Applebloom's Big Pony Adventure
By Novella and Melodypony
Another gorgeous day in Equestria, not a pony was feeling glum, all except one particular filly at Sweet Apple Acres. Her name was Applebloom, the sister of the element of honesty, Applejack.
"But Applejack, Ah'm a big pony now. Ah can help out 'round the farm diff'rently now." Applebloom complained. She had finished her usual boat load of chores and wanted MORE! This may seem unusual for an average filly, instead of wanting fewer chores, she wanted more. Specifically, she wanted "big pony chores" to replace her chores she claimed were "for little foals."
Applejack didn't think her younger sister was ready for difficult farm work. "Now see here Applebloom, Ah know ya want ta prove that you ain't a foal anymore, but Ah think you're not quite ready just yet. Maybe one more year?" She offered.
"No! Ah'm a big pony now, and Ah need big pony chores NOW!"
"Applebloom! Listen to me! Ah think you should wait another year. Ya need ta have enough time ta do your homework from Miz Cheerilee. If ya have a bunch of hard chores that are needed to keep the farm goin', ya won't have any time for homework! An' if ya don't do your homework, you won't pass Miz Cheerilee's class. Then ya might not ever get a good education an' git your cutie mark in somethin' that ain't apples! An' since that didn't work before, ya might just be a blank flank for the rest of your life! Is that what you want?"
Applebloom took a moment to process all that, then burst into tears. "B-be a b-b-blank flank m-m-my whole l-l-life," she blubbered, "or b-be a b-baby f-for an-n-other YEAR?!?" "Can't th-there b-be an-nother op-option?" Applejack gave her sister a sympathetic look. "Ah don't think so sugarcube."
"There must be somethin'! Ah can't be treated like a baby any longer, Diamond Tiara an' Silver Spoon have been awful lately. But if Ah'm a blank flank forever they will tease me even when Ah look like Granny Smith! 'Cept without a cutie mark!"
"Now Applebloom, you have to listen to your sister Applejack! She exclaimed, "You're not big enough to do independent, big pony chores yet."
Applebloom looked furious; she began to stomp off in tears. "I'll show you, I can be independent!" and with that, she slammed the red barn door behind her and marched off to her room upstairs.
That night, Applebloom packed up her dusty saddlebags and went to spend the night at the CMC clubhouse to wake up early in the morning. She planned to be independent... but how?
The next morning, Applejack felt sorry for how she treated her sister. She went to Applebloom's room to apologize. She knocked on the door and said, "Applebloom, wake up, I know yer mad at me so I came to say sorry." There was no answer.
Applejack walked closer to Applebloom's bed and lifted the thin, pink, sheet on her bed. She was gone. "Applebloom?" Applejack asked, "Where are you?" She thought, maybe she's in the clubhouse. Applejack galloped to the clubhouse, only to find nothing but a piece of paper lying on the filly-sized table. It read this,
"I didn't think she was that mad!" Applejack raced outside to look for her dear little sister.
Applejack looked in all of the fields, the barn, Twilight's library, and basically all of Ponyville! She posted Lost signs all over the place. She hoped her sister would turn up from hiding soon, but by nightfall the yellow filly was still nowhere to be found.
***
"One ticket to Manehattan please." pleaded the missing filly. The ticket stallion was confused; he looked left and right but didn't see anypony. "Down here!" yelled Applebloom.
"Oh, my apologies little one, I didn't see you there." Even though Applejack had posted signs basically everywhere, they were ripped off by Applebloom so she wouldn't get caught. "Sorry, lil' missy, we're all sold out of tickets to Manehattan." the stallion replied, "You know that the Summer Sun Celebration is being held there, so the next available seats won't be ready for another week!"
"Are ya sure?" Applebloom asked, "Can't ya find just more ticket?" Applebloom looked at the salespony with her "pity me" eyes. She knew anypony would do anything for her if she did this move.
This pony was different, "No. I have more important things than to let you be a stow-away." he replied, angrily because of the time he wasted. "Besides, you're just a little filly, where is your mother?"
"Ah'm an independent, big pony! As for my ma and pa," she paused "You can find them at the Ponyville graveyard." Applebloom shook away the barely formed tears, and went back to her fury. "I just needed one ticket to Manehattan so Ah could visit my cousin." her voice took on a whiney pitch, "But nooo, you couldn't find ."
"I don't have any more tickets to Manehattan, but I have some for the train to Fillydelphia. Will that be ok?"
Applebloom was curious. "How far away is Fillydelphia from Manehattan?"
The salespony took out a small map of Equestria. He pointed to Ponyville. "We are here," he moved his hoof to the picture of Fillydelphia. "The train would take you here. All you have to do is walk over this hilly area and BOOM you're in Manehattan!"
Applebloom's eyes widened, she looked at the map key to see how far she would have to walk. It said, 1 in. = 2 mi. “That’s perfect!" she shouted.
"That'll be 3 bits, cause' you're just a filly." the salespony replied.
"Um, Ah'm a big pony, but... ok!" She pulled out 3 shiny bits, and passed them to the stallion.
"Thank you very much. The train will be leaving in ten minutes." he said to Applebloom. She grabbed one of the little maps, so she could figure out which way to go after she got to Fillydelphia.
Later, the train arrived at the station. Applebloom boarded the train, found her seat, and set down her over packed saddlebags. The salespony left because his shift was finished. The train chugged away from the station and the new salespony came out for her shift. Just at that time, Applejack came trotting in to look for her sister.
"Have ya seen mah little sister? We had an argument yesterday, and now Ah think she's run away."
"I'm sorry ma’am, I haven't. Could you give me a description and some contact information, so if I do see her, I can get a message to you?"
"Well she's a yellah filly with orange eyes--" AJ was interrupted by a stallion who was holding a ticket salespony's hat, his own eyes wide.
"Did she have a red mane with a pinkish bow in it? And no cutie mark yet?"
"Yeah! Ya saw her?"
"She bought a train ticket to Fillydelphia during my shift."
"Has that train left yet? Maybe Ah can catch up to 'er."
"I'm sorry, but that train left about 3 minutes ago."
"Dang it! When does the next one leave?"
"I'm sorry but I sold her the last ticket."
"I've got no time ta waste. I'm gonna find ’er by hoof." Applejack trotted back to Ponyville.
