Another Brick in the Wall

by MrTitchThomas

Applebloom

The trees sing and the soil listens. The leaves gasp and the story of true life bursts about, above, and under. The wind steals through the immense forest, and to look across at the sea of trees was as though to look upon the hard ground as you fall from above, as if all that exists until its end is life and at its end there is only death.

Hanging off the forest at its very edge was the small town of Ponyville, not dead, but cruelly unliving. A stamp of active-inactivity, like the slowing of a pendulum. The wind barely moved as it trudged through the sorry scene of shop after shop over-bearing like a fat and desperate lover - life and the fresh air was trying to escape - throwing dresses and cakes and style and crap in your face as if shouting: “Why would you possibly want to leave? What more could you want?”

The wind barely touched the schoolhouse. A cramped building brimming with pride from its small victories; such as its spotless windows, and large gates, and the group of empty foals tucked safely into it. All the foals were sitting behind desks, in uniform lines of 6, and all the foals were posing a different way but all exactly in the same manner; either slouched half-asleep, or quiet with heads down. Facing all the foals at the very front of the class stood Miss Cheerilee, the teacher, conducting her pre-approved lullaby of: “this should really matter”, Today’s lesson: ‘continuing with addition’. She was as stuck with the all the foals as much as all the foals were stuck with her. Teacher and all the foals, all the same. All the foals, except one. Applebloom sat stiff and upright, never breaking eye contact with the teacher; daring her to question her, or maybe even teach her something.

The blessed unlesson was probably over but Miss Cheerilee had one more parting blow to deal. “Before anyone of you leaves, you must answer one equation correctly”. A desperate last attempt at sound teaching; like the money exchanged from an old relative to a new in case the old gets boring or unloved.

What followed was Miss Cheerilee going about the room asking simple addition sums to each of the foals in turn; each and every foal getting each and every sum right because, in truth, the sums were very easy. Until at last Miss Cheerilee reached the pert and frantic pale figure and obnoxious mane of Twist; who Applebloom knew had a sickening enthusiasm (one part perseverance and two parts desperation) that often flattered to deceive as being intelligence.

“Ahh Twist, let me see…” Miss Cheerilee struck a mocking fathom, “how about: seventy-six add twenty-three?” Twist would be immediately stumped, both Miss Cheerilee and Applebloom knew it; but Applebloom wasn't. Seventy add twenty is ninety, and six add three is nine; ninety add nine is ninety-nine, easy…

Applebloom thrust her hoof into the air: “Oh oh oh!” She fidgeted and bounced about in her desk because she knew the answer when nobody else in the class did, let alone Twist. She knew the answer and Twist was just sitting there gawping, “Miss Cheerilee I know the answer!” She finally managed to gain Miss Cheerilee’s attention; but she just grinned at her half-knowingly. ‘What does that mean?’ Applebloom thought to herself, ‘does she know that I know? Why won’t she let me answer her question?’ Not satisfied with the classes not knowing, she whispered the answer instead to her nearest friend: Scootaloo, the only foal to answer her question incorrectly. But even then Scootaloo wouldn't even look at her, just scooted away from her as if she was contagious.

“No answer then?” Miss Cheerilee said, Twist just smiled, “and nopony else knows the answer?”
Applebloom gave one last attempt, thrusting her hoof as far into the air as she could muster. “The answer was ninety-nine”. Applebloom let out an audible sigh.

“Applebloom actually got that one Miss Cheerilee”, Scootaloo was laughing. ‘Actually’, the word burnt through Applebloom like a fire.

“Did she now?” Miss Cheerilee was laughing too. “Well maybe she’ll get this one then” Applebloom calmed herself and coiled her thoughts in eager anticipation for the chance to prove herself. “What is 11 +7?” Then Applebloom sank.

Panic, on the streets of Ponyville. Rain washed the streets and a chilling almost-wind ushered through and amongst near everywhere; all this trapping all ponies either in time-broken stuck-still hidden under dry space, or else in horrid-hurry – heads bowed in sad-solace and bitter-resentment for the intruding bleakness. All ponies trapped, except one: Applebloom.

With no shield from the harsh weather, and head held high breathing in the harsh chastisement of clouds’ descent, Applebloom strode defiantly forward hastily through the streets; very aware of the fools she was making of the squirming ponies she was leaving behind her.

