Family Appreciation Day
Apple Bloom glanced at the clock on the school wall, silently counting down how much time was left until class was dismissed. It was paradoxically far too close and far too distant for her tastes. She lowered her head and sighed. Family Appreciation Day could be such a hassle for some ponies and it always seemed unfair.
Earlier in the week Applejack had promised that she'd be there to talk to the class and show them a few things. She'd promised that she'd be there and on time and wow the class for her little sister. However with only ten minutes left it didn't seem like that was really going to happen. She knew that Applejack must've had a good reason for not being there, but that didn't make it easy to be the only one in class who didn't have a family member to present when you were scheduled to.
She was busy hoping that the current family member up had so much material prepared that class would just be dismissed before she was called. Normally only one family member came in on the weekly Family Appreciation Day but this week it had been a slight irregularity. It was Scootaloo's turn last week but none of her family had been able to make it so both she and Apple Bloom were scheduled for this week.
At the moment it was Scootaloo's turn and the class was being entertained by her father, a talented pegasi who worked as a chef at one of Ponyville's high class restaurants. Right now he was demonstrating some of his skills used in the kitchen and how he could use his wings for properly balancing ingredients and instruments and use them as an additional work surface as needed. It would be an understatement to say the rest of the class was impressed with his level of skill in flicking a wing to bring an apple up at just the right angle to be caught in his front hooves for preparation at slicing and dicing. Even that stuck up filly Diamond Tiara was watching with amazement as he moved with a nimbleness all his own, the delicate reflexes of each feather for something like flipping paperclips from one feather to another, the amount of dexterity he had that almost made him look like a circus performer rather than a chef.
"--And that class is how I go about preparing a salad so delectable even Princess Celestia herself enjoyed it," he said, concluding his presentation. He was met by an applaud was the impressed students. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to tend to an apple upside down cake, and if I'm not there one of those know nothing cooks will likely try and turn it right side up."
The classroom erupted with hysterics at the last remark. Cherilee and Scootaloo's father exchanged words before he departed back to the restaurant.
"Your dad is so cool," Sweetie Belle whispered to Scootaloo.
"Totally," Scootaloo replied and grinned as she sat back in her chair and crossed her forelegs.
"Alright now settle down class," Cherilee spoke up. Apple Bloom looked back up at the clock and realized that there were still eight minutes left until class was dismissed. Plenty of time for her to be called on, plenty of time for Applejack to show...and plenty of time for disappointment. "We have time for one more presentation today. Apple Bloom, who do you have for Family Appreciation Day?"
"Um...Miss Cherilee," Apple Bloom spoke up. Another glance at the doorway and nothing. No sign of Applejack approaching. "Ah don' think mah sister could make it today..." she said hesitantly.
"Tough luck, blank flank," Diamond Tiara muttered, but not too quietly.
"Is somepony in here makin' fun of mah little sister?" a voice from outside the building asked.
Apple Bloom didn't need to look behind her to know that something was up, but it certainly helped. She knew that wasn't Applejack's voice or even her accent. She was left confused until she saw just who it was that strolled into the school and approached the front. It definitely wasn't her sister Applejack, but rather her other sister Rainbow Dash!
The class was silent as Rainbow Dash walked to the front, not saying a word to anypony. Looking around it was a safe bet everyone was stunned by this turn of events; she certainly knew she was. For reasons that didn't make sense to her -it was an adult thing as Applejack had tried to explain to her- Rainbow Dash had always been so hesitant to make the announcement that she was now a part of the Apple family. It wasn't a matter of shame or embarrassment from what she'd been told but something far more complicated. She'd even requested -or more accurately pleaded- that she not reveal the news to her fellow crusaders but never specified why.
But now for whatever reason Rainbow Dash seemed to be confronting her hesitation as she stood in front of Cherilee's desk, wearing her stetson and hoofkerchief and fringed vest like she'd just come from Appleoosa.
"Sorry Miss Cherilee, Applejack couldn't make it so she asked me to fill in for her," Rainbow Dash said to the teacher before turning to face the class. "It seems she had to help out with some emergency critter wrangling for Fluttershy. Something about a loose grizzly bear or something."
