Fallen Eagle

Chapter 23: Some Assistance Required

mlp brony fifer: I imagined your laugh as Dr. Evil's laugh from Austin Powers. But don't worry, Blueblood is getting a well deserved punishment.

KillerWoW: I'm glad I can still give my readers the feels. And it was time to showcase other couples.

litestardt: I'll be sure to keep Spike away from your OC lol. And it's still way too early in my opinion for the two to start a relationship.

OBSERVER01: I didn't really care for the Ghost Rider movies, besides I love Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger and if it's voted for, I can think of a few funny moments for him as an actual Cougar.

Skull Candy: Weeeeeeeelllllllll, they're not really together yet. And it was so much fun to write other couples other than the normal ones I've already written.

UpgraderIsAwesome489: Thank you! And don't fret, there's still a long way to go.

RenaTamer: BEST. RECRUITMENT. POSTER. EVER! Though you gave Bat Fang and Remington the shaft.

Dixie Darlin: It took me a long time to make sure that part was perfect. Despite this being a pivotal chapter for Cougar and Applejack, it was time for Spike and Twilight to admit they're mother and son :)

Silence is Gold3n: I wouldn't say that, though no one is complaining, I sometimes believe I take too long.

SquirtlePWN: I'm not making fun of you, really I'm not, but that is pretty damn funny! I have yet to find ONE, just one Blueblood fan.

Konigster:Nope, I saw Starlight Glimmer as Pony Hitler.

Okay for all those who are voting for Cougar's Nightmare Night costume, the chapter is three chapters away so you have the next two chapters to vote, the poll will not close until the Nightmare Night chapter is up so as to keep his costume a surprise.

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(Several Days Later. Cougar's POV)

Things between Applejack and I thankfully didn't get too weird after I dashed out on her at the Gala after sharing a dance. Naturally, she did wonder what happened to me and I told her the truth about going to talk to Cadence. I almost did a double take when she accepted the answer and didn't press forward for exactly why I did want to talk to Cadence. So what did I do? I just went back to my normal routine with the Apple family around the farm: Waking up, doing chores, eat lunch, do more chores, get off for the day and hang out with friends, eat dinner, go to bed.

Speaking of the Gala, Luna told me in a letter she had written that Blueblood's punishment was one of the most severe punishments both her and Celestia could come up with that was short of death. The snooty prince that blatantly assaulted Rarity was stripped of his powers according to Luna. One might believe that they had just drained his magic from his body, but when I read between the lines a little, I realized that they had actually removed his horn as well, turning him into an Earth Pony.

I was a bit shocked at that punishment, not because it was harsh, but because I didn't know that was even possible! The last time Celestia or Luna had seen Blueblood, he had been sent off to some special bootcamp in the Griffon Empire because, according to Luna, the Griffons were a proud warrior race that ate, drank, sweated and bled not only combat, but discipline, making them the perfect choice to shape up Blueblood. 'Ah, the good 'ol military style punishment always works,' I thought to myself whilst raking up a few red and orange leaves in the orchard. I was so lost in thought and my chores that I didn't notice a particular orange mare approaching from the house.

"Hey Cougar, Twilight wants ta meet me 'n the girls at the castle, wanna come with?" Applejack asked me, leaning against the nearest tree with a wheat stalk bobbing up and down in her muzzle as she talked. Setting the rake on the trunk of the same tree, I took off my hat and wiped the sweat from my forehead with my arm before putting it back on top of my head.

"What does she want Applejack?" I stuffed my gloves that of course Rarity made for me into the back of my jeans pocket and put my sunglasses atop the bill of my hat. Applejack spat her wheat stalk into my pile of leaves, landing perfectly upright in the middle of the pile. "Is she still trying to figure out why the castle appeared from the tree of harmony?" I questioned. Applejack nodded her head a few times in response.

"Yeah, but this time she just wants ta get all the friends together 'n talk; we haven't done that since 'bout before you showed up," she added and lightly kicked the tree, the lone apple on the tree falling onto her hoof and receiving a mighty bite from the mare.

"Which was also about two or three weeks after the whole Tyrek incident right?" I cracked my knuckles and began walking with Applejack back to my little shack to get a fresh shirt and a little spritz of deodorant.

"Tirek incident," Applejack corrected me as I scraped the dirt off of my shoes on my welcome mat and ditched my shirt into my dirty clothes hamper in the corner next to my cot. Applejack had in fact offered to help build me an actual bed, but the cot was still comfortable and my back has never felt better. "'N yeah, she's had months ta get adjusted ta the castle, but she still spends a lot 'o her time thinkin' 'bout why she got it," Applejack watched me put on deodorant from my doorway. Ah the Tirek incident. When Applejack told me the tale of that horror, it sounded like an actual horror story. Getting the magic forcibly sucked out of your body to me is akin to the Dementors from Harry Potter sucking out people's souls.

"Well, if I got a new house presented to me out of the blue, I'd probably think of the why, the how and what the catch is for it," I replied, throwing on a new shirt and my ball cap. "And this one doesn't count since we built it," I patted the doorway of my home and shut the door. Because Fall was practically here, the apple bucking was pretty much done; the only chores left was to rake up the leaves that fell from the trees and store the extra apples in the cellar or inside the kitchen for the winter. Plus, we also had the animals to take care of but that was the easy stuff.

"Ya know Cougar," Applejack walked along side me back to the main house on the farm, "ya still didn't answer my question," she smirked at me with a raised eyebrow. Thinking hard, I couldn't really remember what her question to me was. Damn my rambling mind!

"Sorry, it was about Twilight and her castle though right?" I asked.

"Eeyup," she retorted like Big Mac, "'n Ah just wanted ta see if ya wanted ta go fer a bit, maybe grab some coffee at Sugar Cube Corner afterward," she politely offered. Nobody's coffee beat Granny's homestyle coffee, but Mr. and Mrs. Cake did give Granny's a run for her bits. Furthermore, it had been about three days since the Gala and I hadn't seen Spike and I was curious as to what Twilight's zebra friend had concluded about his growth spurt and how long it would last. Not even Rainbow Dash or Rarity knew what the verdict was, and those two loved gossip despite Applebloom's Gabby Gums misadventure.

"Yeah sure, why not?" I shrugged, "Granny's at a sewing derby or a cook off right?" We had set off for the town.

"Nope, she's just at her sewin' club," AJ replied, "they're tryin' ta make the biggest quilt this side 'o Appaloosa," she added. "That's where my cousin Braeburn is from by the way," she reminded me. The only other time I could remember her mentioning Braeburn was when I borrowed a vest of his to wear to cover my surgical scar from my busted collar bone. As the birds around us chirped their morning song and Celestia's sun's rays poured over the mountain tops of Canterlot and the mountains around Ponyville, I was still curious about other places in Equestria to visit.

