // The Alicorn's out of the Bag // Story: Rise of the Apple Princess // by Astral Phoenix //------------------------------// Twilight looked utterly mystified. “Apple Bloom, you just said Celestia was in your nightmare!” “I did?” asked Apple Bloom. “Yeah, I did… didn’t I?” Twilight started to get aggravated. “Apple Bloom, enough games,” she cried. “Was she in your dream or not?!” “I don’t know!” Apple Bloom yelled. She searched for a better answer but there was none, only the same three words seemed capable of leaving her mouth.“I don’t know, I don’t know… I… DON’T… KNOW!” Apple Bloom’s voice echoed throughout the castle, leaving an unnerving silence in its wake. Twilight stood utterly speechless at Apple Bloom’s sudden outburst. Never had she seen anypony react like that before. But then again, nopony had ever gone through what Apple Bloom had, and she was just a filly. Once Twilight collected herself and noticed Apple Bloom sitting on the table grasping her head with her hoof, she immediately regretted pushing the filly so hard. It made her heart break, seeing what she had done, but before she had a chance to say a word, Apple Bloom opened her mouth. “Sorry,” the filly uttered in a whimper. Twilight’s mouth fell agape; her heart filled with shame. “Apple Bloo—” “I’m so sorry, Twilight!” Apple Bloom cried, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry for yellin’ like that. I just don’t know what’s happenin’ ta’ me. As I try ta’ remember the dream, it quickly fades away the second the picture appears. It is so strange. And try as I can, I just can’t remember anything, like it never happened. I know y’all been tryin’ ta’ help me. But that’s no excuse fer’ me ta’ yell like that. Y’all have enough pressure as it is—” Apple Bloom suddenly felt herself being engulfed in a tight embrace, caught by surprise when she found tears welling beside Twilight’s eyelids. “I’m the one who should be sorry, Apple Bloom,” Twilight cried. “You came here so that I could help you. But instead, I went and put unnecessary pressure on you, ignoring you were already stressed as it is.” Apple Bloom held Twilight back as she smiled. “It’s okay, Twilight. I guess we’re both a little tense on what’s been happenin’, huh?” “I guess you're right,” Twilight agreed as she released her grasp on the filly. “I’m just so at a loss. Without Spike, I can’t send a letter to Celestia for her aid. The only option I can think of at this moment is to wait until Spike gets back. Or we can head to Canterlot ourselves. Then again I could use the postal service to send a letter to Celestia, but it could take a couple of days to get there. Plluusss, there’s also the risk of the letter getting lost in transit which is something I don’t want to risk in this situation.” Twilight strode around the library, gathering up books with her magic. “I think for the moment we should take a break. Have a chance to unwind and get our thoughts together. Hopefully, we’ll figure something out as soon as we’re more focused. I only wish we could have found something earlier. But I guess this is something that we just have to take time with.” Twilight’s ear suddenly shot back, searching the source of the muffled squeaky sounds coming from behind. As she turned around, her heart immediately shattered. Apple Bloom sat on the table, pouring a river of tears from her eyes as she sobbed uncontrollably. Not wasting a second, Twilight dropped the books to the floor and galloped over to the saddened filly. She pulled her into another counseling cuddle, the filly sobbing on Twilight’s shoulder. Apple Bloom brought a hoof over her face in an attempt to hold back her tears. “There, there, Apple Bloom,” Twilight spoke caringly as she comforted her. “I promise, one way or another, we’ll solve this, together.” Apple Bloom lifted her head from Twilight’s shoulder, trying to wipe away the flow of tears. Without thinking, she used her right wing to dry her eyes. “Why... me?” Apple Bloom sobbed. “Why is this... happenin’ ta’ me? If this is permanent, what will my family and friends think of me? Will they treat me any different?” “Of course not, Apple Bloom,” Twilight answered. “If you remain an Alicorn, they will still treat you the same way as before.” “But what about the town?” Apple Bloom choked, still crying forcefully. “What if... they start treating me differently?  