Foal Alone

by WeirdBeard

Chapter 3: Carol Of The Apples

Applebloom slowly opened her eyes. She felt cold and disoriented, but no worse for wear all things considering. Warmth was slowly spreading through her limbs, however, as she registered that she was near a fireplace. A blanket was draped over her small body, but no pony was around for her to question what had happened. What she could tell of her situation was that she now in a living room of a tiny cottage somewhere. The abode was rather humble, a few pictures hanging on the wall and a chair facing the fire. Two doors were along the opposite end of the room with little much else.

The filly racked her mind for clues on where she was. She remembered running away from Flim and Flam, escaping into the Everfree Forest, but beyond that... 'Wait! Ah was frozen in that ice patch with the Shoveler 'bout ta get me! What happened?! Was Ah dreaming?!' Applebloom interrogated herself.

While her musing continued, one of the doors creaked open loudly. The noise alerted the yellow filly and startled her even more to see the Shoveler limping towards her with something in his mouth.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Applebloom screamed. She immediately kicked the blanket off her body and hurriedly scooted away from the intruder. Her forehooves rose to her face in a sordid attempt at protecting herself as she continued to scream, eyes clenched tightly. "Please don't eat me!"

Just when she abandoned all hope and truly thought that this was the end, the filly felt something small pushed towards her. She cautiously opened one eye to peek at what the object was, instead to be surprised that it was a mug of hot chocolate. Perplexed, Applebloom lowered her hooves and looked up at the stallion before her.

His kind expression and welcoming smile eased the filly's fears as well as confused her. The Shoveler wasn't some sort of monster as she had previously thought nor how Big Mac and Applejack had described. Without his thick clothing, he looked just like any other stallion. A thick, silvery mane complimented his gray coat, but both were contrasted completely by his warm golden eyes. Applebloom couldn't help but glance at his backside for a cutie-mark which, sure enough, was a pair of crossed shovels.

"Uhh... thanks," she finally said. The Shoveler watched her expectantly until she finally took a sip of the hot chocolate. Applebloom savored the rich taste and the warming sensation it gave as it traveled down her throat. It wasn't the best hot chocolate ever, but she appreciated it nonetheless. Her eyes returned to the stallion before her. "Did ya save me from that ice?"

The Shoveler simply nodded, still keeping that warm smile. When he didn't say anything, the filly continued. "Thanks fer savin' my life. Ah'm sorry fer screaming at ya like that earlier. My name's Applebloom, what's yer name?" she softly asked.

Instead of answering normally though, the gray stallion waved a hoof at his throat. Applebloom cocked her in confusion, unsure of what he meant. "What's wrong? Something caught in yer throat?” the filly asked.

At her question, the stallion shook his head and instead pointed at his jaw. A rough, jagged scar traced around the higher part of his neck. Though it was healed, it still depicted a painful experience. Applebloom shuddered, but nodded her head understandingly. "What happened?"

In response, the Shoveler nodded to the fireplace mantle. The yellow filly stood up, trotting over to better look at the pictures atop it. Each photo showcased the stallion beside her, along with two ponies that would most likely be his parents. Years separated the pictures, going from foalhood to what must have been a few years ago. One was inside of a family room, another from an outdoor picnic, and another from the groundbreaking for what appeared to be the family business. It seemed that the stallion's talent was generational as well, each pony in the picture possessing a cutie mark that connected with his. Smiles and happy memories radiated from the collection. It was the last frame, though, that caught Applebloom's attention: a newspaper article.

'Tragic accident strikes Slate Factory. Officials are still unable to determine the cause, but a malfunction in the local family business' production line triggered a massive domino effect. Unfinished products were shot out in all directions and issued severe structural damage, but, most unfortunately, claimed the lives of Gray Slate and Ruby Trowel. We mourn such a heavy loss to our community and pray for the sake of their son, Little Slate, who is still in intensive care at Canterlot Medical.'

Applebloom's breath caught in her throat as she pieced together the Shoveler's story. She tried to say something, anything, to reassure the stallion, but nothing seemed appropriate. It wouldn't change what had happened to his family. What bothered her was that he was now viewed as some sort of monster and not as a pony who had been traumatized.

