//------------------------------// // I walk in the rain, in the rain // Story: The Ballad of Royal Blue // by PonyWithAPen //------------------------------// Royal woke up several hours later. His prediction of pain had been right on the money. He was sore, especially in his neck. Thoughts of he and Derpy crashing into the wall of Applejack's barn came back to him. However, the good thoughts far outweighed the bad. Thinking back, he realized he had learned a lot in just one night. Twilight told him about her love of literature; Applejack and Apple Bloom told him about apple bucking; Rainbow Dash thrilled him with her tales of speed; Fluttershy spoke of her love of animals; Rarity gave him some fashion tips; and Pinkie Pie talked about...whatever came to her mind. He had taken all of it in. After all, they had shown the grace to listen to his life story, so why should he do any different? Overall, it had been a good night, but he was now paying for it. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. He struggled, but eventually made it to a standing position. "Come in," he said. The door swung open. Standing there was Derpy, holding a tray full of muffins. "Hi Derpy! What brings you here?" She tried to talk, but all he could hear was mumbling. Pinkie Pie popped out from behind her. This startled the blue pegasus. "Hiya, Royal!" she said with a happy tone. "Hi Pinkie! You and Derpy came here together?" She nodded. "Uh-huh! Derpy told me she felt bad about crashing into you last night. So I helped her make some muffins! They're your favorite flavor: apple! And before you ask, 'Pinkie Pie, how did you know my favorite muffin flavor?' You told me last night when we were talking about food!" Pinkie drew her explanation to a close. "Well, thank you. They smell wonderful. Come in, come in." Pinkie and Derpy followed his lead and entered his house. Derpy went and set the muffin tray down. Royal started showing them around his humble abode. “Wow, this is a really nice place you’ve got here!” Pinkie said. She stopped when she saw a framed picture sitting on a table. It dawned on her that this was the old man who Royal had spoken about at the party. Royal caught up to her and stared at the picture as well. “I probably don’t have to say anything, but that was him. That was gramps.” Pinkie began to tear up, which was an unusual thing for the usually-peppy pony. “I know what it’s like. I felt the same way when I lost my Granny-Pie.” Royal looked at her. “Oh, Pinkie. I had no idea.” She smiled. “But don’t let that chinny-chin-chin of yours hit the ground. You have to hold your head high! That’s what Granny-Pie told me, and that’s what your grandpa would want. I know it!” At that moment, Royal felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He turned to his friend once again. “You’re right! Grandpa would want me to be happy. Thank you, Pinkie. I needed that.” “Okey-Dokey-Lokey! Derpy and I have to go now! Goodbye, Royal!” Pinkie said as she skipped toward the door. Royal walked over to the muffin tray. To his surprise, he found half of them missing. “Uh, Pinkie? Weren’t there a dozen muffins here?” Pinkie knew who the culprit was. She stared at Derpy, and then broke into a laugh. “Oh, Derpy!” The guilty Pegasus grinned. “Guilty as charged, captain!” she saluted him. Royal joined them in a rousing round of laughter. It felt good to laugh heartily again. By the time it ended, his sides began to sting. "Well, goodbye! For real this time!" Pinkie said. Derpy followed behind her. The silly gray mare waved to Royal, walking backwards as she went. He waved back, with a big warm smile on his face. Later on, Royal decided to take a stroll around the area. Before too long, he saw that he was approaching Sweet Apple Acres. His day was off to a great start after the visit from Derpy and Pinkie Pie. That’s right…I needed to stop here today. He continued on his way until he reached the entrance. He kept walking and saw Apple Bloom playing in the yard with Winona. She noticed him and came running to greet him. “Hey Royal! What are you doing here?” “Hi, Apple Bloom. I came by for a visit. I've simply got to have some more treats from Sweet Apple Acres!” The filly beamed. "Sure thing! Applejack, Big Mac and Granny are all inside!" Apple Bloom resumed her activities with the dog. Royal cracked a smile, and then resumed his journey into the homestead. A few minutes later, Royal came out of the Apple residence. He was carrying an apple pie in his mouth, and had a few more on his back. He winked at Apple Bloom as he walked by. After he left the confines of Sweet Apple Acres, Winona barked, trying to get the attention of the Apple family's youngest member. Puzzled, Apple Bloom trotted over to where the dog had stopped. There, she found a bag. She tried to lift it, to no avail. However, she was able to drag it along slowly. Finally, the young pony made it inside. Everyone cast their gazes on her. “Hey Apple Bloom…what’s that ya got right there?” Applejack asked. Apple Bloom set the bag on the table with help from Big Mac. “I found it outside. I have no idea what it is.” “Huh. I hope it's not some kind of attack! Let’s open it and see what’s inside.” Applejack said. She turned the bag over and dumped it out. Bits upon bits came pouring out, much to the surprise of them all. There had to be hundreds, even thousands of bits on the table. The whole family just sat there, speechless. A piece of paper fell out with the rest of the money. Applejack quickly scooped it up. She unfolded it and started to read. "Dear Apple family, I heard about your plight from a kind pony I know. Had I attended the Grand Galloping