//------------------------------// // Day 5: Pitiless Ponyville // Story: Cutie Bloom // by Black Kyurem //------------------------------// ~ Day 5 ~ "Why does Ponyville hate her? Why won't anyone help me?" "Ah can't stand Apple Bloom bein' gone no longer," said Applejack the following morning as the sun went up to start a new day in Ponyville. "Ah want her back so badly ah'm gonna get everypony in Ponyville to find her if ah have to." "Applejack," said Twilight. "Don't drive yourself crazy looking for her." "She's mah little sister and she's out there somewhere! Ah just hope she didn't decide to take her own life. Ah'll never forgive those filly bullies if that happens!" "AJ, calm down. You've already got our help. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are ready to search outside of Ponyville. We will find Apple Bloom." "Ah hope so." "Oh yes, Applejack," assured Fluttershy sweetly. "Now where should I start... I know! I'll search my old home, Cloudsdale!" But this just earned her weird and awkward looks from her friends. "Oh, uh... Was it something I said?" "Cloudsdale, Fluttershy? Really?" said Applejack. "Apple Bloom is an Earth pony, not a Pegasus!" "Oh my," said Fluttershy. "I forgot. Sorry." Rarity did a facehoof and shook her head. "How far do you think you can fly?" Rainbow Dash asked Fluttershy. "Well, I... I guess I could try to make it to the Rambling Rock Ridge." "Now why would Apple Bloom go there?" "Oh, I don't know. I thought Applejack wanted us to search all over Equestria. "Rrrrrr... this is crazy, Applejack!" shouted Rainbow Dash, beginning to lose her patience. "We don't even know where to start looking!" "Do you think she could have taken a train somewhere?" asked Twilight. "She's too little to take a train all by herself!" snapped Applejack. "Well how else could she have disappeared without a trace? Let's ask if anypony at the train station has seen her before we start searching. That might help us a bit." --- Meanwhile, in Apple Loosa, Apple Bloom was staring off into the prairie, her mane and tail blowing in the soft wind. She looked sad and worried. "Apple Bloom?" Little Strongheart suddenly showed up behind her and walked up to the young filly. "Are you worried about yourself? I wish I could help you... but..." Apple Bloom just shook her head. "It's okay, Little Strongheart," she said. "But... the more times ah fail to get mah cutie mark, the more times ah wonder ah'm supposed to do with mah life. It makes no sense livin' just to be picked on and bein' called 'blank flank' all the time." "Are you thinking of leaving? Where will you go if you do?" "Ah don't know. Ah don't know what to do anymore." Braeburn had been watching the two of them talk with a somewhat saddened look on his face. Apple Bloom was just a little filly and the thought of her not being able to figure out her purpose in life was hard to grasp. Being bullied by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon didn't help her either. It had just made her self-esteem drop severely to the point where she felt useless and possibly unwanted. Although she had fun yesterday, her self-depression and lack of self-esteem was kicking in again, making her miserable. She turned around and decided to go back to Apple Loosa. Little Strongheart and Braeburn accompanied her. Apple Bloom showed a weak and small smile, knowing she was at least wanted by a few ponies, which was way better than nothing. --- Twilight and Applejack arrived at the Ponyville train station and started asking the ponies on duty if they knew of Apple Bloom's whereabouts. "Sorry, Twilight," said one of the station guards. "We haven't seen Apple Bloom around. If she took a train, she must have snuck aboard one somehow." "Do you know where the last train departed to?" "Not really. I think one left a couple of nights ago, but some of us are off the clock during evening hours." "Well, thank you anyway," said Twilight. "Come on, Applejack. Let's see if anypony in Ponyville is gonna help search for Apple Bloom. And so they started asking. "You what?" said Time Turner. Applejack had started asking ponies to help her search. "Please, Time Turner," she begged. "Ah need your help. Ah haven't seen Apple Bloom for at least two days. Ah'm asking y'all to help search for her. Ah don't know where she could have gone." "You know, I think this Apple Bloom conned me into buying an apple off her hooves and wouldn't leave me alone until I did. I think she and those other two fillies are just looking for trouble." "Well that doesn't mean we should just leave poor Apple Bloom hangin'! Please! Ah'd really appreciate all the help ah can get." "Then you're gonna have to ask somepony else. I don't think Ponyville can handle any more triple trouble." Time Turner left in a huff, leaving Applejack crushed. "Please, Golden Harvest!" Twilight was asking another pony. "Are you kidding?" said Golden Harvest. "Do you have any idea how much trouble those three fillies have caused?" "That was then and this is now. Apple Bloom is just a filly. If anything has happened to her, she won't make it on her own." "That's not my problem. And I don't think it's Ponyville's problem either. I'm not helping." Twilight snorted. "Fine. Be that way." "You're out of your mind," said Minuette, whom Applejack tried asking. "I'd much rather not see them together again," said Shoeshine, whom Twilight had tried asking. Twilight and Applejack quickly met up in the town square. "I can't believe the citizens are behaving this way," said Twilight, exasperated. "Why? Why does Ponyville hate her?" Applejack asked rhetorically. "Ah don't even know why in the hay they hate the Cutie Mark Crusaders! Sure they got into trouble loads of times, but their hearts have been in the right places every time. Oh, ah don't care how much Ponyville hates Apple Bloom! Ah just want her back! Ah'll be there for her to make sure that nopony lays a hoof on her!" That's when they saw Granny Smith talking with Filthy Rich. "...and when we