//------------------------------// // 101. Reap What You Sow - Part 1 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// One thing about Ponyville was that however often the inhabitants experienced some form or other of crazy there was a definite “cooling off” period. Alas, once that period was over, it often ended with something big. As the night peacefully passed by, a blue unicorn was mumbling, moaning, tossing and turning, in his bunk. On the top bunk, his little brother, Twinken, groaned as he sat up and hopped down to the floor. “Midnight, wake up,” he grumbled, “you’re being too noisy!” “Mmph!” Midnight moaned in his sleep and Twinken couldn’t help but notice how disturbed his brother sounded when he noticed Midnight’s eyes were scrunched, and Twinken realized… “Big brother, wake up! You’re having a bad dream, wake up!” Twinken tried to shake his brother awake, but Midnight was too far gone, that Twinken ran out into the hall, “Applejack! Big Mac, wake up!” Their doors opened and they came out, sleepy but alert as they looked down at their little brother as he declared, “Midnight’s having a bad dream and I can’t wake him up!” They followed him into the bedroom, where Applejack went over, “Sugarcube! Wake up, it’s just’a dream!” She shook him but Midnight fought as the demons inside kept a cruel grip on his sleeping mind. “Haystack, s’alright, wer’ here!” Big Mac pulled midnight out onto the floor and gave him a slap but even then Midnight wouldn’t wake up! “Whaddoo we do?!” Twinken was started to tear up when… “AAAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!” They all screamed in response to the ear-shattering shriek behind them, so shrill and loud it made Midnight bolt up, gasping for breath! AJ, Big Mac, and Twink looked to see the screamer had been Apple Bloom but she ignored their looks as she gave Midnight a fearful one. “Wha-! What is it?! What’s going on?!” Midnight gasped fearfully, Applejack and Twinken holding him close. “Midnight, s’alright, Sugarcube!” she said gently, “We gotcha!” Midnight stopped shaking and looked to see his brothers and sisters looking at him with great concern. As reality set in, sweet relief stilled his beating heart as he whimpered into Applejack’s arms, and they all shared a comforting hug as Applejack whispered again, “We gotcha…” The Apples slept in that morning for the sake of rest and sanity. Applejack whipped up her famous apple-cinnamon flapjacks, Big Mac cooked the eggs and hay-bacon, Twinken set the table, while Apple Bloom poured the juice and milk. “Come on now, sonny, old mare like me cain’t move as spry as she used ta.” They all looked to see Midnight helping Granny Smith down the stairs, and were relieved to see he looked better than last night. After the hug, Applejack and Big Mac insisted Midnight go back to sleep while Twinken insisted on sleeping with his brother, and Apple Bloom slept with Applejack. Midnight had welcomed Twinken without a word and Twinken had hugged his brother, falling asleep with him. But as much as they all wanted to ask what had haunted Midnight’s dreams last night, the serene look on his face made them hesitant. “Hear you go, Granny Smith,” Midnight said kindly as he helped her to her seat at the table. “Lemme pour you some tea.” “Thank ya kindly, sonny,” she said with a warm smile but her eyes wavered with concern. “Something smells good!” Midnight sniffed the hay-bacon and flapjacks, licking his lips with delightful anticipation. “Hey, aren’t we forgetting something?” “Uh…” Nopony wanted to answer his question, afraid he might be talking about last night. “Don’t you all remember? We’re having a visitor from Manehatten today,” Midnight reminded them. “Oh tha’s right, Ah plum-fergot!” Apple Bloom streaked upstairs with speed that would’ve impressed Rainbow Dash. “So… her name’s Babs Seed, right?” Midnight asked. “Eeyup,” Big Mac confirmed as he served the eggs and hay-bacon. “She’s one o’ our cousins from Manehatten, one o’ our aunt n’ uncle Oranges’ kids.” “What’s she like?” Twinken asked. “Well Ah only met her once,” Applejack explained, “shy little filly who ain’t earned her