//------------------------------// // Ch 18. Breakfast Antics // Story: Shouldn't Be // by Lumadous //------------------------------// Arriving at the Apple house I was greeted by a scene of chaos, the three rambunctious ponies had apparently invaded the kitchen and had somehow startled Granny Smith who was defending her flapjacks from ‘them young hooligans’. The three brothers were trying their hardest to apologize to her, but she either didn’t hear them or was ignoring them as she waved her wooden spoon threatening at them. “Granny Smith!” Yelled Applejack. “Oh Applejack, help me wrangle these varmints outta here! They came in beggin’ me for food!” “Ugh, not again, how did I get stuck with these three again?” Muttered Fortune under her breath. “But all we did was ask for a couple!” Protested Flush. “Do I look like a restaurant?” “No, but we will give you a discount on the improvements to your home!” Begged Square. “No, we won’t,” Fortune muttered again. “We will even renovate a barn or two if you just feed us some of those delicious smelling flapjacks!” The huge Earth pony was on his knees begging her. “We’re doing what for free?” Fortune objected loudly. “Do not worry young one, I will be covering all expenses, I do have a thousand years worth of salary to spend.” Luna joked as she walked into the kitchen, causing Granny Smith to flop herself into a deep bow far quicker than I thought possible for a pony her age. “Stand elder, I do not wish for you to bow to me, while it is flattering, I simply want to sample some of these ‘flapjacks’.” “But Princess—” Started Granny Smith. “Luna, just Luna.” “Don’t interrupt me young whippersnapper! As I was saying, surely you don’t want some farm food, your fancy chefs probably cook better!” “Don’t sell yourself short Granny! You cook the best flapjack in all of Equestria!” Piped up Apple Bloom as she settled into her usual seat at the table. “Don’t worry Granny, I’ll help ya cook.” Said Applejack gently as she took the wooden spoon from her. “Oh fine! I guess I will cook for you ruffians, but we are out of room in the kitchen, so SHOO!” She said making waving gestures with her hooves towards the door. “But hey! Me and Scoots live here too!” I protested as she herded me with the rest. “Scoots?” She asked, confused. “Yeah, me and Applejack kinda adopted Scootaloo.” “Kinda? How do you ‘kinda’ adopt me?” She said with a pout that could melt the arctic ice caps. “You an’ Applejack? Is there something I need to know?” Asked Granny Smith as she still shuffled me towards the door. “Um, yes...” Began Applejack. “Well go on?” She asked skeptically, pausing for a moment. “I’m kinda engaged now. I was meaning to tell ya later, in private.” She said nervously, rubbing her hooves together, with a bright blush spreading across her face. “Engaged?! To Cass?!” She hollered. “But Granny—” She started to protest. “Don’t ‘but Granny’ me youngin’, why didn’t you tell me earlier! This here is the best news I’ve had since they done replaced my hip!” She hollered happily. Applejack smiled at her grandmother's enthusiastic response, though it looked to me like she was still worried about something. Granny Smith, now distracted by happiness, went over and started cooking up a large stack of flapjacks, happily humming some old forgotten song to herself as she worked. Sliding up next to Applejack I leaned down to whisper privately into her ear. “What’s wrong? And don’t even try to tell me everything’s fine, you’re a horrible liar and we both know it.” “Ah’m worried what Big Mac will say, he ain’t always been the greatest of fans of ya.” “Tell me about it, I think he actually broke one of my ribs.” “Oh, you mean this one!” She said playfully as she poked me gently. “And I thought Big Mac was the mean one.” I teased back as I tickled her neck, causing her to giggle. “Perhaps thou would like to get a room before thee, proceeds...” Luna said. With a blush we quickly stepped apart, like two teenagers caught kissing by their parents we both mumbled apologies and sat quickly at the table next to each other. Granny Smith, who was completely oblivious to what had just happened, came over depositing plates heaped high with flapjacks in front of everypony at the table, and with a smile she patted Applejack on her head and said. “You make me so proud, now if only your mother could see you now, she would be giddy with happiness.” The old pony continued rambling to herself as she went back to cooking more flapjacks for the three ponies who were ‘patiently’ waiting by the window, following her every move with their eyes. You would think that they had never seen food before in their lives. “What about me?!” Protested Fortune, who was too short to even look up onto the table fully without standing in the seat. “Oh, I didn’t even see you dear, here have an extra large plate, you need to eat more if you wanna grow up big and strong.” Granny Smith said as she put down a plate piled high with a stack of flapjacks bigger than the little filly. “Umm, thank you.” she said hesitantly, peaking around the stack at the rest of the table. “An just don’t think I’m gonna let you leave, you gotta clear your plate first young missy!” Called Granny Smith as she went back to cooking. I felt I tapping on my knee and looked down to see that Fortune was kicking it, “Help me please!” She whispered. With a chuckle I grabbed the top few pancakes and flung them out the window, where the three brothers all caught them with their mouths like dogs catching frisbees. The three brothers quickly gobbled them up with great pleasure and then resumed their position underneath the window. Looking back at Granny Smith I saw that she was still completely oblivious to the clandestine happenings behind her. Grabbing another couple I put them on a plate and slide it out the still open door where Sasha scooped it up and disappeared around the corner with it, his smile taking up the majority of his face. The stack in front of Fortune was now a more manageable size for the small filly, I turned back to my stack in front of me only to catch Applejack as she speared one of mine and stole it with a sly grin. “Hey! That was mine!” I protested. “Nope, see, it’s on my plate.” She said as she spread maple syrup all over it and started cutting it into bit sized chunks. Reaching around her I tapped her on the opposite shoulder, and when she looked in the direction, I grabbed her plate and swapped it with mine. Applejack, turning to face her plate again, stabbed at her plate without looking and was rewarded with a ‘clink’ as it bounced off of it. Startled she looked down then over at my plate. “See, it’s on my plate.” I teased, taking a bite of the pancake with great gusto. “Well, seein’ how breakfast is over,” she said, collecting both of our plates before I could grab it back, trotted over to the sink and deposited them there, “Let’s talk business, what improvements are you doin’ to my house exactly? And how much are they gonna cost me?” Fortune, looking up from her plate, maple syrup covering her face, and said with delight in her voice, “Oh, don’t worry, I got it all figured out for you!” As she tried to hide her smug grin behind a hoof.