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Stage I: Exposure1,526 words
Stage II: Denial1,202 words
Stage III: Defiance1,352 words
Stage IV: Mania1,333 words
Stage V: In Retrospect...1,506 words

Stage I: Exposure

One of Apple Bloom's favourite places to be was a little grassy hill overlooking Sweet Apple Acres. She liked to come up here sometimes, sit and just think to herself, gazing at all the busy work ponies down at the orchard below, perhaps even with a snack or two in her hooves. Today, she had packed a slice of apple pie, but with no drink to match — in all her excitement in finally getting some alone time, she had forgotten her juice box again.

No, it wasn't that she had grown tired of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Her friends were usually busy on Thursday evenings anyway — Scootaloo was at Rainbow Dash's playing video games, and Sweetie Belle had taken up violin lessons. And besides, harvest season wasn't for another two months, so Apple Bloom was given a whole evening of chore-free time to herself. How could she waste such a golden opportunity?

She munched into her pie thoughtfully, watching the sun set slowly into the horizon, the acres and acres of apple orchards laid out like lush green blankets on a bed of soft soil. Squinting, she could almost make out Applejack loading a cart filled with barrels of apple cider. Or was that Big Mac? She couldn't tell; they were like ants, they were so far away.

"Some good ol' country music would be mighty nice right about now," she remarked out loud, licking crumbs of her lips. "Perfect for evening picnics."

A loud wail broke the tranquil silence. "EX-CUSE ME?!"

Apple Bloom jumped, almost dropping her pie. "Sweetie Belle? What the hay are you doing here? Aren't ya supposed to be at —"

"Oh. Violin class was cancelled today," Sweetie explained. "The teacher had an urgent —"

Suddenly, her face grew red with rage. "Hey! Don't you dare change the subject! I heard what you said! How could you let such nonsensicality escape your mouth like that?!"

Apple Bloom frowned. "Uh... what'd I say?"

"You said... you said..." Sweetie Belle shuddered, struggling to get the words past her lips. "...that COUNTRY MUSIC was GOOD!"

Now, Apple Bloom had witnessed many strange things in her life. She had witnessed a chaos-loving draconequus make it rain chocolate milk all over the streets of Ponyville. She had witnessed her friend being sentenced to Tartarus. She had even witnessed the day her older brother somehow managed to get a special somepony. But this... This was just plain weird.

And yet here she was, watching as Sweetie Belle gagged and groaned at the premise of having to listen to her favourite genre of music.

"What?" Apple Bloom cocked her head to one side in confusion. "What's wrong with country music?"

Sweetie Belle looked as if she was about to vomit. "What's wrong with it? Why, everything's wrong with —"

She was interrupted by the familiar screech of scooter wheels.

"Hey, guys!" Scootaloo greeted, taking off her helmet. "You'll never believe what Rainbow Dash told me today. Did you know, her real middle name is —"

"Scoots! I'm so glad you're here!" Sweetie Belle rushed to her friend, shaking her by the shoulders frantically. "Quick, I need you to help explain why country music is so bad!"

Scootaloo pulled herself away from Sweetie Belle's grip and raised an eyebrow. "Say what now?"

Apple Bloom sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness you're makin' sense," she said, rolling her eyes. "For some reason, Sweetie Belle thinks country music is bad, and..."

"No, no, no," Scootaloo shook her head hastily. "Seriously, Sweetie Belle? You need my help to explain why country music is bad? Does it even need any explaining?"

"Not you, too!" Apple Bloom groaned, smacking her forehead with her hoof in exasperation. "I love country music. What the hay's wrong with that?"

Her friends' eyes almost popped right out of their sockets. "She used the 'L' word!" Scootaloo whispered frantically.

"I know! She's a lost cause!" Sweetie Belle whispered back.

Apple Bloom was on the verge of exploding. "What the hay's wrong with me listenin' to country music?!"

Scootaloo gritted her teeth, but Sweetie Belle couldn't hold it in any longer. "Ugh! It's just so... guitar-ish... and their voices keep cracking...!"

"Your voice keeps cracking!"

"Those are squeaks! And they're cute!"

"No they aren't!"

"Are too!"

