//------------------------------// // Part 11: New Experiences // Story: A Mother's 'Love' // by deadpansnarker //------------------------------// "Whaddya mean, You've never had it before?!" This was Apple Bloom's stunned reaction to the revelation that Diamond Tiara had never sampled the wonder that was zap apple jam. Taken slightly aback by the farm filly and the rest of the Apple clan's amazement, Tiara nervously scratched the back of her head. She felt she owed them an explanation. "Er, well you see, my mother..." Before she could utter another word, the looks of surprise were soon replaced with eye rolling and exaggerated sighs. "Of course." Commented Applejack. "Makes sense." Shrugged Apple Bloom. "What a shame." Mumbled Granny Smith. Big Mac probably would have merely grimaced a little, but as he was in the other room, getting the jam and making the toast for their new house guest, so nopony would ever know... "So, what did you eat in the morning, then?" Bloom was curious to know more about an alternate lifestyle she'd never been privy to. "Well for one thing..." Began Diamond "I never got to pick what I ate. My father was usually away by the time I got up, and my mother usually had it waiting for me on the table when I arrived downstairs. It was always something grain related, highly nutritious, but not very nice. She'd have a fit if she knew what I was about to eat now..." "Is that so..." Applejack slightly smirked. "Well, I tell you what sugarcube, I won't tell her, if you don't. "Er, okay." Tiara responded, as if she didn't even have to ponder the offer. "Yay, our first secret together with Diamond Tiara as part of our family!" Bloom cheered, as she put a hoof around the pink filly's neck. "Thanks, I guess..." Diamond was astounded that not only had the youngest Apple forgiven her so easily for years of unprovoked bullying, she was now considered... A member of the family?! Tiara shot a questioning look at Applejack, as if she'd put this idea in her sister's head. The orange mare just winked, and went back to eating her breakfast, while Granny Smith seemed preoccupied with stroking a dog under the table. Putting her hoof to her head, Tiara struggled to make sense of it all. But there was one thing the pink filly was sure of... Her mother would be bashing down the door right now to 'rescue' her if she'd just heard Bloom's statement. Thinking about Spoiled again made Tiara realise, she'd probably have woken up from her fainting spell by now. If would be safe to say, she wouldn't be in the best of moods to discover her daughter gone from the mansion, and in the clutches of possibly her most despised family in Ponyville. Had her father been reduced to a gibbering wreck on the floor by now as a result of Spoiled's ire? Would her mother be well enough to attend school today? And, in the broader scheme of things, would she attempt to get Tiara back through the various channels available to her? True, it was hard to go against the ruling of a princess, but if there was one thing Diamond had learned, it was not to underestimate her resourceful female parent. Snapping back to reality with some telltale clip-clop sounds approaching, Tiara spotted the not inconsiderable frame of Big Mac emerge into the room, plate in hoof, and on it two pieces of toast spread with the infamous Apple family speciality itself. Without a word, the passive stallion deposited the dish next to Tiara on the table, before shuffling back to his seat. The pink filly took a moment to watch him sit down, before her eyes focused on the food that had been brought in. It really didn't look that amazing. Just a colourful spread, on top of a couple of slices of homemade bread. She was starting to wonder whether she'd set herself up for disappointment by building this clandestine delicacy up so much in her head, that being confronted with the real thing would only be a comedown. Still, anything had to be an improvement on her stale, enforced diet before, so rather than hesitate any longer, she reached for the first bit of toast, ready to either have her world rocked or expectations dashed... "Ahem!". A loud noise suddenly stopped Diamond in her tracks. The pink filly looked up, and saw it was Applejack who'd made the interruption, and the orange mare was observing her with a disapproving frown. "Ain't you forgetting a couple of things, darling?" Applejack spoke plainly. "For one, it took Big Mac quite some time to find the ingredients for your special breakfast and take it over to you. I reckon the least you owe him is a 'thank you'." Oops. Tiara realised her bad old habits were starting to show, and blushed a little. Daring to raise her head and glance at Applejack's brother, she murmured. "Thank you very much for bringing me this, Big Mac. And sorry for forgetting to tell you that. I've still got a lot to learn about certain things..." This honest apology was met with positive nods all around the table, and Mac gave Diamond his first big smile since she arrived downstairs that day. Unwilling