I just... don’t know if I could handle the attention. I mean, remember how everypony went excited over ya’ when you became a princess? I could only just... imagine what my life could end up if ponies found out that I’m an Alicorn now. I don't... think I can handle it.” Twilight could see Apple Bloom’s point a valid one. Should the townsponies learn of an Alicorn filly in their midst, it certainly would become quite a stir. She could already imagine the possible outcomes; the foals at school becoming too distracted by an Alicorn “princess” in their class, making it hard both for them and Apple Bloom to focus on their work. That could result in falling grades for all of them. Maybe Apple Bloom would need to be send to the Magic Kindergarten should the school counsel find her magic too dangerous or unpredictable. Twilight’s left eye twitched nervously at the thought. And what about the Apple family?  Ponies from all around Equestria would travel to Sweet Apple Acres to bear witness of the filly Alicorn for themselves, disturbing the family’s work and life. That is, Twilight thought, should Apple Bloom’s Alicorn form remain on her, forever. “I’m truly sorry I can’t... be more helpful, Twilight. If only... I could... remember that... dream then maybe... it could... answer all of this.” Apple Bloom planted her face back into the Alicorn’s fur as she continued to sob. Twilight could feel the tears run down her coat but with the state Apple Bloom was in, she didn’t mind it all. She gently stroked the filly’s back. “Just let it all out, Apple Bloom. You’ve been through a lot this morning. Let’s just take it easy and hopefully things will get better. For now, nopony knows about this, so let’s keep this between us. When you’re ready to, we’ll tell Applejack about this, okay?” “Mmmhmm,” Apple Bloom’s voice muffled by Twilight’s fur. The filly added a slight nod to reevaluate her answer, smearing tears and bogeys through the mare’s coat. Applejack marched towards the Castle of Friendship, an ice-cold stern look upon her face. Apple Bloom had to be once again in deep trouble to skip school without any explanation. Whatever it was, Applejack was determined to get to the bottom of it, focused so much that she was completely oblivious to those around her. A trail of confused ponies marked her path, all wondering why the honest mare ignored their greetings. Rainbow Dash, patrolling the skies from her sleeping cloud, took notice of Applejack’s motionless expression. She swooped down towards her friend, determined to find out what was going on. “Yo, AJ. What’s up?” she asked. Applejack was completely engrossed in her own thoughts, unaware of the pegasus’ presence. “Uh, Applejack?” Rainbow Dash said. “You in there or what?” Again, Applejack didn’t reply. Rainbow took notice of Applejack’s course, heading straight for Twilight’s castle. She glanced closely at her flank to see if her cutie mark was flashing. She could tell, the mark was neither glowing nor buzzing. “Well, it’s not a friendship problem,” Rainbow deduced, “Unless… Nah, I doubt Applejack has any beef with Twilight over something. So, what has Applejack all riled up like this?” “Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow turned to see Fluttershy flying up to her, looking rather concerned. “I was just on my way to Twilight’s castle to meet with Rarity and Twilight for our breakfast tea. Is something wrong?” Fluttershy asked. “I’m fine, it’s Applejack who’s looking kind of troubled,” said Rainbow Dash. The two looked down to see Applejack continuing towards the castle, a stern expression plastered firmly on her face. “Oh dear, you don’t think she and Twilight are mad at each other, do you?” asked Fluttershy. “I don’t think so,” Rainbow answered. “We were with them yesterday and they were alright then. I think there’s something else going on.” “Maybe I could try talking to her,” Fluttershy suggested. “Good luck, I tried talking to her but she’s way out of it,” Rainbow retorted. “If at first you don’t succeed,” Fluttershy stated, “ it doesn’t hurt to keep trying, wish me luck.” She flew on down towards the ground, leaving Rainbow hovering behind. “Uh, I just did,” Rainbow plainly said. The yellow pegasus landed right next to Applejack and began walking at her side. “Applejack, is everything alright?” Fluttershy asked soothingly. Applejack still didn’t answer. She wasn’t even aware that Fluttershy was walking beside her. Rainbow watched them from above, a