Lightly pressing a hoof to his throat, the Shoveler quietly rasped, "It was my fault."

"What?! No way, it was an accident!" Applebloom protested.

The stallion shook his head slowly. He began to speak, but the action itself cost him a sharp pain. "We had a fight that day. I said a lot of terrible things... and then I shoved my father against the factory machine. I didn't know all that chaos would happen and I couldn't stop it in time. They're gone because of me."

"But it's not yer fault," Applebloom explained. She trotted closer to him and stared up at the stallion until he met her gaze. "Ya can blame yerself all ya want fer what happened, but yer still a good pony. Otherwise Ah'd still be frozen out there. Ya saved my life, Little Slate."

The Shoveler stiffened a bit from the sound of his name, his eyes flickered to the photos atop the fireplace. When he didn't say anything, Applebloom continued. "Arguments and accidents happen, but we can't let them ruin the bonds we have." She measured his expression, waiting to see if she overstepped her bounds. Pointing a hoof at the pictures, she reasoned, "It's the little things that matter in the end. The ponies ya care about and the memories ya make with them, yer fam-,"

Applebloom paused. Family. The word seemed to echo in her mind as she realized she had wished to be alone for Hearth's Warming Eve. Alone for Hearth's Warming Eve, the holiday that was completely dedicated to spending time with loved ones. They should have been back at the farm and-. "THE FARM!" she exclaimed.

Little Slate cocked his head in confusion, but the filly didn't halt her loud epiphany. "Flim and Flam are about ta rob my home! Ah have ta stop them!"

Before the stallion could so much as breath in to voice his concern, Applebloom shot away and out his front door. She galloped through the edge of the Everfree Forest, towards the direction of her home. 'Ah may have ruined my own Hearth's Warming Eve, but Ah'll be darned if Ah let those two nincompoops ruin it fer my family,' she thought defiantly. One way or another, she was going to find a way to save the barn.

Thankfully, the filly had more than a few ideas on how to do so.

"Will you stop that shivering, Flim?! Your teeth are going to fall apart if they keep chattering like that!" the mustached stallion scolded his brother.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Not like I was frozen in a giant ice-cube! Nope, I'm just over-reacting!" Flim argued.

Flam rolled his eyes. "Ugh, stop being such a filly, we've got work to do."

Several hours had passed since they had chased Applebloom out into the forest, Flim had to de-thaw after all, and they were finally ready to ransack the Apple's home. The evening's darkness provided a good cover for the duo, but that hardly mattered since no pony was around anyway. Either way, they approached the farmhouse now with an air of confidence as well as a slight grudge held between themselves. It was almost four in the morning now and neither of the two were as enthused as they once were about revenge.

Just when Flam stepped up the porch and was about to open the door, Flim hurriedly stopped him. "Wait! What if that little brat left something behind since she knew she was a goner."

"Are you off your rocker? She was just a little filly, brother of mine. A filly that we don't have to worry about thanks to the Everfree," the sharper stallion replied.

Flim shook his head. "I'm not risking it! I'll go through the back instead," he said, hopping off the porch and advancing to the rear of the house.

"Ugh, whatever," Flam retorted. He rolled his eyes and raised his hoof to the doorknob. No pony locked their doors in Ponyville, especially during this time of peace in Equestria. It was to the unicorn's shock that he now found it completely jammed shut. Not only that, but now hoof was stuck to the knob. "What sorcery is this?!" he muttered.

He leaned closer to the door and sniffed, a strong familiar scent filling his nostrils. 'Tree sap? Well that's just swell,' Flam thought. He placed his other forehoof against the knob to push himself free. Only to realize his ridiculous mistake now that both his hooves were caught in the sticky substance. "Nancy's trousers, open!" he exclaimed as he smashed his body against the door.

Meanwhile, Flim was having similar misfortune entering the house. He had forced a window open, but was having difficulty fitting his lanky body through the frame. It was a small miracle when he finally squeezed through the opening. Not so miraculous though when his hooves landed upon a floorboard that instantly see-sawed upwards and smacked his face.

"YEOW! Hiney h-!" he shouted, but was cut off as his hindquarters pushed up another floorboard to flatten his nose. Grumbling, the stallion rubbed his head and scooted along the floor instead of walking. He didn't care about the strange, glittery substance that covered his pathway. That is until the effect of the itching powder took its toll upon the unaware unicorn.

