Chapters Consequences
Chapter 1
Applejack swore under her breath as she looked out the windows at Sweet Apple Acres. The sky was absolutely packed with grey rainclouds, all of them dumping their content over the farm and the rest of Ponyville. She cursed those pegasi. Why couldn’t they have scheduled this kind of weather for the evening when everypony would be tucked inside their homes? It was like Rainbow Dash knew Applejack had to go down to the market today and was playing a prank on her, and Applejack didn’t appreciate it. She growled and went away from the window into the kitchen where Granny Smith was busy making breakfast.
“Mornin’ there Applejack” she said in a creaky voice, “What’s with the sour face?”
“It’s rainin’ ” Applejack mumbled, “An’ me an’ Big Mac have ta get them apples down ta the mark’t place before all the shops open fer business.” She sighed heavily and went to cutting some apples to go with the oatmeal.
Granny just kept stirring the pot. She was used seeing her granddaughter like this, getting all worked up over the weather just like her father before her.
“Speakin’ of which, where is that red lump anyway?” Applejack asked, “Shouldn’t he be up too by now, he’s always the first one ta wake up.”
“Don’t know, why don’t ya go check on ‘im?” Granny Smith answered dryly, not taking her eyes away from her work.
“Yeah, guess I’d better do that” Applejack said and put down the knife. She trotted up the stairs to her brother’s room, listening to the smattering against the tin roof and the windows. This rain sure wasn’t letting up anytime soon. She winced as she thought about how muddy the roads would be. It would be a living Tartarus for Mac having to haul that large cart of apples down to Ponyville. She stopped outside his door and knocked. No answer. She knocked again, harder this time. Still no Big Mac. “Is he sleepin’ in or somethin’?” she wondered and pushed the door. It slid open without a sound and Applejack stepped into her brother’s room. To her surprise Big Mac wasn’t in there, but his bed showed signs of him having been there. She stepped back into the hallway. Where could that big oaf have gone to? He knew they’d be hauling apples today, and knowing Big Mac she was sure he wouldn’t be trying to skip on it. That just wasn’t his style.
Suddenly her ears twitched a little as she heard something from down the hall. She followed the sounds to the bathroom door and pressed her ear against it.
“Big Mac?” She asked, “You in there?”
Her question was answered by a loud “Bleeeeahhhh” and the sound of something sloshing around. Without having to actually see the mess Applejack felt a little sick, knowing exactly what was going on behind that door.
“You okay in there big brother?” She already knew the answer to that, but she asked anyway.
“Nnnnnope” was all that came before she heard him hurl again.
“What happened, how long have ya’ll been in there?”
“Last night, bad daisy sandwich, too much cider….” He barfed again.
“Oh horseapples” Applejack said, “Ye’re not gonna be able ta help wi’ the apples today are ya?”
“Noooope” Big Mac groaned “Ya’ll have ta take Applebloom with ya instead.”
Now it was Applejack’s turn to groan. Her little sister was still way too small to be able to haul the apple cart, and besides, it was Saturday. Getting that filly out of bed would be a feat unto itself. As if to add insult to injury she and Applebloom weren’t exactly on the best of terms with each other right now. Still, there was no other option it seemed, and she reluctantly agreed.
“Alright, I’ll take AB with me. You make sure ta get better in there, ya hear?”
“Bleeeaaahhh!”
Applejack walked away from the bathroom and headed for Applebloom’s room. Inside the bathroom Big Mac was pressing his ear against the door, listening to Applejack’s hoofsteps disappearing down the hall. He gave a sigh of relief and put down the bowl of oatmeal he’d been using to fake his vomiting. With the weather as it was, there was no way in Tartarus he was going out there. For once in his life he just wanted to spend a single weekend at home, not having to drag that huge-flank applecart with Applejack. He looked around in the little bathroom and smiled. With the bathtub in there he could probably spend the day relaxing with a hot bath and Applejack would be none the wiser.
He quickly set this plan into action and went over to the tub and turned the dials. The old pipes rumbled a bit and a stream of steaming hot water started pouring into the tub. After maybe 15 minutes it was full enough and he turned off the water. Big Mac smiled and went over to a small cabinet. It was locked. He pulled away the rug on the floor and uncovered a key to unlock the door. Inside the cabinet was a tiny wooden box with another key in it. He grabbed it and then pulled away the rest of the rug, revealing a hidden door under it. He used the key to unlock this one as well and pulled out a cardboard box. He opened it to reveal a bunch of old magazines and stepped into the bath, taking one of the magazines with him as he went. The warm water enveloped his body, sending a wave of relaxation throughout him as he sank into the hot steamy embrace. He held the magazine in his hooves, somehow, and opened it. A wide grin spread across his face, and something started happening under the water. Soon the periscope of an enemy submarine broke through the surface.
“Helloooo Playcolt,”
*******
With heavy steps Applejack made her way to Applebloom’s room and walked right in without knocking. The little filly was still snoozing under the covers, the covers rising and falling as she breathed. Applejack smiled for the first time this morning. No matter how much trouble the little filly got in, or how many times Applejack had to confront a teacher or parent, she still loved the yellow little goofball over everything else, especially when she was asleep. At least then she wouldn’t cause any property damage. She trotted over to the bed and looked at the sleeping filly. She was hugging her pillow like a stuffed animal and her mane was a complete mess, her pink bow laying on the nightstand.
Applejack carefully nudged her sister with a hoof. She didn’t react. She just twisted a little, hugging the pillow tighter. Applejack nudged her a little harder, and this time the filly seemed to notice.
“Ah don’t wanna go ta school mommy….” She said in her sleep. Applejack nearly melted out of the sheer cuteness. She didn’t think Applebloom still remembered her mother, seeing as how she’d died shortly after Applebloom was born. She kept listening to the little filly speaking. “Naw, I don’t wanna go, all the other kids are mean to me.” Applejack’s expression saddened a bit at this. Her sister was still upset over the whole not-having-a-cutie-mark thing, and Applejack knew of at least two fillies that kept picking on her over it. She nudged the filly again.
“Applebloom, wake up sweetie.” She said in a soft voice, her previous anger and frustration seemingly gone.
“An’ Diamond Tiara keeps sayin’ that AJ ‘n Big Mac did sumthin’ behind the shed last Tuesday.” Applebloom whispered and twisted a little under the blankets.
“WHAT!?”
Applejack’s shout scared the filly half to death as she tumbled out of bed, quickly untangling herself from the blankets. She looked around to see Applejack standing by the side of her bed with a horrified expression on her face.
“Ouch. Sis, why’d ya have to scream like that?” The filly said and rubbed her flank. Applejack just stood dumbfounded for a second before collecting her thoughts.
“Ehhh, ah was just tellin’ ya’ll to get up, Applebloom, you’ve slept long enough” she lied, and Applebloom could probably tell, but she still put on her best liar face, although that just made her look like she’d broken wind. “Now come on, it’s time ta get to work.”
“Work?” The filly groaned, “It’s Saturday, and I was planning to go crusadin’ with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo today.”
“Sorry sis, but you’ll have ta postpone them plans. Big Mac has gotten a bit under the weather and ya’ll have ta help me haul the apples to the market today.”
The yellow filly just groaned even louder, but she knew there was no use arguing with her older sister. Reluctantly she made her bed and brushed her hair before putting it in place with her iconic bow. Slowly she trotted down the stairs into the kitchen where Granny Smith had finished making breakfast. Applejack was already munching on a bowl of oatmeal with applesauce and some toast. Applebloom made her way to the table and sat down at her usual spot, helping herself to some oatmeal and a few slices of apple.
“So what’s wrong with Big Mac?” she asked while chewing down an apple slice.
“Oh he just had some bad food last night is all.” Applejack said. “He’ll come around eventually.”
Applebloom didn’t respond and just kept eating her breakfast. There was tension slowly building in the room, though nopony seemed to notice aside from Granny Smith, whom quickly finished her breakfast and made a hasty (for her, at least) retreat to the living room for her post-breakfast nap. Applejack and Applebloom just kept eating in silence, but something hung in the air, and it wasn’t coming from one of them. Applejack finally broke the silence.
“So, Applebloom, how’s the week been?” Applejack asked awkwardly.
Applebloom just kept munching on her oatmeal, but after a while she finally spoke. “Fine, well, at least as fine as it could be.” she said plainly without looking at Applejack.
“Now don’t start with me Applebloom” Applejack said, trying not to sound stern “Ya’ll have to realize that actions have consequences, an’ that Ah wasn’t tryin’ ta be mean to ya.”
