• Published 24th Jul 2015
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An Apple Will Sparkle - Autum Breeze



Apples always have a Cutie Mark with some kind of apple reference. Those who don't, do not work on the farms. Apple Bloom is one such Apple

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Chapter 1

An Apple Will Sparkle

Chapter 1

___________________________________________________________

Twilight nodded to herself as she checked the last room in her castle for anything out of place.

She winced as a very loud clap of thunder followed a flash of lightning, seeing it from the nearby window.

“Talk about a rough storm,” she murmured, turning out the magical lights in the room and heading back into the main foyer so she could go to her room. She hated when the pegasi decided to let Everfree storms roll over the town to save having to schedule a few others later on. Even after the forest had somewhat settled since returning the Elements to the Tree of Harmony, it still held some of the magic that had made it infamous in the thousand years of Luna’s banishment.

Spike was already in bed (though how he could sleep through this storm the Alicorn would never understand, though he had technically slept through worse) so it was just her. She’d been up late reading and lost track of time.

She blushed as she realized the insulting thoughts she’d just had towards Spike about sleeping through the storm could be implied to her with her reading. Then again, after having had the entire library from the Castle of the Two Ponies Sisters moved to her own, she couldn’t help getting lost in her readings. There were just so many books she hadn’t read. Some were outdated, but so much history had been packed into her head since she’d gotten them.

Shaking her head to clear it, Twilight turned to head upstairs and join Spike in sleeping through the storm, when she stopped, frowning.

Over the sounds of the storm outside, she could’ve sworn she’d heard knocking.

She shook her head and was about to return to her prior thoughts of sleep, when she could swear it happened again. The faintest of knocking being heard over the pounding rain and thunder.

Her frown returning, Twilight cast a sound amplifying spell on her ears and stood still, listening. The spell finished just as the third set of knocking finished, before another, quieter sound followed it. Sobbing. Quiet sobbing.

Curiosity and slight worry overriding her desire for sleep, Twilight turned and walked to her doors, opening them. Doing so welcomed a large gust of air, blowing rain into her face and the sounds becoming deafening.

However, after reopening her eyes from the sudden wind against them, they widened further at what, or rather who she saw as the light from inside bathed outward, looking like they’d been leaving.

Apple Bloom was standing in the rain, her back to Twilight, a suitcase clutched in her mouth. The suitcase dropped as she turned around at the sudden light playing over her.

Her mane was flattened against her body due to the rain and her bow was sagging from the water it had absorbed. However, it was the look in the filly’s eyes that caught Twilight’s attention.

Her eyes were dull and filled with a sorrow she’d never seen in the youngest Apple.

They just stood, staring at each other for a few moments, time seeming to freeze in that one moment.

The moment was broken by another flash of lightning, startling both ponies. It was enough though to cause the filly to hurry forward and grab hold of Twilight, holding her tighter than Twilight had ever felt before.

It took Twilight several seconds to catch up with herself enough to think properly. Grabbing the suitcase in her magic, she pulled it inside, closing the doors and locking them, shutting out the storm.


Once this was done, Twilight took notice of a new sound. Sobbing.

Looking down, Twilight saw Apple Bloom was crying into her fur, her body shaking with each sob.

Not sure what had happened or why she wasn’t at Sweet Apple Acres, but not wanting the filly she thought so fondly so distraught; she wrapped her forelegs and wings around the sobbing form, quickly casting a spell to dry and warm the two of them from the water that had poured onto them from outside.

They stayed that way for a long while, Twilight letting Apple Bloom cry whatever her sorrows were out.

When Twilight couldn’t hear Apple Bloom’s sob, or feel her shaking against her body, she pulled a little away so she could look down at the farm pony.

Apple Bloom looked back up at her with bloodshot eyes, still sniffling every few moments.

Twilight gave her a concern, yet caring look. “Apple Bloom, what’s wrong? Why were you out in the storm, especially this late at night?”

The yellow pony gulped several times, clearly trying to get a hold of herself, before she leaned into Twilight’s embrace, sobbing a little. “Th-they kicked me off the farm.”

It took Twilight several moments to process not only those words, but there meanings and implications. She looked back down at the upset filly, a slight frown on her face.

