//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 (rewrite) // Story: An Apple Far From the Tree // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 3 ___________________________________________________________ “Welcome back to Weekend Sunrise, you’re live with us on this fine morning,” Andrew O'Keefe smiled “now to our next, and most interesting story.” “Yes,” Monique Wright said, an amused smile on her face, before the screen behind them and completely for viewers at home showed footage from above showing a dog and a yellow pony sitting in a backyard. “Not more than a few hours ago—” “Well, yesterday evening now,” Andrew cut in. “Yes, thanks for that,” Monique replied with a playful frown, “A Current Affair released footage of what many have been considering a hoax.” “However, we had had confirmation that it wasn’t a hoax at all,” Andrew says, sounding shocked. “It was very real. To help us prove this we have four special guests, Lauren Faust, a well-known producer for many shows...” “Hi,” Lauren said, waving to the camera as it panned out to show her. “Also we have three other guests, two of whom work on a project Ms. Faust used to be a part of before leaving it,” Monique said as the camera showed the other two guests sitting on the couch, “Miss Tara Strong and Miss Michelle Creber. Welcome, girls.” “Hey,” Tara smiled, nodding. “Glad I could be here,” Michelle grinned. “Now, do either of you two realize what’s going on?” Andrew asks the two. “Because, to tell the truth, I’m really confused here. And when we were told you’d all be here today, I wasn’t sure what to think.” Both look at each other, before shrugging. “Aside from the footage, I’m as clueless as Tara on this,” Michelle answered, shaking her head. “Though I’ve seen the footage and you wouldn’t believe how crazy the blogging sites have been since it came out.” “For those who don’t know,” Monquie said, looking to the camera as a banner for My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic appeared on the screen behind her, “Mrs Strong and Miss Creber provide the voices for characters in the show, My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, a show that was revamped by Ms. Faust back in 2010. Who do you both voice again?” “I play Twilight Sparkle,” Tara replies, before slipping into the voice. “I’m a main character in the show and the Princess of Friendship.” “An’ Ah play Apple Bloom,” Michelle says in her Apple Bloom voice. “Ah’m also the singin’ voice for the character Sweetie Belle.” “And it’s your character, Apple Bloom, this is all about, isn’t it, Michelle?” Andrew asks inquisitively, holding a stylis to his mouth as he held a tablet in the other. Michelle scratches her neck. “Yeah. To be honest, I’m still not sure what’s going on here,” she returned to her regular voice again. “I’m actually still not sure I believe what it implies.” Monique chuckles. “Well, I’ll confirm it for you then. Our final guest in this story is the one from the very footage itself. Please give a warm welcome, to Apple Bloom.” ___________________________________________________________ I watch from onset as Andrew O'Keefe and Monique Wright starts the interview with Tara Strong and Michelle Crieber. I gulp as the footage comes on the screen behind her. I feel a hand on my shoulder and jump, only to turn and see it’s Mum, giving me a reassuring smile. “You don’t have to—” “Ma, if’n that sentence is gonna end in “do this is ya don’t wanna”, then don’t. We both know Ah ain’t gotta choice.” I sigh, looking back towards the set. “It’s either this or gettin’ taken away fer experiments and there ain’t no way Ah’m choosing the latter o’ those options.” To be honest, it’s only the knowledge of the other option that’s keeping me from bolting. I’m scared shitless right now. I’d even avoid being seen by Tara Strong and Michlle Creber because I wasn’t sure how to act around them, especially Michelle. How do you talk to someone when you’re voice sounds just like one they can do perfectly? Mum looks apologetic and stands up. “I need to use the ladies’. Will you be okay without me?” I give a half-hearted smile. “Sure.” She smiles back