Apple Bloom sighed. A small cloud of fog came from her mouth.
She was tired. And cold. But mostly tired.
Okay, maybe not that tired, at least not in the physical sense. It wasn't really the best way to describe how she was feeling. It had been a long week. A very long week. Miss Cheerilee had suddenly taken a rather sadistic streak, deciding to bombard the class with test through out the whole thing. That had placed most of the class in a rather bad mood. Perhaps for the time ever, Cheerilee was starting to become unpopular with her students.
And of course, some students had ways of venting that frustration, like playing, doing sports, or something similar.
Some however, preferred to bother others, treating them like dirt in an attempt to feel better than rest, or just for plain cruel fun. Either way, the point was that they did it. In fact right now, bullying was going on the yard of the school, by the hoof none other than Diamond Tiara.
Poor Twist should have gone home as soon as school ended.
"Hey look Twist, you got a red mark! Just like your hair!" Diamond Tiara said. "I guess its obvious. I mean, they're both, like, ugly."
Silver Spoon giggled, of course. Whats a bully without a parade to cheer every act they do?
"Ith not ugly. I juth did bad on a tetht. Leave me alone Tiara." Twist tried to walk away from the bully, but she just kept following her around.
"The oral test? With those teeth, its no wonder you did bad, like, really bad. You thould get them checked before something bad happenth!" Tiara laughed, mocking Twist's manner of speaking.
"You should, like, go fix that mane of yours. It'll be a lot easier than getting a blue mark. Of course, anything would be easier for you." Sliver Spoon chimed. They had pushed Twist against a wall, completely cutting of her escape. Every time she tried to break free, Diamond and Silver Spoon would simply push her back against the wall.
"Whats the matter Twist? We just want to talk a little!"
"No, you're jutht making fun of me, let me go!"
"We're sorry, but we didn't quite get that. Can you say it again?" Diamond knocked Twist's glasses off her face.
"Let her go."
The two bullies turned around. Apple Bloom was standing right behind them. And she did not look too happy. Then again, who would?
"What do you wan't blank flank?" Diamond Tiara snapped. Her voice wasn't filled with laughter anymore. It was pure venom now, something that did not escape Diamond Tiara or Twist.
"Ah' want you to let Twist go." Apple Bloom repeated. "She's got her cutie mark and she only did bad in one test. Unlike you. Need to put others down so hide that you failed three marks?"
Diamond Tiara stepped away from Twist and Silver Spoon, planting herself right in front of Apple Bloom. The two fillies stared at each other on the eyes. For a second, it seemed as if the two of them were ready to jump at each other's throat. Diamond Tiara scowled and started walking away. Silver Spoon seemed unsure as to what to do, but eventually followed her.
"Thanks Apple Bloom..." Twist mumbled, trying to adjust her glasses. She was shaking a little. Probably from being on the verge of crying from the bullying. "But she's gonna come after you now."
"Let her. Ah'm pretty much used to her by now." Apple Bloom replied.
"Too bad you haven't got your cutie mark yet. Then she would stop bothering you, right?"
Apple Bloom glanced at the diminishing forms of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, then at her flank. It was still as bare as the day she was born. It was rather depressing actually.
"Right...hey, have you seen Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo?"
Crusading had, for the most part, been useless for the three fillies, though there was no denying it was fun. The rest of the class had slowly but surely gotten theirs. Of the thirty kids, twelve remained with a blank flank. And the cutie mark crusaders were included in those twelve, much to their annoyance. It wouldn't be so bad if everypony just stopped reminding them that they would eventually get them.
Its like when they told that you would understand when you grew up.
Sweetie Belle was perhaps the happiest of the three at the moment. For some reason, good grades came naturally to her, unlike Apple Bloom, who worked her butt off for the same results, and Scootaloo, who, while not a bad student, certainly was not among the brainy ones.
