Apple Bloom's Huragok Helper

by Vigilance

Shopping for a Huragok

Applejack cocked an eyebrow at her little sister from across the table. “Ya know Apple Bloom, the cereal will still be there in the next few seconds…”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac added, amazed at his sibling’s inhaling of her food.

To say Apple Bloom was chugging her cereal down was an understatement. Black holes have less suction than the little filly’s mouth did at that moment. Ignoring her family for another second to finish off the last bits of food and milk, the filly slammed the bowl on the table and exhaled. “But Ah really wanna get goin’ so Ah can get all the supplies Ah need!”

Applejack shook her head and chuckled. “Didn’t ya already learn yer lesson about not growin’ up too fast and such?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac responded.

Apple Bloom blushed a deeper red than her mane. “Ah know Ah know, it’s just that Ah really want ta try this.”

The older siblings looked at each other, shaking their heads and chuckling. Applejack ate the last of her own food and got up from the table. “Alrighty then, let’s get goin’. Big Mac, you can get the work done here while Ah take Apple Bloom ta the market right?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac smiled.

The orange farmer pony smiled. “Thanks.” She turned to Apple Bloom. “Alright, get yer saddlebags and we’ll get goin’.”

“Right!” Apple Bloom chimed, darting up the stairs to her room.

“Ah’ll never know where she gets all that energy.” Applejack laughed. “Suppose we were all like that when we were foals, huh Big Mac?”

“Eeyup.” The red stallion replied.

No sooner had she nearly flew up the steps did Apple Bloom descend again; her saddlebags hooked up and ready to go. “All ready!” She smiled.

“Then let’s get goin’.” Applejack waited for the filly to pass her and run out the door until she made her own way. “See ya Big Mac!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac called back.

