As the Apple Blooms

by The FraudulentBrit

Perceptor's Syndrome

“Fetch!” Apple Bloom cheerfully commanded Sparkplug as she threw a small stick towards the scrap yard. The little black terrier charged right after the piece of wood, a derpy grin forming on his face as his tongue began to stick out of his muzzle. As the stick landed just in front of the fence keeping separating the scrap yard from the rest of the world, Sparkplug scooped it up and began his return journey to his “not quite” owner.

Once Sparkplug returned, he sat down right in front of Apple Bloom as he dropped the stick in front of him. The former farm girl knelt down as she began to pet the small dog. “Very good! Who’s a good boy?”

It had been two days since her misadventure at the Pulp Works. While Sideswipe had returned home, Torque Wrench would still be with the family for another day or so. Not that Apple Bloom minded much. Not only did having another set of hands help the workload, but the former farm girl found that she had more in common with her cousin than she expected. Both girls had a dry sense of humor, strong work ethics, and if Sparkplug’s reactions were anything to go by, great with animals.

From behind her, Apple Bloom heard Torque Wrench call out, “Hey Apple Bloom! You have a visitor!” Turning to face her cousin, she was surprised to see Torque being followed by a dark blue man with large goggles that could only be Mr. Beachcomber.

“Mr. Beachcomber?” Apple Bloom asked as she walked up towards the grownups. The older geologist let out a gentle sigh as he replied, “Hey there. Good to see you again Apple Bloom.” As he extended his hand, the former farm girl shook it as she asked, “Everythin’ alright sir?”

Sighing, Beachcomber somberly answered, “Well, not exactly.” As he struggled to find the right words to use, Apple Bloom nervously asked, “Is it Marble?” The older geologist nodded and explained, “Yeah. After that incident at the fundraiser, I scheduled an appointment for her with a psychologist and….” He paused for a moment before he dejectedly finished, “She didn’t take it well.”

Torque Wrench then asked, “Hey Apple Bloom, isn’t this Marble a friend of yours?” Nodding, Apple Bloom answered, “Yeah. She’s kinda shy but she’s an expert on dinosaurs.” Beachcomber then remarked, “You bet. She knows more about paleontology than, well, anyone knows about anything.”

After letting out a gentle chuckle, the blue man asked, “So Apple Bloom, tomorrow we’re closing the museum for maintenance and right now, she needs a friend. You mind coming over tomorrow to keep her company?” The tone in his voice almost made it sound like he was begging the former farm girl.

After a few moments of pondering, Apple Bloom determinedly replied, “Ah’d love to help!” She then paused for a moment before adding, “Provided Uncle Ironhide doesn’t need me for somethin’.”

Satisfied, Beachcomber replied, “Thanks Apple Bloom. You’re a lifesaver. Try to be by the museum around ten o’clock, ok?” The former farm girl nodded as she snapped to attention and answered, “You got it sir.” The geologist smiled as he quipped, “Looks like Ironhide is rubbing off on you.”

As he turned and left, Beachcomber called out, “See you tomorrow Apple Bloom!” Once he was gone, Apple Bloom sighed as she sat down on the ground. Sensing something was wrong, Sparkplug walked up to the former farm girl and began to claw at her for attention.

Amused at the small terrier’s actions, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but ask, “You worried about her too?” To her surprise, Sparkplug nodded yes before he began to try climbing her and licking her face. The young girl couldn’t help but laugh as she struggled to halt the onslaught of affection. After a minute or so, she happily answered, “Ah’ll take that as a yes.”

Once she rose back to her feet, Apple Bloom asked, “So Torque Wrench, anythin’ else you need?” The older woman thought for a moment before she replied, “Not really. The only thing going on is Wheeljack and Chromia working the power saws, and I don’t think dad will let you help with that.”

Both girls were distracted by the sound of Sparkplug barking for attention. Apple Bloom turned to see the small dog had the stick in his mouth, clearly signaling he wanted to continue playing. Letting out a gentle chuckle, she asked, “You wanna keep playin’?”

And so both women continued the game of fetch with Sparkplug, with Apple Bloom wondering what the next day had in store.

Peddling up to the white marble building that housed the Museum, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but wonder how the day would go. ‘Ah hope Marble is doin’ alright.’ The former farm girl thought to herself as she parked her bike. With what Beachcomber had told her, she hadn’t exactly been doing that great. Still, it wasn’t like she could have gotten in too much trouble, right.