to risk breaching any other Apple family etiquette, Tiara decided to ask her caregiver for advice. "What was the second thing?" The pink filly was completely in the dark about what it could be. "Did you forget, sugarcube? Your hooves are still covered in the cream I put on them upstairs, I know I said it would be quick-drying, but it ain't that fast." Applejack reminded her. "Oh, yes. Well, what do I do, then?" Tiara was getting quite impatient. The toast would be stone cold by the time she'd taken the first bite. Apple Bloom, could you help her out with her breakfast?" The orange mare requested of her sister. " Cut it up into small portions, and put them on a fork?" "Already done, Applejack!" The farm filly leaned over to Diamond's plate and began dividing the slices of bread into smaller pieces, using her knife. Before Diamond knew what was happening, Bloom finished her set task and had picked up a fork, which was now dangling precariously above her new roommate's muzzle, a fragment of toast on the end. "Open wide!" the farm filly grinned, ready to feed Tiara by hoof. "What?!" Choked Diamond. "You can't be serious. You've cut it up for me... That's enough. I'm more than capable of doing the rest myself thank yo-oof...!!" The sentence was curtailed by the sudden lunge of Bloom's hoof, who'd taken advantage of Tiara's momentary lapse in concentration to shove her piece of cutlery in the pink filly's mouth, making sure it dropped the toast on her tongue as she withdrew it. For the first moment after Bloom's brazen maneuver, Diamond was so shocked she couldn't even chew. For the second moment was on the verge of another massive temper tantrum. How dare she be fork-fed like a little foal?! Then, the taste kicked in. Wow. It was as if she could see them. All the colours of the rainbow. Red, orange, green, yellow, blue and purple. Dancing in her mouth. Jumping on her tongue. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced. Yet, it was all over too soon. She'd already instinctively swallowed it, and the wonderful feeling was starting to dissipate. No don't go!! She needed more. Fortunately, there was more. And so, rather than snarl and shout at Bloom like she'd intended, the pink filly simply gestured to her mouth that she wanted another portion... All thoughts of the loss of dignity and pride about being hoof-fed were banished. Apple Bloom was more than happy to oblige her friend, and for the next few minutes Tiara was taken on a magical mystery tour of flavour... The world faded around her, as nothing else seemed to exist but the multi-coloured fireworks going off in her mouth. Somewhere, as if in another dimension, she thought she could detect the sound of loud laughter. But she didn't care one jot. She was in taste heaven. Her state of nirvana lasted for ten forkfuls, then alas, it was all gone. Diamond slowly came down from her fruit-related high, to be confronted with the amused faces of the watching Apples. "Lord sakes, I haven't seen a reaction like that to my zap apples since Rainbow Dash tried them for the first time...!" Applejack declared. " I think it's safe to say you enjoyed that, didn't you Diamond Tiara?" Apple Bloom smirked, pleased at the pink filly's approval. "Now you can see why your Daddy invested so much in our special product." Granny Smith stated, proudly. "Yup." Big Mac smiled, as if answering a question nopony had asked. Still recovering from the high, Tiara struggled to form a cohesive sentence. "Me... Why... Missing out... Mother... How could... She... Lie... Amazing!" This was about all her flavour addled brain could muster. If Applejack had understood what her new charge was saying, she chose to ignore it. "Anyway, sugarcube, you're in luck. Big Mac tells me there's just enough jam left over for the five of us to enjoy tonight, as long as you've calmed down a bit since then." she ended the sentence with a wink. Diamond heard these words, and immediately started uncontrollably salivating at the mouth. "Yes, yes!!" she shouted, almost without thinking. Applejack grinned at the foster child's enthusiasm. "All I ask in return is you have a good day at school today, and stay close to Apple Bloom. Take care of each other, try to stay out of trouble and talk to Miss Cheerilee if you have any problems. If you know what I mean..." Tiara's ears drooped a bit upon being reminded of the kind of hassle a certain head of the school board could cause her. "I will, Applejack." she sincerely promised the orange mare something else for the second time that day. Suddenly, Diamond found herself in the grip of an impromptu hug from Bloom. "Don't worry nothing about today, sis. I'll be with her every step of the way, and I'll get Scoots and Sweetie to help out, too. Silver Spoon as well, if she's willing. Everything'll be fine, so don't fret." Observing her granddaughter and house guest in such close proximity to each other, Granny Smith felt she had to comment on something. "Gee, Why didn't I see it before, Miss Tiara? You've got the