**Nighttime Fairytale- A Big Mac and Apple Bloom story
The rain pitter-pattered on the tin roof above, and Apple Bloom began to wonder if it would ever stop. She didn’t want to have to walk through puddles to get to school in the morning, and she definitely couldn’t sleep with the noise. All she could do was sit and listen.
Her window was cracked open to where a slow breeze floated in, but no rain, and the curtains bounced in the air like a dancer would. It was dark in her room, since her candle was blown out hours ago. A cold draft would come in occasionally, but the storm was mostly warm.
Yet Apple Bloom was shivering. Though she was huddled in her apple-patched quilt and nestled deep in her mattress, her body would cower with the thought of being alone in conditions like this.
Apple Bloom knew that her brother and sister were right down the hall, and that Granny Smith was downstairs in her own bed, but she was still worried. She had been sleeping alone for years, but there was something about that night that made it different.
It was something about the dark, entrancing night that always gave her the willies. The fact that they lived near the woods that held the timberwolves, or the fact that there was a huge open field that could hold anything made her unable to sleep most nights.
Apple Bloom leaned over and looked at the clock. 11:35 PM. She sighed and wrapped her body with the quilt even tighter, trying not to pull an anaconda on herself. Her eyes were locked on the window, and she silently prayed that there was nothing lurking outside.
As if on a strange cue, the screeching of an owl echoed into her room. Apple Bloom had to cover her mouth so she didn’t wake anypony up, then put her hooves down when she realized that it wasn’t a ghost.
“Ah feel like such a baby,” Apple Bloom whispered. Then she paused. “Great, now Ah’m talkin’ to mahself.”
She attempted to rest her head on her pillow, and scooted closer to the wall for a sense of comfort. Since there was nopony else there, she decided wooden planks would suffice. Closing her eyes, hopefully for the last time that night, Apple Bloom curled up and felt her eyes droop.
The cry of a timberwolf snapped her awake and sent her sitting straight up again. Her hindquarters were tangled in the sheets now and her flank rose and fell more than it should at night.
“Ah give up!” Apple Bloom muttered and climbed out of bed. The floorboards let out a tiny creak as she put her small weight on it, and a rush of fear went through her veins. But she puffed out her chest and started shuffling to the door. With a push she was out of her room and in the hallway upstairs.
Thankfully, the hall candle was still lit and it flickered around, lighting up the once dim strip of room. Apple Bloom quietly shut her door and gazed across the empty space.
The room at the end was Applejack’s, the door ajar and her slightly unpeaceful snoring possibly going throughout the whole household.
The room next to Apple Bloom was Big Mac’s. It was much more quiet, and the door was shut. Even if it was open, she knew there would be no sound. Big Mac, surprisingly, didn’t snore. Realizing his room was way closer, Apple Bloom hurried over to his door and lightly pushed it.
When the door squeaked, Apple Bloom was sure that her brother would wake up. But the bed covers didn’t shift. She crept like a fairy to the edge of the bed and whispered, “Big Mac?”
No response.
“Big Mac!” she said a little louder, and he rolled over to face her. His mane was a greater mess than usual and he had tired bags under his lids. But his sappy green eyes showed no anger for being just woken in the middle of the night.
“What is it, Bloom?” he asked, his deep voice sounding worn.
Apple Bloom said, “Ah’m sorry, Big Mac. But Ah can’t go to sleep! Can ya help me?”
He blinked. “How am Ah s’pposed to help ya?”
“Ah dunno. Maybe y’all can read me a story?” she asked, her eyes wide and afraid.
Big Mac wasn’t the kind of pony who would read to little fillies at night. He would give that job to Applejack or Granny Smith, and just listen to the story instead. It wasn’t that he was illiterate, in fact he could read just fine, he just wasn’t creative or talkative.
But as he stared into her face, something tugged at his heartstrings. He gave in way too easily. “Fine,” he sighed, smiling.
“Yay! Thank you, Big Mac!” she exclaimed in a hushed voice and ran out of the room and into her own. Big Mac climbed out of his bed, grabbed the candle in the hall with his teeth, and followed her inside. She was already on her canopy bed with a wide grin and sparkling eyes. A huge change from her personality before.
Big Mac sat on the bed next to her, making it give an exhausted groan. “Alright, what do y’all want me to read?”
“Hm... how ‘bout a made up story?” she said and showed her pearly whites.