Applebloom just frowned. During the week she and the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been playing around a little too rough while trying to get their marks in demolition and accidentally broken somepony’s fence. As punishment for such recklessness Applejack had decided to pull Applebloom’s allowance for 3 months to pay for the damages, even though Applebloom insisted that it had all been Scootaloo’s idea. Truthfully, it was, but Applejack still did it to teach her sister a lesson about consequences. Needless to say Applebloom was not happy with that outcome, but her sister had stood firm, and over the course of the week Applebloom hadn’t really been talking much with her older sister. Applejack of course just let things go as they did. She knew what it was like being young and having something taken away like that. At first you were angry, but you’d eventually get over it and things would go back to normal.
“Ah still don’t think it’s fair Applejack. It wasn’t mah fault Scootaloo didn’t secure that wreckin’ ball.”
“Be that as it may, ya still shoulda kept an eye on her Applebloom. You didn’t, an’ now ya’ll just have ta accept things the way they are. Now Ah don’t wanna discuss this no more young filly, let’s just let things be. Now finish your breakfast, we have a lot of work ahead of us.” With that Applejack left the table and put the bowl in the sink. She then went and put on her raincoat and Stetson and stepped out into the rain, heading for the barn.
Applebloom was still upset, but realized there were no other options coming her way. She finished up her oatmeal and put the dishes along with Applejack’s. She grabbed her own coat and threw it on. She shivered as the cold cloth made contact with her fur and stepped out on the porch. It was raining sheets, and large puddles of water were everywhere. The barrel under the drainpipe was overflowing, and the ground was all soft and muddy. Normally Applebloom would’ve been overjoyed by the prospect of getting to play around in this weather, but right now she just wanted to get back inside. With a sigh she stepped of the porch and out into the rain. Her hooves instantly disappeared into the thick mud and the rain hit her over the back like a million tiny cannonballs. She quickly trotted over to the barn where her sister was busy hauling out a large four wheeled applecart loaded with a huge pile of red apples.
“Oh good, you’re here. Grab that plastic quilt over there an’ help me cover up the apples. Don’t want the cart getting’ all filled up wi’ water now, do we.” Applejack said and pointed towards a large rolled up cover. Applebloom grabbed it and threw it over the pile of apples, then she and Applejack secured it in each corner of the wagon so it wouldn’t blow away. The whole process took about ten minutes, and once they were done the cart looked like a big black lump on wheels. Applejack strapped herself to the metal harness in the front and gestured for Applebloom to open the door. She breathed in a couple of times and started pulling. Every muscle in her body strained at the heavy weight of the apples as she pulled out of the barn and onto the muddy road. Applebloom closed the door after them and trotted after her sister.
It was a long and tedious walk down to Ponyville that usually took just under half an hour, but with the roads being muddy and the rain constantly hitting her in the eyes despite her hood, Applejack had a feeling today would be a whole different story. Applebloom just kept a steady pace next to her, ready to help in case anything happened, like the cart getting stuck in the mud, or some of the apples falling out. She was way too small to pull the cart just yet, but everyone in the family had to put everything they could into helping out.
For what seemed like forever they just walked alongside each other, neither of them having anything to say. Applejack especially, since she had to concentrate on the road. She groaned in pain with each step she took. She clearly didn’t think it would be this hard to pull the wagon, and in hindsight she started to really appreciate having Big Mac around for these weekly trips. She glanced over at Applebloom whom just trotted along, admiring the scenery, picturing herself in the little filly’s place, skimping along with her mother. She remembered those days fondly, her mom and her going into town every weekend to do grocery shopping, how excited she always was for a chance to meet all the other little fillies and colts. Growing up on the farm hadn’t given her much time to play with other foals when she was little, and Applejack had always relished those Saturdays when she could let go of all bonds and just live a little. Those days were long gone now though. Ever since their parents passed away Applejack and Big Mac had been forced to take over the farm, as well as trying to raise Applebloom on their own. It hadn’t been easy, but Applejack had made sure to at least get her sister enrolled in the Ponyville school to make sure that she at least got to experience a slightly more playful childhood than Applejack had had.
Applejack’s thoughts were interrupted as the cart suddenly came to a grinding halt right before a large hillside. No matter how hard she pulled, the damn thing seemed to have been welded into the ground itself.
“Oh great. Applebloom, can you check an’ see why the cart won’t budge?”
The yellow filly looked over the cart. The wheels had sunken pretty far into the mud, but not enough to just come to a grinding halt. She walked around for a minute, looking at the ground around the wheels until finally she saw something. Beneath one of the front wheels lay an apple that had fallen out of the cart. It had wedged itself between the wheel and the solid dirt underneath the mud, causing the whole cart to stop. She nudged it a little to no avail.
“There’s an apple here sis, it’s ground itself in between the wheel an’ dirt. I’m gonna pull it out okay?”
Without waiting for an answer Applebloom went to work. Turning her behind to it and raising a leg she took aim and kicked. During a fraction of a second, right before her little hoof hit the apple, a gust of wind came from behind, pushing the cart ever so slightly forward. Applejack barely had time to react as she felt herself being forced forward just as Applebloom’s little hoof made contact with the apple, sending it rolling down the hill.
“Wait...” Applejack’s voice came in a tiny little whisper, but it was too late.
The cart started rolling. Slow at first, but as it made its way to the edge of the hillside it started picking up speed. Applejack tried putting her hooves down to stop it, but the slippery road made it impossible. For a split second everything froze again. The raindrops falling against Applejack’s exposed muzzle seemed to explode like meteorites upon contact with her orange fur, their residue splashing into her eyes and blinding her. Slowly the cart went over the steep drop, and in that moment time seemed to get back to normal speed. The cart rolled downhill faster than Pinkie on a sugar rush, with Applejack strapped to the front, her eyes wide in panic as she went along for the ride. Applebloom set out after her, but the cart quickly made it down the hill and continued on the road towards Ponyville, carrying the screaming farm pony.
The raindrops felt like knives as they bombarded Applejack’s face. The cart didn’t stay on the road for long and made a beeline right through a couple of bushes, narrowly avoiding collision with a tree. Applejack tried setting her hooves down on the ground, but the mud had by now been replaced by slippery grass, making it utterly impossible to stop this madness. The best she could do was to try and steer it in the right directions, and with all the strength she could muster she heaved her body to the right. It worked as the cart turned slightly to the right, getting back out on the road. She heaved to the left to make sure it stayed on track. Her raincoat was matted with leaves and branches as she continued her little single-pony road race down some more hills until she finally ended up on the main street leading towards the Ponyville marketplace.
The marketplace wasn’t as lively today as it usually was. Most ponies stayed in from the rain, and only a few were browsing. The shopkeepers all looked rather miserable. They couldn’t afford to stay in from the rain, they had to be out there every day, rain or shine to earn their living. Those who were lucky enough to own a store and not just a stand at the market fared a little better. Sure, business was slow, but at least they didn’t have to freeze. One of these shopkeepers were the Cakes, the owners of Sugarcube Corner and Pinkie Pie’s employers. The hyperactive pink lunatic wasn’t in at the moment, making the day go seemingly slower.
Carrot Cake stood in the doorframe, looking out into the rain with a frown on his face. He was expecting a delivery from Sweet Apple Acres. A cartload of red delicious apples for a massive order he and his wife had been tasked with. “I hope the rain didn’t slow them down too much he thought We really need those apples here soon so we can get to working. It’s gonna take at least the whole day to bake all those apple muffins.” He kept looking out into the empty streets, expecting Applejack and her brother to emerge from the rain at any time now. Instead he noticed several ponies running away from something. At first he figured it must’ve just been due to the rain, but soon he heard something. It sounded like somepony was shouting, and the sound was getting closer. Soon he noticed something moving. It looked like a big heap of branches and leaves loaded onto a wagon that was rushing towards the marketplace like a rocket, and in the middle of it all was a mare strapped to a harness screaming her lungs out in panic. Carrot’s eyes went wide as dinner plates as he realized what was about to happen.
“Honey! Get the kids into the safe house and secure the cash register!”
Applejack’s throat had almost given up by this point as the cart approached the marketplace. With only seconds to disaster she knew she’d have to try one last time to get a stop on all this. Forcing her hooves into the muddy soil one last time she pushed with all her might, trying to get the speeding cart to a halt. It seemed to be working! Slowly but surely the cart seemed to be slowing down. Applejack’s hooves were getting buried deeper and deeper into the ground, but she couldn’t care less. At this rate, at least she wouldn’t cause any property damage or harm to anypony.
