//------------------------------// // Convention Day // Story: An Apple a Day // by The Blue EM2 //------------------------------// Call me Tom. That’s as good a name as any. I often find that, when life gets totally crazy, I have a retreat, a way of...letting out, if you get what I mean. When life gets me down, I knew there was one place I could go that would always cheer me up. OK, there was Sodor, but that was when I was a LOT younger than I am now. I still check out where Thomas and Friends is going, but I have to admit I’m not so keen on where the show is going as of BWBA. For me, the best CGI seasons were 17-21, with Legend of the Lost Treasure and Journey Beyond Sodor as real standout specials. But I digress! The show that gave me happiness when the world had me down was My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I discovered the show on Tiny Pop. OK, I have a little sister, and once had to babysit her. That was the night of October 10th, 2010, and I thought the show would be rubbish. Come on, thought 12-year old me, It’s freakin’ My Little Pony! That show’s for girls! I was wrong. When they introduced the characters and the story got rolling, I was utterly hooked. I tuned in each and every week, slowly falling in love with each of the characters and enjoying their crazy and entertaining adventures. There was one particular pony I adored. The little yellow Earth pony who was both stubborn, but had a heart of gold and had fun no matter what. That’s right, Apple Bloom. She’s my all-time favourite. I associated with her because of the bullying she received, and yet she never gave up. I found it inspiring, because I had been a victim of bullying myself. It was such a powerful moment when she and her friends got their Cutie Marks. After Season 3 concluded, I feared it would never be the same. But then Equestria Girls hit. Look, I know some bronies had that film franchise with a passion, but it really worked for me, being in school myself. I could associate with the girls more than I could with pastel-coloured ponies. And when the CMC appeared, I just fell in love with Apple Bloom’s design. Those three got loads more to do as the years went on, although I would have preferred it if IDW hadn’t released Anon-a-Miss (I read it on the internet, in case you’re wondering). The Canterlot Movie Club short and the subsequent Happily Ever After Party were some of my favourites. Then the news hit that Bronycon would be held for the final time in 2019. I’d wanted to go for years, but I’d never been old enough to go on my own. So, in 2018, I asked to go. “Mum,” I casually asked one day, “this year in July, Bronycon is being held. Can I go?” She looked at me. “Is this about that pony show you watch?” She wasn’t opposed to me being a Brony, but at the same time, she thought it was a bit odd. “We’re supposed to be going to the Deep South this year!” “That’s in August!” I protested. “Besides, the convention’s in Baltima-Baltimore!” I’d had a number of embarrassing slips in my time; my classmates were a little confused when my English project read The Knights of Canterlot. “Besides, I worked hard in my job this year!” “That’s true,” my mum replied. “You can go, but on one condition!” “Which is?” She grinned. “You take Rebecca with you.” Rebecca’s my sister. If she’d perceived that to be a threat, it didn’t work. “I’ve got no problem with that.” “Wonderful! Let’s get the flights and tickets booked.” She smirked. “Then I can tell all your friends that you like ponies.” I shrugged. “They already know, and they’re chill about it.” Straight after I had booked, however, I had a phone call to make. It was time to contact an old friend of mine. Andrea was a girl I'd met on an exchange trip with a US school, and we had bonded over the fact we were bronies (well, I should say pegasister in her case). "Hey Tom!" said the crackly American voice at the other end. "What's going on?" "Hello Yank!" I said back, with a smile. "You going to BronyCon? I sure am!" There was a laugh at the other end "I sure am, Limey. However, my Mom has insisted on coming with me." "You've got it lucky. I've got to take Rebecca with me and-no, do not touch the Leman Russes!" I was a Warhammer 40,000 player, and understandably precious of my collection. "Sorry, I've gotta go before my sister trashes my Imperial Guard." "See you soon!" After a few days wait, the day finally came. We bid our parents farewell at Heathrow Airport, en route to Baltimore. We spent our time watching films, listening to music and the like. Mind, I did have to stop her bouncing up and down on the seats. The other passengers generally didn’t approve of that sort of thing. As I relaxed, I thought about how much better life would be if the world followed the values of the Equestria. Friendship, love and tolerance (and rainbow lasers) would be ace. Imagine witnessing a