//------------------------------// // Word From The Wise // Story: Pure Imagination // by SYNTH4 //------------------------------// Chapter 5 Apple Bloom ripped the paper of the Pinkie Bar in her hoof. As soon as it was cleared away she saw the glorious Golden Ticket lying on the dull chocolate. Apple Bloom took the ticket in her hoof and threw the chocolate away. “I FOUND A GOLDEN TICKET, IT’S ALL MINE” she screamed, jumping up and down as she did so. “MINE, ALL MINE, MINE…” ************************* “Apple Bloom…Apple Bloom…APPLE BLOOM!” Apple Bloom’s neck went straight as she heard the voice calling out to her. Turning her head away from the window, she saw Ms. Cheerilee and the rest of the class looking at her. Only the students had amused faces, while Ms. Cheerilee had on her “You Got Busted” face. “Apple Bloom, I don’t appreciate ponies’ day dreaming in my class. Now start paying attention or I’ll be sending you down to Principle Faust’s office” said Cheerilee sternly. A few of the students started to whisper and snicker at what was happening. Only one or two looked sorry for Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom shook her head and sighed. “Sorry Ms. Cheerilee, I’ll start paying attention” she said, pulling her notebook closer together. “Good, now where was I? Oh that’s right, the defeat of Lord Tirek” said Cheerilee, turning back to the board. ************************* An hour passed by with Apple Bloom and the rest of the foals trying to stay awake through Cheerilee’s presentation about some evil dude who wanted to rule Equestria. But while some of the foals simply paid attention and others fell asleep, Apple Bloom went back to looking out the window (But in a more forward way so she didn’t look like she was daydreaming). “That dream was great, albeit a little too eccentric. I want that Golden Ticket more than anyone, but I’ve only opened one bar. At this rate they’ll all be gone” she thought to herself. But she was soon shaken from her thoughts as the school bell rang. Foals who were close to or had fallen asleep quickly packed their things and ran out the door. And as usual, Apple Bloom was the last one. But as she approached the door, she was stopped. “Hold on a minute Apple Bloom, I want a quick word with you” said Cheerilee. Apple Bloom mentally kicked herself in the head. Whenever anypony was held back after class, it usually meant trouble. Last time Feather Flight was held back and apparently was given a long, loud lecture about poking mares in the flanks to impress his friends. But Apple Bloom didn’t recall doing anything that bad, not in the last few weeks anyway. So what could Cheerilee want to talk to her about? Apple Bloom walked over to Cheerilee’s desk, where she looked down at her. But her face didn’t look like how Apple Bloom had expected. Instead of it looking annoyed or angry, it looked normal and kind. “Apple Bloom, I think its quiet obvious why I held you back, wouldn’t you say” asked Cheerilee. “Uh…wasn’t it because I was daydreaming in class” asked Apple Bloom. “Well that’s part of the reason. The other reason is because you seem to be less…happy. A few weeks ago you were smiling and taking your life in strides. Now you just seem more depressed. As a teacher it’s my responsibility to talk to you if you are depressed and help you in any way I can” said Cheerilee, in a proud voice. Apple Bloom gave a small smile. “Thanks Ms. Cheerilee, but I’m fine. I’ve just had a lot on my mind right now. I’ll try and be happier” she said. “Well, if you’re sure about that, then I’ll let you handle it. But remember to come to me if you have anything you need to talk about” said Cheerilee. “Will do Ms. Cheerilee, see you Tomorrow” said Apple Bloom, and she walked out the classroom door. ************************* Apple Bloom walked down the cold sidewalk with her scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. The snow wasn’t deep enough that it was hard to walk, but it did mean she had to walk slower. She continued to walk down the sidewalk until she came to a stop. She had stopped in front of a large oak tree. But this tree had a door at the front, windows, and a balcony at the top. A few snow covered paths ran from the front door to as far as they could go until they reached the buildings next to the tree. A large sign that sat at the front read: “Golden Oak Library”. Apple Bloom walked the small path up to the front door. A nice hoof mate had been placed in front of the door that read “Reading is Magic”. A sign on the door gave the hours of the library, and a message saying that all theft will be reported to the local authorities. Apple Bloom gave the door a push and watched it swing open. A small bell rang above the doorframe. Not a second later a warm breeze blew all over Apple Bloom, warming her up. She walked into the main lobby and closed the door behind her. Rows of books stacked on shelves built into the wood circled the small area. A few tables with comfy pillows to sit on were also stationed around the room. Only one other pony was in the room, a grey earth pony who was reading at one of the tables. “Welcome to the Golden Oak Library, were knowledge is power and books are magic. I’ll be with you shortly” called a voice from one of the other rooms. Apple Bloom walked over to one of the tables and sat down on what looked like the comfiest pillow. She pulled a book out from her saddlebag and began to read. It was a fiction book about a pony who finds himself in a maze with no memory and has to find a way out with a bunch of other ponies. Apple Bloom