A while further on the outskirts of the town, before the wide open stretch that would lead to Sweet Apple Acres; the weather had been dealt with by the weather pegasus’ and the sun had returned to warm all of Ponyville into its practised routines again. But Applebloom was far from old routines now and was happily walking alongside a friend of hers, Twist; who had caught up with Applebloom as she made her way to where she was going.

Twist had been rambling on, repeating the same phatic conversation pieces over and over again, as if conversation was but a marathon to her, a chore to be completed. Applebloom was bored, but fixated resonantly on her companion’s words urging her into to saying something half-meaningful. “That weather was something, don’t you think Applebloom? Don’t know what the weather ponies were playing at but they caught everyone out without coats or umbrellas”, Twist chortled conversationally. ‘No such luck’ thought Applebloom.

“- There are three types of people in this world I find Twist, each one caught in three different films. There are those that are extraordinary, and who live extraordinary lives; they are action. There are those who are dull, but who live extraordinary lives; who are comedies. There are those are extraordinary, who live dull lives; they are tragedies. And then you. You are a dull person who lives a dull life, what do you suppose that makes you? I'm stumped as to what to call it.”

Applebloom stared at Twist gauging her reaction. “I don’t like you’ Twist was staring blankly at Applebloom, but she was clearly hurt. Applebloom rejoiced.

“- Why? Because I don’t flatter your extreme bullshit? Because I'm not like all the other idiots at school? Narrow barrels full to brim with presumption and an apt-gullible fluidity, ducks racing to aimless bullet pursuing dead purpose!”

Applebloom had lost her. “You’re crazy Applebloom, I'm going home” Twist turned and left slowly, but shaking. Applebloom felt sick, and at once calm and full of adrenalin. Pent up with absolute anger but at the same time content to be so.

An easily forgotten while later, Applebloom arrived at her home in Sweet Apple Acres with an undeniable grin on her face and a satisfaction coursing atop of her. The door to her home opened with a reliable creak and recognisable ease that welcomed her into the comforts of a family home; then a softness pushed all else out from Applebloom as if to shed her of oneself to accustom another, a significantly happier one.

Applebloom walked straight through her home, which smelt as busy and intriguing as always, and straight again winding her way away through to the back of the house, through a large and solid door which stood strong and proud as the paternal figure of promised-work which bustled through his hinges and across his threshold. Outside was her family: Applejack busily bucking at the trees in the large apple orchard that stood adjacent to the large home; Big Mac pulling a large wagon packed with bushels of bucked apples; and Granny Smith sat watching it all unfold lazily in her old chair.
“-Howdy!” Applebloom called out across the field to her family, running past her Granny -Granny Smith – and rushing to join her brother and sister at work together at the bottom of the farm.

“-Well howdy there sis’” Applejack didn’t stop her working as she called back to her sister. Applebloom hugged her.
“Howdy big brother!” Applebloom hugged a returning and sweat-sodden Big Mac clumsily, making special care to avoid the brutish-looking, rusty harness that was attached heavily to her big brothers’ back. Her brother nodded and smiled warmly at her as he stopped to allow Applejack to load his cart once more.

Nobody stopped to speak again as Applebloom inserted herself into her siblings and her own well-practised work routine. Not being nowhere near as strong as her sister was at bucking the apples from the trees with her legs, Applebloom was instead forced to crash her whole body as hard as she could into the solid apple tree in order to rain down the bounty of apples she was working for. She was not able to get half as many apples from the trees as her sister Applejack, but she was just as capable as her sister in loading the apples into baskets and onto the cart that her brother was pulling. Besides, her efforts drew no complaints from her siblings, so she took this reliably to mean that her work was appreciated.

They all worked to the music that came from an old and very nice record player that was sat upon a particularly sturdy farm chair between where Applejack and Applebloom were working, and where Big Mac would stop his cart and wait for his sisters to load the apples once more for him to take back to the store room below the barn, in front of which Granny Smith sat smiling in her chair.

Normally, Applebloom had a unique dislike for music. She disliked the sad droning-on that came from the endless list of cloned ‘artists’ who offered sickly consolidation for an endless list of perversions, for moody posers to reassure themselves with. She dislike even more the dreadful music of her friends and schoolmates. Sparkled pretenders dancing obnoxiously to shrieking hyperbole that promised ‘APOCALYPSE NOW! NOTHING MATTERS!’ And ponies lapped it up and disregarded all else as below them. Music was anaesthesia.

