//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Dreams and Reality // Story: My Little Street Ponies // by Moon Glow //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Dreams and Reality “STOP! THEIVES!” The call caused Aladdin and Rainbow Dash to turn around at the edge of the rooftop they were on. They had just stolen a loaf of bread and were now being chased by the guards. Again. The captain of the guards, Razoul, angrily drew out his scimitar and pointed it at the pair as he and his guards slowly approached the two. “I’ll have your hands for trophies, street rats!” “All this for a loaf of bread?” Rainbow asked Aladdin before the pair jumped off the building and grabbed a couple of clotheslines. Rainbow was lucky and caught one that was bare. Aladdin, however, wasn’t so lucky. He did grasp the clothesline, but slid down the rope, flying into different articles of clothing until he slammed into a window whose shutters were closed by an angered occupant. Rainbow Dash used the awnings and other clotheslines to reach her brother at the bottom, who was practically buried in clothing. After Aladdin caught the loaf that escaped his grasp during the fall, he and Rainbow looked up to find the guards calling down at them. “There they are!” “You won’t get away so easily!” “You think that was easy?” the thieving pair asked. Their response earned the laughter of some women that knew the two. The siblings gave nervous and cheeky grins when they heard the guards again. This time, they were around the corner. “You two! Over that way! And you two, follow me! We’ll find them!” Hearing them, the siblings each picked up a sheet of cloth and covered their heads as they approached the women. “Morning, ladies.” Aladdin spoke up as he donned his disguise. One of the women smiled and waved a finger at the pair. “Getting into trouble a little early today, aren’t we?” Rainbow laughed at the woman’s response. “Trouble? Hah! No way!” It was then that Aladdin whispered to them. “You’re only in trouble if you get caught.” Just then, someone grabbed the front of the siblings’ vests, forcing them out of their disguises. “We’re in trouble!” The pair exclaimed as they found themselves face-to-face with Razoul. “And this time-” But the captain was interrupted thanks to a little brown monkey pulling the guard’s turban over his eyes. The monkey snickered as Razoul released the siblings in order to attempt to restore his vision. Rainbow “saluted” the monkey as Aladdin spoke to it. “Perfect timing, Abu. As usual.” The monkey, Abu, had been Aladdin and Rainbow’s partner-in-crime for years after finding him on the streets, abandoned. The orphaned siblings practically never went anywhere without Abu, though he did learn to respect Applejack as the “head” of the household. After “tipping off” his small fez to the pair, Abu jumped onto Aladdin’s shoulder as the siblings started the chase (and the song). “Let’s go!” One Jump Aladdin: Gotta Keep One jump ahead of the breadline One swing ahead of the sword We steal only what we can't afford And that's everything! Rainbow Dash: One jump ahead of the lawmen That's all, and that's no joke These guys don't appreciate we’re broke Guards: Riffraff! Street rats! Scoundrels! Take that! Aladdin and Rainbow: Just a little snack, guys Guards: Rip them open! Take it back, guys! Aladdin: We can take a hint, Rainbow: Gotta face the facts Aladdin and Rainbow: You're our only friend, Abu! Harem Girls: Who? Oh, it's sad, Rainbow and Aladdin's hit the bottom They’ve become a two-men rise in crime Woman: I'd blame parents except they haven't got 'em Aladdin: Gotta eat to live, Gotta steal to eat Rainbow: (rolls her eyes and grabs Aladdin’s vest collar) Tell you all about it when we’ve got the time! Aladdin: One jump ahead of the slowpokes One skip ahead of our doom Next time gonna use a nom de plume Guards: There they are! Rainbow: One jump ahead of the hitmen One hit ahead of the flock I think we'll take a stroll around the block Crowd: Stop, thief! Vandal! Aladdin and Rainbow: Abu!? Crowd: (Outrage!) Scandal! The guards surrounded the pair by a door. Aladdin: Let's not be too hasty The door opens and a large woman picks Aladdin up, bridal-style. Lady: Still I think he's rather tasty Aladdin rolls away with Rainbow. Aladdin: Gotta eat to live, Gotta steal to eat Rainbow: Otherwise, we'd get along Crowd: Wrong! Aladdin: One jump ahead of the hoof beats (Crowd: Riffraff!) Rainbow: One hop ahead of the hump (Crowd: Street rats!) Aladdin: One trick ahead of disaster (Crowd: Scoundrels!) Rainbow: They're quick, but I'm much faster (Crowd: Take that!) Aladdin and Rainbow: Here goes: Better throw our hands in Wish us happy landin' All we gotta do is jump! After jumping out a window, Rainbow and Aladdin used the carpets they grabbed as parachutes to land to safety while the guards not only lost the pair, but ended up landing in a fertilizer stand’s products. Once they touched ground, the siblings and Abu high-fived before dividing the bread into three pieces. “Alright! Let’s eat!” Rainbow declared as she took her piece and sat down. She was about to dive in when she noticed something ahead of her. Tapping her brother’s arm, Rainbow whispered to him. “Aladdin. Look.” Aladdin looked up and saw