A Little Get Together

by Story blossom

Chapter Three

Fluttershy hummed a tune happily while she carefully placed a flower in her basket. It was beautiful outside, and she planned to make the most of it. Angel, her pet bunny, hopped around her hooves demanding her attention as always.

“What is it Angel? Are you hungry again?” she questioned softly.

He shook his head in response and began trying to pull her hoof back towards the cottage.

“Angel bunny, what is it?” she said while walking alongside him.

Angel did not respond, but continued to pull her forward towards her home.

“I wonder what is so important,” Fluttershy thought to herself.

They entered the cottage and still she could not tell what was bothering her little friend so much. Fluttershy then noticed a faint whimper in the otherwise quiet room. Quickly, she began searching for the source of the noise. She then saw a light pink tuft of hair poking out from behind a chair. Fluttershy’s face turned to one of concern as she gently flew over to her daughter.

She gently lifted the small earth pony out of the corner she was curled up in and brought her to the couch.

“What happened Apple Butter? Why are you crying?” Fluttershy hated to see anyone cry, especially her little filly.

Between quiet sobs the filly answered, “I was walking down the road from the market, and some mean ponies that I go to school with started picking on me and called me names.”

Fluttershy stroked the small filly’s creamy orange coat. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry.”

Apple butter had inherited her father’s physical strength, but her mother’s meekness. Despite her mother’s words of kindness she continued to cry.

“Oh, what can I do to make her feel better?” Fluttershy wondered.

She then remembered that her husband could always make her feel better. “Maybe he can do the same for Apple,” she guessed.

Without a word, Fluttershy lifted her into the air and placed her on her back. She slowly made her way out of the cottage and down the road. She made it only a little ways until the filly began to question their destination.

“Where are we going, Mom?” she enquired faintly.

Fluttershy turned to examine her daughter as she continued to walk. Her eyes were still puffy from the tears, but she had ceased from crying at the moment.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there,” Fluttershy replied, not providing a true answer.

Apple Butter looked at the landscape surrounding them. She recognized it and immediately realized where they were headed.

Soon, they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. The familiar smell of apples filled the nose of the filly. She loved the smell, as it reminded her of her father. Through the rows of trees filled with nearly ripe apples she saw movement.

Big Mac looked at a small apple and frowned. Fluttershy knew exactly what he was thinking, “Looks like this apple isn’t gonna be as big.”

Fluttershy carefully glided over to her husband. He looked surprised to see them, and upon noticing the worried expression on his wife’s face, his muscles tensed up out of habit.

“What’s wrong?” he asked in his signature deep voice.

Fluttershy turned to show their small daughter laying gloomily on her back. Apple Butter looked up shyly at her father. Big mac made his way over to his daughter lifting her off of her mother’s back and into his embrace.

Big mac rarely expressed himself with words and, in this instance, there was no need for them. He hugged his daughter tightly, and then looked up and brought Fluttershy into his embrace as well. Fluttershy was right, it made Apple Butter forget entirely about the teasing foals from earlier that day.

“I love you both,” Apple Butter said in her quiet voice.

With that both of her parents hugged her tighter. They only released when rushed hoof steps hurried towards them.

“Uncle Mac!” A pale orange colt with a green neckerchief yelled out, “Aunt Fluttershy!”

“What is it Apple Crumble?” Fluttershy asked her nephew in law.

Apple Butter looked up at her older cousin and saw the fear in his face.

“It’s Crisp he’s hurt!” Apple Crumble said frantically.

The trio then quickly jumped into action. Fluttershy took to the skies following the sprinting colt from above. Big mac and Apple Butter raced after him on the ground. They all finally reached the scene. A small golden ball of fur laid at the foot of an apple tree. Fluttershy quickly swooped down to assess the damage. She lifted the small colt off of the ground.

“Where does it hurt?” she questioned.

Apple Crisp sniffled. “My leg,” he said fighting back tears.

Fluttershy looked over his legs and noticed that one looked a little different.

“Go get your mom,” Big mac said to Apple Crumble.

Apple Crumble took off running full speed towards the barn. Fluttershy tenderly rubbed the injured leg.

“I don’t think it’s broken. It just looks sprained,” Fluttershy observed quietly.

“What happened?”Apple Butter asked.

“Me and Crumble were out here just playing around, and he dared me to try and buck all the apples out of a tree in one buck. I must’ve hit my leg too hard or somthin’,” he answered.

“What’s goin’ on here?” Apple Jack said as she ran towards them.

“Crumble’s hurt his leg,” Fluttershy informed her. “I think it’s just a sprain.”

“Don’t worry Crisp, it’ll be alright,” Apple Jack soothed her son.

“Where’s Crumble?” Apple Butter asked.

“He’s gettin’ his dad,” her Aunt answered.

