//------------------------------//
// Love me, Love my Hat (Prompt #107) 
// Story: Thirty-ish Minute Pony Stories 
// by Abecedarian 
//------------------------------//

 TMP Prompt #107 - “Memento”

Prompt: “It’s Apple Bloom’s hat now.”

-


Love Me, Love My Hat



The Stetson’s mouth opened wide, emitting a piercing shriek and exposing three rows of razor-sharp teeth.

“Ah think it’s gonna spit again!” Applejack cried. “Twilight!”

“On it!” 

A violet bubble of force popped into being before the two mares, just in time to catch a spume of green liquid, which spattered against it, burning holes in the floor and walls. 

The hat shrieked in frustration and began battering at the shield with its tentacles.

“Oh, jeez! I’m so sorry, Applejack! I never thought this would happen!”

“It’s called a 'Come-Ta-Lahf' spell! Wha’d ya expect!?”

“How could I possibly have seen this coming? It was just supposed to wiggle around a bit!” Twilight laughed a little, in spite of everything. “I’ve got a bad track record with that spell and you, don’t I?”

“This ain’t th’ time! Cain’t ya take the spell off it or somethin‘!”

“I can’t concentrate with—” Twilight grunted as the hat rushed at the shield and began biting. “—With it attacking like this!”

“What’s goin’ on?” The last voice either of them wanted to hear called from the other side of the shield. “What’s all th’ noise?”

“Apple Bloom! Stay upstairs!”

But it was too late. Before the mares’ eyes, the filly stepped down the stairs and froze in shock at the sight before her.

The hat whirled around and  leapt onto Apple Bloom’s head—

“Oh Celestia NO!”

—and began purring.

“It’s lickin’ me!” The filly’s eyes were wide. “Omigosh, it’s lickin’ me!”

The shield flickered out of visibility as Twilight’s jaw dropped, and Applejack rushed to her sister’s side.

“Guys, what am Ah supposed t’do? It tickles!”

Twilight and Applejack stared at each other, then at the hat, which seemed to be kneading Apple Bloom’s mane as it purred.

“T-try petting it?” Twilight suggested.

“It’ll tear her hoof off!”

But the hat’s purring only intensified.

“It’s like a kittycat!” Apple Bloom grinned. 

“Ah…Ah just cain’t believe it.” Applejack reached a hoof to the hat, which lashed out at her with one of its tentacles, generating a spark and the smell of ozone. “Ow!”

“Ah’m sorry, sis!” Apple Bloom smacked it. “Bad hat! Say yer sorry.”

But the hat just somehow looked smug.

“Welp, guess it’s yours now,” Applejack said. “Um, havin’ a hat’s a lot of responsibility, Ah think? You’ll hafta feed it an‘…an’ walk it, Ah guess?”

She flashed an inquiring look at Twilight, who just shrugged, utterly baffled.

“Thank you both so much!” Apple Bloom petted the hat. “Maybe I got my Cutie Mark for the best pet ev—Nope. Well, this is still okay!”

And she rushed out the door.

“Well, that turned out better than it should have.” 

“Ya say that now, but wait til’ all her friends ask fer one.”

Twilight cringed.