"Have you told Braeburn about me being here yet?" I asked out of the blue. I of course wouldn't be offended if she said no; we actually have been through a lot in four, nearly five months. As a matter of fact, out of all we've been through, I would be surprised if she hadn't mentioned me yet; it's not everyday a new creature just falls from the sky.

"Oh Ah write ta him occasionally," AJ explained, "mentioned you quite a few times. 'O course it took a couple letters ta him ta explain who 'n what ya are," she admitted. "But he is curious about ya 'n would like ta meet ya one 'o these days."

"Curious in meeting me to become friends or curious in meeting me to tell me to stay away from your family?" I asked, jokingly of course.

"Oh, Brae's got 'o heart 'o gold, you'd like him," Applejack chuckled and nudged my arm, "though he does get on my nerves a bit bein' so hyperactive all the time. It's like he drinks a whole barrel 'o coffee every mornin'," she exaggerated.

"So, a less annoying guy version of Pinkie Pie?" I compared.

"Just about," she chuckled yet again. The castle made an appearance as we crested the hill leaving Sweet Apple Acres in the distance just beyond Ponyville before disappearing behind the tops of the houses and businesses if the town.

"I've only been here and Canterlot," I interjected, taking a quick look around the tiny village, "I wouldn't mind venturing off and visiting other parts of Equestria at some point," I daydreamed. The Apple Family Reunion had come and gone and was hosted in fact at Braeburn's Farm, though I didn't go because I was still worried that Applejack, Granny Smith, Big Mac and Applebloom would be condemned because of me. Stupid thoughts? Well yeah, but still, I don't want anything bad to come of these ponies.

"Well, if Braeburn needs us again in Appaloosa or Babs Seed needs us in Manehatten, y'all can come along this time. The family reunion was fun as always, but Ah did feel a bit empty that ya weren't there," she looked at me as we walked through town.

"I'll take that offer, not that there's anything wrong with Ponyville or to an extension your farm," I smiled and cracked my knuckles. A slight Fall breeze grazed itself on the back of my neck, sprouting up numerous goosebumps across my skin. I love feeling breezes like that, especially in this time of year; it's my favorite indicator that Winter is on its way. "Hey Applejack, can I ask you a stupid question?" I blurted out, causing a few ponies around us to snicker.

"Cougar, Ah don't know how you could ask a stupid question, but ya can ask me anythin'," she assured me, looking straight at me, letting me know that she cared.

"Alright," I chuckled, "well, you guys have winter right? With snow and colder temperatures?" I asked.

"Eeyup, 'n don't forget the hot chocolate, snowball fights, snow angels 'n snugglin' in front 'o a fire," she replied. I had nodded along with all of her favorite parts of Winter until she said that last part.

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded and sure heard that wrong.

"Ya know, with a blanket hehe," she forced out a nervous laugh, a small blush appearing. 'Awkward,' I mentally said. And as if God decided to give me a lucky break, Lyra and Bon Bon came trotting up to us, taking the awkwardness and kicking its ass out the door.

"Hey Cougar, AJ," Bon Bon greeted us. "Cougar, we just wanted to say thank you so much again for getting us tickets to the Gala!" the normally calm and collected candy making pony was jittering all around.

"Yeah, it was the BEST night of our lives!" Lyra added giddily and sipped her cola.

"Girls, girls," I calmed them down, "you've thanked me every day leading up to the Gala, the day of the Gala, the night of the Gala, and now every day since the Gala," I explained in a tiresome voice, "you're welcome, it was my pleasure for being friends and actually seeking out to talk to me," I placed my hands on their shoulders to keep them as still as I could.

"Oh, sorry for being annoying," Lyra apologized and sipped her soda some more.

"It's just, you helped give us the best night of our relationship; we couldn't be more grateful," Bon Bon explained.

"Especially afterwards back home," Lyra said in a saucy voice.

"Too much information girls!" Applejack covered her ears, "y'all just keep that in the bedroom ya hear?" the farming mare ordered. Both mares blushed like mad and looked away from Applejack.

"What she said," I agreed. Bon Bon stole Lyra's drink and took a sip of it herself, her blush dying down with every drop she drank.

"Well Cougar, if you ever need help with anything and Applejack or her family members can't help, you can come get either or both of us and we'll help you for anything you need," the dark blue and pink maned pony shook my hand.

"Duly noted Bon Bon, now AJ and I have to get to Twilight's castle before she goes crazy and starts writing down a lecture about arriving on time," I waved to the couple and AJ and I resumed our journey.

"Okay, see you two later!" Bon Bon waved back.

"Nice girls," I commented to Applejack.

"Yeah, they are really friendly, though they really don't say much ta anypony unless they're spoken ta first," Applejack pondered, "don't know what that's 'bout but none 'o my business 'o course." The memory of talking to Lyra and Bon Bon before getting the news that Luna and Celestia wanted myself and Vinyl to host the Gala resurfaced.

"You know, they agree with what you said about me Applejack," I gulped.

"What about partner?" Applejack asked as we left the edge of the town, staying on the path to the ever growing castle in front of us.

"About, you know, me being attracted to mares at all. They said pretty much the same thing you did and would support me if it ever happened," I explained, still feeling awkward and uncomfortable about being attracted to the female of a species that wasn't human. Though I could picture them as aliens that just so happen to resemble ponies from back home, as every different color of the rainbow and then some.

"Oh, right. Well Ah don't think you should be ashamed 'o that Cougar. Now Ah know my friends do tease ya about it, but they support ya too," she informed me. We had arrived at the front door to the castle where I was about to continue my thought.

"That's all fine and good, but-" I began before we were joined by other members of our circle of friends.

"Hey guys, glad we caught up with ya!" Rainbow waved her hoof from the air.

"Yeah, we were just about to head to Sweet Apple Acres to get you Applejack," Twilight added. "I'm still trying to formulate a theory about the castle. And hello Cougar," she added, using her magic to throw open the castle doors.

"Come on Twilight, you talk more about your fancy shmanshy castle than I do about parties and cupcakes!" Pinkie Pie stuffed a cupcake into her mouth. "Not that there's anything wrong with your castle Twilight," the pink mare swallowed.

"Um, wouldn't a muffin be a more suitable breakfast choice Pinkie?" I asked her. She cocked her head at my like a confused puppy. "Right, I forgot who I'm talking to, sorry Pinkie," the mares all trotted inside the castle while I held open the door.