Apple Jack sat next to Fluttershy while she held Apple Crisp.

“It’s startin’ to feel better,” Crisp said while he shifted into his mother’s hooves.

Just then, Caramel came running into view carrying a first-aid kit in his mouth, with Crumble not too far behind.

“Irsh evrypony oka?” he asked trying to keep the kit in his mouth and check on them at the same time.

“He should be okay, we just need to splint it,” Fluttershy informed him.

In no time at all, the young colt’s leg was wrapped in white cloth. Apple Jack lifted her son onto her back and they began walking towards the house. Crumble walked slowly towards the back of the group with his ears folded and his head hung in guilt.

Seeing her usually strong willed cousin looking so down made Apple butter heavyhearted. She slowly made her way beside him.

“Are you okay, Crumble?” she asked timidly.

He sighed, “I just feel so bad ‘bout Crisp gettin’ hurt, it never woulda’ happened if I hadn’t dared him to do it.”

Apple butter tried to think of something comforting to say, but struggled. “How is Mom so good at this?” she thought to herself.

“Well,” she started, “I don’t think it’s entirely your fault.” The unchanged look on his face showed that her efforts had made no progress in making him feel better.

“I mean, Crisp should have known his limits,” she tried again.

Crumble shook his head, “But I’m his big brother, I shouldn’a never put him up to it in the first place.”

Apple Butter had done nothing but make him feel worse. She saw her mom walking beside her aunt ahead of them. She trotted to catch up to her.

Her mom was taller than she was, so she had to walk on her hoof tips to reach her ear.

“Mom, I don’t know what to do. Crumble thinks that it’s his fault that Crisp got hurt and I hate to see him so sad,” she whispered.

“Have you tried to cheer him up?” Fluttershy inquired.

“I tried to, but I’m just not good at it, I only made it worse,” Apple Butter admitted.

Fluttershy pondered for a moment, “If only Pinkie Pie were here to cheer everyone up,” she thought.

“Sometimes there isn’t anything you can say to cheer ponies up. Just be there for him Apple Butter, Crumble will appreciate it I’m sure,” she offered.

Apple Butter was a bit bummed that there wasn’t anything she could say to help her cousin feel better. Then, an idea struck her.

She quickly whispered in her mother’s ear again.

“I have an idea!” she hastily explained her plan and asked for permission to put it into action.

“That sounds like a great plan, just make sure you hurry back soon. We have to go to a picnic later on,” Fluttershy advised.

“Okay, I love you,” she said.

“I love you too Apple Butter. You two be safe,” her mother replied.

Apple Butter quickly returned to her cousin’s side and told him to follow her.

“Where are we going?” he yelled ahead.

“You’ll see!” she yelled back.

They raced down rows of trees full of apples nearing the time to harvest. Apple Crumble could tell that where ever his cousin was leading him to, she was awfully excited about it. She may have been a small weak looking filly, but she had the stamina and strength of her dad, Big Mac. She hardly ever showed her true strength, but sometimes when she felt comfortable it shined through.

It brought a small smile to his lips.

At least she’s happy. Even if I feel crummy inside.

He let out a small chuckle at the irony of his thought.

They galloped out of the farm and into the town. They both slowed their pace, being that it was considered rude to run through crowded areas

“Now will ya tell me?” he questioned.

She turned around and grinned at him. “We’re almost there.”

They came upon their destination, Sugarcube Corner.

“Why’d ya take me here?” he asked.

“Well, I thought it might cheer you up. I really hate to see you sad and I couldn’t think of anything I could say to make you feel better. Plus, there’s no way you can escape auntie Pinkie Pie without smiling,” she informed him.

Though Pinkie Pie was of no relation to her, she had insisted that Apple Butter should refer to her as Auntie Pinkie Pie.

They walked through the pink door, Pound and Pumpkin Cake greeted them from behind the counter.

“Hey you two. What are you guys doing here?” Pumpkin questioned.

“We, um, well we we’re wondering if Pinkie Pie was here,” Apple Butter said shyly.

“Uh, Pound, do you know where Pinkie Pie went?” Pumpkin asked her twin.

“Well, last time I saw her she was playing hide and seek. So she could be anywhere,” he told them.

“Well I guess you’re just gonna have to join in the seeking. You can check anywhere you’d like,” Pumpkin offered.

“T-Thanks,” Apple Butter said.

“Well whudda’ we do now?” Apple Crumble questioned.

“I guess we’re just going to have to look for her. Let’s check upstairs first,” she said.

They walked up the stairs into Pinkie Pie’s home to find three ponies seeking for her as well.

“Search hard, Swirl! There’s no way she can win this time!” said the peach colored colt.

All three ponies were sniffing the ground with their tails in the air like bloodhounds.

“Jelly’s right,” said the adult pony “we’re close, I can tell!”

