//------------------------------// // Hang Time // Story: Apples Don't Fall Far from the Tree // by BronyDad //------------------------------// Chapter 1 Hang Time The insects buzzed and the birds sang all across Sweet Apple Acres as a young filly pranced happily among the apple trees. With the large pink bow that she wore in her mane flapping in the wind, she carefully carried a large platter upon which sat three bowls of Granny Smith's delicious spinach and cabbage soup. Apple Bloom smiled as she came to a large orchard that was completely leafless. In just four more days, the zap apples would appear and be ready for harvesting. As she gazed at the bare branches, she recalled the joy of picking the magical fruit with her family, and the amazing taste of Granny Smith's zap apple jam. Suddenly, Apple Bloom remembered that she was in a hurry, and quickened her pace. Ponyville was scheduled for a storm later this afternoon and she wanted to arrive at the tree house with enough time for her friends to eat before they had to leave. Nearing the northern edge of the farm's property, Apple Bloom felt a surge of pride as the clubhouse swiftly came into view. The tree house had been falling apart when she had inherited it from her older sister, and she had had to fix it up all on her own. It had taken a lot of hard work, but she still remembered how satisfied she had felt when Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had expressed their delight with the outcome. As she arrived at the clubhouse, Apple Bloom cast a worried glance up at the sky, and sighed with relief upon finding it cloudless. They still had plenty of time to eat and maybe even discuss what they would try next to earn their cutie marks. Pleased with the knowledge that her friends wouldn't need to rush home after all, she trotted up the ramp and entered the clubhouse. Inside, she found Sweetie Belle lying on the floor, her purple and light pink striped tail swishing in the air as she read the most recent copy of their school's newspaper. In the far corner sat Scootaloo, her face a mask of misery as she hugged a balloon animal with a rainbow mane and stared gloomily at a framed picture of a beaming Rainbow Dash. Apple Bloom gently placed the platter on the table before turning to Sweetie Belle. "She still upset?" "Uh huh," Sweetie Belle replied as she set the paper aside and made her way to the table. "Scootaloo," Apple Bloom called as she slowly lifted a bowl. "Granny Smith made this soup especially for us and I know you're gonna love it. So come on over here and eat up." "All right." Scootaloo sighed as she set the balloon animal and the picture on a nearby crate. Watching their friend as she dragged herself across the clubhouse, flopped down on her rump, and pulled a bowl in front of her, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle struggled to think of something they could say to cheer her up. Earlier, after Miss Cheerilee had dismissed the class, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had cornered the three of them in the schoolyard and had made fun of Scootaloo's inability to fly. Laughing, they told her that she was the only Pegasus in Ponyville that was grounded and that she was too much of an embarrassment for Cloudsdale to ever want her. "That's not true!" Apple Bloom quickly retorted in Scootaloo's defense. "She doesn't attend school in Cloudsdale because her parents are Earth ponies and she doesn't want to leave her family, and you know it!" "Yeah," Sweetie Belle chimed in, "and her flying sessions are coming along very nicely." "And she's not the only one," Apple Bloom pointed out. "Featherweight can't fly neither." Diamond Tiara snorted. "Yeah, but he has a cutie mark." "Just you wait!" Scootaloo snapped. "I'm getting flying lessons from the most awesome Pegasus to ever come out of Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash!" Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. "My mother says Rainbow Dash is lazy." Infuriated, Scootaloo had lunged at the two bullies, but Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had quickly restrained their hot headed friend. As the three of them struggled, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had laughed and pranced away. Now, as Scootaloo ate the soup half-heartedly, Sweetie Belle suddenly spoke up. "You know, I'm a Unicorn and I can't use my magic. So we're kinda in the same boat." "Not really," Scootaloo disagreed as she took another sip. "You keep getting little spurts of power every now and then from your horn, so you know its developing. These dumb old wings aren't working any better than they were before I started hanging out with Rainbow Dash." "They work great on your scooter though," Apple Bloom stated. "Yeah," Sweetie Belle agreed. "Why would you even need to fly when you can move that fast on the ground?" With a smirk, Scootaloo mumbled, "I guess so..." "And