Apple Bloom looked all around the farm for Applejack. Curious about what other stories could she learn about their parents.
It didn’t take long to locate her older sister in the barn. Seeing her taking time to do a deep sweep in the stalls. Humming the Apple Family song as she worked.
“Howdy Applejack.” Apple Bloom greeted the future Matriarch of the family.
“Howdy lil’sis, how was school?” Aj asked, adjusting her stetson. Pausing her sweeping to look at her.
“It was fine, I got an assignment that I need help with. I already went to Big Mac for help and now I'm asking you.” Apple Bloom said, sitting down with her pencil and notebook out.
“Depends on what the assignment is.” Aj responded, setting the broom aside. “Ah’m smart but when it comes to that new math stuff y'all been learnin’, Ah'm not much help on that.” She chuckled as she joined her.
“It's not math.” Apple Bloom said as she turned the notebook to what she wrote down for the assignment. “I have to write down memories about spending time with ma and pa. But I don't remember doing anything with them. Big Mac gave me a story already, do you have one of me with ma and pa?”
AJ hummed in thought. “Well there was the lake.”
“Where you left me alone and I got carried off by birds?” The little sister gave her a look. Applejack chuckles nervously. “Mac already told me.”
“That was a day. Hmm…” Applejack continued to think. “Well there was that time you somehow got covered in modeling paint, scaring ma because she thought something was wrong and pa trying to hide evidence and attempt to clean you up.” She snorted. “That was hilarious.”
“What happened?” Apple Bloom asked in interest.
Up inside the lofted area of the barn, after most of the chores were done, Bright Mac had baby Apple Bloom on a table.
She had a bunch of safe paint and paper, making a bit of a mess. The father was painting miniature figures. Using special modeling paint that would stain a pony if not careful.
Bright Mac was currently working on a model of Princess Celestia in battle armor. Working on her mane as much as he could.
“You see, baby girl, you have to be careful of these models, attention to detail is everything.” He said with the brush in his mouth. Delicately painting each streak as perfect as he could.
Apple Bloom giggled as she splashed paint on the papers, her hooves smacking the white sheet in colors of red and pink.
As she splashed and stomped her hooves, it knocked over the green modeling paint and it went everywhere. It got in the base of the miniature, the table and began to leak all over the baby!
“Biscuit bumpers!” Bright Mac yelped as he dropped the brush and grabbed Apple Bloom.
He quickly - and carefully- climbed down the ladder with Bloom, racing over to the nearest faucet and turning it on. He grabs a rag off the hook, getting it wet and in vain tries to clean Apple Bloom up.
She fussed and fussed about being wiped down but it was for her own good.
The red and pink paint on her got washed off but the green? Oooooh nooooo, the green covered her hooves, belly, mane and face when she had been splashing about.
“Oh no,” Bright Mac whimpered.
He was told consistently by his mother to not have the foal with him while he was doing his hobby.
Mother and wife both. If they learn about this, he'd never paint his figures again.
Bright Mac did his best to wash the green paint off but it was completely staining his little princess.
“What ‘re ya doin’ pa?” Bright Mac stiffened when he heard his other daughter behind him.
He turns his head to see AJ behind him, pushing a bushel of apples with the rest of the day's harvest.
“Apple Jack! Hi there sweetie.” Bright Mac chuckled nervously, trying to hide his little paint crime from her. “Ya got done with your chores?”
“Just finished up. Are ya okay?” Apple Jack asked.
“Oh fine, fine, I'm fine, everything is fine.” His eyes twitched, avoiding eye contact.
Apple Bloom babbled, waving her stained hooves at her sister.
“What happened to her hooves?” Aj asked her pa.
“Oh would you look at the time,” he laughs nervously, holding the foal close as he turned and began heading out. “It's time for her to take a nap, everything’s fine, nothing wrong.” He bold faced lied as he quickly took her inside.
Aj blinked as she watched him leave in a hurry. “Eeyup, he's hiding something.”
Bright Mac quickly carted the baby back inside her nursery and set her down in the crib.
