//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Raising a Room // Story: Two Worlds; One Family // by MrEnter //------------------------------// "Hello Applejack," Fluttershy said. "Oh, hey Fluttershy. What are you doing here?" Applejack asked, after she bucked a tree. "I need your help. Harry here has outgrown his crib and I was thinking about adding another room onto my cottage." Applejack was in the middle of bucking another tree during Fluttershy's request. Apples cascaded off the branches and pelted Applejack in the head before bouncing to the ground. She shook off the pain before looking at Fluttershy quizzically. True, Fluttershy's "son" was there hugging her leg and he was a lot bigger than Applejack remembered. "Um, Fluttershy do you know what you're askin' me?" "Yes... I um do. If it's too much trouble I can ask somepony else." "Nah, it's not too much trouble. It's just, it's a lot of effort to do something that... um." "Um... what?" "Uh nevermind. Can um... Henry... go play while the grown-ups talk? Applebloom, where are you?" Applejack shouted. Applebloom ran out of the barn, bouncing a huge beach ball on her head. It was another one of her cutie mark attempts. As soon as Applejack told her to play with Harry the ball fell to the ground. Upon seeing Harry, she stuck her tongue out in disgust and began whining. "Applebloom, don't be rude. Go play with Henry or you're grounded!" Applebloom groaned. She tossed her ball into the orchard and chased after it. Fluttershy nudged Harry to follow her. Applejack motioned Fluttershy into the house, and closed the door behind her. Applejack began rummaging around the house, looking for bits and pieces. "Um... his name is Harry," Fluttershy said meekly. "So, do you want to help add a room onto my cottage? Pinkie and Rainbow Dash already said that they'd help, but we need the supplies. If you don't want, it's okay." "Fluttershy, I don' know what to tell you," Applejack said, closing a drawer, "but I... I think you lost your marbles." "What do you mean?" "Fluttershy, don' make me do this to you. I'm sure that Harry is a nice boy 'n all—" Applejack was cut-off by Harry running inside, his eyes welling up with tears. He ran up to Fluttershy, and pointed to his knee. It was all scuffed up underneath a rather, large tear in his pants. Through the tears, Harry managed to reveal that Applebloom pushed him. Applebloom came running in, shouting that Harry was lying. Applejack didn't hear her, she was too busy watching Fluttershy trying to calm down Harry. "You know what Fluttershy, I'll help you build yer room. An' Applebloom here is going to spend her Saturday helping us." "What!?" shrieked Applebloom. "You heard me," Applejack said, not turning her attention away from Harry. "I'm sure that Fluttershy here would do the same thing if Harry ended up hurtin' you." Applejack followed Fluttershy back down to her cottage. Harry got to ride on Fluttershy's back all the way there and had definitely cheered up by the time they had reached their destination. He was content to look and see the birds in the sky. Rainbow and Pinkie were already at the cottage. Pinkie had a hammer in her mouth and was running around in circles while Rainbow chased after her. "What in tarnation is goin' on here?" Applejack asked when she got in earshot. Pinkie turned her attention toward Applejack and smashed head-first into the stone wall of the cottage. The rebound caused Pinkie to let go of the hammer and it went flying backwards. It grazed the tip of Rainbow's mane before it went sailing over the trees. Pinkie pulled herself off of the wall and found her face to be a little flatter than it was before. Harry giggled. "Um, we were just—" Rainbow tried to explain. "Nevermind," Applejack cut her off. "So, Fluttershy where do you want this room to be?" Fluttershy led the three of them behind the house where they came across a crudely drawn red x underneath a window. Applejack pulled out some blueprinting paper from her saddlebags and placed it on a stump. She tried to imagine how everything would fit together before she started to draw out plans. Her concentration was interrupted by giggling. She turned towards it to see Pinkie making very bizarre faces at Harry. "What's the matter?" Rainbow asked, hovering over Applejack's shoulder. "Can you tell the two of them to go do that someplace else, I'm tryin' to plan this out." "Harry doesn't bite, you know." "Just what's supposed to mean?" "I don't know; it's just the way you keep looking at him. It's almost like you're—" Rainbow said, before she broke into a wide smile. "You're afraid of Harry aren't you?" "Why in Celestia's name would I be afraid of Harry?" "Alright, so you're not afraid of Harry. What do you think of him? Don't worry, Fluttershy is inside the house. She won't hear." "It's just that he's—he's not a—. It's just weird is all." "He's a kid laughing at Pinkie Pie. How is that weird?" Harry was doing more than just laughing. He was having the time of his life as Pinkie carried him all about the yard, bouncing up and down and running like crazy. Applejack tried to think of an answer, but Rainbow was right. Harry was just a kid and he was having fun. "I guess it ain't so weird after all. I remember when Applebloom was that young," Applejack said, mostly to herself. She walked over to Pinkie. "Hey, can you two do that in the front yard? I gotta plan this out." "Oh were we too loud?" Pinkie asked, innocently. "Applejack!" Harry shouted. "Yes, that's Applejack. Say 'hi Applejack'" "Hi Applejack!" "Um... hi... kiddo," Applejack said. "So can you two... um... take this someplace else?" "Okey dokey lokey!" Pinkie said, and she trotted off towards the front yard. "Bye-bye Applejack!" Harry said, turning around to wave. Applejack felt obligated to return a wave. "Told you he doesn't bite." "Shut up."