found this book very interesting. Her eyes were glued to the book for a good ten minutes before another pony walked into the room. She looked up from the book and at the pony that had walked in. The mare was a purple unicorn with a dark purple mane with dark pink streaks running through it. Her cutie-mark was a dark pink six point star with five miniature white ones around it. When the mare spotted Apple Bloom, she smiled and walked over to the table. “Hello Apple Bloom, nice to see you again. You haven’t come by in a while. I haven’t been able to check your homework” she said. “Hello Twilight. And sorry about that, I’ve just been more…occupied with other things. But I’m here now, I just don’t have any homework for you to check” said Apple Bloom as she put her book away. Twilight smiled “Then how about we talk over a cup of tea. I have the kettle on upstairs”. “Oh, well okay. A warm cup of tea sounds nice” said Apple Bloom. “Great, follow me” said Twilight, and she walked towards a staircase placed away from the main lobby. Apple Bloom picked up her saddle bag and fallowed Twilight up the stairs. ************************* When Apple Bloom and Twilight reached the top of the stairs, they found themselves in a large kitchen area. A large fridge and stove sat in the corner and a counter with a sink and other appliances ran along the wall. A round table with chairs and a fancy looking center decoration was close by. Another staircase was next to the fridge. That probably led to the bedrooms above. “Make yourself at home, I’ll get the tea ready” said Twilight, walking towards the stove. “Thanks” said Apple Bloom, and she headed over towards the table. “So how’s the family doing? Last time I spoke to Applejack it was during cider selling season. You guys sure were getting a lot of money from that. But that just proves it’s hard to own a farm during the winter” said Twilight. “Yeah, we have to spend our money wisely. We can’t grow anything until Spring, so we only eat and buy what’s necessary” said Apple Bloom. “That’s a smart thing to do. If you keep doing that you’ll get through this winter with items to spare” said Twilight. She was walking over to the table with a tray of tea and biscuits levitating next to her. She placed the tray down on the table and floated a cup in front of Apple Bloom. “Cream or sugar” she asked. “Creams fine” said Apple Bloom. Twilight levitated the cream mug and tipped it over the cup. “So, changing topics, how have you been handling the Pinkie Contest” asked Twilight, who then took a sip from her cup. Apple Bloom took a sip from her cup as well. “Oh, well me and Granny have been following it pretty closely, yet I’ve only opened one bar. I really want to win, but how can I if I can’t open ten bars an hour. Others can, so they’re going to be the ones to find them.” Twilight smiled. “Don’t count yourself out so soon. You have as much a chance as anybody does. It all comes down to luck, not how many you buy. Although, the amount you buy does help your luck.” “That part about me having a chance is exactly what Granny said to me” said Apple Bloom, who then took a large bite out of a biscuit. “Then that just proves your Granny speaks wise words. But you are right; ponies who can afford to buy bars every day are really determined to find those tickets. It’s almost unhealthy” said Twilight with a disapproving look. Apple Bloom cocked an eyebrow “You sound as if you know somepony who is like this”. Twilight pinched in-between her eyes. “I know two, and both are determined to find that ticket more than anything.” “Mind telling me who they are, if you don’t mind” said Apple Bloom. Twilight let out a large breath. “I’ll tell you the first, and then show you the second. You said you’ve been fallowing the contest closely right?” “Yeah” said Apple Bloom, a little questionably. “Do you remember what Princess Cadance said about the contest” asked Twilight. “Yeah, she said that she wasn’t taking part in the contest and even if she was, she would stop because she doesn’t want to take the spotlight away from Truffle” said Apple Bloom. “You see that’s how all princesses in Equestria should be like. However, one of them isn’t like that” said Twilight, looking down at her half empty cup. “Don’t tell me it’s Princess Luna” said Apple Bloom “She’s the one who’s trying to get ponies to eat healthier.” Twilight sighed “No, it’s not her…it’s her sister”. Apple Bloom’s mouth fell wide open. “Princess Celestia is trying to win this contest” she asked. “Yes she is, and it’s almost like an obsession” said Twilight. “But why does she want to win so badly, she’s the Princess after all” said Apple Bloom. “Well this happened just five years after Pinkie closed her factory. Princess Celestia called Pinkie Pie to Canterlot for a personal meeting with her. Naturally Pinkie accepted, and she met with the Princess a few days later. She was shown the entire castle and grounds, and they say Pinkie was so inspired she said she was going to make a new kind of candy because of it. Then Princess Celestia took Pinkie into the throne room. Besides a one or two guards, there was no one else in the room. Princess Celestia sat on her throne, and told Pinkie she had something to ask her” said Twilight. “Well what was it” asked Apple Bloom, eager to find out. “She asked Pinkie if she could have a personal tour of her factory. She explained that she had always been a fan of Pinkie’s chocolate, and she wanted to see what the factory was like. Now if you were in Pinkie’s situation, what would you say” asked Twilight. “I would say