and heads off, leaving me alone as I wait for my time in the interview to go out. Seeing it will still be a little while, I move over to the catering table and, using a stool to give myself some height, look over the spread. I give a sad sigh at the sight of the ham rolls, knowing I can’t ingest them anymore. Still, I can see some salad things and there’re a few pastries to choose from. I lean forward, intending to grab a blueberry muffin from a nearby plate. “Hey. Who let this animal in here?” a voice says from behind me. “Get down from there, you filthy thing.” I’m taken by surprise when I feel a pair of hands wrapped around my waist and lift me up. I struggle, trying to free myself from whomever’s got me. “Hey!” say, but make sure not to be loud enough to be heard by the mics. “Let go o’ me, ya jerk!” The person holding me gives a slight cry off alarm, dropping me. I get up and turn to see a young man standing against the all, his eyes wide as he stares at me. “I-i-i-it talked?!” he asks, his voice shaking. I frown at him. “Hey, Ah got a gender, ya know. Even if it ain’t my original one,” I mutter, before looking back to him. “Ah ain’t no it, got it?” He nods rapidly, before scurrying off. “Sorry ’bout that,” one of the grips says, shrugging. “Tom’s new here. Guess he didn’t see the footage, huh?” “How is beyond me,” I scowl in the direction Tom ran off in. “Even Ah’ve seen how far it’s spreading on the social networks, an’ Ah ain’t even got no Twitter, Facebook or any o’ them accounts.” “... give a warm welcome, to Apple Bloom,” Monique’s voice calls from onset. “Sounds like you’re up,” the grip says to me. “Yeah,” I sigh, moving off towards the set. “Wish me luck, Ah’m gonna need it.” “Good luck, kid.” I walk out onto the set, not the least bit surprised by the shocked expressions on Andrew, Monique’s, Tara or Michelle’s faces. Lauren just smiles at me, nodding. “Um... do not adjust your TV signals, people,” Andrew says, seeming really uncertain. “We’re seeing this too and... oh, my God. There really is a yellow pony.” I smirk a little. “An’ Ah talk to.” I give an honest small chuckle at the further shock that enters their faces, not to mention the stunned looks of the people at the window; you know the one’s always trying to get attention during the filming of the show? I move over to the spare spot on the couch, the one next to Michelle, clamber up and sit down. “Uh... right,” Andrew says, the shock still not seeming to have worn of, not to my surprise. “So... uh... you’re Apple Bloom.” At that my mirth drops and I scowl. “That’s the pony Ah’ve turned inta, yeah. But mah name’s Sam Wilson and Ah’m twenty-three, so let’s not talk like Ah’m a kid, okay?” Michelle is just staring at me, her eyes wide at the living representation of a character she voices. “So... how did this... um, start?” Monique asks. I sigh. “It started on Father’s Day. Don’t know why, but, when Ah woke up, this is how Ah was. We ain’t got any idea how or why.” “Wait, Father’s Day?” Andrew seems to come out of his stupor. “But, that was two weeks ago. You’re saying you’ve been this way for a little over two weeks?” I nod. “Ain’t like we can just change me back ’r nothin’.” “Why didn’t you come out, right away?” Monique asks, looking confused. “Scientists might’ve been able to figure out what happened.” I scoff. “Or just made me a lab experiment. If Ah’d had a choice, Ah wouldn’a come out at all. But, thanks to someone telling it was okay to show that footage when it weren’t, Ah had two choice. Either come here and do this interview, or get taken away by guys in Hazmats. Which do ya'll think Ah'd prefer?” All save Lauren stare at me in shock. She just sighs, shaking her head. “Well...” Andrew says, glancing down at his tablet. “Well, let’s answer some questions. In the last minute our inbox has been flooded with Tweets. Uh, this is from ApplesAreSweetest, who asks, Have you had fun with your new gender?” I scowl, before looking to the camera. “Ah’m afraid Ah can’t properly answer that, since this is a mornin’ show, but no. Ah ain’t plannin’ on it. Ah’m physically about ten now.” “Oo-kay,” Andew sighs, looking uncertain. “This one’s from Telltail, who ask, How did you change? Can you tell me? I’ve always wanted to see what being Zecora is like.” Monique blinks in confusion. “Who’s Zecora?” “Another character on the show,” I sigh, before shaking my head. “Sorry, Telltail. Ah can’t tell ya, cos Ah don’t know. An’ even if Ah did, Ah don’t think Ah would anyway. Havin’ ponies start poppin’ up all over the world would cause more problems than ya’d think.” “How can you know?” Andrew asks, looking confused. “Have ya’ll read the fanfics where masses o' people start turnin’ inta ponies?