The Apple Family Reunion (Short Fanfiction)
Author's Note
A little short I composed featuring a happy Apple Belle.
Beautifully edited by Lightning Farron. Go check them out and leave them a watch.
The Apple Family Reunion (Short Fanfiction)
It’s been two years since I was first invited to the annual Apple Family Reunion. I was going to stay home again with my aunt and uncle whom I barely see come to Carousel Boutique around this time of year. This year, it seemed, decision was out of my hooves as Braeburn was sent to pick me up. He grabbed me by the hoof and placed me on his back, which as usual, bore the Sweet scent of Apples. The scent had the secondary effect of putting me to sleep. However, before sleep could overtake me, I took Braeburn's hat and used it to block out the sun as I fell into sleep.
"Finally, the whole family will be at the reunion," He said to me as we reached the farm’s entrance once I had woken up.
"I still don't understand why I was invited,” I frowned, shooting him a sidelong look. “It’s not like I'm not your blood kin or anything like that.” I hopped off his back, still wearing his hat and kept walking. He grabbed for his hat but I flinched causing him to miss and he fell face first into the dirt. I had to stifle the giggle that came up as a result but a few still managed to sneak past. Braeburn either didn’t notice or didn’t care as he continued.
"You've been workin' with us almost your whole life, you started helpin' out at the age an Apple Family member is required to start. During that time, you've done so much for us that you deserve a warm welcome.” He smiled wryly as he continued. “If ya act like an Apple then you are an Apple." Braeburn said proudly, like he had been showing me around Appleoosa.
I smiled brightly at him. We continued to walk for about an hour and finally reached Sweet Apple Acres. Once again Braeburn grabbed for his hat and fell. I ran and he started to chase me. The chase ended when I ended up face planting into the barn.
"Y-y' can keep it!" Braeburn yelled as he fell onto his side and started to laugh.
Big Macintosh walked out of the barn looking stern. His expression bellied his irritation of his work being interrupted. I already knew full well that he probably had the most chores to do around the farm being the eldest and the distraction certainly wasn’t helping him.
"Apple Belle and Braeburn! Why don't y'all go do some work: get four baskets of apples each. Y’all are too hyper anyway," Big Macintosh grumbled to us before turning away to resume his own chores.
We did just that in less than twenty minutes. When Big Macintosh noticed, he looked at us like we were crazy. We both started to laugh uncontrollably for no particular reason, other than the fact that amidst Big Macintosh's stern speak, he was holding in a huge laugh himself. Finally he cracked, and laughed his heart out. I went and found Apple Bloom sunbathing so I laid next to her.
"So Ah see you finally came?" She said to me in a mocking tone of voice. I smirked at her.
"Eyyup! I did! By I did I specifically meant Braeburn put me on his back and brought me over here, which is why I have his hat," I said to Apple Bloom while mocking her tone and gesturing to the stenson on my head.
A smell struck me right then from what she was drinking, something that if Rarity found out I drank, I would be as flat as a poster on the wall. I stared at her in awe as she continued sipping her drink.
"Is that fermented apple cider?" I asked Apple Bloom half incredulous half envious.
She nodded and handed me the cup.
"Take a sip, you'll love it,” She promised me. I didn’t doubt it. Sweet Apple Acres cider was rumored to be among the best if not THE best cider in all of Equestria.
"But Rarity will..." I began before Apple Bloom cut me off.
"Ah don't care what Rarity will do, try it," Apple bloom insisted as she shoved the cup in my face.
I took a small sip and grimaced at the bitter taste. I didn’t know who thought that this apple cider was delicious but whoever was was a liar. Or just really liked bitter things. Apple Bloom, for her part, scowled at my negative reaction to my small sip and dumped the rest down my throat.
"Really!" I coughed as the bitter liquid made its way down my throat. I then shot Apple Bloom a death glare but the lemon coated pony was unrepentant.
"You can't be at an Apple Family Reunion and not get drunk!” Apple Bloom insisted “It’s culture! Here, grab some more and stop being so uptight about what Rarity thinks, she's not here, just have fun!" Apple Bloom yelled at me.
Apple Bloom stood up and grabbed two more cups of fermented apple cider. She handed one of them to me so I took it and put it beside me. She looked at me like I committed some terrible sin, so with a mental prayer at the forefront of my mind, I downed it.
To my surprise, the second cup tasted better than the first. Maybe this was what Rarity was talking about when she said that there were some things that tended to be an acquired taste. Nonetheless, I wanted more but I decided to wait until more Apple ponies showed up. As I put my cup on the ground next to me, I felt something touching my back. I jumped up and turned around to find a blue earth pony with a red mane with a saddlebag on her back.
"Ah'm Candy Apples, nice to meet you Apple Belle," She smiled at me. I responded with one in kind.
"Nice to meet you," I said to her.
"Ah have actually been waitin’ to meet ya, Ah have something' for you, you can give yer cousin his back," She said to me. I blinked and couldn’t help but reflexively hold the hat protectively to my barrel. I went through a lot of trouble getting this hat and I wasn’t about to part with it that easily. Candy Apples just snorted in amusement as she rummaged through her saddlebags.
Letting out a sound of triumph, Candy Apples handed me a hat which was different than every Apple pony's I've seen so far. Interested, I put Braeburn's hat on the ground and put the new on my head. I couldn’t help but reflexively strike a pose. It couldn’t be helped given how much time I spent with Rarity. Apple Bloom eyed me from every angle as I noticed my new hat blocked the sun better than Braeburn's.