"Cheer up girls! Test period is almost over. Then we can go right back at crusading." she cheered. Scootaloo tightened her scarf around her neck. She sometimes envied that Rarity would make a nice, warm sweater for her little sister. Then again, she had Rainbow Dash. Why should she complain?
"Says you. You got blue marks in all the tests. I barely survived them. Miss Cheerilee is gonna make me retake them probably."
"Then maybe you should study with me more. You can come to my place one day. Ah'll help you." Apple Bloom said as she reached them. "You could taste Granny Smith's pies."
Chilly wind blew around them. A clear sign that autumn was about to end and give way to winter. News of encroaching snow falling on the mountains were already on the newspapers. and the radios. it was only a matter of weeks before they reached Ponyville.
"So, what now?" Scootaloo asked.
"Ah' don't know...." Apple Bloom replied. "How about we go to the river? Maybe we can find something in there."
"Something like what? Its going to take a while to get there. Ant its too cold for swimming." Sweetie Belle said.
"We ain't gonna swim dummy. We're gonna look for something interesting there. If we hurry, we'll get back before it gets dark."
The lake wasn't that far from Ponyville, but it was still quite the walk if you weren't prepared for it. And while the crusaders were certainly prepared for it, having done the trip plenty of times before, they were still fillies, with little steps, which, combined with the cold wind, delayed them for almost an hour. It didn't help that the school was pretty much on the other side of town.
Apple Bloom was pretty much fine by the time she got there, but Sweetie Belle was completely winded. Scootaloo was almost as good as Apple Bloom.
"Why couldn't we just take that cart?" Sweetie Belle tried to catch her breath. "We even brought the thing."
"Cu'z the floor is frozen in some spots. We fall on the rocks and its game over for at least a couple of weeks."
The lake was frozen on the edges. Enough to allow foals to walk slowly on it. It wouldn't be long until the entire thing was covered in a thick layer of ice.
"We're here. Now what?"
"Look for something. Anything. There's got to be something worth something." Apple Bloom instructed.
What few leaves remained on the trees started falling as the wind picked up a little. The crusaders looked everywhere in the small lake. On the shore, on the mud, on the ice and the water, but there was nothing of interest. At least, nothing of real interest to them. There was probably something in the the water, but just like Sweetie said, it was too cold for swimming.
"See anything?" Scootaloo asked Sweetie Belle, who was standing on the ice of the shore. The diminishing light, along with the cold, muddy water made impossible to see anything.
"Nah. Can we go home now? Its starting to get cold." Sweetie Belle answered.
"Alright. Scootaloo, go get the cart..." Apple Bloom said.
"Looking for your cutie marks in the frozen water? You must be getting desperate."
Diamond Tiara was standing near them, alone, with her usual cruel smirk plastered in the middle of her face. Silver Spoon was nowhere to be found. Apple Bloom could already feel her mood falling down like lighting.
"What do you want Tiara?"
"Oh nothing. Just walking around, visiting my favorite blank flank. Who just happened to butt in my business earlier." Diamond Tiara lost her smirk, replacing it with a scowl. "Business that you have nothing do with."
"Ah' don't call bothering others and calling them names business." Apple Bloom replied. "Ah' call that bullying."
"Shouldn't you just be happy that its not happening to you? You should be thankful that I'm giving you a break."
"Why don't you go look for that crony you call friend? Maybe she'll help you get a blue mark next time." Apple Bloom turned around, not wanting to continue the rather pointless arguing. She knew how it would play out. Diamond Tiara would insult them for a few minutes, then she would get bored and move on to whatever is that spoiled kids did in their free time.
But not this time.
A rock flew past above her,landing right at Sweetie Belle's hooves, making a crack on the ice. The crack grew and grew with each passing second, until the entire ice under her was covered in a web of cracks. The last thing Apple Bloom saw of Sweetie Belle was her face of horror before the ice gave, letting her fall into the freezing water.
"Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo shouted, running to the lake. But Apple Bloom was faster, jumping on the pieces of ice that floated on the cold water. Sweetie Belle was barely managing to keep herself afloat, and was slowly sinking thanks to her clothes.
