The night at the Apples' farm was the worst. Tough snores so loudly, Applejack, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom has trouble sleeping. It's like sleeping with a bull!

The next morning was a bit slow so Twilight, Spike and Nyx chose that time to visit Sugarcube Corner for breakfast. It's a weekend so Nyx herself doesn't have school right now.

Twilight explains what has happened yesterday to Spike and Nyx. The baby dragon whistles in concern, "Wow, who knew a pony like that has a bad temper?"

"I know. It's no wonder Applejack is scared of him." Twilight said with a sigh. "I just wish there's a way for him to bring his own temper under control."

"Well, may as well get used to it until Tough Apple leaves." Rarity sigh as she, Fluttershy and Rainbow sat down at the table. "If he's staying for a while that is. Until then, keep him out of my shop!"

"Right and away from the fillies," Rainbow remarks with a grumble.

"Oh...I don't know." Fluttershy said a bit shyly. "I mean, if we find out why he's acting like this...perhaps Tough Apple isn't so bad."

"Fluttershy, he almost hit Caramel with a cart! He is that bad! Applejack barely manages to keep that pony under control!"

"Speaking of which, here's Applejack now." Spike said in notice. Sure enough, there's Applejack trotting into the shop...looking tired like she was when the filly herself was apple bucking without help, trying to prove a point to Big Macintosh.

"Hey Applejack," Nyx calls out to Applejack who grumbles a bit.

"Let me guess: Tough kept you up all night?"

"Noooo, yew think," Applejack remarks to Spike in a sarcastic and annoyed kinda matter. Then she sighs a bit, "Shucks, sorry about 'dat. Tough Apple's snoring kept me, Big Mac an' Apple Bloom up last night. It's like sleeping wit' a bull!"

"Oh, don't say that!" Pinkie exclaims, bouncing in while bringing breakfast muffins to her friends. "You may offend the bull!"

"Well, dang nab it! Things got messed up ever since he arrived at 'de farm. Tough plum refused 'ta help out wit' 'de chores, insisting 'ta doing them tomorrow. He hated most o' 'de food an' shoots off his gun during dinner, Granny Smith has 'ta yell 'ta make him stop, an' Tough plays Joe until midnight!"

"Wait, whose Joe," Rainbow asks Applejack a bit puzzled.

"His banjo," Applejack said with a sigh.

"He names his banjo?" Rarity asks Applejack in disbelief.

"Wow; that sounds cute." Fluttershy said gently.

"Yeah, yew may say 'dat." Applejack groans. She nods off a bit before waking up. "Ugh, Ah swear, Ah don't want 'ta put up wit' him during his stage but unfortunately, Ah plum got no choice."

"Relatives can be hard to get along with, I will tell you that." Twilight said to Applejack with a smile. "But when push comes to shove..."

The door of the place is slammed opened. The Mane Six, Spike and Nyx saw Tough Apple with his banjo on his back coming in, grunting a bit. He came up to the counter as Mr. Cake said, "Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner. How may I help you, sir?"

"Got any coffee? Ah need some pick me up....an' a muffin. Put both on mah cousin Applejack's tab." Tough Apple demands more than he asked. Applejack slaps her own forehead. Typical of her cousin to put what he bought on her tab!

Tough goes over to a table and sat down. He glances at some ponies staring, causing him to snap, "What are y'all looking at?" They yelp and go back to what they were doing.

The purple stallion got out Joe and begins to play him a bit...a bit too loudly that is. Some customers got a bit annoyed or lost focus on what they're doing due to the noise level. Even the Mane Six's group is getting upset.

Mrs. Cake came over to Tough's table, asking him gently, "Sir? May I ask you to keep the noise level down?"

"Yes." Tough Apple said...then he kept on playing his banjo loudly, making the mare sigh.

"I mean can you tone down the banjo playing? You're disturbing our customers."

"I do my work loudly all the time, Mrs. Cake, and that wasn't a problem before." Pinkie said happily as she bounces over with Tough's coffee.

"Maybe but that's because even you know when to tone it down a bit." Mrs. Cake reminds Pinkie in concern. "This stallion is a customer and is being rude."

