An Understanding Heart

by Alaborn

Following Up

An Understanding Heart
By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Chapter 10: Following Up

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Open Book contemplated the day’s sessions as he hitched himself to the old cart. He really felt he reached Scootaloo, and expected the filly would find and embrace her talent. Sweetie Belle just needed to work things out with her sister; he hoped he could find Rarity before he left. And then there was Apple Bloom.

The strain of physical labor was a welcome distraction from the pain he felt knowing the earth pony filly was still struggling. He didn’t have much time left in Ponyville, but he sincerely hoped he could talk to Applejack before leaving. There was something more that needed to be discovered, and he still wasn’t sure what it was.

The walk back to the library was interrupted by a sudden burst of wind, followed by the appearance of a rainbow-maned cyan mare hovering in front of him. Open Book planted his hooves firmly into the ground, needing to prevent the cart’s inertia from pushing him into Rainbow Dash.

“So how is Scootaloo? Is she going to be awesome?” asked the pegasus.

Open Book chuckled. “I think she’s going to terrorize Ponyville until she gets her cutie mark,” he said.

Rainbow Dash looked at him quizzically. “So is that good or bad?” she asked.

“It’s good, but she’s going to need the help of an awesome pony. Are you up for that?” Open Book queried.

“Sure am!” Rainbow Dash replied confidently. “So what do I need to do?”

“A couple of things. First, make sure Scootaloo challenges herself every day,” Open Book started. “Whether a competition against another pony or trying to beat her personal best, she’ll be imitating you either way, and that’s what she needs. Second, let her know there’s more to Rainbow Dash than flying, that your own talent was not tied to your wings.”

Rainbow Dash waited for the earth pony to continue. Not willing to wait long, she said, “What else?”

“If you want her to be a great flier in the future, you need the help of somepony else. Somepony who can teach her to fly using books, and give her wings time to finish developing,” Open Book said.

“Yeah, I guess trying to get her to learn to fly like I learned to fly hasn’t helped,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “Anyway, gotta go, thanks for helping Scootaloo!” The pegasus’ hasty departure left only swirling dust and a faint rainbow trail.

The counselor’s mouth hung open, another sentence left unsaid. “I guess I’ll bring that up with Miss Twilight Sparkle,” he thought.

Open Book unhitched himself from the cart and knocked on the door to the library. Twilight Sparkle opened the door and smiled. “Welcome back, Open Book,” she said.

“Thank you, and thank you again for your kind hospitality, Miss Twilight Sparkle,” the counselor replied.

“Are you sure you can’t stay longer?” the unicorn asked.

“Sorry, I’m heading home on the late train,” Open Book explained. “I stopped here to pick up my things and leave these items,” he continued, motioning to the cart. “I’m returning the books and tools. Those two ramps are for Scootaloo to keep, to practice her moves on her scooter. I wanted Miss Rainbow Dash to take them, but she departed before I could ask her. And as for the cart? Even though it’s a rental, it deserves to be turned into kindling.”

“It can’t be that bad,” Twilight Sparkle said, seconds before the axle snapped for the second time that day.

“In any case, I wish to speak to Sweetie Belle’s and Apple Bloom’s sisters before departing. I know where Miss Rarity lives, but where do you think I could find Miss Applejack at this time of day?” Open Book asked.

“Applejack is probably selling apples in the marketplace today,” Twilight Sparkle suggested. “If she’s not there, you’ll need to check the farm.”

“Thank you again, Miss Twilight Sparkle, said Open Book. “And please make sure those three fillies spend time pursuing their individual talents.”

Carousel Boutique was nearer to the library than the marketplace, and more importantly, he expected his meeting with Rarity to be shorter. Thus, he made the unusually shaped building his first stop.

Open Book pushed open the front door of the dressmaker’s shop. Small bells chimed in greeting. Rarity was making alterations to her latest fashion creation, peering intently through a pair of reading glasses as her magical aura manipulated several pins. The unicorn spared a brief glance at the door, and ceased her work as she recognized the visitor. “Welcome back,” she said. “Oh, darling, you should have let me know you were stopping by. I would have had tea prepared!”

“I apologize for the lack of notice, Miss Rarity, but I’m afraid I haven’t much time this evening,” said Open Book. “I’ve come to talk to you about your very generous sister.”

“Why, thank you,” Rarity said. “We have made it clear to the filly the importance of generosity.”

“She is so uniquely generous, she is willing to forgo earning her cutie mark for your benefit,” the counselor continued.

“Exactly… wait, what?” Rarity sputtered.

“Sweetie Belle confessed to me that she worried about finding a talent that would overshadow you,” Open Book explained. “At least that’s how I interpret it.”

“That fear is rather unfounded, I must say,” Rarity mused. “Say we imagine Sweetie Belle, world famous musician, on one hoof, and on the other hoof Rarity, Element of Generosity, savior of Equestria multiple times over, and pony immortalized in stained glass in the Royal Castle itself.”

“You’re right; it would be hard to get you out of the limelight today.” Open Book paused. “But how about in the past?” He tried to remember exactly when Nightmare Moon had been defeated. “Four years ago, what was your dream?”