However, this music was different. It wasn't lamenting the past, or disregarding the future; instead it only spoke of the present. Of the brilliance of now. It was lively, and yet dignified; and acted to spur her on in her work.
Applebloom and her siblings worked together with the sun. Worshipping the time given to them to make use of their bodies and to garner the sweetness of the fruits of their labour in the breaks between bucking and pulling, sat eating an apple together, or stopping to change the record from something that was distracting them from their work.
Finally, Big Mac returned without the cart and called a swift end to the work with a nod at his sisters and the deep utterance of: “Applejack”.

“-Me and your big brother, Big Mac, are going to sweep up some of this loose bark here, and clear away all these baskets. Why don’t you go make Granny Smith a drink and tell her about your day at school?” Applejack took off her hat and wiped her brow, as Applebloom trotted tiredly back towards her home and towards her Granny Smith.

Finally back by the front of the large home, Applebloom smiled at her dog, Winona, who was perched next to Granny Smith with her head nuzzled against the hanging hoof of her mistress. Applebloom ran inside, though the large door and into the kitchen to pour a drink of water with blackcurrant stirred in for her Granny, a bowl of water for Winona, and a glass of milk for herself.

Outside again, Applebloom placed the bowl of water before Winona who drank from it gratefully, and offered the blackcurrant drink to Granny Smith who instead looked at her with a miserable look on her face and didn’t take the drink.

“-What’s wrong Granny Smith? Don’t ya like blackcurrant no more?” Applebloom said.

“-No it’s not the drink young’un. I’m just still thinking about poor old Black Limbertwig and how we couldn’t save his old sofa”. Black Limbertwig was a distant relative and close friend of Granny Smiths’ who had passed away recently. He had been ancient, and when Applebloom and the rest of her relatives had helped clear out his cottage they found an old sofa, which Granny Smith informed everyone had been passed down through Limbertwig’s family for generations and held within it old unicorn magic imbued in its fibres that massaged the user. Limbertwig would always assure her, Granny Smith had said, that the massaging properties of that sofa was the reason that he had reached the ancient age that he had. Massaging properties did little however to prevent Limbertwig from dying when he had tripped and fell down a large hill whilst out walking, and had never gotten up.

Granny Smith had been adamant that the sofa could not be destroyed or given away. She promised to keep it herself, as Limbertwig had promised it to nopony himself, and to give it pride of place at Sweet Apple Acres. However, Equestrian Authority had been present at the clear-out and upon inspection had determined that the magical properties that lay imbued in the sofa were not recorded in the Canterlot magical library spell records and so could not be trusted to be wholly safe. They took the sofa away to be inspected by professional unicorn sages, and offered only their deepest consolidations as compensation for the loss.

Applebloom could remember how distraught Granny Smith had been that day, but she thought it was all in all very silly. “I can see it now Granny Smith. Lost in some laboratory in Canterlot, tears running down the upholstery, crying out ‘why have the Apple family deserted me?’” Applebloom laughed sadistically, but stopped immediately when she saw Granny Smith. She looked angry, but tears betrayed her stern face as they ran down pathetically from the eyes that were would not look at Applebloom.

“-Granny…” Applebloom started.

“-You have a very sharp mouth Applebloom, but you don’t know how to stop do you?” Granny Smith would not look at her.

“Granny Smith, I- I’m so sorry. I meant it as a joke. I didn’t think you were sensitive about it all still. It’s only a sofa, it doesn’t have feelings”. Applebloom was truly sorry, but she knew that what she was saying was not working out to be a very good apology. ‘Why can’t I just not be awful, for once?’ Applebloom lamented.

“Very funny Applebloom. Go away now, I don’t want to talk to ya.” Granny Smith was outright facing away from Applebloom now, and Winona had started growling at her.

She raced away, tears nearly in her eyes now too. Applebloom would not cry, she had not for absolutely ages, but she hated herself. She hated herself even more for how proud she felt to be able to warrant such a reaction from a resilient old mare like Granny Smith just from her words.

