//------------------------------// // Nightmares // Story: As the Apple Blooms // by The FraudulentBrit //------------------------------// As the Apple Blooms Part 26; Nightmares As Apple Bloom dusted the upper shelves of the shop, she couldn’t help but look back on the last week with great fondness. Torque Wrench’s visit passed by without further incident, with the former farm girl even making the older woman promise to stop by again. Soon, the week passed by as every other had; Apple Bloom collected her paycheck, dealt with Wheeljack’s newest device, and found just enough free time to catch her breath. And now, only a night away from her next dance session with Tender Taps, all Apple Bloom could do was whistfully sigh as she turned around to face the shop that had become her home. Her bliss was interrupted as Wheeljack barged through the front door, enthusiastically belting out, “Hey Apple Bloom! You got a letter!” Managing to recover from the sudden assault on her ears, Apple Bloom replied, “Alright, Ah heard ya. Don’t go burstin’ mah eardrums.” As Wheeljack handed the younger girl a letter, he quipped, “It’s from your sister. Must be personal; I didn’t even peak.” Apple Bloom gave her co-worker a dead pan expression as he dejectedly replied, “What? It was only one time.” From behind the two, Ironhide and Ratchet entered the front of the shop; the former removing his protective faceplate as he asked, “What’s this about mail Wheeljack?” Apple Bloom turned to her uncle and answered, “Ah got a letter from mah sister!” Now enticed, Ironhide “Ordered”, “What are you waiting for? Let’s see what she has to say!” Now trembling with excitement, Apple Bloom opened the envelope, unfurled the letter, and began to read it out loud. “Dear Apple Bloom, Ah’m happy to hear that things are goin’ so well for you, but Ah need to remind you that you’re not there to make friends. You’re there because you betrayed not only mah trust but also Big Mac’s, Granny Smith’s, and everyone else’s, and Ah hope that you appreciate the magnitude of the situation. Without you here, your brother and Ah have had to step up and work even harder around the farm. Not only that, but mah friend’s and Ah are still gettin’ stink eyes from everyone in school, and Sunset still won’t talk to me or the girls bar Rainbow Dash, and even then it’s only the bare minimum. Make no mistake Apple Bloom, you’ve left a trail of destruction in your wake, and it’s gonna be a long time before things go back to normal. Your Sister, Applejack.” As Apple Bloom let the letter fall out of her hands, barely able to comprehend what she’d just read, Ironhide walked up to his niece and asked, “Hey, you ok?” “Ah’m fine.” Apple Bloom managed to answer, her voice now deprived of the energy from only a few minutes earlier. Instead, her face grew pale as her eyes began to water. Ironhide, realizing her sister’s letter had struck right in her heart, asked, “You want to go take a break?” Apple Bloom didn’t even answer; she stormed out of the shop and towards her room, fitful sobs starting to ring throughout the house. Once she was gone, Wheeljack shook his head as he remarked, “I can’t believe that bitch would just say something like that!” “Wheeljack….” Ironhide angrily began. “That “bitch” is my other niece.” Gulping, Wheeljack corrected himself as he said, “I mean, I can’t believe your niece would say something like that.” Ratchet then spoke up with, “Sounds like she wrote one of those “angry letters you don’t send” and actually sent it.” Ironhide simply shook his head before replying, “I sure as hell hope so. I know Apple Bloom screwed up with that little stunt, but this….” He bent down as he picked up the letter and put it in his pocket as he finished, “This is just cruel.” Wheeljack then asked, “So, what do we do now?” Shrugging, Ironhide answered, “I guess we just keep an eye on her.” Apple Bloom’s Room, That Night… The rest of the day went by with a heavy heart. Now, as she finished putting on her pajamas, Apple Bloom struggled to keep herself calm. As she thought back on her sister’s letter, she couldn’t help but say one thing. “It’s all mah fault.” Collapsing back onto her bed, Apple Bloom sighed with resignation as she began to recall everything that she’d done. “Ah’m sorry Applejack, Ah wish Ah could take it all back.” Of course, she knew she couldn’t. Apple Bloom couldn’t just go back in time and stop herself from roping Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo from starting