16 Echoes of Lost Love
Applebaum grumbles to herself as Applejack races out of the room. She gathers up her school supplies, the first rays of dawn just beginning to peek out to the east. Doug opens the front door, stretching as he prepares for his morning run. Applebaum spots Rainbow Dash land next to Doug and almost immediately attempt to tackle him. He resists, of course, though Rainbow's goal seems to be more about landing kisses on him than bringing him to the ground. Applebaum rolls her eyes as she goes to the kitchen, grabbing a quick breakfast of apples and oat bars.
The young mare looks up to see Fluttershy quietly walking over, taking a seat next to her. "Morning, 'Shy," Applebaum says, her eyes drifting to the yellow mare's flanks. She... she didn't do anything today with Doug, right? She grimaces; no, it was probably last night, after the rest of the house went to bed.
"Something wrong, Applebaum?" Fluttershy says, giggling a little at the unintended rhyme.
"Well, Ah was talking with Applejack about Daddy." Applebaum takes a small bite of one apple, chewing over her thoughts. She asks before she swallows, "Why'd you pick him?"
"Oh, dear," Fluttershy hums, a hoof coming to her chin, "That's a tough one. I don't know if I picked him so much as he picked me." She smiles after a moment, "Well, or maybe Rainbow did. After I first met him? I was... I was so scared, that this big monster was in the same town as me! But, he's really more like a cuddly manticore once you get to know him!"
Applebaum's eyes go wide, "A manticore! What?"
Fluttershy stammers, "Oh, um, maybe more like a bear. You know Harry, right?"
Applebaum slowly nods, "Okay, um, Ah know of Harry. Maybe seen him once."
"Well, Doug is like that. He can be dangerous, but if you aren't really mean to him then he's just different. And that's not bad." Fluttershy considers, "Actually, if you are mean to him he doesn't really lash out like a manticore would." Fluttershy drops down a little, quietly saying, "Maybe that's a bad comparison."
Applebaum smiles, trying to perk Fluttershy back up, "So, you went out with Doug because he's different? Ah can see that." Her muzzle turns to a bit of a frown as she sees Fluttershy shake her head.
"No, it was because of how he treated me, and how the other ponies treated me. You see, a lot of pegasi back in Cloudsdale made fun of me because I..." Fluttershy glowers, sighing at the admission. "I'm afraid of flying. And not a very strong flier. And a lot of pegasi, they see that, and they didn't really want to date or have foals with me because of it. Not that they would say that. But if the issue of foals ever came up, they would just give a noncommittal comment or admit they weren't looking to have foals at this point. Doug was up front that he wanted foals, and also that it might take a little while, waiting until the trio got a little older. And I liked that, even if I wasn't thrilled that it might be some time before anything happened with me."
"So, you liked that he was up front about his intentions? That doesn't seem that hard."
Fluttershy nods, "And that's mostly because you've been raised in a herd that isn't afraid to speak their mind. There are a lot of ponies out there that are very duplicitous, and you have to be careful about that."
"What's doop city us?"
"Du-pli-ci-tous. It means two muzzled or deceitful. That you say one thing and do another. And your sire is very candid about what he thinks. Though he is very nice about it when he's with me. He knows I can take what he says very personally, and he tries very hard to avoid that."
"Okay, you so wanted a stallion who would treat you right."
Fluttershy nods, a wide smile on her muzzle. "Yup! That's exactly right. I mean, I got a lot of attention from stallions because they thought I looked good. But how many of them wanted me for more than my plot?" Fluttershy's eyebrows widen, an 'eep!' escaping before her hoof clasps to her blushing mouth.
Applebaum snorts, giggling at the outburst. She snickers, "I think Doug likes your plot, too."
Fluttershy tries to hide her deepening blush behind her mane. A few seconds pass before she coughs, peeking out and saying, "Well, um, yes. He does like my... plot. And, um, it's important to get a stallion that likes your... plot. But that isn't the most important thing." Fluttershy shakes her head, her mane going back behind her. "You want a stallion that respects you. And any boundaries you put up, especially while you are dating. That's far more important than how beautiful they say your plot is."
"Got it," Applebaum says with a smirk. She glances out the window, the sky continuing to brighten. "Hey, 'Shy, great talking to you, but I need to head off to school." Fluttershy smiles at the young mare, a short wave as the pegasus gets up to find something to eat.