She threw the dusty class of blackcurrant against the wall with a scolding smash, which insanely made her feel even guiltier. She consoled herself that in fact she probably was inconsolable, and promised herself that tomorrow she would only act kindly to others, and resist the temptation to be mean. Eventually everyone would forgive her if she just tiptoed nonstop around their cursed emotions all the time and agreed with everything they said. Applebloom went to bed with her body bloodied and aching, feeling absolutely miserable.

*
Applebloom was stood in the entrapment for a Tiger in a very large zoo. Plastic trees and plastic grass surrounded her as she chased after the Tiger. And then the Tiger was chasing after her. This continued, first Applebloom chasing the Tiger and then the Tiger chasing Applebloom, for an indeterminate amount of time until Applebloom stopped and she could no longer see the Tiger. Suddenly, Applebloom felt overwhelmed with a mixture of anxiety, fear, and adrenaline. She could sense the Tiger sneaking up on her… until it was on top of her and Applebloom lost her breath for fear of the Tiger taking it away from her…
“-I’m not going to eat you Applebloom”. The Tiger moved his great and powerful jaw as it spoke and circled Applebloom. “Come with me now, and we’ll convince them all of how brilliant and kind we can be”.
But Applebloom ran. She couldn’t remember wanting to, but all of a sudden she was; and she knew that it had been useless. Her hooves weren’t running, her body was melting into the plastic of the zoo. Stuck, trapped in the trap inside the Tiger’s trap, Applebloom could only watch as the Tiger bound towards her.
“-You could’ve had it all. Now it is too late”. The Tiger’s mouth widened further and further as he spoke, until it was wrapped around Applebloom’s head. Applebloom screamed, a bolt of awful desperation jolting her through the air.

Applebloom burst awake to the sight of an early morning blinding sunshine, her drapes pulled open, and her sister Applejack waiting in her room. The thick fog of days trudge was settling into Applebloom’s mind, the noisy humming of downstairs in combat with the outside was drowning her ears and pushing all thought of her weird dream aside.
Getting out of bed proved to be a difficult affair, Applebloom managed to force one hoof out from over the side of her mattress, before losing all balance and crashing down to the wooden floor, much like she had spent yesterday crashing herself against wood apple trees; except no apples fall from the ground when you hit it… Applebloom was still half-asleep, but she managed to muster an attempt at covering up her discomfort at the fall. Applejack wasn’t fooled.
“-You okay there little sis?” Applejack was looking at Applebloom with a stern look of concern on her face. Applebloom grunted nonchalantly and pushed herself up from the floor to smile at her sister. “Let me help me with those tired limbs.”
Applejack proceeded to stretch each of Applebloom’s limbs out so as to stretch the tired muscles. The pain was excruciating, but the relief afterward was well worth it. Applebloom shuddered in exuberant relief as each of her limbs were roughly awoken from their aching sleep.

“-Now Granny Smith told us about your joking about that stupid Limbertwig sofa fracas” Applejack had the last of Applebloom’s legs over her shoulder and was pulling hard to stretch the tense limb. “I’m the last pony to ever get attached to any silly ancient furniture, and I get how somepony feeling protective over something like that might be frustrating for ya.” Applejack was pulling harder on the leg now, Applebloom had to hold her breath to withhold the hurting. “But your Granny Smith isn’t anypony, and you would do well to remember how much you love her before you go about making fun of her like that. Or at least you might think twice about what you might say considering you know how sensitive she is about that ancient old coot’s death”. Applejack was near enough jerking Applebloom’s leg from its socket now, and Applebloom let out a grunt of pain.

Applebloom made a thud as he returned her leg back to her body. She nodded at her sister, who was looking resonantly at her face now. “I understand big sis. I was thinking when I said all that, it was stupid of me. I’ll make special sure to treat Granny with careful sympathy from now on.”

“-Thank you Applebloom. You’re such a clever filly. I can’t tell you how much easier you make running this here farm for me and Big Mac. You were a real proletarian yesterday”. Applejack smiled at her sister.

“-I know. You work so hard supporting this family Applejack, don’t ever think that I don’t appreciate that. You should know that no matter what happens, whatever you may fall upon – you will always be my hero, and I will always look up to you”. Applebloom stared honestly at her sister, convincing her non-verbally of her authenticity. Applejack beamed.