the Anon-A-Miss incident, nor could she stop the horrendous cycle of bullying and revenge that spiraled out of control. But that wasn’t the worst part. As her mind recalled her recent misadventures with all her friends, one thing stuck. “Ah don’t know if Ah’d want to change anythin’.” Apple Bloom said to herself as her eyes began to sting with small tears. “Ah know Ah made everythin’ worse, but Ah wouldn’t change anythin’.” As she tucked herself under the covers, all Apple Bloom could hope for was a pleasant night’s sleep. Somewhere in Time and Space… Apple Bloom recognized this place; an empty horizon of green hills under a starry purple sky. “This place again?” she asked out loud. The last time she was here, she found herself surrounded by phantoms of her family and a Cyclops resembling Dr. Shockwave. And now she was back, anticipating the worst. Instead, as she turned around, Apple Bloom noticed a small wooden table, sitting at the base of one of the hills. Curious, the former farm girl asked herself, “Huh, wonder what that’s doin’ here.” Approaching the table, she realized there were several small objects resting nicely on the table. The first two items were a pair of black oxford tap shoes, not unlike the pair Tender Taps’s family had given her. “Wha’?” Apple Bloom asked as she inspected the shoes. “What are these doin’ here?” Once she set them down, her eyes drifted to the next object; a brown tooth of some creature. As she picked it up, Apple Bloom realized that the tooth was as hard as stone, as if it were a fossil. “Huh, looks kinda like Marble’s ente….tele….. Pig thing tooth.” She said to herself. The third major item that caught her attention was set of handlebars, specifically the kind one would see on a motorcycle. “Motorcycle handlebars?” The young asked herself. “These kinda look like the ones on Sideswipe’s bike.” Apple Bloom was distracted by an unexpected sound; a rat’s squeaking. Sure enough, resting on the table was a small rat, feasting away on a piece of Gouda cheese. Extending her hand to the small creature, the former farm girl quietly whispered, “Hey there little fella.” Sure enough, the rat began to sniff her hand. Apple Bloom was so distracted that she failed to notice the shadow in front of her, consuming her and the table. Before she could react, an orange hand grabbed the rat and pulled it away. Shocked, Apple Bloom looked up to see what had stolen the small creature, only to gasp in horror at who it was. There, standing menacingly before her with dark circles under her eyes, was a furious Applejack. Looking down on the now squealing rat, Applejack growled, “So this is what you chose over your family.” “Applejack!” Apple Bloom cried out. “Put that poor critter down!” As her eyes began to drift towards the rat, she could swear it’s squeaks sounded just like, “We’re all gonna die!” Instead, Applejack held the rat up and, facing her sister, snarled, “Ah don’t think so.” To her sister’s horror, the orange farm girl slammed the rat to the ground and slammed her foot on the poor creature’s head. Returning her focus to her sister, Applejack barked out, “Ah can’t believe you’d choose all this over your family!” She then placed her hands under the table and, without warning, overturned the wooden piece of furniture. “No!” Apple Bloom screamed as she dove towards the assortment of trinkets. As she hit the ground, however, Apple Bloom realized what she’d just done and tried to get back to her feet. She wouldn’t get the chance, as she felt something blunt hit her right in the gut. Rolling over to her side, Apple Bloom looked up to see her sister, the latter’s leg finishing the motions of a kick. Looking down on her sister, Applejack shook her head as she remarked, “Ah don’t even know who you are anymore.” However, both girls were distracted by yet another out of place sound; the running engine of a vehicle. From one of the surrounding hills, a red van emerged, charging towards Applejack. The older girl managed to leap out of the way, barely evading the scarlet vehicle. Apple Bloom, however, realized two things. Firstly, the red van, complete with gold accents, was identical to Ironhide’s own vehicle. The second fact was that, having gotten a glimpse of the vehicle’s windows, she realized no one was driving the van. Applejack, shocked, asked out loud, “What in tarnation is that thing?” Apple Bloom, on the other hand, was absolutely speechless as the van turned to face her and her sister, and then just sat there. And