//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 // Story: Poor Little Rich Pony // by Ugly-Duckling123 //------------------------------// In the school yard Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were surrounded by the bullies. Golden-Edge, Jewel and Twinkle were shouting out their usual insults and gang gags. "Hey Apple Bloom, want to come over and help me get a cooking badge for my Junior Colts, I need some apples for my pie," Golden-Edge said to the laughter from the others. "What's the deal with that scooter anyway Scoot-to-a-loo?" Jewel asked. "Can I have a go on it?" Then with out warning she swiped it away and purposely let it drop to the ground. "Whoops, sorry." "You know you should dump these losers right Sweetie Belle?" Twinkle asked facing Sweetie with a wicked look. "HEY YOU GUYS LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" Diamond Tiara screamed coming up to stand between the two parties. "Excuse me Tiara..." Edge said wiggling his finger in his ear. "But I thought I just heard you call theses losers your friends." "That's because I did, dummy." Diamond Tiara said. "And they're way better friends then any of ever were, are, or will be." she said collecting Scootaloo's scooter and walking away with the Crusaders to the stunness of the bullies. * Inside Miss Cheerilee was looking out at her students smiling at the standing up Tiara had just done. "I see another Apple found their opposite," she said smiling, thinking back to how it was just like this for Appleseed, Mac and Applejack. "It helps if they have to share a house for a few days," someone said behind her. Applejack was dropping off a few apples to the school for snack time. "A few days?" Cheerilee asked raising her eyebrow. "Yeah," Applejack said. "The storm knocked the power out to the Rich's home so we, well I suggested they'd stay with us until it came back." "But it came back that afternoon," Cheerilee said confused. "Huh?" Applejack asked. "But I guess it wouldn't have worked then, then would it?" Cheerilee said smiling and looking back to the play ground. "Humph no, I guess it wouldn't" Applejack said leaving telling herself to have some words with Filthy Rich later. Back at the farm Fluttershy had just gotten back from her cottage, having made sure the animals were all alright,to help Granny Smith make some of Mac's favorite pies and fritters for when he woke up. "Thank ye again for bandaging up my grandson dearie," Granny Smith said putting the pastry into the plates. "Oh...Um your welcome Granny Smith." Fluttershy said looking up from the apple fritters. "I haven't seen a bond as tight as yours since Appleseed and Honey-Crisp." "A bond?" Fluttershy asked. "Honey, I'm nearly seventy six years old," Granny Smith said smiling. "I have a pretty good idea how to tell when two children like each other." "You think he likes me?" Fluttershy asked placing her hair behind her ear, blushing. "Is that a problem child?" Granny Smith said putting the pies into the oven. "Umm..." Fluttershy said not knowing what to say. "How are those apple fritters coming along then?" Granny Smith asked changing the subject and coming over to see Fluttershy's handy work. After a while Fluttershy as a personal question. "Granny. How did Appleseed and Honey-Crisp meet, that is if you don't mind telling me." she said. Granny Smith smiled. She enjoyed telling family stories that included her son. "One day when Appleseed came back from selling the treats in the market, there was a new vibe around him. Almost the same as Macintosh is around you my dear. Anyway the next day he left extra early his cart full of Apple apple treats and went off to market. That evening he came back looking the same as he did the night before. Now the horse we had back then was Horse-Seed's mother, and around the time my son was finding his love she was pregnant with him." Granny Smith paused to check on the pies and then went back to telling her story. "One day, Appleseed bought the girl he had been seeing in the market to the farm to show her Anna, but something was wrong. Honey-Crisp said her father was a vet and called him over. And just like you did the other night, helped bring Horse-Seed to us." "So all this has happened before?" Fluttershy asked making the fritters subconsciously. "More or less my dear," Granny Smith said continuing with the story. "We invited Honey and her father around for dinner that night as a token of thanks, and her dad said that they had just moved here from living life on the road, and were grateful that they had made such good friends already. As it turns out Appleseed stuck up for Honey the first day she was introduced to his school, and had been seeing him in the market everyday buying apple treats as a sign of thanks. "One summers day a few years after that evening, both Appleseed's took Honey to that er... secret hide away as one of their dates. Finally one thing led to another, Appleseed confessed his love to her in that there barn, they got married, had Mac and Jack...." she paused thinking back to hearing of the loss of her son that day. "The thing with the wolves, Honey had Bloom and here we are?" Fluttershy finished for her smiling her smile. "Yes," Granny Smith said wiping tears away from her old worn eyes and smiled back. "Time to get those fritters going then I'd say, other wise there wont be any room left on the table." Fluttershy looked down to see what Granny Smith meant blushing. The table was almost completely over run by pre-cooked apple fritters. "Sorry." she said blushing again. "That's alright dear," Granny Smith said turning the pies around. "Lots of people get caught up while hearing stories they forget what they were doing." She got up and faced Fluttershy. "But as I said before it started, I haven't seen a bond as tight as yours since Appleseed and Honey-Crisp. And I'd be proud to call you a new member of the family Fluttershy," Granny said hugging her. "That is of course if Macintosh will every get around to confessing." she said causing Fluttershy to giggle a bit. "He started to do that the other day Granny," Fluttershy said switching on the fryer. "On the day Appleseed took us to the forest, I heard Mac talking to him in the barn about me," she said blushing at the memory. "He asked Appleseed if he thought he had a chance with me, said I was smart, beautiful and was so popular at school. Then... then he asked what chance does someone like him have with me..." "I hope you did something to snap him out of it," Granny Smith said. "That's just the talk I had with my son one day about Honey." This caused Fluttershy to blush, yet again. "Kind of, Granny. He was getting to asking why can't he tell me he loved me, when I... When I... When I kissed him on the cheek." she blurted out, grabbing and stroking her hair and hiding behind it. "Did he change his mind and stop thinking that nonsense?" Granny asked doing the dishes. All Fluttershy could do was nod. "And I guess he fixed you up after you went home yesterday from calming down Seed." "Huh," Fluttershy asked looking confused. "As I said my dear, I'm old." Granny said. "I've know Mac and Jack all their lives and know for a fact a rock, paper, scissors competition can go on for way more than three tries." Fluttershy continued to blush as she placed another set of ten fritters into the pan. Then she nodded again. The front door opened and in walked Applejack. "Been listening to one of Granny's stories Fluttershy?" Applejack asked seeing all the fritters on the table, going to wash her hands so she could help. "Um... yes," Fluttershy said smiling. "Granny," Applejack said. "Did you know the town got it's power back the same day it lost it?"she asked. "Why are you asking that child?" Granny Smith asked. "I'm just wondering. When I was delivering the apples to the school, I saw Tiara stand up for Bloom and her friends. Cheerilee knew of the Apple Opposites and said another had just been found. I told her it was because of this arrangement, and she told me about the power." Applejack placed her story. "Well opposites don't come together over night Miss Apple," Filthy Rich said smirking coming into the kitchen. "So how did you know it was time to go back?" Applejack asked. "Last night, when they both asked you what was going on." Filthy Rich said smiling. "My father had an old saying, 'When two become one, you know your job is done.'" "Well better go give Mac his surprise then," Granny said retrieving the pie from the oven and cut it up, placing a slice on a plate on the bed tray, putting three fritters next to it. then taking the tray, she turned around and held it out to Fluttershy. "Me?" she asked blushing again. "Didn't you suggest we do it child?" Granny Smith asked smiling. "O... Ok," Fluttershy said taking the tray and heading upstairs.