//------------------------------//
// A theft 
// Story: A conflicting family 
// by Diana8651 
//------------------------------//

Lightning Dasher's tummy rumbled. How long had she been at this? An hour? Two hours? Either way, she needed food.

Swooping down to the town below, her hooves gently touched the dirt ground. Canterlot had never been like this. The bustling was normal, but so different! The ponies of Canterlot were so... Hoity Toity. Here ponies were friendly, like they were family. Awesome. But it didn't solve her problem. Where was food? 

Shifting her weight from hoof to hoof, she scanned the area. Nothing... Aha! An... apple stand? Canterlot didn't have that. Only grocery stores. 

Walking closer, the tantalizing smell of the ripe fruit became unbearable. As the orange pony who seemed to be manning the stand was busy with another customer, Lightning Dasher picked the biggest apple. Eagerly she reached for her mother to pay for it, only to remember: her mother wasn't here. 

Looking around, her tummy grumbled once again. She took a hoof out, and had just grabbed it when the orange pony turned. The mare had caught her in the act. 

"And just what in the hay," the mare asked, "do you think you're doin'? Ah ain't blind, ya know. So y'all best be puttin' that apple down, 'less ya got some bits to pay fer it."

Lightning disappointedly put the apple down. 

But she was so hungry! Lightning wanted to cry. Just as she was going to walk away, a flash of rainbow skidded to a stop next to her. There stood a mare who nonchalantly handed two bits to the orange pony, and picked the apple Lightning had tried to steal, pointing at it with a cerulean hoof. Her tangled multicolored hair blew in the wind. There stood…

…Rainbow Dash.

Lightning Dasher could barely contain her excitement. In her head, she was screaming. Rainbow casually glanced at Lightning, and asked the orange mare, "Who's that, Applejack? Haven't seen her before."

Applejack replied, "It's a dirty little rat you'll be lookin' at, so 'less you want ter be gettin' a disease, y'all best stay away from it. Stinking varmit tried to steal an apple."

As Rainbow Dash looked yet again, Lightning put on a begging look with the saddest eyes possible. It was a look to match Applebloom's. 

"Please?" the filly begged. "I was just hungry...."

Rainbow seemed to ponder this for a minute. After some thinking, she tossed  another two bits to Applejack and picked out an apple. Handing it to Lightning Dasher, she said, "Squirt, I like you. Reminds me of me. You should meet Scootaloo. A lot like you. 'Bout the same age, too."

Rainbow Dash flied to the clouds. Applejack gave the most hateful look she could towards Lightning, and turned to her next customer. But that didn't matter. Lightning Dasher took a big bite of the apple, and flew back home. 
Her quest of the day had been completed. Time…to…sleep...