//------------------------------// // Prologue and Chapter 1 // Story: Apple Bloom // by Noratcat //------------------------------// She gazed about, her eyes scanning all about the village. The equines scurried about their daily lives, this little backwater they called Ponyville. Through her gaze, she could see all the races, earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies. However the adults were of no concern to her. Only the children held her interest. They milled about like mice, engaging in all such manners of activity. She saw two little fillies, their air high class and snooty. They held high opinions of each other, the cutie marks depicted upon their flanks illustrated a very well to do air. Not them. A new pair garnered her eye's attention, two young colts, one short and squat, the other tall and lanky. Definitely not them. Another reached her eye, a young filly delicately preparing peppermint candies. Her hand waved in a dismissal. These children were happy, content with their lives. Something she didn't need. There had to be one miserable child, just one. Her gaze moved out of the boundaries of Ponyville. Then it stopped. There it sat, a farm, apple orchards surrounded it, far as the eye could see. The bright demeanor of its appearance belied another emotion, one that carefully hid. Unhappiness. It belonged to one. Grinning to herself, she quickly went to work. The window opened without as much as a creak. From outside the starry void, a doll flew through. It held the image of a baby earth pony, her body a lime green with a brown colored mane, held up in a pretty red ribbon. It gave off an illusion of an apple pie. Grasping the doll, she undid its stitches, letting the stuffing rain down upon the floor. She undid everything, the buttons, and the mane leaving nothing but a deflated sack. With a thrust, she turned the sack inside out, the under color a pale olive. First came the stuffing, refilling it until it filled out the figure. The needle dove in and out sewing the mouth up into a friendly looking grin. The stringed mane hair she sewed back into the body. This time she went for a brighter design, a brilliant crimson color. Almost perfect but missing a detail, the eyes. The drawer opened, revealing a selection of buttons, some big, some small, various colors, but he went for a traditional color, black of course. The buttons were sewn into the doll and at last her creation was complete. The window opened upon her command and casually she tossed it, back into the starry void. The window shut behind it just as quietly as it had opened. And so she sat, and she waited, but there was still more to be done. A mother’s work was never done. XXX The weather in Ponyville could be considered dreary today. Overcast filled the skies, only tiny hints of blue peeking through, and the small rays warmed whomever they were lucky enough to hit, if only for a few moments. None of the Pegasus ponies, particularly Rainbow Dash could do anything about it. The source of this impromptu weather resulted in an accident at the factory in Cloudsdale. Apparently it would have to run its course, but citizens were told to expect random weather for a while. The pony inhabitants went about their daily business, seeing no cause for alarm because of a bunch of clouds. One such place was a farm outside the town, Sweet Apple Acres, the number one source of apple and apple goods throughout Equestria. The members of the Apple family were hard workers, owing their success to gritting through tough times such as this, rain, snow, sleet and hail. It sounded like a mantra from a post person, or pony in this world’s case. But that is how it went in the life of a farmer. The heads of this particular branch of the family orchard were busy even now. Well save for two. One due to age, while the other because of being too small. The latter looked out her bedroom window. Apple Bloom sighed. A strand of her pinkish mane fell out of place. With a thrust of her head, she put it back into place. She made certain this time her pink ribbon kept the hairs perfect. A few droplets hung slid down the window from the small shower the other day. This dreariness matched the boredom she felt. If only her siblings weren’t so busy. One would think this bad weather would at least excuse them from work, but she had to be born into a family of farmers. Hard work and the Apple Family name went hoof in hoof. Seeing nothing else, she soon left her home to see if there was something interesting to do, mostly in regards to her brother and sister, starting of course with the latter. It didn’t take long for the young earth pony to find her elder sister. There bucking the trees for its crop was Applejack. Applejack was easily identified by her orange body and blond ponytailed mane, but mostly it was her cowpony hat. She never took it off, save for bed and meal times. The mare would give a mighty buck, and the apples would fall into the baskets. She would take a break each