besides," Apple Bloom assured her, "Rainbow Dash will have you flying in no time." Scootaloo suddenly perked up. "Of course she will! She is totally awesome at everything she does, even teaching!" With a wicked smile, she added, "And then I'll be able to make it rain on Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara whenever I want!" The three fillies erupted with laughter, and then eagerly turned their attention to their soup. Finished, Apple Bloom was pushing her bowl aside when she belched unexpectedly. "Pardon," she said with a sheepish grin. "That was nothing," Scootaloo replied. "Watch this!" As Scootaloo belched loudly, Apple Bloom giggled. "Nice one!" Without warning, Sweetie Belle let loose a long belch that blew Scootaloo's mane away from her face, then smiled victoriously as the other two stared, mouths hung open in shock. "Wow..." was all Apple Bloom could think to say. Sometimes it was really difficult to believe that Sweetie Belle could be the sister of Ponyville's most sophisticated pony. With the exception of her gleaming white coat, the young Unicorn had absolutely nothing in common with Rarity. Abruptly, Apple Bloom remembered the approaching storm. "Any ideas on how we can get our cutie marks? If we're gonna try today we need to get going. My sis says there's a storm scheduled later this afternoon." Immediately, Scootaloo jumped into the air and hovered in place for a moment. "I know!" she cried excitably. "We could be Cutie Mark Crusader Crime Stoppers! We can make our own costumes and patrol the town at night from the rooftops! Then, when we locate evil-doers, we can leap on them from above and foil their evil plots!" Sweetie Belle blinked. "I don't think there are any evil-doers in Ponyville." As Scootaloo landed, Apple Bloom said, "I couldn't be out that late. Applejack would kick my tail if I snuck out after dark." Sweetie Belle nodded her agreement. "And I'm pretty sure I'm on my third strike on taking supplies from Rarity's shop. So we wouldn't be able to make the costumes." "Ah, horse apples!" Scootaloo huffed. After a moment of silence, Apple Bloom suggested, "What about Cutie Mark Crusader Physicians?" "Physician? You mean like a doctor?" Sweetie Belle inquired. "Yep," Apple Bloom confirmed. "But we're just fillies," Scootaloo argued. "How could we learn to be doctors?" "That's just it!" Apple Bloom explained enthusiastically. "The three of us could study each other as we grow up, and by the time we're adults, we'll know everything there is to know about being physicians!" Sweetie Belle cocked an eyebrow and tapped her chin with a hoof. "Wait, wouldn't that mean that we wouldn't get our cutie marks until after we grow up?" Scootaloo made a sour face. "Worst. Idea. Ever." Disappointed, Apple Bloom muttered, "Oh...I didn't even think about that..." While Apple Bloom pondered their next move, Sweetie Belle wandered over to the window. Frustrated with her lack of ideas, Apple Bloom joined her friend as she pulled the curtain back and together the two of them peered out at the trees beyond. "I guess we won't get to try anything before the storm gets here, after all," Apple Bloom mumbled. Her gaze rising to the sky, she watched as a small group of Pegasi, led by Rainbow Dash, pushed a large cluster of clouds as a team. "I reckon the storm will be here in about an hour or so." "The storm..." Sweetie Belle repeated thoughtfully. Without warning, she rounded on her friends. "I know what we can do! And now is the perfect time to do it!" Startled, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo asked together, "What?" "We can be Cutie Mark Crusader Meteorologists!" Sweetie Belle cried. "Mateo...meta...meter..." Scootaloo scratched her head. "Huh?" "Meteorologists," Sweetie Belle repeated. "They are the ponies that study and predict the weather." "Oh, right," Scootaloo said, then blinked. "But why does anypony need to predict the weather when the Pegasi control it?" Apple Bloom shrugged. "Who knows. But I think it's a great idea!" "Me too!" agreed Scootaloo excitably. Together, the three fillies shouted, "Cutie Mark Crusader Meteorologists are go!" and then raced out of the clubhouse. Weaving through apple trees, pushing a path through corn stalks, and skirting around a cabbage patch, the three friends rushed across the farm. As they reached the Apple family's farm house, they galloped around the corner and along a white fence toward the stables. Finally, they sprinted across the large, open field to the dirt road that passed beneath the arch that was decorated in leaves and red tin apples. Hanging from the arch was a wooden sign with a large apple carved into the center of it that marked the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres. The Cutie Mark Crusaders slowed to a halt as they reached the well that was located beside the dirt road, and flopped onto the ground, panting heavily. "Why...is your