then, the vehicle began to change form. Parts of the vehicle shifted and rotated as an electronic sound rang out. The top of the van transformed into two red/gray arms that slammed their fists into the ground. As the vehicle continued to morph, the arms began to force it up as more of the van split off, forming legs. It was now that Apple Bloom realized the mass of metal before her was transforming into a humanoid robot. Her suspicions were confirmed when the “van,” now almost entirely turned into a robot, began to stand tall and proud. The front windshield of the van formed the robot’s chest, and above it emerged a gray metallic face with blue eyes and a red helmet that resembled one worn by the mighty centurions of centuries past. As Apple Bloom found herself speechless in awe from the metallic being, Applejack angrily asked, “What in tarnation are you?” Turning its head to face the orange cow-girl, the robot began to speak in a very familiar face. “You walk away from her right now.” This stern command generated an aura of authority that was too great for Applejack, who proceeded to flee off into the horizon. As the robot made its way to Apple Bloom, the former farm girl gulped in fear as she stood helpless. To her surprise, the robot knelt down and, in a far gentler voice, asked, “You ok there kid?” As the machine extended its hand, Apple Bloom realized she knew who’s voice, as well as its appearance and mannerisms resembled. “Uncle Ironhide?” Apple Bloom asked. The gigantic robot smiled as it nodded. The young girl would have continued, but the Ironhide-like machine noticed something behind her and cried out, “Watch out!” With surprising speed, it stepped over her and began to adopt a defensive stance. When Apple Bloom turned to see what it was, she caught a glimpse of something surprising. There, at the robot’s feet, was an orange pony with a blonde ponytail, and a brown Stetson. “Wait, is that Applejack?” The former farm girl asked herself. She wouldn’t get much time to ponder it, however. The orange pony rotated itself and bucked the large robot’s foot with such great force that the latter actually began to falter and stumble backwards. In fact, the robot lost its balance and began to fall backwards. Unfortunately, the robot fell back-first right onto Apple Bloom. With little time to react, all the young girl could do was scream. Apple Bloom’s Room “Gah!” Apple Bloom exclaimed as she rose from her bed. Upon seeing that she was in the safety of her room, the young girl sighed with relief. “Phew. Glad it just a nightmare.” She said to herself. However, the young girl realized two things. The first was that she had broken into a cold sweat, leaving her body damp. The other was that her mouth and throat were dry, signaling that she’d either been snoring, talking in her sleep, or just sleeping with her mouth open. All in all, she felt exhausted and thirsty. “Ah hope no one minds if Ah get a small drink.” Apple Bloom mumbled to herself as she rose from her bed. She then made her way to her door, intend on finding something to quench her thirst. The Kitchen… Tiptoeing down the stairs, Apple Bloom hoped to herself that no one else was up. As she approached the base of the stairs, she realized that the lights were on. “Huh.” She muttered to herself. “Maybe Wheeljack forgot to turn the lights off.” As she began to enter the kitchen proper, however, Apple Bloom was surprised to see Ironhide sitting at the table, nursing a mug of some sort of liquid. Seeing his niece awake, the older man asked, “Apple Bloom? What are you doing up?” Sighing, Apple Bloom answered, “Sorry. Ah had a bad dream and, well, Ah’m kinda thirsty.” Smiling as he let out a gentle chuckle, Ironhide replied, “You too, eh kid?” When Apple Bloom gave a confused look, the family patriarch continued, “How about I get you a glass of milk?” As Ironhide made his way to the fridge, Apple Bloom said, “Thanks Uncle Ironhide. Ah hope Ah’m not botherin’ you.” Pulling out the jug of milk, the older man replied, “No sweat Apple Bloom. We all get nightmares.” Making his way to the cupboard, the older man asked, “So, you say you had a nightmare?” Sighing, Apple Bloom replied, “Yeah. Ah was in the same field as last time and there was this table. There was a pair of tap shoes, a fossil tooth, a set of handlebars, and a small rat.” Intrigued, Ironhide remarked, “Sounds like trinkets related to your friends.” As he pulled out a glass for his niece, he continued, “I mean, you didn’t