Little Chart sat on the marble steps of Celestia's school, glaring at the step beneath him. Frustration burned in him, and the events of the test replayed on an endless loop in his mind. If only he could've held it together for a few more seconds that entrance exam and the scholarship it awarded would've been his! That hiccup had ruined everything, and the immutability of it was driving him mad. All of that would be just a little more bearable if he hadn't lost his only meal of the day mere minutes after consuming it, or if he had any bits to replace it.

The question of what he'd tell his parents lingered in the back of his mind, replacing his frustration with a sense of dread. There had been so much riding on this… They were counting on him, and it only left him feeling another kind of empty.

"Hello again." Little Chart's ears perked up at the familiar voice, and he looked back to see the mother-and-son duo from earlier coming down the steps. Stellar Flare saw him and frowned. "Are you alright, darling?"

"Do I look alright?" He asked with a bitter edge that he immediately regretted. "Sorry… No, I'm not. I failed my entrance test."

Stellar Flare frowned as she looked around. "Where are your parents, darling? I didn't see them in the school."

He frowned and shook his head, his gaze falling to the ground again. "No, they're back home in Cornwood. Mom's about to have a foal and she can't travel and dad had to stay home with her."

Stellar Flare balked, disbelieving and horrified as she got a good look at his lanky frame, recalling how he'd ravenously eaten the food they'd given him. "Your parents sent you halfway across Equestria, alone, without feeding you breakfast or packing you anything right as you're about to take one of the most important tests of your life?"

"I overslept, there wasn't any time." Little Chart couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze. "I don't know how I'm going to tell them that I botched my entrance test and lost my chance at a scholarship. We really needed that."

Stellar Flare gave him a sympathetic look. "I understand how you must feel. My little foal didn't get in either. The ungrateful fools. They don't understand just how brilliant he is!"

Sunburst looked up at his mother, disappointment clearly etched on his face.

She didn't see his reaction, but felt him move away from her, going over to the sad-looking colt.

"I guess it just wasn't meant to be for either of us." Sunburst forced a smile onto his face.

"Guess not." Little Chart knew he should feel better and that he should feel some empathy for his new friend not getting in either, but all it did was make him feel worse.

Sunburst sat beside him and put a foreleg around him, which Chart reciprocated, the two foals sharing a moment of solace in solidarity before they broke contact and he went beside his mother.

"Be sure to write to us, we live at Sires Hollow, 124 Lantern Avenue, I wanna keep in touch." Sunburst offered.

Little Chart looked up, a tiny smile finally showing itself. Even if he'd failed, he'd made a friend, so the day wasn't a total loss. "You got it, I'll make sure our address is on my first letter to you!"

"Time to go, Sunburst. We don't want to miss our train." Stellar Flare turned to Little Chart, her expression growing serious. "I don't know when your train is, darling, but you should come to the station with us. Canterlot can be easy to get lost in, and parts of it aren't safe for a foal on their own."

He stood up and took a hesitant step, but another followed. He couldn't resist the chance for a little company on this dark day. As they wove through the city, he felt queasy from the sight of all the buildings surrounding him, threatening to swallow him. The bright, blazing sun made his head ache with how its rays reflected off the pristine marble that made up most of the city.

But the worst part was how delicious that smell was. He shook himself and sniffed purposefully. Apples?

He saw a stallion tending a stall with all manner of baked goods and the closer they got the more the scents made his mouth water. His brain told him that it would be a waste to go over, that he didn't have a single bit in his possession. The only thing he had of any value was the train ticket back to Cornwood which was firmly tucked between his mane and his ear. His stomach, however, nagged at him to investigate regardless.

"I'll catch up with you two at the station." Little Chart didn't know if they heard him, but figured he'd see them there either way as he followed his nose, the scent drawing him to a stand attended to by a bright yellow stallion with a flaming red mane partially covered by a cowpony hat. Adorning the stand and neatly piled beside it were stacks of every kind of apple confection a pony could ever desire.

Apple pies, fritters, turnovers, and many others he'd never seen before were all laid bare and brought his hunger to a zenith. As he approached he considered his options from simply begging for a sample to trying to swipe a few without the earth pony's notice.

As he got closer, the stallion turned and smiled. "What can Ah do for ya today?"