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. “Trust me, it ain’t all sun shine and rainbows.” “Okay,” Monique says uncertainly. “How about we take some calls? This one is from Brue Johns in Hampton. Hello, Bruce, what did you want to say?” “Yeah, this is for the one of you that isn’t human,” the voice of a young man says over the phone’s speakers. “Ah’m listenin’,” I say, though I’m a bit hurt how he just said I wasn’t human. Sure, my body’s not human anymore, but I’m still one inside. “Go back to the pit you came from, you spawn of Satan!” he says, his tone darkening. My eyes widen, as do everyone else’s as we look at the phone on the desk. “Excuse me, but that’s uncalled for,” Michelle says, glaring at the phone. “She’s unnatural!” Bruce Johns’ voice says, his tone firmer. “Send her away before she brings doom on us all.” I recover and glare at the phone. “Ya’ll are an Anti-Brony, ain’t ya?” The line goes dead as he hangs up. “Um, what’s an Anti-Brony?” Monique asks, looking at the four of us in confusion. “A male fan of MLP is called a Brony, , and what the fanbase is most known for,” Lauren says, not missing a beat. "Though some o' the female fans like callin' 'emselves Bronies, too," I cut in. Lauren sighs. “Sadly, an anti-fanbase was also created. Anti-Bronies are people against the idea of guys being a fan of the show.” “And who tend to look down upon it an' those associated with it,” I nod, still scowling at the phone. “Though Ah didn’ think any o’ the Antis would go so far as to call a livin’ pony the spawn of Satan.” I snort, looking at the camera. “Fer the record, if’n yer still watching, Bruce Johns, Ah’m a Christian, so anyone else who wants ta give me the whole Devil Spawn shtick, don’ bother. If’n Ah were, the holy water at church woulda burnt me. Hay, Ah wouldn’a even been able to set hoof in there.” “You’ve been to church like this?” Andrew asks, looking confused. “How’d no one notice you were a pony?” I smirk. “Dressed me up in some clothes and I walked on two legs whilst holding mah Ma’s hand. Made it look like I was wearin’ a costume the whole time.” Michelle grins at me. “Smart.” The rest of the interview goes by without much more hassles. The remaining calls we take are viewed before being sent through so we don’t have to deal with anymore Anti-Bronies talking about me being the child of the Devil and plunging the world into darkness with my very existence. Michelle and the others talk about things in the show, Lauren explaining the difference between the four types of ponies, myself adding in confirmations about Earth Ponies, having lived as one for over a fortnight by now. When asked what I’d be doing after this interview, I looked to Lauren, who explained that I was going to be appearing of several more shows, including a few light-night ones. Once the interview was over and we’d been queued that the cameras weren’t filming us, the hosts thanked us for coming, especially me and we all walked off. “Wanna catch a lift with me?” Michelle asks as we head offset and Mum comes towards us, wearing an apologetic look in my direction. I smile up at her. “Sure, s’long as ya don’ mind me askin’ lots o’ questions an’ such?" "The same goes for me,' she grins down at me. "That okay, Ma?” I ask as she bends down and hugs me. “Well, I guess so...” she stands, frowning. “I’ll have to tell work I’m gonna be gone for a while, but...” she smirks, “seeing as they’ll no dobut have seen that interview as well, I’m sure they’ll be lenient with me.” I nod, before looking to Lauren. “So, where to next?” She grins. “America.”