Second Post Gets A Story - Anthology

by Duplex Fields

Applejack teaching Applebloom to dance

"Ow! Watch where yer steppin'!" said Applejack crossly.

Applebloom bit her lower lip. "Sorry, sis!" she said, and looked down to watch her front hooves.

"Ow!" they both said, as their heads knocked together. They each sat back and rubbed their heads. Applejack sighed. "Let's take a break, sugar."

Applebloom, downcast, got up and walked into the kitchen. She got some lemonade, then rubbed her head again.

'Durnit,' she thought, 'Ah gotta learn this so's I can ask Spike to th'Saddle Hawkins dance!'

After a bit of rest, they got back to work. As the afternoon dragged on, Applebloom was beginning to suspect her big sister wasn't as accomplished a ballroom dancer as she thought.

Bedtime came too quickly. Applebloom was exhausted from all the prancing, and fell asleep.

--

Town hall stretched above her, and streamers hung from every wall and joist. It was the Sadie Hawkins dance. There were Silver Spoon and Ruby Tiara, dancing together and laughing. There was Twist, dancing with Spike. He was smiling at her, and she was smiling at him.

Applebloom looked down, and saw that she was wearing a leotard. Her hooves had metal tap shoes and the noise wouldn't stop wouldn't stop--

Applebloom opened her eyes. The moonlight seemed dimmer tonight. She got out of bed, and walked to the window. 'That was a horrible dream,' she thought, then rested her head on her forehooves. Why didn't her four hooves work together?

Winona the dog wagged her tail as Applebloom wandered through the darkened house in her pajamas. "Wanna play, girl?" asked Applebloom quietly. She grabbed a piece of rope in her mouth, and Winona quickly grabbed the other. They tugged, and Winona, as usual, pulled harder. But tonight, Applebloom was smarter; Winona stood on the carpet, and was quickly pulled along by Applebloom, who had made sure to remain on the wooden floor. They ended up going around in circles a few times before Applebloom let the dog win.

She went back upstairs and climbed into her bed, the nightmare's impact forgotten.

Among her many travels in the realms of sleep that night, Dream Pinkie Pie said to her, "It's a language for your hooves, silly." Some time after that, she danced gracefully under a pale white moon, with a handsome purple dragon, until the rooster crowed.

Author's Note:

>>26878444 Applejack teaching Applebloom to dance for Spike
6/6/2011

Comments

[Duplex Fields]

3718535 Thanks for the comments.
4. Introducing Eric Cartman as Snips and Kenny as Snails. (Just kidding.) The goal with that one was to show what kids' lives are like, at least a little. They know whose dad beats them, they know whose parents are splitting up, but they focus on their own lives because that's what they know how to do. Life in our world is a series of little tragedies, and one of them is that we get used to them; in Equestria, they're fewer but more dramatic.

This was written with some assumptions: that Pinkie Pie wasn't known around the entire town except as the party hostess of Sugarcube Corner, until after Winter Wrap-up at least; that Snips and Snails are always getting in trouble; that adults can be oblivious to many things, including the inner realities of children. It was also written in a dour mood, late at night.