The Elements of Disharmony

TEoD Theme Song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpSXc1sLa2k

Apple Bloom was dreading the prospect of going to school. And it wasn't for the usual reasons that most fillies her age gave.

She may have been regularly bullied by the resident "mean foals" Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon for her lack of a cutie mark, but at this point, she had grown numb to any venom that those two ever spat at her. It also helped that her fellow blank-flank friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood by her in any tough situation she found herself in. Nor was it even that she necessarily hated school itself, per se. She had nothing against her teacher Ms. Cheerilee, and the other students in her class were perfectly friendly in their own right.

No, the reason that school was something she found herself dreading had to do with a certain secret she had to hide from the others she went to school with. Ever since the disappearance of Gilda, Apple Bloom noticed her sister had been acting...off lately. She seemed more quickly irritated, spoke in slight slurs, and seemed to want to spend far more time alone than normal. Concerned for her older sister's well-being, Apple Bloom decided to look around the farm for her and ask her if she was doing okay, a decision she soon came to horribly regret.

At the moment, Apple Bloom peeked inside the schoolhouse shortly before the school day began, her eyes concealed by a pair of sunglasses. Her goal at the moment was to ensure that nopony saw her enter and to keep an overall low profile. She was normally able to do that okay, until the end of the day when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would inevitably gang up on her, and today looked to be no exception. All she saw inside the classroom were a few fillies making small talk with one another and Cheerilee preoccupied at her desk with some papers.

Perfect, she thought to herself as she rounded the corner to enter the door. Just nopony see me...

"Nice shades, blank flank!"

Sighing beleagueredly, Apple Bloom slowly turned around and looked towards the source of the voice. Sure enough, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were approaching her with cocky smirks adorning their faces, eager to begin their teasing earlier than usual.

"Are you trying to start a fashion statement or something?" Silver Spoon condescendingly asked. "It's not even sunny outside today!"

"Or are you hoping that your 'special talent' involves wearing completely unmatching shades?" Diamond Tiara added with a laugh.

But to the shock of the two pristine fillies, Apple Bloom didn't respond with a retort or much of anything at all. Instead, she just sighed and turned around to make her way into the classroom. It seemed as though she was making an effort to ignore them, which they did not take kindly to, quickly stepping in front of her path.

"Hey! We're talking to you! We expect you to address us when we speak!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed crossly.

"And just what are you wearing these gaudy shades for, anyway?" asked Silver Spoon, who reached out to attempt to grab them off Apple Bloom's face. In response, Apple Bloom immediately jerked her head back and slapped Silver Spoon's hoof away, causing her to gasp, appalled.

"Why, I never! How dare you disrespect me like that! I like, just had this painted too!"

"I'm not in the mood today, so just leave me alone, okay?" Apple Bloom grumbled, shoving her way past the two and making her way to her desk.

Silver Spoon scoffed, rubbing her slapped hoof. "Can you believe the nerve of that blank flank? She has no right to just ignore us like that, let alone lay a hoof on ponies with actual cutie marks, right, Diamond Tiara?"

Diamond Tiara didn't respond at first, instead seeming more unusually concerned at what exactly just happened. Apple Bloom's current behavior was very uncharacteristic of her, and that combined with the shades she didn't seem to keen on explaining made for a very suspicious situation. As much as she hated to admit it, she was at least somewhat concerned for what exactly was going on with Apple Bloom, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later. Before she could properly respond, however, the school bell rang, and the remaining students shuffled inside and took their seats, Diamond and Silver following shortly after.

"Okay, my little ponies! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Let's start the day off with roll call," Cheerilee announced, reading off a sheet of paper. "Apple Bloom?"

Apple Bloom recoiled at the mention of her name, resenting it being at the top of the list alphabetically. Wanting to get things over with as soon as possible, she half-heartedly grumbled, "Here..."

Taking notice of this unusually dour tone of voice for the usually more chipper student, Cheerilee glanced up from the paper and noticed the shades Apple Bloom was wearing for the first time.

"Um, Apple Bloom? Why are you wearing those sunglasses indoors? You know those could be distracting to other students," she scolded.