"Well this is certainly a surprising change of events," Cherilee commented, uncertain of just what to say, "but you do understand that this is Family Appreciation, right Rainbow Dash?" she asked.
"Oh I know ma'am and that's why I'm here. The thing is...I am family. Apple Bloom is as much my sister as Applejack's," Rainbow Dash shakily explained.
"Rainbow Dash is your sister?" Scootaloo practically shouted to Apple Bloom when she found her voice again. She'd been completely taken off guard to see Rainbow Dash show up, and to hear this sudden revelation had provided her with an indescribable spark of excitement, "that's so cool!"
"They can't be sisters, they're not related! They're not even the same species! Apple Bloom is an earth pony, Rainbow Dash is a pegasus, they can't be family, it's impossible," Diamond Tiara stated firmly.
"Rainbow Dash is too mah sister!" Apple Bloom protested angrily and stood up to face her nemesis.
Things were quickly getting ugly and everypony could see it. Rainbow Dash face hooved at the turn of events and prepared to interrupt what could've been a physical encounter if it was allowed to fester.
However Cherilee was much quicker on the draw than her. "That's quite enough now girls," she stated firmly and stomped her hoof, distracting the two from their bickering to make them refocus their attention forward.
However Diamond Tiara wasn't about to let the matter rest just like that. "But Miss Cherilee they're obviously lying. There's no way Apple Bloom could have Rainbow Dash for a sister," she protested.
"Don' ya dare call mah sister a liar!" Apple Bloom yelled, ready to renew the fight over her family's honor.
Rainbow Dash had been doing her best to handle this matter. When Applejack had approached her and asked for her to go to Apple Bloom's school in her place because she was physically incapable of making it she'd been hesitant to actually do it. She didn't want to stand in front of a class and openly state her new family status. She would've preferred to be anywhere else but here and very nearly had been, but Applejack had had apparently thought things out and played dirty by appealing to her loyalty. "Do it fer the Apple family. Do it fer yer sister Apple Bloom," she remembered Applejack saying. "Do it 'cause yer our sister an' we love ya," she'd added to hammer the point home that this wasn't about her. And then Applejack had gone one step beyond loyalty and pulled the dirtiest, most underhoofed tactic she'd ever seen the cowpony employ. "Do it 'cause ah asked real nice an' said please." There was no way she could've refused after hearing that. She knew that and worst of all Applejack knew that.
Regardless of Applejack's use of dirty tactics, and the lingering question of just where she'd learned such strategies, she knew she couldn't stay away when somepony needed her to come to the rescue. She would've shown up for Apple Bloom...eventually.
But these fillies fighting was trying her patience and making the vein in her forehead throb underneath her stetson and she just couldn't take it anymore. "Everypony just shut up already!" she yelled, putting an immediate end to the bickering and leaving the whole class stunned and looking forward, Cherilee included. "Sorry about that everypony," she said in a more sheepish manner. She remained silent for a moment before feeling up to talking again.
"It's true that I wasn't born into the Apple family like some others have been, I'm not related in the traditional sense or anything like that. And a year ago I really wouldn't have believed what I'm saying either because I used to think like that. But then I learned first hoof that family isn't something you have to be born into, family is a whole lot more than that. What makes family is something that...that uh..." she paused as she tried to figure out what to say next, before turning to Cherilee for help, "what's that fancy word? Starts with a T and means it goes beyond something?"
"Do you mean transcends?" Cherilee suggested.
"Yeah that's it, thanks," she replied and turned back to the class, "family is something that transcends who you're born to. What makes family is who you care about, who you're willing to help even when you don't have to. Family is about coming together to pitch in and help even when you know it's gonna be difficult because you care about them more than you do yourself. Family is about...about taking somepony in when they've lost everything they've ever known and giving them the stability and support that they need."
She paused as she looked around the classroom. Some students were impressed and definitely listening. A few others seemed dismissive and not really paying any attention to what was being said; like they had all the answers already.
