Applebloom sat alone in her room, trying to get a pencil to balance. all that hard work getting her practice how she likes it and Green Star goes and yanks it away from her. he was able to convince the bank somehow that her practice will fail on day one and end up costing them. thanks to that, they closed it 3 weeks from opening day.

All that hard work, just to have it taken away. and with that Blizzard, it's 10 feet deep in snow and likely snowed out inside. this has been the worst Hearth's Warming Eve of her life. worse then when her friends left to go do what they were born to do. She was the last one of their group to leave Ponyville. the holiday before that; very, very bad.

Well... it could be worse. she could be dead. or worse. plus, she has Diamond Tiara and that's all that matters. now she just needs to find a job. wonder if Trottingham has a apple farm. and she knows Spike will tell Applejack about what's going on, despite her telling him not to. If not him, then Ruby definitively will. and if that happens then Applejack will tell Celestia or Luna or Cadence.

A knock came from her door. it's either Zim or Snowdrop coming to give her some lame support. May as well get it over with. "Come in, you two."

the door opened and the knocker entered. much to her surprise, it wasn't Zim or Snowdrop. "how are you doing?" Tiara asked as she entered. Applebloom flicked the pencil onto his desk. she rolled over and sputtered. "Still crummy?"

"What do you expect Tiara? this should be my opening day. i worked hard to get that practice how i liked it; days of blood and sweat and tears went into it. then Green Star happened and..." she finished with a exasperated groan.

Tiara slowly stopped in mid-stride. As much as she hates to admit it, this is going to help with her surprise. But she had to play the part. "Applebloom... sitting around moping won't help with anything."

Applebloom rolled to the side, facing away. "leave me in peace, Tiara. this month has already been crappy."

Tiara didn't leave. she impatiently tapped her hoof on the floor as her lips pouted to the side. this is going to be a challenge. She's not afraid to put a strain on her body for this. She walked to the other side and put her face in front of hers. "Applebloom..."

Applebloom rolled to the other side and pulled the blanket over her. "Leave me alone."

Tiara angrily pouted. That's it. Now the horseshoes come off. she grabbed Applebloom's bed and pulled it up. the ex-apple farmer yelped as she slid off it and onto the floor.

"Hey! what was that for?!" via magic, a cloth wrapped around her eyes, blinding her. "TIara? what's going on?"

Tiara stood Applebloom up and lead her out the door. "it's a little surprise i have planned."

"What, that a Earth Pony is able to use magic?"

Tiara rolled her eyes. "no, you dunderhead. Just come on." she walked to the door and left it wide open. "follow my voice. follow the sultry sound of my voice."

Applebloom grumbled as she rolled her eyes. May as well follow along with it. "Tiara..." she took a step and ran into the rim of the door. ".... i'm gonna go with ow."

The rest of Tiara's and Applebloom's friends were hard at work, getting their surprise ready. Blade and Rise were busy sanding the ceiling while the rest were getting things such as potted plants in place.

"you think Applebloom will like this?" Breeze asked, carrying a shrub on his back.

"she's got to. We've been working hard on this." Cannon flew up and hammed a nail in with his hoof. "this'll be a delightful surprise for her, considering all that happened."

Snowdrop flew up from behind a desk and placed a picture on it. the picture was of all of them. "i sure hope so."

they were very nearly done when Zim ran in. "Tiara's coming and she's got Applebloom."

that was their cue. they ducked down behind the desk and hid.

"Ow!"

Applebloom tripped over a outdoor chair and fell to the ground. "This blindfold thing wasn't a good idea if we're down town Tiara." she got up, took a few steps, and tripped over a table, sending her, it, and the current patrons tea to the ground.

Tiara just watched this happen. "Yeah..... think i should've had Breeze carry you here." Applebloom got up and was able to get a stride in. Tiara led her in front of a building and halted her. Tiara moved to the side so she can get a good look. "Okay. look and see."

Applebloom scoffed. What does Tiara have to show her that's downtown? and why did she need a blindfold? if this is some surprise family visit, she's gonna be pissed. she removed the blindfold and saw... "My practice?"

yep yep. She was looking directly at her ex-repossessed veterinary practice. it was... open and ready. there was a Open Sign hanging off the door. she was able to see plants and chairs inside. the main sign had this veterinary practice called 'The Apple's Bloom' with her Cutie Mark, Helio's head, in bright colors.

Applebloom couldn't believe this. her practice was... open. "Tiara..." she gasped. "What..... what is this?"

"Your vet practice." Tiara walked up to her and held out a piece of paper. it was the deed. "Green Star may have the head banker's ear, but so does my dad. he's the town accountant, remember?" Applebloom remembers but she didn't tear her gaze away from the deed. "Anyway, i told Dad what had happened and he was able to convince the banker to give him the deed to the place and he, in turn, gave it to me." She walked over and patted Applebloom on the back. "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Applebloom."