Apple Bloom bit the neck of the sweater. The icy water made her tongue recoil, but she kept biting as hard as she could. Sweetie Belle was now moving less and less and the cold slowly numbed her body. With a grunt, Apple Bloom slowly pulled her friend out of the water, slowly dragging her on the icy surface, careful to not break the ice any further.
"Apple Bloom, here!" Scootaloo shouted. She had hooked the cart to her scooter, ready to dash as soon as her friends were loaded on it.
"Take the sweater off..." Apple Bloom grunted while pulling the vest from Sweetie Belle, who was shivering lie crazy. Apple Bloom, who still had some adrenalin running, looked around in fury, looking for the bully that did this.
But Diamond Tiara was nowhere to be found.
"Apple Bloom, lets go! We have to get Sweetie into a tub or something!"
The cart speeded down the street, uncaring of the earlier precaution. Apple Bloom was sitting in front of Sweetie Belle, trying to shield her from the cold wind that was blasting against them. The Carousel Boutique came into view quickly, a fact that Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were thankful for.
But the happiness was short lived at Scootaloo took a sharp turn, losing control of her scooter. The tumble sent Apple Bloom flying for a few seconds before falling against the door of the boutique with a loud slam.
"Oh my. Are you alright Apple Bloom?"
Apple Bloom couldn't be happier to hear Rarity's over dramatic and probably fake accent.
"Yeah...but Ah'm not sure about Sweetie Belle..." she grunted in response. He entire body hurt, to the point where she didn't even want to open her eyes. But she could hear Rarity's gasp of worry, along with her magic lifting Sweetie Belle. A warm tub was all she needed right now, and Rarity would provide that.
Now, if the pain on her entire body would just go away.
"You okay Apple Bloom?"
Apple Bloom dared to open one eye. Gray and orange blurs were all that was on her eyes for a seconds before Scootaloo appeared. Her helmet was gone. Probably removed it as she managed to stop her scooter.
"Yeah...help me up, will ya'?"
The sky was now a dark gray. The sun was going down faster since it was almost winter. Any hopes fro crusading or further adventures were gone. Thanks to an accident that wasn't quite an accident.
"Ah' guess we better go home uh?" Apple Bloom said.
"Want me to drive you there? You don't look so good." Scootaloo offered.
"No thanks. Earth pony, remember? Tough like rock. Besides, its not that far. Ah'll get there just in time. See ya tomorrow Scoots..." Apple Bloom said, slowly making her way to the orchid.
"Uh, okay then. Bye AB!" Scootaloo said before leaving on her scooter, dragging her cart behind her. Apple Bloom sat there, watching as her friend left. She waited for nearly ten more minutes until the pain subsided enough for her to move without limping.
Apple Bloom slowly walked through the town. She was feeling many things, and few of them were good. Cold. Pain. Anger. Frustration. There was no hiding that it had been a lousy week. Between the onslaught of tests and the bullying, all week long, things couldn't get any worse.
"Ah' better pick up the pace or Ah'll get in trouble..." she thought as a cold gust passed her. The entire orchid was devoid of apples. Bucking season had long since ended. Now all that remained was to take care of the trees until the next season arrived. But Apple Bloom didn't care much at the moment. All she wanted was to get into bed and get this whole day over with.
Her attention was diverted, however, as a light glow grabbed her attention. It came from between the trees. It was light golden glow, not very strong though. Thoughts of arriving late and punishment flew out of her mind as she slowly started approaching the light. A light warmth slowly filled her body as she got closer and closer.
It felt good. Even the pain started subsiding into nothingness.
Lying on the ground, completely untouched and immaculate, was a golden apple. It was flawless. No holes. No spots. No thing. The golden glow was just at the right intensity, allowing Apple Bloom to see it perfectly. She couldn't move her gaze from it. Something about was rather hypnotic about. As if it was somehow beckoning her to eat it. It did look pretty tasty too.