"Sounds more like charity than family to me," Diamond Tiara mused.
"I guess I could see how you could think that. But you're wrong on the matter, being family isn't the same as charity," Rainbow Dash explained and paused to consider what to say next. Even after so long this was something she really didn't like to talk about, and trying to explain it in depth just made it all the more difficult.
Why couldn't Twilight have been the one in need of adopting? She could've explained the matter a whole lot better than she could.
"When Apple Bloom and her family took me in after I lost my parents I wasn't living on the streets of Ponyville and begging for food, it wasn't anything like that. They didn't have any obligation to worry about how I was doing after my parents died. But regardless of that fact they did. They didn't supply me a place to stay and warm food because I needed it, they offered me a home where I'd be welcome and even loved. When I lost my family they said that they'd be my family and they didn't even hesitate, or ask anything of me in return. They did all that out of the kindness of their hearts because they genuinely cared about me. I can't tell you how much that meant to me. That's what family is all about."
It'd taken an imploring from her sister and the working up of a good deal of courage to come here and speak in front of the class about this subject, as well as revealing so much about herself in such a vulnerable manner. This wasn't talking about her aerial feats or the Sonic Rainboom or anything that she could do better than anypony else, this was about her specifically. And now that she'd said what she had to say she was starting to feel somewhat exposed and uncomfortable.
"Sounds like just a lot of talk to me," Silver Spoon commented from her seat across from Diamond Tiara. "How exactly is any of that different from what friends do?"
Rainbow Dash frowned. Apple Bloom had told her about these fillies and she could see that what she'd heard was true. They definitely weren't the nicest ones in class, but there wasn't much she could do about it. But then an idea came to her as those words echoed in her ears.
"Tell me something, you and Diamond Tiara are friends right? Would you take her in if something happened and her father couldn't care for her anymore?" she asked, putting the gray filly in the spot.
"Me? Well I...I...uh..." she stammered, unable to answer the question that'd taken her off guard.
"What about you?" she asked as she turned her gaze to Diamond Tiara, "do you have enough charity to take in Silver Spoon if she was in need, even if you wouldn't get any compensation out of it?"
"Huh?" Diamond Tiara asked in response, but Rainbow Dash didn't even given her a chance to try and form an answer.
"That's the difference between friends and family. Friends will be there for the good times without a doubt, they might be there for the bad times because they care, but family will be there for you for good and bad times regardless," she explained. That left her feeling a little better, and maybe it would give those two reason to think before opening their mouths again.
"Are there any other questions?" Cherilee asked the class.
It was Sweetie Belle who spoke up first at the prompt. "So you and Apple Bloom are really sisters like I am with Rarity?" she asked.
"Yeah we are," Rainbow Dash replied and nodded, deciding that the simplest response was best right now. Splitting hairs over technicalities wasn't what she wanted to do right now. "Apple Bloom's my sister and I can't tell you how lucky I am to be a member of the Apple family."
Before anymore questions could be asked the school bell rang and signaled the day was over and class was dismissed. In less than a minute it was just Cherilee and a very relieved Rainbow Dash who remained behind.
"Well that was certainly an...interesting presentation," Cherilee commented.
"Too much?" Rainbow Dash asked as she turned to look at the teacher.
"No not at all. This is obviously something you feel very strong about and I'm sure it wasn't easy for you to talk about. It's not as simple as it seems to somepony who's on the outside."
"Huh?" Rainbow Dash asked, confused by Cherilee's words.
"Let's just say that you're not the only pony who's going through such. I won't say who as it's not my place, but you're certainly not alone on the matter of trying to adjust and become comfortable with something new," Cherilee explained.
Cherilee's words were of small comfort to Rainbow Dash but she was grateful to hear them none the less. She gave a nod before taking her leave. Right now she needed some time to herself.
"Rainbow Dash!"
Unfortunately it didn't seem like she was going to get that time to herself. For whatever reason the Cutie Mark Crusaders had hung around the school and waited for her to come out before gravitating towards her like Spike to a gemstone. Not that she was opposed to attention and fanfare, she just wished that it was more related to her aerial abilities or her weather duties than her herself.