Gala, I probably would have purchased your entire cart. I didn't count it up, but I hope this is enough to do just that. Sincerely, An anonymous pony who really, really loves apples." After a few moments, Applejack spoke up. “Do…do you know what this means?” Big Mac looked at Granny Smith, and then he turned to his sister. He sported a huge grin on his face, along with the rest of the family. “Eeyup!” By that time, Royal was long gone on his way back to his house. Along the way, he passed by the library. “You know, I need a good book to read. I bet Twilight’s got just what I’m looking for.” he said. Then he remembered all of the food he was carrying. “Maybe I’ll come back later.” He could feel himself starting to tire out. Things turned for the worse, and he felt himself swaying from side to side. Luckily, Twilight and Rainbow, who had been out, were just down the road from him. Twilight noticed that there was something off. “Hey Rainbow, isn’t that Royal Blue?” she asked her cyan colored friend. “Yeah, it is. Why is he so…wobbly?” Rainbow scowled. “Did Applejack give him some of her special apple cider?” “We should go help him out.” Twilight said. Rainbow took off running. “Way ahead of ya, sister!” The purple unicorn caught up to her friend; they arrived just in time to keep Royal from taking a dirt nap. They helped to balance him and led him into the library, where they helped set the massive supply on a table. Royal stopped swaying and shook his head, regaining his balance. “Oh, Rainbow and Twilight! Whew, you saved me there.” “You really love your apples, don’t you?” Twilight asked him. Royal nodded his head, blushing in slight embarrassment after the recent episode. “You shouldn’t carry so much all at once. Who do you think you are? Big Macintosh?” Rainbow chided him. Spike came down from the upper floor and saw the three ponies talking. “Hi Royal! Whoa, you’re stocking up, aren’t you?” Spike said. “Yeah, but I might have overpaid just a little.” Twilight looked at him. “What do you mean by that? Surely they wouldn’t overcharge you. The Apples are very honest ponies.” Twilight stopped to think for a moment. “Wait, are you…Royal, how much money did you give them?” “Let’s just say I’ve got a head start on being a lifelong customer of Sweet Apple Acres. I got a lot of money for me and Grandpa’s house. Last night, Applejack told me about some things she wanted to do. Hearing her talk about her Granny Smith got me thinking…so…” Twilight had tears in her eyes at this point. “So you...oh Royal, that's so sweet!” “Come on, it was nothing. Celestia knows if I’d gone to the Gala, I would have spent a ton of money on food anyway.” “Thousands of bits?” Spike asked. “I’ve always had a big appetite. All that dancing at the Gala would have kept me coming back for more. So what if the other ponies felt they were too good for some Sweet Apple treats? More food for me. Speaking of food, these need to be put away. I’ll see you two later.” Royal said. With those words, he continued down the road. “What a guy. At this rate, he might become the new element of Generosity. Wait, should I be worried?” Spike said. Twilight smiled. “I don’t think he’s out to steal Rarity’s spot, lover boy. But that sure was sweet.” Later that day, Royal was relaxing at home. He heard a knock on the door. “Uh, come in!” He said. The door opened to reveal the Apple family, minus Granny Smith. “Royal…about the gift…” Applejack started. “Gift? Did I give you a gift? I have no idea what you’re…” He stopped talking because the siblings had trapped him in a group hug. After a few seconds, they let him go. Applejack had the warmest smile on her face. “Thank ya kindly, Royal Blue. Now Granny Smith can finally get her hip replaced. How can we ever repay you?” Royal shook his head. “Don't worry about it. As long as I have a go-to place for my beloved apples, I’m good. Thanks for stopping by.” Royal saw them off as they exited his house. However, he couldn't let them go without answering one more question. "Wait just a second! How did you know it was me?" Applejack turned around. "Well, I reckon you're the only stallion I know who really, really likes apples." she chuckled. "I was hoping it would be a little less obvious. Well, I'll let you go now." He could hear them talking as they left. “Wow! I can’t believe Granny Smith is finally gonna be able to walk normally again!” Apple Bloom said, cheerfully. “Yeah, it’s been a long time comin,’ Apple Bloom.” Applejack said. “Eeyup.” Big Mac chimed in. The siblings shared a laugh. Royal grinned as he shut his door. “Okay, I’m gonna go play dead for a while.” He walked over to his bed and fell on to it. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out. Hours later, Royal woke up to the sound of yelling. “Scootaloo! Scootaloo! Where are you?” He rose from his bed, feeling very well rested. It was dark outside and a storm was rolling through. “Whoa, I was out for a long time.” He yawned. A crash of thunder rendered him wide awake in a hurry. “Scootaloo! Please, answer us!” He opened the shades and stared out his window. He spotted Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom walking in a torrential downpour. “I thought those voices sounded young! What the heck are those kids doing? I’d better get my umbrella. Between that and my cape, I should be able to keep us all dry.” After searching around, Royal found his umbrella. He opened the door and trotted out to the fillies. "Royal! It's so awful!" Apple Bloom said. “What in Equestria are you two doing outside in this storm?” "We're trying to find Scootaloo! We were in our clubhouse and the storm came and the wind and