"Come on, ya've gone over this several times already Twi," Applejack mentioned to the alicorn that was mumbling to herself. We had all entered the castle and made our way to the throne room where Spike was curled up, asleep on a chair in the circle of thrones. Everypony hopped into their respective throne, literally for Pinkie Pie, with the exception of Twilight.

"Well it just doesn't make sense," Twilight argued as I sat down next to AJ's throne on the floor. I didn't mind since I was still eye level with all the ponies. Rainbow Dash groaned and slapped herself in the face.

"Would you just give it a rest and accept it Twilight?" She demanded, "you've gone over this a MILLION times!" She exclaimed. "We got all of the keys, defeated that jerk Tirek, and to top it all off, this SWEET CASTLE!" She declared, standing on her hind legs.

"Yes, I understand that Rainbow," Twilight agreed, "but why? Knowing something and understanding something are two completely different things." Applejack tapped her hoof on the side of her throne that had her cutie mark on the back to get Twilight's attention.

"Look Sugarcube, ya ever think it's just yer new house 'n that's it? Kinda like a reward fer defeatin' Tirek?" she suggested. Twilight held her foreleg to her chin, thinking about the theory.

"If I may interject," I raised my hand.

"Oh, go ahead Cougar, what's your idea?" Fluttershy politely questioned.

"I'm gonna have to agree with Applejack Twilight," I said in an apologetic tone.

"Of course you agree with her," Rarity said under her breath, but not in a mean tone, but in a 'that's not surprising' tone.

"Maybe you're just looking into it too much," I offered, "I'm curious about it too, but you might be thinking too hard," I explained. as the others began to agree with each other that the castle was sweet and Twilight was probably looking into it too hard, I noticed that as they were sitting, their cutie mark etchings were beginning to hum and glow. I didn't say anything in case they all thought I was crazy.

"I'm the Princess of Friendship and it's my duty to spread it all over Equestria. So why would the tree of harmony want all six of us to sit in a castle here in Ponyville?" Twilight asked us, "it doesn't make any sense!" She yelled and jumped into her throne. Suddenly, as if by the flick of a switch, all the thrones' cutie marks and the cutie marks on my friends began to glow and hum simultaneously. Light shot out of each throne and shined onto a bigger version of Twilight's cutie mark on the golden floor of the castle.

"Woah," I sat up as the castle felt like it was going through an earthquake and I held onto Applejack's throne so I wouldn't fall. The floor began to break up and jagged pieces shot up like miniature mountains from the floor. Everyone, except a still asleep Spike, looked on with astonishment and horror as a circular object made an appearance from where the floor was breaking apart.

When all was said and done, what appeared to be a giant 3-D circular map was resting in the middle of all the thrones. Nopony said a word as we all stared at the map that just appeared from nowhere. It sort of looked like those 3-D maps from Star Wars!

"Hmm?" The dragon groaned and yawned as the sandman allowed his slumber to cease. "Hey," Spike said as he scratched his back and looked at the map, "is that new? I like it," he said. "Sweet, this thing's got all of Equestria on it!"

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(One Map explanation Later. Cougar's POV)

"Boy, it seems like you girls got a Charlie's Angels situation going on," I joked after they all discussed how the map worked and that their butts would vibrate from their cutie marks whenever there was a 'Friendship Problem' anywhere in Equestria and they would head on out to fix it. "Yeah I've got to explain a lot more to you guys than I already have," I scratched the back of my neck when I was met with a lot of blank stares.

"What's Charlie's Angels darling?" Rarity questioned.

"A show about a rich guy named Charlie who has three women who he calls his 'Angels' do tasks for them by telling them to do it over a phone or a radio," I explained.

"Oh, sounds cool. Was it the bestest show you've ever seen!?" Pinkie Pie bubbly asked me.

"No I never really watched it," I replied. "So, Twilight, is Spike gonna shrink back down at all?" I asked her, trying to deter the conversation a little. Twilight looked up from studying the location of where the map told her to go.

"Right," Twilight looked at Spike as he stomped over a few towns and villages on the map like Godzilla, "Zecora explained that because his growth was caused by selfless actions rather than selfish actions, he's growth is permanent," Twilight explained.

"Yep, take a look at my muscles, they're sticking around forever now ladies!" Spike flexed his arm muscles in front of Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy. The three clapped their hooves for the dragon.

"Sweet, we got ourselves our own bodyguard now!" Rainbow Dash joked and lightly punched the dragon on his shoulder.

"Well, then I guess you won't be my Wittle Spikey-Wikey anymore?" Rarity giggled, forcing a blush onto the dragon's cheeks.

"Nice Spike, now yer not gonna let this go ta yer head right?" Applejack asked him. Spike lowered his arm and shook his head back and forth. "Good boy," Applejack patted his head.

"Anyway, come on girls, we've got a friendship problem to fix," Twilight urged the six to leave. "Spike, do you wanna go?" she offered her son. Spike reached behind his chair and pulled on a football-type helmet complete with soda cans and holders with straws on the sides. He hopped down from the table and took a few sips of soda before pulling out packs of cards.

"No thanks Mom," he replied, "Big Mac and I are gonna hang out all weekend and trade Hoofball cards, talk about Hoofball, argue about stats and who is the best player and all that good stuff," he smiled brightly to Twilight. The alicorn reached over and hugged her son tightly.

"Okay then, be safe Spike and don't get too heated about Hoofball again; we don't want a repeat of the Crystal Empire Hoofball game," she reminded the dragon who innocently whistled. Just as the six were about to head off, Applejack cleared her throat next to me.

"Hey Cowboy, ya wanna come with us? Always room fer one more," she offered with a hopeful smile. The others agreed and tried to coax me into going as well. This was a little weird considering AJ and I just discussed going to different places.

"Thanks AJ, but no thanks," I held my hand up. Applejack's face turned into one of confusion as she shook her head. Her cowgirl hat was threatening to fly off at any second.

"But, ya were just talkin' 'bout wantin' ta see 'n visit other places in Equestria!" She countered.

"Yeah, as friends for like a vacation or just a spur of the moment deal," I explained. "If you six are going for your royal duties or whatever, I don't want to get in the way," I said, "or bother you guys with complaining if you were done," I added. The next thing I knew, my ribs felt like they were being crushed over by a steamroller, carrying Godzilla who was being sat on by King Kong. I felt air not being able to get to my lungs and in the reflection of one of the windows, I saw my face turning blue.

"Don't worry Cougar!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she squeezed me tighter than ever, "there's no possible way you could annoy us!" She smiled cheerfully.

"Uh Pinkie, yer hurtin' him!" Applejack exclaimed, biting her lower lip. Unfortunately for me, Pinkie ignored her.