farm...so...big..." Scootaloo asked between huge gasps of air. Apple Bloom approached the well and raised the bucket from its depths. Drinking deeply from the cool refreshing water, she then passed it off to the other two and turned to face her house. She wondered if Granny Smith would worry about her if the storm moved in and she wasn't home. For a moment, she thought about cancelling her plans with her friends, but then remembered that both Applejack and Big McIntosh were at the marketplace trying to sell the last of their apples before the storm arrived. Right now, Granny Smith thought she and her friends were in the clubhouse, and would send Applejack to fetch her when she got back. So, Apple Bloom mused, as long as she returned before it was discovered that she wasn't in the clubhouse, she shouldn't cause her grandmother any worry. After drinking the last of the water in the bucket, Sweetie Belle sat it beside the well. "We ready? Follow me!" Following Sweetie Belle as she began trotting down the dirt road, Apple Bloom asked, "Where are we going anyway?" "You'll see!" Sweetie Belle called over her shoulder. Due to the approaching storm, there was nopony in sight as the three fillies reached Ponyville and made their way toward the Town Square. Only when they arrived at the marketplace did they find some of the townsfolk hurriedly finishing their errands. Warily watching the Apple family's apple cart, Apple Bloom cautiously led them across the marketplace, using several stalls that had already been cleared out as cover. Suddenly, with a gasp, she leaped forward and quickly pulled her two friends to the ground. "Hey, what gives?" Scootaloo asked in surprise. Peeking around the corner of the stall as Applejack sold an entire sack full of apples to Lucky Clover, Apple Bloom answered, "My sister was just looking this way. I thought for sure she saw us, but I guess she didn't." Beside her sister, Apple Bloom spotted Big McIntosh listening to Miss Cheerilee talk with a silly grin on his face. As Applejack finished with Lucky Clover, she turned and watched her older brother with an amused expression. Keeping low to the ground, the Cutie Mark Crusaders crossed the bridge that led to Rarity's shop, the Carousel Boutique, and passed over a second bridge to the park. They hurriedly trotted across the deserted park and came to a halt at the gazebo. "There it is!" Sweetie Belle announced excitedly. Apple Bloom looked around. "There what is?" "The balloon," Sweetie Belle replied, indicating a large purple hot air balloon that was securely tied down beside the gazebo. "We can use it to study the weather." Scootaloo scratched her head. "We can? How?" "It will take us into the sky, silly," Sweetie Belle explained. "Sweet!" exclaimed Scootaloo. As they drew near the large balloon, Apple Bloom asked, "Shouldn't we ask permission before we take it?" Scootaloo shrugged. "We could, but...who does it even belong to?" "I don't know," admitted Apple Bloom. "I thought it was Twilight's at first." "Yeah, she did use it a lot when she first came to town," Sweetie Belle added. "But then I started seeing Cherry Berry riding in it," said Apple Bloom. "And she got pretty mad at Spike when he accidently rode it into the Everfree Forest that one time," Sweetie Belle pointed out. Scootaloo scratched her head. "Didn't this thing get destroyed like three times?" "Twice actually," corrected Apple Bloom. "And it wasn't really destroyed, just ripped and deflated." "It must be expensive to keep having to repair it," mused Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom hesitated as she watched the other two eagerly climb into the basket. She didn't like taking the balloon without permission, but knew that, if they were going to try to get cutie marks for meteorology, they had to act now. "What's up?" Scootaloo asked. Apple Bloom made her decision. "Nothing," she answered as she climbed into the basket with her two friends. "Cutie marks, here we come!" Sweetie Belle cried, and then the Cutie Mark Crusaders stared up into the sky expectantly. After a moment, the three fillies blinked and looked at each other in puzzlement. "Why isn't it moving?" Scootaloo inquired. Her eyes scanning the area around the balloon, Apple Bloom observed, "It's still tied down." Sweetie Belle slapped herself in the head. "Oh yeah, I forgot about the ropes." While Scootaloo sighed loudly, Apple Bloom hopped out of the basket and began untying the ropes. Just as she finished with the first rope, she suddenly cocked an eyebrow. "Wait, why are we going up into the sky anyway?" Looking stumped, Scootaloo added, "Yeah, why?" "Because that's where the weather is," Sweetie Belle answered knowingly. Pondering Sweetie Belle's answer for a moment, Scootaloo grinned. "That totally makes sense." Satisfied with the answer as well, Apple Bloom quickly untied the remaining ropes, then hastily gripped the side of the