Unfortunately, watching Rainbow cavorting with Doug and the talk with Applejack and Fluttershy has done very little to help Applebaum with the problem of what to do about her heat. And her dam's prescription of bucking trees could work, but she has school to get to. Her mind drifts to a couple of the colts in her class, whether they would be good stallions to try to start a herd with. Well, none of the colts her age have cutie marks, and only two of the fillies have theirs, both in the year above her. Silver Stud could be fun, but there would be a lot of competition for a Rich colt. And, still a little early to tell what he likes. Maybe somepony from the older classes?
She grimaces; the pickings are pretty slim there, too. Snips and Snails have their cutie marks. Snips... Applebaum sticks out her tongue at the thought. Not even estrus makes him appealing. Snails on the other hoof, he might have potential. A bit taller, though he probably won't fill out like Big Mac. And he's also a unicorn, so he probably won't want to work on the farm. At least not underneath Applejack when her dam replaces Granny Smith as matriarch. But, it would be pretty easy to get him to do what she wants. But is that what she is really looking for in her special somepony? Just a puppet to control and have foals with? Applejack certainly didn't think so.
Applebaum's hooves carry her through the mostly deserted streets, the sun still not above the horizon. Did she really want to be lead mare? It would certainly be nice, but also a lot of responsibility. She sighs a little to herself; she likes finding weaknesses in plans and structures. Not making new plans. Besides, not everypony got to be lead mare, especially not in Ponyville. She grimaces as she looks at the houses along the way to the Carousel Boutique. Single mare. Two single mares, roommates to save bits. In a herd, but still lives by herself because she can't stand two of the other mares. Herd with three mares, mostly happy.
Applebaum pushes the door to the Carousel Boutique open, the bell chiming above her. The store is still dark, not even a light from the kitchen, but there is one coming from upstairs. The ponnequins loom eerily in the dawn light, casting long, oddly shaped shadows over the dark floor.
A voice calls from upstairs, accompanied by the sounds of hooves, "I'm sorry, we aren't open yet. But, if it is just something quick, then-" Rarity stops as she spots Applebaum, the unicorn's mane and tail still in curlers. "Oh, darling, I'm sorry, I thought you were an early customer. Is everything all right?"
Applebaum nods, a sniff telling her that Rarity is, like most of the mares in town, going through her estrus. "Um, yes, Miss Rarity, everything's fine, Ah guess."
"You guess?" Rarity smiles, a pleasant one as she turns to the kitchen, "Is there something I can do that would make you more sure of that? Perhaps a bite to eat?"
"No, Ah already ate, but thank you. Um, Ah wanted to ask you a few questions." Applebaum taps her hoof against the polished wood floor before following Rarity into the kitchen.
Rarity levitates over a small cup and tea bag, beginning to heat the water. She sniffs, glancing over at Applebaum and taking a longer drag through her nose. "Am I smelling that right, darling? Your estrus has started?" Applebaum nods, Rarity returning a heavy sigh. "To be going through that at such a young age. Well, it cannot be avoided, I suppose. Did you come looking for assistance? I'm surprised your dam would approve."
"Um, assistance?" Applebaum asks.
Rarity briefly blushes, shutting the drawer with a few of her smaller toys in it. "Nevermind. I don't think Applejack would care much for me introducing you to that topic. You'll have to ask her yourself. Did you have any other questions?"
Applebaum says, "Well, um, a couple. Maybe just one line of questions." Rarity nods as the young mare continues, "How did you know that Doug was the right stallion for you? And, along with that, did you want to be lead mare?"
Rarity takes a sip of her tea, her eyes scanning around as she considers the questions. "Well, I suppose I can answer the second question a little easier. Being a lead mare is a lot of work and responsibility." She takes a deep breath before she continues, "It has always been my dream to become a famous fashion designer in the big city. Either Canterlot or Manehatten, it didn't matter much to filly Rarity. But those dreams were broken like a geode under a chisel, because I did not have what a native to those areas might have."
"A home?" Applebaum offers.