little surprised as Fluttershy wasn’t talking as quiet as she normally used to. “Applejack?” Fluttershy said in a concerned tone. “What’s the matter? Say something.” “PISTACHIO!” cried Pinkie Pie, popping up between the two completely out of nowhere. “Gahhhh!” both Applejack and Fluttershy cried in unison. “Pinkie?” Fluttershy said. “What? I heard you say “say something”, so I figured you two must be playing a word game and since Applejack took so long to think of something, I figured I’d take her turn as I thought of a word that I thought sounded funny, but now it’s making me hungry,” Pinkie rambled on. “Pinkie!” cried Applejack. “Don’t just sneak up on ponies. We don’t appreciate being scared like that.” “You’re one to talk, AJ,” said Rainbow Dash, landing on the ground in front of them. “You were completely oblivious to everyone trying to talk to you.” “Even us,” Fluttershy added. “Sounds like our breakfast tea may be postponed,” Rarity said, walking up to the group. “And I agree with both Rainbow and Fluttershy, Applejack. I tried saying good morning to you and you completely brushed past me. I can only assume that there’s something troubling you to make you neglect your surroundings so profusely.” Applejack’s eyes flickered, having finally come back to her senses. She noticed the worried expressions on her friends’ faces. And after hearing what they said, she recalled having indeed ignored other ponies that were trying to talk to her. A massive amount of guilt filled her heart. “Ah, landshakes.” She sighed. “I’m awful sorry, y’all. I’ve been so distracted with my thoughts, I completely blocked out everythin’ else that was going on.” “What’s wrong, Applejack?” asked Fluttershy. “What is it that has you so worked up?” “It’s Apple Bloom,” Applejack answered. “She said she needed ta’ see Twilight about somethin’, even though she had school this mornin’. Instead of waitin’ after school, she just bounded right out the house and made her way straight fer’ the castle before I could even stop her.” “Oh dear, I hope there’s nothing wrong with her,” Fluttershy said. “Doubt it,” said Rainbow. “But considering it’s the Crusaders, you can never know with those three.” “Well, I didn’t have any issues with Sweetie Belle. In fact, she seemed quite eager to go to school today.” “Now that you mention it, Scootaloo did say that there was some big event thing going on in school today. Even she seemed pretty excited about it,” Rainbow added. “So, it’s just Apple Bloom,” Fluttershy concluded. “What could have Apple Bloom done to skip an important day of school?” Rarity questioned. “Maybe she had another potion brewing fiasco,” Pinkie assumed. Fluttershy looked worried. “Oh dear, I sure hope not. Remember the last time when she—” Rainbow wrapped her hoof over Fluttershy’s mouth. “Don’t even remind us. I haven’t been able to sleep, fly or go to the bathroom for the whole week after that little… incident.” Everypony shuddered at the memory. “Let’s never bring that up again,” Rarity said, playing with a misplaced lock of her mane. “Well then, what else could Apple Bloom have done that she has to see Twilight?” Rainbow questioned. “I don’t know, but I know who does. And I’m heading there right now ta’ find out,” Applejack proclaimed, stomping her hoof. “Oh, I hope Apple Bloom isn’t in too much trouble,” said a worried Fluttershy. “If she ain’t now then she probably will be when I find her,” Applejack said with a fiery tone. The five ponies continued their way up towards Twilight’s castle, all looking eager to get to the bottom of Apple Bloom’s supposed secret. Twilight was sitting quietly in her library, looking over her book on transfigurations. While Twilight was busy studying, Apple Bloom decided to give her new wings a try and now struggled to keep her balance as she hovered about in the library. “Woah, whoa, easy… yikes!” Apple Bloom muttered as she uncontrollably swayed from side to side. Twilight looked away from her book, watching Apple Bloom’s attempts at flying. As the filly tried to keep herself straight, her wings kept flapping rapidly and out of sync from one another. Once she succeeded in getting them to cooperate, she briefly managed to stay afloat, much to her amazement and pleasure. But as she tried to move forward her whole body tumbled into a twirl, sending her spinning across the library through the air. “Woaaaaahhhhhh!” she cried. By new-found instinct, Apple Bloom forced herself to a halt by spreading her wings, braking mid-air. Once she managed to stop, she started flapping both her wings to keep herself afloat, catching her breath. Twilight stared up in awe at how fast the filly succeeded in controlling her flying. “This flyin’ looks tougher than it is,” Apple Bloom said to herself. “But I think I’m getting’ the hang of it. It is kinda fun.” She circled the library again, her flight slightly better this time. Twilight kept on watching. She was truly amazed at how well Apple Bloom was doing as an Alicorn. