//------------------------------// // Friday Night At Sweet Apple Acres // Story: CMC Watch Bedtime Stories // by Lord Blundergosh //------------------------------// Friday With how badly they wanted to avoid getting caught in the rain, their goodbyes to Sweetie Belle and Rarity wound up rushed. The only special parting words Scootaloo and Apple Bloom could come up with was wishing them luck on finding their parents and the supportive hugs that were to always be expected. Applejack and Rarity had danced around that issue during their parting conversation for as long as they could. After being filled in on how many pills her sister might need to take in a day and when to change her bandages, Applejack reassured Rarity, telling her to not give up hope that her parents might be safe; it was always said amongst their friend group that whenever Pinkie Pie’s cheer couldn’t lift your spirits, AJ’s brand of sincerity would. Unlike them, Scootaloo was at least lucky enough to know that her guardians were still okay for now. She wished she could just be thankful for that, but she couldn’t get her mind off of how eerie the timing of all this felt to her. First a tree wrecks her home, then a few weeks later Sweetie’s mom and dad are involved in a zeppelin accident. And between those, there was even that cart crash; actually, now that they were passing the exact spot where that happened, Scootaloo had to admire the clean up crew’s work. From the outside, all these incidents had nothing to do with each other. But it sure seemed the monster of her nightmares was making a strong case against that notion, especially when it showed up outside the window last night, zooming across Ponyville’s skyline like a black shooting star. Had it not been for all the grim prophecies potentially signified by its appearance, the little pegasus might have been in awe of that thing’s air maneuverability. She might have even considered going up to Rainbow Dash and daring her to track it down so that she can challenge it to a race. But for the first time Scootaloo was asking herself if she should go to the Wonderbolts’ next show for reasons other than for its own sake. It’s been long enough since she last saw her idol, what would it hurt if she got some money together now so she could travel to the other side of the world and check up on her? Of course, she could write a letter to her parents first before leaving, just to see how they’re doing. Hopefully she’ll also have time to pay her aunties another visit, make sure that shack they’re staying in hasn’t collapsed on top of them while she was away. She had to wonder, what Apple Bloom would think of all this if she’d tell her about it right now? Maybe she’ll back her up when she asks Applejack if she can get tickets? Her aunties told her how tight money would be after they get their house back and it might take too long for her parents or Rainbow Dash to send money back through the mail, so AJ was probably her best option. Though, it didn’t look like the sisters’ conversation about what they’ve been up to lately wasn’t slowing down anytime soon. At least AB hadn’t blabbed about the big piece of contraband stowed away in her backpack, but Scootaloo couldn’t put her hoof on why the farm filly kept eyeballing her big sister so strangely. Only thing she noticed was different about the mare was that she had a new kind of neckwear on. Actually, was there something really familiar about that scarf or was she imagining things? “Eh. I got too much on my mind to focus on that right now.” Actually, Scootaloo realized she probably should calm down right now, especially about trying to get to RD. Was she really gonna go through with all that over a few nightmares? Rainbow has always come back home no matter what; why should now be the time she loses faith in her hero? Besides, if seeing that monster in her dreams was supposed to mean something alarming and prophetic, then how come nothing in her dreams came true? None of her nightmares predicted that zeppelin crash as far as she could tell. Then again, even if she could dismiss her dreams, she couldn’t bring herself to overlook what her own two eyes saw flying in the Everfree’s direction last night. For Scootaloo, the distant rumbles of thunder reverberating from the clouds was only background noise compared to all these thoughts she could hear buzzing around in her skull. She didn’t even realize they were at Sweet Apple Acres until she was standing right in front of the Apple family’s front door. Just as Applejack got one