Bougie Apple

Living within a high society has the 'benefit" of affecting a being mind. Depending on how one is raised, it can mean all the difference when it comes to how a pony views the world. Diamond Tiara, being the young and impressionable mare she is, has always looked to her parents as role models. Her father is a wealthy business pony whose pride and lack of emotions he carries within his wallet. And her mother, a business mare in the education field, a mare who she's always figured she would turn out to be. A mare with connections in virtually every area possible, someone who hangs her emotions out on display as if be a warning to others. Like a female lion with a male lion's mane. Diamond Tiata knew that she'd get whatever she wanted as long as they played by their rules, and this morning was no exception...at least, that's what she thought.

"Tiara, wake up. It's time for breakfast," Mrs.Rich said, banging on her daughter's door. Diamond Tiara turned in her bed, trying to block out the noise from the door. "Tiara, wake up. You need to eat before school." With a groan, she lazily grabbed another pillow, sandwiching her head in the middle.

"Nifty, go away. I'm not going to school." She said, her voice somewhat muffled by the pillow.

"Tiara! Get your flank out of bed...Now!" Diamond Tiara's heart froze for a moment as she realized that it wasn't her maid she was talking to but her mother. Meanwhile, behind her bedroom door, Spoiled Rich was tapping her hoof against the floor. With each passing second, her temper grew high while her patience diminished. Finally, with a click of her door, Diamond Tiara walked out of her room.

"What's this about not going to school? she demanded.

"Where's Nifty?

"Young lady, answer the question." Tiara could see her displeasure, her gaze looking down on her. She avoided eye contact, not saying a word. "Oh, I didn't realize we were playing the quiet game. And so early in the morning, too. Alright, I can play," she said. Those were the last words her mother said before walking downstairs to their dining hall. She tried to talk, but her mother "shushed" her each time she attempted. She stopped trying after three and continued all the way there in silence. Passing by a few family pictures, she noticed something about them all. Her mother was always on the right side of each photograph. Growing up, she learned that those you trust the most, you keep on your right side. That was one of the few reasons she always had Silver Spoon walk beside her on her right. But there was one picture frame missing from the others, a tanning line visible that it used to hang up in the hall before disappearing. Passing the remaining picture frames, she suddenly felt a chill rush down her spine. She looked over her shoulder, shifting her head back and forth to the portraits. She could have sworn the eyes were following her. Feeling too uncomfortable, she speeded back to her mother's side.

Now, at the dining room table, she looked around for any signs of her father. Her mother noticed, making sure that she saw her looking at her before looking back to the oven. It dinged done, opening the door fully and grabbing her oven mitts. She pulled out a tray of tiny apple souffles, carefully removing them and giving a decent helping to her daughter. Diamond Tiara's mouth was left agape; she'd never seen her mother bake before. As far as she knew, her mother hated cooking, only doing so for special occasions. She looked on in surprise as she casually hummed a tune.

"You made-

"Shh-."

"..."

"What's wrong? You don't want to play the quiet game anymore?" she said. Tiara nodded no, rapidly shaking her head. "Then the next few words that come out of your mouth better be why you don't want to go to school and an apology for not answering," she said, pouring her a glass of juice.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," she said, grabbing her cup.

"AND-"

"And I don't wanna go 'cause-" She paused for a moment. "Cause I don't want ponies seeing my bad eye." She lied, unwilling to admit it was because of Applebloom friends. She sipped at her juice while her mother ate her food.

"Oh, well, in that case, you can stay home."

"Really!"

"No." she plainly said, taking another bite of her souffle, secretly praising herself for her handy work. "Just like she taught me. Still got it," she thought.

"But why?" Tiara voiced, hitting the table as she did so. Mrs.Rich stopped eating and swallowed what she had already in her mouth.