Outside of Sweet Apple Acres again, Applebloom was bursting with a new energy, ready to tackle the struggle to impress upon the impression of the coming school day. She strode in a casual hurry through the long roads to the schoolhouse until she found herself walking at a slower pace behind three of her classmates: Snips, Snails, and Twist, walking and gossiping together as they walked to school.

“-I just couldn’t believe how big it was” Snips was speaking loudly, “Thanks again for inviting me Twist, make sure you come around mine and Snails’ treehouse later and I’ll show you how we’ve done up the place!” Applebloom did a double take, was Twist making other friends apart from herself?

“-If I ever win a trip to Canterlot I’ll be sure to invite you to come Twist, we had too much fun to not do that again!” Snails was shouting now, and Applebloom was certain he was talking to Twist.

“It was no problem guys, I couldn’t really think of anyone else to take with me to be honest. But I’m glad I went with you guys in the end, I really had a blast!” Twist was shouting now, and positively beaming as she spoke. Applebloom thought she had never seen Twist so authentically comfortable and happy outside of her sweetshop. “Do you want to go in and sit together?” they had all four reached the schoolhouse now, and Twist was motioning at her two new friends to go inside.

“-Howdy Twist!” Applebloom clumsily bound in front the trio, pushing roughly past Twist’s shoulder as went in front.

“Oh. Hi Applebloom” Twist smiled unconvincingly. “Snips, Snails; why don’t you guys save me a chair? I’m just going to talk to my friend Applebloom for a bit”.

“Some friend” Snips muttered under his breath as he skulked past Applebloom without looking past her.

Snails followed behind him laughing sadistically, “I didn’t know Twist was friends with ponies like Applebloom”.

Applebloom smiled awkwardly at Twist. “So you won a trip to Canterlot? Thanks for the invite chum” Applebloom wasn’t even sure in herself if she was serious.

“-Well I could invite whoever I wanted and I like Snips and Snails more than I like you” Twist definitely wasn’t joking.

Applebloom smiled confidently at her angry friend, and felt a wave of relief as she saw her smile returned back to her reluctantly as Twist fought to stay angry at her friend. “-Look Twist. I’m not going to say sorry for being who I am, because it doesn’t matter what might be bad about me when what’s bad about me adds up what is good about me. I don’t mislead people, Twist, I just won’t. I am whatever I am, all the rest is just propaganda.” Applebloom never broke eye-contact with Twist as she spoke, she knew she had her eating out of the palm of her hoof and was loving every second of it. “-and don’t think that no matter what I do or what you do that we’re not friends. I take friendship seriously you know that t’be true. Honesty, it’s what the Apple family is about.” Twist almost looked ashamed now, it was all Applebloom could to stifle a laugh.

Applebloom stopped speaking and let Twist speak instead. “I know all that Applebloom. I just felt like you weren’t being nice to me for some reason. I’m sorry for not telling you about Canterlot.” Twist moved in closer to Applebloom as Applebloom feigned indignation. “-I just felt like you weren’t being nice to me for some reason”.

Whether she fully understood what she was meant to be sold, or whether she didn’t understand any of it but was affected by what she might have imagined Applebloom could’ve said; Applebloom wasn’t sure. But, Applebloom knew that Twist was convinced and that they were friends again.

“-Are you coming into class? I’ll sit next to you if you still wanna” Twist said.

“-No I’m good thanks Twist. I don’t feel like school. Ponies who are stupider than you and I, they take what they want from life”, Applebloom started walking away from the schoolhouse.

“-You’re crazy Applebloom. I’m going in, see you tomorrow maybe?” Twist made to move into the schoolhouse.

“-Probably”. Applebloom sighed now that she was alone, wondering whether she had just spent the last three minutes convincing Twist of her integrity, or herself. Not that it particularly made any difference; all in all it just amounts to consequences and how we use them.

Before it’s too late and after it’s too early; the day is still not worth spending in Ponyville. The streets are walled in with homes and shops whose life sucked out all air from Applebloom’s lungs and heaved heavily on her neck and shook anxiety into her.

Applebloom only liked Ponyville in the rain. She could abide the dreary sameness of the dead imprint of ‘hometown’ that still seeped down from the clouds and bruised her eyes; when it was raining. Through the haze of raindrops the pressing-present was more appealing and comforting.