Her brother frowned. “Now, Bloom,” he began, using her pet name once again. “You know Ah’m not a good story teller. That’s what your sister is for.”
Apple Bloom gave her best pout since Twilight first came to Ponyville. Her eyes watered. “But... Ah can’t go to sweep wiffout a stowy,” she whimpered. “You don’t want me to be tired, do you?”
Big Mac knew he shouldn’t give in to this. She had been using that trick for years. The bad thing was that her family had fallen for it every single time. No, she wasn’t spoiled, just a cute pony who knows how to get her way with it.
He sighed. “Ah’ll try, okay?” he said. “Jus’ don’t expect a piece of artwork.”
Another howl went through the house, this time much more vigorous and haunting. Apple Bloom shrieked and leaned into her brother, shaking, her eyes darting all over the room. Big Mac put a hoof around her shoulder, feeling pity for the young pony.
“Ah’m scared...” she murmured.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “It’s alright, there’s nothin’ to be scared of.” Then he had a spark of inspiration. “Wanna hear mah story now?”
Apple Bloom moved away from him and nodded slowly, sniffing just in case she had shed any tears. She wanted to be strong in front of her seemingly tough-skinned brother.
He grinned, cleared his throat ,and began. “Once upon a time, in a magical town called Ponyville, there was a filly named Apple Bloom.”
Apple Bloom’s ears perked.
“This filly had beautiful red hair like fire ‘nd the brightest amber eyes y’all ever seen. Her coat was a nice, buttery yellow and she and an adorable drawl. She also had a big pink bow in her hair that made her extra adorable. And she had the best family in Equestria, plus her two best friends. Their names were...” He paused. Then he leaned over and whispered, “Um, what’re their names?”
“Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo,” she said back, giggling.
“Right, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. These three foals tried for days ‘nd days to find their cutie marks, especially little Apple Bloom. They’d search high ‘nd low for ‘em. Even if, at the end of the day, their flanks were still bare, they’d never give up. They had strong hearts, too.
“But Apple Bloom had the strongest heart out of all her friends. She wasn’t afraid of anything, and she always had a bright spirit, no matter what. This was what made her a brilliant pony and a great leader.” He watched as Apple Bloom started smiling again. Both forgot that it was past midnight and the thought of sleep was ebbing away.
Big Mac continued, “One day, her... uh, kite got stuck in a tree in the Everfree Forest.”
Apple Bloom let out a shocked gasp. “The Everfree Forest? Why in there?”
“You’ll see,” Big Mac said, then continued. “So the kite got stuck ‘nd she had to get it out ‘fore nighttime. She wanted to go in there herself, but her friends tried to make her stay away from the forest.”
He then did his best attempt to copy her friends’ voices. “Sweetie Belle had said, ‘No, don’t, Apple Bloom! You’ll get lost!’ And Scootaloo said, ‘Don’t go, Apple Bloom!’ But Apple Bloom didn’t listen and went into the forest anyways.”
Apple Bloom exclaimed with a quiet tone, “She’s gonna get gobbled up by them timberwolves!”
Big Mac laughed and shook his head. “Jus’ listen,” he said. Apple Bloom looked unsure about letting Big mac tell her a story now, but nodded and sat intently.
“The woods, despite it bein’ the middle of the day, were dark and gloomy. There was creatures everywhere and the wind was nipping at her skin like bites.” Somehow he felt much more literate than five minutes ago. Apple Bloom, though, disagreed.
“Ah’m startin’ to think that is becomin’ a scary story more than a bedtime one,” she said nervously, fidgeting her hooves.
“It ain’t no campfire story, sugarcube.” he said, smiling. “Keep your trap shut ‘nd listen. Now, she was walkin’ along and all of a sudden them timberwolves started gangin’ up on her-”
“Hold on, now!” Apple Bloom interrupted, putting a hoof on her brother’s foreleg. “You said there wouldn’t be any timberwolves!”
Big Mac shook his head. “Nnope. Ah said that she wouldn’t be gobbled up, not that there weren’t none at all.” He held in his snicker as Apple Bloom gave him a frustrated glare before getting comfortable again by his side.
“So, them timberwolves were growlin’ at her, and made her start shakin’. But then she remembered somethin’ that her strong, loveable, great, handsome-”
“Ah get it,” Apple Bloom deadpanned.
“-big brother, Big Mac, had told her once. She shouldn’t be scared of things that couldn’t actually hurt her.”