Applejack waved goodbye and shut the door, sighing slightly. “We have got ta improve his vocabulary…” She shook her head before trotting after Apple Bloom.

~~~~

The Ponyville markets were abuzz with activity, especially on a bright, cool Saturday morning like todays. Ponies of all sizes, ages, genders, and vocations drummed about like bees, eager to find their targeted goods. It was one of the many reasons that the pair of sisters trotting down the main avenue of the marketplace stayed close together, lest they be separated.

“Now let’s see…” Applejack muttered as she inspected the shopping list Apple Bloom had made up the night before. Celestia’s grace, the filly might as well buy an entire grocery store… The farmer pony thought, considering the list had just about every food one could possibly buy in Ponyville on it.

“So where should we stop first sis?” Apple Bloom asked happily.

The Bank… Applejack groaned inside of her mind. There goes ma money for that new automatic backscratcher. Pushing the thought from her mind, the older sibling smiled. “How about some cherries? A stands right over there.”

Nodding in agreement, Apple Bloom raced over to one of the stands that sold cherries. A simple greenish tent with an even simpler wooden childhood lemonade style table in front, a sign with two large cherries rested two meters off the ground and baskets full of cherries could be seen in the back.

Applejack smiled at the stallion behind the counter, his coat a dark red that resembled dried blood. “Hey there Cherry Pit! How are things?”

The stallion nodded respectfully, his greyish-black mane whipping about slightly. “It iz good, Applejack my friend, as you can see. My farm has blessed me with many a cherry. Now if my wife vill bless me with a foal… but enough! You are here for cherries, yes?”

“Of course.” Applejack replied, placing several bits on the counter. “As many as this’ll pay for.”

Cherry Pit scrutinized the bits vigorously. Seeing them as genuine, the stallion nodded. Placing a bundle of cherries into a bag and handing them off to Applejack. “Here you are, cherries of the best quality! Grown from the sweat and blood of many hours of vork!”

“Thanks Cherry Pit.” Applejack replied, placing the pouch into her saddlebags. “See ya later.” The farmer waved goodbye and turned to Apple Bloom, who had taken off and was now inspecting some corn at a nearby stand.

The filly apparently liked what she saw and placed a few bits on the stand’s counter. The light blue mare behind the counter handed Apple Bloom several ears of corn. The filly packed them into her saddlebags, collected her change, and left the counter.

Applejack chuckled as Apple Bloom returned to her. “Well, that’s two foods down…” The mare sighed, pulling out the long list. “Now for the rest of Ponyville’s food supply.” She joked. Apple Bloom gave a cross look at first, but chuckled a little in the end. The sisters continued down the street to their next destination.

The next few shops were very much the same as the first two. It was just the unfortunate matter that Apple Bloom wanted as much food as possible. Applejack never realized how many food-stands the marketplace actually had until today; it was a lot if you were wondering. Applejack didn’t even know some of these food items existed, but as they found the appropriate vendors she learned they were in fact very real.

It was about noon when Applejack decided it was a good time to stop and eat. Stopping at one of Ponyville’s restaurants, the two picked an outside table and made their orders to a plump unicorn waitress who scampered off with surprising quickness. Applejack was taking a sip of cider while Apple Bloom checked on their supplies.

“Looks like we’re have way done sis.” The filly chimed happily.

The older sibling nodded. “Good, then we can probably get back ta the farm before dark.” Applejack stretched to get some soreness out of her joints. She’d not slept well the night before and carrying around the food hadn’t helped at all.

“That’s good, cause Ah want ta get cookin’ as soon as possible.” Apple Bloom said.

Applejack stopped her stretching and took a gander at the food they’d bought. It was quite a lot, a little too much for a filly to want to cook with. “So Apple Bloom, do ya really need all this food? Seems a bit excessive.”

“Remember the last time Ah tried to cook something by ma-self?”

The orange mare’s eyes darted away for an instant. “Ah believe we agreed never ta talk about that… it took me a whole month ta get the celery outta ma mane.”

Apple Bloom smiled. “See? All this is so that Ah have enough even if Ah mess up. Ah’m just tryin’ to make sure Ah got everything Ah need.”

Applejack nodded in agreement as the plump waitress returned, their food stacked on a tray engulfed in a peppermint green aura. “Here you go.” The waitress said happily as she placed a salad in front of Applejack and a hay sandwich in front of Apple Bloom.

“Thanks.” Applejack smiled.

“Yup, thank you.” Apple Bloom joined in.

The waitress did a little bow and darted off to the next table in need of service. The Apple sisters got right to work eating their food, enjoying the simple lunch. Talking about this and that between bites (Applejack made her sister eat like a normal pony this time), the two soon finish their lunches and took inventory. Checking off everything they had and memorizing all they didn’t, the two ponies got their check, tipped well, and left for the next stop.

Making a beeline for one of the shops that sold honey, Applejack and Apple Bloom were stopped short, intercepted by a familiar white unicorn fashionista. “Oh Applejack, darling, how are you?”

The mentioned pony smirked and tipped her hat in greeting. “Hey Rarity, fancy meetin’ ya here, weren’t ya workin’ on a new springtime fashion line?”

The Element of Generosity waved a hoof at her friend. “I am and thank you for remembering!” She suddenly slumped. “Unfortunately I’m in a bit of a creative ditch. I’m trying to think of a dress that truly captures the natural brilliance of May but it’s not going so well. That being said, I’m taking a little break. After thinking it over, I thought of no better way to relax than to spend a day with my precious Sweetie Belle.” Her eyes shifted to gazing off behind her.

Moving their heads to the left, Applejack and Apple Bloom could see Sweetie Belle, strapped to a small wagon and obviously pulling it. The unicorn filly spotted the two farmers and waved. “Hey Apple Bloom, hey Applejack.” She said between the strained huffs of her breathing.