"Hey girls," she greeted tiredly as they approached. She suspected Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle would have questions to ask, she could at least count on Apple Bloom to be more restrained, maybe even answer a few of the questions. "What's up?"
"Are you really Apple Bloom's sister?" Sweetie Belle asked her.
"Well not by blood but that doesn't really matter. That's kinda what I was trying to explain but I guess I didn't do too good of a job at it," Rainbow Dash replied.
"Do you live at Sweet Apple Acres with Apple Bloom and Applejack?" Scootaloo asked.
Rainbow Dash could see the look on the filly's face, hay everypony probably could. It was a hopeful look not unlike a filly pleading with her parents if they could have a cookie while they waited for dinner. She could easily see where this was going.
"Well not all the time. I kinda alternate between Sweet Apple Acres and my cloud house, but I'm there about every other day so it's not too hard to find me if you need me," she explained.
Judging by her reaction the answer seemed to satisfy Scootaloo. But a moment later her attention was turned to Apple Bloom, a look of displeasure on her face. "How come you never told us about this? We're friends aren't we?"
"Well ah woulda but RD asked me not ta," Apple Bloom said defensively.
"But why?" Sweetie Belle asked before turning her attention back to Rainbow Dash. "How come you didn't want Apple Bloom to tell us about this?"
"It's...complicated..." Rainbow Dash replied. Sweetie Belle looked less than convinced as did Scootaloo. She didn't need to be Twilight to see that they weren't going to let the matter rest just because she wanted them to. "Look it's not like I'm embarrassed or anything, it's just...if I talk about my new family somepony is eventually going to ask about my old family, more specifically my parents. And I'd really rather not have that conversation if I can help it. They...look you fillies really don't need to be hearing about them, trust me on this alright?" she asked.
Fortunately it seemed the three crusaders took the hint and didn't press the matter concerning her old family life before the Apple family and she was very thankful for that fact. They didn't need to concern themselves with how not all families get along happily, and she didn't want to be pitied for how things weren't always perfect. In the end things worked out for her just fine and that's all she really cared about right now.
"So what's it like being a member of the Apple family?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"It's good. It's hard work helping out around Sweet Apple Acres but it's worth it, even if I do miss my naps sometimes," Rainbow Dash replied and chuckled. The others didn't seem to share her sense of humor. "It's nice having a place to call home, somepony to sit down and have dinner with and tell about your day..." she paused and looked around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers about before leaning in closer, the others following her example. "And it's nice having a sister who's just down the hall in case you can't sleep because you had a really bad nightmare."
That got the crusaders giggling.
"So how does this family thing work anyway? Did they just take you in or something and you say you're related?" Scootaloo asked.
"Well originally it was something like that. But then later on we made it official. I sorta...signed some adoption forms and all that stuff," Rainbow Dash explained.
Sweetie Belle was about to express her amazement at such an announcement but she and the others were quickly silenced from a commotion off to the side. Turning to see the source of the commotion they were greeted by the sight of the fillies Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon on the ground, their back legs in a bush like they'd just fallen out of it from losing their balance.
"Oh come on," Rainbow Dash muttered in an annoyed tone as she walked over and stood in front of the two nosy little fillies. "First you tease my little sister for not having her cutie mark yet, and now you're eavesdropping on a private conversation? Don't you two have anything better to do, like putting banana peels in front of the old pony's home or something?" she asked and looked down at them.
"You're...you're...isn't adoption only for foals at the orphanage?" Diamond Tiara asked, unable to think of anything else to offer up after being found in this compromising position.
"Not even close," Rainbow Dash replied as she still looked down at the two. She then did something that nopony present expected of her; she reached down and helped each of them back up onto their hooves and gave them a cursory dusting off. "If you two wanna hang around and ask questions that's fine. But if you do you've gotta be nicer, alright?"
"...Alright..." Silver Spoon replied quietly. Diamond Tiara nodded in understanding.