yes. It’d be an honor to have the Princess visit your factory” said Apple Bloom. Twilight leaned in closer to Apple Bloom. “Well get this. Pinkie, as if she was answering what her favorite color was, said NO!” Apple Bloom almost fell of her chair in surprise. When she regained her balance, she looked over at Twilight. “How could someone say no to the Princess” she asked. “I don’t know, but Celestia wasn’t going to give up so easily. When Pinkie said no, Celestia wanted to know why. Pinkie said she was protective of her privacy, and that included her factory. Celestia told Pinkie she wouldn’t tell a soul anything about the factory, but she wouldn’t go for it. That’s when things got tense. Celestia said that she would use her powers to force Pinkie to let her in. But the high council said that Pinkie had rights as well, and therefore Celestia couldn’t force herself into the factory. After that Pinkie left Canterlot, saying she would never visit again and that she was canceling the candy idea she was thinking of” said Twilight. “Wow, Pinkie must have nerves of steel to stick up to the Princess like that” said Apple Bloom. “Yep, and ever since that day Celestia has been trying to find a way she can see the factory. When the contest was announced, she ordered for boxes of Pinkie Bars to be shipped directly to the Castle. Now she has guards looking through the bars trying to find a ticket” said Twilight. “She almost like that Diamond Tiara” said Apple Bloom. “Yeah, only a lot less mean and greedy. She’s still the heartwarming Princess everyone knows, but she gets serious when it comes to Pinkie’s Chocolate” said Twilight, who took another sip of her tea. “By the way, didn’t you’d say you were going to show me something” asked Apple Bloom. Twilight set her empty tea cup down on the table. “Oh yeah, I did. Well come on then, I’ll show you” she said. She hopped down from her chair and walked towards the upward staircase. Apple Bloom jumped off her chair and fallowed her. ************************* Twilight lead Apple Bloom up the winding stairs. Soon they came to two blue doors: One on the left, and one on the right. Twilight turned to the one on the left and knocked three times. “Not now Twilight, I’m busy” called a voice from behind the door. “I’ve got another box for you” said Twilight. Apple Bloom was confused by this because Twilight had no box with her. “Oh, alright then. Come on in” said the voice. Twilight turned the handle and pushed the door open. She walked into the room and Apple Bloom fallowed her. The room was a fairly normal sized bedroom. A large bed with purple and green bedspreads sat in a corner next to a large window. Bookcases with Comic Books and Manga lined the walls, except for two places where a small desk and closet sat. Posters with superheroes on them were pinned to the ceiling. But when Apple Bloom walked into the room, she felt something on her hoofs. Looking down, she saw tore up Pinkie Bar wrappers lying on the floor. And when she looked up, she noticed something on the bed. It was a dragon. A small baby dragon with purple and green scales. It was sitting on the bed with a box next to him. When the two walked in, he looked at Twilight. “Hey, where’s the box Twilight? You said you had one for me” said the Dragon as he opened another Pinkie Bar. “Sorry Spike, I just told you that. I wanted to show Apple Bloom how obsessed you’ve got in finding a Golden Ticket” said Twilight with a disapproving face. Spike huffed and threw the torn wrapper on the ground. “It’s not an obsession, it’s just a hunt. There are tons of ponies out there doing the same thing as me, some are even more extreme.” “And they’re just as crazy as you are” said Twilight. Then she turned to the foal behind her. “Come on Apple Bloom, I think Spike would prefer if we left him alone”. “Oh yeah, sorry you had to see my room this messy Apple Bloom” said Spike. He reached inside the box and began rummaging around. He pulled something out of it. “Here, catch” he said, and tossed the item towards her. Apple Bloom caught it and looked down: It was a Pinkie Bar. “Wow, uh, thanks Spike” said Apple Bloom. But then Twilight picked Apple Bloom up in her magic and carried her over to the door. “We’re leaving” she said. And as soon as they passed through the door, she dropped Apple Bloom and shut the door behind her. ************************* “Sorry you had to see that. I can’t stand Spike when he’s doing something stupid. Not to mention he’s using library funds to buy all those Pinkie Bars” said Twilight as she and Apple Bloom walked back down to the Lobby. “It’s alright; I didn’t find it that weird. At least he’s got a goal he’s shooting for” said Apple Bloom. “He should have a goal that’s more productive. Like reading a book in a week or making something that’ll help other ponies. Opening candy bars to win a contest doesn’t help anyone but himself” said Twilight. The two reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the now empty lobby. “Well thanks for the tea Twilight, but I better get going. Applejack doesn’t want me outside too late. Not after what happened last time” said Apple Bloom. “What happened last time” asked Twilight. “Let’s just say you can do a lot with a chicken and four bags of jelly” said Apple Bloom. “What can…you know what, never mind. Anyway thanks for stopping by Apple Bloom. It’s always nice to see you” said Twilight. “Same here Twilight. Well I’ll see you later” said Apple Bloom. She walked over to the door and pushed it open. “Bye Apple Bloom” said Twilight as Apple Bloom walked out the door.