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as bad as they originally thought. Then again, there was still a significant risk to Apple Bloom’s life hanging in the balance. Temporary or permanent, Twilight needed to figure out the cause of this one way or the other. But for now, she still ought to get her thoughts together before taking any action. She went back to reading her book. But before she could get back into her book, Apple Bloom suddenly plummeted right on top of her, sending both of them to the floor. “Whoops,” said Apple Bloom as she blushed. “Sorry, Twi.” The filly picked herself up from Twilight’s back, the older Alicorn standing up and brushing herself off. Twilight giggled. “Don’t worry about it, Apple Bloom. You were doing amazingly well as a first-time flyer.” Apple Bloom didn’t look she agreed. “I don’t think I’ll really get the hang of flyin’. Sure it’s fun, but I think I’d much rather stick my hooves to the ground.” “I was like that as well, Apple Bloom. When I first got my wings, I was terrible at flying.” Apple Bloom looked rather surprised. “That’s not true. Y’all flew gracefully at your coronation.” “That was because I practiced the days before my coronation. And though I did pretty well I still ended up crashing or falling on my face. I still needed to get adjusted to my wings more before I was able to fly as high as I could.” Apple Bloom lifted her right wing, looking at it curiously. “So if I keep practicin’ like y’all did, I can be a great flyer too?” “Absolutely,” Twilight stated. “You already have potential. I’ve been watching you and you did an amazing job braking with your wings. I’d say you are near enough to become an expert already.” “What are you, Rainbow Dash?” Apple Bloom rhetorically said. Twilight giggled. “Okay, okay, so I’m not a complete expert on this matter. But I mean it when I say you did well for your first time flying. If this does remain permanent, I honestly think you are doing well getting adjusted to it.” “Well, maybe I could. But what about Applejack and everypony else?” asked Apple Bloom. Twilight placed a reassuring hoof on the filly’s shoulder, “They’ll certainly get adjusted as well. All things take time for changes to be accepted. And soon enough you’ll find everything is still the same as it was, only better.” Apple Bloom started feeling a lot better. She felt that everything will be okay after all. As she looked at her wings again, she started to smile at them. It was hard to admit, but she started to like the feathered appendages and the new form of locomotion they provided. A tiny part of her hoped to keep them. “Say, Apple Bloom,” Twilight suddenly spoke up, the filly looking up to her curiously, “since you gave flying a try, how about we try out your new magic?” Apple Bloom shifted nervously as she gazed up to her horn. “Are ya’ sure Twilight? I haven’t tried doin’ magic with it at all. I’m a little worried that I may cause damage or even hurt ya’.” “Don’t worry,” Twilight reassured. “We’ll just do some simple basic level magic. That’s pretty safe for you to handle.” “Well, I guess I could give it a try. I might do better at this than with flyin’.” Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle at Apple Bloom’s cocky retort. Having placed a book in the middle of a table Twilight stood next to Apple Bloom, both prepared to get started. “Okay, Apple Bloom, we’ll start with the basic magic, levitation,” Twilight explained. “All you have to do is lift the books slightly above the table. Do you think you can handle that?” Apple Bloom looked doubtful, but felt eager to try it. “Sounds simple ta’ me. So, what do I do?” “First, close your eyes,” Twilight instructed. As told, Apple Bloom closed her eyes. She stood perfectly still, carefully listening to Twilight’s instructions. The purple Alicorn continued, “Keep your mind