Carbon

Next to the schoolhouse was a small branch of the Whitetail woods. On the other side was the edge of the Apple family orchard. That branch of the orchard was mainly golden delicious trees, but it didn't take an Apple to know that this time of year. The trees were heavy with fruit and were ready to give it up to anyone willing to give it a buck hard enough. But most ponies didn't realize that the smallest apples take the most force to knock down.

Today there was one more type of Apple in that part of the orchard, the pony kind. Apple Bloom was sitting under a tree near the edge of the orchard. Her face was still wet, even though the tears had stopped. She had a frown on that almost seemed forced. With the realization that she had just skipped school, came the thought that maybe she shouldn't. They think I'm stupid, too. Why else would they not to be compared to me, the 'dumb farmfilly'. I don't belong in school.

There was a fence that separated the school's property from Sweet Apple Acres'. It wasn't that big of a fence, more of a marker than a boundary. On that fence leaned a blue unicorn.

"Apple Bloom," called the unicorn, "can you come back over here to talk to me, or am I going to have to trespass?"

In response the filly got up, walked to the far side of the tree, and sat back down.

"Alright, trespassing it is." He hopped over the fence.

He walked over and sat under the same tree as the filly, about one hundred degrees about the trunk. She was still staring at the ground but knew he was there. He could only see the side of the filly's bow and her back hoof. He decided to let her talk first. She didn't let him wait long.

"Yer on my family property."

"Yep."

"If I tell ya ta leave, you hafta go."

"Yep." He waited for about two minutes. "Well...?"

"You haven't done nothing to me but help," she sighed. "An' that's the problem."

"Let's not talk about that."

The quickness in his statement grabbed Apple Bloom's attention. "Why?"

"Because that's something you should talk to your teacher about."

She turned to look at him. "But-"

"I turned in for the day." He looked at her. "But I would like to get back in time to walk Sweetie home."

"Is she in trouble?"

"No. I just want to talk to her sister face-to-face."

It got quite again. This time Paradox thought It would be a good Idea for him to start.

"Do you mind if I take an apple?"

"They ain't ready yet."

"Really? Look ready to me."

"Shows what you know. Golden delicious need to be picked after all the red delicious are red. We still got seven o' those trees with yellow apples."

"I didn't know that, and they look good to me."

"They prob'ly are, but we gotta pickem' in order. That's what Applejack says"

"She's your sister?"

Apple Bloom nodded.

"Does she help you with your homework?

Her head snaps around. "I thought we weren't talkin' 'bout that."

"I'm asking If your sister helps you with your homework, not 'what happened at school', so calm down and answer the question."

After thinking for a bit she answers. "Yeah, but she can't help much. Big Mac is good with math, an' Granny knows alot 'bout history, but Applejack says she doesn't know 'nough 'book smarts' to help."

"Do you think she's not smart?"

"No, she's way smarter than me, just at different things is all."

Paradox waited a few minutes to let Apple Bloom absorb what they had discussed. It seemed to work as the metaphorical gears in the filly's head turned. After ten minutes of silence he helped her out a bit more.

"How many of your class mates would know when to pick these apples?"

"I don't know, not many I guess."

"Does that make them not smart?"

"No, Sweetie knows more about sewing and Scoots knows more about sports than I do."

"Does that make you not smart?"

Apple Bloom frowns and looks the unicorn in the eyes. "Why do you keep saying it like that?"

"Saying what like what?" His face was unreadable.

"Saying 'not smart' instead of 'stupid' or 'dumb'?"

"Because my mom taught me not to swear, and those are some of the dirtiest words I know."

This made the filly think a bit more, maybe just a few seconds this time, but it was noticeable.

"Apple Bloom, I want you to think on what we said today. I think you know what you need to tell your friends, and I will let everypony in class know that my help does not mean anything other than the fact that I want you guys to do good. I was planning on waiting until my two starter weeks were up, but I'll jump it ahead a week so this doesn't happen again." He spoke in a calming tone. "Okay, now lets head back to the school house. If you pick up your classwork and homework, Cheerilee wont tell your family you skipped class."

That struck something in the filly as she realized that she had cut class and her folks wouldn't like that.

"Umm... yeah, lets go."

The walk back was not fast paced, but it didn't need to be. They spent enough time talking in the orchard that when they got back to the school house the bell was fifteen minutes from ringing. Apple Bloom went in to get her work, but Paradox stayed outside with two early ponies waiting to pick up their foals. A yellow mare with a red mane was waiting for Truffle Shuffle, her cutie mark looked like a chefs hat. The other was the orange stallion from that morning waiting for Snails.

