//------------------------------// // Day 4: Adventures in Apple Loosa // Story: Cutie Bloom // by Black Kyurem //------------------------------// ~ Day 4 ~ "If ah can't find mah special talent in Ponyville, ah'll just have to go somewhere where ah can." The next morning, the train that Apple Bloom had secretly boarded soon arrived at Apple Loosa, which had the appearance of an old western town. Once Apple Bloom got off the train, she was immediately seen by Braeburn, Applejack's cousin. "Hey! Apple Bloom!" Braeburn trotted over to greet the little red-haired filly. "Cousin Braeburn!" They nuzzled heads. "I haven't seen you in a long time! Look at you! You sure have grown! Oh, almost forgot. Welcome to A-a-a-pple Looosa! So, what can I do ya for, little cuz?" Apple Bloom's tummy growled, causing her to giggle sheepishly. "Ah... guess ah'm hungry." "Well, there's nothin' like startin' your day with a good breakfast! And I think I know just the thing for ya!" Braeburn led Apple Bloom to the town's apple orchard and took her to Bloomberg, Applejack's recently transplanted tree, which sat on top of a hill. "This here's Bloomberg, brought from Sweet Apple Acres to our town by your sister Applejack! And she's got some mighty fine apples just freshly grown." With his own apple-bucking rear hooves, he was able to knock several apples out of the tree, which fell into a basket. Apple Bloom immediately started eating the apples, one after another. Soon, she was sitting in the basket, patting her now plump belly, full of apples. "I'm glad you could come and visit, Apple Bloom," said Braeburn. "I can't wait to show you around Apple Loosa." "Actually, Braeburn," said Apple Bloom hesitantly. "Ah gotta tell ya somethin' first." Braeburn looked perplexed, but at the same time sensed that Apple Bloom had something on her mind. "Ah came here because... ah wasn't happy in Ponyville." "Huh? I don't get it. But you're lucky, Apple Bloom! You live with Applejack on Sweet Apple Acres, well known for the finest apples in all of Equestria! That there's got a mighty fine farm life for ya! How were ya not happy?" "Oh no, ah was always happy with mah farm life. Applejack is the best sister ah could ask for!" She looked down sadly. "It's mah school life ah'm not happy with." "Hm?" "Cousin Braeburn, i-it's like this..." And so Apple Bloom told Braeburn what exactly had been troubling her this entire time. "Cutie marks, huh?" said Braeburn, looking at his own and sighing. "Well, I'm afraid I really don't know much about 'em to be honest. I didn't think much about them when I was a colt. I just got mine when I got mine, I guess." "It's okay. Ah didn't think you'd know much." "I'm so sorry, Apple Bloom. You know, that... things just aren't working out well for you. I know life throws us curveballs, but..." He sighed. "Ah just thought maybe ah could find my callin' here or somethin'," Apple Bloom continued. "Ah came here to start because ah knew ah at least had family here." Braeburn smiled warmly at Apple Bloom, hearing this. "Apple Bloom, cousin, you're always gonna be welcome here at Apple Loosa with me. Now make no mistake, I understand why you're not ready to go back to Ponyville, but I'll feel mighty bad about myself if I don't tell Applejack you're at least safe and sound." Apple Bloom looked guilty. "How 'bout at least I show you around?" offered Braeburn. This cheered his cousin up. And to her surprise, Braeburn put his hat on Apple Bloom's head. "Why don't you wear this for a while, pardner?" They both beamed at each other. --- Applejack had not slept well last night. Business at Sweet Apple Acres was running slow, as both Applejack and Big Macintosh were not at the top of their game, worried sick over their little sister Apple Bloom. They did know that they would have to step things up, but they would not stop worrying until they would at least hear of her whereabouts. Winona watched the ponies with worry. In Ponyville, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were so sad that they didn't want to do any crusading. Perhaps even earning their cutie marks would not make them happy without Apple Bloom by their side. But their misery was doubled up with the occasional denizens glowering at them and turning their noses away. "So... you're missing your little friend, are you?" said a rather grumpy elder with a golf club cutie mark. "Well, I hope you've learned your lessons, you miserable little fillies. We got no more privacy in Ponyville thanks to you." This, if anything, stung Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo hard. It became clear to them that nopony in Ponyville would be liable to help search for their lost friend. They cried in each other's hooves. Back at the Golden Oaks Library, Twilight was looking through some books using her magic. "Twilight!" said Spike all of a sudden. "How can you think of reading at a time like this? Applejack's heart is breaking!" "I know what I'm doing, Spike," Twilight insisted. "I'm pretty sure one of these books mentions everything there is about bullying." Spike rolled his eyes. "Okay, so some jerk fillies poke fun at Apple Bloom who knows how many times and she runs away. What's the big deal?" "The big deal is the possible number of consequences that can come from bullying," said Twilight. "Being bullied is a very big deal, especially if somepony is constantly targeted again and again. Ah, here it is! Spike, it's imperative that Applejack should hear this too. See if you can bring her here." "You got it, Twi!" And so Spike left the library to find Applejack immediately. --- Meanwhile, at Apple Loosa, Apple Bloom has having a lot of fun sightseeing with Braeburn, having temporarily forgotten her problems in Ponyville. She even took part in sketching horse-drawn carriages, helping with construction work, wild west dances and mild west dances. Even Little Strongheart from her buffalo tribe had paid a visit and was dancing alongside Apple Bloom. "Y'know, Braeburn," said Apple Bloom while dancing around, still wearing Braeburn's hat. "Ah don't think ah wanna leave this place. Ah wanna stay here with you!" "Well," chuckled Braeburn. "That's mighty flattering of you, cuz, but I wouldn't want you to worry Applejack