"Come on, it'll be fun! I'll keep you company by singing every song I know, talking about my favorite words to say, my favorite goodies to eat, my favorite books to read! It'll be a blast!" She shook me as she squeezed me. "What do ya say?!" She grinned at me.

"A-a-a-air!" I wheezed out. Finally the overzealous pony released me from her death grip, dropping me onto the floor where my lungs sucked in that sweet lady, oxygen. "I think you bruised a rib!" I exclaimed when my face returned to it's regular complexion. "As much fun as that sounds," I coughed, "that makes me even more confident to say: Just take a trip for yourselves ladies, you've earned it."

"You're 120% sure that's what you want Cougar?" Rainbow Dash hovered in front of me, "there might be some serious butt that needs kicking, do you really want to miss that?!" She tried to coax me.

"No thanks Dash," I repeated, "just bring me back a souvenir if you want, I won't hold it against you," I assured them with a smirk.

"Okay, good to know," Twilight spoke up, "if that's everything, we've got a job girls!" She opened the doors to the castle with her magic, urging the other five to hurry their flanks up and move.

"Goodbye Cougar," Applejack softly hugged me to not risk injuring my ribs any further than what Pinkie already did, "we shouldn't be gone too long. Just keep an eye on Applebloom since Big Mac'll be here all weekend 'n Granny is workin' on that quilt 'o hers at her sewin' club," she asked me.

"I'll do what I can Applejack," I returned the hug before pushing her away lightly. "But right now I think you have a problem to solve with your friends," I kept urging her to leave not because I wanted to, but to avoid Twilight becoming bossy again.

"Bye Coug, Spike!" Rainbow Dash flew out of the door.

"Bye, bye you two!" Pinkie Pie Pepe-La-Pew exited out of the castle.

"Ta-ta darlings!" Rarity called.

"Take care," Fluttershy softly trotted away.

"Be good Spike!" Twilight added.

"See y'all later!" Applejack shouted. As the doors softly shut, cutting myself and Spike's vision of the six ponies, we both stood awkwardly in silence. We were still pretty okay friends since the whole Estrus weekend, but we didn't really hang out all that much.

"So, unless I bump into Big Mac in town, I'll let him know you're waiting for him Spike," I stuffed my hands in my jeans.

"Thanks Cougar, but before you go," the dragon hopped from the table and landed in front of me, preventing my inevitable exit back to the farm. "Did you guys have Hoofball where you're from?" He asked.

"Uh, no," I laughed, amused. "We did have something that looks similar," I referenced the helmet still on his head, "but it was called Football even though they didn't use their foot that often. Interestingly though, there were several horse teams. Like the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts. There was even a Buffalo Bills team," I added.

"Cool, were you into it?" He asked.

"No, I was more into NASCAR," I replied opening the door. "See ya later kid," I said my goodbye and headed back to the farm to hang out with Applebloom, that is unless the other Crusaders had plans. And knowing the Crusaders, especially Scootaloo, they'd probably be gone all day long until dinner time. Now I didn't mind if Applebloom did want to spend all day with her friends; friends at her age are extremely important. However, since she's practically a little sister now, I'd like to spend more one on one time with her.

I kept mulling over different activities Bloom and I could do on a crisp and slightly chilly Autumn day. With the wind blowing leaves up into the air and making them dance in twirls and spirals before landing on the ground only to repeat the cycle until the wind stopped, playing catch with the remaining apple carcasses sounded like a fun idea. Or maybe we could practice her self-defense skills a little more, that could be fun. Or possibly make some hot cocoa and watch a movie or two on my iPad.

Whilst strolling through the middle of Ponyville alone, something that was still pretty rare for me, my mind kept wandering to the mission that the map sent Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Rainbow Dash on. Adding to Charlie's Angels, the map also reminded me of Knight Rider with Devon giving Michael Knight his missions from a video screen. And what I said was the honest to God truth. Because the girls were sent on a mission instead of going for fun or as a vacation, I wouldn't want to go for fear of getting in the way or becoming a hostage to the bad guy they may have to fight. If a centaur could suck magic out of ponies, then I'm sure I could easily become a hostage to whatever the six had to face.

Of course, I wanted all of them to get their duties done and get back safe. Just like Stinger was sort of like the Ghostrider Squadron's Grandfather, always looking out for us and wishing us to get back safe. And I knew Applejack could very well take care of herself, but I wanted her to be safe as well, more safe than any of the others. Caring about her safety deeper than any of the other five ponies was pretty selfish, yet it was the truth. Would I be sad if the others got hurt? Absolutely; they're still my friends. However, if Applejack came back injured, I don't know what I would do.

That dance at the Gala opened my eyes, but I was still in no way, shape or from ready to tell Applejack how felt. I would be even friendlier around her and just maybe offer to take her to dinner more often. The memory of Applejack's leg getting bitten by that Timberwolf reappeared once again and how sad I was that I allowed it to happen. I'd probably lose my mind if she came back injured again and become one of those overbearing-

"Woah there, wake up Cougar!" Big Mac's deep, booming voice burst my thought bubble.

"Wha!?" I exclaimed, blinking several times and looking around to see Big Mac's red furry face in mine right in front of the Town Hall. "Oh sorry Mac," I apologized and dusted off his muzzle. "Guess my mind got in the way of my sight," I stepped away from the red stallion.

"Whatcha got on yer mind there?" he asked me, stepping out of the way of a few ponies entering the Town Hall.

"Oh, Applejack and her friends just shipped themselves off to some village to solve a friendship problem," I explained. The stallion sighed with a knowing roll of his eyes and a chuckle.

"'Sides Applebuckin' 'n bein' stubborn 'n honest, solvin' problems like that is what she's good at," Big Mac soothed my worry. "By the way, is Spike ready fer our big weekend hang out?" he questioned.

"Uh yeah he's ready," I replied, "but Big Mac, can I ask you something?" I asked him.

"Why sure Cougar," his right ear twitched slightly, "is somethin' the matter?" Hoping to make it sound like I was a friend who was worried more than making it obvious I had feelings for the mare, I asked my question in as normal a tone as I could. Though it probably still came off as suspicious as Hell.

"You've been watching your sister go off and do stuff like this in other parts of Equestria for over four years right?"

"Eeyup, what about it?" Big Mac leaned his foreleg against the railing.

"Well, when she first went off and probably a few times afterwards, how did you cope with her being gone? And the possibility of her being hurt?" The stallion clicked his tongue several times, squinted his green eyes and tapped the wooden railing with his hoof.

"'O course Ah was worried, 'n Ah'm always worried 'bout when my two baby sisters go off somewhere out 'o Ponyville on their own," Big Mac explained, "though the first time AJ left Ponyville fer a dangerous mission so to speak, Ah was scared 'n tried to focus on my chores ta take my mind off the situation."

