Tough woke up in his bed back home. The stallion groans a bit, finding himself in damages. How long was he out? The last thing Tough remembers, he was knocked out by that sandworm...

But is Ponyville still standing; Tough glances through the hole in the wall that he made chasing the Equestrian Devil. Well, the town is still around...but perhaps now is the time for him not to. Tough is not sure if the folks would accept him anymore...

Tough groans a bit as he got out of bed and head downstairs. He heads outside, hoping that his family...

"SURPRISE," Many voices calls out, making Tough almost fall right to his flank; The pony looks confused as he saw a party happening outside...with a banner that say 'Thank You Tough!'

"What 'de hay?" Tough ask in startle and alarm. "What's de occasion? What..."

"Do you like it?" Pinkie giggles playfully as she and her friends, as well as the Mane Six lookalikes, came over. "It's our 'Thanks for helping Ponyville and we're Sorry party'. You were out for 3 days so we made this in no time!"

"Wait, Ah was out fer 3 days? But what happened 'ta Ponyville? An' de sandworm?"

"Oh, Pinkie Pie got rid of the sandworm. Turns out that smelly cheese that Feathermay and her friends were selling were the reason that it was in Ponyville in the first place," Fluttershy explains meekly. "Hope you're okay. Are you?"

"Yeah, ah am...." Tough said with a sigh then realizes something. "Wait, yer sorry?"

"Yeah...turns out there really were an Equestrian Devil 'dat made yew go loco." Applejack said, tipping her hat down in sadness and regret. "We done almost lost faith in yew before o' 'dat thing."

"But no worries," Twilight exclaims to Tough Apple with a smile. "We send that Equestrian Devil far away to where it will never cause anymore mischief: the facility at the end of the world."

"Ha, shows that creep!" Spike chuckles a bit then recovers. "Listen, the ponies...and me too, I guess...like to say, sorry for falsely accusing you of what happened..."

"And we don't want you to leave." Nyx said to Spike with a sad smile.

"Ah don't know...why would yew ponies believe 'dat Ah was innocent?" Tough ask his friends in sadness and concern. The ponies were upset about what happened and believed him to be the main cause of Ponyville's damages before. Why would they believe in him now?

"Ah done think we're about 'ta find out." Applejack said in determination.

Sure enough, there she is: the main slob that is the reason for the Equestrian Devil pestering Tough and getting him into trouble in the first place: Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon is with her. The leader looks annoyed while snapping, "Why do I have the feeling that I came here to get into trouble?"

"Hay if I know." Silver Spoon said with a shrug then spots the CMC hanging out. "Isn't that..."

"Well, well. So the blank flanks invited me to the party of the dumb pony who damaged Ponyville in the first place; can't believe you are dumb."

"Drop the act, Diamond Tiara! We know what you did!" Scootaloo exclaims in determination. "Your mail pony confesses to everything...thanks to some part from Fluttershy."

"Right, they done know yew send 'de Equestrian Devil after Tough an' causes him 'to ran amok in 'de first place!" Apple Bloom exclaims in agreement. Diamond Tiara looks confused then notices angry and upset glances from passing ponies. She did remember getting shunned by some of the foals and them over the past 3 days...

"You set me up, Blank Flank! You and the so-called "Elements of Harmony," Diamond exclaims furiously. The snob tackles Apple Bloom, thinking she set the snob up. "You're a dead pony!"

But before she can raise a hoof, Diamond hears a angry voice yelling her name...her father who snaps, "Diamond Tiara!" The pony yelps as Filthy Rich came over, looking upset. "I want a word about you buying crazy devils and setting them on an innocent pony in Ponyville!"

"Oh flanks!"

"None of that language, young filly!"

The ponies watching laugh on, even Tough as he said, "Shucks, at least Ah didn't lose mah temper...but what about 'de town?"

"Forget about the town, Tough, we want you to stay in Ponyville." Firecracker said to Tough in sadness. "You became a very important part of our lives since we first met...and it wouldn't be the same without you."

"Plus, it wouldn't be right if Feathermay here would move on and you aren't here." Roseluck said to Tough, making him blinks a bit.