time they fell, then immediately get back to work. Nothing could break her concentration. “Hey Applejack!” the aforementioned halted. One thing could stop her, a younger sibling that is. Applejack momentarily distracted from her day’s work to see her little sister staring up at her with her big eyes. “Hello Apple Bloom.” she greeted, her voice only containing a hint of annoyance, but she hid it well for fear of hurting her sibling’s feelings. Two seconds of silence followed before Apple Bloom spoke again. “Sooooo, watcha doin?” she asked knowing the question was obvious. Applejack bucked another apple tree. “Well Ah’m bucking this here tree.” Applejack spoke in her drawl, something that all members of her family shared. “Can Ah help?” Apple Bloom asked. Applejack gave her sister a look. “Ya might wanna stay out of this little sis, Ah got it handled.” Apple Bloom let out pout. Her sister had been grumpy ever since the weather mishap, especially when she got caught in the rain, coming inside soaking wet to the bone. That or the combination of working in such conditions could make anyone cranky. “Come on sis! Ah can help! With the two of us we can get it done twice as fast.” to further her point, Apple Bloom attempted to buck, only to cause no effect to the bark. Applejack provided a much better example, actually managing to knock a few apples from the branches. “Stubborn little.” Applejack muttered as she noticed a few still hung above. Stubborn would be correct as they wouldn’t budge no matter what. Apple Bloom noticed her sisters growing frustration. “How about a little break sis?” she suggested. “Maybe the two of us could do something?” “Kind of busy little sister.” “Come on just a little one?” “Ah said no.” “But all this work is turning you into a cranky old mule!” “Ah said no!” Applejack’s voice raised a fraction. Immediately she noticed the shocked, borderline hurt expression upon her sister’s face. “Look Apple Bloom.” she softened both her face and her voice. “Ah’m really sorry, but we’ve got a big harvest and Ah have to get it down before the weather acts up again.” She attempted to reason. “Why don’t you go see what Big Macintosh is doing?” Apple Bloom felt her hurt vanish, but a sigh escaped her. “Fine.” dejection radiated from her. Slinking off, Apple Bloom left her sister alone, and went to find her eldest sibling. In the field she saw a red, orange maned stallion plowing the field. “Big Macintosh!” Apple Bloom called as she pranced over to her brother, who didn’t stop even after his name was spoken. “Working hard Big Mac?” Apple Bloom asked cheerfully. Big Mac shifted the straw in his mouth to the side. “Eyup.” he replied with his catchphrase. The filly trotted alongside her elder brother, matching his movements. “Say, you’ve been working hard, how’s about a little break?” Apple Bloom suggested, hoping to deter her brother to spend time with her. “Nope.” was Big Mac’s brisk reply. Apple Bloom lowered her brow. “It could be real quick. We could go into town, maybe get a treat at Sugar Cube Corner.” to be honest, that last bit was more towards herself. Apple Bloom could really have gone for a slice of cake about now. “Nope. Supper’l be done a few hours, you know that.” Big Mac replied. “Please! Just for a bit.” Apple Bloom put on her best look. “Nope.” “For ten minutes?” “Nope.” “Five minutes?” “Nope.” “One minute?” “Nope.” Apple Bloom’s look fell with a disappointed brow. “You’re going to keep saying nope aint ya?” Big Macintosh shifted his straw again. “Eyup.” Apple Bloom gave a frustrated cry. Her siblings may have been too busy, but there was still one other member of the family. “Granny Smith!” she called the moment she stepped into the house. “Hey ya wanna?” The question began and ended the moment she found her grandmother. There she sat, an old, wrinkled green mare, Granny Smith, the eldest member of the Apple Clan. A snore parted from the seniors lips, her neck tilting a tad. Apple Bloom frowned. “Oh right.” a part of her knew her grandmother wouldn’t be available, but she merely grasped at the metaphorical straw. “That tears it!” the little filly declared, storming out of the house. As the door slammed behind her, the sound awoke a certain mare. “Wha?” Granny Smith blinked her eyes open, but in moments she closed them again. “Circus mice.” she muttered before she lapsed back to sleep. XXX Down the path, Apple Bloom stormed. She had walked this path many times. After all, it was the only way from her home to Ponyville, and the way to school each weekday. Hopefully she would find some excitement there, she needed some seeing as her family was too busy with their own duties. honestly though, Apple Bloom loved her family, but sometimes she felt a tad out of place. Well, very little moments. However it was times such as these where she truly felt out of place. They were all apple farmers. It showed upon their cutie marks, something all adult ponies had. Applejack had three red apples, Big Mac had an apple half and Granny Smith had an apple pie. Where as Apple Bloom? Well as a certain pair of school bullies would say, she was a blank flank. She had tried to find her talent in apple's as her family, but that didn't turn out so well. In fact the first day she mostly just terrified the customer's with her overeagerness. In fact, Mr. Whoof still seemed wary of her whenever they crossed paths. Yet, Apple Bloom found solace in her blank flanks, for she wasn't the only filly around without a cutie mark. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, a unicorn and pegasus pony respectively. Together, the three of them formed the "Cutie Mark Crusaders." their mission: To discover their talents and earn their cutie marks. Seeing as there was nothing else to do, Apple Bloom figured it was time for another meeting between the three of them. After all, she would rather spend the day with her friends. XXX "Sick!?" Apple Bloom exclaimed disappointedly. Sweetie Belle was first on her list, so therefore required a trip to the Carousal Boutique, Ponyville’s number one stop for fashion. Besides, she knew Sweetie Belle was staying with her sister Rarity for a week, and it was Rarity who answered the door. Unfortunately, Apple Bloom received some news she didn’t want to hear. “Yes, I’m sorry to say Sweetie Belle has caught some kind of bug.” The older white unicorn answered. Apple Bloom’s fell down in disappointment. “Ya mind if I see her?” the filly asked. Even if they couldn’t hang out, she could at least visit her friend. Rarity, seemed to hesitate for a moment. The sophisticated mare obviously didn’t enjoy the thought of being in the same house with germs, but she cared for her sister and in Sweetie Belle’s state, a visit from a friend could cheer her up. “Well I don’t see why not.” Inside, Apple Bloom could see an unfinished dress in the middle of the room. Rarity must have been working before she came in. Near the stairs, her cat Opal sat. The white fluff ball briefly looked up from her nap, only to give a small hiss at the approaching filly. Apple Bloom shot the ca a dirty look before following Rarity upward. “Sweetie Belle?” Rarity called. I’ve brought one of your friends to see you.” Apple Bloom trotted into the room. “Hey Sweetie, Ah heard you weren’t feeling well so Ah wanted.” Apple Bloom stopped when she got a good look at her friend. Sweetie Belle looked terrible. Her mane was frazzled, and her eyes drooped low. A trail of snot dipped down from her reddened nose. A soft moan escaped her as she blew her nose loudly. “Cheer you up.” Apple Bloom finished. Sweetie Belle blearily looked up to see her friend. It brought a small grin to her face. “Doh, hey Apple Bloom.” a stuffiness permeated her voice. However her smile broke away as her face started to twitch. “ACHOOO!” Sweetie Belle let out a sneeze. Another tissue followed as she blew her nose once more. A look of concern crossed Apple Blooms face. “Golly, you must really be sick.” She realized moving closer to her friend’s bedside. “Dyeah dye think it was da-da.” Sweetie Belle’s face began to spasm in a twitch. Unfortunately, Apple Bloom realized what was about to happen too late. “DACCHOOOOOO!” Apple bloom let out a yelp as her face was sprayed with……well…..it didn’t need to be said. “Weather.” Sweetie Belle finished. “Dorry Apple Bloom.” she sniffed. Apple Bloom wiped away the gunk. “No problem.” Needless to say, Apple Bloom left, mostly because she knew Rarity wouldn’t want to risk more germs contaminating her house, or rather two sick ponies, but Apple Bloom felt fine. “Well that didn’t work out.” Apple Bloom spoke to herself. “But I guess I should see Scootaloo.” she added with a hint of optimism. Her Pegasus friend would always be up for fun, doing maneuvers on her scooter. Unfortunately, Apple Bloom would be disappointed again. Apple Bloom made it to Scootaloo’s house, and her friend answered the door, but when the orange pegasus stepped out, she immediately noticed the white bandages wrapped around her wings. “Scootaloo what happened?” Apple Bloom said after her initial “hello”, but didn’t bother asking “Ya wanna hang out?”. Scootaloo dug at the ground with her front hoof. “I hurt myself on my scooter.” A flush of embarrassment colored her face. Beneath her breath, she muttered something about a rock and a wall eyed pony commonly known as Derpy Hooves. Needless to say, the meeting of the Cutie Mark Crusaders would not come to pass. With a sulk, Apple Bloom trotted along the village streets. So far this day had been a bust. Her family was too busy; her friends were either sick or hurt. She didn’t want to sound selfish, but being a very young child, she had moments of such. Then something caught her eye. Amidst the ponies who bustled about, she got a particular hint of purple, but it wasn’t of a flank, but scales. Sure enough it was Spike. The baby dragon dug at the base of his and Twilight’s home. Curiosity peaking, Apple Bloom trotted closer. “Spike?” she pronounced in