"Because I said so. You are going to school, young lady and that's final," she said, hitting her hoof on the table. Diamond Tiars couldn't help but flinch, lowering her head in front of her. She'd never seen her mother so...motherly, as weird as that sounded. She frooze for a second before reaching for her cup, seeing the reflection of her black eye. This act triggered flashbacks of yesterday, of how small she felt when Applebloom and her friends stood up to her, and everyone around them surrounded her along with how her idea backfired on her, making her look worse.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry for that just now," Mrs.Rich said, catching her daughter's attention again. "I'll try to contact Princess Twilight and see if she can do something to help you. But I want you to understand I'm not mad at you. I'm just disappointed. I mean, Really Tiara. You could have said anything else but chose to say something as barbaric as mentioning..." she stopped, looking down at her souffle. She picked off a piece of the thinly cut apple, gazing at it fondly before sighing heavily. "Just keep that in mind."

"I said I'm sorry," Tiara said. Her mother glared at her before she guzzled down half of her drink.

"Sorry doesn't mean problem solved. Sorry is just the start." She said, wiping her eyes from any potential tears. "Now, finish your breakfast. I'll be taking you to school today," she said,

"What?" she said, blushing in embarrassment.

"I gave Ms.Nifty the next two weeks off," she nonchalantly said. "I made a promise to Ms.Applejack that I'd be sure that you received a punishment on my side as well. And this is it. So, until your two weeks of detention are over, you are going to be doing all the housework."

"But that's so unfair,"

"No, it's chores. You've just never had to do them cause Ms.Nifty always did. Now that she isn't here, the tasks fall to you," she finished, placing her finished plate into the dishwasher. "If every other pony can do it, so can you."

Sweet Apple Acres. A foundational pillar of Ponyville. It was here that Applebloom was raised to be intelligent, strong, and honest by her family. She admired them more than anything in the world. Her grandmother, Granny Smith, was always willing to talk to her in her times of need. Trying her best to understand her, even when she had trouble with it. She could still recall the time when she told Granny she might be bisexual, along with the look of confusion she had on her face. After collecting her barring, Granny bluntly said to her that she didn't care as long as the pony she found made her happy. Her brother, Big Mac, is a stallion of few words and often lets his actions express most of his feelings. He'd usually reply with an "eeyup" or a "Nope" when feasible. However, she has noticed he's been more vocal since dating Sugar Bell. He'd go to any length for them, even going as far as to cross-dress to aid his sister. And finally, her big sister Applejack, who she'd turn to the most. She aspired to be just like her when she was younger, always being able to stand firm in adversary while wearing a smile. But, after yesterday's...incident, she noticed something was a bit off with her big sister.

After returning home, Applebloom was sent to her room per Aj's orders, expecting the rest of her family to join inside and lecture her on her actions, along with receiving a stack of chores and no TV as additional punishment. But nopony showed up. She waited for half an hour before nervously leaving her room to look for her sister. When she found her, she said she'd tell them tomorrow and to go tell her friends what to expect for the next two weeks. Confused but grateful, she went about her day until it was time for sleep. She woke up the following morning, the calls of the rooster annoying her from her slumber. She rolled off her bed, her hair all frizzy and poofed up. She trotted downstairs, picking up the sweet smell of pancakes coming from the kitchen.

"Mornin," she told everyone, expecting a response back. When she finally opened her eyes. However, she was met with the gazes of two very displeased ponies and one all too happy. Both Big Mac and Granny Smith had their forearms crossed while Applejack cheerfully flipped pancakes. She gulped, feeling a weight lodged in her stomach.

"Eh-heh," She nervously chuckled, taking a seat next to her brother and Granny.

"Hey there, sleepyhead. Y'all are just in time. I was 'just" tellin' Granny and Big Mac how you stood up for yourself and ya friends yesterday. Y'all should have seen her, Granny. A black eye as big as my flank, I tell ya," Applejack said, sliding Applebloom's finished pancakes onto her plate. She is embarrassed and blushed, never having experienced praise like this before. Big Mac gave her a look of question, adding to her embarrassment, quietly on the opposite side of where AJ usually sits, patiently eating his oats.

"I can only imagine," Granny Smith said. Hearing that her granddaughter had started a fight was not how she imagined her morning going. Applebloom sank in her chair as her grandmother folded away the letter Spike had sent Applejack. "Remind me again, did I ever teach you it was ok to put ya' hooves on another pony?" She asked, her elderly voice becoming imposing.