"Did it work?" I blinked.

"No; AJ loves workin' the farm as much as Ah do; it just made me feel worse 'cause the farm ain't the same without her. So to cope, Ah always tossed as many apples as Ah could into our barrels one by one instead 'o puttin' them in buckets 'n haulin' 'em over ta the barrels. Fer every one Ah made, it took my mind off that AJ was gone, but fer every one Ah missed, it made me scared that she could get injured out there without her big brother to protect her."

"How often did you do that?" I pressed on.

"'Bout every time she 'n her friends had ta leave town fer 'bout the first year," he replied, still in his flashback voice. "Until one day when she went off, we didn't have any apples ta toss into barrels. Instead Ah just went into Ponyville 'n walked around for hours on end, clearin' my head. 'N ya know what happened Cougar?" He asked me a question.

"What?"

"She came back as strong, independent, honest 'n stubborn as before. 'Cause 'o that, Ah knew from then on Ah had nothin' ta worry about when she left, so it don't bother me as much anymore," he concluded. "'N that was actually when she left fer Manehatten by herself to become a fancy city pony with our Aunt 'n Uncle Orange. It was right after," the stallion paused, a small tear escaped his eye, "well, after somethin' happened. Granny 'n Ah cried just 'bout every night when she was gone," he wiped the tear from his eye and cleared his throat.

"Thanks Big Mac, that really helps," I offered him my hand which he accepted and shook it.

"That's right, ya haven't had ta see her off for one 'o these before," he chuckled yet again. "Trust me Cougar, she'll be fine. Ah know how much ya appreciate her friendship," he pushed himself off the Town Hall railing. "Ah'll see ya come Monday; Ah gotta knock some sense into Spike 'bout Hoofball," he said his goodbye and walked away. Taking off my hat and running a hand through my ever growing hair, I let out a sigh of relief and set back for home.

---

(At Sweet Apple Acres. Cougar's POV)

When the small dust cloud around my shoes settled as I stepped foot back under the Sweet Apple Acres sign, I spotted just the filly I was looking for. Applebloom was sitting on her flank, moving a pebble around with her fore hoof. What was going on? I picked up the pace a little, kicking up more dirt and dust around my pant legs. "Hey, Bloom, what are you up to?" I asked her.

The little school filly slowly turned her head up from her little pile of rocks, a sort of glare plastered onto her usually cheery face. "What?" She asked in a grumpy voice. "I'm busy organizin' my rocks," she grumbled and turned back away from me. 'Holy crap, serious attitude,' I thought to myself, taken aback by Applebloom's sudden mood. The only time she sounded a little grumpy like this was when she came home from not getting a cutie mark.

"Just seeing what you're doing. You're sister, brother and Granny are all doing their own thing for the weekend, so I thought you and I could do something," I offered and softly stroked her back like I would a dog.

"Could ya do somethin' other than touch me?" Applebloom shook my hand away and stood up from her pile of rocks. Her head was drooped low, even her cute hair bow.

"Hey, is everything alright there Bloomin' Onion?" I asked, very concerned for her feelings.

"'N stop callin' me that! That's the dumbest nickname ever!" She exclaimed, making me jump and hit a tree branch. "What'd y'all have in mind ta do anyway?" She said, still cranky, "my rocks are borin' me 'n Sweetie Belle 'n Scootaloo are busy," Applebloom didn't seem to care I hit my head and just kept walking back to the house.

"Okay Applebloom," I said her name in an unsure tone, trying to not piss her off any more than she was. But the question remained: Why was she so cranky and grumpy? "Is everything okay?" I asked her again.

"Yes, everythin' is fine, why do ya ask?" Applebloom's tone was now a more cheerful one, okay then. Shaking it off and taking advantage of her more happy demeanor I read off the list of things I hoped to do today.

"Uh, well, I was thinking maybe we could play catch with some leftover apple carcasses and a wooden bucket, maybe spar again and sharpen your self defense tactics or make some hot cocoa, curl up and watch some movies on my iPad in the living room?" I suggested. The yellow filly's right eyebrow shot up as she studied my offers for stuff to do today. For a brief moment, she said nothing, not even muttering to herself.

"Really? Is that all ya came up with? Did ya even try?" Applebloom rolled her eyes and spoke to me in a condescending voice.

"Jeez Applebloom, what the hell crawled up your butt?" I angrily asked. I knew I probably shouldn't have said something like that in an angry voice, but I don't appreciate being talked to like that, kid or adult, girl or guy.

"How about lunch?" She asked in a chipper tone, "Ah'm starvin'!" She Applebloom exclaimed and ran in a little circle to showcase her excitement for food. I stood in my spot right in front of the house as she did her little dance on the porch. My mouth was agape and my mind was scrambling trying to figure this situation out. I swear Stevie Wonder could have better luck picking out a criminal in a police lineup!

"B-but it's only 11:00!" I refrained from egging the filly on.

"Aww, but Ah'm hungry Cougar, please?" The filly begged and put on her puppy dog face, complete only with her quivering lower lip. Finally, my brain and mouth synced up and I could form intelligible and consistent sentences again.

"What'd you have in mind for lunch Applebloom?" I bent down and ruffled her red mane, still careful as to not swing her mood needle back to angry. The pony threw the door to the house open and trotted inside the kitchen with me following her in tow. She stopped in the middle of the kitchen and studied the room, taking in all of the ingredients that Granny had stored in the pantry and the refrigerator to decide what to eat.

Applebloom's tummy growled like a rabid wolverine moving in on a kill, startling the school filly. "Hehe, sorry," she blushed in embarrassment. "Well, Ah can't decide on anythin', how 'bout ya surprise me Cougar?" She hopped up onto a chair with her forelegs on the table, propping her up. "Please?" She added, again with the puppy face. Winona came running in and barking up a storm, clawing at the door that hid her dog food.

"I'll feed Winona first and then how about tomato soup and toast?" I suggested.

"Sounds good ta me," she clutched her stomach with her leg, "ooh, my tummy's a hurtin'," she grimaced.

"You sure you're okay Bloom?" I opened up Winona's food bag and dumped a cup into her food bowl. She barked a thank you and began devouring her kibble. Slamming her hooves on the table, Applebloom gave me a death glare.

"If Ah said Ah was okay before, what makes ya think Ah'm not okay now?" She asked in an eerily calm yet angry voice, "Ah just got a lil kick in my tummy, nothin' ta get worked up about," she added, crossing her legs over her chest.