hoof on the welcome mat, her sister suddenly spoke up. “Hey, um… AJ?” “Hm?” The filly flinched as her big sister looked back at her for the first exchange of words they had during this entire walk. “Ah been meanin’ ta ask ya about… that uh scarf you’re wearin.” Upon her eyes widening, Applejack cast a brief glance down at her own neckwear, “Oh, this here? Somethin’ wrong with it?” “No! No. Nah, iiiiit looks nice on ya actually.”, Apple Bloom hastily softened her tone. “Ah was just thinkin’ it looked an awful lot like… well, granny’s old scarf.” “Is that what that is?”, Scootaloo privately asked herself. Now that she looked at it again, she had to realize its color, its frills and especially all the apples printed on that fabric made the scarf a dead ringer for Granny Smith. Applejack blinked a few times before answering. “Well… funny thing ya mention that.”, she said before pausing momentarily to face forward again. “This actually was her old scarf.” The thunderstorm in the distance could be heard growing closer as she walked past the doorway. “Glad ya like it, sugar cube.”, she added in a highly restrained tone. The fillies were left standing there to let the mare’s words sink in until they were brought back to their senses by the enormous thunderclap which shook the earth beneath their hooves. Apple Bloom took the lead but got only a few steps past the door before she was abruptly tackled from the right. It took Scootaloo’s eyes a moment to process the mass of twisting limbs writhing on the floor before she could recognize Apple Bloom caught in a front-quarter nelson by… “Babs!”, Applejack chastised to no avail. “Honestly, y’all ain’t even say hello ta each other and you two are goin’ at it already!” “Have t’ get the drop on her to (*groan) stand a chance, cousin AJ!”, said Babs Seed between determined grunts and through clenched teeth. Apple Bloom strained a smirk, “That ain’t helpin’ ya this time!” Babs was then pushed all the way back into the living room where all manner of things could be heard getting tipped over, shaking the room upon impact with the floor. Applejack swiftly followed behind them, “If y’all don’t knock off the ruff housin’, there’s definitely gon’ be a big mess fer ya ta clean by the time it’s over.” Until the oven’s timer rang, the only sounds that broke up the constant downpour heard outside was Scootaloo’s ravenous eating occasionally followed by AJ telling her to slow down; that and the palpable feeling in the air of Apple Bloom’s self-satisfaction mixed with Babs Seed’s salt. The former should’ve counted herself lucky that her head wound somehow didn’t open back up during that scrap. Back when the Apple family’s resident ice breaker was still with them, this table was much more alive with conversation. This quiet had become the norm in her absence. Though, after months of getting to know the family, there was one newcomer who was proving herself capable of filling that particular hole that’d been left behind. Sugar Belle practically pirouetted from the oven to Babs’ side of the table, presenting the filly a tray of apple fritter, “Does our special little guest want the first bite of dessert?” Oddly, Babs looked at the assorted array of apple fritter with a touch of apprehension. “Wait a minute!”, Scootaloo exclaimed, voice somewhat muffled by the cornbread still in her mouth until she swallowed. “I’ve already finished and she’s barely even touched her green beans, shouldn’t I be getting first… bite?” Towards the end of that sentence, Scootaloo’s voice began to die down as she noticed out of the corner of her eye Applejack taking her attention away from her assortment of paperwork on the table for the first time to glare at her. “It’s aight, I’m not even that hungry anyway.”, Babs said. “You sure, hon? This could be just the pick me up you need right now.”, Sugar Belle insisted. “Aw, no need ta worry about Babs, this ain’t the first time she took a loss against me. She’ll get over it.”, Apple Bloom assured, both figuratively and literally hoof-waving the issue. “‘Sides, she’s been a light eater as long as ah can remember.” Her sister-in-law’s eyes and mouth narrowed as though trying to parse what Apple Bloom said was causing her face to shrink, “Huh? Wait, you’re telling me you haven’t heard by now?” “Heard what?” Scootaloo’s question was met by Big Mac’s baritone voice. “Surprise y’all weren’t told on the way here.”, he said as he cast a glance at Applejack. She dropped the papers she was holding to address the room, “Ah suppose that woulda made