same ribbon on as my Apple Bloom! And seeing the pair of you side by side like that, you could almost be sisters! Why, if I didn't know any better..." There was that word again, 'sister'. Diamond, still in Bloom's friendly embrace, paused to consider the fact that she'd never had a sibling herself, and was always somewhat jealous of the undisputed bond that seemed to exist between Applejack and her new roommate. If she was being totally frank, that was most likely the reason she had bullied the farm filly more than the other members of the Crusaders. Pure jealousy. Did she have a chance to forge a new relationship here... The same special one Applejack and Apple Bloom had? And if she did... Would she take it? Did she even deserve it? "We're not sisters, Granny, but one day I hope we can be as close as two sisters are." Bloom cheerily told her older relation, before releasing Tiara from her friendly grip. "That's the spirit. I want the pair of you to really get on, considering you might be spending a lot of time together." Applejack positively stated. "Anyhow, it looks like you've both finished your breakfast, so now it's time to get ready for school. Apple Bloom, go upstairs and get your stuff. There's a couple of things I'd like to talk to Diamond Tiara here about before she leaves..." The farm filly took the hint, and ascended to the top floor, giving her new friend a little wave as she made her way there. Realising this would be a private conversation, Granny Smith headed to the kitchen to run the taps for the washing-up, while Big Mac headed out back to do something. "Right, Sugarcube. Let me see those hooves, see if that cream's sunk in yet..." Applejack went to check her charge's legs, and Tiara realised in all the excitement over the new taste sensation in her life, she'd plain forgotten about her injuries from earlier. "Good, dry as a bone." The orange mare was pleased at their progress. "Now, tell me, do they still feel sore?" "Diamond rubbed her front hooves together, and barely felt a thing. They even looked less red than before, that miracle lotion was certainly some powerful stuff. "No, they feel much better." Tiara stated. " Good, good." Applejack nodded. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to see how your hurt back leg is coping with that bandage. Can you try walking on it, and letting me know if you feel any pain?" "I'll give it a go..." Replied Diamond, as she got off her chair to put her full weight on the affected hoof. Taking a few steps, some minor aching twinges were felt, but nothing too severe.. Applejack's prompt actions had saved her from a day in agony. " It actually feels fine." Tiara was surprised how comfortable she felt. Not just with the bandage, but the ribbon in her hair, and her unkempt mane. It was almost like, in this everyday, simple little home, such trivialities didn't really matter. Something was happening to her, that she couldn't quite explain yet. Before she could find out what it was though, Applejack's next words pierced her soliloquy. "Excellent. I think you're in good shape for a day of learning. Remember what I said though, any difficulties today, talk to Cheerilee. She knows all about the situation. The injunction is still in effect, so you should be alright, but better to be safe than sorry, okay?" Applejack was deadly serious in her concern. Tiara nodded. She didn't need to be told that twice. Applejack smiled at the confirmation."Oh, and just one more thing, a member of the Apple family who I don't think you've met yet..." Diamond raised an eyebrow "Looking at all the pictures you've got hanging up, that doesn't come as a great surprise..." Applejack grinned at this cheeky riposte "Well, this one's different. Say hello to Winona. Come here, girl!!" At the orange mare's call, the dog which Granny Smith had been stroking earlier on ran from under the table, to lap up the attention her owner was about to bestow on her. Slowly patting the canine's head, Applejack spoke to the animal as if it could understand. "Hi, girl. This here is Diamond Tiara. She'll be living here with us at Sweet Acres for a while. I want you to love and protect her as if she was a member of our family, and in return, I'm sure you'll get lots of belly rubs and scraps from the table. Does that sound like a fair deal?" "WOOF!!" Came the predictable response, as the dog slightly rotated it's position so the pink filly could get into the action of spoiling it rotten. Absent-mindedly stroking under Winona's chin, Tiara's brain was cast back to the one and only pet she ever had... a cat called Dazzle. Her father had brought him home one day as a present to make up for an extra long business trip away. She loved that little rascal, for all of the week she had him. Eventually though, the amount of fur he shed, and all the antiques he kept breaking sealed his fate in the eyes of her mother, who insisted he be sent away, never to return. And everypony knows, she always got her way. Well, not here. She could get used to this.