Flim began scratching his body, desperately trying to rid the annoying sensation. When that didn't work, he banged against the furniture around the back kitchen with little success. Fortunately, his rudimentary flopping had bumped a jar of something from the table to land in front of him. With anxiety, he read the label out loud, "Anti-itch cream? Oh thank Celestia, yes please."

He immediately removed the lid and began spreading the gel all over his body and mane. It seemed to be working quite well and relief flowed through his senses. Grinning, he looked back at the jar, but found the label had peeled off to reveal something else. "Greasy Gear's Unwanted Hair Remover?" he read skeptically.

Flim dropped the jar and took in a deep breath. "Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!"

On the other side of the house, Flam had managed to escape from the front door trap with a little bit of ingenuity. Or rather, removing the handle from the door yet leaving it stuck on his hooves as he trotteded around. The unicorn recognized his brother's scream and called out, "Flim? What's going on, where are you?"

He ventured on further into the home and entered the living room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as he gazed about the quarters in search of valuables. Now was the time for vengeance, his brother was probably fine anyway. Flam's musings, however, didn't allow him to view the narrow band of ribbon in his path. Continuing on, his expression contorted to one of perplexity as he felt the strange plastic warp to his upper lip and jaw.

"What the-," he said, raising an eyebrow. The unicorn brought his hooves, still adorned with the doorknob, to his face and pulled at the unknown assailant. Whether part of the original trap or just crazy happenstance, the metal scratched against a stitched fuse and set it ablaze. Little did Flam know that he had just ignited a chain of firecrackers right on his face.

Pop! "Ow!" Pop pop pop! "Ow ow!" Popopopopopopopopopop! "OOOWWWWW!!!"

The comedy of errors happening within the living room had reached Flim's ears as he cautiously approached the source. Each step brought more pain to the unicorn, but he trotted on to find his brother in a sorry state akin to his own.

"Flam? I don't think that filly kicked the bucket in the Everf- MOTHER'S BEARD, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR MUSTACHE?!" the now itch-free stallion exclaimed in surprise.

Sure enough, Flam's majestic facial hair was a thing of the past. Now it was simply smoldering stubble on his face. "What happened to me, what happened to you?! You look like that hideous naked mole rat the neighbor kept all those years ago!"

Truth be told, Flim looked worse than that. All of his body hair and mane was completely shed and left him quite pitiful looking. Hairless for Hearth's Warming Eve, what a horrible fate. Before a response could be made though, a younger filly's voice interrupted them.

"Ya stallions give up or are ya thirsty fer more?"

Both Flim and Flam's attention shot up to the height of the staircase behind them. Much like an adorable harbinger of doom, Applebloom proudly stood and smiled at the two. "Ya can just go home ya know."

Flam's stunned reaction rapidly changed to anger, eyes glowing wildly. "You're done for, brat!" he shouted, rushing for the stairs. As he reached the first step, the unicorn heard a loud series of thunks. The noise disrupted his progress and caused him to look back up. To his shock, Applebloom had unleashed a barrage of bowling balls down towards him.

"WHOOAAAAA-OOMPH!" Flam shouted, tripped up by the multiple projectiles and being launched right back into Flim.

Applebloom pounded a hoof in the air and joyfully cheered. "Yesyesyes, steeeerike!"

Her excitement would be short-lived unfortunately, as the brothers soon pushed themselves up and rushed the stairs yet again. She hurriedly fled to the last bedroom with Flim and Flam in hot pursuit. "I'm gonna scalp her and use her bow as a new mustache!" Flam jeered at Flim.

Bursting through her bedroom door, Applebloom galloped to her open window and latched onto the zip-line she had previously set up. Thankfully, all of her evening's preparations were going according to plan Who knew all of her 'failed' attempts at getting a cutie mark while crusading would come in handy so well.

"C'mon slowpokes, ya better catch me before Celestia's real guards get here," she goaded the enraged brothers. Before either had even come close to her, the filly pushed away from the window and sped down the zip-line.

Her safe landing in the yard angered Flam even more. The unicorn was almost to the point of foaming at the mouth, barking to his brother, "Get over here, we have to get her!"

