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.
Jackpot had been with the Apples for four months. Snow had fallen, he'd met all of Applejack's friends and was getting on rather nicely with everypony. But bullies at school added to his nervousness. They'd tease him about his eyes, call him names like Discord or Sombra. As such, Applejack bought him a pair of Wonderbolt goggles and asked Cheerilee to play along that he has an eye condition.
Applejack had also discovered that Jackpot couldn't fly properly. With that being the case, she turned to Rainbow Dash for help. She'd asked Applejack to have Jackpot meet her in the park on weekends so she could teach him. Today was Jackpot's first lesson. "So kiddo, Applejack tells me you can't fly."
"I can..."
"But not very good?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"No..."
"That's ok, Jackpot. I'll help ya out!" She then began to circle her student. "Um... Jackpot? Have you ever preened your wings?"
"Preen?" he asked. "I'll take that as a no. Here, sit down. I'll show you how to preen your wings." Jackpot did as asked and Rainbow Dash sat in front of him. He watched behind his mirror lensed goggles as Rainbow Dash carefully plucked weaker looking feathers from her wings.
"See, the thing with preening," she said, in between feathers, "Is to look for weak or dead feathers. You get rid of them, new ones grow back, your wings get healthier and stronger. Here, I'll preen your left wing then I want you to try the right one by yourself, ok?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Hey, no ma'am, ok? Ma'am makes me feel old." Rainbow Dash chuckled. She sat behind him and asked him to lie against her. He placed his back against her chest and belly and waited. Rainbow Dash went to start. The problem was, most of Jackpot's feathers were in pretty poor condition. She started from the tip of the wing and worked her way to the joint, aware that Jackpot was watching her every move. "Ow!" Jackpot cried out as she pulled a feather too hard.
"Sorry, buddy. Ok, so this wing is done. Let's see you preen. Now, just take your wing with your hoof like this, " She demonstrated, "and bring it around to your front. Then just pluck out the dead feathers." She watched carefully as he followed her instructions. "Whoa, hold it! That's a healthy feather! You pluck that, it'll hurt like crazy!" she said. Rainbow Dash taught him how to identify dead feathers from healthy ones and watched him as he continued. As he finished, she grinned. "Awesome. Just checking them daily and your wings'll grow big and strong. Heck, you may even become as fast as me."
"I hope so." Jackpot smiled. When Rainbow sent him home on the promise they'd start flying lessons tomorrow, he was stopped by the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, he was fine around. It was Scootaloo that he was quiet around. "Hey, Jackpot." the girls said.
"Hi."
"C'mon! We're heading to the Everfree!" Scootaloo said.
"For...?"
"Yer Crusader Initiation!" Applebloom responded.
"We hid a cape in the forest for you! All you have to do is find it!" Sweetie Belle explained.
"Uh... ok..." Jackpot sighed. He wanted to be a Crusader, if nothing more than being able to fit in.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders led him to the edge of the Everfree Forest, near Fluttershy's cottage. "Ok, now if you aren't back by sundown, we'll come in and help you." Scootaloo said. With that, Jackpot entered. The Everfree scared him. He'd heard about the timberwolves and the bears and such that lived here. He wanted to get in, find the cape and get out. He searched for hours looking for the cape but to no avail.
Eventually, the Cutie Mark Crusaders lived up to their word and came in.
"Jackpot!" Applebloom called.
"Dude, where are you?" Scootaloo asked. The three were passed by a jet of blue. "RUN!!!" "Huh?" Sweetie Belle asked. All of a sudden, the trio heard the roar of a timberwolf. The girls screamed and ran! But something was wrong! "W-Where's Scootaloo?!" Applebloom asked. "I'm going back in for her! Applebloom, get Applejack!" With that, the blue blur buzzed back into the forest to find his friend!
Doing as asked, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle ran for the farm, calling out their respective sisters' names in the process. "APPLEJACK!!!"
"RARITY!!!"
Eventually, Applejack heard her sister's screams. "What's up, kiddo?" Speaking at rapid speed, Applebloom explained the situation. "WEWANTEDTOINCLUDEJACKPOTBUTHEGOTLOSTINTHEEVERFREESOWEWENTTOFINDHIMBUTWEGOTCHASEDBYATIMBERWOLFAND-"
"Landsakes, girl! Breathe!" Applejack chided. "Jackpot was gonna become a crusader but he got lost in the Everfree! We lost Scootaloo and Jackpot went in after her!"