This was unnerving for Apple Bloom, who hadn't yet thought of an excuse to bring up in a situation like this. She ended up coming up with a weak lie off the top of her head and hoped against hope that it would work.

"Oh, uh...y'see...my...my eyes have been really sore all morning! Yeah, I think they're really sensitive lately for some reason. Allergies, maybe. I'm just wearing these to go easy on my eyes for a few days. Too much light might make 'em worse. You understand...right?" she asked, grinning sheepishly.

Cheerilee cocked an eyebrow at this excuse. She had never heard of somepony's eyes being so sensitive that they were required to constantly wear shades to alleviate the pain. And yet, just because it was something she hadn't heard of didn't mean it wasn't necessarily true. And she didn't want to pry into the personal issues of one of her students too much, so she decided to let it slide.

"Well...alright then. Just take things easy, okay?" she requested, before resuming roll call. "Aquamarine?"

--

The rest of the school day went by mostly seamlessly, with nopony else pressing Apple Bloom about her shades. The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and once Cheerilee announced the homework for the night, the students began filing out of the classroom. Silver Spoon was quick to join up with Diamond Tiara, who seemed more focused on something else at the moment.

"So, do you want to do our homework together at my place? My mom can make scones for us!" Silver Spoon suggested.

"What? Huh?" Diamond Tiara asked, being taken out of her thoughts. "Uh, yeah, sure. That sounds good. I'll meet up with you there, okay? I've just got something quick to do here first."

Satisfied enough with that answer, Silver walked out of the building, and Diamond scanned the crowd of students looking for the one she wanted to talk to. Shortly after, she found Apple Bloom straying from the crowd, once again seemingly trying to go unnoticed. Diamond quickly made her way to the filly in question, once again blocking her path.

"Okay, you're hiding something," she accused, to which Apple Bloom groaned in exasperation.

"What do you care?" Apple Bloom asked, trying to make her way around Diamond, who persisted in not letting her pass.

"So you ARE hiding something! Tell me. You may have everypony else fooled with that whole 'sensitive eyes' bit, but I'm not falling for it. I want to know."

"No you don't! Just leave me alone!" she snapped, running around her bully and making a beeline toward Sweet Apple Acres.

"I won't tell anypony! ...And I won't laugh!" Diamond called out, which caused Apple Bloom to stop in her tracks. Quickly making her way back to Diamond, she brought the two under a tree and looked around cautiously.

"You promise you won't tell nopony?" Apple Bloom asked.

Sighing, as it went against her gossipy nature, Diamond relented. "I Pinkie Promise I won't tell anypony," she said, crossing her heart, and sticking a hoof in her eye. "I just want to know at this point."

Apple Bloom had to admit that while she initially wanted nopony to ever figure out what had happened, there was a possibility that telling somepony who promised to keep it a secret might make her feel at least a little bit better than she was currently feeling. Plus, when else was Diamond Tiara going to be nice to her? With a deep sigh, Apple Bloom slowly removed her sunglasses, and what lay underneath caused Diamond to gasp aloud.

"Oh...my...what happened?! Your eye is black!" Diamond whispered.

Quickly shushing her, Apple Bloom hung her head down and nodded. Indeed, her left eye was a dark shade of black, swollen completely shut and throbbing intermittently. "Yeah...I know..."

"Well...how'd it happen? Did you bump into a door, did an apple fall on you from a tree?"

Shaking her head, Apple Bloom replied, "No...what happened was something else...It was yesterday, 'round this time as a matter of fact..."

--

"Applejack? Applejaaaaaaaaaack?"

Apple Bloom had been looking in practically every noteworthy location on the farm for her sister, who she simply could not find anywhere, no matter how hard she looked. Even asking Big Mac
and Granny Smith if they knew where she was produced no results, and after an hour, she was about ready to give up. It was then that she remembered one place that she hadn't checked yet, and it was a place she tended to block from her mind, as it was associated with a particularly traumatic memory of hers she didn't like revisiting. This time, however, she was concerned with the well-being of her sister, and overcame her reluctance to figure out what was going on with her.