"Well, git me mah blasted muffin an' Ah would consider it, ya mare! Now scram!" Tough Apple snaps to Mrs. Cake making the mare yelps as she trots away. "Honestly..."

Tough Apple kept on playing his banjo loudly, causing some customers to get up and leave, some stay to try to bear out the noise. Applejack spoke up to her friends in annoyance, "Now yew see what Ah have 'ta deal with here? Mah cousin doesn't do first impressions!"

"So I see." Twilight said with a sigh.

"Want me to take him out for ya?" Rainbow asks with a growl, glaring at Tough Apple as Mrs. Cake gives the stallion his muffin, taking and eating it without a thank you.

"No, that won't be necessary. As long as he doesn't lose his temper, we..."

"Hey, why did you call your banjo 'Joe'?" Pinkie ask eagerly as she takes Joe from Tough, looking it over, "Weird name for a banjo. I would go for stringy, Mr. Noisy and..."

"GIT YER HOOVES OFF MAH PROPERTA," Tough roars furiously as he grabs Joe from Pinkie, causing the Earth pony to back off a bit in fear. "NO ONE TOUCHES JOE BUT ME, GOT IT?"

"S...sure, no problem."

Tough finish his coffee and muffing, slams his empty cup onto the table (breaking the former in the progress) and storms out of Sugar Cube Corner, the ponies look at him in concern.

"Man, that guy definitely needs to take a chill pill." Spike said in concern. Fluttershy on the other hand looks worried. Tough isn't making friends...or making first impression.

Perhaps he just needs to know how.

----------

Tough Apple heads through town, some ponies were wise enough to stay out of his way. The purple stallion isn't in any hurry to get back to the farm right now...not that he wants to do any work.

"Excuse me?" Derpy ask happily as she approaches Tough, showing a letter to him. "Uh, do you know where this address is on this letter?"

"No, scram." Tough grunts a bit as he passes Derpy, who doesn't seem bother by his rudeness.

"Okay, thanks!"

Tough grunts a bit then stops upon seeing a familiar Pegasi pony in front of him. He stops a bit as if about to snaps in annoyance...then spoke up, "Err, oh, it's yew; 'dat filly fro' yesterday."

"Yes, my name is Fluttershy." Fluttershy said to Tough kindly. "Is it all right if we talk?"

There was a moment of silence, and then the purple stallion sighed a bit before he said, "Well... Ah s'pose we could talk a bit."

"Good." Fluttershy giggles a bit. "I think the trouble here is that you aren't making good first impressions. You can't make friends if you act like that."

"An' why would Ah want 'ta?" Tough asks Fluttershy with a scoff.

"Don't you want to make friends? Perhaps that is why you are having trouble fitting in." Fluttershy suggests.

"Look, it ain't 'dat Ah wanna make friends...it just Ah wanna be left alone!" Tough said, trying to turn down Fluttershy politely without losing his temper.

"Yes, I understand how you feel, but that's still not the way to make friends." Fluttershy explained.

"Well, shucks, what do yew know?" Tough grumbles as he trots away, but Fluttershy kept on following.

"Were you ever made fun of as a colt?" Fluttershy ask Tough curiously. "Maybe that is why you treat others so meanly and why you have a bad temper. You were treated the same way."

At hearing that, Tough stopped trotting, "Well, err...mah life is kinda...complicated." He said in hesitation. Fluttershy can tell that he is implying 'yes'. "But it's something like 'dat."

"I see. Look, if you wanted to be treated nicely, you must treat others nicely yourself." Fluttershy said with a nod. "I can help you out if you just let me."

"How would yew if Ah wanted 'dat?" Tough ask Fluttershy with a frown.

"First off, if you want to make friends with the ponies of Ponyville, you must make an important step: apologizing for your rampage yesterday." Fluttershy advise to Tough, wanting to help him earn good impressions from the ponies.

"Ah don't know how Ah can do it." Tough said as he looked down.

"Simple. I know of a way." Fluttershy said as she grabs Tough, flying him forward. For a big guy, he sure is easy to carry for her.