"What is thing?" She thought, as she poked the apple. It was warm to the touch.
Suddenly, a small, dead leaf fell on her snout, breaking the spell. Realization hit her. If she didn't leave now, she would be late for her curfew, if she wasn't already. And then she would have to face Applejack's fury.
"Ah' can't just leave this here. Ah' bet Applejack knows what it is." she bit the apple, careful to not to actually bite a piece out of it, making her way to the house. The glow of the apple diminished a little, almost to the point of nonexistence. Apple Bloom trotted, hoping to reach the house quick.
The only light on the house was the entrance. Everything else was pitch black. Perfect. If she was quiet enough, then maybe she could sneak into her room without alerting anypony. She tip hoofed her way across the wooden floor. The door closed by itself. She nearly dropped her cargo a couple of times, but eventually managed to reach to top of the stairs. There wasn't a pony on sight.
"Maybe everypony went to bed already..." she hoped. She entered her room. Careful to close to close the door as softly as she could. She turned on the light. She was about to place the apple on her desk.
"Hello Apple Bloom."
The shock made Apple Bloom jump, biting a big chunk of the golden apple in the process. Behind her, sitting in front of the window, and looking very upset, was Applejack. Apple Bloom gulped. She was wrong earlier.
Things could get worse.
"You're past your curfew." Applejack started. "By an hour."
Apple Bloom didn't say anything. Whatever she said could be used against her.
"Got anything to say?"
"Sweetie Belle fell into the lake. Me and Scoots got to the boutique! We tried going fast but Ah' fell!" Apple Bloom said. "Ah know Ah'm late, but Ah' tried getting here on time. Ah swear!"
"What were ya' doing in the lake? Its frozen!" Applejack replied.
"We were looking for something to do! But the Diamond Tiara showed up and threw a rock that broke the ice and Sweetie fell in. Its the truth Applejack, ya' gotta believe me."
Applejack stared at Apple Bloom. The filly could almost feel the green of her sister's eyes searching for any hint of a lie on her words. Apples were bad liars, and Apple Bloom was no exception.
"Ah' believe you." Apple Bloom sighed in relief. "But you're still in trouble."
"What?! Why?!"
"We agreed that you could stay late whenever you wanted if you warned me before hand. That way Ah' would know where you are." Applejack answered. "But you didn't tell me. We had to throw away a plate full of dinner because of that, not to mention that Granny Smith was worried sick, so was Big Mac. And the fact that you were late because you were doing dangerous stuff doesn't help either.
"But it was Diamond Tiara who made it dangerous!"
"And Ah' believe you. Ah' really do. But you still broke our deal Apple Bloom. That ain't right."
"But-"
"No buts little sister." Applejack walked to the door. "Look. Ah'll go talk to Mr.Rich, see if he can talk some sense on that filly. But you broke your promise, and we Apples always keep our promises. You and I are gonna have a chat tomorrow morning."
"But Ah'm gonna go crusading." Apple Bloom said.
"Sorry kiddo. You did something foolish, now you gotta deal with the consequences of your actions." Applejack opened the door of the room. "Now go to bed. After all you told me, you gotta be tired."
And with that, Apple Bloom was left alone. Her day had gone from bad to awful to horrible. She looked at the door. She could hear Applejack's hoofs on the floor before the whole house went silent again.
"Ahm' late, Ah' get in trouble. Ah' tell the truth, Ahm' still in trouble. So much for being a good filly." she thought, grumbling as she pulled the bow loose from her hair. All thoughts about the golden apple were gone, replaced with venomous thoughts about a certain bully, and how she had ruined her day.
"What a way to end a week..." she mumbled bitterly as she climbed on her bed. She turned off the light and closed her eyes. All she wanted now was to sleep and forget about today's events. If she had been a little more calm, she would have noticed something weird about the golden apple.
Mostly, that it was gone.
Gone without a trace.