completely clear. Search deep within yourself till you find a certain spark. Once you have found it, focus on it and concentrate on bringing it to the surface of your horn.” As told, Apple Bloom stood completely still, keeping both her mind and thoughts clear. Her brow suddenly twitched, she gave a slight moan. “Try not to force it, Apple Bloom,” Twilight advised. “Let it come to you naturally.” Apple Bloom kept quiet. Her brow remained tightened as she focused her concentration. Just then for a brief second, her horn gave a slight shimmer before fading completely. She let out a heavy groan as she kept concentrating harder and harder. Once again, a shimmering red glow appeared around her horn, her aura starting to form itself. “I… think… I… almost… got… it.” Apple Bloom groaned. The aura shimmered and sparkled. It faded in and out as it struggled to keep aloft on her horn. Then with one brief bright white flash a cherry red aura with a hint of gold sheen to it began radiating from the young filly’s horn. Apple Bloom cracked open one eye, peering up sheepishly. Her eyes immediately shot open as she gazed happily at her accomplishment. “I did it!” she cheered. Twilight was left utterly speechless. She wasn’t expecting the filly would be able to pull it off  the first time. It was an amazing feat for the young filly, especially given she had no former knowledge of unicorn magic. But it wasn’t over yet. “Fantastic job, Apple Bloom,” Twilight gushed before turning serious. “But you’re not done yet. You may have gotten your magic working, but you still need to learn how to control it.” “No sweat, Twilight. I totally got this in the bag,” Apple Bloom said with a boastful spark in her eye. Suddenly, the aura that surrounded her horn simply vanished, leaving the filly a little dumbfounded. “Or… maybe not.” She chuckled weakly. Twilight gave the little filly a petulant look as if to say that she warned her. “See, Apple Bloom? Without full control of your magic, you won’t be able to perform any spells.” Apple Bloom nodded. “Okay, let’s try it again. Same as before. Concentrate on bringing your magic to the surface. Then focus straight onto the book that’s on the table. Direct your magic on the book. Once your magic reaches its full power, try aiming it onto the book itself. Then try lifting it up as though you're lifting an apple with your hoof,” Twilight instructed. Bearing all of Twilight’s words in her mind, Apple Bloom once again concentrated carefully. Her brow tightened as she focused. The aura of her horn has now reappeared but kept fading in and out again. This time, however, it lasted much longer than it did before. “Good Apple Bloom, just keep that focus and once your magic is fully ready you have to—” “TWILIGHT!” The sudden outburst that echoed through the castle startled Apple Bloom enormously. Her horn brightened and shot out a strong beam of magic straight towards a row of books. There was a brief blast of white light as the magic hit its target. As soon as the light evaporated, Twilight and Apple Bloom looked around for any damage. The two ponies stared with blank expressions at the hit bookcase. Where the books once stood on the shelf, were now origami-like birds that seemed to be formed from pages, neat cursive markings running across their bodies. On their sides rested the covers of the books, resembling wings. The origami birds started twitching and moving their heads and bodies. They began chirping and soon enough they started flapping their hardback covered wings, fluttering around the two surprised ponies. The creatures circled around the library a few times and flew out a window in a formation to the open world. Twilight and Apple Bloom stood in the library, both utterly speechless. Twilight blinked. “Well…. that was unexpected.” “I’d say,” Apple Bloom complied, “they fly way better than me.” Before Twilight could respond, they heard another yell coming from the hall. “TWILIGHT, YER IN HERE?” “It’s Applejack!” cried Apple Bloom, getting into a panic state. “She can’t see me like this! I’m not ready.” “Quickly hide underneath the table,” Twilight ordered. Apple Bloom dove straight for the nearest table, grabbing her blanket along the way in case she may need it. She hid beneath the table, draping the blanket over herself and lying perfectly still. Just in time as the five ponies made their way into the library. Twilight tried to remain