“They... kicked you off the farm? Apple Bloom, maybe you just got into a fight and everypony said something they didn’t mean. It happens, believe me. I can’t count the amount of times when I was little that my parents and I got into huge fights and I told them I wished thet weren't my parents and that Celestia would've loved me more. I never meant it, but, in anger, we say things we don’t mean.”

“AJ wasn’t angry,” Apple Bloom replied, her voice quiet. “Not completely. Just... disappointed.”

Twilight frowned, before pulling back and looking down firmly at the bloodshot eyes. “Okay. Start from the beginning. What happened?”

Apple Bloom nodded, and recited the events that had led her to Twilight’s Castle.

___________________________________________________________

“And where’s your apple mark?” Applejack asked, her brow raised.

Apple Bloom blinked, before looking back at the red hammer on her flank. “Uh... was Ah meant ta have one?”

Applejack shook her head, then looked behind her at the Everfree as clouds moved from it quickly, moving across the sky. “Storm’s a comin’,” she turned and walked inside, not even looking back to see if the filly was following. “Come on, Bloom.”

Uncertainty crept up Apple Bloom’s spine. Why was Applejack acting like this? She’d gotten her Cutie Mark! Wasn’t that a good thing?

“Maci! Granny!" Applejack called out. "Burnt apple!”

Apple Bloom frowned. Burnt apple? Either somepony was at the farm she hadn’t known, somepony who sounded like a member of their family, though she’d never heard of a Burnt Apple before, or that was some kind of code for something she didn’t know about, though a nagging about her fears from before, the ones Luna had helped put to rest, resurfacing, trying to creep into her mind.

The aforementioned ponies came into the room. They all stopped, standing in front of Apple Bloom, who wilted under their gazes.

She noticed Granny glance at her flank, before closing her eyes. “All Apples that work on the farm have an apple mark. Others who don’t, don’t.”

Apple Bloom blinked. “Huh?”

“Aunt and Uncle Orange,” Granny said simply, not paying attention to the confused looks on her other two grandchildren. “They don’t work on an Apple farm.”

Apple Bloom frowned. “Well... yeah. Ah know that. AJ went ta stay with ’em when she was young. Ya told me this, sis.”

Applejack nodded, glancing to her sister before looking to her grandmother. "Granny, where're ya goin' with this?"

Granny Smith sighed, before looking to the yellow filly. “Ya’ll can’t work on the farm as ya used ta, Bloom.”

Apple Bloom wilted. “Ya... Ya mean...?”

Granny Smith nodded. “Since yer Cutie Mark ain’t got nuthin’ t’ do with apples, ya can’t just live like ya used ta. That ain’t no apple, no how. It’s that simple.”

“But...” Apple Bloom looked sadly between them as the storm started up outside. “It’s red like an apple.”

Applejack's eyes narrowed. "Granny, would ya'll explain yerself. Ya told me after Ah got my mark that any Apple that got a non-apple mark is a burnt apple, but ya never explained it further. What's goin' on?"

“Pack yer things, Bloom,” the elder mare ignored Applejack's questions, turning away, a look of sad disappointment passing over her face in the moment Apple Bloom saw it. “Yer leaving the farm.”

Applejack and Big Mac stared at their grandmother with wide eyes and open mouths.

The orange mare hurried and stood in front of the elder. "Granny, what in tarnation are ya talkin' about? Apple Bloom's a member o' this family. Why're ya sayin' she's gotta go?"

Granny Smith just gave her granddaughter a firm stare, one that caused the younger mare to wilt a bit. "It's tradition, Applejack. An Apple without an apple mark can't live on the apple farm, 'nless they're marryin' inta the family somehow that it won't seem wrong. Apple Bloom ain't got an apple mark. She's gotta leave the farm."

Applejack's eyes narrowed as Big Mac came and joined her, them both glaring down at the mare that had cared for them since their parents had died.

"Are ya'll saying yer kickin' Bloom off the farm, just cos o' her Cutie Mark?" Mac growled, snorting.

Granny Smith just replied with a glare and snort of her own, it being intimidating enough coming from the elderly mare that both wilted. "It's the tradition, Bic Macintosh. Been that way since afore mah great, great, great, great grandpapi. Are ya'll saying ya want me to go against our family traditions?"