"Sorry I asked," I muttered and grabbed a can of tomato soup from the pantry. The thought surprised me that Granny bothered to have canned soups when she had all the fresh ingredients literally in her own backyard. Although thinking about it, it does make sense for when the winter months roll around and the Apple family is bound to run out of fresh ingredients, especially with the way Applejack eats. Though I would never mention that to her, just my own thoughts."Do you want wheat or white bread for your toast?" I held up a bag of white bread in one hand and a bag of wheat bread in the other.

"White please, 'n with butter, not that margarine crap that Applejack likes ta push on me," the filly impatiently replied, slowly moving her hoof across the wooden table top. As I turned the stove on and dumped the tomato soup into a pot followed by some milk for a creamier texture, the only sounds in the kitchen were the ticking of a clock and Winona still gobbling down her food, only pausing to take drinks of water.

'It's like I'm talking to a pregnant chick,' I pondered, stirring the red soup in the pot. Putting some bread in the toaster for the both of us, my mind kept wandering. 'Now I feel bad about making fun of Reaper when his wife was pregnant,' I joked, cracking a small smile. "Did AJ say how long she'd be gone?" Applebloom asked.

"The girls said probably the whole weekend, so hopefully she'll be back around Sunday night," I retorted.

"Meh," she said in response, sort of groggily. Of course I wanted to again ask how she was doing, but I'd have better luck sticking a steak sauce coated arm into the cage of a pissed off Brown Bear. After about another ten minutes of silent stirring and tasting, the soup was fully prepared. I poured a bowl each for myself and Bloom and set the steaming bowls of soup on the table before grabbing plates for the pieces of toast.

"Soups on," I declared, sitting across from Applebloom, "literally," I winked with a cheesy grin. Setting a spoon into my bowl and bringing the creamy goodness up to my mouth, the warm, tomatoey liquid ran down my throat like a waterfall. "Mmm," I licked my lips while taking a breath, "good huh?" I asked my lunch companion. The little pony in question had tipped the bowl back so she could slurp it like a bowl of coffee. She didn't respond with words; her slurping was good enough. "So, how's school going Applebloom?" She had just begun school about a week before the Gala and she actually didn't mention it that much.

"It's school, it's there," she paused, wiping her mouth with a napkin before taking a bite out of her slice of toast.

"Well, is the homework hard?" I pressed on, taking a swig of Cider.

"What? Do ya think Ah'm too stupid ta know how ta do homework?!" She set her bowl down pretty hard. "Could ya do me a favor 'n shut yer mouth fer at least five minutes so Ah can get some peace 'n quiet?" she sarcastically asked me before taking another bite of toast. My spoon clattered onto the wooden table, my hand going slightly numb at the filly's comment. What happened to the happy-go-lucky filly that loved to hang out with me and always looked to the positive side of things?

"Hey, I never tell anyone this, but how about a little respect and appreciation Applebloom?" 'Stop talking you idiot; you'll just make it worse!' My mind's analytical side fought my aggressive side.

"Respect 'n appreciation fer what?" She asked, tossing her piece of toast into the trash and pouring the rest of her soup down the drain. "Respect 'n appreciation fer making such a crappy lunch? Even Sweetie Belle could make a better meal than this!" she tossed her now empty bowl into the sink which surprisingly didn't shatter from the force of her toss.

"You know what? If you want space and for me to shut up, then fine," I downed the rest of my soup and polished off my toast, "be that way. I don't want to do anything with you until you change your damned attitude," I glared at the little filly. Her response surprised the hell out of me. Her eyes began to water and she sniffled.

"Why are ya yellin' at me?" She snapped her eyes shut, squirting some tears out and running off up the stairs, closing her door shut with a slam.

"OH COME ON!" I shouted and kicked the wall, stubbing my big toe. "What am I supposed to do Winona?" I asked the dog. Winona cocked her head from side to side, whining slightly before letting out a little yelp. "Yeah, look at me, I'm asking a fucking dog for advice," I sat down on the sofa in the living room, running a hand through my hair as my hat was cast aside onto the little side table.

I covered my eyes with my hand, rubbing them lightly to try and help my brain relax from frying itself attempting to decipher what was going on with one of my best friends. I already knew girls were mysteries wrapped in an enigma and a riddle, but girls her age were pretty easy to figure out. Maybe Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are getting to her again at school. Perhaps a chat with Cheerilee was in order, and that wouldn't be too hard to schedule because Big Mac and her were still dating.

The slow, hypnotic ticking of the clock in the living room and the slight creaks of the wooden house fell upon my eardrums as I lay on the couch silently, just gathering my thoughts. Normally I'd use the magic of my favorite music to calm my attitude down and to let my brain juices start flowing like the Nile River, but that simply wasn't going to work right now. I certainly wasn't angry or upset; that couldn't be possible when it came to Applebloom because she was so sweet, innocent and adorable. Choosing what emotion or emotions I was feeling at the moment was not an easy choice.

I've never felt sad, confused and empty all at the same time before. Sad because Applebloom was yelling at me and acting rather harsh, confused because I didn't know why her emotions were more chaotic than Discord on opposite day and empty because I felt helpless that I couldn't help her feel better. Still, despite every fiber of my being wanting to throw my arms around the filly and hug her, I knew that might piss her off too, or it might make her cry.

How long had I been laying here exactly? I craned my neck up to look at the clock only to discover the minute hand had only moved two spots ahead. I groaned and put a pillow over my face. Watching movies on my iPad would only remind me of the activity I had suggested to Applebloom and make me feel even worse. It sounded like nothing more than a hollow dream now. If only Big Mac or Granny Smith were here, they'd know how to handle a disgruntled Applebloom. I never really liked kids back on Earth, but I made exceptions for the fillies and colts running around Equestria.

"Laying down on my ass won't get the dishes cleaned," I finally sat up from my five minute stint on the couch and re-entered the kitchen to clean the pot, bowls and plates we had used to eat lunch. However, just as I flipped up the lever on the sink and hot water started to melt away the toast crumbs and drying tomato soup in the bowls, I could hear muffled crying and painful groans coming from upstairs. Yet again, I was on the fence about racing upstairs to help or to just let Bloom have the space she desired. The groaning and crying finally stopped after about a minute or two of scrubbing dishes. It's hard to explain how my ears feel after have continuous noise flowing into my ear canals only to have it stop abruptly. Everything just seems, quieter.

"COUGAR!" Applebloom's voice screamed so loud that I jumped and accidentally threw the bowl in my hand up to the ceiling where it shattered and the pieces fell onto the floor, missing me. I could've sworn a few upstairs windows shattered with that scream. "HELP MEEEEEEEEE!" She screamed from upstairs again. Wasting no time, I spun around on my heel and ran like Satan's personal Hell Hounds were trying to chase me and drag me down to the bowels of Hell. Everything in the house became an indecipherable blur as I raced by the kitchen, the living room, the stairs and the hallway upstairs to Applebloom's bedroom.