Applebloom crumbled up the deed in a fit of emotion. she smiled and hugged her secret marefriend. "You are just the best, Tiara. just the best." Tiara blushed and hugged back. after a long good embrace, they broke it before the townsfolk started to look. "now why weren't you like this when we were fillies?" Tiara wondered that herself and just shrugged. she chuckled and blushed nervously in the process.

Applebloom looked up at her practice with a big smile. after all this time, it's finally open. .... Wait a tick. she wasn't even close to opening when Green Star foreclosed. how could it be ready now? curious to find out, she opened the door and went inside. What she saw really surprised her.

the entire lobby was completely furnished with comfortable chairs, a big enough desk for more then 2 tellers, and a number of potted plants; the kind you would normally see in any kind of hospital.

Tiara strolled in and positioned herself beside her. "You like?" Applebloom nodded in awe. "yeah. ever since i got it back, we worked non-stop to get this ready."

"We?"

on cue, the rest of the gang burst out from behind the desk. "SURPRISE!!!"

Applebloom jumped in her skin. "Whoa! Guys? you did all this?"

"Every bit." Rise said as she plopped herself on the desk. "also drained our accounts. we put every bit we had into this to make sure it's what you like."

Applebloom was finding this hard to believe. they all put their sweat, their tears, even their money into this. and just a week ago, they were ready to kill each other. of course, that was the blizzard's fault. "You all... did this?"

"Sure did." Cannon said. "we worked all night to make it just right."

Just right? "How do you know what i wanted?"

"You talk in your sleep." Tiara mentioned. that made Applebloom's face turn red. that's one aspect she wishes Tiara didn't know. "But, tell us? do you like it?"

Like it? she loved it! and with the fact that her friends put in blood, sweat, money, and tears to construct this for her. she is so lucky to have friends like them. "it's perfect." they all smiled. good. they put a lot of work into this. if she hated this, then they would feel like this was for nothing. with that out of the way, Applebloom had to squeal in anticipation. "EEE! YES YES YES YES YES!!!"

Breeze chuckled. "well, remember, this is your opening day. you can't expect someone to walk in on Day 1 with a pet problem. plus, you're competing with another Vet across town."

Applebloom stopped bouncing and chuckled while nervously scratching her neck. "I know, i know. doesn't mean i'm still not excited." she clapped her front hooves together and rubbed them nervously. "I better go check the back rooms. see if they're good." she hopped down and went to go check.

Blade waited until Applebloom was out of hearing range. "are you all sure this place will work? i mean, this is a huge risk we're taking, investing into this place."

"We all knew the risks." Tiara said. even she wasn't feeling the love for this place. "best we can do is hope is that things work out." everyone agreed with that. hopefully someone will come in soon, right?

Green Star munched on a pineapple as he flew though town. he felt good about himself, having pretty much run that Applebloom bitch out of town. she's gone and he can make his move to get Tiara.

He passed by and glanced up at a shop called the Apple's Bloom Veterinary Prac-- son of a bitch, she opened it. that made him lose his lunch.

How the hell was she able to get it back? he made the bank foreclose on it! How could she hav-- Tiara got it back. damn, he forgot that her dad was the Town Treasurer. Dammit! Applebloom is still in town! He's gonna have to deal with this his own way.

Hope he has enough Kerosene.

From the inside, the group watched as Green Star flew away from the Practice. they all angrily looked in his direction.

"He's up to something." Zim angrily muttered.

"You think?" everyone asked.

Applebloom came out from the back, having seen the many rooms she herself had outlined. She overheard them talking, about how this place is a huge risk. She's not going to lie; there's a pretty huge chance that this will blow up in her face. But, as Applejack said, better to try then to do nothing. "Well, the place looks awesome!" she truthfully said with glee.

"we were hoping it would." Snowdrop said.

"Now i just need my first patient." She eyed her friends suspiciously. "Anyone's pet sick?"

"Don't have one." all but Breeze said. and that's true. they died from natural causes.

Applebloom noticed that the pony/dragon hybrid didn't say anything. "What about you, Breeze? you live on a farm."

"A Crop Farm. you want cattle, talk to a butcher."

Applebloom's brow furrowed. gee, what great friends. and she can't have Helios as her first patient; that'd be embarrassing. well, the day's still young. she's got 8 hours. hopefully someone will come in with a sick pet by then.

It's been 5

It's been 5 hours since her practice opened and not one patient. and everyone was getting impatient.

Rise impatiently tapped her hooves on the ground. "Herrrrrr...... oh, come on! there's no way every pet in Trottingham is healthy!"

"Either that or they're all at Emil's." Cannon said. "he has been around for 20 years."