Setting her helmet in the bike’s basket, Apple Bloom took a deep breath as she said to herself, “Alright, put on a good face for Marble.” She then began to walk up the stairs to the museum’s entrance. As she approached the entrance, she noticed a sign depicting a cartoonish rock with a frowning face and the caption, “The Allspark Wells Geology Museum is currently closed so our staff can perform maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to see you another day.” “Ah hope that means we don’t have to worry about crowds.” Apple Bloom said to herself.

Once she made it to the entrance, the red haired girl took a deep breath as she knocked on the large wooden doors. For a few moments, there was no response. Confused, Apple Bloom thought to herself, ‘Maybe Ah thought the whole thing up?’

She was pleasantly surprised when she heard Beachcomber’s voice speak from an intercom say, “Hey there. The door is unlocked.” Letting out a sigh of relief, the former farm girl reached for the door handle and opened it before entering the museum.

Once she was inside the museum, Apple Bloom noticed that the museum was practically empty. Other than a single man mopping the floor next to the Triceratops skeleton, there wasn’t another soul in sight.

At least until she heard a familiar voice call out, “Apple Bloom!” Turning to see who it was, the red haired girl was greeted by the familiar sight of Marble Pie rushing towards her. Glad to see her friend, Apple Bloom began to reply, “Good to see ya aga….”

She was interrupted when Marble enveloped her in a practically bone crushing hug. Though taken off guard, Apple Bloom returned the gesture with a tight embrace of her own as she continued, “Good to see you again.” She then began to try and exit the hug, but Marble simply continued to hold her friend close. “Uh, Marble?” Apple Bloom asked. “You’re kinda crushin’ me.”

Realizing just how hard she was squeezing her friend, Marble released Apple Bloom as she meekly apologized, “Sorry. Guess I don’t know my own strength.” Catching her breath, the former farm girl replied, “Don’t worry about it. Ah get the same thing from Tender Taps.”

It was at this moment that Apple Bloom noticed Marble’s attire. The gray girl was wearing a dark gray dress under her black leather jacket (A dress that Apple Bloom figured was most likely sleeveless), gray plaid socks, and her black laced boots. Her hair was also just as it usually was; obscuring the right side of her face. The one thing that appeared to be new was the black choker she was wearing, something Apple Bloom found suited Marble perfectly.

“Why don’t you just look like the cutest thing Ah’ve ever seen!” Apple Bloom complimented her friend. Marble looked over shoulder and blushed as she replied, “Thanks. I kinda wanted to spice things up a bit.” She then asked, “You don’t think I over did it a bit, right?”

Shaking her head, Apple Bloom reassured her friend, “Of course not. If anythin’, Ah think this look suits you perfectly.” The gray girl simply smiled as her face turned a surprisingly deep red.

Once she’d returned to her normal skin tone, Marble asked, “So since they’re cleaning everything down here, you wanna see where Mr. Beachcomber and I live?” Intrigued, Apple Bloom happily answered, “Ah’d love to. Lead the way.” Now brimming with joy, Marble took Apple Bloom by the hand and led her deep into the depths of the museum.

After a quick ride in what appeared to be a service elevator and a walk down a simple hallway, the two girls arrived at their destination. Pulling a set of keys out of her jacket pocket, Marble warmly replied, “Welcome to my home away from…. Well, Welcome to my home.” Unlocking the door, she brought her friend inside her and Beachcomber’s residence.

Apple Bloom was pleasantly surprised by just how homey the apartment was. The central living area was dominated by a combined living room and kitchenette. In fact, if her eyes weren’t deceiving her, there were a few dishes sitting in the sink. On the other hand, the living room was covered in piles of documents and chunks of stones.

Worried her friend might take the wrong message by the sight of the somewhat messy apartment, Marble tried to reassure her, “Sorry about the mess. Mr. Beachcomber likes to bring his work up here and…” Apple Bloom interrupted her with a firm but warm, “It’s alright Marble. Considerin’ Ah’ve seen literal pig pens, Ah think you guys are pretty tidy.”

“Thanks Apple Bloom.” Marble replied as she sighed with relief. She then asked, “So, uh, anything you want to do?” Pondering on the possibilities at her disposal, Apple Bloom answered, “Ah’m really up to anythin’ you wanna do. After all, Ah’m your humble guest.”