But today it wasn’t raining and Applebloom tried to ignore her surroundings as best she could. Cantering through Ponyville’s repeating-muddles and making special care to avoid the glares of the curious or the over-friendly pink, Applebloom soon lost sense of self and soon found it again back in the safe confines of her home again: in Sweet Apple Acres.

Applebloom didn’t need to go back into the house to find her family, which she thankful for. She could handle whatever her family might say to her about skipping school, but she knew that the cold disappointment of a house you’re not meant to be in would be more than she could handle.

It was just her sister Applejack in the front garden. She was hard at work pulling up the weeds from the stone wall that surrounded their home and piling them in the corner of the garden where Big Mac would burn them all later. Applebloom didn’t shout hello to her sister, but instead just stayed where she and watched her industry, thinking that with all that moving and pulling that Applejack probably had a rest from thinking too much too. The music was playing from the old record player as usual and Applebloom recognised the song as one of Applejack’s favourites. Passing across the garden she stopped along the way to pick up all the loose weeds that Applejack had left in her efforts, of which there were few.
“-It sure is sunny today, sis”. Applejack smiled as she pulled a particularly large weed from the stone. “No school today, huh?” Applejack looked reproachful.

“-Ahh it’s only music all day today anyway sis. All the stuff they usually play says nothing to me about my life anyway” Applebloom grinned despite herself at her joke. “Need some help?” Applebloom muscled ahead of her sister to take up a long weed growing a little way near the wall.

“-sure is sunny today” Applejack lifted her hat up slightly to look up to the sky and down at her little sister, grimacing as if unconvinced. Applebloom ignored her sister’s doubts and set about pulling up the weeds from the other side of the garden from where her sister was.

After the weeding, Applebloom and her sister set about repainting the side of the chicken coup. Applebloom carried a heavy bucket of reeking orange paint from the store room and back to her sister. Together they splashed large stains of paint onto the wall, only after scrubbing it clean of all the dirt and muck that had festered there since its last repainting. She didn’t mind the scrubbing or initial splashing of paint so much; but the key precision of filling in the gaps between paint with orange made her uneasy and agitated, and the smell of the paint gave her annoying thought inducing headache.

Without resting they moved onto the fixing of the ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ sign that hung at the original gate entry to the farm. Together, Applebloom and her sister took down the old and Applebloom had to lug it back to the front garden and toss it on top of the pile of weeds to be burnt. This caused some of the weeds to spill out so Applebloom irritatingly had to pick up each individual stray and pile it neatly back underneath the old sign again. The fitting of the new sign didn’t prove so much to be difficult as it did tedious. No matter which way Applebloom let it hang, Applejack felt it hung too askew. It wasn’t even that Applebloom didn’t agree with her sister, rather that she was unable to get it right herself anyway. Applebloom found it hard to care much about anything she wasn’t very good at, or that she couldn’t do.

Later on, after Applebloom had eaten their lunch and were sitting down for a minutes rest; and Applebloom’s body was aching and tired, and she was getting quite bored of what she considered the trivial side of her usually rewarding and familiar farm labour; that Miss Cheerilee stopped by for a visit and to tell Applebloom’s family that she hadn’t been to school.

Applebloom couldn’t hear what Miss Cheerilee saying to her sister as she sat on a blanket in the middle of the front garden outside her house. The music was still playing and Applejack had gone to Miss Cheerilee to talk instead of letting come into the garden. Of this Applebloom was grateful, she liked her home life and her school life different and didn’t like the idea of these two in conflict juxtaposed-together earth-to-hoof.

“-Applebloom, come over here and talk with me and your teacher would you please? And turn that music off on your way”. Applebloom walked slowly over to her sister’s beckoning, meeting the flaring glares of her sister and her teacher with a steely resignation-calm.

“-Now when you came back to me early from school today you told me that you weren’t missing anything important in school today, didn’t you?”. Applejack was looking angry. Applebloom nodded innocently.

“Don’t nod at me like that like you don’t know you lied to me Applebloom.” Applebloom’s jaw dropped as her sister spoke. “You said to me that you were only missing some nonsense about messing about with music, but Miss Cheerilee tells me that you’ve got school production next month and today was meant to be your class’ preparation for it. You knew about all that didn’t you? You said it had nothing to do with your life”.