The cart kept slowing down as it approached Sugarcube Corner and it finally came to a grinding halt, leaving a trail of red apples in its wake. Carrot cake was still standing there and was soon joined by his wife whom was carrying their two foals in one hoof and the cash register in the other. “Aren’t you coming into the safe house too, Carrot?” She asked, trying desperately to get the twins to stay put.
“No, I don’t think we have to go there after all.” Carrot Cake said, still looking at the mess of apple cart and tree branches that was parked neatly in front of the store. Applejack was nowhere to be seen, but she’d left a mark in the form of a long ditch in the ground that stretched all the way to the bottom of the stairs leading into the store. Carrot Cake slowly walked down the stairs to the pile of dirt that had formed right below the last step. He brushed it away with his hoof, and soon enough a pair of orange ears popped out of the ground, quickly followed by a dirty, wet and overall beaten-within-an-inch-of-her-life Applejack. Carrot cake helped her out of the ground as ponies started gathering on the scene, and soon enough Applebloom made her way there as well, forcing herself through the crowd.
“Applejack! Are you okay!?” She yelled as she threw herself over her sister, hugging her.
Applejack just coughed up dirt and rocks, but overall she was fine. Her entire body ached like mad, not helped by the fact that Applebloom was all over her, chattering about how awesome the whole thing had been and how she wanted to do it too. Applejack couldn’t pay any mind to her sister though, as she was just too focused on a single thing right now. She forced Applebloom off of herself and stepped up the stairs, putting on a forced smile for Cup and Carrot Cake.
“Here’s yer apples Mr. and Mrs. Cake” she said before collapsing, falling off the stairs into a puddle of mud.
Consequences
Chapter 2
After a hot shower and a very thorough rinsing Applejack felt a little bit better. The Cakes had been kind enough to let the farm pony use their shower, and with no Pinkie in sight the whole ordeal had been relatively painless. Applejack slowly made her way down the stairs to the kitchen with a bath towel around her head, her body still aching from her little joyride just hours earlier. The rain had eventually slowed down to a trickle, and Applejack couldn’t wait to get back home and slump into a couch. The whole day had been a mess, and even though they had made their delivery, Applejack still wanted this whole thing to end and not have to repeat it ever again.
She stepped into the kitchen where the Cakes were busy slicing up the apples, and along the walls stood several buckets filled to the brim with cake mix just waiting to be made into muffins. She smiled halfheartedly and looked around.
“Say, have ya’ll seen Applebloom anywhere?”
Mrs. Cake looked up and smiled at Applejack. “She’s upstairs with the foals” she said happily, slicing up another apple. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay a little longer? You took quite a beating there, Applejack.”
Applejack just shook her head. “Nah, thank ya kindly, but ah’ really jus’ wanna get home right ‘bout now. This whole day has been Tartarus on me” she answered with a weak smile as she turned back to the stairs to go and get Applebloom. “B’sides, we gotta make a few more stops before we head home” she added, trotting up the stairs. She left the towel in the bathroom and headed for the foals' room. As she got closer she heard somepony groaning, and when she opened the door Applebloom bolted right out, followed closely by a stuffed animal, which hit her in the back of the head. Applejack chuckled.
Applebloom slowly got up of the floor and rubbed her flank. “Sis, ah’m never havin’ kids,” she said between heavy panting. “Ah don’t care what anypony says, those things in there are nuthin’ but trouble.”
“Oh come on now AB, they’re just little foals, you’re overreactin’.”
“They’re teethin’…” Applebloom said with a groan and rubbed her other flank where a bright red mark had appeared in the shape of a set of foal’s teeth. Applejack just laughed heartily at this, annoying Applebloom, who put on a sour face and made her way towards the stairs.
Applejack followed her grumpy little sister down to the bakery, smiling as she went. As they started putting their coats back on Applejack made sure to thank the Cakes once more, and soon they both stepped back outside. The air was still chilly, but at least it wasn’t raining sheets. While they were gone some ponies had taken it upon themselves to fill up the long ditch made by Applejack earlier, but so far they weren’t faring so well, and one or two actually shot her some rather annoyed looks. Applejack just ignored them and went over to the cart that stood parked next to Sugarcube Corner. She winced a bit as she strapped herself back into the cold metal harness, her body still in pain. She worked through it though, and soon enough she and Applebloom were heading home.
“So” Applebloom began “anywhere else we need ta go?”
Applejack just glanced at her sister. “We’re droppin’ off the rest ‘a these apples at the convenience store. Ah just hope Sunrise takes ‘em all after what they’ve been through.” She looked at the few apples still in the cart. It wasn’t much, probably just enough to last four days or less. On top of that, many of the apples were bruised and a little dirty from lying on the ground, though they would still be useable if washed. Applejack sighed and kept walking, Applebloom trotting in front of her seemingly enjoying herself. Soon they reached the Ponyville convenience store. It wasn’t anything spectacular, just a two story building with a shop at the bottom floor and an apartment on the second. Applebloom trotted up to the door and walked in, a bell chiming as she did. She came back out after a minute and walked back over to Applejack.
“He says to come ‘round back an’ unload there” she said in a neutral tone. Applejack groaned a bit from the aching in her back and slowly made her way around the building.
Coming around the back she was greeted by an orange earth pony with a lime green mane named Sunrise. His cutie mark held no relation to his name, consisting of five gold coins placed in a star formation, as his talent was business related. He was known around Ponyville as one of the best hagglers the town had ever seen, and he had his ways of running a business. He greeted Applejack with a warm smile, though the farm pony was too tired to give anything but a small nod.
“Rough morning I take it, Applejack?” he said with a slight chuckle. Applejack didn’t respond at first as she maneuvered the cart into place. “Ya’ll heard ‘bout it, huh?” she said rather dryly.
“It’s the talk of the town right now, I wouldn’t worry about it though, by sundown they’ll have forgotten about it.”
“Ah ain’t worried ‘bout nuthin,” the farm pony said in the same dry tone as she undid the harness around her body and moved around to the back of the cart, “now are ya’ll gonna take a look at them apples here ‘r not?”
“Straight to business then.” Sunrise said happily and trotted up to the cart to inspect the contents. Applejack just stood there while the stallion did his thing, her thoughts starting to wander about what she would do once she got back to the farm. Probably grab herself a bottle of cider and sink into a hot bath. She could almost feel it now, the warm water enveloping her body and driving the pain out, followed by some hard, ice cold cider to ease the burning in her throat. She was snapped out of her daydreaming as Sunrise stepped down and approached her.
“Well Applejack, seeing as how many of the apples in here are either bruised or partially applesauce already I can only offer you 120 bits for them.” Sunrise said, smiling as he did. Applejack knew very well that he was offering her a lousy deal and that the apples were worth at least twice as much, but the last thing she wanted right now was to engage in haggle with the storeowner. She just nodded, accepting the deal.
“Fine Sunny, jes’ take ‘em of mah hooves” she muttered. Sunrise just kept smiling and went into the store. He came back out after about a minute carrying a sack of bits in his teeth and a few crates on his back. He handed Applejack the money and they both started unloading the apples into the crates and carrying them into the store. The whole process took about 20 minutes, but it felt like an eternity for Applejack, her body feeling like it might fall apart any second. Finally the last crate was hauled into the store and Applejack said her farewells to Sunrise, strapping herself back into the harness. The cart didn’t feel as heavy as before, but it still strained on her.
“Come on, Applebloom!” she shouted, the yellow filly trotting out of the bushes where she’d been hiding while the adults did their business.
“Coming, sis!” she said, joining her sister as they departed from the store and back out onto the main street.
Applejack finally started to relax again. As long as they just kept on walking and not making any detours, things would be fine. Right? Her thoughts were interrupted as the cart suddenly shook, one of the wheels passing over a rather large rock. She didn’t think much of it at first, but soon the whole thing started creaking, and the one thing that just wasn’t allowed to happen was about to unfold behind her.
The whole thing broke down. The wheels dislocated and fell to the ground like dominoes, followed by the cart itself slamming into the ground with an audible crunching sound from the wood and metal.
Applejack didn’t watch. She didn’t want to see it. Her teeth were grinding hard enough to crush stone, her pupils shrinking into tiny black dots, and one could almost see the streams of smoke pouring out of her ears as she started fuming. Her entire face was becoming crimson red, beads of sweat forming. For a moment she almost went cross eyed out of sheer fury as she desperately tried to contain herself, but it was impossible, the dam was about to burst, the volcano about to erupt, the bomb about to blow. Basically she wouldn’t be able to suppress this one.