Making her way to the farm's cider cellar, she found the door to it closed, as usual, but did hear an array of sounds coming from it. What sounded like pouring liquid, some big gulps, and the occasional hiccup. Apple Bloom had an idea of what was going on here, and despite her deepest fears, opened the door to confront the pony inside.

And indeed, it was Applejack, a half-filled cider mug in her hoof that spilled a bit when she turned to face Apple Bloom. Her eyes were half-lidded, her hair was messy, and even her hat was crooked. Her attitude and awareness at the moment fared no better.

"Wha...whuzzuh...who's there, uh...Apple Bloom? What're y'all doin' here? Only grown-up ponies are allowed in here!" Applejack slurred, taking another long swig out of her mug.

Such a display was enough to leave Apple Bloom quite distraught. Not only was her older sister completely drunk on cider, and not only was she completely ignoring the warning outside the cellar made specifically for her, but her demeanor scarily resembled that of the last time something similar like this happened, that traumatic memory she hated revisiting. Nevertheless, she approached Applejack warily in spite of her nervousness.

"What am I doin' here? What're you doin' in here? You know you're not supposed to be in here without Granny Smith or Big Mac watchin' over you!" Apple Bloom scolded, to which Applejack scoffed.

"I can take care of my...myself," Applejack stumbled out. "And I can certainly handle my own cider!" she added, hiccuping after. Cocking an eyebrow at this, Apple Bloom further closed the distance between the two, and put on a more concerned look.

"Applejack, I'm worried about you. Ever since Gilda went missing, you've been acting crankier, and the family's getting worried. There's apples that need bucking, animals that need feeding, and if Big Mac or Granny Smith find out you've been drinking in here-"

"They ain't gonna find out!" Applejack interrupted, before her expression turned into one of anger. "Unless you was plannin' on tellin' 'em I was here..." she muttered, as she put down her glass and began slowly walking towards her little sister. This was quick to intimidate Apple Bloom enough into backing away from her increasingly agitated older sister, despite some of her steps being off-balance due to her inhibited senses.

"I...I wasn't gonna tell them. I just wanted to say-"

"What? That you told them already? You did, didn't ya? Bet they're on their way here right now because of ya, ain't they? Ain't they?!" Applejack demanded, backing Apple Bloom into a corner.

"N-n-no...I...I..." Apple Bloom started, tears starting to form in her eyes and her voice becoming shakier. "You're scarin' me, Applejack. I...I want my big sister back..."

Despite being thoroughly drunk, Applejack was at least somewhat lucid enough to recognize that Apple Bloom was genuinely fearful of her in that moment. Her anger ebbed away after a few seconds, and she bent down to Apple Bloom's level to look her in the eye.

"Alright...maybe I have been drinkin' a bit excessively lately," she admitted, with another hiccup. "Truth is, sometimes even your big sister gets scared when somethin' crazy's goin' on in the world. I'm sorry I scared ya and I'm sorry for not actin’ like myself lately. I promise I'll try to-" she started, before she was interrupted by a noise at the cellar door that caused both sisters to turn their heads towards it. It sounded as though somepony was trying to make their way into the room, given the sound repeated every few seconds. This caused Applejack to assume the worst, and for her anger to immediately return.

"After all I said and apologized for...y'all LIED to me?!" Applejack roared.

"No! I swear I didn't-"

"Don't play dumb with me! Some Apple you turned out to be..." she muttered. Those words in particular really stung Apple Bloom; if her sister ever said something, it was practically guaranteed to be the truth, and it made her feel even worse about herself than the situation she was in already was.

"Applejack, I..."

"Just go. Lemme enjoy one last drink in peace before they put an end to this..." she resigned, making her way back to the bar.

"Please, Applejack-"

"I said GET OUT!" Applejack bellowed, raising up a hoof and striking Apple Bloom in the face, knocking her straight to the floor with a cry of pain. As the filly laid sprawled on the ground, it didn’t take long for her to realize that she was only able to open up one of her eyes, as the other was starting to swell shut and sent a burst of pain through her body whenever she even lightly touched it. This combined with being physically struck down by her older sister, her role model throughout her entire life, and not even the first time this had happened at that, was enough to cause Apple Bloom to start crying to herself.

Paying this very little mind, Applejack stumbled back to the bar and poured herself another glass that she quickly downed before blacking out and collapsing on the floor.