“-It doesn’t have anything to do with my life, sis. It’s just a stupid school play. We do them every month and it’s just an excuse for everyone to stop pretending to learn without skipping school all together”. Applebloom raised her little voice in indignation, “you said all this yourself. Where do you think I get it all from? You said this all yourself!”

Applejack looked embarrassed now, and even angrier. “You’re missing school Applebloom that’s what matters. All this farm and me and your brother working and such is all for the family, and you’re just throwing it all away because you’re being lazy, and you’re not lazy!” Applebloom would’ve had to force back tears if she could remember to cry. “Honesty. That’s what the Apple family is all about, y’know this to be true don’t you?”

Applebloom didn't say anything. Distraught at her sister’s betrayal of principles and trust just for sake of appearances. Sickened by the smug and worried look on her teacher’s face as she nodded in agreement and cast her pretty smile of approval at Applejack’s words.

“-Well said Applejack. I knew that Applebloom’s misbehaviour couldn’t have been a result of any lack of care at home, even with the parent situation being what it is”, Cheerilee was actually grinning at Applejack; Applebloom could've hit her.
“-Applebloom, you can come back to the schoolhouse later today, if you please? We’re going to catch up on some of the work you have missed whilst you’ve been relaxing here at home. I hope you’re not shy, because we’re going to be working to make sure you sing like an angel for next month’s performance”, Cheerilee smiled wickedly at Applebloom.
“-She’ll be there Miss Cheerilee. Thanks again for giving up your time”. With that, Applejack walked Miss Cheerilee back to the top of the pathway outside the farm back to the main streets of Ponyville. Applebloom wasn’t going to wait to hear her sister’s reprimands any further, or worse her excuses. She rushed through the house dirty hooves muddying the clean kitchen floor, and ran up the stair and into her room and slamming the door behind her.

Applebloom looked miserably out her window at the sight of her brother, Big Mac, working the fields of the family farm. Granny Smith must still be in bed because Big Mac was alone. Applebloom wondered about her big brother. About how he had left school at such an early age. As much as Applebloom was loathe to admit it, she didn’t want to end up as simple and as worked as her brother, and she made a promise to herself to endeavour to stay in school for the time being, whilst she developed her wits to something that might resemble an intelligent pony.

A little while later, Applebloom was making ready to leave and go back to her schoolhouse to have her detention with Miss Cheerilee. She didn’t need her notepad or other school things because she knew she would only be singing, so she carried only the bow on her head as he shouted a hasty goodbye to her sister who was watering all the plants in the farm, and headed out through the gate under the wonky sign and towards Ponyville streets.

Whether it was out of a mixture of boredom and nothing better to do, which Applebloom thought was probably the reason she was bothering to turn up to this detention when she knew her sister would never force her go unless there was another non-family pony present; or whether she was actually afraid of not obeying her teacher’s direct order, which she hoped wasn’t the real reason she was going; Applebloom walked through the hot streets of Ponyville for the third time that day. The sun was still out so yet again Applebloom was forced to curl up into her own thoughts to avoid the ugly familiarity of the monotonous streets she was walking through once more, and once more she found herself at her destination before she really knew where she was.

Stepping through the causeway into the schoolhouse for the first time today, Applebloom was stopped by the familiar faces of her two best friends and fellow ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ – Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo didn’t greet Applebloom with the usual wary grimace that much everyone else in Ponyville usually greeted Applebloom with, rather they both smiled broadly and Applebloom was warmed stupendously by the embrace of a hug from Sweetie Belle as she leapt to greet her. “There you are!” Sweetie Belle shrilled, “we thought you might have gone off upset”.

“-Why did you think I had gone off upset?” Applebloom beamed at her friends despite her embarrassment at their considering her incapable of school simply because she might be upset.

“-Well we heard those dorks Snips and Snails talking about how Twist had invited them and not you to go with her to Canterlot”, Scootaloo answered straight-faced and genuine.

“-They’re not dorks” Applebloom smiled ashamed at her delight at Scootaloo’s rebuke of the ponies she had forgotten she wasn’t meant to like.

“-Yeah they are” Scootaloo corrected aggressively.

“-So you’re fine?” Sweetie Belle was still looking worriedly at Applebloom despite all the reassurances. Applebloom smiled faux-confident.