“ASS!” Applejack’s scream echoed through the streets of Ponyville, making ponies turn their heads in surprise, mothers covering their children’s young, unspoiled ears from the utter horror that echoed through the small town. Applejack paid no attention to any of them and just clenched her eyes shut, stomping on the ground in rage. She felt she could just kick somepony, be they stallion or foal, anything to just let all the fury out of her system. She didn’t notice Applebloom quietly trotting up beside her.
“Hey Applejack, what does ‘ass’ mean?” she asked in that typical innocence that only a child could muster.
Applejacks face went pale as a sheet, an eerie silence draping over the scene. She had not just done what she thought she’d done, had she? Normally this wouldn’t have been an issue, as both she and Big Macintosh were no strangers to foul language. Heck, around her friends she was considered the raunchiest one, with the exception of maybe Rainbow Dash. But she’d made it a point to never use that kind of language whenever Applebloom was around, simply because she didn’t want the little filly to go around spewing profanity among her friends, and, Celestia forbid, teach them some of it. Now her mind was racing as she desperately tried to figure the best course of action without seeming suspicious to the filly. Oh if only she hadn’t been the Element of Honesty maybe things would’ve been easier. Going against everything she held dear she decided to do exactly what she had to do.
“Ehhhh, it means ‘cart’,” she lied. “Yup, that’s what it means.” Applejack’s eyes flickered from side to side, her mouth scrunched up as she tried to prevent herself from telling the truth. Lying wasn’t an easy thing for her, never had been, and her element didn’t help in the least. Not that she never lied, it was just very hard for her to do, plus she totally sucked at it and most ponies could easily tell, but despite all this, lying to her sister of all ponies just made her feel horrible.
Applebloom just eyed her sister for a bit. There was something of about Applejack’s behavior. She just stood there, her face all weird and scrunched up, and Applebloom couldn’t really figure out what was going on. After what seemed like an eternity for Applejack, Applebloom finally seemed to accept her sister’s lie.
“Oh, okay. But why would ya’ll scream ‘cart’ when the cart broke down like that?”
Applejack mentally facehoofed. Lying to her sister to avoid having to tell the truth had just put her in an even more awkward position than before, forcing her to think up another lie to cover this one.
“Well, ah’ was just statin’ that the cart broke down, ya know,” Applejack was growing more nervous by the minute “it’s a grownup thing, Applebloom, don’tcha worry ‘bout it.”
Applebloom stuck her head up towards Applejack’s, closely examining her sister with great suspicion. Applejack felt beads of sweat running down the back of her head; this was becoming eerily similar to that one time when she’d had to lie to Pinkie Pie about some construction work in order to prevent the pink mare from walking in on a surprise party. She forced a smile for Applebloom, every fiber in her body fighting to keep the whole charade from crumbling like a house of cards.
“Okay,” Applebloom said slowly and withdrew. Applejack sighed in relief and turned to look over the wrecked cart. It wasn’t pretty. The wheels all lay around the body, and the wood seemed to have taken some beating. Applebloom joined her sister as they both observed the mess before them.
“So what’re we gunna do ‘bout this then?” the filly asked. Applejack just sighed deeply, but didn’t turn to face her sister.
“Guess we’ll just hafta ask somepony ta help us out wi’ this, cause you ‘n ah’ ain’t gonna be able ta pull this off ourselves” she said in a downbeat tone. “Tell ya what, go find Caramel ‘n that other earth pony that calls himself ‘doctor’ and tell ‘em to bring some-“
Applejacks words were interrupted as the cart started creaking again, and with another mighty thud the whole thing fell apart completely, with bolts and pieces of wood scattering everywhere.
“COCK!” Applejack screamed, but silenced almost as fast as she realized she’d just swore in front of Applebloom again. And this wasn’t just any swear either, but one of the big C’s. It didn’t take long for the unavoidable to happen again.
“What’s cock?” Applebloom asked curiously.
“Hammer.” Applejack almost spat out. “It means hammer, we’ll need hammers to fix this up. And some nails. Ah just wanted to point that out.” Applejack lied again, trying to sound natural.
“Oh okay,” Applebloom responded, “I’ll go get Caramel and Mr. Whooves then” she said as she started trotting happily down the street towards Caramels house. Applejack stood silent for a moment, realizing she’d almost stopped breathing during the past few minutes. Her heart was racing faster than a fired up Rainbow Dash, but at the same time she felt unfathomable relief and patted herself on the back for a job well done. Despite feeling bad for lying to her sister she’d avoided a minor catastrophe, and for that she was proud. Looking over the wreck again and starting to pick up the pieces, Applejack didn’t realize just what was about to unfold on the streets of Ponyville.
Consequences
Chapter 3
Applebloom happily trotted along the muddy roads with a bright smile on her little face. The rain had let up completely by this point, though the dark clouds were still hovering over the town like a fluffy grey blanket. She looked around as she walked. Ponies who’d been staying inside began to come out of their homes, mostly to inspect the large ditch that stretched through Town Square and to help fill it up. Applebloom snickered to herself. Even though she was still a little mad with Applejack she couldn’t help but also feel a little bit sorry for her too, as this had certainly not been her big sister’s best day. And yet, that was what made her snicker, the fact that Applejack had had a bad day. She couldn’t put her hoof on why that was so funny, but for some reason she wanted to see if there was more that she could add to it. As she kept walking, somewhere deep inside her little filly mind, a plan began to form. Applejack sure had been acting strange back there, going crazy over just a couple of words. This made the filly wonder just what kind of power those words truly held for her sister, and why she was so keen on keeping Applebloom in the dark.
As she kept wondering about it Applebloom left the marketplace and trotted off towards the residential area where most ponies lived, and soon enough Caramel’s house came into view. However, before she could reach it, a familiar voice snapped her out of her thoughts. As she looked behind her she was met by the sight of the town schoolteacher, Cheerilee, walking towards her with a bright smile on her face, dragging a small cart behind her. Applebloom slowed down a bit to allow her teacher to catch up with her.
“Hello Applebloom,” Cheerilee said happily “Out enjoying the nice weather?” she added with a slight chuckle. Applebloom laughed a little too.
“Yeah, me an’ Applejack had ta get a load of apples delivered to th’ Cakes” Applebloom said.
“Oh, I thought Big Mac usually handled that with Applejack.” Cheerileee said in a neutral tone.
“Yeah, sis said he’s a bit under the weather or sumthin’,” The filly responded as they both walked down the street. Cheerliee’s expression suddenly got a little worried, despite the fact that she and Big Mac had been more or less forced together by the Cutie Mark Crusaders a few months earlier she still had a soft spot for the big red stallion.
“Oh my, it’s nothing bad I hope?” she said, trying not to let Applebloom in on her worries.
“Nah, he’s probably just fakin’ it ta get out of having to haul apples,” Applebloom said, “he hates rain ya see, sumthin’ about it messin’ with his mane.”
Cheerilee just looked at the yellow filly with doubt in her eye. It wasn’t like her to talk about her siblings like that, the Apples were a tight knit bunch, and it seemed unlikely that Applebloom would accuse Big Mac like that. She decided not to dwell on it as they approached her house. Being the well-mannered filly that she was, Applebloom held the door open for her teacher. Cheerliee just smiled and gave Applebloom a slight nod as sign of approval.
“Well, it was nice chattin’ with ya miss Cheerilee, but I really gotta get goin. Gonna go ask Caramel for a hammer an’ some nails ta fix Applejack’s broken ass,” the yellow filly said as she happily trotted away. Cheerilee, on the other hand, just looked like somepony had just exposed themselves in front of her, her face frozen in utter shock, jaw hanging.
“My goodness what are they doing to that poor girl on that farm?” she said to herself, watching Applebloom happily trot away.
Applebloom didn’t have to walk for long before she stood in front of Caramel’s house. It was a rather modest two-story building, just big enough for two ponies. The garden was rather well kept, with a few flower patches and a trimmed lawn, and all of it was surrounded by a white picket fence. It looked very cozy, like something out of a magazine, which Applebloom guessed was the idea. She trotted up to the door and knocked a few times, and soon the door opened revealing a turquoise pegasus mare with a vanilla colored mane. She gave Applebloom a slightly confused look and tilted her head a little.
“Yes?” she said in a neutral voice.
“Oh, hiya Sassaflash” Applebloom chirped happily, “Is Caramel home?”