basket as it began to drift away. With the help of her two friends, she pulled herself over the edge and fell uncomfortably onto a coiled rope laying on the bottom. Untangling herself from the rope, she heard Sweetie Belle once again yell. "Cutie marks, here we come!" Watching the ground as it drew further away, Scootaloo worriedly asked, "Uh, do any of you know how to land this thing?" "No," Sweetie Belle admitted. "In fact, now that I think of it, I don't know how to steer it either." Apple Bloom gulped. "I don't think this was such a good idea after all." As if on cue, a sudden strong gust of wind rocked the basket violently, and with cries of fright, the three fillies fell into a tangled heap as the balloon was blown back west over the Town Square. Below, as she and Big McIntosh were throwing tarps over the barrels of apples they had been unable to sale, Applejack heard the shouts, and glancing up, gasped as she saw the balloon floating above. Without hesitation, Applejack sprinted toward several wooden crates that were stacked beside the Neigh Jewelers, and hastily climbing to the top, made a huge leap onto the jewelry shop's roof. Galloping at full speed, she made her way from rooftop to rooftop as she closed in on the swaying basket. Watching the balloon slowly raise above the roof ahead of her, Applejack, with a last burst of speed, hurdled over a weather vane and latched onto the side of the basket with both front hooves and her teeth. Clutching the basket tightly and attempting to gain leverage with her hind legs, Applejack glanced up in time to see Apple Bloom and her two best friends reaching for her. So shocked was Applejack at finding her sister that she almost let go of the basket. "Apple Bloom! What in-" "Hurry, Applejack, climb up," Apple Bloom interrupted, and with the help of her friends, she pulled her big sister into the basket. Glaring angrily at Apple Bloom, Applejack was about to scold her when another gust of wind rocked the basket, causing her to stumble and the three foals to fall. Recognizing that this was not the time for reprimanding her younger sister, she instead focused on finding a way to get the fillies down safely. Applejack knew that the balloon would be impossible to steer in this weather, but looking down, she saw that they were heading straight for the lake outside of town. Quickly forming a plan, Applejack said, "Girls, get ready to jump when I say." "What?!" the three of them gasped together. "Ya'll gotta trust me," Applejack told them. "Jump when I tells ya, and you'll be safe." Although she was terrified, Apple Bloom trusted her sister completely. "All right," she agreed, and then she reared up on her hind leg and held her forelegs out to her friends. "You ready, girls?" Looking as frightened as she felt, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo both grasped her hooves. Together, the three of them stood, drawing courage from one another. "Go now, jump!" Applejack hastily yelled. Her eyes squeezed shut, Apple Bloom heaved herself over the edge of the basket, and felt the other two do the same. As the wind whipped through her mane, Apple Bloom screamed in fright along with her friends, and then she crashed into the surface of the lake, the impact driving the breath from her lungs as she plunged into its depths. Dazed by the fall and the sudden shock of the cold water, Apple Bloom frantically tried to swim to the surface, but found that she could no longer hold her breath. Fighting back panic, she kicked with all her might as her lungs screamed for oxygen. I'm going to make it! Apple Bloom told herself determinedly. For Applejack, Big McIntosh, and Granny Smith, I'm going to make it! Suddenly, a large shadow fell over her, and she was roughly pulled up into the fresh air. Gasping with relief, she clung to Big McIntosh's neck as her eyes landed on Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, both riding her older brother's back and breathing as hard as she was. Realizing that Applejack wasn't in the lake with them, Apple Bloom looked up and froze with horror. High above, hanging from a rope that was caught around her hind leg, dangled her big sister. It only took Apple Bloom a moment to understand what had happened. Applejack had been so worried about getting them out of the basket safely that she hadn't been paying any attention to herself, and so she hadn't noticed that her hoof had gotten tangled in the rope. The same rope that Apple Bloom herself had gotten tangled up in. As they watched, Applejack struggled to free her hind leg, but the wind had gained strength with the approaching storm and she was swaying too much to get a grip on the rope. Within seconds, the balloon was no longer over the lake and was drifting higher into the sky, and heading straight for the Everfree Forest. "No, Applejack! Applejack!" Apple Bloom cried in dismay as her beloved sister was carried out of sight.