Fluttershy takes Tough to a familiar pony: Caramel talking with Lyra, Bon-Bon and Golden Harvest. She puts down the stallion while calling out, "Hey Caramel, everypony."

Caramel's group turn, gasping upon seeing Tough. Golden said nervously, "Oh, err, Fluttershy, hi. What brings you and this stallion here?"

"Tough Apple wants to say something." Fluttershy said gently before turning to Tough. "Okay, be nice, apologize and above all, try to control your temper."

The purple stallion looked at the pink-mane Pegasus pony before he gulped as he turned towards Caramel. He always finds any pony annoying to him when they get in his way, but he didn't want to upset Fluttershy.

"Err, Ah'm...sorry 'dat yew were annoying." Tough said to Caramel.

"Ahem!" Fluttershy clears her throat, making Tough groans.

"Fine, Ah am sorry 'dat yew were clumsy an'..." Tough begins to say but Fluttershy clears her throat again, "Fine, sorry 'dat Ah almost smashed yew yesterday."

Caramel looked at Tough in a bit of surprise at this, but also a bit nervous.

"I'm sorry, what did he say?" Bon-Bon ask Lyra puzzled, wondering if she heard right. Is this stallion who acted like a monster yesterday apologizing?

"Well...geez, if you're really sorry...then yeah, I guess I can forgive." Caramel said, trying to avoid acting scared.

"There, was that hard?" Fluttershy ask Tough with a smile.

"Don't know...Ah done feel something...squishy inside," Tough said in concern, feeling something squishy inside. "Should Ah be concerned?"

"No, it's okay." Fluttershy said, "It's a good feeling."

"Shucks, Ah feel good apologizing." Tough said with a smile. "Perhaps Ah should done do it more often."

"That's the spirit!" Fluttershy said happily.

Tough Apple trots away as the other ponies watch on, blinking in confusion. Golden ask her friends, "Err, is it just me...or was that the same stallion from yesterday apologizing?"

"And does Applejack know about this?" Caramel asks while blinking in confusion.

---------------------------

Pinkie hums while towing a cart behind herself; Her friends, minus Fluttershy who is still helping Tough Apple, follow her.

"What's with the cart, Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asks Pinkie curiously. "Planning on welcoming Tough Apple with the welcome song?"

"Nope, saving him for later," Pinkie explains happily. "Actually, I just found out that some new ponies have moved to Ponyville and I wanna welcome them!"

"New ponies? Cool!" Rainbow exclaimed with a smile, "I wonder what they are?"

"Looks like we're about to find out." Spike said as the group saw some new ponies coming.

'New' isn't the word one can describe these new ponies; More like imitations as for some reason, they look like the Mane Six...only in certain colors.

A pony looking similar to Applejack, only with a rose like cutie mark, smiles as she said, "Hey. Any of you ponies know where to find Sugarcane Corner?"

"Uhhhh....over there." Applejack said with a blink of her eyes. "Excuse me; does anypony told yew 'dat yew looks like me...wit' yer friends looking like mine?"

A lookalike of Twilight, who has a fire for a cutie mark, said, "Oh, not really. Allow me to introduce myself..."

"Wait, wait! I wanna sing my welcome song first, please please?" Pinkie asks hopefully, showing some puppy dog eyes.

"Well... okay!" A lookalike of Fluttershy, with two blue hearts for a cutie mark, said happily.

"Yeah, we're in no hurry." A lookalike of Rarity, one with a cherry pie for a cutie mark, said with a smile.

Pinkie grins excitedly as she quickly opens her cart via a push of button. An instrument band appears as Pinkie begins to dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6-plvtQlKQ

Pinkie: Welcome, welcome, welcome
A fine welcome to you

Pinkie eagerly put hats on the newcomers as she performs some more.

Welcome, welcome, welcome
I say how do you do?

Pinkie blows a trumpet, making her friends and the other ponies giggle a bit. She then moves around, pounding on the drums.

Welcome, welcome, welcome
I say hip hip hurray

Pinkie then dances a bit, jumping forward to slide in front of the new ponies.

