//------------------------------// // Power Surge // Story: PonyFall: Australia // by Thunderbug80 //------------------------------// Power Surge April 25, 2012 “I miss trains.” It had only taken three minutes before someone had complained about the seating arrangements we had to put up with. I had thought the first to complain might have been Scootaloo, but I was wrong. Apple Bloom, who was sitting on Pinkie’s lap and crushed between the rest of the Equestrians in the backseat, had been the first to speak. “They were so much bigger,” she continued, “and we didn’t have to all smush together like this.” “Sorry, girls,” I murmured. “This car’s only meant to seat five at most.” Transportation was going to be a problem, what with the car being crammed full with only half of the Equestrians we assumed to be on Earth within it. Lodging would be another issue. My tent could probably hold Pinkie, Fluttershy, Angel, the Crusaders, and John and I – barely. If we planned on finding the others we’d need to sort out some better arrangement. “Well, Angel seems to be enjoying it,” Fluttershy chipped in. The former bunny was sitting on her lap and had decided to pass the time by occasionally kicking the back of John’s seat. Ordinarily I might have told Angel to knock it off, but my mind was on other things. There were hundreds of questions running through my head. How were the Crusaders doing, both physically and mentally? How was John coping with everything? How many others knew about the Crusaders? John had mentioned someone helping him to dye their hair – did that person know their true identities? How was his arm, currently in a cast, holding up? How had his encounter with Discord gone? Had he met F.A? Despite everything I wanted to know, I found myself remaining quiet as I drove north towards Newcastle. The plan was to head a bit further north to Hawk’s Nest and see if I could get accommodation at the Ocean Side Motel. It was a bit of a drive, but with everything that had happened recently all I could do was move on instinct. I had stayed at the place before and it was a lot cheaper than most of the other hotels or resorts I had stayed at. The last thing I wanted to do was try to fit everyone into the tent unless absolutely necessary. “Um... so... ya live around here?” John asked, breaking me away from my thoughts. Used to. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He looked tired, as should be expected after a twenty-plus hour plane ride. “Yeah.” It was only a half-lie. “But we’re heading towards a nice hotel that I know of. It uh, well, it’ll probably be better-suited given the number of people we have to shelter.” “Good point,” he agreed. He then turned to address Sweetie Belle in the back seat. “Might also be better to stay in a hotel in case you have another magical issue.” “Yeah,” Sweetie replied somberly. I had completely forgotten about John’s call the other day. He had said something about Sweetie having trouble with something related to magic, but I hadn’t been paying much attention, what with Pinkie and Fluttershy both being unstable at best. I glanced back at John. “Sorry about the other day. The girls and I had some... issues to deal with.” I really didn’t want to get into details right then, and talking about it in front of the girls might set them off again. In fact, there was a lot that I needed to talk to John about without the Equestrians listening in. We were just north of Berowra, and I decided that it was as good a time as any and found a place to pull off to the side of the road. I looked over at John, who looked back apprehensively. “Wh-what are you doing?” he asked. I tried to reassure him. “We should probably have a quick chat, and the others should stretch their legs a bit,” I said. “We’ve been cramped up in the car for almost an hour, and we have about another hour to go.” John unbuckled his seatbelt and sighed, “I thought Australia was a small place.” I could only give a small chuckle at that. It was typical thinking for tourists who came to visit. “Are we getting out?” asked Scootaloo. “Just for a quick stretch.” John got out of the car and opened the door on Fluttershy’s side. Angel hopped off of her lap and onto John’s foot, then darted quickly away before he could react. Fluttershy then got out, followed by Pinkie and Apple Bloom, and finally Sweetie and Scootaloo after I insisted that they get out on that side of the car as opposed to the side closest to the highway. Once everyone was out of the car, I addressed the Equestrians. “Okay everyone, John and I need to go discuss a few things. Feel free to stretch your legs,” I looked at the Cutie Mark Crusaders, “and have a bit of a run around, or listen to the stereo. Just keep away from the highway obviously, and keep out of the trees and bushes since there are venomous creatures out here.” I then turned to John. “Alright, let’s go,” I said, and led him towards the trees and bushes. “Uh, can’t we