Applebloom knew that. she did her research. She figured that a place with only one other Vet would be a good place to set up. easier said then done. and going against someone as loved as that Gryphon, this was a long shot.

"i'm about ready to go out and buy a sick pet and just bring her here." Rise exclaimed.

Applebloom's about to let her. first day and she's failing. She needs a boost. But first, she's gotta take care of the call of nature. "I'll be back. i gotta go to the bathroom." she got up and left.

Applebloom sighed as she sat down. There's got to be a way to bring in someone to her practice. it was too late to print fliers and spread them around. Something good has to come around soon.

the bathroom door creaked open and hoof-drops came up. "Applebloom?"

Its Tiara. figures. "I'm busy, T. If you have to go to the bathroom, go to another stall. there's plenty."

"I'm not here for that." figures. it's always something. "Look, you know ever business doesn't take off on the first day. it usually takes a week or ever more. or they don't take off at all. that's just how business works."

"i know, TIara, and i was aware of that when i decided to start this. Still doesn't mean i wasn't excited." a pregnant pause fell on the two of them. "Listen, if this ends up tanking, i'm still thankful you did this for me."

"It's okay."

Applebloom smiled. "How did i ever score a marefriend like you?"

"If Req were here, she'd say fate."

the two of them lightly chuckled. "Yeah. sounds like her."

Applebloom flushed the toilet and walked out of the stall. "good to see we still have senses of humor."

"Yeah." Applebloom leaned in to nuzzle but Tiara backed away, which has her confused. *tick tick tick tick tick tick. Ding!* "oh, right! i just went.... yeah...." she headed over to the sink.

"...e's swallowed something she shouldn't have and i can't get it out."

When Tiara and Applebloom came back from the bathroom, they heard a voice they never heard before. they walked into the lobby to see a rich kid there with a snake; a Boa Constrictor. "What's going on?"

the gang looked in their direction. the Kid bounded over the desk. "You gotta help Kimmy. she swallowed a steel can and i'm worried she's going to rip apart her insides."

Tiara knows Applebloom would hit her if she asked this, but as she's pregnant, she's got a excuse. "So... why aren't you at Emil's Practice?"

"he's busy. i'm on the bottom of the list! please, you have to help her."

Applebloom looked to the snake, then back to the kid. not what she expected for her first patient, but it's better then nothing. "I can try."

The Snake, being one of those cartoon ones, blinked in surprise as it was placed on the examination table.

"you said she swallowed a can?" Applebloom asked as she walked in front of it.

the kid climbed up on one of the stools. "yeah. a steel one. and it was ripped open so it's very sharp."

Well, that's not good. that could rip her insides out. "Okay. this is going to be tricky." she looked the snake over to try and find a good way to get that can out. after a few few minutes of thinking, she could only think of one solution. she walked over to a nearby counter and pulled out some gloves. "Open her mouth. i'm going in."

the snake gave the camera a surprised look.

several minutes later, the 3 of them came from the back, the snake's eyes doing that dizzy thing from Anime's.

"Okay..." Applebloom tossed the tin can away. "that's 20 bits. Cash or Credit?"

"Cash." the kid pulled out a coin purse, pulled out 20 bits, and tossed them to her. "and thanks." he headed for the door, pulling the wagon that had his snake with it.

"And tell your friends about us." Applebloom called out.

"I will." he walked out and headed for home.

Applebloom turned to head back to the front desk when her friends slid in from all sides. "So...?"

"So what?" 'Bloom replied. "i got the can out and i got paid. i'd say i'm on the road to the high time."

Zim chuckled. "yeah. all it takes is one person to set in motion events that--"

Applebloom stammered and stopped him there. "Don't go all philosophical, please? i don't need it." Snowdrop chuckled at that. Zim angrily growled at her.

Blade looked out the window to the outside world. "i think i recognize that kid. can't remember where."

"yeah, i think i recognize him as well." Cannon muttered.

"Whoa!" everyone looked to Applebloom, who was looking at her money. "He gave me a 100 dollar Bit!"

"What!?!" everyone ran to her and looked. yep. 100 dollar bit. and the kid gave her 5, so that's 500 bits right there. "That's a lot of money!"

and it also gave Cannon and Blade the answer to who that kid was. "Wait! that was Twists's Kid!" they both said.

Applebloom went wide-eyed. that was a name she never expected to hear again. "Twist?" she looked to Tiara. she didn't know Twist was here either.

"You never heard of her?" Rise asked. "Twist is one of the richest mares in town! she built a candy company from the ground up that sells it's products world-wide! only place that's not in it's sights is Ponyville."

Ponyville... guess Twist remembers that Mr. and Mrs. Cake and Pinkie Pie have that town covered in the sweets category. Applebloom looked down at the bits. her old lisping fiend is now a world-famous entrepreneur. who would've thought?

Author's Note

give you 3 guesses who's coming in next chapter.