three children digging in the garbage for scraps. Two of them looked like siblings, a girl dressed in violet while the younger boy was dressed in tan and blue. The last child had purplish-colored hair and eyes while dressed in a tattered orange and purple pants and shirt combo. She also had a crutch under her arm, a clear sign that she had at least one bad leg. The three children took notice of the two teenagers and monkey with the most pitiful looks in their eyes. Abu took notice in the saddened look in Rainbow and Aladdin’s eyes and tried to eat his bread in peace, taking a greedy bite into it. But this didn’t deter the siblings. They knew what it was like to go without food and having to scrounge in the trash for even the smallest morsel. With a sigh, they stood up and approached the three. The foreign-looking girl looked ready to defend herself while the other girl held her brother close to protect him. But instead of getting hurt, the three children were given the bread in the two strangers’ hands instead. With a gentle voice, Aladdin coaxed the children. “Here. Go on. Take it.” Touched by the pair’s kindness, the two girls took the bread while the purple-haired girl spoke. “Th-thank you.” Rainbow smiled as she ruffled the girl’s hair. “Ah, don’t worry about it. We street rats gotta stick together, right?” As soon as the siblings left the children to eat their meal, Abu finally gave in and gave his piece of bread to the children. Despite being hungry, it was still the right thing to do. The sound of a fanfare caught the attention of the two older humans and the monkey as they walked to the side of the street to investigate. The street had been parted as a man dressed in regal clothing riding a white stallion made their way down, an air of snobbery around them. The two men in front of the siblings muttered to each other, giving the pair some information about this stranger. “On his way to the palace, I suppose.” “Another suitor for the princess.” But just as the pair were about to leave, the three children from before ran out passed the crowed, the girls chasing the boy. “No! Stop!” the purple-haired girl hissed as the boy’s sister caught him, but not before causing the horse to rear back and the man becoming angry and drawing out a whip. “Out of my way, you filthy brats!” But as the whip cracked, the leather did not make contact with the children. Instead, it wrapped around Aladdin’s arm while Rainbow led the three children out of the street. “Hey! If I were as rich as you, I could afford some manners!” Aladdin ripped the whip out of the man’s grasp and tossed it back in his face. In anger, the man rode past Aladdin while shoving him into the mud. “I teach you some manners!” Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the man as she went to help her brother and Abu out of the mud. “Look at that, guys. It’s not every day you see a horse with two rear ends!” The man’s horse paused, giving the siblings an offended look while the man sneered at the pair, the crowd laughing at the insult. “You are worthless street rats.” He continued to ride as his insults made the pair angrier. “You were born street rats. You will die as street rats. And only your fleas will mourn you!” But just as Aladdin and Rainbow lunged at the man, they found themselves impeded by the palace’s gates. Snarling, Rainbow spoke as if the man was still in front of her, shaking her fist at the door. “Shows what you know. We happen to be awesome!” Aladdin sighed as he placed a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Come on, sis. Let’s go home.” Rainbow grumbled in anger with Abu before feeling a tap on her lower arm. Looking down, she saw that it was the purple-haired girl from before. Gulping, the girl spoke to her. “Um…thank you…for helping us again, I mean. Rani never saw a horse before and got excited before me or Salma could grab him.” Hearing the girl’s confession, Rainbow sighed a maternal sigh and ruffled the girl’s hair again. “Don’t worry about it, kid. That guy was a jerk anyway. I’m just glad you and your friends are safe…” She then gave a questioning look before asking a question. “What’s your name, by the way?” The girl blushed embarrassly as she spoke. “Scootaloo. My name’s Scootaloo.” Rainbow blinked in surprise for a minute before a knowing smile appeared on her face. “You’re not from Agrabah, are you?” Scootaloo shook her head sadly, looking down towards the sand. “N…no. I’m from Equestria. M…my hometown was near the capital of Canterlot. I was…I was taken from my bed.” Rainbow frowned, giving a knowing look to her brother. “Slavers?” she asked the girl. Scootaloo nodded. “Uh-uh.” Aladdin looked to the girl’s leg and gave a saddened frown. “Did they do this to you?” Scootaloo looked away. A gesture that was enough to give the two siblings an answer. Understanding the girl’s position, Rainbow looked to Aladdin. “Hey, Aladdin. Why don’t you and Abu head home. Let Applejack know I’m gonna be late.” The young man was confused at his sister’s reply. “What do you want me to tell her?” Rainbow answered as she approached Scootaloo, Salma, and Rani. “I’m gonna help these three get home. Maybe find them some food on the way.” Despite Rainbow’s response, her eyes told Aladdin a different answer. She