Rarity shakes her head, "No, I would have been happy living above the store, much like I am here, or a small apartment. No, I was missing connections. Ponies in the know, or trendsetters willing to help put me on the map. Without that, any attempt to start a business there would be doomed from the beginning, unable to generate the necessary interest and revenue to stay afloat. Thus, I am confined to Ponyville, for now. But that dream has not faded, merely waiting for the opportunity to arise."
"Okay, but what's this got to do with being lead mare?"
Rarity huffs, "I was getting there, be patient. But, to answer your question, if I am lead mare then I cannot very well uproot my herd and have them move to where opportunity calls. Or run off on my own to start a business someplace else. And running a business as large as I hope to become is very taxing on a mare, leaving little time for other pursuits, such as dealing with the inevitable arguments and scheduling concerns inherent in a herd. Thus, I am happy being second mare, and avoiding much of that."
"Ah get that," Applebaum nods, "That kinda feels like what Ah would want, too. Ah don't know if Ah'd be cut out to run a herd."
Rarity takes another sip of her tea, "Being lead mare is not for everypony, certainly. You were asking about qualities in a stallion?"
"Yeah!" Applebaum paces back and forth a little, inspecting the furniture, "Like, why did you decide to join with Applejack and Doug?"
"Well, when I first met Doug, he called me Madame. It still sticks with me now, that he thought that I, of the three ponies together that day, was deserving of such a title of respect." Rarity sighs, "Unfortunately, that basic decency can be lost on a lot of the ponies here. And, I am sad to say, occasionally with your dam as well."
"What?" asks Applebaum, a bit of bite in her remark. "How so?"
"Well, for starters, she hates using magical solutions to problems." Rarity sighs, trying to force a smile, "But I don't want to talk negatively about your dam, or any of the earth ponies in this town." Rarity mutters to herself, "Celestia knows I have enough problems with business without half the town thinking I'm tribalist." She clears her throat before continuing, "In any case, I appreciated the respect I got from your sire. I could see the signs, that he had more interest than he was letting on. And then he let me get away with grossly underpaying him for a trip to the Ghastly Gorge!"
"Is, um, that where you hunt for gems?"
Rarity nods, "That is indeed what we did, and continue to do to this day. And for nearly twelve hours of walking and hard digging, I gave him fifty bits worth of custom clothing! Most ponies would have charged fifty bits an hour, and time and a half for working more than eight hours in a day. Not to mention some sort of bonus for leaving town and walking near the Everfree! And he refused all of my attempts to repay his generosity, instead treating me as a friend despite the fact that we had barely met. I do believe I fell in love with him after that trip, though it took a while for me to really realize it was more than a simple crush."
"Okay, so you like that he's courteous and willing to help a friend. But how did you know that he was the one?"
"Well, at first I didn't. He barely courted me, despite my casually dropped hints and more obvious advances. He would just give me a slightly flirtatious remark followed by something completely innocent. I later learned he was very hesitant about herding in general, rather than a specific complaint about myself. After what happened with Rainbow and myself..." Rarity trails off, taking another sip of her tea, unsure whether or not she should tell Applebaum this particular story. Well, the young mare's body is old enough to try to get her to make these kinds of decisions, even if nearly everypony waits another eight years, preferably more.
Rarity steels herself, "Your dam, Rainbow, and myself, we did not know at first that Doug was able to sire foals. One ill-fated attempt to rid our heat later and, well, your older sisters were conceived. Regardless of the original intent, though, Doug was willing to sacrifice his own comfort for each of us. Though I think by that point it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable for him. He helps pick us up, when things are down and not going our way. You could see it with the trio, when they were born, and how many hours he puts in at work. All just so that we can shine. I knew then that I would stick by him, despite my frequent objections to how Applejack wishes to run things."
Sweetie Belle comes down the stairs, an odd look at seeing Rarity talking with Applebaum. She shrugs, going to the fridge and grabbing a plate of leftovers for breakfast. The hay spaghetti quickly disappears, Sweetie Belle struggling to levitate the plate to the sink. "Hey, Applebaum, you wanna walk with me to school today?"
"Sure! Ah'd like that!" Applebaum smiles up at Rarity, "Thanks for talking with me, Miss Rarity. Ah hope Ah can find a stallion like that!"
"Of course, darling," Rarity says, a smile as the two leave the store. Rarity grimaces once they are gone, one hoof tracing a line along her belly. Ugh, doing that would only make it worse. Hopefully Rainbow gets here soon, so they can help each other out. Last year was no different, since without a mare to relieve himself with Doug became more and more physical with each of them, making it very difficult to resist.
