Authors Speech.3,371 words

Chapter 5: "Apple Bloom's Prize."

Two Days Later...

The sound of the rooster crowing could be heard as the morning sun raised over the hills of Sweet Apple Acres to begin the new day. Applejack, Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith were up to start the day. The three Apple siblings were outside doing some morning chores, while Granny Smith was inside making breakfast. Apple Bloom and Applejack were together at the feeding troughs feeding the pigs. They poured the last buckets of pig slop into one of the troughs, where they let the pigs out to eat. Applejack and Apple Bloom sighed and wiped the sweat from their foreheads.

"Hooie," Applejack said. "Glad that's all done."

"Me too." Apple Bloom's stomach growls. "Ah can't wait ta have my own breakfast."

"Well, we better go and feed Winona first, sugarcube."

Applejack and Apple Bloom went to go and feed Winona. Carrying the big bag of dog food, they see that Winona was laying inside her dog house on the side of the barn. She looked quite sad, like she had been for the past two days.

Applejack poured some dog food into Winona's bowl in front of her. "Here's yer breakfast, Winona."

Winona turned her head, and moaned sadly. Apple Bloom looked worried, for Winona was never usually a sad dog.

"What's the matter, Winona?" Apple Bloom asked. "Ya look so sad."

Applejack looked at Winona with a sympathetic frown, for she understood why Winona had been acting so sad for the last two days. It was to do with how Abacus was so fearful towards her the other day, and was feeling so hurt that a pony she really liked was now so afraid of her. Applejack remembered how Abacus and Tiger Lily would play fetch with Winona whenever they came to visit, whether it was business or social. She also remembered how Winona tried to cheer Abacus up at the after-funeral get-together service that was held on their farm. They had a special bond.

Applejack patted Winona's head to comfit her. "There there, girl. It wasn't yer fault. We all know ya wouldn't hurt Abacus. While he was gone, he got hurt by another really bad dog, an' it's made him scared of dogs in general, not just ya specifically."

"Yeah," Apple Bloom said. "He just needs ta be cured of his fear, right?"

"Well, it'll not be that simple, sugarcube." Applejack nodded. "But yes. It'll take time, but he could be." She turned back to Winona. "So cheer-up, girl. Ah promise ya'll get ta be friends with Abacus again. But until then, we have ta keep ya away from him."

"Yeah." Apple Bloom patted Winona's head. "Don't be sad, Winona. It's sad enough that Abacus is depressed. We don't want two of ya real sad."

Winona began to wag her tail happily, if only a little, as she began to eat her breakfast. Applejack smiled proudly at her little sisters words of encouragement and sympathy.

The whole Apple family sat down at the table inside the house having breakfast. Granny Smith had made scrambled eggs, hash browns, with slices of hot buttered toast, a jar of jam, a box of corn flakes cereal, a jug of milk, and a teapot of hot tea. A traditional farmer's breakfast.

"Boy howdy," Applejack said. "Ah'm starved! Let's eat while it's hot!"

Everyone at the table began to eat. Granny Smith pored herself a cup of tea, and grabbed some toast with jam. The others helped themselves to everything else. Apple Bloom just put the first spoonful of corn flakes into her mouth when Applejack spoke to her.

"Apple Bloom?"

Apple Bloom looked at Applejack and spoke with a mouth full. "Hmm? Yeah, Applejack?"

Applejack smiled proudly. "Ah want ta tell ya again how proud of ya we all are lately."

Apple Bloom swallowed. "Proud of me?"

"That's right, youngin," Granny Smith said. "How ya were so sweet an' kind ta Abacus the other day."

Applejack nodded. "An' how ya encouraged Winona ta be happy this mornin."

"Eeyup." Big Mac said.

Apple Bloom blushed and chuckled bashfully. "Well, ah didn't think ah did that much." She looks at Applejack. "Besides, ya did the most talkin'."

"True, sugarcube," Applejack said. "But how ya said those words ta not be sad for Abacus is sad was just so encouraging that Winona cheered-up enough ta eat."

"An' ah have a feelin' that somethin' real good could be comin' yer way." Granny Smith winked.

Big Mac nodded. "Eeyup."

Apple Bloom's face lit up like a little sun. "Somethin' real good? What kind of somethin' real good?"