Sonic Rainboom for real! I’d been stunned when I saw the movie in 3D and boy, was it incredible! The flight finally touched down and we got our luggage. We had been booked into an airport hotel, but we weren’t too tired, so we went out to explore the sights of Baltimore. I got a lot out of the visit to the B&O Museum, which had been on my list for a while. My parents had been reluctant to go there. “People get murdered there!” Mum said. “We’re not going there!” Dad exclaimed. Yeah, and yet they don’t think twice about going into London... After a few days passed, the opening day of BronyCon 2018 was finally here. July 27th looked like it would be an amazing day. I got up, showered, and eventually managed to shove my sister through the shower as well. While she was in, I opened my case and looked at what I had been working on. I had decided that I would cosplay whilst there, and had selected EG Apple Bloom as my character. It was mostly correct; green T-shirt, yellow boots, but I had switched the shorts out for jeans, not knowing how hot it would be. I was also missing the most obvious thing...the bow. I had figured it would look odd, a chap of my age purchasing a bow of that sort. I also lacked red hair, but I’d tried. Pulling it all on, I walked over to the mirror and smiled. “Howdy y’all!” I said, trying my best to do a Southern Accent. Unfortunately, it ended up sounding West Country. I heard the bathroom door open behind me, and Rebecca stepped out. “Wow!” she said. “You look great!” “Aw, yer too kind,” I replied. She laughed. “You also sound nothing like her!” “Dangit!” A few minutes later, we caught the bus to the Baltimore Convention Centre. It was long, and boring, so I pulled out my iPod and flicked on the Rainbow Rocks soundtrack. When we arrived, we stepped out into the heat of the day, and proceeded up the path. I then got roped into an impromptu rendition of Apples to the Core, which was interesting to say the least. Inside, my jaw dropped. The space was huge! Stands were everywhere, and people were milling about, a lot of them in costume. The last time I had seen a space this big was the London Festival of Railway Modelling held at Alexandra Palace! Somewhere in front of me, I saw Andrea. "Brilliant!" I called out to her, and she turned around to face me. I noticed she had a pseudo-Rainbow Dash cosplay on. “Oh, hey Tom!” she called. “Hi!” Rebecca added/ “Hi, Rebecca! How are you?” Andrea said smiling. “I’m fine, thanks for asking. I’m having a really good time here! This place is awesome!” Rebecca said. “Aww, you’re so cute!” Andrea said, giggling. “You must be Mrs Parker!” I said to the older woman, presuming her to be Andrea's mother. “Hi! You must be Tom. Andrea told us about you. She said you love My Little Pony as much as she does.” “Yep! It’s kinda why we bonded.” I said. “But she never told me you were kinda cute.” Olivia said, with a smirk that would rival Elaina Mash. “Mom!” Andrea said, with a blush that would make a tomato ashamed. “What? It’s true!” Olivia said, utterly oblivious to her daughter's embarrassment. “A-anyway,” I said, stuttering, and with a blush on my face, “Me and Rebec- I mean, Rebecca and I will just be roaming around. Bye!” We then sped off into the crowd. There was a band on stage, with a group of cosplayers launching into a spirited but not entirely in tune rendition of Shine like Rainbows. As we walked on, I passed a cosplayer as Applejack. “Howdy, sugarcube!” she called. “Thank ya!” I replied, as this alternate Cornish Apple Bloom. Then suddenly, a stand caught my eye. It was a stand with the usual home-made merchandise which characterises these sorts of events. I sort of knew what to expect, having gone to the California State Fair in Sacramento 3 years earlier, and browsed some of the stalls. One thing, however, caught my eye. It was a reproduction of Apple Bloom’s bow! I wandered over to take a look, and saw the label on it read ‘series reproduction’. “Well, what brings an Apple my way?” asked the store-holder, a woman in her mid 20s. “Well,” I began, “I saw the reproduction of Apple Bloom’s bow there, and was intrigued.” “It’s yours for $10 if you want it.” That’s cheap, I thought. I should have realised then and there something was up. But I was a fool, and I fell straight for it. “Well, thank you!” She accepted the bill. “Have a nice day,” she said. Rebecca looked up at me. “Well?” she asked. “Are you going to try it on?” I unclipped the bow, ran it through the back of my hair, and clipped it back on. There it was at last, my costume complete. “Argh!” I suddenly felt a pulse of energy through my body. Then stomach cramps hit. “Tom!” Rebecca cried. “Are you OK?” “I’m gonna be sick,” I replied. “Stay here, and wait till Ah get back.” I then sprinted off in the direction of the nearest restroom, unaware my life was about to be turned upside down.