"Aw no!" Applejack gasped. Over the months, she'd come to care for Jackpot as her own and if her plans were to come to fruition, his safety was as vital as Scootaloo's. She ran as fast as she could to the Everfree Forest. What she saw was heartbreaking. Jackpot was standing in front of an unconscious Scootaloo, staring down a timberwolf as if he, Jackpot, was a hardened warrior. But what worried her more were his injuries.
In the time it took for her to arrive, Jackpot was bleeding from several cuts on his forelegs, hindlegs and various spots on his body, a wing looked broken and was missing a couple of feathers and he had a cut along his snout that looked deep enough to scar. "GIT AWAY FROM HIM, YA GREAT UGLY BRUTE!" Applejack roared, slamming into the timberwolf. Applejack bucked the timberwolf in the snout which caused it to roar out. "SHUDDUP!!!" She roared back at the timberwolf, kicking out one of the legs. When the beast fell, Applejack stomped on its head. She turned around to find Jackpot had passed out as well. Grabbing Jackpot and Scootaloo, she bolted towards Ponyville.
Some time had passed from the fight. Jackpot had finally awoken to see Applejack and her friends and the Cutie Mark Crusaders there. Everypony looked relieved to see he was ok. It was only Scootaloo who was crying. "Huh? Scoots, what's up, baby?" Rainbow Dash asked, consoling her daughter. "How long... was I out?" Jackpot asked.
"You were out for three weeks," Twilight Sparkle said. "Yeah, we were worried that you wouldn't wake up..." Flat Maned Pinkie said. "Mom... everyone..." Scootaloo started, "Can... Can I have a minute with Jackpot...?"
"Sure thing, kiddo." Applejack replied, "C'mon, Pinkie!" Applejack pushed a reluctant Pinkie out.
Scootaloo turned her eyes back to Jackpot. Her purple eyes looked at his red ones, welled up with tears and hugged Jackpot, sobbing into his shoulder. "Ow!" Jackpot exclaimed due to being sore from being in bed for three weeks. "Sorry! It's just... I fell and the timberwolf cornered me! And you fought it, trying to save me! For three weeks I was scared my best friend was gonna die!" she sobbed once more into the hospital bed. As best he could, Jackpot hugged his friend.
"Hey, Scootaloo, I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I promise."
"I'm gonna hold you to that..." she sniffled, sinking into the hug as both were totally unaware of the red thunderbolts appearing on Jackpot's flanks.
It had been four months since Jackpot had been cleared from the hospital. And in that four months, Rainbow Dash had been continuing his physical rehabilitation from the doctors' and had been helping him strengthen up his wings again. Applejack's biggest worry was that Rainbow Dash was starting to rub off on Jackpot. That is to say, each time he'd make an achievement, he'd boast about it.
But he was keeping his grades in school good so she was, for the most part, happy. Jackpot and Scootaloo were spending more and more time to themselves apart from the other two Crusaders, performing tricks or sitting and talking and laughing. The rumor was, or at least, according to Applebloom, was that Scootaloo had developed a crush on Jackpot and vice versa.
And when Applejack wasn't doing her duties on the farm, she was having secret meetings with a stallion, involving Jackpot's future.
"Wait up, guys!" Sweetie Belle called out to Scootaloo and Jackpot. "Yeah, we ain't as fast as y'all lovebirds!" That comment always stopped them dead. "S-Shut up, Applebloom!" Scootaloo said. "Y-Yeah, it isn't like that!" Jackpot added.
"So then why're yer cheeks red?" Applebloom smirked.
"Now, what did you two want us to see?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Recovering their composure, Jackpot said "We found a dog near the Everfree Forest. It looked pretty bad."
"Shouldn't we get Fluttershy?" Applebloom asked. "Nah, it's fine! Let's go!" Jackpot said, leading the way. It took some time to remember where he'd found the dog, but eventually he found it once more, near the entrance to the Everfree Forest. It was a golden retriever who looked barely a full year. He was scarily thin and his coat needed a very good trim.
"I dunno about this, Jackpot..." Sweetie Belle said, her voice slightly shaking.