"I don't know, Flam, I'm kinda scared of heights and-" Flim began, but was quickly interrupted by Flam.

"Just do it, you wimp!" the once-mustached stallion yelled.

Soon, the pair had retrieved ropes to use the zip-line and pushed away from the window. Unbeknownst to both brothers, Applebloom was now cutting the anchor point to cause another blunder for them. It wasn't until it was too late that they realized the zip-line had now been severed. Screaming, Flim and Flam plummeted to a painful crash on the ground below them. Seeing her job was finished, the filly turned to retreat to Ponyville. She was sure their fall would leave them dazed for a while.

"Flim, you bonehead," Flam angrily said, smacking a hoof against his brother's bald head. The punch jostled Flim's head and caused his horn to spontaneously fire off shocking spells. To everypony's surprise, one such bolt ricocheted from tree to tree until it collided into Applebloom. Unfortunately for the filly, it was still strong enough to incapacitate her and force her to the ground.

Her eyes turned in their sockets as she looked up from his prone position. Even worse, Flim and Flam eventually entered her line of sight. "Oh how the tables have turned, little brat," Flim chided.

Applebloom was powerless to resist, her body was still seizing up from the spell. To her chagrin, the brothers pulled her up to her hooves and grinned wickedly. "Hold onto her, Flim," Flam commanded his brother. His eyes narrowed at the filly. "You have no idea how much I'm going to enjoy this."

"Don't forget to save some for me, brother of mine," the hairless unicorn reminded.

Applebloom closed her eyes, terrified of the fate that now befell her. 'Ah'm so sorry, everypony. Please forgive me fer that stupid wish. Ah want ta be with ya'll fer Hearth's Warming Eve,' she thought.

Flam's horn radiated brightly, his anger energizing the spell into something far worse. The filly bowed her head in anticipation. She felt it was what she deserved after all.

WHACK!

In a split second, Flam was knocked out cold onto the ground. His horn lost its charge completely and dulled out with his unconsciousness. Flim looked about wildly in the dark and exclaimed, "Oh come on!"

WHACK!

Just like his brother, Flim fell over unconscious from the sudden attack. Applebloom opened her eyes, surprised at the twist of events. It brought her overwhelming joy to find her most recent friend by her side. "Little Slate! Ya saved me! Again!"

The stallion smiled and nodded to the little filly. With barely any effort, he scooped up Applebloom into an embrace. It surprised her, but she quickly returned the gesture.

"Applebloom?!" a mare's voice called out.

Applebloom's ears perked, looking over Little Slate's shoulder to see her big sister. "Applejack!" she exclaimed. She gently eased out of his grasp and galloped towards the orange mare. With little forewarning, the filly pounced into a tackling hug upon her sister. "Ah'm so-so-so-so-so-so-so-so sorry, sis! That was really selfish of me making that stupid wish, can ya ever forgive me?"

Applejack's eyes widened. "Me forgive you? Applebloom, Ah'm the one who should be apologizin'. Are ya okay?" she asked, prodding her little sister.

The filly smiled. "Ah am now, big sis. Ah am now."

"That's good, 'cuz ya have a lot of explainin' ta do, missy!" an elderly voice exclaimed. Applebloom peeked around her sister's hooves to not only find Granny Smith and Big Mac, but the rest of the Apple family as well.

Her grin widened even further, spreading from ear to ear. "Ya'll came back? Fer me?" Applebloom asked.

"Eeyup!" Big Mac replied.

Applejack turned her little sister back around to face her. "That's right, little sis. No Apple gets left behind. 'Specially not on Hearth's Warming Eve," she explained, nuzzling Applebloom's cheek.

The filly's eyes welled up with tears of joy. "Awwwwww. Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, everypony!"

At her jovial shout, every member of the Apple family gathered around and shared in Applebloom's happiness. It took several questions, but eventually Applebloom was able to explain everything that had happened. Even Little Slade was decreed an honorary Apple as they took their party inside the farmhouse. Flim and Flam were promptly detained by royal guards and taken far away from the merriment being held at Sweet Apple Acres. Indeed, everything turned out for the better for little Applebloom. For her, it was the best Hearth's Warming Eve ever.

Yes, even with Mushy Core.