Applebaum and Sweetie Belle walk out of the Boutique, both waving as they spot Rainbow Dash coming towards them. "Hey, Rainbow!" Applebaum calls, the pegasus turning to land next to them. "How're you?"
"Hot," comes the curt reply, Rainbow squinting at the two. "You need anything?"
"Just walking to school," says Sweetie Belle, holding a hoof up to the cool breeze. "Huh," she says to herself, taking a whiff of the air around Rainbow.
"You want to walk with us?" Applebaum asks with a smile, "Ah wanted to ask you something, and we could use the company!"
"Yeah, not like I needed to get somewhere," Rainbow grunts, a forlorn look at the Boutique before turning and walking with the fillies.
Applebaum says, "So, Rainbow, how did you know that Doug was the right stallion for you?"
Rainbow Dash shrugs, "Eh. At the start? He was good to look at. Gave the best belly rubs, coat massages, you name it. Not that I had a lot to compare him to, but it felt better than what other mares described. I enjoyed running and wrestling with him. I wasn't really that romantically interested at the start, I had other stuff I wanted to focus on."
"So, it wasn't, like, you had some deep connection to him?" Applebaum raises an eyebrow, "Then why'd you end up with him?"
"Heh." Rainbow's quick laugh turns into a long head shake, "Initially? I just married him 'cause I was pregnant with Scootaloo. Best solution for the foal. We just have a quiet ceremony and, boom. Friend, you are in my life, and all that." Rainbow sighs, "I wasn't really all that enthusiastic about it. But, this way, I could keep up with weather and training to eventually become a Wonderbolt. Use him to watch Scootaloo, and just see the two from time to time while I worked. It wasn't until the trio was born that I really knew he would be there for me."
"Oh?" Applebaum raises her head, looking at Rainbow. "What happened then?"
Rainbow sighs, "I got pretty depressed when the doctors told us that you all would have difficulty with magic. And I took it out on Pinkie Pie and everypony else. And he was there to comfort me, to help me get through it. Even though it seemed so bleak, that there wouldn't be any recovering from it. After that, I knew that I could count on him, and that he could count on me to be there by his side."
"Really? That was it?"
"Eh, pretty much. It spoke volumes to me, you know? Really made the music come alive." Rainbow smiles, the rest of the walk proceeding in silence. The three arrive at the schoolhouse, Rainbow waving at the two before flying back to the Boutique.
The school day proceeds as many others, with perhaps a little more discomfort sitting on the hard wooden desks. The lunch break is the only outlier; the young mares, those fillies with their cutie marks, are gathering together and giving the colts in the nearby area either leering stares or cautionary glares. Applebaum tries to stay in the latter group but occasionally finds herself slipping into the former.
At the end of school Applebaum heads towards Sugarcube Corner, greeting the recently Mrs. Cake with a wave. She makes her way to the kitchen, a cheery, "Hello, Pinkie Pie!" to the baking mare.
Pinkie Pie stops singing to herself as she looks up from her bags of flour, simultaneously shoving a tray of cakes into the oven. "Hiya Applebaum!" She peers over at the young mare, "What brings you here? Looking a little sad? Well, I've got the perfect thing to do! We can sing songs to lift us up while we bake!"
Applebaum forces a smile, "Um, I don't really feel like singing. Ah was hoping to get your help."
"Hmm." Pinkie Pie looks at Applebaum, "Are you contemplating collecting a cupcake cooking cutie mark? 'Cause you can't keep a couple of cutie marks!" She shakes her head back and forth, her mane picking up a bit of the dough she is working over.
Applebaum smiles, "No, Ah wanted to ask you about Doug. And, um," Applebaum stammers a little, "getting older."
Pinkie Pie's eyes narrow as she starts rolling out a lump of dough, "That's a hard topic to talk about this time of year, if you know what I mean." She grunts, one hoof starting to fold and crease the pie crust, "You need any help?"
"Sure, if you aren't too busy." Applebaum looks around the kitchen while Pinkie Pie disappears, hoofsteps going up the stairs. Applebaum raises an eyebrow when Pinkie returns with a colorful cylinder, "Um, Ah don't know if I can help you make more pies. Ah haven't done it before."
