The Lord of the Ponies: The Friendship of Equestria

Ch.2 Twilight Come To Town

Apple Bloom was a small yellow filly with a mane and tail as red as the apples she grew at home, and she always had her signature pink bow in her mane. While Granny Smith called to her from the other end of town, Apple Bloom sat under a spruce tree. The filly's back rested on the rough bark of the whorled tree, and her back hooves lay hidden in the high grass. Dappled sunlight from Celestia's Sun illuminated Apple Bloom's fur, now a shimmering gold. Hours passed as she read a book, her adolescent mind integrated in the truth of fictional literature.

White flowers littered the well-seeded grass, which were swept in the light breeze which blew through Apple Bloom's fur. But this breeze was special, for it carried the words of a dear friend from not so far away, who was currently singing a song.

"Love's in bloom..."

Apple Bloom heard this, and immediately looked around to locate the source of the song. Once Apple Bloom found the direction, she stood upon her four legs, and galloped off towards the noise, her eyes alight with excitement.

"...A beautiful bride and handsome groom..." the mysterious singer sang. As Apple Bloom galloped closer, she heard the distinct rumble of a wagon and the gentle clip-clop of hooves which accompanied the lighthearted tune.

"Love's in bloom. A beautiful bride and handsome groom."

Apple Bloom met the singer at a small bank that intersected with the road the stranger travelled on. Apple Bloom then stood tall on her hind legs, crossed her forelegs, and put on the most serious face she could muster.

"You're late," imposed Apple Bloom in her Southern Belle accent. The mysterious pony, or Twilight Sparkle as her friends knew her, halted her fireworks-filled wagon, and looked up at Apple Bloom on the hill.

"A wizard is never late, Apple Bloom. Nor is she early. She arrives precisely when she means to... or when it says according to my schedule," replied Twilight, looking at the scroll which levitated in front of her face.

"And according to my schedule... I am early," finished Twilight, before she put her schedule away. The lavender Unicorn glowered at Apple Bloom, and Apple Bloom matched Twilight's.

The two ponies kept the staring contest going, but this façade could not last. Small smiles formed, and with those smiles came bigger ones, then snickering, which became open laughter. Apple Bloom suddenly jumped into Twilight's wagon, where Twilight caught her, and both embraced in a hug for the time they spent away from each other.

"It’s wonderful to see ya Twilight!" exclaimed Apple Bloom, as her hug faltered around Twilight.

"You didn't think I'd miss your Granny Smith's Birthday?" questioned the lavender Unicorn, a twinkle in her eye.

Twilight and Apple Bloom took their seats in the cart, and Twilight hastened the stallion pulling the cart to move forward. He did, but with a groan, as the filly added to the already heavy weight of what the stallion had to pull. The wagon soon strode into Ponyville's residential section, where simple, two-story wooden houses stood tall along the street; the occupants of the structures were as absent as the personality of the simple abodes.

"So how is Granny Smith?" asked Twilight, to which she continued, "I hear it's going to be a party of special magnificence."

The cart rolled forward, slowly approaching Ponyville's empty market square.

"You know Granny Smith. She's got the whole place in an uproar," Apple Bloom answered.

"Well, that should please her," Twilight chuckled.

"Half of Ponyville's been invited. And the rest of them are turning up anyway," Apple Bloom added. Both Twilight and Apple Bloom laughed at the comment as the cart was pulled deeper into Ponyville.

***

Granny Smith still sat on her study chair, and she continued to write in her book.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

And so life in Ponyville goes on, very much as it has this past Second Age, full of its own comings and goings, with change coming slowly, If it comes at all. For things are meant to endure in Ponyville, passing from one generation to the next. There's always been an Apple at Sweet Apple Acres...

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Granny Smith took her focus from her book, and looked out her study window. She saw Applejack and Big Macintosh bucking the apple trees which stretched in an orchard as far as the eye could see.

"...and there always will be," Granny Smith silently regarded to herself.

***

Apple Bloom looked onto Ponyville's approaching market square, a somewhat disturbed look contorting her features.

"To tell ya the truth, Granny's been a bit odd lately," commented Apple Bloom, to which Twilight herself grew apprehensive.

"I mean, more than usual." Apple Bloom looked up at Twilight, as if searching for an answer to Granny Smith's of late peculiarity. Twilight grew only increasingly disturbed at this, and it showed on her features.

"She's taken to locking herself in her study. She spends 'ours pouring over old maps when she thinks nopony's looking," continued Apple Bloom.