woke up the next mornin', she was gone!" said Granny Smith, visibly saddened. "We don't know why in Equestria she would leave her happy li'l farm life behind." "Not to worry, Granny Smith," said Filthy Rich. "I'll run a search for your missing granddaughter immediately. It's the least I can do for all the good businesses we agree to." "In that case, I thank you most kindly, Filthy." "Um... I still prefer Rich, if you don't mind." "Hey, I know a few ponies we can ask," said Twilight to Applejack. They first found Cheerilee in the town square. "Cheerilee, have you heard?" asked Twilight. "Oh yes, Twilight," replied Cheerilee. "I've already started looking wherever I can. Some of my students have volunteered, even though they're on summer vacation." Next, they came to Sugarcube Corner to ask Mr. and Mrs. Cake. "Oh dear, yes, we heard about what happened," said Cup Cake. "I'm most awfully sorry, Applejack. "We'd be only too happy to help try and find Apple Bloom, but..." "But I'm afraid we don't have too much time," said Carrot Cake. "We have an enormous number of businesses to attend to, and we really aren't able to put them on hold. Catering is such a tough job sometimes." "We do have a few minutes to search all of Ponyville, if it helps," said Cup Cake. "Just do what you can, Mrs. Cake," said Twilight. After the Cakes began their search, Twilight and Applejack came to the house of Mayor Mare, Ponyville's elected top official, in hopes that she would at least be courteous. "Oh yes, I heard all about it," said the Mayor. "I'm truly sorry, Applejack. You've done so much for Ponyville already that I just can't say no. I know those three fillies can be... mischievous as a group. But they are just fillies and Apple Bloom certainly doesn't deserve what she's been through. I'll see what I can do." She then accompanied Twilight and Applejack as they started another search throughout Ponyville. "Do you have any idea why many of the ponies are being so stubborn?" asked Twilight. "It's always the same, I'm afraid," said the Mayor. "Some ponies come to me and demand restraining orders. Some even want me to sign eviction orders." "The nerve!" said Applejack. "Ah can't believe everypony's goin' around actin' like a bunch of mules!" At that time, they just happened to walk past that mule who just seems to show up when his kind is mentioned. Realizing it, Applejack quickly turned her head to face the mule and giggled sheepishly. "No offense." "None taken," said the mule. "But seriously," Twilight went on. "The worst that could happen is that Apple Bloom could take her own life and we can't let that happen!" "Oh, gracious, no," agreed the Mayor. "I'll see if I can persuade the citizens, but I can't promise you anything." "Don't try too hard." So the Mayor stood in the town square, addressing a group of ponies. Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were standing with the Mayor. "It is of utmost importance that I ask for your cooperation," said the Mayor to the ponies. "The little filly Apple Bloom is missing and the least we can do is double our search here in Ponyville." "Come on," said Noteworthy. "At least we have one less prankster to worry about." "Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't filed any criminal records against them," said Lemon Hearts. "I don't care what they've done to us," said the Mayor defiantly. "They are only fillies. They have much to learn. Apple Bloom deserves to come home safely." "I say we just throw out those troublemakers," said Twinkleshine. "Yeah, we've only got two with deal with, so why not?" suggested Lyra Heartstrings. The Mayor was taken aback. "B-because... nopony deserves that," she tried to argue. "We don't care!" argued Goldengrape. "Because of them, our private lives are all gone forever." "All that matters is that those three fillies get the heave-ho and not bother us again," said Cherry Berry. Applejack, Rarity, and even Rainbow Dash got upset. "But... they're just fillies..." said Applejack. "Ya can't do this... ya just can't..." "How can any of you even think of doing something so... horrible!" said Rarity, in tears. "And you think they're doing bad things?!" said Rainbow Dash. "Look at what you're doing!" But their words just made the other ponies, except the Mayor, leave in a huff. "It's no use," sighed the Mayor. "I can't force even my own people to do this. I'm sorry." Applejack slumped to the ground and cried bitterly, leaving Rarity and Rainbow Dash to comfort her. "Ah just hope she's okay... wherever she is..." Applejack wept softly. "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!" Fluttershy suddenly zoomed overhead and Rainbow Dash looked up. "Huh? Hey, Fluttershy! Wait up!" She took off and caught up to her. "Fluttershy, what is it? Did you find Apple Bloom?" "Oh no, Rainbow," she replied. "It's not that. I've missed Angel's feeding time! Oh, he's going to kill me!" Rainbow Dash watched Fluttershy fly away in disbelief over her words and did a facehoof while groaning. Eventually, sundown came and Fluttershy had just returned from an aerial search. Apparently, she had gone to Rambling Rock Ridge after all, but had no luck. "I'm sorry, Applejack," said Fluttershy softly. "I couldn't find Apple Bloom anywhere." Tears fell from Applejack's eyes out of sheer disappointment. "Oh, poor Apple Bloom," Fluttershy moaned. "It's mah fault..." whimpered Applejack. "It's mah fault..." "Oh, don't say that," said Fluttershy gently. "Ah knew she was always bein' bullied. Ah knew how badly she wanted her cutie mark. But ah wasn't prepared for this. Oh, please Celestia, please let Apple Bloom be all right. Ah'll do anythin' to make her happy! Ah just want her back!" And Applejack began to cry again. Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle came to Filthy Rich's estate and knocked on the door. Filthy Rich answered. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle?" he said. "What can I do for you?" "Filthy Rich," said Twilight. "We need to talk."