Pinkie Pie grins, "Don't be silly, we'd need Doug here to help me make more Pies!" Her grin turns serious as she brandishes her new 'roller', "And you're still too young, even if it is what your body is telling you! I should hope it's your first time!"
Applebaum stands up on her hind legs, looking over the ingredients strewn about the counter. "Well, Applejack's shown me around the kitchen a little. Mostly talking about using apples, you know, and how we can shine 'em." Pinkie Pie nods furiously before darting to one of the ovens, pulling out a few trays of cupcakes. "But, that's not why Ah'm here."
"So, why come all the way out here then?" Pinkie Pie gasps, "Applejack didn't forbid you from going to anypony for help, did she? Because you should definitely listen to your dam. I mean, different ponies handle it different ways, and you gotta make your own decisions. Listen to the sound that you hear in your heart, and all that."
"Yeah! Ah mean, she practically told me to go to each of y'all, and get your thoughts on it." Applebaum tries to stay out of Pinkie Pie's way as the mare bustles around the kitchen. "Especially because Ah'm going to be my own mare at some point."
Pinkie Pie wipes a bit of sweat off her muzzle, "Whew! Well, if Applejack is okay with it, I can give you some pointers if you'd like!"
"Yeah, Ah'd like that!" Applebaum looks quizzically at Pinkie Pie as the mare hops to the entrance of the kitchen, shutting the door and flicking the lights off, casting the room into shadows. "What'cha doing?"
"Oh, just making sure nopony accidentally stumbles in here while we're at work." Pinkie Pie winks at Applebaum, holding up the smooth cylinder. "Now, this is a pretty standard model. Some of the fancier ones have ridges, or other special features." Her hoof moves to the end, a small tube Applebaum didn't notice before sticking out.
Applebaum raises a hoof, asking, "Um, why would a rolling pin have ridges?"
Pinkie Pie's eyes grow wide, hastily dropping the item inside one of the drawers, "Oookay, I think we might not be using the same cookbook here. You are in heat, right?" At Applebaum's reluctant nod Pinkie Pie continues, "And, you wanted help relieving some of the unpleasant parts of that?"
"Um, maybe? It ain't so bad right now. Sometimes it goes away, other times it makes a crescendo that gets worse and worse. Mostly, though, it's just kinda weird how my thoughts keep drifting." Applebaum paws at the floor, "Ah mostly wanted to ask you why you thought Doug was a good choice to herd with. Why you picked him as your stallion."
"Oooh. Okay!" Pinkie Pie pronks back to the entrance. She flicks the switch, the lights igniting the dark as she opens the door. She pulls a few trays of goods out and delivers the arrangement of items to Mrs. Cake. Pinkie Pie returns to work, saying, "Well, at first I felt a little sorry for Doug. I had, mistakenly of course, since I had never seen him before, turned the town just the tiniest bit against him when he first arrived. The word 'monster' might have been thrown around a little. But once I found out that he was living here I warmed up to him immediately!"
Applebaum nods, "Heh, that's a bit of a rocky start."
"Yeah, nothing like a few boulders to make life interesting! I mean, could you imagine if all of life was smooth sailing? Sometimes you need the dull parts so the bright parts can make us all glow!" Pinkie Pie grins as she starts making cookies, "I thought he was a little cute, but I was worried about how the rest of the town would take it. Like, a lot of them never really warmed up to him, and I was afraid they might stop coming to Sugarcube Corner just because I liked him! And then Sugarcube would go out of business, and Mrs. Cake would have to move. And she would never have met Mr. Cake if that was the case! That would have been terrible!"
Applebaum quietly says, "Pinkie."
"Speaking of Mrs. Cake, did you know she's trying to have a foal? Already!" Pinkie Pie reaches over, patting Applebaum on the head. "Just don't get any ideas about that, you hear me? Plenty of time for you to find the right colt!"
Applebaum rolls her eyes, saying a little louder, "Pinkie."
Pinkie Pie huffs, her mane slightly sinking down. "Fine. The ponies in town, a lot of them really didn't like what happened with Applejack. They tried to band together. 'We stand up against this injustice!' kind of thing, even if they imagined it. I think a few of them were unhappy that a non-earth pony was with your dam. They've gotten a lot better, and most of them are over it. And he doesn't come around enough to really remind them that he's even here."