cutie-mark, poor thing’s been teased t’ tears over it.” “I have a feeling I know what Apple Bloom will want to do once she learns of that…” Midnight gave Twinken a knowing smirk, and Twinken nodded in agreement. “Well, Ah hope she an’ th’ girls don’t make such a huge fuss over it,” Big Mac muttered. “Maybe Ah should go check on her,” Applejack volunteered, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Now that Ah think about it, s’almost time t’ pick up Babs from the train station.” “You do that,” Midnight shooed her as he glanced down hungrily at his plate. “We’re just gonna help ourselves…!” Throughout breakfast, the others couldn’t help but notice. For a pony who’d whimpered and teared up over whatever had plagued his dreams, Midnight looked oddly bright that morning. Later on, Twinken went to the arcade and sure enough there were his friends, Rumble cheering on Button Mash. “Ooh, you’re so close…!” “Quiet, lemme concentrate!” “Hey guys!” “SHH!!” Rumble hissed at Twinken. “Button’s close to making the high score!” Twinken hurried over to see Button Mash at the TROT: LEGACY game-console, and Button was playing the Light-Gallop game. They watched as Button “galloped” along the computer avatar when he swerved, the avatar crashing into Button’s light trail! “YOU WIN!!” the game declared and the colts all cheered as Button happily entered his name for the high-score! “Awesome, Button!” Twinken said as they all high-hoofed. "Nopony games as well as you," Rumble added. “Thanks guys, I’ve been dreaming of that high score forever!” Button laughed, feeling proud. “Speaking of dreaming…” Twinken said in a morose tone, his friends giving him confused looks. “That’s awful, Twink,” Rumble said they sat and had a slice at Pepper Pony’s. “Why did you or the others ask this morning?” “He… just seemed so bright,” Twinken recalled, “that we didn’t wanna dampen his mood.” “When I get bad dreams, I always get a drink of water,” Button brought up, “… then later I wake up to go to the bathroom.” “Well, Midnight was really upset from whatever he dreamed about,” Twinken explained, “I’m worried about him, and so are my sisters and Big Mac!” “Maybe my brother or his friends will help Midnight,” Rumble suggested, “or even Pinkie Pie or Twilight.” “Yeah, Pinkie can make anypony smile!” Button agreed. “I mean, that’s why she’s Pinkie!” “It’s just… Midnight’s smile…” Twinken worried, “it seemed… sorta forced. Like he was trying to look like he was ok.” “Twink, if he says he’s okay then he’s probably okay,” Rumble assured him. “Come on, let’s head over to Sweet Apple Acres, I bet you anything he’s in his crazy shop or doing chores, enjoying the day like everypony else.” As the colts walked up the road alongside the fence of the property, Rumble inquired, “Besides your brother's 180 attitude, you guys are having a visitor, aren’t you?” “Her name is Babs Seed,” Twinken nodded. “She’s a cousin of the Apple Family, and she’s visiting for a couple weeks from Manehatten.” “I used to live in Manehatten,” Button brought up, “Back before my dad’s job made us move a lot until there was this agreement that allowed us to settle here in Ponyville.” “That must’a sucked-” Twinken commented when they heard a loud banging and peered over the fence and gasped! They saw what looked like a giant pumpkin roll out of the barn and bounce a couple times before it broke onto a hillside, smashed to smithereens! “What was that?!” Rumble gasped. “That was the girls float,” Twinken said anxiously, “the one they were gonna ride for the Harvest Parade coming up!” “SWEETIE BELLE!!!” Button screamed frantically as he hopped the fence, the others following as they ran across the hills. As they approached the barn they noticed three fillies walking away, recognizing two of them as the school hussies, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, while the third was unfamiliar to them. “Ya think they did that?” Twinken asked, as they watched the fillies leave in another direction. “I wouldn’t put it pass those brats!” Rumble seethed. “Let’s go check on the girls!” Button suggested and they hurried to the barn to investigate.