That caused the other ponies to cringe. Family traditions were a very touchy subject in their family. It was dangerous to try and reason against them with the older generations of Apples. But... but this...

"Ya'll never told us being a burnt apple meant havin' ta leave the farm!" Mac said, shaking his head. "Ya just told us if'n an Apple ever got a non-apple mark they were a burnt apple and everypony in the family would have ta know. An' now Apple Bloom's one."

"Granny, ya... ya can't really be alright with sending yer youngest granddaughter away, can ya?" Applejack asked, her voice holding a slight bit of desperation.

Granny Smith closed her eyes, a few tears sliding down, before she looked back at Applejack with a resolute expression. "O' course Ah don't. But it ain't mah place t' go against somethin' our family's been doing since long afore Ah was even born."

Apple Bloom sobbed, looking between her three family members, in particular at her big sister. “B-b-but ya said nopony was gonna make me move out.”

Applejack cringed against at the look in her sister's eyes, having to look away. "Ah... Ah didn't think they would. Ah... Ah honestly didn't." She sighed again. “Ah’m sorry.”

Tears were pooling around Apple Bloom’s hooves. “AJ...?”

“Ah’ll bring sum food up to ya fer yer dinner,” she walked into the other room. “Ah’ll take ya out, later. Ah... Ah wanna at least be with ya when...” she trailed off, her head bowed, her Stetson covering her eyes as she moved out of sight.

___________________________________________________________

Apple Bloom sniffled against Twilight’s coat. “Ah never even got that dinner. Granny took me out afore AJ brought it up and then left me standing in front of the Ponyville orphanage.”

Twilight was stock-still, her mind unable to believe what she just been told. Applejack, one of her best friends, had just kicked her sister out of their family, leaving her at an orphanage, all because her Cutie Mark hadn’t been apple related?

She’d accepted many of the quirks of the AJ and her family simply because she knew her friend and had respected that the Apples liked keeping to traditions. But this? Sending a filly out on her own just because she didn’t have an apple Cutie Mark?

Twilight felt a resentment she’d have never expected to feel towards her friend's grandmother building up within her. She was an Element Bearer and yet she’d gone let her grandmother leave her little sister to fend for herself?

However, she pushed those thoughts aside for now. Apple Bloom needed somepony and she was clearly the only one she could count on.

“Come on, Apple Bloom,” she said, pulling from the embrace the two had been in, but keeping a wing over her, ensuring comfort for the fragile filly. “Let’s find a bed for you.”

Apple Bloom pressed herself closer to Twilight as her wing held her. “C-can Ah sleep with you, Twi?” she stuttered, her voice betraying her true feelings despite trying to put on a tough front “Ah... Ah...”

Twilight silenced her with a gentle nuzzle. “I understand.”

She led Apple Bloom back to her own room. Spike was still sound asleep, snuggled up under the covers of his bed.

Twilight guided Apple Bloom to her own bed, got in, then helped the young filly in with her, pulling the covers over them.

Once they’d settled down, Apple Bloom snuggled as close as she could against Twilight, holding her as if she feared she’d disappear.

Twilight returned the gesture by wrapping her forelegs around the Earth Pony. “Goodnight, Apple Bloom.”

The filly sniffled, before whispering, “G’night, Twi.”

They stayed that way for a long while, Twilight remaining awake as she held and silently comforted Apple Bloom.

After a while, Apple Bloom’s breathing quietened, until they were the gentle breaths of a sleeping filly.

Twilight gave a warm, yet sad smile, for she scowled. She’d be talking with Applejack tomorrow morning, with more than a few choice words for the pony so heartless she’d toss her sister out into a stormy night.

Author's Note:

Phew. Been meaning to get this one out for ages.

Now, like many others that have recently come out, this is something I'm putting out now so it's out of my head so i can focus on Five Score. Once i'm done with that, i can return to things like this and my others fics.


So, how're things gonna go from here? How's Twilight talk with AJ gonna go? Will she use the Royal Canterlot Voice?

You'll have to wait and see.


As always, i hope you like this and , til next time, later everypony