Sassaflash raised an eyebrow before finally recognizing the yellow filly standing at her doorstep. “Oh, Applebloom, I didn’t recognize you there. My gosh you’ve grown up fast. Oh, and yeah, he’s downstairs, I’ll call him right up,” the mare said and cleared her throat a bit. “Caramel! Get up here right now, your cousin is here!” she shouted with a powerful voice, making Applebloom jump a little.
After a short moment the basement door opened and Caramel stepped out wearing a pink apron. Upon seeing this, Sassaflash turned to Applebloom with a bright smile and leaned down, “Sorry sweetie, Caramel will be with you in just a moment, I just need a moment alone with him first,” She said in the sweetest possible voice before closing the door on Applebloom. The filly however had gotten intrigued, and against better judgment pressed her ear against the door.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing dressed up like that!? Did you go through my wardrobe again!?”
“I was just doing the laundry…”
“In a pink apron!? For Celestia’s sake Caramel we’ve been over this! The psychiatrist clearly stated that if we’re gonna get anywhere with you you’re gonna have to quit the cooking and cleaning, start taking an interest in mechanics, have regular intercourse with me every night, and not wear a fucking pink apron while doing the damn laundry!”
Applebloom pulled herself away from the door and pretended to take an interest in a flower patch before Sassaflash opened the door again, wearing the most forced smile Applebloom had ever seen in her life. Behind her stood Caramel, who looked like he was on the verge of crying, also forcing on a smile.
“I’ll just leave the two of you alone then” the mare said as she walked into the house, past Caramel. “Smile for the filly Caramel, or else!” The last part came more like an angry whisper, and Applebloom could’ve sworn that for a second Sassaflash sounded like a demon straight out of Tartarus. She didn’t dwell on it though as Caramel finally stood in front of her, not wearing the apron anymore.
“Hiya cuz’, how’s it going” the filly asked cheerfully, looking up at the brown stallion.
“H-hi Applebloom, everything’s just fine. So what brings you around?” he said, trying to hold back the mental breakdown from the psychic trauma that was his marefriend.
“Well, AJ ‘n ah were headin’ back home from makin’ a delivery ta Sugarcube Corner when th’ cart broke down, so she asked me ta come an’ ask ya if ya wouldn’t mind helping her out,” Applebloom said happily before putting on her best begging-face, “please?”
Caramel just snickered at his little cousin’s performance. He knew she mostly did it to amuse him.
“Sure thing, Applebloom, anything for ol’ AJ. Just let me get some stuff out of the basement and I’ll be right there” Caramel said, instantly feeling a little bit happier. Getting out of the house was always nice, and right now he needed it more than anything in the world. Heck, maybe he could catch a glance of some of the hard working stallions around town while he was at it, have something nice to think about when the obligatory marefriend-pleasing came around later that evening. With this on his mind Caramel trotted down into the basement to grab his toolbox, and after blowing away the dust and taking care of the cobwebs he ascended the stairs with the box in his mouth and a tool belt around his body.
“Honey, I’m going out for a while, AJ’s cart has broken down and she needs help fixing it!” he shouted into the kitchen.
“Okay honey, just be back before supper, or else!” came the ever so pleasant voice of Sassaflash. Caramel shivered a bit and stepped out into the yard where Applebloom was waiting anxiously. He closed the door behind him and went over to her.
“Ready to go AB?”
“Sure, ya got everythin’ ya need?”
“Right here” Caramel said and patted the toolbox, “got everything we need to fix that old cart.”
“Great, ya got a cock and some big ol’ nails in there? Applejack specifically asked for cock an’ nails,” Applebloom asked in childish obliviousness. Caramel was speechless and didn’t know what to say. Had he heard that right? Had his underage cousin just asked him if he had a dick and some nails with him to fix a broken cart?
“W-well, I have a…cock, but I don’t see how that’s going to-“
“Perfect, then we’ll just have ta head over to Dr. Whooves’s place as well an’ ask him ta bring his cock an’ nails ‘s well, come on let’s go!” Applebloom exclaimed and started trotting happily.
Caramel just stood there for a while completely dumbstruck, but decided in the end that he didn’t want to know any details of whatever was going on. Besides, his thoughts were currently fixated on the name Applebloom had mentioned, Dr. Whooves, or as he was more commonly known around Ponyville, Time Turner. The thought of being close to a stallion made Caramel all jumpy, making him forget all about Applebloom’s words. His thoughts started to wander as he pictured the brown stallion standing before him, with his slick brown coat, frazzled mane, and those beautiful ice blue eyes.
Caramel imagined walking up to Time Turner on top of a grassy hill, during a beautiful orange sunset. They’d meet on top, look into each other’s eyes, before jumping each other, enveloping in loving embrace as they tumbled down the hill, rose petals scattering in the wind, and butterflies taking of. And then they’d be laying on top of each other right there in the grass, and as the sun set behind them they’d whisper words into each other’s ears, before meeting in the most beautiful, most perfect of-
“Watch out cus’, there’s a pothole there,”
Caramel was snapped out of his daydream as he suddenly fell headfirst onto the ground, one of his front legs stuck in a hole in the road. He groaned a bit and spat out a mouthful of dirt, the wonderful images in his brain gone, replaced by a blurred vision of Applebloom looking down at him with her big eyes. He swore under his breath, cursing the town and its ill-kept roads. He’d always thought it was only a matter of time before some poor pony got hurt by this neglect, he’d just never imagined it would be him. Slowly but surely he got up, his leg still aching a bit, but nothing seemed to be stretched or broken at least. He shook the mud out of his fur and sucked his tongue before spitting out the remaining traces of dirt in his mouth.
“Are ya okay, cus’?” Applebloom asked.
Caramel just shook his head slightly, some more dirt falling out of his mane. “Yes yes, I’m fine, just surprised me, is all. Man, I swear, one of these days somepony’s gonna get killed. These roads are downright dangerous.”
Applebloom just looked at him with a slightly confused look on her face. “Well then, why in the world did ya’ll walk around looking like ya were dreamin’ if ya think the roads are so bad? Wouldn’t it be better ta just look where yer goin’ instead of driftin’ off like that?” she asked. Caramel mentally facehoofed, knowing full well that Applebloom was right. He forced on a smile and swallowed his pride.
“Y-yeah, I guess that was kinda stupid of me. I’ll make sure to look after myself better from here on.” he said with a weak smile. Applebloom just shrugged a bit.
“Well come on then,” she said, “we still hafta go get Dr. Whooves before sis starts wonderin’ where we’re at.” Applebloom said as she started trotting a bit faster. Caramel didn’t say anything and joined up, and soon they were approaching their destination. For about five minutes neither one said anything. Applebloom was busy admiring the scenery and Caramel was just walking with his eyes on the ground, avoiding stepping into any more holes. Finally they both saw Time Turner’s house of in the distance and picked up their pace.
Unlike the other houses in Ponyville, which all shared similar designs and colors, Time Turner’s place was different. It was a two story building like most of the other houses, but unlike them it was painted a dark blue and was made entirely out of some kind of metal. The large windows watching out over the street had drapes with muffin motifs on them, giving the place a sort of homey yet alienating feel, like there were two complete opposites living in it.
On the lawn in front of the house stood a small structure that looked almost like a telephone booth, it too painted the same colors as the house. The yard itself was rather well kept, with a cut lawn and a flower patch in a ring of stones. Around the side of the house one could spot a small herbal garden and a few bushes, all of it protected by what seemed to be electrified barbed wire. A sign stood next to the small garden that said “Ingredients, no touching!” in bald letters. Yes, the place was quite strange indeed.
Applebloom and Caramel stepped into the yard and walked up to the door. The yellow filly knocked on the door, but no one came. She knocked again, harder this time, but still no answer. While his cousin kept knocking the door, Caramel was building up his courage in case it would be Time Turner opening the door. The last thing he wanted was to make a bad impression on the handsome stallion. After Applebloom knocked on the door a third time they both started getting a little anxious.
“Maybe they aren’t home.” Caramel said in an ever so slight downbeat tone.
“On a Saturday?” Applebloom just raised an eyebrow at Caramel. “Nah, they probably just don’t hear us. I’m gonna keep trying,” she said and knocked again, and this time something happened. The door still didn’t open, but sounds could be heard from inside the house; The sound of wood breaking, something tumbling down a set of stairs, and a muffled electronic voice shouting profanities every now and again. They both exchanged confused looks with each other and slowly started backing away from the door when the handle finally clicked and the door opened, revealing a small purple unicorn filly with a blond mane.
“Yes?” asked Dinky, a little confused. She looked at Caramel and Applebloom standing in the middle of the yard with confused looks on their faces. “Can I help you with anything?” she asked innocently.