"No," She said in a cracked voice. Granny Smith sighed.

"You're grounded. One week, and no TV," she said. Applebloom nodded silently, much to Applejack's annoyance.

"What? Granny, did ya not hear what I just told ya? This girl was harassing Applebloom...again. And now that she's finally stood up for herself, you're punishing her for it?" She inquired. Applebloom looked on at her sister, somewhat surprised that she was trying to defend her actions. Nobody hates violence more than she does, but ever since yesterday, she's...changed.

"I heard you loud and clear, Aj. But the fact of the matter is-

"The Fact is that that little pony finally got what was coming to her!"

"But that is not how I raised y'all!" She said, lightly stomping her hoof on the ground. "I raised y'all to be strong second and kind-hearted first." She finished, now looking at Applebloom. "Standing one's ground is never a bad thing, but putting ya hooves on somepony is crossing the line. Your punishment stands, and that's that." she finished.

"Oh, Lay off her, Granny," AJ muttered. Everyone's eyes widened a little; no one made a sound 'except Applejack, who carried on without worry. Granny looked over to Big Mac, who quickly focused on the small bowl of oats he made for himself. She then turned to Applebloom, sweatin' beads and starin' at the ceilin'.

"What was that, young missy?" she said, her authoritative side slowly comin' out. Both Big Mac and Applebloom slowly sank into their seats. Though she may be old, everyone in the Apple family knows better than to agitate Granny Smith. She'd be what many call "a high binder" when pushed a tad too hard. Big Mac glanced to his side, meetin' Applebloom's gaze. He gave her a nod, to which she did the same.

"Uh," Apple said, breaking the awkward silence. All eyes on her, she cleared her throat. "I'm gonna be late for school if I stay any longer," she finished, snappin' over to Big Mac.

"I'll take you. Grab your saddlebag, and-" They stopped moving, catching a glimpse of their granny side-eye. She knew what they were tryin' to do, commandin' them to sit back down. She then turned back to AJ, who was still eating without a care in the world.

"I asked you a question, young missy." Applejack ignored her for a second time, grabbing her cup and slowly sipping away its contents. She looked through the empty glass as if it were a telescope at Granny Smith, finally showing her attention.

"I said, 'Lay off her! Ya over-the-hill idgit," Applejack said, raising her voice at her. Somewhere in her mind, however, Applejack could feel something about what she was saying. Neh, the thinking was wrong as well. But in her angst and displeasure, that feeling was snuffed as fast as it was discovered. Meanwhile, Granny Smith was in her own world, her eyes widened in disbelief. Applejack had never sassed her before. Let alone have the gull to act as if she wasn't even there.

"Young lad, do Not raise your voice at me!" Granny said, slamming her elderly hoof on the table. Applejack snorted, shocking everyone again. Big Mac and Applebloom locked gazes again as if sharing the same thought. "Did she just...backtalk granny?"

"Please, Granny. When have I ever been a 'lady'? And you, stay out of 'my little sister's' business. Sure, she may have thrown the first hit, but it was that arrogant little brat, Diamond Tiara, who caused all of this. She even tried to lie and say she and her friends jumped her yesterday," she shouted, bringing back memories for both her and Applebloom. Granny Smith wondered where this attitude was coming from before firmly placing her hooves on the table. "Watch your language, Applejack. I raised you better than to call other ponies names." She demanded, "I said what was said, and that's final."

"Granny, that little varmint didn't just lie 'bout bein' attacked," AJ paused for a moment before continuing. "She brought up 'bout Ma and Pa!" Applejack reasoned, her voice filled with urgency. Big Mac gasped, turning to Applebloom, who was covering her ears, having anticipated what she was about to say. Granny Smith's eyes widened in shock as she strained to take in the unexpected revelation. Despite her initial disbelief, she couldn't dismiss Applejack's reasoning. She shot Applejack a look of displeasure for not havin' mentioned that during her retellin' of the story.

"Now, why didn't you mention that little detail earlier? That's just plain messy. Like you were asking for trouble." She said. Applejack couldn't help but rub her shoulder in profoundment.