and your real family." "But ah don't wanna go back to Ponyville," Apple Bloom protested. Braeburn just looked at her. Soon, they had hunkered down in the apple orchard to talk privately. Braeburn was back to wearing his hat. "Ah don't wanna be called 'blank flank forever'," Apple Bloom went on, almost in tears. "Ah don't wanna be picked on cause ah have no cutie mark. Please, cousin Braeburn... please! If Applejack finds out where ah am, ah know she'll come and bring me back to Ponyville and ah don't wanna have to go back to livin' mah old life!" "Well, uh, do you still have friends back in Ponyville?" Braeburn asked. This realization nailed Apple Bloom hard. She realized that she not only abandoned Applejack and her family, but also Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Cheerilee as well. Here at Apple Loosa, she was just starting fresh. While this thought stung her, she also remembered what was keeping her from going back to Ponyville. Her head was spinning over everything. "Ah just don't know what to do anymore," she finally said and broke down sobbing. Braeburn stayed by her side and put his hoof around her, feeling sorry for her. --- Back in the Ponyville library, Twilight read the article she found on bullying to Applejack. "It says here that bullying can lower a pony's self-esteem, cause severe depression, increase anxiety, and can even drive a pony into doing irrational things. Victims of bullying tend to suffer from chronic psychological harm." "Eh... can I get that in English?" said Applejack, not quite understanding the last words Twilight said. "Meaning recurring depression and emotional pain." "Oh." "Wait, there's more," Twilight continued. "It says here that bullying itself can be considered a crime and if steps are not taken to prevent bullying, then it would be considered violating a law." "Oh my..." "And here it says that in worst-case scenarios, victims are lead into so much unshakable depression, that they are driven to..." Twilight suddenly gasped upon what she then stumbled across. "What is it, Twi?" Applejack asked, as if ready to hear the worst. Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat and continued. "Victims of bullying can be driven to... take their own lives." Applejack let out a terribly loud gasp. "Oh, mah poor Apple Bloom!" she cried. "This is all mah fault! Ah didn't see the signs! And all she wanted was her cutie mark! What if Apple Bloom ran away to... leave us forever?" Applejack broke down completely and cried on the library floor. "Calm down, Applejack. I'm sure Apple Bloom isn't that insensible." "She has so much to live for here," Applejack wept. "Why would she ever run away?!" "Hmm..." Twilight pondered for a minute. "I'm gonna go talk to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Maybe they know something." So Twilight went walking around Ponyville until she found the two rich fillies she was looking for and proceeded to question them. "Excuse me, girls," she said. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked round. "Can I ask you a few questions?" Diamond Tiara opened her mouth to speak first, as if to refuse possible interrogation, but Silver Spoon spoke up quickly first. "Certainly, Twilight Sparkle," she said politely. "What can we do for you?" "I heard you two are disrespectful to fillies and colts who don't have their cutie marks," said Twilight, narrowing her eyes a bit. "I want to know why this is." "Pfft," snorted Diamond Tiara. "Oh, don't get me started on blank flanks. They're such babies!" Twilight was aghast, but was able to retain her cool. "Well, that's not very nice. And I think you two should be more respectful to everypony. If you hurt somepony else's feelings, that's really not a good thing." "Who cares about feelings?" sneered Diamond Tiara, starting to walk away. "You're wasting my time. Now this made Twilight angry and rightfully so. She used her magic to bring Diamond Tiara back to her and hold her aloft. "You listen to me!" said Twilight. "Those are the meanest words I've ever heard coming from anypony's mouth! And of all the ponies of Equestria, it had to be you! Now I mean it! This needs to stop!" "And if I don't?" said Diamond Tiara with defiance. "You're not my dad!" Twilight breathed heavily through her nostrils, but released Diamond Tiara from her magic grip. "Apple Bloom's gone," said Twilight. Silver Spoon gasped but Diamond Tiara just looked surprised. "She's run away from home. Applejack and I think you two might have something to do with this." "Well, then I finally got to that blank flank, didn't I?" There was a hint of pride in her voice and she didn't feel sorry at all. "Diamond Tiara, you've just made one less blank flank for Ponyville to worry about." "How can you say that?!" growled Twilight. "Oh, don't be so uptight. Everypony in Ponyville doesn't like those three Cutie Mark Losers anyway. So I'm doing them a favor. Come on, Silver Spoon! One down, two to go!" Diamond Tiara walked away laughing. Silver Spoon hesitated at first, but soon left with her. Twilight was furious, but she simply turned away, unable to look at the fillies anymore. "I thought there was good in everypony. I guess I was wrong..." A single tear rolled down her cheek. --- That night at Apple Loosa, Braeburn got a mattress ready for Apple Bloom to spend the night. "At least ah had fun today," said Apple Bloom. "Ah don't care that ah didn't get mah cutie mark. Ah can always try again tomorrow." "Yeah, that's the spirit, cuz," said Braeburn, tossing his hat on a bed post for the night. "Look, I know why you don't wanna go back to Ponyville, but it is your home... your real home." "It doesn't feel like home," said Apple Bloom miserably. "Home is where ah feel welcome for who ah am and those bullies don't even care for blank flanks at all." "Well... if you really feel like you wanna stay, I'm always glad to have you around." Braeburn's kind words make Apple Bloom smile. She would definitely miss her old home, family, and friends, but she didn't want to be tormented for not having a cutie mark. She curled up into her mattress and went to sleep. Braeburn stroked her mane before jumping into his own bed to hit the hay. Tomorrow would be another day.