A Pegasus Apple

Granny Smith Apple was sitting in her rocking chair on the front porch, fading away to sleep with Winona sitting on the stoop. Suddenly, Granny Smith heard a crash coming from the barn! "Cornsarn it Rainbow Dash! Ah swear if that's you again..." The elderly mare griped as Winona sped off towards the sound and started barking once she discovered the source. Granny entered the barn, expecting Rainbow Dash but ended up seeing a pair of bright red eyes.

Applejack and Big Mac were just finishing up their rounds. Applejack was grateful for her friends, family but she wanted more. Rainbow Dash found her special somepony, as had Pinkie, Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy. Where was her man? "Wake up." Big Mac said. "Huh?"

"Ya was driftin again."

Applejack blushed. "Oh. Sorry."

"You ok, AJ? Ya seem a little off lately." Big Mac asked his sister.

"Yeah, ah'm fine. It's jes... Wait... Do ya hear yellin?" Applejack's ears perked up. "Sounds like Granny." Big Mac noticed. "Let's get a move on!" Applejack took off like a bullet to find the problem. Soon enough, she'd found her way to the house. She deposited her buckets of Apples in the barn and took note of a new hole. Then she looked over and saw a police officer talking to Granny. "What's goin on, Granny?" Her answer was soon discovered. Behind the line of flowerpots along the porch was a small little pegasus colt. He had a light blue coat, a long brown mane and tail and eyes as red as rubies.

"That there varmint crashed through the barn!"

"Your grandmother has requested we take the boy into custody."

Her eyes widened as her mind hatched an idea. "No, wait! Ya can't take'em! Ah'll... Ah'll hang onta the little guy."

"Like sin ya will!"

"Go inside, Granny!" Applejack said. "Look, ma'am, your grandmother is the complaining party here and she wants us to take the boy." "Yeah well mah brother and ah are the proprietors of Sweet Apple Acres! And ah say we droppin any charges mah granny set on the boy! Now ifen ya don't like that, ya can take me with him cause ah ain't lettin him go!" The officer sighed at Applejack's statement. "Maybe we can work out a dea-" "No, the only deal we goin fer is where you get the buck offa mah farm! The boy. Stays. With me." Applejack said with finality. "Very well." With that, the officer took off.

"Applejack Apple, ah forbid you ta keep that boy here! He's got the devil's eyes!" "Go inside, Granny!" Applejack sighed. She was about to approach the colt when Big Mac finally approached. "So what's up?" Applejack filled him in and asked to be left alone with the colt. She walked up to the colt's hiding spot and lied on her belly. "Howdy there, little feller. Ah'm Applejack." She said sweetly, "What's yer name? Ah promise ah'm not mad about the barn, sweetie."

"M-My name is... J-Jackpot." he said, his eyes closed tight.

"Would ya lemme see yer eyes? Please?" The boy sighed and slowly opened his eyes. "My oh my. You got the purdiest red eyes ah ever did see. You must be hungry. C'mon in." She helped him up and led him in.

"So what do ya want ta eat?"

"I d-dunno... I've mostly been living off of trash, stolen food..." Jackpot replied, trembling.

"You got no home? No parents?" Jackpot shook his head. "Well ya can stay here at the farm as long as ya like! So... let's see here, what ta give a hungry lil' colt? Ah, here we go!" She pulled out what was left of the salad from tonight's dinner and set him up at the table.

"Jacky, can ya go wash up 'afore ah letcha eat?"

"W-Wash up, ma'am...?"

"None o' that ma'am, stuff, sweetie. Jes Applejack will do. Ah mean, go wash yer hooves, ok?"

"Yes, ma- Applejack."

"Attaboy." she smiled.

"Yer makin a mistake." Granny Smith said, behind her. "Oh will you knock it off, Granny! You bein so dern negative ain't gon make the boy feel welcome! Faust sakes, he looks like he been through hell! Leave him be!" Granny Smith sighed. "Ah still say this is a mistake." She said, going upstairs to her room as Jackpot came back down. "So lemme see, buddy." Applejack requested. Jackpot held up his hooves which were as clean as he could get. "Attaboy! Eat up!" she smiled, getting him some milk.

Soon, with belly full for the first time in Faust knew how long, Jackpot started nodding off. "C'mon. Ah'll putcha to sleep." She led him into the den and opened up the pull out bed from the couch. She then set it up with sheets, a blanket, and a couple pillows. "Now, ifen ya need me, ah'm upstairs, second door on the right. You gonna be ok?" "Yes, thank you." Jackpot smiled, sleepily. "Ok, buddy, Ah'll see ya in the mornin." She smiled at him and closed the door.

Applejack went into her room and untied her ponytails and ran a brush through her mane and tail, unable to keep a smile off her face. "Somepony's happy." She saw Big Mac in her mirror. "Well o'course ah am! Ah jes saved a little guy from Juvie."

"Ah think there's somethin else at work, here."

"Oh shuddup." Applejack sighed as Big Mac went back to his room.

Next morning at breakfast, Jackpot approached Applejack. "Um... Applejack?" "Yeah, buddy?" "I'm sorry about the barn... and... I want to work off the price to fix it." "Ya don't gotta." she smiled. "But I want to." Applejack looked at him. "You wanna work? Ok. How old're ya?"

"9."

"So yer 3 years younger than Applebloom. Ok. Ah'll startcha off small. You'll work with Big Mac here. Jes do what he tells ya and you'll be ok." "Yes, ma'am." Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Appplejack." Jackpot corrected. "Attaboy. Mac, ya wanna take'em?" "Eeyup. C'mon, little guy." Big Mac said, finishing up the dishes and heading out.

Applebloom raised an eyebrow at her older sister. "Who's that?" "That is yer new friend. Jackpot. He's gon be stayin with us fer a while. Can you and the Crusaders make'em feel welcome?"

"Sure!" Applebloom said, running off.