"APPLEBLOOM!?" I pounded my fist on her door like a jackhammer, "APPLEBLOOM?!" I shouted again and pushed the door open. "What's the matter?" I asked as I dashed into the room and stopped in front of, an empty bed. "Where are you!?" my mind went into protective friend/military officer mode.

"Ah'm in the, ow! Bathroom," I heard hear reply painfully. Pushing my feet off the floor, I ran to the bathroom so hard I almost had a Kool-Aid man experience, but luckily I stopped short and just threw the door open.

"Bloom, what's the matter honey?" I instantly collapsed onto my knees and had my hands on her shoulders. Tears were streaming down her face and her eyes were red and puffy. The only response I got was a few sniffles and unintelligible babbling. "Honey, just take a deep breath and tell me what's the matter," I said softly and stroked her mane to help calm her down. The filly swallowed and took a big breath for me before looking into my eyes.

"Ah-Ah don't know w-what's wrong with me! Ah've got a tummy ache, but Ah'm cravin' glazed doughnuts!" She cried, "'n my joints hurt like somepony's squeezin' 'em in a vice," she tearfully explained.

"O-okay, do you want me to get you some pain pills from the kitchen?" I questioned, but she wasn't done yet.

"Not only that, Ah've got so much pain in my," she hesitated to say the word, "lady area," she whispered, "'n Ah just checked, 'n Ah'm bleedin' down there too! Ah'm so scared!" She buried her face into my stomach and cried again. Looking onto the floor below her, I saw a few tissues with streaks of blood on the white surfaces and some droplets falling onto the bathroom floor, yet I didn't look in her area.

"Oh shit," I said about as scared as Applebloom. "Bloom, has Ms. Cheerilee taught you about when you become a mare?" I asked. Pulling her head away from my chest, she wiped her eyes again.

"N-no," she replied.

"Well then crap ,you're on your first period," I bluntly said.

"P-period?" She asked in a squeaky voice.

"It's your first step to becoming a mare," I quickly explained, "but does Applejack have any pads under the sink?" I asked.

"Pads? Uh, AH DON'T KNOW!" She wailed again. "Ah just hurt so much 'n Ah'm so scared Cougar, please help me!" She begged and threw her legs around my torso. Well shit, if Applejack doesn't have pads, I don't know what to do. And I'm not buying those kinds of products at the store. I wouldn't know what kind and size to buy and a guy buying them is just, off-putting.

"Just let me think," I set her on top of the counter with a red towel below her lower area. I kicked my brain into overdriving, trying to think of a way to help my friend's pain and scared demeanor vanish. "We'll get you through this," I promised her. My eyes popped open as I was reminded of the memory of this morning.

"Well Cougar, if you ever need help with anything and Applejack or her family members can't help, you can come get either or both of us and we'll help you for anything you need," Bon Bon's voice from this morning echoed in my mind.

"It may not be what she was talking about, but it's better than nothing," I whispered. "Applebloom, come on, we're leaving," I picked her up from the ground by her front legs, begin careful not to touch her lower area with my arm so I wouldn't hurt her, the blood wasn't an issue.

"W-where are we going?" She asked painfully as her lower area was still radiating with agony.

"Lyra and Bon Bon right now are your only hopes to help; I don't know what to do and since your sister and her friends are all busy, what choice do we have?" I asked her.

"Ah guess that makes sense," she agreed, still shuffling around. Flipping her over onto her back like a baby, I ran out of the house with her in my arms.

---

(Bon Bon's Candy Bowl. Cougar's POV.)

We got numerous stares from everypony in town what with our odd positions, but I pushed all of those stares away and set the filly in my arms down to the ground. Bon Bon's candy shop was sitting right in front of us as I knocked on the door profusely. Through the window on the door, I saw Lyra sitting up and trotting over happily. "I'm coming, I'm coming calm the Tartarus down," she opened the door where I almost punched her horn.

"Hey watch where you hit my marefriend!" Bon Bon jumped from behind her counter. "who's trying to kill you?" the Earth mare jokingly asked. Wheezing, I bent down with my hands on my knees and sat down on a bench inside the candy shop.

"A-A-Applebloom," I coughed.

"Yeah, what about her?" Lyra escorted the filly inside.

"She's on her period!" I blurted out after finally catching my breath. Both Lyra and Bon Bon's face froze like statues after hearing the surprising information. They blinked a few times before shaking their heads back and forth.

"Did you just say-" Lyra held her leg around Applebloom's head.

"YES! She's on her first period and we need your help please, I don't know what to do!" I begged for help. Bon Bon patted me on the back and handed me a glass of water which I chugged down immediately.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Lyra knelt down to Applebloom's level. She explained to Lyra the same thing she did to me, complete with the cramps, pain and bleeding. "Aw, come here Applebloom," the mint colored unicorn hugged Applebloom.

"You came to the right girls Cougar," Bon Bon congratulated me. "I'll close up shop and we'll all go to the store for what she needs," she told me.

"Well, we can just use Lyra, I don't want you to lose business Bon Bon," I solemnly said. The dark blue and pink maned pony waved her hoof in front of my face, letting me know not to worry too much.

"A filly is on her first period. She's hurting and frightened, this goes far beyond making and selling candy Cougar," Lyra told me as she opened the door for Applebloom, myself and Bon Bon to exit the store.

"We need you too Cougar, somepony as tall as you can help reach the higher shelves," Bon Bon added, shoving me out of the shop before locking up. Lyra walked ahead with Applebloom while Bon Bon walked back with me as we made our way to the store. "So, how long has it been going on?" The candy pony asked me.

"Uh, she just experienced the bleeding and the cramping, so not too long," I replied, trying to think of when this all started.

"Did she seem cranky, grumpy, indecisive about everything?" She continued to ask me.

"Now that you mention it, I've been home from taking Applejack to the castle for about two hours," I explained, "she was just really grumpy at me and yelled at me a lot," I added. Bon Bon slapped her face with her hoof and groaned.

"It's been going on for two hours and you just now come to us?!" She berated me, "you should have come to us a long time ago Cougar!" She raised her voice.

"Hey I'm sorry, I'm no expert on PMS!" I growled back at her.

"At least you did come to us, that was your first smart move. We're more than happy to help since Applejack is gone," Bon Bon said when we entered the store. Because it was Friday and the afternoon was just starting, a few teenage ponies were gathering chips, drinks and candy for a weekend away from the school year just starting or older ponies were getting alcoholic beverages for a weekend of partying. We stopped at the front of the store, looking around.

"Lyra, it's still hurtin'," Applebloom suppressed more tears.