her accent. “What are ya doin?” Close as she was, she could see the dragon appeared to be looking for something. Craning his head back, he gave a friendly grin at the young pony. “Oh hey Apple Bloom. Crazy weather we’re having eh?” “Yeah.” Apple Bloom muttered. The dragon went back to work, whatever he was doing. “Um? Are ya looking for something?” Apple Bloom asked. Spike didn’t answer, only giving a few mutters of “Know you’re here, where are ya?” and so forth. “Ah ha!” Spike exclaimed happily. “What?” Apple Bloom inquired, poking her head in closer. When Spike turned though, she wished she hadn’t. “Check out the size of this thing!” Spike exclaimed. The moment Apple Bloom saw it she yelped, taking a few steps backward. “Eww! Gross!” In Spike’s claws, he held a long, slimy looking slug. “Oh man! Take a look at this! Twilight told me these things like damp weather.” Spike held up the gastropod with pure awe in his green eyes. Apple Bloom had never hung out with Spike much. Sure they talked, but mostly whenever Twilight or Applejack, or any of their friends were in company together. Honestly though, she wasn’t getting a good impression of the dragon. “Here. You want to see?” Spike asked, holding out the slug to Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom gave a disgusted glance at the creature. “No thanks.” “Aww come on. It’s not so bad, actually kind of cute.” stated Spike. Cute? A slug? Apple Bloom didn’t hold the same sentiments. “Actually Ah think Ah should be headin home now.” The filly excused herself, wanting to move away as quickly as possible. About now, home seemed more fun, and it probably would be dinner soon. “Wait hold on! I almost forget.” Spike called to her. Before Apple Bloom could ask, Spike darted inside, Twilight’s library home. Apple Bloom tapped her hoof impatiently, but soon Spike exited. “I wanted to return this to you.” said Spike. Apple Bloom looked curiously at what held in the dragon’s claws. It was a doll, but not just any doll. It looked exactly like her. Right down to every detail. Her color, her mane, her bow, even her blank flank. The only difference were the buttons in place of eyes. “Where did ya get this?” Apple Bloom asked with a raised eye. "In that old building near your farm." Spike answered. "Old building?" Spike pointed in the direction where said building would have been. "Yeah, I heard a story from Snips and Snails about it being haunted by some kind of ghost. But then again it was Snips and Snails so it probably wasn't true, and I know Twilight says ghost's don't exist, but hey you can't blame a dragon for being curious." Spike explained in a long winded sentence. "So I went there to check it out and I found your doll. So here ya go." Spike handed the doll to Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom didn't take it though, not at first. Raising her other eyebrow, she admitted, "This aint my doll." Spike was surprised by this bit of news. "Really? I just thought it was, it looks just like you. Real shame, I was kind of hoping it was so that way Rarity could see me give it to you." Spike flashed a dreamy grin. "I'm so sure she would think I'm the quite the little gentledragon." Spike's crush on Rarity was no secret, not that he tried to make it a secret. Of course being as young as he was, and the species barrier, it would rather difficult. Apple Bloom felt a chill, not from the air, but emotionally. Someone put a lot of detail into this doll, somebody who had a good look at her she imagined. Staring into it's button eyes, she asked. "Where did ya say ya found this?" XXX Deep within the Everfree Forest, sat a hut. Inside a bubbling pot of liquid sat in a cauldron. Before it stood a female zebra, her neck decorated with a gold chocker and her cutie mark that of a spiral sun. Many would ask why one would live in the Everfree Forest, a place not directly under pony control, but for Zecora, it suited her. Partially because of her days when she was feared by the Ponyville denizens as an "evil enchantress." Of course those were simply assumptions and superstitions on their part. Those days had passed, and now she could walk freely without shopkeepers locking their doors and windows at the site of her. Yet, she still remained within the Everfree Forest. Besides, it was the best place to gather herbs. Mixing up potions was her talent, something many would agree with. However, this was no potion she brewed, nor was it a stew. In her mouth she carried something she gathered. A jar of dirt it was, dug up from a secluded area near Sweet Apple Acres. Pouring the contents into the brew, Zecora mixed it well. Commenting in her native tongue, she noticed the change of color within. Something was amiss in Ponyville. It became noticeable, the moment she moved in. Least, only she could sense it. Zebra's had a sixth sense for such matters. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but something wasn't right. The dirt she gathered did not come from hallowed ground.