stay by the car?” John asked. He looked a little nervous. “Nah, let them have some time together,” I replied, casually brushing a large golden orb weaver spider aside as we pushed further into the bushes. “They've been through a lot and we need to discuss this alone anyway.” “You’re sure?” John asked distractedly. “I mean, maybe we should keep an eye on them at least...” He took a wide step over something and about stumbled. “I haven’t really told them about wildlife here outside of the Reef.” I thought back to what Pinkie and Fluttershy had told me at the mall after we had ‘lost’ Angel. “I trust them to do the right thing,” I replied. We finally came to a small clearing with a few conveniently-sized rocks to sit on. I quickly looked under them for any nasty surprises, then set them back and had a seat on one, indicating the other for John to sit on. He cautiously sat down and waited for me to tell him what was on my mind. “So...” I began, trying to figure out where to begin. “How have you been coping with having to take care of, well, them?” I asked, indicating back toward where the car was. “Well...” John began, raising up his cast, “things could have gone a little better.” “Too right,” I agreed. “So Discord did that to you, did he? I guess you and the girls were lucky.” I looked him in the eye. “How are they coping?” “They’ve gotten over that,” John replied. “Lord knows what they saw back when he was really out of control.” He gave a slight shudder and continued. “Bigger issue is Sweetie’s magic. I was hoping Pinkie and Fluttershy might know something about that.” If Sweetie’s magic was causing more problems than Discord was, then it really was a big problem. I wondered just what kind of things had happened as a result. “Well, neither one of them are unicorns. I’m not sure how much help either of them will be.” I paused for a moment in thought. “I suppose just having them talk might help a little. It certainly couldn't hurt.” “Yeah,” John replied. “I mean, Pinkie’s taken care of unicorns before and Fluttershy’s a close friend of Rarity’s... maybe they learned something about them? If they’ve got nothing, they can at least help out Scootaloo.” I raised an eyebrow. “What’s up with Scootaloo?” “She got really spooked by Indiana Jones.” I thought back to the last time I had seen an Indiana Jones movie. It had been quite some time. Scootaloo didn’t seem to be the type to scare easily, and I couldn’t remember anything too scary in the movies. At any rate, it was just another thing to add to our list of problems. John continued. “Oh Jesus, do Fluttershy and Pinkie know about the show?” I simply nodded. I was still busy thinking about Scootaloo and wondering what had spooked her. John seemed taken aback, however. “They had no issue with it?” he asked. I shrugged. “To be honest, it’s hard to tell. I think that may actually be the least of their concerns right now.” I stood up and began to pace around the clearing. “Their main focus seems to be getting everypony back together and getting home.” “Surviving here is a more pressing issue though,” John growled. Perhaps I did sound a bit too casual about it. “I’ve got Sweetie sick as a dog from her magic, Scootaloo breaking down, and Apple Bloom ready to snap. It’s... god, I don’t even know what it is, but it’s bad.” It looked like I wasn’t the only one having a hard time of things. Apple Bloom snapping? She seemed like the sweetest, most innocent character on the show half the time. What had gotten into her to get her so riled up? What I needed was some time to talk to each of the Crusaders alone. Pinkie and Fluttershy had been on edge enough as it was, I certainly didn’t want to find out whether or not I could handle the Cutie Mark Crusaders having emotional breakdowns as well. I stopped pacing and faced John. “Are you prepared to do whatever it takes to get these Equestrians back to their rightful home?” I asked. John stared at me for a moment, then chuckled. “I just caused my mother and sister to get into a car accident to get the Crusaders here, stole from my family’s bank account, and smuggled a bunch of minors across countries. Ha! Liam Neeson be damned.” Bloody hell, the kid was ruthless. I guess looks can be deceiving. I turned away from him in thought. Finally, I asked, “Are they alright? Your mother and sister?” “They’ll be pissed...” he replied bluntly, “But I did what I had to.” Interesting. I allowed myself a small grin. “Good,” I said. “Because after tonight, there won’t be any more hotels. We’ll be roughing it in the Outback with no electricity, no communication with the outside world, and probably not even any toilets. We’re almost completely out of money and have nowhere else to stay for the moment. Tonight’s stay at the hotel will be a luxury compared to what Angel, the girls and I have had to put up with lately, and if you meant any of what you just said, you won’t speak a single complaint about any of it. Is that