This morning? Really? Wow, how time flies. thought Paradox as he approached Sweetie.

"Ready to go?"

"Is Apple Bloom still mad?"

"No, but I gave her an early lesson and it might take her a bit to get my homework done."

"Oh..."

"Come on, I've been waiting all day to meet your sister now lets go."

"A-alright..."

The walk through Ponyville was quite. Granny Smith was selling apples in the market in her usually spot next to Carrot Top, Time Turner and Mayor Mare were wandering about checking the revenue and such, and a few colts just out of school had rushed to Sugar Cube Corner. Sweetie was still not sure what her teacher's real reason for wanting to meet her sister, so she played it safe and didn't start any conversations. Unfortunately Paradox had the opposite in mind.

"So... you got homework to do?"

"...yeah," came the reluctant response.

"Well... what subject?"

"Math," she muttered with a bit of venom.

"Ooh, math. I thought math was fun, but ponies told me that that's weird."

Sweetie just grunted in acknowledgment.

"...What problems did you get?"

"Shouldn't you know? You're the teacher," she said with sudden hostility.

"I was helping your friend Apple Bloom during math, if you remember," he stated with a razed eyebrow. Where is this coming from?

"R-right, sorry."

"Its okay, I was probably being annoying." Then he chuckled a bit. "You know, Its usually the foals that annoy the adults, but with you and me its the other way around."

That made the filly grin a bit. "You're not that annoying."

"I know only two ponies that agree with that, and one only says that because he's my friend."

They both laughed for a bit before a building that Sweetie found familiar came into view. Carousel Boutique was an iconic place in Ponyville, and how could it not be. Sitting across from the town hall, just across the bridge, put it in just the right spot to be seen by anyone heading through town. The fact that it had a yard half the size of the town square left no rivals. The wraparound porch and classic bell shaped second story gave a rich and refined look. So, Sweetie was confused when her teacher started to laugh.

"W-wait, this is where Rarity lives?" he managed to ask through chuckles.

"Yes. Why, is there something wrong with it?"

"Nothing, nothing. Come on lets go." He walked of still grinning.

Paradox got to the door first, but waited for Sweetie to open it, figuring that somepony might think he was breaking in. While Sweetie walked into the Boutique and found it as expected, the blue unicorn took everything in with a smirk. Even though it was a business, I was still a living room, and it surprisingly looked lived in. The corners of the room had small piles of fabric and other clothing materials and the coat rack was filled. the rest was pretty clear, as to allow room to move around the pedestals that had ponyquins on them at the moment.

"RARITY, I'M HOME." Her voice went higher as she had one of her signature squeaks. "AND THE NEW TEACHER WANTS TO TALK TO YOU."

"Wonderful," came a new voice, "when does he want to meet-"

The white unicorn that owned said voice stopped as she walked in on said teacher looking around the room with what could only be described as an idiotic grin at this point. He turned to look at her and froze for about a half a second before doing what most would only put as the last thing on their bucket list.

"Behold, the White Whale, she approaches!" he shouted throwing his hooves in the air.

The confusion level in Sweetie's mind sky rockets as Rarity, Instead of blasting him to bits, smiles and calmly responds.

"Says the drunk with the well cooked brain."

If she were a robot she would have blue screened as the two adults in the room dash to each other and embrace in a hug.

"WHAT'S GOING ON??"

The two adults stop and consider how to answer the little fillies question. A series of quite whispers were exchanged

"You didn't tell her anything about me did you?"

"No, of course not. It wouldn't be safe for mother and father. Who did you introduce yourself as?"

"It's been Paradox since the fourth grade, why change it? I didn't ever know I had another sister, how should we angle this?"

"Well, lets not completely lie to her. How about we tell tell her the relationship and simply answer questions from there."

"As long as I answer the questions on my 'heritage'."

"Deal."

After the huddle, the mare and stallion turn to the confused filly. Her face was frozen in a blank stare that was a mix of inquiry and shock. With a nod from the stallion, the mare started her explanation.

"You see Sweetie, I just so happens that... um... W-what I mean to say is that... er..."

*Sigh* "Sweetie, come give you big brother a hug!"

*THUD*

The stallion rushed to the fainted filly, lifting her head and checking for bumps or bruises. After he discovered the absence of them, he sighed then turned to the only other conscious pony in the room.

"You need to teach her to faint on a couch like you did."