"Don't know, sugarcube," Applejack said. "But good things always happen ta those who do real good deeds."

Apple Bloom cocked her head. "But when will it happen?"

Applejack winked. "Probably when ya least expect it, sugarcube."

"Eeyup." Big Mac said.

Apple Bloom mulled it over for a moment. "Well, whatever it is, ah hope it's somethin' ta do with gettin' my cutie mark." She ate another spoonful of corn flakes that made her cheeks puff up like a chipmunk. "Or at least somethin' that's real good eatin'."

Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith gave a chuckle at Apple Bloom's child-like innocence, before continuing to eat breakfast. Five minutes later, they were interrupted by the door suddenly slamming open from something bursting inside. It landed on the floor in front of them with a crash sound. They turned to see that what burst in was a pegasus mare with a light sapphire bluish gray coat, a pale, light grayish apple green mane and tail, and had eyes that were a gradient from pale, light grayish apple green to moderate gamboge color, and were cross-eyed.

"Oops, sorry," The mare said. "I just don't know what went wrong."

"Howdy, Derpy." Big Mac said.

"Hi, Derpy." Apple Bloom said.

Granny Smith turned to Derpy. "Well, howdy-do there, Derpy! Ya deliverin' today?"

Derpy quickly got up and brushed herself off. "Oh, yes. You're the first ones of my route today."

Applejack got up from her chair from the table, and came up to Derpy. "So, what can we do ya for, Derpy?"

"Oh, right." Derpy reached into her saddle bag, and pulled out a big, stiff envelop that had SPECIAL DELIVERY. DO NOT BEND. stamped on it. "I've got a special delivery for this address."

Applejack looked at the words on the envelop in Derpy's mouth. "Apple Bloom. It's addressed ta ya."

Apple Bloom blinked. "Fer me?"

Apple Bloom got up from the table and walked over to Derpy with wonder on what the special delivery was. Derpy leaned down, and handed the envelop to Apple Bloom. She then turned her attention back to Applejack while Apple Bloom walked back to the table.

"So where is Abacus Sum?" Derpy asked. "I heard he was here."

"He ain't here." Applejack said sternly.

Derpy frowned with a look of disappointment. "Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping he was here so that I could say hello and welcome him home."

"Oh my star apples!"

Applejack and Derpy turned their attention to Apple Bloom who just exclaimed. They see Apple Bloom with a overjoyed look on her face, for she had opened the envelop. They see it contained a letter, few other papers, and two slips of cardboard that looked like tickets. "Ah don't believe it! It's like a dream come true!"

"What is it, Apple Bloom?" Applejack asked. "What's it say?"

Applejack came over to look at the letter and began to read it out loud. "Dear Miss Apple Bloom. Congratulations. Fer we are please ta announce that ya are the lucky drawn winner of Pop Pony magazine's contest. Ya entered our contest ta win the grand prize of two front row tickets ta Sapphire Shores's "Ah tune in ta you" tour concert performance in Manehattan, plus V.I.P. backstage passes ta meet Sapphire Shores in person, an' two nights accommodation at Manehattan's famous Bridleway Grand Hotel. An' yer name was the lucky name drawn from the barrel."

Everyone's eyes widened at what was just read out, with a look of amazement on each of their faces. The Apple family each remembered that Apple Bloom submitted an entry by filling out a submission slip that she found in a issue of Pop Pony magazine that someone threw away when she, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were trying to get their cutie marks in recycling a few weeks ago.

Applejack looked at Apple Bloom with the same amazed look. "...Land sakes. Apple Bloom...Ya've..."

"Ah won tickets ta see Sapphire Shores!" Apple Bloom began to jump up and down with glee. "Yahoo! Yippee! Yay!"

"Well, ah'll be danged," Granny Smith said. "Y'lucky, little whippersnapper!"

"Yee-haw!" Applejack cheered while rearing.

Big Mac nodded. "Eeyup!"

Apple Bloom ran up to Derpy and gave her a big hug. "Oh, thank ya, Derpy. Ya're the best!"

Derpy smiled, looking down at Apple Bloom with her bad eye wandering off before she put a hoof around her.

Author's Note:

This is the fifth chapter. The sixth chapter will be up soon. I plan to make this story into parts for anyone wanting to do a dramatic reading of this. Sorry if this chapter is a shorter than the others. Enjoy!

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