Apple Bloom cooed and looked at her papa cutely. Not caring that she's turning green.
“Okay Princess, papa has to figure out a way to get the paint off. Don't let your mother and Granny see this.” He covers her with a blanket and boops her snoot.
He proceeds to point at the crib and motions her to sleep with his hooves. Hoping she'll get the memo. All it did was have Bloom tilt to the side, the bed let out a squeak.
“Atta girl! Be right back.” Bright Mac then gallops out of the room and back to the barn.
Well, after five minutes later, the foal needed to be changed. Apple Bloom whimpered and moans in her crib and eventually starts crying to get some pony's attention so she could be tended with.
“Coming!” Buttercup answers the call.
She poked her head in the nursery and smiled. “Did someone make a stinky?” She said as she went inside.
Apple Bloom still fussed, waving her hooves to reach for her.
Buttercup adjusted the crib railing and picked her up with the blanket. “Ooh there, there, mama's here.” She hummed as she carried her to the changing table.
Buttercup sets Apple Bloom on her back and removes the blanket. She froze.
Now seeing these green stains all over the baby. “Uh… Bloomie, why are you turning green?” She asked as she gave her a quick once over before quickly changing the dirty diaper and replacing it, seeing just how far the stains had gone.
Buttercup placed a hoof against her foal’s forehead and cheek. “You feel good.” She then placed her head against Bloom’s chest. “Hmm, breathing normally.”
Apple Bloom babbles, hugging her ma’s face.
She didn't know if this was a sickness or something harmless. To get a better idea, Buttercup carries the baby to her mare-in-law.
Granny Smith was in the living room downstairs, sitting in her rocking chair and was currently working on a large blanket.
“Hey Granny Smith, can I get your take on something?” Buttercup asked as she approached her.
“Well of course Sugarcube,” Granny said, setting her knitting needle and yarn down. “What can Ah do for ya’s?”
“It's Apple Bloom, I was changing her and I saw these.” She shows the matriarch the stained baby. “Now I've heard some creatures' fur change color over time, but unless Apple Bloom is turning into a mini you, I don't know what these green markings are.”
Apple Bloom still acted like nothing was wrong.
She was then passed over to Granny.
Granny gives her a quick once over. “Where did ya find her?” Granny asked as she examined the baby.
“In her crib. She needed a change.” Buttercup then frowns. “Is she going to be okay?”
Granny looks closely at the green stains. She sniffed it and grunted. “Apple Bloom is fine, this is paint.”
They heard something crashing in the kitchen. Buttercup quickly goes to investigate and then gasps.
Bright Mac had tripped coming in the kitchen. His hooves and muzzle were covered in paint stains, the floor was covered in paint and his models.
Plan was to hide the stuff in their room but fate had other plans.
“Bright Macintosh!” Buttercup snapped.
Bright Mac looks up, knowing he got caught red hoof. “Uh…. I can explain.”
Granny Smith carries the equally stained baby in. “Bright Mac, ah told ya to paint yer little toys not around the kids. Apple Bloom isn't a toy.”
“The two of you were stained for a week.” Applejack got done telling the story.
Apple Bloom finishes writing down in her notebook. “Thanks Applejack. That was…. great.” Her ears fell as she closed it.
“Not a problem,” AJ said, then noticing her change. “Applebloom?”
“I-its nothing.” She responded, but her emotions came out. Her eyes watered and lips quivered and she started crying.
Applejack scoots closer. “Oh hon, it's alright,” she goes to hug her sister but Applebloom pushes her away.
“Why is it you guys know so much about ma and pa and I don't remember anything about them!?” Applebloom asked. “It's not fair you and Big Mac have all these memories of them while I don't. It's not fair!” She sobbed.
It wasn't fair, it hurts so much because Applebloom loves her ma and pa, but she didn't have any memories of them.
Applebloom gathered her things and takes off running and crying.
Applejack runs after her. “Applebloom!” She calls out to her but by the time she ran outside, her little sister was gone.