Applebloom was the one to break the silence. “Uh, hi Dinky. We were just wonderin’ if Mr. Whooves is home an’ if we could see him.”
“Oh, well, okay, I’ll check. Dad! Applebloom and that brown stallion from down the street want to see you!” There was a moment of silence, but soon a voice could be heard from upstairs.
“Soon honey! Just gotta take care of a few things- NO! Get back in the attic dammit!”
There were some more rumbling sounds, and something that sounded like a laser beam being fired, followed by the faint smell of burnt hair.
“Okay that does it! You’re going to the time-out zone mister! Now get back up there and eat your muffins! No I don’t care that you don’t like them! Because it makes my wife happy! Oh, just shut up!” There was a sound of a door slamming shut, followed by the sounds of chains rattling and locks clicking. While all of this was going on, Dinky just stood in the door looking at Applebloom and Caramel as if nothing was happening.
“Well, um, he might be a while. You wanna come in and wait? Mom is in the kitchen, she’d be happy for some company.” Dinky said and opened the door wider, gesturing for her guests to come inside. Applebloom and Caramel exchanged one final look before approaching the door, letting themselves in.
The inside of the house seemed a lot bigger than the outside as Applebloom and Caramel stepped into a fairly large hall that led into the other rooms in the house. They both wiped their hooves before Applebloom removed her raincoat and hung it up. She looked around the hall in wonder, the place was certainly well-kept, with every bit of wall covered with pictures taken at different locations, most of them showing the three family members in front of some monument. Applebloom pondered this, for a family who seemingly lived on the income of a single mailmare (she didn’t know what Time Turner worked with) they sure seemed to be able to travel a lot. She kept looking at the pictures, Caramel on the other hand was mostly freaked out by what was behind the pictures, namely the wallpapers. They had an almost sickening cream color and were dotted with muffins of different sizes. In fact, while Applebloom was mostly interested in the pictures, Caramel could only notice all the muffins in the room. There were muffin shaped jars on almost every drawer, and a mirror on the wall which had its frame shaped like a muffin. As he looked around he spotted a fruit basket filled with more muffins, with a small sign in front that said “Visitors take one”. He wouldn’t touch them with a fifty foot pole. Not only did they look stale, but it just wasn’t normal. Nothing about Time Turner’s house was normal, and Caramel couldn’t wait to get out of there.
“So, you guys wanna come in? Like I said, mom’s in the kitchen, come on, I’ll show you,” Dinky said and walked into the next room with Applebloom and Caramel in tow, with the latter keeping his head down like he was afraid something might jump him. They made their way through a very cozy living room, though the wallpaper still made Caramel a bit sick. It was a very large room with a big fireplace in the corner, surrounded by three equally large armchairs and a rug. The rest of the room was surprisingly empty, with only a small table next to the window, a large bookshelf and some muffin shaped flowerpots in the windows.
“Nice place ya’ll got here,” Applebloom said. Dinky just blushed a bit.
“Thanks. I know it might seem a little odd, what with all the muffins and stuff, but mom likes it,” The unicorn filly said, looking around the room.
“What about yer dad?”
“Oh, he doesn’t mind. He keeps most of his stuff upstairs in his study,” Dinky quickly added. “So, if I may ask, why do you guys wanna see dad?”
“Oh, well, ya see, mah sister an’ Ah were in town when the cart broke, an’ Ah was thinkin’ that maybe yer dad could come an’ help us out a bit.” Applebloom said happily. Dinky just looked at her with slight confusion.
“Why would you think dad knows anything about fixing a broken cart?
“Ah...ah don’t really know, ta be honest. Ah just figured what with him havin’ this house an’ all he’d be good at fixin’ up stuff. Ah guess,” Applebloom said, blushing. Truth be told, she didn’t know exactly why Applejack had suggested Time Turner to help out, Applebloom figured her sister thought he just fit the profile of a stallion who knew how to get things done.
“Well, dad is pretty good at fixing stuff, dunno if he’ll be able to fix your cart though. Well, never mind, come on, let’s go see mom,” Dinky said flatly as the three of them exited the living room and headed for the kitchen. As they entered they were met with a slightly bizarre sight, though for Dinky it was common. The kitchen seemed pretty normal, with a table in the middle of it big enough for maybe four or five ponies, a set of chairs and a flowerpot on the table. The rest of the kitchen was almost like any other; some pantries, a fridge, the usual stuff. What caught Applebloom’s eye the most though was a large metal contraption at the other end of the room. It was about as high as the fridge, with a large funnel at the top, several dials and meters blinking and going off on the front, and several large pipes and hoses connected to the lower part where a conveyor belt came out of it, leading to a tray. It looked like a smaller version of some kind of device Scootaloo swore she’d seen during a trip to the weather factory in Cloudsdale, at least Applebloom imagined it did.
“Uh, Dinky, ah don’t mean to pry, but what’s-“
“Mom’s muffin maker,” Dinky said quickly, “Don’t worry, everyone asks about it. Dad made it for her based on blueprints he got during our last trip to Las Pegasus,” she added and stepped further into the kitchen. “Make yourselves at home, I’ll go see if Mom is in her garden,” Dinky said, and stepped out through a small door. Applebloom and Caramel sat down at the table and waited. After a few minutes Dinky came back inside, followed closely by her mother, Derpy, whom was carrying a small basket in her mouth, filled with different types of berries and fruits. She put the basket next to the muffin maker and turned to her guests with a bright smile on her face.
“Hello guys, nice of you to drop by,” she said happily, “What brings you around?”
Dinky just sighed a little. “I told you mom, they’re here to see dad,” she said and rolled her eyes. She loved her mom with every fiber in her little body, but sometimes even she got a little tired of the grey mare’s short term memory and crazy antics.
“Oh, right, sorry. Sometimes I lose myself. Well, Turner will be right with us, while you wait though, would you like a muffin? I was just about to make a batch,” Derpy asked, still smiling brightly. Applebloom and Caramel just looked at each other for a while before they noticed Dinky behind her mother making gestures, encouraging them to accept her mother’s offer. They both nodded.
“Great, I’ll get right on it then!” Derpy exclaimed happily and spun around. She pushed a button on the muffin maker and the whole thing started rumbling, the dials moving and the lights blinking like crazy. Derpy then grabbed the basket with ingredients and ascended a stepladder next to the machine. Once she’d reached the top she pulled a hanging chain, and several long pipes descended from the ceiling, each one pumping a set amount of sugar, flour, butter and milk into the funnel on top of the muffin maker. Once it was done, Derpy dropped the contents of her basket into the large funnel as well and stepped down. She then put on a pair of welding goggles and called out.
“Ready, Dinky?!”
“Ready, mom,” came Dinky’s voice from her spot next to a breaker switch on the wall.
“Then let’s make some muffins,” Derpy said and manically rubbed her hooves together, a devilish grin spread across her lips. Dinky just rolled her eyes and smiled at Applebloom and Caramel whom were just sitting with their mouths agape. “Throw the switch honey!” Derpy shouted. Dinky did as she was told and pressed down the switch. The machine started roaring and sputtering, vibrating like mad, and all the dials were going completely insane. The sound of cake mix pumping through the pipes and fruit being crunched echoed through the kitchen, and the lights started flickering as all the electricity in the house was being redirected into the machine. Applebloom and Caramel quickly ducked under the table and held each other close, their panicked shrieks drowning in the sound of the muffin maker, which was starting to fume now as well, with thick smoke bellowing out of the funnel, and the conveyor belt started rolling. Deep inside the bottom part of the machine a red light could be seen, and soon several small black silhouettes appeared inside the blazing inferno, being rolled out of the machine like troopers marching out of some hellish portal.
“I think that’s enough! Turn it off, sweetheart!” Derpy shouted, and Dinky quickly pushed the switch again. The rumbling stopped, and the only thing that could be heard was a weak buzzing as the machine shut down. Dinky pressed a button on the wall, activating a pair of large fans that sucked out all the smoke, leaving just a faint smell of burning lingering in the air. Slowly the lights flickered back on and Derpy removed her goggles. She looked at the tray in front of the conveyor belt and smiled. Before her was a batch of fresh, steaming, strawberry and blueberry muffins. She grabbed the tray with her teeth and went over to the table where Applebloom and Caramel were still hiding. Derpy leaned down with a smile.
“Muffins, anyone?”