know a dancer, a scavenger, a biker, and a paleontologist before you came here, right?” All Apple Bloom could do was shrug and reply, “Ah guess.” As Ironhide began to pour milk into his niece’s glass, Apple Bloom asked, “Uncle Ironhide, can Ah ask you a question?” The older man answered, “Sure thing Apple Bloom. What’s up?” Taking a deep breath, the former farm girl asked, “Do you think Ah’ve not been punished enough?” Stumped Speechless, Ironhide asked, “What do you mean by that?” As he passed the glass of milk to Apple Bloom, the young girl began to elaborate. “Well, Ah was thinkin’ about what Applejack wrote in that letter she sent me, and Ah realized that, maybe, you and Aunt Chromia haven’t punished me enough for what Ah’ve done, or how Ah…..” Ironhide immediately interrupted her with a gentle, “Apple Bloom, I think that letter got to you.” “But it’s true!” Apple Bloom spoke up. “After what Ah did, after all the secrets Ah posted online, after all the damage Ah inflicted because Ah was jealous, Ah….” She couldn’t hold anything in anymore, and so the former farm girl lowered her head to the table as she began to cry. Seeing how distraught his niece had become, Ironhide walked over to the crying girl and, resting a hand on her shoulder, began to speak. “Kid, look. In truth, I have been kinda lenient on you, but that’s because, well…..” As Apple Bloom raised her head, revealing the tear marks on her cheeks, Ironhide continued, “When your sister called in the old favor, she basically requested two things. One was that you stay here until school starts, and the other is that you work here.” As the older man stood back up, he continued, “Now, you’ve been living here under my watch, is that right?” Apple Bloom, still struggling to keep her emotions under control, nodded yes. Ironhide continued, “And have you been working for me here?” “Ah have.” Apple Bloom replied. “Ah mean, every now and then Ah’m either helpin’ mah friends or…” Ironhide raised his finger to her lips as he continued, “Then as far as I can tell, you’re doing everything your sister told you to do.” Though her uncle’s reassurance felt genuine, Apple Bloom still felt that something was still off. “Are ya sure Uncle Ironhide?” The young girl asked. “Ah mean, maybe Ah could cancel a few dance lessons with Tender Taps or….” Ironhide raised his hand again as he said, “Kid, I think they punished you enough. Trust me, getting kicked out of the Apple Family is enough.” This statement surprised Apple Bloom, but knowing what little she did o the Apple Family, she could only ask one question. “Like when dad stopped talkin’ with you?” she asked empathetically. Letting out an embarrassed chuckle, Ironhide replied, “Yeah, like me and your dad.” He then took his mug and, as he took a sip, quipped, “At least you don’t have to go through what happened to me.” “What exactly happened to you and mah dad anyway?” Apple Bloom asked. Finishing his drink, Ironhide replied, “That’s a tale for another day. You’ve already had one nightmare tonight, and I don’t want you to have another.” While the former farm girl wanted to continue pushing the subject, the older man jokingly said, “Better drink up. Don’t want your milk getting warm, do you?” As Apple Bloom finished her glass of milk, she apologized, “Sorry for bein’ up so late Uncle Ironhide.” The older man simply chuckled as he replied, “Hey, who’d I be to talk?” This quip made Apple Bloom laugh, or rather laugh as she was barely able to stop the milk coming out of her nose. Once she’d calmed down, Ironhide began to tease his niece, “So, tomorrow’s that day of the week. Looking forward to your dance lesson?” Though he’d clearly mentioned dancing, Apple Bloom knew what, or rather who, he was referring to. “Uncle Ironhide!” The young girl whined. “What about you and aunt Chromia?” Rising from his seat, the older man countered, “It’s different when you’re married, let alone living each other.” As he made his way to the sink, however, he added, “Then again, it’s been a while since we did anything fun. Maybe we could…..” Ironhide was interrupted when Chromia’s voice called out, “We could have a nice night out?” Both he and Apple Bloom turned to see the blue woman, clad in a light blue bathrobe as she made her way to the two. “Having bad dreams again sweetie?” Letting out a small giggle, Apple Bloom replied, “We both did, apparently.” Smiling, Chromia remarked, “At least you two had the good fortune to choose the same night.” The older woman then