calm, but her nervousness was getting the better of her. “Hello, everypony, what a surprise, what are you all doing here?” she said, straining to maintain her grin. “Well, we were here for our breakfast tea. But another matter worth our attention appeared,” Rarity explained. Twilight nearly gasped out loud, she completely forgot about her plans with Rarity and Fluttershy. “Twi, y’all haven’t happen ta’ see Apple Bloom this mornin’, have ya?” asked Applejack. Twilight began to sweat. “Apple Bloom? Nope, I’m afraid I haven’t, AJ. Is something wrong with her?” “She said she needed ta’ see ya’ on some urgent matter. Normally I wouldn’t mind her seeing yer’ fer’ anythin’. But not when it’s a school day!” Applejack growled. “You sure Apple Bloom’s not here, Twilight?” Rainbow asked. “Why would she say she’ll be here and not show up?” “That is strange, isn’t it? It sounds like she’s hiding something,” Rarity pointed out. “If that little sister of mine has gotten herself into deep trouble again, I’ll be on her faster than lightnin’ can strike a rod,” Applejack exclaimed. “Don’t worry, Applejack,” Twilight reassured her, “Apple Bloom’s not in any trouble. I assure you of that. When I saw her this morning, I told her—” Twilight slammed a hoof over her mouth. “Wait a sec, y’all mean ta’ say that she was here?” asked Applejack crossly. “And you went and lied sayin’ that she wasn’t.” Twilight started to panic. “No, I’d never lie to any of you girls. Yes, Apple Bloom is here. But there is a very good reason for it, I assure you. It’s just rather complicated to explain right now.” “So, you were just protecting her?” asked Rainbow. “But why?” “She’ll need protectin’ as soon as I find her,” said an irritated Applejack, “Apple Bloom! Where are ya’ lil missy?” “Applejack, please. Apple Bloom will explain everything in her own time,” Twilight pleaded. “I ain’t got the time, Twilight. Whatever Apple Bloom is hidin’ I demand ta’ know what it is,” Applejack argued. “But AJ—” “She’s probably hiding somewhere in the castle. I’ll have a look around and see if I can find her,” suggested Rainbow. “Now hold on everypony,” Fluttershy ordered. “Let’s all calm down and hear Twilight out. I’m sure whatever it is it must be serious to have Apple Bloom come here to begin with.” “I agree with Fluttershy,” said Rarity. “We won’t be getting anywhere if we try forcing the poor dear to explain herself. It will likely make her feel perturbed even more.” “Y’all don’t know my sister like I do. When she does somethin’ and hides herself away like this, then I know she’s caused some trouble. It’s just her way to avoid gettin’ what’s comin’ ta’ her.” “But Applejack, this is different. She’s not in any trouble—” “Apple Bloom!” Applejack called, refusing to listen to Twilight. “Y’all get out here this instant.” As the ponies continued to argue, Apple Bloom lay tightly packed underneath the table with the blanket over her. She couldn’t help but feel guilty for putting Twilight through this. Perhaps now was the time to come out and show everypony her new self, but her worries kept preventing her to act. The more she wanted to show them, the more she thought of what could happen to her if she did. “What should I do?” Apple Bloom whispered to herself. “Are we playing hide and seek?” said Pinkie Pie, suddenly appearing behind her. “Aahhh!” Apple Bloom jumped out from her hiding spot, completely startled. She was now standing in front of everypony in the room, the ponies staring at her. Fortunately, with her blanket draped back over, her form was still hidden from everyone. “Found you,” called Pinkie Pie. “Do I win?” Apple Bloom looked around at the displeased faces staring at her, ears awkwardly aback. Shivers run down her body as Applejack glared icily towards her. Apple Bloom gulped, “H—Hi…” she murmured. Applejack marched towards Apple Bloom, still holding her icy stare. “Young filly, y’all got a lot of explainin’ ta’ do.” Apple Bloom trembled under her intimidating glare. “Uh…” “Why in Equestria did ya’ have ta’ come ta’ Twilight’s castle this mornin’? Why couldn’t it wait till after school?” Applejack demanded, scanning the filly with puzzled eyes. “And why are ya’ wearin’ that blanket fer’?” Apple Bloom cringed, hoping Applejack wouldn’t ask that question. “We’re supposed ta’ use that fer’ our outing this weekend,” Applejack reminded her. “Take it off right now before y’all mess it up.” Apple