Consequenses
Chapter 4
Time Turner took one last look at himself in the mirror before wiping his face with a towel, getting the last patches of soot out of his face. This hadn’t been a very good day for him, though that wasn’t uncommon around his house. It had begun as usual; wake up, eat muffins, do his morning routines, eat more muffins, come down to breakfast and be served another batch of muffins, have the thing in his attic try to escape and force it to eat muffins, the list went on. He sighed and just stared at the miserable stallion looking back at him in the mirror, frowning at him like he wanted to leap out of the glass and choke Turner. He muttered a bit and grabbed a comb, going to work on his mane to get it just right. With a little luck he’d be able to cover up the burnt part that stretched over his head like a black ditch on an otherwise fine lawn. He sighed again and inhaled deeply, feeling the ever-present smell of his wife’s baking penetrate his nostrils like an unwelcome assailant. He almost threw up a little in his mouth, but decided it wasn’t worth it. He’d managed to help himself to a daisy sandwich this morning, and by Celestia he was going to keep it down.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like his wife. On the contrary, he loved Derpy more than anypony. When he’d first arrived in Equestria, she’d been the first to approach him and help him. He’d known from that moment on that there was something special about the mare, and over the years they spent a lot of time together, either going out for a friendly lunch or taking a road trip through time and space together, it didn’t matter back then as long as they were together. He finally broke the question after about five years, and soon they were settled in this house, and not long after that they’d gotten Dinky on their hooves. It was almost picture perfect. Except for the muffins.
He hadn’t bothered with them too much at first. In fact, when they first started going more serious he welcomed it. It was nice waking up in the morning and smell a fresh batch brewing, and each day held a little bit of surprise in it. But then it had taken a turn for the worse around the time Derpy got pregnant. For several months she lived exclusively on muffins, and towards the end of it all she’d started with the muffins shaped decorations around the house. The doctors and psychiatrist Time Turner had talked to (in secrecy), had told him that it probably wasn’t anything to worry about, that it was just a side effect of the pregnancy. They told him she’d get back to normal once the foal was born, and that he’d just have to endure.
And now Dinky had been with them for almost nine years, and Derpy still wasn’t normal.
He shook his head and looked into the mirror one last time. His reflection just gave him a tired stare. With heavy steps he exited the bathroom and made his way downstairs, trying his best to not seem unhappy. Derpy was always very caring, and if she even suspected that something was up he’d be tucked into bed before he knew it, with a thermometer in his mouth (or someplace else), and a steady supply of baked goods to make him feel better. He cringed at the thought and slapped himself in the face. He stopped for moment in the hall and looked himself in the mirror, just to make sure he looked alright. He always made sure to look his best whenever the family had guests, even if it was just a casual visit. He opened a drawer and pulled out a small red bow-tie and white collar. He put them on and looked himself in the mirror one last time.
“Lookin’ good, doctor,” he said to himself and chuckled. He made his way to the kitchen where he was met by the sight of his wife and daughter, as well as Applebloom and Caramel seated around the table with teacups and muffins, chattering happily amongst each other. He smiled.
“Hi everyone,” he said a little awkwardly, “Sorry I took so long, I had some business to take care of.”
“Oh good, you came just in time,” Derpy exclaimed happily, “We were just about to have some tea and muffins.”
Time Turner smiled, but on the inside he just wanted to cry. He sat down at his usual spot, and not even had his butt made contact with the chair, before a blueberry muffin appeared on the plate before him, and some steaming hot tea was poured into his cup. He never even saw Derpy move. It was with extreme reluctance that he picked up his muffin, looking at it like it was some devilish contraption straight out of Tartarus. He slowly brought it to his lips and opened his mouth, taking a large bite out of the sugary treat. The bread almost melted on his tongue, along with the sweet frosting and warm blueberries. To any other pony it would’ve been next to heavenly, like their mouths were being filled up by some godly entity of pure delight, and they wouldn’t be able to wait to enjoy yet another bite. Time Tuner on the other hand felt like he was about to gag. Years of this sugary torment had done a number on him, and it felt like a miracle that he actually managed to swallow. He grinned at his wife, a drop of sweat running down the back of his head.
“You’ve really outdone yourself honey, these muffins are great!”
Derpy blushed a bit and waved her hoof. “Oh stop it, Timey, we have guests,” she said as her cheeks went crimson. Dinky blushed as well, mostly out of embarrassment, while Applebloom and Caramel just snickered quietly.
“Oh, right, sorry honey,” Time Turner said and turned to Applebloom and Caramel, the latter suddenly losing his ability to speak as he lay eyes on the stallion. While the rest of the world would’ve just seen Time Turner as any other stallion, Caramel saw pure beauty in front of him. It was like the light from the windows reflected in Time Turner’s fur, making him glisten like a swimmer fresh out of the water, and Caramel was speechless.
“So, I heard the two of you wanted to see me?”
“Yes it’s very nice outside today!” Caramel blurted out without thinking, right to Turner’s face. The brown stallion backed off a little and looked at Caramel with a mix of shock and confusion. “Sorry,” Caramel said in a small voice, cheeks blushing.
“Uh huh…” was all Time Turner managed to squeeze out. An eerie silence draped over the scene, until finally Dinky broke it after what seemed like an eternity.
“They wanted to see you about a broken cart, dad,” said the little unicorn flatly. Applebloom gave a small sigh in relief.
“Oh, well, what seems to be the problem?” Time Turner asked, turning to Applebloom this time seeing as Caramel was just sitting there. Applebloom then went on to tell about her day with Applejack, about her sister’s little joyride to Ponyville, their stop at the cakes, and the cart suddenly breaking down in the street. She spent quite a while talking, and the tension in the room slowly lifted with every passing moment, until the whole group were laughing merrily at poor Applejack’s misfortunes. Applebloom strategically left out the part about Applejack swearing, and not once did she mention any of the two words she’d learned in the market that day. After about half an hour Applebloom had finished her story, and things seemed a lot better around the table by this point, even Caramel had managed to sputter out a few coherent sentences, though he still stammered a bit when addressing Time Turner directly.
“Well, okay then,” Time Turner said, “Let’s not keep your poor sister waiting any longer than she has to. I’ll just grab some of my stuff and we can get going,” he finished and got up from his seat, stretching his back and legs a bit, making Caramel’s mouth water.
While Applebloom helped Derpy and Dinky to clear the table, Time Turner made his way upstairs to grab his tools. Caramel just waited in the hall, having finally gotten over his wallpaper phobia he was looking at all the photos decorating the walls. He recognized some of the locations the photos were taken in; places such as Manehattan, Detrot, Chicoltgo and so forth, but then there were other places that he didn’t recognize. Most of the pictures featured all three family members, but some only featured Time Turner and Derpy, probably back when they were dating, Caramel thought, and these were the ones that drew his attention the most. One picture had them both standing in front of some strange monument where four large alien faces had been carved into a mountain wall, while another one featured them both with the backdrop of what Caramel could only describe as a huge muffin shaped cloud rising out of the ground. He kept looking at the pictures for a while, getting an increasingly strange feeling in his gut.
Back in the kitchen Applebloom had finished helping Derpy with the dishes and now she and Dinky engaged in small talk by the table while Derpy had returned to her garden, no doubt figuring out a new recipe she’d be trying out. As they talked, Applebloom felt she was beginning to like Dinky, as they had quite a lot in common.
“So, ya’ll are lookin’ ta find out yer special talent too, huh?” Applebloom asked, as their conversations had moved into Cutie marks.
“Yeah,” Dinky said with a small sigh, “Mom says it’ll come naturally eventually, but it feels like that’s just something grownups say to keep you from thinking about it. But how can I not think about what my future talent’s going to be?”
“Ah hear ya, mah sister’s the same way, always goin’ on with how Ah have to be patient an’ focus on just livin’ life while Ah still can. Whatever that means, does she think Ah’m gonna be dead soon or sumthin’?” Applebloom said and tapped her chin a bit, glaring at something in the ceiling.
“Yeah, grownups are strange,” Dinky mumbled, “Well, at least you have your, what do you call them, Cutie Mark Crossriders?”
“Crusaders,” Applebloom said and looked back at Dinky, “An’ yeah, Ah really don’t know what Ah would’ve done without ‘em. Ah mean, we haven’t found our marks yet, but we sure have fun-“ Applebloom stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Dinky looking down into the table, a gloomy expression on her face. “Hey, what’s wrong, Dinky?”
“It’s nothing really, it’s just, well, you three always look like you’re having so much fun together and, well…”
“Wait, are ya’ll sayin’ you’re jealous? Ah thought ya’ll had a lot of friends at school?”