With that, Marble suggested, “In that case, you wanna see my room?” Apple Bloom nodded as she playfully quipped, “Lead the way.”

“What do you think?” Marble asked as she revealed her room to Apple Bloom. The former farm girl was pleasantly surprised to see what kind of environment she found her friend lived in.

The most obvious detail that made Marble’s room distinct was the sheer abundance of fossils. Decorating just about every shelf (As well as her dresser) were fossilized bones, skeletons, or scale models. Some were simple bones, some were slabs of rocks with bones or eggs, and one shelf even had a full skeleton of a small two legged dinosaur labeled Compsognathus.

The only things that came close to rivaling the number of fossils were the collection of stuffed animals on Marble’s bed. Most of plushies were dinosaurs (including a familiar blue triceratops), though a few were different animals, such as a wooly mammoth, a lizard like creature with a spine on its back, and one even bore a resemblance to the pig creature Marble was so fond of.

These, combined with a few other details, such as a small television with a video game console, gave the impression that this was the residence of someone with few interests, but a deep love of those they possessed.

Taking everything in, Apple Bloom complimented, “Wow! This is pretty amazin’!” Marble let out a sigh of relief as she replied, “Thanks. To be truthful, I was kinda worried you wouldn’t like it.” Confused, Apple Bloom asked, “Why would you think that?” Pausing for a moment, the gray geologist hesitated before she answered, “I dunno. Guess I just feel I’m kinda… different?”

Stepping up to her friend, Apple Bloom reassured her, “Well Ah can tell you Ah don’t care if you’re different.” This response seemed to have done something right, because Marble launched herself right into Apple Bloom’s arms. This time, the former farm girl something was different, as she realized Marble was actually starting to tremble. Concerned, she asked, “You alright Marble?”

The gray girl released her friend as she wiped her face and replied, “I’m fine. Just kinda….” She stopped herself before continuing, “It’s a long story.” She then lit up with excitement as she had an idea.

“You wanna play one of my favorite games?” Marble asked. Apple Bloom shrugged as she replied, “Sounds like fun.” Having received approval, Marble dashed over to her video game console and pushed the power button as she turned on her TV.

As Apple Bloom walked up to Marble, the gray girl was beaming with excitement. Intrigued, the red haired girl asked, “So, what kinda game is this?” She was expecting the answer to be something like a theme park simulator or maybe some sort of virtual pet.

Instead, Marble simply answered, “It’s a dinosaur fighting game.” That answer certainly surprised Apple Bloom. ‘A fightin’ game?’ The red haired girl thought to herself. ‘Didn’t think she’d be into this kinda thing.’ After all, fighting games were generally aimed at thrill seekers like Scootaloo or Sideswipe, not relatively soft spoken people like Marble.

She didn’t get too much time to dwell on this, as a cutscene began to play on the television. The cutscene was very quick, simply showing a Tyrannosaurus Rex roaring at the camera before stomping on it, blacking out the screen. After that, the screen transitioned to a menu with a large raptor snarling at the players.

Not wasting any time, Marble selected the “VS” option, and the game transitioned to a character select screen. Lined up across the screen were circles featuring portraits with dinosaurs. Turning to Apple Bloom, Marble enthusiastically said, “Go on, pick a character.”

Nodding, Apple Bloom moved her cursor over the picture of a T-Rex and selected it. The moment she pressed the button on her controller, a green Tyrannosaurus Rex appeared on the bottom of the screen, letting out a brief roar.

Noticing her friend had picked the most famous dinosaur, Marble remarked, “Good choice.” The gray girl moved her cursor over the rightmost circle, depicting the image of an animal vaguely resembling a Triceratops with a single massive horn like a Rhino’s. Curious, Apple Bloom asked, “What kinda dinosaur is that?” Turning face the former farm girl, Marble answered, “It’s a Styracosaurs.”

The game then moved to a stage selection screen, showing multiple images ranging from a helipad to a gas station to even an underground laboratory. Marble asked, “Mind if I choose a stage?” Nodding, Apple Bloom replied, “You bet.” Satisfied, the gray girl selected a stage titled, “Visitor Center.”

Soon, the stage was set and the girls found themselves ready to fight. Excited, Apple Bloom asked, “You ready?” Nodded, Marble happily replied, “You bet.” With that, the game began and the two girls were fighting as prehistoric creatures.