"Okay, okay, guys!" Scootaloo interjected, quickly stepping in between the two fillies before the argument escalated. She turned to look at Apple Bloom. "Look, it's okay if you like that kind of music, but..."

"But what?"

"We just think that there's other kinds of music that's way better than what you're listening to," Sweetie Belle added, finally dropping her hooves, which had been balled into fists.

Apple Bloom was furious. She'd spent her entire foalhood listening to all the country music greats. In fact, it was all she'd ever listened to! Why, country music was a part of her life, and nothin' could ever change that. To think that her best friends had the nerve to say otherwise...

"Well, fine then!" She blurted, startling the other two fillies. "If ya think I shouldn't be listenin' to country music, then what should I be listenin' to?"

Scootaloo's ears perked up. "Ooh, ooh, I know! Heavy metal!"

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "Too loud," she complained. "How about some nice, classical music?"

"Too boring," Scootaloo retorted. "What about EDM?"

"You mean Electronic Dance Music? Pshh, more like... 'Extremely Disastrous Mistake!'"

"Guys, guys!" Apple Bloom groaned. "Quit arguing! Just... tell me what's popular right now, and I'll listen to it!"

She glanced at Sweetie Belle, whose face was scrunched up in contemplation. Scootaloo was scratching her head, as if trying to remember something. Well, whatever genre they pick, it can't be better than country music, Apple Bloom reminded herself.

"What about that band that made a comeback last month?" Sweetie Belle offered. "The uh... Frying... something or other?"

"The Frying Pones!" Scootaloo finished, her expression lit up like a Christmas Tree. "Yes, they'd be perfect for you Apple Bloom!"

"You should really check out their albums!" Sweetie Belle beamed. "They're so good!"

Apple Bloom smirked. "Please," she chuckled smugly. "It's a band named after a kitchen pun. How good can they possibly be?"

The sun had set, and Apple Bloom found herself walking back to Sweet Apple Acres alone, her now-empty lunchbox tucked neatly into her saddlebags. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had offered to walk back with her, but she declined; after all, it was quite a long way home, and she didn't want to trouble her friends too much.

The Frying Pones, huh? She thought to herself, making a sharp turn into the dusty lane that led back to the farmhouse. I wonder what kind of music they play. Won't be as good as country music, that's for sure.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her older sister, Applejack burst out of the farmhouse doors with a cardboard box balanced on her back. It looked quite heavy, too, as the orange mare was teetering and tottering back and forth, trying to keep the box from slipping off.

"Woah, what's in this box, big sis?" Apple Bloom hurried to help her sister, slowly easing the box to the ground.

Applejack wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Phew. Thanks, sis. It's Big Mac's old CD collection. He's been hoarding 'em for years and years now, and ah'd reckon it'd do him good to give 'em away to a local charity or somethin'.

A deafening outburst of tears erupted from inside the house. "Not my CDs!" The voice mourned. "My precious, precious CDs!"

Applejack grinned sheepishly. "He, uh... ain't too pleased about the whole thing."

Apple Bloom looked down at the box. It was old and dusty; surely Big Mac hadn't listened to these CDs in a long, long time. In fact, she didn't even remember her older brother even having a CD collection.

"Mind if I take a look?" She asked, glancing up at her sister.

"Sure," Applejack nodded. "If ya see anything you like, feel free to take it before Twilight comes to collect it. Just don't give 'em back to yer brother," She added, gesturing to the continued, loud wailing noises coming from inside.

"No problem. Thanks, sis!" Apple Bloom dove into the contents of the box, as Applejack made her way back inside. "Let's see what we have here..." She muttered, riffling through the plastic casings.

Linkin Pony, Thousand Hoof Krutch... uh... A Collection Of The Greatest Baby Shark Remixes... aha! The Frying Pones!

She whipped her find out of the box and read the cover.

"'The Frying Pones: The Lost Hayburger.'" She read out loud. "Seriously? This is supposed to be good? Why would Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo even recommend this to me?" She turned to look at the back of the CD (only to reveal the band's logo, a crudely-drawn picture of a sizzling frying pan), then turned it back over again. "And why is it so... fast-food themed?"

She shrugged to herself. Well, I did tell the others I would listen to them, she sighed, rather miserably. And so, reluctantly placing the CD into her saddlebags, she closed the cardboard box and trotted inside.

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