Dinky just sighed heavily, “Not really. I have maybe one, but I’m not sure about where we stand. No, most of the other kids at school avoid me because they think I’m like Mom,” Dinky said gloomily and looked at Applebloom whom were just about to say something when Dinky interrupted her, “Don’t take that the wrong way, I love Mom, but…well you’ve seen how she is, and when she gets out of the house she’s even worse, at least when I’m around. I guess the other kids think she’s nuts and avoid me because they think I am too.”
“Ah never thought ye were strange or anything, Dinky,” Applebloom said softly, “But Ah still don’t get it, ya always seem to be surrounded by ponies every now and again, and yet ya say ya don’t have friends?”
“Muffins,” Dinky said flatly, “Mom makes muffin baskets every now and then that I have to take with me to school, that’s what you’ve been seeing. In truth, I really don’t have friends,” the little unicorn said and stared at the table again.
“Well, ya do now,” Applebloom said sternly, “An’ Ah won’t take no fer an answer. Ya’ll have shown me that yer a good pony today, an’ in my family that’s all we need ta know.”
Dinky just looked at Applebloom with mixed expressions of doubt and happiness, “Y-You really mean that?” she asked, trembling a little on her voice.
“Of course Ah do, an’ don’t worry about the others, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo won’t mind, Ah know they won’t. An’ let’s skip that stupid introduction ceremony,” Dinky just looked confused at this, “Ah hereby declare ya a Cutie Mark Crusader,” Applebloom said with a big smile and reached a hoof over to Dinky.
Dinky couldn’t believe what she’d just heard, and instead of shaking Applebloom’s hoof, the little unicorn made a leap across the table, surprising Applebloom, and embraced the earth pony in an almost bone crushing embrace. They both fell backwards with a crash.
“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Dinky almost shouted as she hugged Applebloom, the yellow filly struggling to breathe under the immense pressure. It was like being hugged by a machine.
“Yer…welcome,” was all Applebloom managed to squeeze out. At that moment Derpy stormed into the kitchen wearing a straw hat, with blue stains on her hooves.
“What going on in here? I heard something fall over, no one’s hurt are they?” she said, looking around for a bit until her misaligned eyes caught the sight of her daughter laying on top of Applebloom in the middle of the kitchen, with the yellow filly’s face slowly becoming blue due to a lack of oxygen.
“Uh, honey, what are you doing?”
“I just made a friend mom! Applebloom said she wants to be my friend!” Dinky shouted, tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks as her grip tightened ever more, making Applebloom fear that maybe this was what Applejack meant by “enjoying life while she could”, because she was pretty sure that soon enough Dinky was going to kill her via strangulation.
“Oh, that’s…that’s so beautiful!” Derpy shouted and scooped up both Dinky and Applebloom in an affectionate hug, “My little filly finally has a real friend!” she cheered as she hugged both fillies. Applebloom wasn’t enjoying it as much as Dinky and her mother, as Derpy was immensely strong, and coupled with Dinky’s affectionate hugging earlier Applebloom was more certain than ever that this was it. She could almost hear the straining on her little bones as Derpy wince-like grip tightened, threatening to snap her body in half.
Just when Applebloom thought the end was near though, she felt Derpy’s powerful grip finally loosen up as the mare put both fillies down. Being free to breathe, Applebloom inhaled deeply, feeling like a balloon being filled up, and slowly her face returned to its natural yellow.
“Oh, sorry Applebloom,” Derpy said with a sheepish smile, “I forgot how strong I can get sometimes. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
Applebloom didn’t bother answering. True she had been close to dying, or at least passing out, but she decided not to hold it against either of the two, they were probably just happy, and this was their (albeit very painful) way of showing it. She put on a smile and looked up at Derpy.
“No, *gasp*, problem miss Derpy,” the yellow filly said between breaths. Derpy just smiled back at her. “Well, Ah think it’s about time fer us ta git goin’,” she said, when suddenly a low growling sound interrupted her. “Oh mah, um, where’s the bathroom?”
Derpy just snickered as Applebloom’s cheeks turned a nice shade of red. “Dinky, be a dear and show Applebloom to the restroom, then maybe you can give her a quick tour of your room before she has to leave.”
“Okay mom, come on Applebloom!” Dinky exclaimed happily and grabbed Applebloom’s hoof, dragging her out of the kitchen and up the stairs past Caramel, whom still just stood there analyzing each photo on the wall.
Once Applebloom had done her business she was dragged off to Dinky’s room, the unicorn filly almost forcing her in, and then eagerly showed Applebloom her belongings. The room itself was quite sparse, with a couple of drawers, a fairly large closet, a writing desk next to the window and a large spacious bed littered with stuffed animals of different sizes. Other than those however, Dinky didn’t seem to have a lot of toys, or at least none which Applebloom could see.
“Well, this is my room, it’s not much, but I like it. Come on, try the bed, it’s real comfy,” Dinky said and jumped up on the mattress, Applebloom following her example. What struck the yellow filly almost instantly was how insanely soft and plushy Dinky’s bed was. It felt almost like marshmallow, or a water bed. The bed sheets were smooth and silky, colored deep red with a rose pattern on them.
“I got to pick out the sheets,” Dinky said when she noticed Applebloom examining them, “Mom wanted a muffin pattern, but I liked these better. So what do you think?”
“It’s lovely, Dinky, Ah really like yer room. May not be as big as mine back at the farm, but yers is much nicer, makes ya feel homey,” Applebloom said and rolled over on her side, looking at the unicorn filly with a smile. Suddenly, an idea struck Applebloom, and she waved for Dinky to come closer.
“Hey Dinky, Ah know we’ve barely had time ta get ta know each other, but can Ah tell ya sumthin?”
Caramel was snapped out of his wondered state as he heard somepony coming down the stairs. Looking behind him he saw Time Turner step down, wearing a tool belt, and Caramel’s eyes instantly widened a bit. Wearing that belt Time Turner looked like a real hard working stallion, and Caramel felt butterflies in his stomach.
“So, what do you think, Caramel? Think this’ll do?”
Caramel didn’t answer at first, in fact, what he mostly wanted was to just lunge himself at the brown stallion, tear of the belt and make sweet love to him right on the spot. He collected his thoughts though, and instead just sputtered out a compliment.
“Yeah, I think that’ll do just fine. You look good in that belt…” Smooth moves, idiot, Caramel thought and mentally hoofslapped himself, Now he’s gonna think you’re a complete weirdo.
“Oh, why thank you, Caramel, always nice to get a comment like that,” Turner said and pawed a little at the floor, much to Caramel’s surprise. They both stood there in awkward silence until Caramel finally spoke.
“Well, I guess we’d better get going, Applejack’s probably pissed for having waited so long,” he said and turned towards the stairs, “Come on, Applebloom, we’re leaving now!” he shouted, and soon the yellow filly appeared on top of the stairs.
“Comin’ cus’!” she responded, trotting down the stairs with Dinky in tow.
Once they were all assembled by the door Derpy joined them to see her husband off, and of course, giving him a lunchbox even though he’d only be gone for the afternoon. Time Turner put a saddlebag over his back and put the box in it, determined to get rid of it the moment he stepped out of Derpy’s sight, then gave his wife a peck on the forehead, making her blush.
“Oh, before you go honey, give this to Applejack and say hi for me, will ya,” Derpy said and ran out to the kitchen, returning moments later with a small basket covered up with a small blanket, “Poor dear must’ve been through a nightmare today, these are bound to cheer her up,” she chirped happily and gently put the basket in Turner’s saddlebags. Time Turner made a change in his plans about getting rid of the muffins in his lunchbox, seeing as how Applejack would be getting some anyway he might as well slip a few extra in there.
“Will do hun,” Time Turner said and turned to Applebloom and Caramel, “Well guys, let’s go then, no time like the present.”
The five ponies exchanged pleasantries and bid farewell to one another, Applebloom carefully avoiding a goodbye hug from Dinky by offering a simple hoof shake, which still felt like shaking with a jackhammer. The yellow filly couldn’t for the life of her figure out how a small unicorn like Dinky possessed more strength than some of her Apple family cousins, and made a mental note to not play wrestle with Dinky anytime soon.
Once they were all set, Time Turner, Caramel and Applebloom turned tail and headed of towards the town’s center, with Derpy and Dinky standing in the door waving their hooves.
“Well, Dinky, that was certainly an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, donthca think?” Derpy said as she watched the three ponies disappear around a corner.
“Sure was, mom,” Dinky said happily. “Hey, mom?”
“Yes sweetie, what is it?”
“Do you think dad should’ve brought a bigger cock with him?”
Derpy was silent.