clear?” With that said, I began walking back towards the car. He would follow, eventually. Like me, he had nowhere else to go. Sure enough, the sound of footsteps came up behind me as he tried to keep up. “W-what do we do? Stay out there and wait?” he asked, somewhat aghast. He stopped walking and called out angrily, “For god’s sake! Discord is still out there!” I turned and glared at him. “So is Twilight Sparkle!” I growled. “So is Rarity and Princess Luna!” I lowered my voice to a harsh whisper. “And we’ve heard nothing from them. For all I know, they’re still out there, alone and afraid. They might have no food, no shelter, and nobody there to protect them. Things are going to be rough for us for a while, but the Equestrians have it worse.” The only sounds for the next few moments came from the birds and other wildlife that continued to go about their business around us. John looked as if he’d just been punched in the gut. “Look,” I continued in a gentler tone. “When I first contacted you I had everything sorted out, but things changed. It was too late to cancel your flights and we still needed to reunite the ponies that we have found. There’s nothing more to do than just...” I thought back to Fluttershy, “not give up. Now come on.” I continued back towards the car. To my relief, John remained silent and followed. I felt some pity for the kid, flying halfway across the world to find out that he’d have to live in the wilderness for a while. It was important that he knew what was going on, though. If he meant what he had said about doing whatever it took to get the Equestrians back home, we’d be fine. When we finally got back to the car I noticed that Angel, Scootaloo and Pinkie were looking at something Fluttershy had in her arms while Sweetie and Apple Bloom looked on from a distance. Sweetie looked disgusted, though that may have been a side-effect of her magical problems, while Apple Bloom seemed mildly concerned. “Hey captain, look at what Fluttershy found!” Pinkie called out as she saw us emerge from the bushes. She was grinning. “Sweetie?” John called out. “You okay?” “Hey John, come have a look at this!” Scootaloo beamed. “It’s awesome!” I strode over to where Fluttershy was sitting and had a look. The next moment, I was frozen in terror as I saw what she held in her arms. “Not now, Scootaloo. I need t—” John said as he drew near. Then he saw it. “Holy hell!” An eastern brown snake, one of the most aggressive and venomous snakes in the world, capable of killing within minutes and known to bite repeatedly, was cradled in Fluttershy’s arms. Its tongue flicked over her skin as it investigated its surroundings. “Get... back!” I called out, trying to be quiet so as not to startle the snake. Pinkie immediately complied, but Scootaloo disregarded the warning. “Scootaloo,” John bellowed, “get away from the snake.” Scootaloo frowned, but obeyed. “W-what’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked, uncertain as to why we were upset. Conflicting emotions fought for control of my mind. Part of me wanted to yell and tell Fluttershy how she could have gotten them all killed with such recklessness. Another part, however... “Just... it’s nothing.” I said, straining to remain calm. “Say goodbye to your little friend now, we have to get going.” “Oh... okay then,” Fluttershy said quietly. “Goodbye, little cutie. You go back to your family now.” She set the snake down and, after a tense moment in which it didn’t move, it finally slithered into the grass and away from the car. I couldn’t help but notice the shocked look John was giving me. Admittedly, it was a huge relief to me when the snake left the area, but I didn’t have to let him know that. I turned to him and gave a half-smile. “See? I told you they’d be fine.” We arrived at the Ocean Side Hotel a while later after a long, scenic drive along the Pacific Ocean. The stay wouldn't cost a lot of money compared to other hotels I could have chosen, and the hotel was located in a quiet, peaceful area that I hoped would have a calming effect on everyone, John included. There was a small beach within a minute’s walk from the hotel, there wasn't much traffic at all in the area and it had the overall feel of a small, quiet neighborhood - which it essentially was. It only took a few minutes for me to run into the office and get us a room. The hotel’s owner was just as nice and courteous as I remembered, which was a nice change from the last hotel clerk I’d had to put up with back in Sydney. Moments later we were in the room, which was a two bedroom suite with a total of three beds, a small kitchen, and a relatively large lounge area for the price that I’d paid. There would be more than enough room for the eight of us. Once everyone had had a few minutes to explore the rooms and get settled in, I called them all together into the lounge room. Pinkie, Fluttershy and Angel came quickly, followed by John and the Crusaders. They all took