Welcome, welcome, welcome
To Ponyville today!

"Wait for it!" Pinkie exclaims eagerly. An oven in the cart pops open, blowing out confetti onto the ponies.

This caused the ponies to scream and laugh as their manes blew like they were in the wind from the blowing.

"Well, Ah gotta admit, 'dat was good, hope dis doesn't backfire again later." Applejack said with a smile.

"Did you like it? Please tell me that you like it?" Pinkie asks the new ponies happily.

"Are you kidding? We LOVE it!" A lookalike of Pinkie Pie with a sundae for a cutie mark exclaimed excitedly as she steps forward.

"Well, now that's settled, time we get the names." Rarity said with a smile.

"My name is Firecracker Burst." The Twilight lookalike said with a grin. "I love watching fireworks and guessing how they will look when they burst."

"My name is Roseluck." The Applejack look alike said with a smile. "I love to pick pretty flowers and wear them in my mane!"

"Oh, what a lovely fashion!" Rarity exclaimed in delight upon looking at Roseluck's mane.

"Well, my name happens to be Cherry Pie." The Rarity lookalike said with a smile, "You can guess how I got my cutie mark."

"Ooh, ooh! Because you love making cherry pies," Pinkie asked eagerly.

"Of course," Cherry Pie giggles a bit.

"Okay, now what do the Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy lookalikes call themselves?" Rainbow asks the next two ponies curiously.

"I'm Plumsweet!" The Pinkie Pie lookalike said.

"And I'm Flitterheart." The Fluttershy lookalike said happily as she fluttered her wings.

"Nice, nice; I hope you all like it in Ponyville." Twilight said with a smile. "Because..."

"Wait, where's Feathermay?" Roseluck ask, noticing that another pony is missing, "Anypony seen her?"

"Right here," A voice remarks as a red Pegasi lookalike of Rainbow appears, drinking a soda. She burps a bit while tossing the can away. "What did I miss?"

"A coolie nice song, Feathermay," Plumsweet exclaims to Feathermay while shaking her head. "Where were you?"

"Drinking, of course," Feathermay remarks with a shrug.

Firecracker glares at her friend then turns back to the Mane Six while saying, "We're here because we got hired on to do some work over at a new restaurant. You should check it out sometime."

"Right, we're the owners." Flitterheart explains while showing a deed to the Mane Six. "Hope you all will like it."

"I'm sure we will, darling." Rarity said with a smile as she takes the deed with her magic, checking it out carefully. Yep, this is official all right. The white unicorn gave the deed back to her new friends.

"Well, once we introduce you to Fluttershy, we all should be set." Nyx said with a smile. "Speaking of which, where is she?"

Choking noises are heard, making the ponies turn and gasp to see a familiar stallion apparently choking Fluttershy.

"No! What is 'dat cousin o' mine doing now?" Applejacked ask in shock as the ponies rush over. "Hey, Tough, stop it!"

"Are you crazy? Let Fluttershy go now!" Twilight demands as she uses magic to force Tough to release Fluttershy.

"What? What did Ah do?" Tough ask the mares in confusion.

"You know what you did!" Flitterheart exclaims angrily. "You were trying to choke the life out of that poor Pegasi."

"Yew gone too far, cousin," Applejack snaps furiously to the confused Tough.

During this time, Fluttershy spits out something and say, "That's okay, everypony. Tough here saved my life."

"What?" Some of the ponies and Spike ask confused. Did they hear right; Tough saved Fluttershy's life?

"I was choking on a cupcake that I brought earlier and Tough was using a maneuver to get it out." Fluttershy explains to the ponies sweetly.

"You've gotta be kidding!" Rainbow exclaimed in surprise; a dangerous stallion like Tough helping Fluttershy? No way!

"Nnope, here's 'de cupcake." Tough remarks as he picks up the cupcake remains. "Mind asking before judging next time?"

"Wait, hang on." Spike said as he swipes the cupcake and ate it, much to some of the ponies' disgust.

"Ew," The ponies exclaims in disgust.

"Yep, it's a cupcake all right." Spike remarks while swallowing a bit.