“They really seem to be professionals at this,” Apple Butter whispered to Crumble.

“They sure do,” he replied. “Uh, ‘scuse me.”

The three ponies simultaneously looked up to see their company. Only when they looked up did the pair fully recognize them.

“Well if it isn’t the Apple cousins,” said Cheese Sandwich.

“Hey!” Jelly Roll and Cinnamon Swirl greeted together.

“H-Hi,” Apple Butter managed.

“Howdy,” Crumble said, still rather gloomily.

Jelly caught the sadness in his friend’s voice and gave Apple Butter a questioning look. She shook her head as to say “I’ll tell you later”.

“What can we do ya for?” Cheese asked.

“W-well we we’re just looking for auntie Pinkie Pie, that’s i-if you don’t mind,” Apple Butter mumbled.

“Absolutely-dutely!” Cheese expressed with great enthusiasm.

He began humming a little tune while looking under various objects in the room. Apple Butter found it quite strange that he was even looking under the smallest items.

Then again, it is Pinke Pie we’re looking for.

All five ponies were searching for the curly maned pink party pony quite thoroughly, but no pony had found even a trace of her.

“Are ya sure she didn’t leave?” Crumble asked solemnly.

Jelly’s curly mane drooped at his friend’s depressed tone. And with a heart full of determination, he made it his personal mission to find his mom, the hide and seek professional.

Cinnamon Swirl picked up on her brother’s new manifestation of heart and decided to help him further the search.

The fuzzy maned duo began to search frantically, even re-checking places, just to be safe.

They continued on like this for a few moments before Cinnamon suddenly jumped straight up in the air and immediately took off in full sprint.

“What is it Swirl?” Jelly yelled after his younger sister.

“I know where she is!” Cinnamon yelled, her voice full of triumph.

They all followed her as she quickly lead them down the stairs to the bakery below Pinkie Pie’s home. Once she reached the back of the bakery where the cooking supplies was held, her eyes began to swiftly skim the shelves.

“What are we looking for?” Apple butter questioned.

Giving no answer, Cinnamon quickly found what she was looking for.

“AHA!” she yelled, as she pile drove a giant bag of flour.

The two apple relatives stared agape at their friend who was now fully submerged in the white powder.

“You found me!” a familiar voice, Pinkie Pie’s they guessed, protruded from inside the flour bag.

The two ponies jumped out of the bag shooting flour all around them on the floor. Both completely covered from head to hoof in flour fell into the floor in a fit of giggles.

The whole group joined in the laughter, including Apple Crumble.

After the laughing faded, Pinkie Pie noticed the new company, and enveloped both of them in a huge, flour filled hug.

“Wow you guys are getting so big!” she said fawning over the two.

Apple Butter smiled meekly, but her cousin did not, displaying his melancholy. Pinkie Pie promptly shook the flour off, causing a large cloud to enter the air around her.

“Alrighty, what’s with the frown?” she asked cracking her “knuckles” in preparation.

Crumble’s ears drooped beside his head as he retold her about the recent events with his brother.

“Well that’s not your fault Crumble, and it’s fine, it sounds like Crisp isn’t that hurt. You just need to be more careful next time.” She explained.

Apple Butter didn’t expect for Pinkie Pie to take such a serious point of view on it, but it did seem to help her cousin.

“Thanks Mrs. Pie, but I still feel bad about it.”

“And that’s fine,” she smiled, “but there’s no use in frowning and being all sad about it!”

“Yeah Crumble, as a wise monkey once said learn from it!” Jelly added while playfully patting his friend’s head.

Apple Crumble had no clue what his friend was getting at, but none the less it made a smile come to his face.

Apple Butter was satisfied at the smile of her previously down-in-the-dumps cousin.

“Yay! A smile!” they all beamed.

Pumpkin and Pound then entered the room.

“You guys found her, huh?” Pound asked.

“Yep,” Jelly said, “actually it was really Swirl who did it.”

“I think we have a super duper hide-and-seek seeker pony on our hooves.” Cheese Sandwich said.

The twins then brought their attention to Cinnamon Swirl, who was still covered in flour. At this new, but familiar sight, they giggled uncontrollably.

“Like mother like daughter!” Pinkie yelled through her own laughter.

After the group’s giggles died down, Apple Butter remembered her mom’s warning.

“Um, Auntie Pinkie Pie,” she said, gaining Pinkie’s attention.

“What is it Apple Butter?” she inquired cheerfully.

“Well, it’s just, Mom said that we have a picnic to go to and …” her faint voice trailed off.

“Oh yeah!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “Come on every pony!” she said as she gathered some boxes of treats and took off at sonic speed out of Sugar Cube Corner.

They all ran off after her, except for the Cake twins who only shook their head at Pinkie’s antics.