“Well,” Applejack started. “That certainly looks… relaxin’?” It came out like a question.

“Sometimes a mare just has to throw all her burdens out a window and relax.” Rarity mentored. “Too much work and no play is a fast way to get wrinkles.”

“Ah guess that makes sense…” Applejack nodded.

“Well of course it makes sense.” Rarity laughed. “When have I ever been nonsensical?”

Applejack gave her friend an eyes half closed look of disappointment. “Let’s see… well, ya almost gave up on yer friendships in Ponyville fer social connections in Canterlot. And there was that time with Tom…”

“We don’t speak of that!” Rarity shouted in an unladylike, frantic way.

Applejack chuckled. “Sure Rarity, whatever you say.”

Apple Bloom tapped her hoof impatiently as the two older mares conversed. Huffing angrily, she tapped on her sister’s shoulder to get her attention. “Applejack, can we please get goin’? Ah want ta finish shoppin’.”

“Apple Bloom.” Applejack scowled. “Ah’m tryin’ ta talk ta somepony. Just hang on a second.”

“Ooo, what are the two of you purchasing toady?” Rarity asked, always the gossip.

“Just some supplies.” Applejack replied. “Apple Bloom wants ta try her hoof at bein’ a chef so we’re buyin’ food fer her to use.”

Sweetie Belle cocked an eyebrow. “Huh? But we already tried being Cutie Mark Crusader chefs. Don’t you remember Apple Bloom?”

Sweetie Belle and the two older mares brought their eyes to Apple Bloom; Applejack’s glaring expression unnerved Apple Bloom. It was still too early for her to tell her friends and family she had a new kind of species hold up in her clubhouse. The filly gulped, she’d have to do something so dastardly that the very thought of it hurt her stomach. She’d have to lie, and when one lives with the Element of Honesty, lying was a big deal. Sure, Apple Bloom had lied before, but this lie was big… and floated, and had tentacles.

The filly chuckled. “Uh, well, ya see, Ah just wanted to try it again, but Ah didn’t think that it held a lot of promise… so Ah didn’t tell Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.”

Rarity and Applejack looked at Apple Bloom with unconvinced eyes. The filly could feel a bead of sweat trickle down her neck and her nervous smile widened. It appeared as if her ruse had failed, that is until Sweetie Belle intervened.

“That makes sense.” The little unicorn pondered, tapping her chin with her hoof. “Scootaloo and me already tried being chefs and it didn’t work out so much. If Apple Bloom thinks she can get it right without us then I guess it’s ok she didn’t say anything.”

Applejack and Rarity appeared to accept this and returned to their conversation. Apple Bloom huffed out a full breath of air in relief. Sweetie Belle had unknowingly saved her from revealing the real reason she needed this food. The filly took her hoof and wiped away the reservoir of sweat that had gathered on her brow.

“Surely we had to have a bit of rain, for dear little Apple Bloom to leak like a drain?”

The four ponies turned their heads and smiled to see none other than Zecora the Zebra, her rather drab brown cloak thrown over her as it always was when she visited Ponyville. The stoic Everfree dweller nodded and gave her friends a slight smile.

“Zecora!” Apple Bloom cried out happily and ran over to hug her zebra friend. “How are you?”

The zebra chuckled. “As good as ever, even if the Everfree has been having odd weather.”

Applejack cocked an eyebrow. “What do ya mean Zecora? Doesn’t the Everfree always have odd weather?”

“True.” Zecora chuckled. “However the forest has played host to a star’s fall, and it has certainly frightened all.”

Apple Bloom’s face became terribly pale at Zecora’s words. A falling star? She couldn’t mean the strange metal object that held the floating creature… could she? The implications almost made Apple Bloom sick. “Um… Um, Z-Z-Zecora?” Apple Bloom tried to act excited at the prospect of a fallen star. “Did ya go and check out the falling star?”

The zebra looked at her filly friend, her slight smile unknowingly scorning Apple Bloom. “I have not ventured to close to the crash, lest I fall in quite the flash. It is actually why I am here, for the star has caused much fear. The animals of the Everfree are running wild, a danger to mother, father, and child. I have come for herbs to assist, so confrontation with animals does not end with a fist.”

“Well, why are they so afraid?” Rarity asked. “A falling star fell in the forest last year and the animals did not act so madly.”

Zecora squinted darkly and looked away. “I fear there is more to this than meets the eye, this event has brought more than a star from the sky.” The moment of severity ended and Zecora smiled again. “But for now it is of no concern, and hopefully this situation does not badly turn.” The zebra bowed politely. “I’m sorry but now I must go, I must be back home before the sun gets low.” The ponies said goodbye and waved as the zebra turned and went on her way.

“I suppose that’s my cue to go as well.” Rarity said. “Sweetie and I have a lot more to get done. Let’s go Sweetie Belle.” The fashionista motioned her sister to follow her.

“See ya Rarity.” Applejack said as she took out Apple Bloom’s list and read it over again.

“It’s been a pleasure as always.” Rarity responded as she left.

“See you later Apple Bloom.” Sweetie Belle huffed out as she struggled to pull the wagon full of items.

Apple Bloom waved sheepishly to her friend. “Bye…” She said through a nervous smile.

“Alright Apple Bloom, after we pick up the honey our next stop is the spice shop at the corner.” Applejack jammed the list back into her saddlebags and began to trot off, whistling something to herself.

Apple Bloom followed, but her spirits were not so high. Celestia herself must have sent Zecora to the market today so she could talk to them, just to unnerve the filly. Her paranoia was running high and Apple Bloom didn’t know how to proceed. There was clearly more to this creature than meets the eye, but she already knew that. She had to figure out what the thing floating in her clubhouse was, and she needed to do it soon. The filly was sure of one thing however:

She was praying with all her heart for the creature to stay out of trouble.

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