"That is one disgusting--" Feathermay started in disgust.

"Feathermay," Firecracker snapped as she nudged the Rainbow lookalike who glares at Tough.

"An' whatcha glaring at, yew Rainbow ripoff," Tough snapped to Feathermay in annoyance.

"Only you, tough guy," Feathermay snaps right back, "What are you supposed to be? Color blind?"

"Feathermay," Roseluck yelps a bit.

Tough growls a bit; Fluttershy pats him on the back saying, "Temper, temper. Remember my lesson of first impressions."

"Lesson? Yew was giving Tough Apple lessons?" Applejack asks Fluttershy in surprise.

"Yes, of course. I wanted him to feel welcome and not be an outcast." Fluttershy explains with a smile to her friend.

"That was nice of you." Nyx said, knowing how it feels to be an outcast herself since she used to be Nightmare Moon.

"Give me time so I can get the cart reset for Tough Apple!" Pinkie exclaims happily as she begins resetting the cart to welcome Tough Apple next.

"Well, Mr. Apple, perhaps we can give you the introductions next." Firecracker said. Thus, she and her friends introduce herself and Feathermay.

"So where are you supposed to be from? The Southern part of Equestria," Feathermay ask Tough Apple making him glare at her.

"Feathermay," Cherry Pie warns her friend in precaution.

"If yew must know, Ah was fro' New Neighleans." Tough Apple scowls to Feathermay in annoyance.

"That explains the accent, but how does that explain the attitude, Green Mane Head?" Feathermay ask Tough Apple with a smirk.

"Ay! Don't call me 'dat, Featherbrain!"

"Don't call me Featherbrain, Ya Green Mane Head!"

"Come on; don't make Fluttershy sad, you don't want to make Fluttershy sad." Nyx said in precaution, warning that Tough Apple and Feathermay may make Fluttershy a bit sad.

Tough Apple ignores Nyx as he snaps, "Listen yew, yes, Ah have a green name but 'dat's no way 'ta treat a new coming pony! Ah ain't in 'de mood fer any trouble right now since Ah am trying 'ta make up fer 'de incident yesterday."

"Oh, so the zoo lost one of their pets? Very typical," Feathermay remarks with a smirk.

"AY; NOW DAT'S A NEW LOW, FEATHERBRAIN!"

"Don't call me Featherbrain, weirdo! You don't like if I call you names.

"Only because yew done insult me first," Tough growls a bit to Feathermay making the other ponies worried a bit.

"Okay, let's put an end to this." Roseluck said to Tough and Feathermay in concern.

"Right, please, Tough, please." Fluttershy pleads to Tough gently, hugging one of his forelegs. He is doing so great in making up and calming his temper down. "Perhaps it's best if you leave or try to keep your temper."

"Eh, Ah done prefer 'ta leave," Tough comments as he prepares to trot off, "If Ah done stay here further wit' her, Ah am done going 'ta lose mah temper."

"Lose it? I didn't think you ever have it!" Feathermay jokes a bit, much to Tough's anger. Then she begins to mock his accent, "Well, jolly! Ah ain't smart but Ah love 'ta knocked down stuff like a blinded buffalo!" Needless to say, that is the last straw in the stallion's attempt of keeping his temper.

"'DAT'S IT; YEW DONE GONE TOO FAR 'DIS TIME, FEATHERBRAIN!"

"Hey, come on, relax. I was teasing ya...but you need to at least lay off the Featherbrain name calling, Green Mane Head!"

Tough growls furiously as he prepares to hit Feathermay but Applejack stood in the way, snapping, "All right, enough; Tough Apple, stop 'dis right now; Yew were doing better so don't give me any reason 'ta have any doubts right now!"

"Ah done was doing better until this newcomer went an' tease me!" Tough exclaims furiously. "Ah wanna knock her block right off!"

"No you don't, yew are just going 'ta rampage again! One o' these days, 'dat temper o' yers is going 'ta get yew into a whole lot o' trouble!"

"TEMPER; YEW HAVEN'T SEEN MAH TEMPER YET, COUSIN AJ!"