"I..." The smell was maddening. Little Chart's stomach gurgled and rumbled its own displeasure.

Bright Mac was many things. Blind, thankfully, was not one of them. Taking in the colt and the hungry noises their body made all on their own, he could see he was facing a hungry little foal. "C'mere." He waved Chart closer. "Maybe y'could help me out. Got a real jam, and Ah think you'd be the perfect pony for the job."

Chart wandered closer, confusion growing. "Really? How?"

Bright Mac grabbed the stem of an apple, big and red and shiny, and set it on the counter. "Look at this. Ah think this one may be goin' off. Mmm, gonna have to test it." He nudged it towards Chart. "If ya could take a bite? Got a few others that Ah'll just have to toss away if Ah can't prove they're good. Ya know how it is."

Little Chart didn't wait for any further prompting, snatching up the beckoning fruit and chowing down on it. Just like the sandwich from before he was hardly focused on the taste, only caring how fast he could consume it. "What else do you have for me to test?"

Bright Mac blinked, confusion written on his face. He could swear one moment this foal had been holding an apple but in the split second he'd closed his eyes all he saw was a stripped core. He looked for something that may be a bit more filling for a famished foal. "Here, why don't you inspect one of these apple scones. They're tough on the outside and fluffy on the inside."

The treat was presented and taken without delay. He sniffed it and the sweet scent of apples made his mouth water before he bit down, a burst of flavor popping on his tongue. He let out an involuntary sigh of contentment, this scone doing wonders for his nagging stomach. Little Chart looked back at this unknown stallion, a wave of confusion and uncertainty coming over him as he swallowed another bite. "I don't understand. Why're you being so nice to me? I'm not your foal, and I don't have any bits."

"It's not that complicated: Ah can see you're hungry, Ah got more food than Ah'm gonna be able to sell here, so Ah'm giving ya some. All there is to it." Bright Mac spoke with such certainty and confidence, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Little Chart was about to say something when he heard a loud squawk and looked to see a black crow snatch an apple from the ground. He made a startled noise and was ready to charge at it when he felt a hoof on his shoulder.

Bright Mac held him back as the bird flew away with their ill-gotten gains. "Fightin' birds can get you pecked. Ain't worth it." He pat Chart as he sat back. "Just another tester, makin' sure everything's tasty." He got a paper bag and put a few things he had more than enough of inside of it with soft thumps at the bottom of the bag. "Now, sure ya got places to be. Keep this fer the next time yer ready for it."

For the second time that day, Little Chart felt a real smile crossing his face as the treats he'd been fed finally made his stomach fall silent. A full belly was something he was seldom able to enjoy, but knowing he'd be able to enjoy it for many hours to come thanks to the bagged goodies made it even better. "Thank you, mister. I'll try to have bits next time."

"Don't mention it, little fella," Bright Mac reached down and playfully ruffled his mane, earning a smile from the younger pony. "Ya better be getting along now."

The notion made him shrug, holding the bag in his magic. "My train ride home isn't for a little while." His face fell. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"It's not you, sugarcube. Ah'm hungry too and Ah just like to have peace and quiet with mah lunch." Bright Mac admitted.

Little Chart nodded in understanding, sparing one last look at the bright and shining treats he was being parted from. He pushed down his disappointment and turned around, glancing back over his shoulder occasionally to ensure the stallion wasn't changing his mind. He held his bag closer, its sweet scents soothing his disappointment.

He kept his head down, keeping his gaze low as he rejoined the throngs of ponies walking the streets of Canterlot. He continued down the street for a few blocks, eventually finding himself at the train station. He double-checked that his ticket was safe and ready before approaching the platform. First, he knew he'd have to get past the ticket pony that waited patiently for ponies to approach.

He scanned the platform for any sign of Stellar Flare or Sunburst, a twinge of guilt hitting him that he couldn't see them. He regretted leaving their company without a proper goodbye, but it was pushed down as he rationalized that he could apologize as part of his first letter.

When it was time to go, he used his magic to pull his ticket from behind his ear, handing it over before stepping on.

Little Chart walked to the back of the carriage and hopped up on a bench, setting his bag of goodies beside him as he settled in for the long trip home.

Author's Note

He's still disappointed but at least the little guy got something to eat!