"It'll be fine, it's a golden retriever! The worst they'll do is lick you to death." he replied, "Hey, buddy." Jackpot approached. As Jackpot predicted, the dog came right up to him.
"No collar," Scootaloo observed, "Must be a stray."
"C'mon, let's get'em back to the farm and clean'em up." Applebloom offered. It took some doing, since the retriever was rather weak and frail, but they eventually got him back to the Farm. Winona was far from pleased. At the site of the dog, she barked and snarled. "Winona, what in the samhill are y'all-" Applejack started, coming out, "Uh... Whatcha got there, Jacky?"
"We found a dog." Applebloom answered.
"Sweetie Belle's gonna go get Fluttershy so we can see what's up with him!" Jackpot answered, talking over a growling Winona. "Well ya know her answer." Applejack chuckled, petting Winona.
As Sweetie Belle returned with Fluttershy, the butter yellow mare examined the dog. "Hmm... He's just over a year, no visible damage aside from being very hungry, poor dear." she smiled sadly, petting him, "What he needs most is food, a haircut and a very good flea bath." she diagnosed. Jackpot turned to look at Applejack.
"Ah dunno, Jacky, we already got Winona, and Fluttershy said fleas so... Look, lemme talk it over with Big Mac and Granny. Ah'll letcha know in the mornin, big guy. Promise!" she said.
"Pinkie Promise?" Applejack asked.
Applejack chuckled. "Eeyup. Cross mah heart, hope ta fly, stick a cupcake in mah- Ow!" she exclaimed, poking herself in the eye. Jackpot laughed. "Fer now, he'll stay in the barn. Don't want Winona catchin fleas. Ok?"
"Ok!"
Jackpot ran inside to grab two bowls, a large pillow and a blanket. He went over to the barn and set up a sleeping area for the dog he'd decided to call Shadow, being the dog followed Jackpot when he exited the house. Jackpot filled up the food bowl and water bowl to the brim and set it next to Shadow's sleeping area. When Applejack said it was bedtime, he grabbed a sleeping bag from Applebloom and snuck out to the barn.
"This is gonna be great, Shadow! You're gonna have a home!" Jackpot promised the dog, who was happily eating his second bowl. Eventually, the dog ran out of food, drank his water bowl empty and curled up on the makeshift bed. "Tomorrow's gonna be great!" Jackpot sighed happily, getting into the sleeping bag. "Just wait and see." He said, before finally succumbing to sleep, unaware of the green eye that had been watching him for close to an hour.
Applejack had met up with Granny and Big Mac shortly thereafter in the house.
"Do we really need another dog?" Granny Smith asked.
"Nnope." Big Mac replied.
"Eeyup." Applejack spat back, "Guys, ya should see how happy Shadow makes Jacky and-
"He already named the dog?" Big Mac asked. "Eeyup." Applejack said, "And if this is gonna work, ah wanna see'em happy."
"What're ya plannin, AJ?" Granny Smith asked. With a little hesitation due to nerves, she ran down her plan.
"So ya see... Ah think we should let'em keep Shadow. In as long as he's been here, he's been happy, true, but Shadow? Jacky's the happiest he's ever been."
Granny Smith and Big Mac looked at each other, having a silent argument. Applejack waited anxiously for their reply.
Hours later, a rooster told Jackpot it was time to wake up. He didn't see Shadow right away and started to panic but was relieved to see him turn the corner into the barn. "Nature calls, huh, buddy?" he chuckled, scratching his new friend's ear. "Jackpot." the colt looked up to see the Apples standing in front of him.
"Hi guys."
"We talked it over," Applejack started, "Jes like ah promised." Jackpot's red eyes widened with anticipation.
"Ya can keep Shadow." she said.
"YES!!!" Jackpot screamed with joy! He hugged Applejack tight. "Thanks!" he smiled, "C'mon, Shadow! We're gonna getcha fixed up, buddy!" he squealed with delight, flying away with Shadow close behind.
"You ok, AJ?" Big Mac asked. She's still had the shocked expression on her face from when Jackpot hugged her, her eyes on the verge of tears as she nodded. "G-Gimme the phone... It's time."
Jackpot had spent all of the bits he'd saved up which he was saving for the Junior Wonderbolts Summer Camp. "This is awesome! Shadow, you and me get to stay friends!" Jackpot laughed. He had Shadow's fur cut short, he bought several flea dips that Fluttershy recommended, his own bowls, toys a proper bed and a red leather collar and name tag. On his way back home, he heard Applejack.