"Lyra, you take Applebloom and help get her pain pills and pads while Cougar and I get whipped cream, chocolate sauce, pickles, chips, peanut butter and cookies," Bon Bon ordered her marefriend, "we'll meet back up at the checkout line," she added. Lyra winked her golden eye at Bon Bon and gently escorted Applebloom to the feminine product aisle while Bon Bon grabbed a shopping cart and pushed it around.

"Woah, do we really need to get a bunch of sweets for her?" I asked when the pony shoved a few bottles of chocolate sauce into the cart, "she's not pregnant," I added.

"For the love of Celestia Cougar, don't you know how these things work?" She scoffed. "When mares go into their periods, they hurt, get extremely cranky, emotional and get weird food cravings," She said in a duh tone. We rounded a corner into another aisle where Bon Bon ordered me to grab five bags of potato chips from the top shelf since those were the fresher bags.

"Oh sorry," I rolled my eyes, "when I first hit puberty, the only cravings I got could be solved in twenty minutes!" I exclaimed only to have a hoof slap me upside the head. "OW!" I yelled and rubbed my head.

"That's nasty Cougar, stop talking like that," she said through gritted teeth. Shaking it off, Bon Bon had me grab two jars of pickles from another shelf.

"Bon Bon, can I ask you something?"

"What's on your mind?" She grabbed some jars of peanut butter and cookies that looked suspiciously like Oreos.

"How do I handle it when she gets emotional? I know she doesn't mean what she says when she says hurtful things, but that fact doesn't make it hurt any less," I asked. Bon Bon stopped the cart and sighed, tapping her hooves on the handle.

"There's pretty much nothing you can do Cougar," she revealed, "all you can do is let her breath and help her let out her emotions and eat her junk food; it really makes it better for both mares and stallions," She explained.

"But how do I help her let her emotions out?"

"Again, feed her the junk food and tell her a sad story, that's better than letting her emotions out through anger," Bon Bon resumed walking with the cart, grabbing cans of whipped cream from the dairy section.

"I've got sad movies on my iPad, will that help?"

"Anything sad will do," she reiterated. "Okay, we've got enough junk food to feed Celestia's guard, almost enough," Bon Bon practically cleared the peanut butter shelf of creamy peanut butter.

"I wonder if Applejack is having a better time than I am," I pondered out loud. Once Bon Bon said we had gotten enough, she took me to the front of the store where Lyra's cart was full of, well I'd rather not say. But those pain pill bottles were fucking huge!

"Okay, we're all done here," Lyra announced as Applebloom was still uncomfortably fidgeting around. I stood behind the three as the checkout pony gulped at the large quantity of supplies we had chosen.

"Thanks girls," I thanked Bon Bon and Lyra.

"Anything for a friend and a filly in need," Lyra replied. "Now Applebloom, remember what I told you about putting these on," she reminded the filly. I stuck my fingers in my ear, not needing nor wanting to hear what she had to say.

"Comes to 66 bits please," the cashier held out his hoof. Without even questioning, Bon Bon pulled out a Fifty-Bit coin, a ten-bit coin, a five-bit coin and a one-bit coin for the cashier.

"I can't tell you how much we appreciate this," I said for the second time when everything was all bagged up and we exited the store.

"You two take care, we've got some more candy to sell," Lyra handed us the bags of stuff.

"We will Lyra, come on Bloom."

---

(Back at the Ranch. Cougar's POV)

We didn't say much on the walk home. In fact, we didn't say anything at all as I carried every bag for the still downtrodden filly. She practically sulked when we walked back through the front door and I set all the bags down on the kitchen table, taking all of the junk food out and setting it on the counter. Applebloom quickly grabbed the bag of her, things, and walked upstairs to the bathroom. Instead of sitting down and waiting, I put the jars of pickles in the fridge, along with the whipped cream. The jars of peanut butter, bags of chips and bags of cookies stayed on the kitchen counter. As for the chocolate sauce, I stuck those in the pantry.

"Ahem," Applebloom cleared her throat nervously and entered the kitchen.

"Hey scamp," I ruffled her hair kindly, "is it working?" I asked stupidly. She actually giggled in response and leaned closer to my hand.

"Well, Ah don't see anymore blood, but it still hurts," she replied. Whirling around, I grabbed the mega-sized bottle of pain pills and cracked open a can of soda for her.

"Here, take this Bloom," I said with a smile. The filly smiled in response and gulped down two pills and the can of soda. She gave me a cute little burp as a thank you and threw the empty can away. "So, anything else you wanna do?" I asked her, kneeling down on my knees. Her lower lip began to quiver and her eyes watered again. 'Oh Christ, not again,' I thought and braced myself for another emotional roller coaster. Still blubbering, she couldn't get any words out, but she stood in place, not being able to move.

My parental instincts kicked in, causing me to scoop her up like a baby again and walk her over to the couch where I laid down with her on my chest. My arms snaked around her torso, embracing her in a tight hug. "Shh, it's okay Applebloom, you're gonna be okay, I'll be sure of that," I assured her with a kiss to her forehead.

"Ah-Ah'm sorry Cougar," She breathed heavily out crying.

"W-what'd you say Bloom?" My hand still stroked her mane and her bow.

"Ah'm sorry fer bein' so mean ta ya," she whispered out, "all ya were tryin' ta do was help me 'n spend time with me. 'N all Ah did was yell at ya 'n call ya names," She covered her eyes with her legs.

"Aw, come here Bloom," I moved her foreword so she could cuddle my neck. "I'm not mad at you, at all," I said calmly.

"Ya should be. Ah treated ya like dirt when you've always treated me like a sister, or a daughter," more tears came from her eyes as she sniffled.

"No, I could never be mad at you Applebloom," I smiled with tears of my own threatening to show. "You're too sweet of a filly and too cute to be mad at. And It would be so unfair of me to be mad at you for 'simple biology,'" I joked about the time Luna bitch-slapped me with her wing boner and Bloom said the same thing. She giggled and wiped her tears on my shirt. "Come on, why don't you get some sleep sweetie?" I scratched behind her ear.

"Ah could use a nap," she cutely yawned and snuggled closer to my chest.

"It might be the middle of the day, but hopefully Luna can watch over your dreams," I laid my head on hers, falling prey to sleep myself. Applebloom's breathing quieted as she began to enter the realm of sleep, but not before giving me a message.

"Ah love you Cougar," she yawned before falling fully asleep. My heart stopped almost immediately.

End Chapter 23

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Awwww, now how about that for a sweet moment. And just so some people know, she means as a big brother or a father, but not romantically.

And I am fully aware that some of the dialogue is different than from what we saw in the Season 5 Premier. However, I did that intentionally to help the flow of the story.