***

Granny Smith stood up from her chair, and settled herself on her four hooves. She felt quite proud of the beginning of her book, and deemed herself worthy of a reprieve. Granny frisked her coat, which grew increasingly hurried and desperate as she realized whatever she was looking for, wasn't on her.

"Where's it gone?" questioned Granny Smith as she hurriedly paced around the study.

Granny's breathing and pace grew increasingly erratic as she searched under, over and into everything in her study. Feeling anxiety grip her, Granny quickly checked her person again, just to be sure. Around her mid section she stopped, feeling a familiar bump under a tuft of fur. This calmed the old Earth pony down immensely, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Granny Smith pulled out a ring, which now sat in the middle of her hoof.

***

"She's up to something," insisted Apple Bloom, as the cart finally rolled into Ponyville's market, where a familiar apple stand stood empty, along with every other stand. It seemed that all ponies were preoccupied with Granny Smith's party preparations.

Twilight looked upon the little filly with concern, more so afraid for Granny's sake than Apple Bloom's. However, Apple Bloom felt the piercing gaze of Twilight upon her, and she shot a knowing look over to her friend, to suddenly find Twilight averting her gaze, instead focusing on the beautiful cloud house above Ponyville.

"All right then. Keep your secrets," joked Apple Bloom, which relieved the pressure from the previously grim conversation.

"What?" replied Twilight, a look of utter confusion on her face.

"But I know you have something to do with it," asserted Apple Bloom.

"Good gracious me," murmured Twilight. The lavender Unicorn looked in shock upon Apple Bloom.

"I may not be a genius, but I bet my the entire Apple family orchard that it has something to do with that adventure you had with Granny Smith," asserted Apple Bloom.

"If you're referring to the incident with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your Granny a little nudge out of the door," countered Twilight.

"Well, whatever you did, I think it's the reason for Granny being so peculiar of late," Apple Bloom commented.

"Oh, really?" Twilight questioned. The wagon passed through the square, and was now in the process of passing a red schoolhouse.

Apple Bloom ducked as low as she could when the school came into view, as if she was trying to hide herself.

"Skipping school, Apple Bloom?" asked Twilight, but the question was more rhetorical than anything, as she already knew the answer.

"I was just trying to get my Cutie Mark." Apple Bloom pointed to her flank, which was bare of anything resembling a Cutie Mark.

"Scootaloo usually has us doin' crazy things, so I wanted to try something peaceful while she was at school," defended Apple Bloom, hoping Twilight would take her excuse as a good reason, and not tell Cheerilee, her teacher.

"And what were you doing that you thought was going to get you a Cutie Mark?" inquired Twilight, as she hoped it wasn't something too ridiculous.

"It was reading, okay," Apple Bloom said. The golden filly gave Twilight a moment to take it in, before she added, "I was hoping to get my Cutie Mark in reading,"

"Apple Bloom, if anybody were to get a Cutie Mark in reading, it would probably be me," snickered Twilight.

"Keep it down, Twilight. I'd hate to get caught," cautioned Apple Bloom.

"With the crowd that's gathering behind us, I'd be more worried about ducking down further," added Twilight.

Apple Bloom snuck a peek behind the cart to see that Twilight was right; the entire school basically emptied just to chase the wagon.

"Twilight! Twilight! Fireworks, Twilight!" Little fillies and colts yelled as they chased after the wagon which passed by their school.

The little ponies lined up behind the cart, and continued murmuring their wishes for fireworks, for Twilight was known for creating fireworks of great magical splendor. Twilight continued on, seemingly deaf to the cries of the little ponies behind her. Apple Bloom ducked even lower, hoping her friends and classmates wouldn't see her.

Soon the fillies and colts cries turned to groans as they thought they wouldn't get their special fireworks.

       *Bang*

A single firework, meant to arouse the excitement of the children, erupted, and so did the ponies cheers. The many fillies and colts chased after the multiple glowing butterflies which led them back to Cheerie's schoolhouse. Twilight and Apple Bloom laughed whole-heartedly with the children's adoration, knowing they brought just that much more happiness into the world. Even the groaning stallion who pulled the wagon smiled at the palpable excitement of the children.

Apple Bloom stood up, and using one of her forehooves, she supported herself on the side of the wagon.

"Twilight? I'm glad your back," said Apple Bloom. The tiny Earth pony expertly departed the carriage with a smile, and headed away from the school.

Unbeknownst to her, the wagon-puller sighed. The stallion felt the weight of the cart noticeably lessen by a whole filly.

"So am I dear," Twilight called after Apple Bloom.

"So am I," Twilight silently repeated to herself, as the cart moved on towards an all too familiar apple orchard.