Bloom grasped the blanket tightly, refusing to take it off. “Apple Bloom, I’m getting’ real impatient with y’all. Take off the blanket this instant or I’ll take it off myself,” Applejack stepped forward. “I… I… I… can’t…” Apple Bloom mumbled, “I… I… just can’t… right…now… ya see—” “Apple Bloom, I am not in the mood fer’ yer’ games. Take off that blanket now so that we can get this whole thing over with,” Applejack ordered. Apple Bloom slowly backed away from her sister. “Ya’ don’t understand, Applejack. I can’t take it off ‘cause, well—” “What likely reason do ya’ have ta’ keep wearin’ this blanket?” Applejack asked. Pinkie Pie suddenly sprung behind Apple Bloom. “Ooh, ooh, ooh, are you rehearsing a play for school? Are you playing the little pony who wanders into the woods and runs into a hungry timberwolf that wants to gobble her up? I love that play; can I play the little pony?” She reached to grab Apple Bloom’s blanket. “Can I borrow this?” Apple Bloom quickly shifted away before Pinkie could grab it. “No!” the filly cried. “Ah come on,” Pinkie moaned. “I said no, Pinkie Pie,” Apple Bloom cried as she started running. “Ooh, tag, if I win I get to be the little pony!” Pinkie giggled and started chasing after Apple Bloom. “Pinkie!” cried Twilight. Pinkie was inches away from Apple Bloom. The filly managed to dodge her, sliding round beneath a table. She ran in the opposite direction. Pinkie bounced higher and higher to catch up. With one huge leap, she landed right in front of Apple Bloom, causing her to skid to a halt and turn back the other way to the exit of the library. However, Pinkie once again sprung right towards Apple Bloom, crashing into her. Pinkie fully grasped one end of the blanket. “I win, again!” Pinkie declared. “Now I get to play the little pony!” Pinkie started pulling on the blanket but Apple Bloom held the top of it to keep herself concealed.“NO!” she yelled. “Pinkie Pie, let go!” Twilight commanded. The two ponies continued squabbling over the blanket, everypony watching in utter confusion. Twilight started biting her hoof mindlessly. “Fer’ landshakes, it’s just a blanket, Apple Bloom, let go of it,” Applejack demanded. Apple Bloom tried pulling herself away from Pinkie Pie’s grasp. “I can’t AJ. I know it’s hard ta’ believe. But I’m—” “It’s… my… TURN!” Pinkie Pie cried, pulling swiftly on the blanket. The abusive force not only sent Apple Bloom spinning like a tornado, but her momentum also shot her straight into a bookshelf. The sudden crash rocked the other shelves above her, a bunch of books started toppling over and pouring right onto Apple Bloom like an avalanche. Apple Bloom was now buried beneath the large pile of books, leaving several worried ponies standing around with uncertainty. They all glared at Pinkie Pie holding the blanket in her hooves. The pink pony just gave a feeble chuckle. “Oops?” Fluttershy hovered above the books, looking really anxious. “Oh dear, Apple Bloom. Are you okay?” All the ponies looked over at the fallen books, each bearing a mixed expression of confusion and concern. “Apple Bloom?” called a worry-stricken Applejack. An unnerving silence settled in the room. That was until they heard a murmur emerge from the pile of books. To everyone’s relief, a few strands of red tail appeared between the books. “Oh goodness, Apple Bloom. Are you alright? Are you hurt?” asked Fluttershy. Apple Bloom’s voice was partly muffled underneath the books, “I’m fine, Fluttershy.” The books started shifting until Apple Bloom popped out, giving her head a shake to recollect her bearings. As she stopped, she looked over at Pinkie, noticing the blanket still in her possession. A sudden horrifying realization struck her. Her horn was now exposed to everyone in the library. Without warning, both her wings flared up, making it even more awkward for her. “This is just not my day,” Apple Bloom huffed. The ponies, aside Twilight, all looked at Apple Bloom, each one having shock written on their faces. Five jaws were hanging from their mouths as they kept their eyes locked at the exposed Alicorn filly. Applejack was particularly the most shocked, her jaw almost touching the floor and the pupils in her eyes hardly noticeable. Nopony uttered a single word, making Apple Bloom feel even more uncomfortable than ever. She wished that somepony would just say something. “Wow,” Pinkie said, deadpanned. “Even I didn’t see that coming.”