“-I’m fine. I just bunked off school because I didn’t feel like going to school…” Applebloom spoke cockily.
“-That’s great then. But you should’ve come anyway, we decided to try ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders Paper Aeroplane Engineers’, it was brilliant” Scootaloo was grinning ferociously, “That’s why we’re here. I was aiming for the bin next to Miss Cheerilee’s desk and I missed and hit her instead”. Sweetie Belle was laughing hysterically.

“-Well, see you tomorrow hopefully Applebloom, good luck with Miss Cheerilee” Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo walked off together laughing. Applebloom was sad to see them go. They, even more perhaps than her family truly understood her and knew who she was. She wished she had been more authentic with why she hadn’t gone to school that day, though to be fair she wasn’t quite she knew herself.

At her third mis-attempt that day, Applebloom crossed the threshold of the schoolhouse and into the classroom. Miss Cheerilee was waiting for her, obviously annoyed and wanting to leave already. Applebloom leapt at her chance to annoy her, “Howdy, Miss Cheerilee! How are ya?”

Miss Cheerilee looked up with her sore and pretty face. “Well done on actually turning up for the detention Applebloom, I’m pleasantly surprised”.

“-What do ya mean Miss Cheerilee, of course I came. You asked me too and I didn’t say I would.” Miss Cheerilee looked almost sad, “It’s like my sister said – honesty. I’m might be many things Miss Cheerilee and I can’t apologise for that, but I’m always honest”

Miss Cheerilee was smiling unconvincingly at Applebloom, and making her anxious. “You can go back if you like. I wasn’t really going to make you sing, you’re right it’s all a farce. I just wanted to see if you’d manage to turn up”.
Applebloom nearly stayed despite her teacher’s leave, but thought better of it. Miss Cheerilee didn’t feel particularly alright to Applebloom and she was anxious to leave as soon as she could.

Once outside, Applebloom considered her teacher’s situation. All of a sudden she felt a wave of frustration. She felt frustrated with a teacher that was clearly too focused upon her own failings instead of aiding the success of her students. She felt then a resentment for an educational system that gives ponies the impossible of job of being completely unselfish about their own progress in life to focus upon the progression and moulding of their students. She knew then that regardless of anything else in life, she must never be a teacher.

Author's Note:

The second chapter of my 'Another Brick in the Pony Wall' series. Took me a long while to write so I'm thankful to finally have it up!

Thanks again for reading this,and for sticking with me between chapter break. Again, any criticism or praise or remark is gratefully received so don't be shy.

Next chapter is Scootaloo and it's much less dry British rambling and more action.

Thanks again you brilliant people you!

Titch Thomas.

Comments

[Cocaine]

I wish I could give you a long, detailed, well structured paragraph of critique and compliments. But uhh...All I got to say is: good. It's not EXCELLENT, and it's nowhere near bad. Just...Good. It's to the point wherE I can't say anything else. It's weird.

Anyways, since Scootaloo is one of my favorites, I'm harshly anticipating and all. Anyways...Peace

[Cocaine]

3797163

Oh...And considering this was like, 11 w ago, yeah. that's nice. lol...

[MrTitchThomas]

3797163 Thanks for the response and the favourite!! Any small amount of critique or acknowledgement of any kind is welcome at this early stage in my fanfic writing stage.
Thanks for saying it's weird, weird is what I'm going for. Everything else is just propaganda.

Now that my exams are over I'm starting the Scootaloo chapter and because her chapter is the whole point really of the whole piece and I've got the skeleton all but mapped out for what she's going to say and what she's going to do and see, so I'm sure I'll be done pretty soon and I look forward to hearing what you think of it!

[Cocaine]

3804409

HAH! I'll be looking forward to reading it and going full asshole-critic mode.

But for real, ^^ Those exams...lol. Harsh. Hey! good luck!!

[KiKo4]

Is this story ded

[MrTitchThomas]

7355854
No it's not dead but my house got burgled and all my writing was on a laptop that was stolen so I've been a little disconsolate really which is kinda pathetic. I got a contract to write a b ook for a real life publisher which is exciting but I haven't written anything yet so I've been angry at myself for that too. Thanks so much for the comment though, you've encouraged me to re-open this like I should and finish the thing because the Scootaloo chapter is really the crux of the whole story really.

[Roger Waters]