asked, “I take it you had a bad dream about that letter your sister sent?” Sighing, Apple Bloom answered, “Yeah. Sorry about that.” Ironhide then remarked, “So, I was just thinking, how about I give you tomorrow off?” Though the prospect intrigued her, Apple Bloom replied, “Though Ah’d love that, Ah think Ah’ll save that for later.” When she gave a small smirk, the older man smiled as he chuckled, “Heh heh, alright. In that case, I think we should all get some sleep.” Rising from her seat, Apple Bloom said, “Ok. Goodnight Uncle Ironhide. Goodnight Aunt Chromia.” Both adults nodded as they replied in unison, “Goodnight Apple Bloom.” Once Apple Bloom was gone, Ironhide sighed as he said, “That letter may have been too harsh.” Sitting next to her husband, Chromia added, “I know. I mean I know Applejack has every right to be angry with her, but that was uncalled for.” She then asked, “What are we gonna do?” Rising back to his feet, Ironhide replied, “I guess all we can do is be there for her.” This remark made Chromia giggle, leading to the scrapper to ask, “What’s so funny?” “I’ve heard that line before.” Chromia replied. “Only last time, we were talking about Torque Wrench.” Ironhide’s eyes widened as he realized what his wife was implying. “Well, it’d be a lie to say I haven’t enjoyed having her here.” Ironhide replied with a guilty smile. “And it’s not just the labor. I just can’t help but think of her as….” Managing to swallow a lump that had formed in his throat, he finally squeaked out, “Like she’s our second daughter.” Chromia then made her way to her husband as she said, “Well, we still have a few months.” This remark dampened Ironhide’s spirit, but the effects of his beverage were starting to wear off. Seeing her husband begin to drift off, the family matriarch teased, “Let’s get you to bed mister.” Ironhide simply shrugged and, with a small chuckle, replied, “Yes ma’am.” The Next Morning… As she descended the stairwell, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but smile with confidence. After her talk with her uncle, the young girl had a better night’s sleep than she had in a long time, maybe even her life. And now, feeling better than she had in a while, Apple Bloom said to herself, “Ah wonder what’s for breakfast.” Entering the kitchen, Apple Bloom was entranced by the sound of bacon grilling on the stove. Indeed, Chromia was working the stove as Ironhide prepared glasses of juice. “Good Mornin’ everyone!” The farmer farm girl called out in a chipper tone. “’Morning Apple Bloom.” Ironhide replied. “Sleep well? You know, after everything?” Smiling, the young girl replied, “Ah slept like a baby.” She then walked up to her uncle and said, “Hey, thanks about last night.” Turning to face his niece, Ironhide wrapped her in a warm hug and replied, “No sweat Apple Bloom.” He then chuckled as he quipped, “Maybe I’m better with these kind of things than I thought.” Now laughing herself, Apple Bloom replied, “Still, Ah love you guys.” Chromia then joined the group hug and added, “We love you too Apple Bloom.” Ironhide himself then added, “And don’t you forget it kid.” Feeling something she hadn’t felt in a while, Apple Bloom smiled as she felt her eyes watering up with joy. However, she was distracted when an odd odor entered her nose. “Uh, Aunt Chromia? Who’s workin’ the stove?” Realizing what her niece was asking, the older woman quickly released Apple Bloom and Ironhide as she returned to the breakfast. The former farm girl then asked, “So, what do you need me to do today?” Taking a moment to ponder, Ironhide answered, “You mind helping me clear out some space in the junkyard? I promise we can get enough done before your little dance lesson with Tender Taps.” Apple Bloom nodded as she answered, “Ah’d love to.” The sound of a door opening caught their attention. Turning to see who it was, both Ironhide and Apple Bloom found it was simply Ratchet and Wheeljack, the latter of whom had dark circles under his eyes. As Ratchet walked up to his old friend, he reported, “Morning sir.” Ironhide politely nodded as he replied, “Hope you slept well.” Wheeljack then stepped forward as he complained, “I didn’t. I had the worst dream in years.” Upon hearing this remark, both Ironhide and Apple Bloom began to belt out laughter. Confused, Wheeljack turned to Ratchet and asked, “Was it something I said?” Chromia, meanwhile, simply let out a gentle chuckle as she finished the bacon, taking in the delightful chaos that was her family.