“VICTORY!” The game’s announcer called out as Apple Bloom’s T-Rex delivered yet another final blow to Marble’s Styracosaurus. As the virtual dinosaur triumphantly bellowed, Apple Bloom let out an excited, “Yeah!”

Marble, on the other hand, was giving in to her frustration at another defeat. Finally loosing the last hints of her composure, she couldn’t help but let out an angry, “Damnit!” She then threw her controller down to the ground, producing a loud thud. The gray girl then slunk backwards, leaving her friend concerned.

“Marble? You alright?” Apple Bloom asked in concern. The gray geologist sighed as she replied, “I’m fine. Guess I’m just….” She paused for a moment before remarking, “I struggle with competitive things.”

Taking this new information in, Apple Bloom suggested, “Then how about we do somethin’ that’s not competitive?” Marble let out a sigh of relief as she replied, “That sounds like a plan.”

“What do you think?” Marble awkwardly asked as she flipped the pages of the sketchbook. It turned out that the gray girl had a one interest that actually didn’t revolve around prehistoric animals; Fashion (of sorts).

Indeed, the entire sketchbook was filled with sketches, outlines, and even photos of outfit ideas the gray girl had in mind. Some included dresses, some shirts with skirts or pants. Some were sleeveless, some short sleeved, and some long sleeved. Some had laced boots, some riding boots, some had sneakers, and some were even meant to be worn with sandals. The two things that unified all these real and hypothetical outfits were the use of a black leather jacket, and the fact that they only consisted of the colors black, white, and varying shades of gray.

Impressed by these designs, Apple Bloom complimented her with, “These are amazin’! You’re like… almost as good at this sort of thing as Rarity!” Marble blushed as she replied, “Thanks. I don’t really talk about these too much. After all, I don’t exactly have the look or mannerisms of a fashionista.” She then looked over her shoulder and held her arm as she added, “Then again, I don’t really fit into a lot of categories.”

As the gray girl sighed, Apple Bloom noticed her friend’s last statement was rather specific and sounded like something was bugging her. Concerned, the former farm girl asked, “Everythin’ alright Marble?” Taking a deep breath, Marble asked, “Apple Bloom, can I ask an important question? Like, a really, really important question?” Though worried about her friend, Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “You can.”

Taking a deep breath, Marble nervously asked, “Apple Bloom, do you think I’m retarded?”

“WHAT?!” Apple Bloom asked in shock. “What in tarnation would ever make you think you’re ret…. Mentally challenged?”

Marble looked away in shame as she began to explain, “Well, after that incident at the dinner party, Mr. Beachcomber took me to see someone for my mental health. After running some tests, the doctor said I was retarded.” Turning back to face her friend, she added, “I can’t actually remember what he said, I just took whatever he said to mean I was, well…”

“Different?” Apple Bloom interrupted. Marble sighed as she dejectedly continued, “If by different you mean he prescribed me some kind of medicine, then yeah, different.”

Before either girl could say anything else, they heard the sound of someone unlocking and opening the front door, followed by Beachcomber’s voice calling out, “Hello! Apple Bloom? Marble Pie?” As the blue geologist made his way to his ward’s room, he asked, “Well now, there you girls are. You two have a good day?” Rising to her feet, Apple Bloom asked, “Uh, Mr. Beachcomber? Is it true that some doctor said Marble was mentally challenged?”

To the former farm girl’s surprise, Beachcomber let out an exasperated sigh as he sternly asked, “Marble?” As the gray girl slinked back in shame, the older man turned to Apple Bloom and dejectedly asked, “She used the “R” word, didn’t she?” When Apple Bloom nodded yes, he let out another sigh as he asked, “In that case, would you two accompany me to the living room?”

As Apple Bloom and Marble sat down on the couch, Beachcomber removed his goggles as he asked the former, “So I’m assuming Marble told you about how I took her to a psychologist after the dinner party, right?” Nodding, Apple Bloom answered, “Yeah, she did.”

Taking a deep breath, Beachcomber continued, “So after a few sessions and tests, we were informed that Marble has undiagnosed Perceptor’s syndrome.” The moment the phrase “Perceptor’s Syndrome” left his mouth, Marble tensed up as she looked away in fear and shame. Confused, Apple Bloom asked, “What’s Perceptor’ Syndrome? Is it bad?”