the rain and..." Sweetie Belle couldn't contain her emotions. Royal put his umbrella over them. "Slow down, Sweetie. You two come inside and tell me all about it. Let's get out of the rain." The fillies followed him into his house. In just a few seconds, he brought out some towels and they dried themselves off. "Okay, now what was your problem?" he asked. Apple Bloom went first. "We were having a meeting in our clubhouse. Then the storm came, and Applejack came out to get us. It all happened so fast. Scootaloo was running late to the meeting, so she didn't hear Applejack call us." She looked really scared, and almost kind of sick. Royal knew that feeling; the point where you're so worried about something or somepony that you get this sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. "She never showed up. We heard an awful noise. Applejack took us out to see what it was, and our treehouse had collapsed. We've been looking for Scootaloo ever since!" Sweetie Belle said. "I'll help you. Come on, stand next to me." The girls obeyed. After a flash of red light, they opened their eyes to see a red aura surrounding them. "What's going on?" Apple Bloom asked. "Remember when I told you about how my cape saved my life? This is exactly how it happened. This shield will keep us dry and protect us from lightning strikes. Now let's go find Scoots!" They walked in tandem. However, they suddenly heard a knock on the door. Royal opened it to find Applejack and Rarity...soaked and quite displeased. "Don't say a word. Let me get some more towels." Royal said. He defused the aura and left the room. "That would be wonderful, darling." Rarity said. "Thanks, Royal." Applejack said. Their glances turned to their sisters. "Apple Bloom, what in tarnation were you thinking, running off in a storm like this?" "Sweetie Belle, I demand an explanation as well!" Rarity said. The younger girls were about to explain themselves when Royal re-entered the room. "I know I have no place in this discussion, but Scootaloo's gone missing." Rarity's reaction was a simple "Oh dear." "You mean little Scoots is out in that ragin' storm?" Applejack asked, a worried look on her face. "I'm afraid so. Fear not, we can get her without dying or getting our hooves wet! Stand back, everypony!" He activated the aura again. AJ and Rarity stared in wonder. "What in Equestria is that?" Rarity asked. "This is what saved my life in that story I told last night. All you have to do is step inside and you'll be protected from lightning and rain." The four ladies followed his directions, amazed at the display. "Okay, now that we're in here, let's go find our friend." Royal said. "Yeah!" The group yelled in agreement. They set out to find Scootaloo, only to find that the storm had gotten even worse. A bolt of lightning struck the aura, only to reflect away. “Are you sure this thing is invincible?” Applejack asked. “Yes it is. My grandpa and I scientifically tested it a few years ago. I forgot to tell you, but Gramps was kind of an egghead. I wouldn't have brought you with me if I didn't trust my grandpa's handiwork!” Royal said. Apple Bloom looked around, fascinated by the fact that she could watch the storm, but she and the rest of her friends were protected. Suddenly, Applejack’s ear twitched. “Hey! I think I hear something!” She said. The group stopped moving. “What is it?” Royal asked. Applejack paused, trying to make out the sound. “Uh, it sounds like…crying.” Apple Bloom crept up next to her sister. “It’s Scootaloo! She’s over there!” Apple Bloom pointed to a large tree. Scootaloo was in plain sight, now. She had taken shelter under the tree, but it didn’t do her a lot of good. “Let’s get her in here! If lightning strikes that tree, she’s dead!” Royal and the group hurried over and pulled the little filly inside the aura. Just seconds later, a huge bolt of lightning struck the tree. The group covered their eyes. “All right, let’s go back to my place. It’s the closest to here.” Royal said. The group traveled back to his house, still protected by the aura. When they stepped inside the house, the aura disappeared, and Royal collapsed to the floor. “Royal! Are you okay?” Sweetie Belle asked. He looked up at her from the floor. “I’m fine, Sweetie. It’s just a side effect. Doing that takes a lot out of me. I haven’t used my cape like that in years, and never for a group like this.” “Well, thank you. Thanks to you, Sweetie Belle and I were able to stay dry and not have our manes ruined by that awful storm.” Rarity said. "Not a problem, Rarity." Applejack looked out the window. "Looks like that storm's still ragin' out there. Royal, do you mind if we stay here for a bit?" "Not at all. I'm not gonna make you go out in that madness. Make yourselves at home. I'm just glad Scootaloo's safe." He looked up at the aforementioned filly, who was asleep on his back. Eventually, the storm stopped, and the group prepared to leave Royal's house, minus Royal and Scootaloo. "What should we do with her?" Applejack asked. Young Scootaloo was still asleep. "I'll take care of her. You girls can go on home. It's late." "You're sure she won't be a problem?" Rarity asked. He nodded his head. "I'm sure. Besides, I could use some company on a night like this." "Okay. We'll probably see ya in the mornin' then. Thanks for helping us find her, Royal." Applejack said. "Yes, see you later, Blue." Rarity said. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle approached him. "Thank you for helping us! We'll be back to check on her!" Apple Bloom said. Royal saw them off, and then he retired for the night. Everything was okay now, and all he wanted was some sleep.