Behind them the Cutie Mark Crusaders watched in wonder at the level of civility Rainbow Dash was showing their nemeses, actually extending the invitation for them to come over and join them in the question and answer session they were currently having.
"Why's Rainbow...why's your sister being so nice to them?" Scootaloo asked as she turned her attention to Apple Bloom.
"Ah dunno but she must have a reason er somethin'," Apple Bloom replied. A thought suddenly crossed her mind. "Ya think she might be makin' 'em apologize fer teasin' us?"
"I think that's asking too much," Scootaloo replied as she watched Rainbow Dash making her way back over to them with the other two following. She just couldn't buy it, the idea of Diamond Tiara being nice too much to consider a possibility.
"You never know..." Sweetie Belle mused.
As she laid awake on her bed at Sweet Apple Acres, tired yet unable to rest, she thought over everything that had happened today. When she woke up this morning and stopped by the farm to see how everypony was doing she certainly didn't expect to be getting blackmailed into talking to Apple Bloom's class about family, or how many questions the Cutie Mark Crusaders would have to ask her afterward,
There were a lot of issues that'd been explored today. Some she was proud of, some she really wasn't comfortable with, and even a few she hadn't wanted to visit but had reluctantly done so anyway. But all in all it seemed like things had gone pretty well. And for her little sister the discomfort she'd experienced was well worth it.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knocking at the door. Far too light to be Applejack's.
"It's open," she called and rolled over to see who was up and about.
"RD?" Apple Bloom asked as she stuck her head in.
"What're ya doin' up little sis'?" Rainbow Dash asked as the filly stepped inside.
"Couldn't sleep," Apple Bloom replied and shrugged. "Wanted ta thank ya again fer showin' up like ya did."
"Like I'd leave my sister hanging, some Element of Loyalty I'd be if I did that," Rainbow Dash replied, causing Apple Bloom to smile.
"Ah still don' get how ya got Diamond Tiara an' Silver Spoon ta be nice like ya did," Apple Bloom stated. Then again nice wasn't exactly the word she'd use to describe them if she thought on it enough. Nicer would probably fit better, but definitely not nice. Somehow Rainbow Dash had gotten them to stop calling them "blank flanks" like they were so keen on, although they still needed some reminding of just who was who. All in all the two had displayed a casual indifference toward them as they all sat and asked questions...but it was still one of their more pleasant interactions that she could remember. "What's yer secret RD? Diamond Tiara never stops pickin' on us unless Miss Cherilee catches 'em in the act."
"Not much of a secret really. I just showed them a little kindness and a little authority and it went from there. But I do agree those two are annoying fillies," Rainbow Dash stated.
Apple Bloom nodded in agreement, not knowing what else she could add that would be relevant right now. Instead she just sat down on the floor.
"Anything else on your mind?" Rainbow Dash asked as the silence hung in the air like an early morning fog.
"Well kinda. Seein' as how ah got such a cool big sister an' all ah was wonderin' if ah could spend the night with her," Apple Bloom replied, her voice carrying hints of both hopefulness and hesitancy.
"Well shouldn't you be asking Applejack that question instead of me?" Rainbow Dash asked. However it wasn't more than a few seconds before she started laughing, as did Apple Bloom. It was a lame and self depreciating joke, but it still served for a laugh. "Hey if you wanna that's fine by me," she explained and scooted over to allow Apple Bloom to climb up onto the bed. "Cozy?"
"Cozy," Apple Bloom said as she snuggled into the covers. "Thanks sis."
"No problem little sister, no problem at all," Rainbow Dash replied and kissed her forehead, earning a giggle from the filly in response. "Sleep well."
"RD?" Apple Bloom spoke up, "can ya tell me a story before bed? Like the time ya won the best young flyer's competition an' did the Sonic Rainboom?"
Rainbow Dash knew what this was, that being nothing more than a shameless plot by the young filly to try and stay up later. And under normal circumstances she would've simply told Apple Bloom to go to bed. But her little sister had decided to appeal directly to her ego. How could she resist that?
"Well since you asked so nicely. It all started like this one bright sunny day..."