Little Apple Cousins

by kwr2k13

Chapter 1: Two Cousins

Little Apple Cousins

By Kristin W. Rothacher

Chapter One: A Tale of Two Cousins

Brad Smith was from Manhattan, New York. He would celebrate his 25th Birthday, and invite his country cousin, Alex, who was the younger brother of Jack and Evan Smith. The two wrote letters to each other prior to the big birthday. It so happened that Brad and Alex shared the same birthday. So, Alex left his home and headed out to the Big Apple. He was able to get to his cousin’s house with some difficulty because of some rude New Yorkers, but Brad’s sister was able to pick Alex up from the airport to spend a couple days with Brad. Little did the cousins know, their adventure in New York would begin a journey of self-discovery and big changes.

Alex looked around the room as he arrived, followed by Brad’s older sister, “Brad, your cousin Alex is here!” The older sister called out. “I’ll take your suitcase to your guest room and you can wait in the living room, okay?” The sister took the bags down the hall to the spare bedroom where Alex would be staying.

As Alex sat on the couch, he turned on the television and saw the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The episode was Apple Family Reunion, in which Applejack hosted the Annual Family reunion, and Babs Seed, a character introduced as Apple Bloom’s cousin, appeared in this episode. The characters helped repair a barn that had been damaged with a rousing musical number. Eventually, Brad came around the corner as the Apple Family began to sing Raise this Barn. “I didn’t know ya liked ponies, cousin.” Brad said with his Manhattan accent.

Alex blushed and turned the television off, “Uh, don’t tell anyone, okay?” He was defensive about being a secret fan of the show. Apple Bloom was one of those ponies who he could relate to, having siblings, growing up on a farm, and exploring. Brad, on the other hand, was the tough kid who was often teased at school by bullies, so he projected a tough guy exterior to keep the bullies from harassing him further.

Brad shrugged, “Hey, it’s all right. That show’s not that bad…especially that episode where Babs joined those two girls…what were their names?” He blew a tuff of hair out of his face. “Huh, I probably need a haircut ‘for the party.” Brad somehow began this strange quirk of blowing a tuff of hair out of his face this morning.

Alex looked back at Brad, and made a face, “Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. They tease Apple Bloom and her friends at school ‘for bein’ “Blank Flanks.” A Blank Flank in the My Little Pony realm is a young colt or filly who has not received their “Cutie Mark”, an indicator of their special talent.

Brad then quipped, “They have really bad attitudes, if ya ask me.” Again, Brad blew that stubborn tuff of hair out of his face. “Anyway, we have a Birthday to plan; ours!” Brad went over to hug his cousin. Somehow, when Brad hugged Alex, it was much like when Apple Bloom and Babs Seed hugged at the Apple Family Reunion.

That afternoon was the party. Brad and Alex were led into a darkened room by Brad’s sister and their Aunt Betty. The lights came on, and a banner dropped with Happy Birthday Alex and Brad on it. The cake had a replica of a barn with a farmhouse and the Statue of Liberty on top. The farmhouse and barn reminded Alex of the Sweet Apple Acres location seen in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic show.

Alex seemed depressed as the party favors were distributed. “Hey, Alex, you should try the cake and punch. My big sister made this for us.” Brad offered cake and punch to Alex. The two ate cake and drank their punch, as well as played “Pin the Tail on the Pony.” Alex wondered why they would have a My Little Pony themed game for boys, “Uh, Brad, can I talk to you in private? Something weird is goin’ on.”

Brad sipped his drink and blew that tuff of hair out of his face, “Yeah, how so? The cake was awesome!" Brad got some presents for them. "Oh, and look at what we got for presents!” Brad handed Alex his present, and it appeared to be a reddish-pink bow, “Seriously? What kind o’ present is this?” Alex looked skeptical at the bow, “Ah’m a boy, not a girl. Whoever got this must have me confused with someone else.”

Brad shrugged and opened his gift. Inside was a brush for his hair. “I wonder why someone would get me a brush.” The two boys put the gifts in the bed room when no one was looking and headed back to the party, which was winding down. The two helped Brad’s sister clean up and the boys went to bed.

