//------------------------------//
// Chapter 20 
// Story: The Siren 
// by McPoodle 
//------------------------------//

Outside the Apple Family Farmhouse.

August 14. The next day, Saturday. “Stare Master”.

Apple Bloom came running down the road, and right into Applejack’s arms. “Applejack! Applejack!” she exclaimed.

“Slow down there, Missy!” Applejack said with a grin. “How was your sleepover at Fluttershy’s? Were you disappointed that it couldn’t be at Rarity’s instead?”

“Are you kidding?!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. She got out of Applejack’s arms and started gesticulating wildly as she told her tale at a breakneck pace.


~ ~ ~


“Woah, woah, woah, hold on there!” Applejack exclaimed at last. “You went into the Everfree? Unsupervised?”

Apple Bloom hung her head. “Yeah. That was dumb. But I had to protect Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in case they got in trouble!”

“Uh huh,” said Applejack. She strongly suspected that Apple Bloom would not have been able to protect her fellow Crusaders if the trio had actually run into serious trouble.

“But I got to see Fluttershy’s Stare! I didn’t believe that it would be so amazing when you told me that story about the dragon, but it totally was!”

“Uh-huh,” Applejack said with a smile.

Apple Bloom was still in big trouble for the Everfree stunt. But at least for now Applejack was willing to let her have her little moment of glee.

“How can she do that?” Apple Bloom asked. “She’s not a changeling, is she? I thought we were the only ones who could charm like that.”

“What Fluttershy does is not like a changeling’s charm ability,” Applejack explained, sitting Apple Bloom down so she could focus on this important lesson. “For one thing, the Stare doesn’t work on ponies, while charm only works on ponies. And for another, a changeling needs to really know a pony before they can charm them, and only a matriarch is powerful enough to cast a long-term charm. Fluttershy seems like she can Stare at any creature who threatens somepony she cares about.”

“Yeah!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “I saw that! Fluttershy could only turn her Stare on when we were the ones in trouble, not her. But…if she’s not a changeling, how does she do it?”

“It’s tied to her cutie mark, Apple Bloom. Lots of ponies get one amazing thing they can do when they get their cutie mark. You’ll get one when you get your mark, I’m sure of it.”

“I hope so,” said Apple Bloom. She thought for a moment. “So…the charm thing…we Apples don’t do that, right? Because that sounds really…bad.”

“No, we Apples don’t do that. Unless we really, really have to. And we make sure to make up for it when we do.”

“Have you ever charmed anypony, Applejack?”

“No.”

Apple Bloom released the breath she had been holding as she had waited for that answer. “Good!”

“Now let’s go inside and discuss your punishment for going into the Everfree without permission.”

“Aww…” Apple Bloom groaned as she followed her big sister inside. “Twist gets to go into the Everfree anytime she wants!”

Applejack looked back at her. “I believe that Twist is accompanied by Zecora every time she goes into the Everfree,” she said with a smirk. “And that reminds me—how come you don’t ever go hang out with Twist anymore? I thought the two of you were friends?”

Apple Bloom looked away, hiding her scowl. “She’s…busy now. We don’t see each other that much.”

“Oh,” said Applejack. “That’s a shame.”

She saw that there was more going on in Apple Bloom’s emotions but decided for now not to say anything.