"Yes sir."
Sir? She never called anypony sir. He got curious. He looked around and saw her sitting at a cafe table with a stallion in a black suit.
"Are you sure you want this?" he asked.
"Eeyup. It's fer the best. He needs a good home and -"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!!!" Jackpot roared at her. She jumped. "Jacky?"
"'You're always welcome at the farm! You can stay with us!' YOU LIED! YOU'RE TRYING TO GET RID OF ME!"
"Jacky, wait! It ain't that!" Applejack started but he sped off by the time she'd gotten up. With Shadow in tow, he slammed the door to the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse. He was so furious! For near six months, he'd been lied to! There was a knocking at the door.
"GO AWAY!!!" he screamed in fury as hot tears started falling. "Jacky, please, listen ta me!" Applejack called out.
"No! You want to get rid of me! I thought you said I was welcome here!"
"Ya are, sugarcube! Jes gimme a chance ta explain!"
"NO!"
On the other side of the door, Applejack sighed. She looked at the manila envelope in her hoof. "Well, if ya won't listen ta me, at least read this." She slid it under the door, "Ah was savin it fer yer birthday on Sunday... but..." She sat down, tears of her own forming. Jackpot was quiet for a solid ten minutes before the door finally opened.
"This... this says..." he started, reading the paper that was in the envelope.
"That's right. It's yer adoption papers... so that ya can be... mah son." Jackpot's head snapped up, looking at her. "Jacky... in the time ya been here, Ah've come ta love you like ya was mah own. Ah want ya ta stay. Gettin rid o' ya never crossed mah mind even once.B-But... ifen ya hate me now..."
Jackpot hugged Applejack tight. "I don't hate you... I..." he buried his face into her chest. Despite this, and the fact that her chest was growing steadily wetter, she heard the next sentence as clear as a bell.
"I love you, Mom."
The dams holding back her tears shattered as she hugged her new son as tight as she could. "Uh... sorry..." the pair heard a voice behind them. "I'll c-come back later..." Scootaloo said.
"Nah, it's fine Scoots. What's up?" Jackpot asked.
"Well... uh... I... I heard you screaming in town and... well... I just... I wanted to make sure you were ok..." Scootaloo said, blushing. Jackpot hugged her, making her blush even deeper.
"Yeah, I'm fine Scootaloo. I promise." Scootaloo stammered, trying to find something to say. "O-Ok. I'll s-see you later, then?" she smiled, pecking his cheek.
"Definitely." He smiled.
Later that night as Jackpot was getting ready for bed with Shadow lying at the foot of his bed, Granny Smith stopped by his door. "Can ah come in, little feller?"
"Sure, Granny, what's up?" Granny Smith walked over.
"Ah wanted ta apologize. Ah treated ya like sin when we first met... but now... well, now yer mah great grandson." she smiled, "And as such, ah got a gift fer ya." She plopped a white stetson hat onto his head. but it went down to his neck since it was far too big.
"A hat?"
"A family ritual. The Apple Stallions have been given stetsons fer ages. This was Applejack's Dad's hat. Mah son, Alderman..."
"But the hat Mom has...?"
"Was his too. He gave her that one, bought this one soon after. Now, ah want you ta have it." she smiled. "Thanks Granny!" he smiled.
"Anytime, Jacky." Granny chuckled, leaving the room, only to have Applejack come in.
"Hey, Sugarcube."
"Hey, Mom!"
Applejack sat at the edge of his bed and ruffled his mane, once she took off the hat. "So how ya feel 'bout this?"
"About what?" he asked.
"Bein mah son." she replied. "It's great! I have what I always wanted." Jackpot smiled. "What's that, big guy?"
"A family." he answered, "I've been alone or bullied almost my whole life... then my wings act up and I crash through the barn and almost a year later, I've suddenly got a family."
"And that ain't never gon change, mah sweet lil' colt. Ah promise." Applejack smiled, hugging her son, "Mind if I snuggle up with ya fer the night?" she asked.
"Sure thing, Mom!" He scooted over as Applejack laid beside her new son, holding him tight. "Ah love you, Jacky." She smiled.
"I love you too, Mom!" were his last words before he fell asleep, safe in the embrace of his mother.