That night, Alex wondered why he was given that strange girly bow. The present was addressed to him. The other presents were just as weird too. A small brown Stetson cowboy hat, a larger one to give to his brother back home, a brush, and some other stuff he was sure reminded him of the farm.

Brad received the brush, as well as some mementos of his city life. He continued to wonder why that particular episodes of “One Bad Apple” and “Apple Family Reunion” aired that day. It was Saturday May 1, and in two days, Alex would head back home to the family farm and bring back the gifts for Evan and Jack.

That night, both cousins dreamed of their lives before they had their birthday. For Alex, growing up on a farm was the best for him. Hanging out with his brothers, selling the family produce, and helping pick apples from the orchards...huh, apples? Something was not right. Alex tossed and turned as a different life other than his own appeared in his dream. He remembered being introduced to a book-smart friend of his sister's, and invited her to brunch.

"C'n you please stay fer brunch?" The sad girl's voice said in his mind. The next scene was when NightMare Moon appeared in the place of Princess Celestia at the Summer Sun Celebration, and the young girl, or filly, was huddled in fear with two other classmates, a young unicorn and a small Pegasi. Alex continued to wonder who this girl was. Other events included the day of the Cider Run, where all the townsponies gathered in the fall to partake in drinking cider. The cider kept running out, and these two brothers showed up convienently with a scheme to produce cider better than the family cider could. There was even a muscial number. Flim and Flam, they were called.

Alex muttered in his sleep, "Sweet Apple Acres cider is better than yer cider! Ya git off our property!" The little yellow coated filly with the pink bow and red mane yelled at the travelling sales ponies, just as he muttered in his sleep. The little filly was about to chase Flim and Flam off the property, only to be held back by her older sister. The older sister in the dream was an orange mare with blonde hair and had a brown stetson, freckles, and green eyes. Alex somehow recognized this pony as Applejack, the Element of Honesty, and a friend of that purple unicorn who ate too much pie at their last reunion. Could he be a part of this Apple family? There was even a grandmother in the dream as well. Granny Smith, they called her. A wise old mare with many tales of her adventures as a filly settler, arriving in the land Princess Celestia herself granted to the future Sweet Apple Acres. The farm had been in the Apple Family for many years, and new members kept arriving at the annual reunions; mares and their new colts and fillies, Stallions, all eating apple fritters, socializing, dancing, and playing music. There was a hayride, a family photo, and a race for the younger fillies and colts to participate in.

Alex also remembered a small unicorn friend whose family moved into town. Small Horn was a new student Miss Cheerilee, the school teacher at Ponyville School had introduced. Teased for being both a Blank Flank and her small horn gave Apple Bloom an idea; offer membership to Small Horn as a Cutie Mark Crusader! Alex smiled in his sleep as Small Horn was sworn in as the fifth member of their club, after Babs Seed. That was the last good memories he had about the little country filly and her friends.

Brad also tossed and turned in his sleep. He was teased in school because he was a "Blank Flank?" What was that all about? Brad felt a close relation to Babs Seed. Somehow, several memories of hers seeped into his dreams; the bullying by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, Babs joining in, threatening the Cutie Mark Crusaders, or as Babs the bully would say, "More like tha Cutie Mark Crybabies!" How could Babs treat her cousin and her friends like that?

Of course riding in the golden apple float and ending up being thrown out of it just in time to have Apple Bloom and her friends fall into the muddy lake below instead of Babs proved revenge was not the best solultion. Sweetie Belle's outburst, "Why does Life have to be so Ironic?" floated through Brad's mind.

Brad smiled in his sleep as the girls invited a repenant Babs Seed as a new member of the team. That was the best memories he had of the bob-tailed orange Earth Pony with the pink mane and tail. Also included was helping out rebuilding the barn and singing that wonderful song: Raise This Barn. The whole family joined in the singing and dancing as the older stallions and mares collected wood, pounded nails, and painted the barn the bright red color that identified it as being a part of the family farm.

Comments

[spetsnaz pinkie pie]

Things are going on way to fast.

[The REAL Mister Pkmn]

The Amero-Australian alliance is strong here (you know because Lavender Heart takes place in Australia, and you made Babs an American)!