"Apple Belle to the max, showin' the true Sweet Apple style," Apple Bloom said happily. I smirked in turn as we bumped hooves.
"Hold on, there's more," Candy Apples said. Apple Bloom and I watched in interest as she rummaged through her bag for a moment before she let out another sound of triumph. Clearly, she had found what she was looking for. She didn't pull it out though but instead she whispered something in Apple Bloom's ear.
"Close your eyes and take off yer hat Apple Belle," she instructed as she seemed to be resisting the urge laugh.
I eyed them both oddly before I closed my eyes and took off my hat. They seemed to be stifling their giggles which put me on edge in an instant. If nothing else, Apple Bloom was well known for her mischievousness and I wouldn’t put it past her to have some sort of prank ready. Anyway, I frowned as I felt them put something on my head and seemed to tie it.
"Open your eyes," I heard Candy Apples say.
I obeyed and it immediately became obvious just what they put on me: a bonnet. A frilly bonnet. I rolled my eyes as I untied it and took it off. I put my new hat back on while mentally noting to return Braeburn’s. I decided to incorporate this hat in my style.
"Granny Smith told me to buy y' a shopping bonnet, she's taking you and Apple Bloom out shopping soon and if you’re going, which you are, you must wear your shopping bonnet. Apple Bloom will understand," Candy Apples explained as she handed me the bag.
"It's all yers, the rest is little things Ah thought you’d need," Candy Apples said
The first thing I saw when I looked in the bag is a red bandana with white apples and hats all over it.
"Bloom, can you tie this around my neck?" I asked Apple Bloom, holding out the bandana in my hoof.
She nodded as she tied the bandana around my neck. I looked more in the bag and spotted a bible, cross, and a necklace with an apple on it. I put on the cross and apple necklace. The final thing in the bag was a smaller bag. Interested, I opened it and grinned at the sight of bits. I immediately grabbed Candy Apples into the tightest hug that I could manage. It seemed that she, in turn, was doing the same to me.
"Apple Belle come here!" I heard Applejack yell from the door to the house.
I trotted into the house from where she yelled. When I stepped inside, she gestured for me go upstairs. Once we were upstairs, she brought me into an empty bedroom.
"You can leave yer stuff here. It’s your room now. Do as you as you like with it," Applejack told me.
She left and I put my bag down as I took stock of what was inside. There was a bookshelf filled with new books as well as some space for me to buy some new books. I placed the bible on the shelf. Next, I looked at a wardrobe already filled with all form of clothing. The main part had everything. Staying with the classic old fashioned Apple style, there was dresses, coats, boots, hats, shirts, and anything other garments anypony could come up with. I started to try stuff on and to my surprise it all fit perfectly.
Ultimately, I decided to stay with the hat, necklaces, and bandana for now. It was then I saw them: Two picture frames; one of me and the other empty on a bureau. The bureau had a shelf which was filled with hair workings for days. Dyes, straightners, curlers and all that you can imagine. For now I just straightened it and put my hair in a ponytail and walked downstairs.
"Apple Belle, can you finish cookin' this for me. Just stir for five minutes, then add some chicken to it, stir for three more minutes and its finished," Applejack told me.
I grabbed a chair to stand on before jumping on it and did as Applejack asked. I picked up the cooking pot and brought it out to the table. Then I went back inside to find Applejack on the couch, writing a list of some kind.
"When I finish this, it's going to you. It’s all the Apple Family traditional recipes, Apple Cider, BBQ ribs, pancakes, waffles, you name it, it’s all here, every Apple family member has it," She told me, gesturing to said list.
A minute later she handed it to me. It was twelve pages long front and back. I looked through it and found what I was looking for, though not known for it, the Apple Family made great pastas, and I found the classic fettuccine alfredo recipe.
"Mind if I did some cooking?" I asked Applejack eagerly.
"Just make enough for a crowd of hungry Apples, whatever it is you’ll need ten pounds at least," she said with an affectionate smile.
"Where is the pasta?" I asked quickly as Applejack made to move outside to greet the others.
She pointed above me as I got to work.
I spent the next four hours slaving over a hot stove, making homemade alfredo sauce and making sure everything was ready for the party. By this point, I could hear Applejack complaining which I pointedly ignored, so I worked until I created the perfect fettuccini alfredo. Grinning, I brought it all out to the food table which is when I noticed about fifty new ponies.
"Nice to meet ya Apple Belle," was all I heard for the next hour as I met all of them individually. I had responded in kind. In truth, I couldn’t help but look over to the food every few seconds but my relatives either didn’t know or didn’t care as they continued to greet me.
Finally I sat down and was invited to sit between Applejack and Granny Smith as we began our veritable feast.
After the meal, Apple Bloom and I both said goodbye to all our relatives and received our final gifts: our first cell phones. This was around when smartphones were first released and we got the latest. They were filled with the entire Apple Family as contacts, pre-installed SD cards, and much more. Finally we all posed for a group photo, the whole Apple Family, which now stands proudly in my second picture frame.
I got home to concerned parents who were confused to how I was dressed and why I had twelve pieces of paper with me.
"Don't ask," I said as I walked up the stairs with the classic Apple smile.