“At that time, I was well on my way to achieving my lifelong dream of being Equestria’s greatest fashion designer,” Rarity said. “I had already founded Carousel Boutique, and had started designing fashions that would turn heads from Canterlot to Manehattan. I just hadn’t attracted anypony’s attention yet.”

“And Sweetie Belle knew that?” Open Book asked.

“Of course,” Rarity said. “I was never shy about discussing my dream.”

“I suspect your sister may have internalized her fear of overshadowing you long before anypony had heard your name,” Open Book said.

“Well, I think a certain little sister needs to hear how thrilling it would be to design the costumes for an entire touring performance!” Rarity said excitedly. Open Book looked at her curiously.

“Or perhaps she needs to hear about the very soul of generosity, that I would forever remain a seamstress in Ponyville if it meant a better life for her,” Rarity added.

“Fortunately, the cure for your sister’s fear is simple, and you already know it. Promise me you will talk to her about this fear,” Open Book stated.

“I will,” Rarity said.

The crowds in the marketplace were thin this late in the evening, but that didn’t stop the merchants from pitching their remaining wares to every passerby. The orange earth pony was no exception, promoting a half dozen varieties of apples from behind her cart. Seeing the counselor approach, Applejack waved him over.

“Howdy, pardner! Have a Red Delicious, on the house.” Applejack grabbed an apple with her tail, flipped it into the air, and caught it on the top of her Stetson before offering it to him. “And if you’d like a take a bushel of Equestria’s finest apples home with you to Canterlot, Ah’ll cut you a deal.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ve come to talk with you about Apple Bloom,” Open Book said. “Can you spare a moment, perhaps go somewhere and talk?”

Applejack observed the diminishing crowd. “Ah suppose Ah can close shop early. We can talk on the way back to the farm,” she suggested.

Open Book watched Applejack efficiently close down her cart, storing the mostly empty baskets, pulling down the awning, and hitching herself to it. “Let’s roll,” she said.

Once out of anypony’s earshot, Open Book addressed Applejack. “Of the three Cutie Mark Crusaders, Apple Bloom is furthest from understanding her own heart.”

“What does that mean?” Applejack wondered.

“Apple Bloom’s talent clearly lies in building and fixing things,” Open Book explained. “I witnessed her fix a cart’s broken axle this morning, with little more than nails and scrap wood. And she took one look at a wooden ramp I had constructed, and noticed a fix it needed. Yet your sister is resisting pursuing her talent.”

“That don’t make no sense,” Applejack said.

“Apple Bloom even went so far as to tell me she was afraid of the amount of work that talent would mean for her. She said that even after I watched her perform that repair job, happily and without complaint.” Open Book sighed. “And I don’t know why she said that.”

“A shirker and a liar? Ah’m gonna have to have a talk with that filly,” Applejack decided.

“Technically, she’s either one or the other, not both,” the counselor corrected, but Applejack wasn’t paying attention.

“Ah taught her better than that,” Applejack muttered. “Big Macintosh taught her better than that. So did Pa and Granny Smith.”

Open Book noticed an omission. “What about your mother? Didn’t she teach Apple Bloom too?”

“Apple Bloom never had much of a chance to know Ma.” Applejack halted and looked skyward. “Ma was a little old to be bearin’ another foal, and she soon found herself confined to bed, very sick. Praise Celestia that Apple Bloom was born strong and healthy. Ma, bless her soul, loved little Apple Bloom with all her heart, but she never recovered from the pregnancy. She passed before Apple Bloom turned two, so most of what she knows about her she learned from us.”

“It must be hard for a child so young to lose both parents,” Open Book said.

“It wasn’t easy for any of us. But Apple Bloom is strong, Apple strong,” Applejack said proudly. As if to punctuate that statement, Applejack strained against the harness, getting the cart rolling again.

As the two earth ponies continued to walk, Open Book asked, “When did your father pass?”

“About six years ago,” Applejack said. “It wasn’t easy for us, but we farm folk recognize the danger of farm work is just part of bein’ a farmer.”

“He died in an accident?” Open Book asked.

Applejack nodded and sighed heavily. “He fell while fixing the roof of the barn. Broke his neck, they said. By the time….”

Open Book glanced back. Applejack had come to a full stop, and was staring at the ground, shaking her head slightly. “Ah should’ve seen it,” she muttered.

“There’s no need to criticize yourself, Miss Applejack,” the counselor said.

“But it’s mah fault,” Applejack said. “Ah kept tellin’ Apple Bloom to be strong, but these memories are still botherin’ her.”

“Please, Miss Applejack, you won’t help anypony by kicking yourself. Apple Bloom needs a different kind of counselor.” Open Book looked the mare in the eye. “Promise me you’ll be Apple strong for her.”

“Ah will,” Applejack acknowledged. “Would you like to meet the rest of the family?”

Open Book glanced at the sky and shook his head. “I’m afraid I have a train to catch. I must bid you goodbye, Miss Applejack.”

Applejack tipped her hat. “Thanks, pardner.”

Comments

[blue_star]

Another good chapter. I liked what you did with Apple Bloom's situation. I'm looking forward to seeing how the various sisters handle the situation. From one writer to another (that's right I've written a fanfic!) keep up the god work.