Raising his hands in surprise, Beachcomber replied, “Oh, of course not. Apparently it’s just a neurological disorder that affects how she sees the world.” He then turned to his ward and explained, “It’s why she’s so fascinated with prehistoric animals. It’s why she has trouble dealing with people and crowds.” He then sighed as he finished with, “And it’s why my attempts to get her to interact with more people haven’t really worked.”

As she took everything in, Apple Bloom began to realize everything began to make sense. Marble’s behavior issues actually made some sense. Her awkwardness, her difficulty with crowds or other people, her intense love of specific fields, it added together.

But none of that raw data mattered. What did matter was the fact that Marble, her friend, was distressed by this revelation. Not quite knowing what she should do, Apple Bloom placed her hand on Marble’s shoulder as she asked, “Marble?” When she turned around, the gray girl revealed her eyes were starting to water.

“Apple Bloom?” Marble asked as she began to sniffle. “I know I’m….. I have this Perceptor’s syndrome thing, and I know that this is why I couldn’t make many friends. I…” Unable to find the right words, she began to break down into small tears as she asked, “Why can’t I just be like everyone else?”

Firmly placing her hands on Marble’s shoulders, Apple Bloom reassured her, “Listen here Marble. You’re the smartest person Ah know, you’re friendly to everybody you meet, and you’re amazin’ with pen and paper.” The yellow girl then let out a gentle sigh as she continued, “And Ah don’t care if you have this Perceptor’s syndrome thing or not. You’re mah friend, and nothin’, NOTHIN’ will ever change that!”

Without warning, Marble wrapped her arms around Apple Bloom and pulled her in a tight hug as she began to pour her eyes out. “Thank you Apple Bloom!” She tearfully exclaimed. Feeling her own eyes starting to tear up, Apple Bloom gently rubbed Marble’s back as she reassured her, “It’s alright. Let it all out.” Indeed, for the next several minutes, Marble just held Apple Bloom tightly, letting out all her pent up fear and concern.

Once she’d let everything out, Marble wiped her eyes as she apologized, “Sorry. Guess I’ve been holding a lot in for a while.” Apple Bloom reassured her, “Don’t worry about it. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen, Ah’m here for you.” She then paused before quickly adding, “At least until the end of summer.”

As the two girls let out amused (and admittedly adorable) giggles, Beachcomber walked up to Apple Bloom and said, “Hey kid, I don’t quite know how to say this, but thank you for being, well…. Everything.” He then began to scratch the back of his head as he continued, “I think maybe I’ve been pushing you too hard Marble. After this, I think maybe we can pull back on socialization.”

Smiling, Marble replied, “Thanks Mr. Beachcomber. On the other hand…” She then turned to Apple Bloom as she continued, “I think I know a few people I feel comfortable around.” She then began to blush a bright red as she finished with, “And I can’t think of a better friend than you Apple Bloom.” This remark warmed Apple Bloom’s heart, leading her to wrap her friend in another tight hug.

Once they’d finished, Beachcomber asked, “Now then, I was thinking of making us all some lunch. You girls mind giving me a hand?” Marble answered first with an awkward, “Can we make some macaroni and cheese?” Apple Bloom spoke next with, “Ah’d love to help you sir.”

With that, Beachcomber and the two girls made their way to the kitchenette, ready to start making lunch.

As she prepared to leave, Apple Bloom heard Marble call out to her. Turning around to face her friend, she found the gray girl running up to her as she said, “Thanks for stopping by. Today was….” She paused for a moment before continuing, “Today’s been one of the best days in a long time.”

“It’s mah pleasure.” Apple Bloom replied as she performed a simple curtsy. She continued, “And if you ever need anythin’, just let me know.” Looking down to the floor, she asked, “So, See ya later?”

“See you later Apple Bloom.” Marble answered as she wrapped Apple Bloom in one final hug. Returning the gesture, Apple Bloom gave a final “Take care” and departed the museum.

“Uncle Ironhide! Ah’m home!” Apple Bloom called out as she entered the shop front. As she made it into the shop, she was greeted by Ironhide dusting the shelves as he replied, “Good to see you kid. You have fun with Marble?”

Nodding enthusiastically, Apple Bloom answered, “Yeah! Turns out she’s quite the gamer!” She decided not to mention Marble’s fit of frustration. Intrigued, Ironhide asked, “What’s a gamer?”

Letting out a small chuckle, Apple Bloom began to explain, “Well now, have Ah got a lesson for you.” Realizing what he was about to get into, Ironhide couldn’t help but sigh in defeat, “What have I gotten myself into?”