"C'mon, Granny. You know why. It's ma and pa we're talking about." She said, looking directly into her eyes. "I thought I could sidestep over that part since, you know?" Granny tilted her head down, old memories of the past popping up before giving her head a slight shake.

"Yeah, I know. Like I know that they'd disapprove of this," she raised her hoof to her, waving it in a circular motion, "This newly sprung attitude of yours." she finished. Applejack sank for a moment, tossing
her disapproval by sucking her teeth at Granny. She shrugged the remnant feelings of her comment off as she scrapped the remainder of her breakfast into the trash. "What in tarnation has gotten into this girl?" She thought to herself. She quickly turned her attention back to Applebloom, who was being comforted by her brother. "Did she say something?" Getting no response, Big Mac gave her a nudge, and she opened her eyes. When Granny asked again, Applebloom nodded. Granny's expression softened as she pursed her lips, closing her eyes for a second, trying to think of what to say.

"Sugar pie, the best road to take is often the high one, regardless of how fast the other lanes are," She said. Although, I suppose you should at least have your TV back," she said. Applebloom sighed in relief, thankful she was being lenient on her. Applejack, however, was not happy in the slightest, wondering if her Granny's age finally knocked a screw loose in her head.

"What?" Applejack hollered. "Granny, she ain't done nothin' wrong," she said. Fed up with her granddaughter's new-fangled attitude, Granny hollered, "Shut yer mouth, child!" "I don't care what the reasonin' is or who started it; there ain't no justification for hittin' another pony," she said with a stern look. Unable to hold her anger any longer, Applejack stood up from her seat.

"There is when it's defending the family!" She said, her hooves on the table. "Matter of Fact, that's all I ever do. I've risked my hide more times than there are feathers on a peacock. I've spent blood, sweat, and tears for this family. For Ponyville! And not once have I ever asked for anything in return. Well, not anymore." She stomped her way to the front door, Swinging it wide open as the morning sunlight hit her face. She flipped her signature hat behind her head, letting the wind flow and catch the few loose strands of her golden hair.

"And where do you think you're going?

"Out! I feel like if I stay here any longer, the smell of mud is gonna permanently stank my flank." She said, slamming the door on her way out. A moment of silence passed as a tense awkwardness plowed through the room. Big Mac cleared his throat, telling Granny he'd talk to her. Granny stopped him before he could reach the door, however, saying he should help Applebloom get ready for school. Applebloom was focused on her sister's choice of words the entire time she was getting ready. She swore she'd heard somepony say them before, but every time they came close to thinking of their face, the roosters would caw and mess up her outspoken train of thought. She eventually gave up on the idea and walked outside with her big brother, where they passed an angry Applejack forcefully bucking against an already empty apple tree. They ducked their heads and sped up their pace until they were no longer in the potential sight of her.

"HAHAHA~!" said a cackling voice high up in the clouds. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned a cup of chi and a comically large back of sugar. He wiped away a tear from his eye before draining the entire bag into the tiny cup, stirring it with a snapped piece of his antler. "Oh, Discord, you naughty, chaotic, handsome Draconequus you. This was your best idea since signing that contract to throw that "deathmatch" against that one-eye nacho chip with a top hat." he told the sock puppet version of himself he was holding. "Ah~ how the fanbase came to my aid. Most poetic and lore-accurate defenses ever uttered. But this-" he gestured to the sights before him. "This is a real art, real disarray... Real...Organized Chaos.

"I concur." said the sock puppet. "But, don't you think switching their personalities is a bad idea..." Discord paused before busting out in laughter again, clutching at his stomach.

"Oh, that's a good one," he told himself before making the puppet, and everything else he planted vanished into nothing. "Ah~. But, in all seriousness, and what little of it I have, I best be on my way. I finally have something else to do besides reading manga and quoting lines from comic books while working. Actually Work. Is this what it's like to be excited to do your job? Oh...this will be a treat!" And with a snap of his fingers, he appeared just outside the school, watching as all the students either walked or flew through the door. He rubbed his hands in delight, already stirring up a storm of "disciplinary punishments" to dispense to his "troubled youths."