Apple Bloom tilted her head to the side. “Don’t timberwolves bite a might hard or somethin’?”
“Eeyup. But these weren’t really timberwolves. They were just piles of sticks with an owl on top of them lookin’ all creepy, and a rabbit with a really bad bellyache.
“Once Apple Bloom noticed this, she easily climbed the tree with her kite, got it down, and went home all happy-like.”
“Uh, Big Mac...” Apple Bloom once again said inbetween his story. He looked back at her, snapped out of his story-telling mode. “Ponies can’t climb trees.”
Big Mac rolled his eyes, sighing at his sister’s lack of imagination, and said, “Well, in this world, they can. If ya’ll keep interrupting, it’ll take longer ‘nd won’t end ‘til mornin’.”
“But Ah like this story... Ah don’t wanna go to sleep...” she said, ending with a contradictory yawn. She then realized she looked so tired and sat upright to attempt to not fall asleep. “So what happens next?”
“Well,” Big Mac continued, bringing a hoof to his chin. “She wrote a letter to the Princess sayin’, ‘Dear Princess Celestia, Ah learned today that you can face your fears and do anythin’ as long as you remember that most of them don’t exist.’ The end.”
Apple Bloom frowned, pouting again. “That’s it?” she asked, tearing up and acting like she had committed murder. “Ah wanna hear it again!”
Big Mac didn’t answer; he had already slumped over with his head on her shoulder, fast asleep. Apple Bloom looked at the clock. It was 12:24 AM. She wasn’t ready to sleep though.
But she soon gave up on roughing the night. His chest peacefully rising and falling and the warmth of his coat made Apple Bloom drift into pleasant darkness as well, her head on his chest, both in an uncomfortable sitting position.
~~~
The next morning, the only thing that woke the two up was the blindingly bright rays of sunshine hitting their face. Apple Bloom was the first to awaken, though, but when she slid off of her bed, Big Mac’s head slammed onto the end of the mattress and got him up and alert in the process.
According to her clock, it was 8:45. Just enough time to brush her mane, eat an apple, and trot to school. Apple Bloom hurriedly did so, pulled her hair back with her bow, kissed everypony on the cheek quickly, and charge out of the house.
“Bye, guys!” she called over her shoulder, dodging puddles as she ran.
Applejack yelled back, “Bye, sugarcube!” and turned as Big Mac lugged down the stairs. “You’re slower than a snail who got salt poured all over his back! What took you so long, Mac? Were ya’ll up last night?” she demanded.
Big Mac nodded. “Eeyup,” he said plainly.
“We were supposed to be out in the fields more than an hour ago!”
“Eeyup...”
AJ rolled her eyes. “Jus’ come on!” She went out the door with a half-asleep Big Mac snailing behind her. Even though he was late and would probably be fussed at all day, he was proud of what he had done last night.
~~~
As Apple Bloom scribbled down a page of words, which were questionable to other viewers, Ms. Cheerilee came into the schoolhouse just as the bell rang for class. Of course, Apple Bloom ignored the fact that school had started and received some snickers from other colts and fillies.
“Apple Bloom, what are you doing?” Cheerilee asked, a frown on her face as she walked over to her student’s desk. She still didn’t look up, so Cheerilee tapped a hoof on the desk, which got her attention.
“Huh?” she muttered, then remembered the question and sat up straight. “It’s a story, Ms. Cheerilee! Ah wrote it mahself, with some help from mah brother, of course. Ah just spruced it up a bit.”
Cheerilee’s ears perked at the sudden talent of art she had possessed. “A story, hm?”
“Yes, ma’am!” Apple Bloom was beaming.
Scootaloo leaned over and said, “Are you trying to get a cutie mark in, like, writing or something?” Her wings were buzzing. “I wanna read it!”
“I do, too!” squeaked Sweetie Belle from her other side, that followed with other numerous agreements.
Cheerilee smiled; her student was beginning to grow again. “Would you like to read it to the class, Apple Bloom?”
“Really?” Apple Bloom exclaimed happily, then literally jumped to her hooves. “Of course I would!” Diamond Tiara scoffed and turned away. Apple Bloom ignored her for once and proudly walked to the front of the class.
She finally turned around and put her paper on the floor so she could read. “Ahem,” she coughed, clearing her throat to act professional. Then, with Big Mac alive in her mind, she said, “This is the story of how a young filly overcame her fears by the help of her brother...”