Applebaum coughs, "Um, Ah was hoping to hear what you saw in him. Like, for when Ah'm trying to decide what colt Ah'm gonna go out with."
"Oh! Right." Pinkie Pie smiles, her mane poofing back out, "Well, so, after that first run in with Doug I was curious about him and what he's like. Turns out he's really easy going. And loves my antics!" Pinkie Pie sighs, "A few of the ponies here... well, maybe more than a few. Quite possibly every pony here. They love it when I throw parties for them! But, they almost never ask me to stick around after the party is over. I think that they think that I'm a bit..."
"Much?" Applebaum offers.
"Heh, I was going to say crazy, but that works too. And you know what colts say about crazy mares." At Applebaum's shake of her head Pinkie Pie raises an eyebrow, "Huh. Maybe it's just a colt expression. But, I didn't exactly get a lot of interested stallions."
"Ah'm noticing a bit of a trend, that most of the mares in the herd didn't exactly have a lot of prospects." Applebaum looks at the floor, nervously asking, "Do, um, do you think that Ah'll have that problem?"
Pinkie Pie reaches over, ruffling Applebaum's mane, "I'm sure there's a colt out there who'll be perfect for you! I mean, take Doug. A lot of ponies don't care much for him, yet he still holds his hands up high. In fact, I loved that about him. How he always looks on the bright side of things. It was when your older sisters came along, and I learned what was wr-" Pinkie Pie coughs, trying to cover for herself, "Um. Different about each of you. It really got me down, like there was this big storm brewing inside me, and the rain was just beginning to fall. And yet, despite that, he cheers me up, and helps me stay optimistic about everything the foals are going through. And he helps his herd the same way. And he keeps that assurance that everything is going to be okay. Like, he knows the sun's shining through it all, or going to."
Applebaum smiles, "Yeah. He does that. So, having the right attitude is definitely important." Pinkie Pie nods as Applebaum smiles. The young mare walks to the entrance of the kitchen, "Thanks for the help, Pinkie!"
"Yup!" Pinkie Pie smiles as she goes about her work, practically singing, "Shine Like Rainbows!"
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Might need to adjust this after your year one rewrite.
10103613
True. Fixed, thanks.
I love this part. You know somepony is a baker if they say something like "not using the same cookbook" lol.
I really like this chapter. It may seem to be WAY TOO early for Applebaum to be thinking about this stuff. But if you think about what it's like for human females going through puberty and the thoughts they start to get, then try to imagine what it would be like for them if they went through puberty at say 10 or 8. The same thoughts would most likely be on their mind. So in a world where age doesn't govern your body maturing it wouldn't seem odd for somepony like Applebaum to start thinking about this stuff. Though if they're smart enough to discover their special talent and get their cutie mark at such a young age then hopefully they're smart enough to know that they don't want to grow up that quickly. Lol
It's kewl that Applebaum is going to each of the mares of the herd to find out why. Bc it really gives the reader a better insight into Herd Apple from a different perspective. Also into what goes into a mare's decision whether to start or join a herd. Herd dynamics are tricky to think about if you're a younger filly who's body's changing.
I think I started rambling or going off on tangents. If so sorry
You know, out of all the mares, I think I like Pinkie's rationale best for why she's with Doug. I don't know, it just seems to jive with who she is. IDK, Pinkie's not my favorite out of the mane six, but the more I think about it, I think that she'd be the 'right' one for me. Just one of those cases of opposites attract.
This bit might need to be changed cause of the rewrite.
does this mean that ponies in this equestria have heats when they are as young as 4-5 years old? now i'm starting to question the age of the herd.
10970860
Yup. IRL, Horses start at 12-15 months, humans around 10-12 years. For both categories, earlier is normal. For this story, Ponies mature about three times as fast as humans, and their 'age of majority' starts right when they get their cutie mark. So a pony going into heat that young is normal, though many/all would actively counsel against her actually acting on said heat, the same way we would a young woman. (And, for many older societies, menstruation was the mark of womanhood)
So Applejack likes him because of his upfrontness.
Fluttershy because of his sincerity
Rarity because of his honor like nature
Rainbow because of his loyalty
Pinkie Pie because of his optimism