seats on the couch, chairs, or floor. I addressed the entire group. “I’d just like to say a few things regarding our situation,” I announced, making eye contact with John and hoping he wouldn’t interrupt. “Firstly, I’d like to apologize to you,” I knelt beside the Crusaders and spoke gently, “because I know things haven’t been easy for you and it’s not going to get much easier. It’s practically a miracle that we’ve been able to get our two groups together in a relatively short amount of time.” The Crusaders looked at each other, then back to me curiously. I could only imagine what they were thinking. I leaned a little closer. “Have you three ever gone camping?” I asked. “No,” Sweetie answered quickly. Scootaloo looked over to Fluttershy. “Does that time with you count?” Fluttershy smiled and nodded in response. “Okay, guess we did.” “I don’t know,” said Apple Bloom slowly. “Camping is more than just going into the woods for a little while. Ya gotta set up a tent, a fire, and stones to keep critters out. That’s what App... that’s what you’re supposed to do.” I glanced at Sweetie Belle. “Have you ever wanted to go camping?” I asked. “Apple Bloom did say it was fun... and I did want to go...” She seemed a bit uncertain of herself. Probably because I was still a stranger to her. “I’m going to leave it up to you three, then,” I announced, giving John another quick look. “We might need to go camping for a while until we can find your friends and family. It should be fun, but we might have to camp for a long time. That means you might have to put up with sleeping on the ground or even,” I made a show of waving imaginary fumes away from my face, “having to be dirty for awhile. But if you can do that for us, it should help us while we look for the others.” I stood up. “If you don’t want to, it’s okay. I can try to find another way.” The room was quiet while the Crusaders absorbed what they had just heard. Eventually, Apple Bloom looked at her friends, John, and then to me. “Ya promise you’ll find our families?” she asked quietly. “Apple Bloom...” Sweetie whimpered. It was clear to me that earning their trust was going to take more than just the few hours we had been together. “Sweetie, he found Pinkie,” Apple Bloom explained. “Pinkie knows everypony, so I’m sure it’ll be easy to find them.” I was pretty certain that not even she believed it would be as easy as she just said, but she missed her family. She was probably desperate. I held my hand out to Apple Bloom. “It might not be that easy, but I promise that we won’t give up,” I looked at Fluttershy out of the corner of my eye, “until we have found them all.” “Okay,” Apple Bloom agreed, taking my hand and shaking it hard. Christ, she was strong for a kid. “Deal.” I glanced at the other Crusaders. “All agreed?” “If Apple Bloom says okay, then I’m in,” Scootaloo said with a shrug. Sweetie tilted her head down. “If I can see Rarity... it’s fine.” She looked up at me with a small smile. “She’s gonna be mad that you got us dirty though.” I smiled back. “I look forward to explaining myself to her in person.” With that settled, it was time to get back to business. “We’re going to need some supplies for when we leave. There’s a store a short walk up the road from here with fresh food, anyone want to come with me?” “Oh, um...” Pinkie said from her spot on the couch. “I was kind of hoping we could go swimming.” She looked down at what she was wearing. “If that’s okay with you,” she added, sounding almost like Fluttershy. To this day I still have no idea when she put on the swimsuit or where she had gotten it from. I certainly hadn’t bought it for her. “Swimming?” Scootaloo asked. A slight grin appeared on her face. “It has been a while...” “If we’re gonna be dirty, we might as well swim,” Sweetie conjectured. That didn’t make any sense, but that was kid logic for you. “Wait, wait.” John said, getting everyone’s attention. “Girls, the ocean isn’t the safest place to be, especially since we’re all pretty tired from the flight. Second, we don’t even have swimsuits.” “Uh, duh,” Pinkie retorted. “There’s a swimming pool just outside. And of course you have swimsuits!” She put her hands on her knees and bounced gently on the couch. “No, we don’t,” John replied. It seemed as if everyone had forgotten about getting supplies at hearing of the possibility of going swimming. “Trust me, I packed the bags and there weren’t swimsuits in there. They’re probably the only things I didn’t pack.” Pinkie indicated some bags by the couch. “You mean these bags?” she asked innocently. When had those gotten there? I wondered. Pinkie seemed to be breaking the laws of reality a little bit more than usual today. It made me wonder. Maybe my theory about their abilities was correct! “How did...” John looked to the Crusaders. “I didn’t drag those up, right?” “No...” Scootaloo said. She went over to investigate the bags with Sweetie and John, calling out in delight at what