sense. Too bad mah head was so stuck in the clouds durin’ our walk that this somehow managed ta slip mah mind entirely.” Now that Apple Bloom thought about it, her sister had never even mentioned that Babs would be staying over. “Sorry, can y’all or Babs fill us in here? Ah’m kinda lost.”, she spoke up. Just when Babs was about to answer, AJ raised her hoof. “No need, sugar cube. Ah’ll handle this.”, she said before clearing her throat. “Ya see, Babs here is gon’ be stayin’ with us fer the next two weeks.” “Woah!”, Scootaloo exclaimed as she turned her attention to Babs. “How’d you convince your mom and dad to let you do that during the school year?” Even a tree crashing through her house wasn’t enough to get Scootaloo any time off from school. “That’s the thing.”, AJ continued. “Before we left Manehattan, we chose ta pay our family a visit and at the dinner table we start askin’ how school is goin’ for Babs.” She paused for a sigh. “And they says, Babs’ got no school left for the foreseeable future. I ask ‘em when did schools start givin’ out breaks durin’ fall; only for them ta say that they didn’t mean it was just closed, her school was pretty much gone for the time being.” While Babs was preoccupied with looking down at her plate, the other two girls were now hanging on Applejack’s every word. “Turns out, at some point durin’ our stay in Manehattan, Babs’ school had burned ta the ground.” “Wha-?”, both girls spoke up in unison before halting. Apple Bloom then turned to her cousin, directing pity at her, “Is that true?” Babs did her best to pull her eyes away from her plate and look at AB directly, though not fully successful, “Yeah.” “Shucks.”, Apple Bloom breathlessly uttered. “Nopony was hurt, right?” “Everypony came out alright… for the most part. Roller has t’ stay at the hospital for a little bit after breathin’ too much smoke. Doc said she’ll be out sometime soon, though.” Letters exchanged between them had gotten Apple Bloom somewhat acquainted with Babs’ friend, Rolling Blaze. “H-how did the fire start?”, asked Scootaloo. Applejack sighed, “Nopony’s managed ta figure that out last ah heard.” “Ah’m real sorry that happened, Babs.” She merely shrugged in response to her cousin’s sympathy, “It’s not all bad. All the school projects I was stuck doin’ have now gone up in smoke and I probably won’t have t’ make those up. Plus, with how long I’m gonna be outta school, we’re gonna get tons of time t’ hang out.” While the other adults beamed at this, Applejack rolled her eyes; though, her own grin ultimately betrayed her true thoughts. Apple Bloom chuckled, “Ah guess, that’s true. But it probably won’t be too long before your school gets rebuilt, right?” Babs then shifted uncomfortably in her seat, “Uh yeah, I did hear some guys from my world history class say that there might be a fundraiser sometime soon. So, I probably don’t have anything to worry about.” “Scootaloo, are you feeling okay?” The two cousins turned in the direction of Sugar Belle’s voice. They immediately recognized what she was talking about when they saw how Scootaloo’s face was a few shades lighter than normal. When she spoke, she looked as though she’d just been snapped from a trance. “Huh? Y-yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” “Yer lookin’ mighty pale right about now.”, Big Mac pointed out while his wife put a hoof on the filly’s forehead to check for a fever. “Ya sure yer alright?” “It doesn’t feel like you’re burning up. Really hope there wasn’t anything wrong with my cooking tonight.” Apple Bloom was unable to hide the concern in her voice, “Wait, don’t that mean we’d start gettin’ sick too?” “Listen, I feel just fine. Nothing’s wrong with me or the food. So can we please get a plate of apple fritter now?”, Scootaloo whined. “Alright, we’ll take ya at yer word; but if ya start ta feel worse later, you tell us. Understood?” After giving a simple nod at AJ’s words, Scootaloo and the other fillies were then greeted with dessert being dropped onto their plate. She wasted no time tearing into the gooey, doughy delight. Although try as she might to fully lose herself in the taste, her mind couldn’t bring itself move past what Babs had just told her; nor could she forget that nightmare she had yesterday morning. “Is this really just a big coincidence?” It had to be. Then again, her and her friends somehow found themselves connected to more and more tragedies lately, whether directly or indirectly. It’s no wonder that thinking of all this got the fur on the back of her neck standing up.