saw kinship in Scootaloo and wanted to make sure she got home ok. With a gentle smile, Aladdin nodded before bidding farewell to Rainbow Dash and made his way home with Abu on his shoulder. Aladdin: Riff-raff, street rat. I don't buy that. If only they'd look closer. Would they see a poor boy? No, siree. They'd find out… …there's so much more…to me. ~ When Aladdin finished his song, he found himself at his home where Applejack was waiting. She was working on a loom…again. Next to her was a kettle with what appeared to be soup cooking on a small fire. Hearing Aladdin come in, Applejack spoke, not looking from her weaving. “Ah heard you and Rainbow got into trouble, again. Stole bread today.” She didn’t say it in a tone other than disappointment. Even though she wasn’t yelling at him, it was enough to make Aladdin flinch. Ever since his mother died, Applejack had taken to the role of the provider and mother-figure to him and Rainbow Dash. Unlike the two of them, Applejack wanted an honest life where her siblings could help her with the responsibilities of the household. Alas, it seemed to be nothing but a fading dream to the weaver. Scooping up a bowl of soup, Aladdin sighed as he sat in his usual spot by the “window” that faced the palace. “We did. But we gave it to three poor kids that Rainbow is guiding home right now.” This caught Applejack’s attention. She turned to face Aladdin and spoke in a surprised tone. “Rainbow’s doin’ what now?” As he ate, Aladdin told Applejack what had happened in full detail, knowing that she would find out one way or another. He also went into detail about Scootaloo, causing Applejack’s interest to grow even more. When he was finished, Applejack worked to process what he had said before looking up at him with an approving look. “That was a brave thing ya did. Both of ya. And Ah can understand why Rainbow wanted to help those kids get home.” After she ate, Applejack sighed as she pulled something from the shadows of the hovel. “Ah want ya to do somethin’ for me tomorrow, Aladdin.” She handed him what looked like a rolled-up cloth. Unraveling it, Aladdin gaped at what he was looking at. The tapestry was a sandy brown decorated with crimson apples and emerald leaves. It was a simple, but meaningful tapestry as it was the very first thing Applejack had ever woven. The only piece she had left that she had made with their mother. “Take this tapestry and sell it. It should fetch enough gold to feed us fer a week. Hopefully by then, Ah’ll have sold enough at the store for more.” Aladdin’s eyes widened at Applejack’s request. She was so proud of her first work that she refused to sell it, hoping to bring it back to her homeland and back to her birth family. To have him sell it was clearly heartbreaking. “But Applejack! You don’t-” “We have no choice! We only have enough food for tonight’s dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast. Business has been slow at the store and Ah’ll be up all night working on the loom. This is only way-the honest way- we can get more food.” “But-” “That’s final, Aladdin! Just please…please do this one honest thing. Fer me.” Applejack pleaded, hoping to get some sense into her brother. Seeing that she refused to be persuaded, Aladdin took the tapestry, guilt overtaking him. When Rainbow returned, Aladdin told her about the tapestry and she was equally shocked. As they spoke over dinner, Applejack pulled away from her siblings and made her way to the roof of their home. There, she looked up at the stars and sighed in sorrow. “Oh, Ma and Pa. Mama. What am Ah gonna do with those two? Ah can’t provide for them alone forever. But how can Ah get it through their heads. That ah…ah…want ya to be…” Proud of Your Kids Proud of yer kids. Ah want ya to be proud of yer kids. Believe me, as hard as it been Ah wish fer a better surprise. Am ah wastin’ time? Am ah wastin’ me? Ah’d say their slow fer their age Late bloomers? Ah truthfully agree They are not rotten apples. We were daughters and a son. But things had changed Even without ya, we must go on. Ya’ll see. Ah’m tryin’ fer a better part Someone’s gonna make good Cross mah hopeful heart We’ll make good and we’ll finally make ya Proud of yer kids~ Tell me Ah’m a fool That this is a lost cause To teach those two to be honest But Ah know that it can be done Ah’m not trying to control them Ah’m not trying to conform them Ah’m just tryin’ to keep them safe So we will suffer no more We’ve lost so much already Our families, near and far Ah love them both So how can Ah live with myself fer their crimes? Someday and Soon We’ll make ya proud of yer kids We can’t make ourselves taller Or smarter or prettier or wise Ah’ll do mah best. What else can Ah do? Since we weren’t born perfect like Pa or Ma or you Mama, we will try to Try hard to make ya Proud of yer kids~~ Applejack laid down on her back and sighed. She looked to the palace in the distance. She gave a light laugh as she remembered her brother’s foolish promise. “Someday, guys. Things are going to change. We’ll be rich. Live in a palace. And never have any problems at all.” Applejack laughed at the memory. “I don’t know what you think, Aladdin. But everyone has problems. Even the sultan.” Little did Applejack knew how right she was.