"Okay, it's ready! Your turn, Tough Apple," Pinkie exclaims happily as she reset the cart, then press the button. The whole thing starts again as the Earth pony begins to sing.

Welcome, welcome, welcome
A fine welcome...

"AAAAAAARGH," Tough roars furiously as he suddenly tears off the band off its cart, then throws it to the ground, smashing it. The ponies gasp in horror and alarm.

"Goodness!" Rarity exclaims in worry.

"Whoa, dude! Come on, I admit you are upset but there's no reason to take it out on Pinkie's instrument thing!" Spike exclaims to Tough but the stallion growls at him, causing the baby dragon to yelp in fear. "Whoa!"

"Tough Apple, please stop." Fluttershy pleads. Tough saw tears coming out of the Pegasus pony's eyes. "Stop...please..."

Tough felt bad, feeling her cry like this. His bad temper has made her upset. He calms down while mumbling, "Sorry, Fluttershy. Pink whatever yer name is...sorry."

"It's Pinkie Pie and no worries, I can fix it!" Pinkie exclaims, unworried by Tough's bad temper and her band being broken by the big fit. "Just some glue, tape and more confetti and it will be okie dokie lokie."

"Feathermay, I think you owe Mr. Apple an apology." Firecracker said to Feathermay sternly.

"Awww, come, do I have to?" Feathermay protests to her friends with a frown. "Come on, the big mug just lost his temper on his own. Not my fault that he can't take a joke."

"Well, it ain't mah fault 'dat Ah found yew cute an' wanted 'ta kiss yew!" Tough Apple snaps at Feathermay furiously. A pin is heard dropping as the mares and dragon look stunned, the red feathered Pegasi pony blush upon hearing that. The stallion, blushing, said, "Err, uh...gotta go."

Tough quickly rush off, leaving the others to look after him. Plumsweet pause then ask, "Uh, what just happened?"

"I don't know...I wish I do know." Feathermay said, blushing a bit.

-------------

"WHY; WHY?" Tough yell out in frustration as he storms into the Apples' home. "Why can't Ah done control mahself?"

"Tough; did you get into trouble again?" Granny Smith ask Tough in annoyance as she is knitting. The last thing that the old mare wants is more trouble and a bigger tab for his rampage.

"No...well, sort o'! Fluttershy was trying 'ta help me wit' mah temper...it was doing good until a new pony went an' tease me too far. Then...oh, Ah done don't know why but Ah don't wanna say it!"

"Come on, say it. Do it, Tough! What happened?"

"Come on, don't make me." Tough Apple pleads to Granny Smith. The last thing he wants is to tell the old mare what happened when he ended the confrontation.

"Do it or I will hit you with my cane!" Granny Smith snaps as she held her cane at Tough Apple, making him gulp and sigh.

"Ah told a new filly 'dat she's cute an' Ah wanted 'ta kiss her!"

"What?"

"Ah don't know...Ah lost mah temper around her...an' it happened." Tough sobbed a bit. "Now she's plum going 'ta hate me because o' me running out an' fer what happened, mah new friend would hate me fer making her upset an'....GAH! AH AM PLUM CONFUSED!"

"Tough Apple, come here." Granny Smith said to Tough Apple with a sigh, making the stallion come while looking down. "Now, I admit, you have trouble fitting in because of your bad temper as well as getting along with your cousin Applejack because of the obvious...but someday, you will make friends besides what you made already."

"Ah don't know...being teased when Ah was a colt wasn't 'de main reason why Ah acted like 'dis...."

"I know, I know..."

Tough Apple sighs, excusing himself as he goes to his room, sitting on his bed. His day is a bit rough but it isn't so bad. He made friends with Fluttershy but is worried that she may hate him because of what happened...hopefully the shy Pegasi will forgive him.

And there's Feathermay. He calls her Featherbrain and she insult him right back because of his mane...and now the stallion wanted to kiss her and called Feathermay cute. What just happened?

"Argh, blasted cousins o' mine," Tough mumbles a bit as he lies down in his bed. "If only they done haven't kept me out o' 'de family reunions..."