Meanwhile, Applejack's pet dog Winona was outside the cellar door, scratching at it and occasionally whining, not having been fed by her owner in a good while.

--

"...So...Applejack really just...hit you like that?" Diamond Tiara asked, abject horror in her eyes.

Now with fresh tears in her eyes herself after having retold the story, Apple Bloom nodded. "Yeah...ain't even the first time neither...but the first one I could cover up with my mane..." she explained.

"Well...we've gotta tell somepony about this! She can't just abuse you like-"

"No!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, though returning to her more hushed tone after. "If word gets out about this, then Applejack would get in real big trouble, and if they take her away, we won't be able to keep up with running the farm anymore! And...she'd only just get angrier at me..."

Diamond Tiara was completely floored by everything she was just told. She had always viewed Apple Bloom as nothing more than a blank flank with no future and never in a million years would've guessed she was being abused by her older sister. It made her feel bad that she chose to pick on her so often during school, doubtlessly only contributing to the inner turmoil she already had to deal with at home.

"I just...I don’t even know what to say. If I'd known, I wouldn't have-" Diamond started, before being interrupted by a scoff from Apple Bloom.

"Yeah, sure. You'd have just picked on somepony else instead. Not like you ever have to deal with anything like that in your life..." she retorted bitterly.

Diamond Tiara was taken aback by this response, and while she normally would've immediately fired back, right now she was conflicted on how exactly to respond. But given the circumstances, it only seemed fair that she be honest with Apple Bloom too.

"...That's not entirely true..." she whispered, eliciting a look of doubt from Apple Bloom. "My family isn't all it's cracked up to be either. They've never done anything as bad to me as...well, that, obviously," she said, referring to Apple Bloom's blackened eye. "But my parents are always so insistent that I follow in their hoofsteps that they don't allow for any input from me and what I want whatsoever. And if I fail at anything in their eyes...it's like they don't even consider me their daughter..." she trailed off, looking despondent.

Apple Bloom wasn't entirely sure how to take this information. On one hoof, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Diamond, and she seemed sincere enough that she wouldn't be lying in this
moment. On the other, she was still her bully at the end of the day, and she still harbored some resentment for her.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that...but that don't excuse the way you've treated me and my friends for the past few months..."

"Oh, I know it doesn't! And I'm honestly, truly sorry that Silver Spoon and I ever ganged up on you three. Truth be told, after this, I don't think I ever want to pick on any of you ever
again. After what you just told me, I think we may have more in common than we realize..." Diamond Tiara hinted at. This caught Apple Bloom's attention, who raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Are you sayin'...?" she started, to which Diamond Tiara nodded in response.

"Yes. I'd like to be your friend...Apple Bloom," she firmly stated, reaching out a hoof as a peace offering.

Apple Bloom's one good eye widened in response. Diamond had rarely, if ever, referred to her by her real name, and she even less frequently offered a genuine display of amicability towards her. But perhaps she was right. Maybe the two of them had more in common than they initially thought. And what she was offering was certainly preferable to having her continue her bullying. It might have seemed like a long shot, but it’s not as though she had much to lose at this point. Tentatively reaching out her own hoof, she returned the hoofshake.

“I would like that a lot, Diamond Tiara,” Apple Bloom replied, a faint smile making its way to the corner of her mouth, the first one she had given anypony that day.

Diamond Tiara beamed back at her newfound friend. “Oh, that’s great to hear! Thank you!” she exclaimed. “Well...I don’t want to take up too much more of your time today, but I’m glad we could have this discussion. I look forward to seeing you in class tomorrow!” she said with a wave as she walked off towards Silver Spoon’s house.

“Me too! See you then!” Apple Bloom returned with her own wave. As she walked back home herself, with her shades back on, she found that her mood was elevated to a point that it hadn’t reached in a good while. It felt like somepony was actually concerned for her well-being in these uncertain times, and while she would’ve never guessed somepony like Diamond Tiara would be the one to actually show that genuine concern, she was happy to accept it. It gave her some much-needed hope for the coming days.

Maybe things’ll change for the better around here, she thought, upon returning to the farm.