was no doubt the sudden appearance of swimsuits for them all. Regardless of whatever Pinkie had done to make it happen, it had happened. They would be happy, at least. I took that opportunity to head out and get the supplies myself. We’d need canned goods and other long-life foods for what was likely going to be a harsh time ahead. John was right. He hadn’t said anything, but I could see the looks he had been giving me. It was awful to make the Crusaders deal with roughing it in the Outback for however long we would have to, but what choice did I have? Just as I reached the door, I felt a tug on my arm. I looked down and was surprised to see Apple Bloom looking up at me. I was further surprised when she said, “I’ll come with ya.” I looked back to where the others were still discussing swimsuits and the pool. “You sure? You don’t want to go swimming with your friends?” Apple Bloom looked down to the floor. “Well... ya said that we’re gonna need supplies, and if gettin’ those helps us get the others back, then that’s what I wanna do.” The determination I heard in her voice was both admirable and heartbreaking. I knew all-too-well what it felt like to lose someone you loved dearly. I nearly put my hand on her shoulder, but thought twice about it and let it be. I looked up to see that Fluttershy and Angel had joined us at the door. Fluttershy blushed slightly. “Angel doesn’t know how to swim,” she admitted. “Not very well, anyway. I couldn’t just leave him in the room while the others played.” She gave his head a pat and smiled up at me. Apple Bloom became noticeably less tense when she heard that Fluttershy was joining us. She took Fluttershy’s hand and together the four of us left and started walking towards the store. The walk to the store was a short one. The store itself was a tiny little building simply called ‘Supermarket,’ and was about as basic as they came. I had seen petrol stations in Sydney that were bigger, but the place was quiet, out of the way, and had what we needed. Fluttershy excused herself and took Angel to go look at some magazines and toys, leaving Apple Bloom and I to ourselves. We walked over to the fresh produce section and had a look around. I felt awkward and uncomfortable standing there with Apple Bloom by my side. It was always like that with children. I towered over them and had inadvertently scared a child more than once just by being seen by them. It was no wonder she had mistaken me for a bear. Unable to think of anything to say, I grabbed a few apples and put them in my shopping basket. Apple Bloom, however, was unimpressed. “Now see, this one here’s no good,” she said, removing one of them from the basket. I couldn’t see anything wrong with it. “If we’re gonna be roughin’ it, we should at least eat good food.” She eyed the bunch of apples on display and picked a few out, then placed them in the basket. “Them apples are better,” she announced proudly. “Right. Thanks,” I said, nodding. I wondered about what John had said earlier. Sweetie’s magic was making her feel ill, Scootaloo had been scared by some movies, and Apple Bloom was apparently on the verge of snapping. It was still hard to imagine little Apple Bloom getting angry, but if anything could screw with your emotions, it would be getting sent to another dimension or world. Apple Bloom was studying some bananas, one hand on her chin as if she were in deep thought. I decided that was as good a time as ever to ask. “So,” I began. “How are you and your friends handling everything so far?” Apple Bloom sighed, still staring at the bananas. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and let out another long sigh, then she looked up at me. “I’m just so sick of it all!” she exclaimed, catching me off guard. She crossed her arms and turned away from me. “Sweetie’s magic is messin’ with her and making her sick half the time. John doesn’t know how to fix it and Rarity’s not around to help, either!” She turned back to me and lifted her arms in frustration. “Then there’s Scootaloo! She won’t tell anypony what’s bothering her! How am I supposed to help if she won’t tell me what’s wrong?” It seemed as if whatever emotions Apple Bloom had bottled up within her were coming out then and there. She wasn’t through yet, either. “Not to mention the fact that we’re stuck here in these weird bodies without most of our friends and family. Oh, and then there’s the fact that Discord is loose! We’re gonna have to deal with him too, right?” She slumped her shoulders and placed her hands on the shelf, staring at the bananas once again. Her next words were a whisper. “I just wanna go home.” Fluttershy and Angel, both of whom had come around the corner from another aisle and stopped to listen, came forward. Fluttershy took Apple Bloom’s face into her hands and smiled down at her. “There, there,” Fluttershy soothed. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll have a talk with Sweetie when we get back.” Apple Bloom wrapped her arms around Fluttershy and pressed her face against the former pegasus’s shoulder. Even Angel put a hand on Apple Bloom’s back in support. When they finally separated, Fluttershy smiled down at Apple Bloom. “I’d say your friend John has done a very good job keeping you girls safe,” she continued. “And I know he kind of looks like a bear,” she gestured towards me, “but did you know that Doug has had to endure a lot of pain too? All because he cares about us and promised to help us get back home.” Apple Bloom blinked at Fluttershy. “He has?” she asked. Fluttershy nodded and Apple Bloom looked up at me as if she were studying some kind of strange creature which, I supposed, she technically was. I felt like she was somehow silently interrogating me. After a moment, she asked, “Do ya want to talk about it?” Explaining my situation to Apple Bloom had been emotionally draining, but I felt better once I had finished my story. The former filly had paid careful attention as I spoke and seemed quite sympathetic upon hearing about my wife. It was something we had in common, she explained; we both missed our families. Afterward, I felt that Apple Bloom and I had formed a bit of a bond or understanding between ourselves. If she was still nervous around me, she wasn’t showing it as we arrived back at our hotel room with supplies in hand. I unlocked the door and let us in. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were passed out on the couch in the lounge. After their long flight and swim, I couldn’t blame them. I could remember being completely exhausted after travelling between Australia and the US. Apple Bloom and Fluttershy quietly helped me put away the groceries and other supplies while Angel crept away towards the bedrooms. It was getting late in the afternoon and John and the Crusaders were fatigued, so I figured we’d sort out an early dinner and then go to bed. The road ahead was going to be rough, and they’d need their rest. Dinner was a specialty of mine - stir fry. It was quick, easy to make and, furthermore, vegetarian if you wanted it to be. That didn’t stop me from cooking up some beef on the side for John and myself, however. What I wasn’t expecting was Scootaloo asking for some beef. Especially after I explained what it was and where it came from. “Oh don’t worry about all that,” she said, waving me off. “It tastes awesome, and that’s good enough for me!” When and where she had tasted beef before, I didn’t know. Then again, Pinkie and Fluttershy had both had meat as well. I guess I shouldn’t have been overly surprised. If it hadn’t been for Pinkie, dinner would have been a very quiet affair. John, like myself, was the type of person who focused on the food when he ate as opposed to chatting. Fluttershy talked with Pinkie and the girls about swimming, but Fluttershy was naturally quiet and the girls did more eating than talking. I supposed it was only natural after only having airline food the previous day. Everything was going fine until I noticed Sweetie looking nauseous. At first I thought she was feeling queasy about the meat that Scootaloo was scarfing down, but then she reached up and felt her forehead as if by reflex. “Sweetie?” John asked. He had noticed her as well. “What is it?” Sweetie shut her eyes tight and groaned. “It’s happening again,” she whimpered. “My head hurts.” Fluttershy stopped eating and looked alarmed. “Oh dear... oh no! I haven’t had time to talk to her about it yet...” She looked ashamed, but it wasn’t her fault this was happening. “Is this her magic?” I asked, setting my own spoon down. Sweetie continued to cry out in pain. “P-please,” she whined, “I d-don’t wanna!” Apple Bloom suddenly stood up from her chair and leaned over the table to take Sweetie’s hand. She looked at me quickly, then back to Sweetie. “Sweetie, listen! It’s gonna be alright, but ya gotta settle down!” she pleaded. “Ya won’t have to do this much longer. Doug said he’s gonna help find sis and Rarity and-” “Rarity?” Sweetie called out in confusion. “Rarity! Help! I-” At that moment she screamed and some inner force held deep within her, something that was released by her emotions, was unleashed. It happened quite literally in the blink of an eye. A surge of energy that I could actually feel, followed by a brilliant flash of green light and a concussive sound like a small explosion. I felt a rush of heat and air flow past my face, and when I opened my eyes... chaos. Most of the food on the table was gone. John had either been knocked to the floor or had jumped off his chair in order to avoid the blast. The tablecloth was covered with broken glass and was singed in places. The biggest problem was what had been seated directly across from Sweetie Belle. Lying in a crumpled, unconscious heap against the far wall nearly two metres away from the table, their bodies burned and heavily bleeding from multiple contusions, were Angel and Apple Bloom.