"Feathermay...?" Tough asks gently as he turns to Feathermay who looks away bashfully. "Do yew...do yew want me here?"

"Well...err...I would say...OH!" Feathermay exclaims in frustration. She finally did something unexpected: the Pegasus kisses him right on the mouth, much to his surprise.

"Awwwww," Some of the ponies watching exclaims in happiness and amusement.

"Does this mean..." Plumsweet ask hopefully and eagerly.

"Eeyup!" Applejack exclaims with a chuckle. "Mah cousin got himself a gal!"

Once Tough parts lips, the smiling stallion said, "Shucks, does 'dis mean..."

"Please stay. We can always repair Ponyville...but your absence will never repair a hole in our hearts...especially mine." Feathermay said while nuzzling her love. "Please?"

"Oh shucks...when yew put it like 'dat...sure!"

The ponies cheers on wildly as the Apples horse-pile on Tough, making him laugh a bit. Twilight pauses as she asks, "Why do I get the feeling that this will be something similar later?"

"Oh, not to worry, Darling," Rarity assures Twilight with a smile. "Just be glad everything turns out fine."

"Ya know, 'dis has been real nice, Ah'm clear o' mah false crime, got back a good life here, an' wit' mah family & friends...hugh, sure wish old Joe was around 'ta see 'dis." Tough Apple responded with a meeky smile, but sighs from thinking something over...the thought of his missing and broken banjo.

"When you ask for something, the answer is closer than you think." Spoke a familiar voice of riddle and mystery, as everyone turned to see who would come into the room but...Zecora.

"Zecora," The others from the Mane Six, CMC, Spike & any other pony responded in recognizing this person all too well.

"Is the one by name, this precious banjo that was broken in two, but is now whole again," Zecora spoke while bringing up the sack that held Tough's things, including a fixed banjo named Joe, like he wasn't broken in half no more.

"JOE!" Tough Apple cried out for joy and soon hugged his banjo friend with a smile. "GAaugh, gosh...Ah don gone miss ya, little buddy!" The others smiled in seeing how happy this stallion was that his banjo was fixed, good as new even.

"But I thought that was broken?" Spike scratched his noggin in remembering what the Equestrian Devil did before to tick off Tough.

"With a bit of potion and voodoo works and a special glue trick made Joe as one instead of in two." Zecora spoke with a smile in saying that she helped fixed Tough's banjo like it was never broken in the first place.

"As usual, you are a pony of many mysterious, Zecora." Rainbow Dash nods with a smile that this zebra knows her stuff, so fixing a busted banjo was cakes to her.

"Um, pardon me, but...I don't believe we know each other." Firecracker interrupted in not really knowing Zecora, now her restaurant owner friends too.

"Oh, that's easy! Girls, meet Zecora, Zecora, the girls!" Pinkie Pie spoke up between and waved back and forth in introducing the others to their other friend.

"Pinkie Pie, Ah think they coulda introduce themselves 'ta Zecora." Applejack said with a chuckle.

"Hi, 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!"

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

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

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

"And I'm Feathermay." Feathermay said to Zecora with a smile. "Thank you for helping...mah friend."

"Interesting, you look just like Twilight Sparkle and her friends." Zecora said to the Mane Six lookalikes in amusement.

"Yeah, we get that alike." Flitterheart said gently.

"None the less, a pleasure to meet new friends," Zecora nods with a smile in understanding the state of meeting some new faces. "Now tell us Tough Apple, have you rediscovered who you truly are?" The zebra turned to ask a strange puzzling question to this pony.

"Well gee, after everything that gon' happened, Ah'm still not sure wha ya meant by mah Cutie Mark ain't what it supposed to be." Tough Apple rubbed through his mane in not completely getting what Zecora was still talking about.

"A Cutie Mark that's not supposed to be? I've never heard of such a thing?" Rarity repeated with confusion, how can such a thing even exist where a Cutie Mark is wrong for a pony?

"Me neither, once a Cutie Mark appears, it stays there to symbolize who that pony's special talent will be." Twilight Sparkle responded off guard, this is the first time she's hearing such claims.

"True, Cutie Marks are like that, but when feelings of negativity are mix in, what appears is not a cheerful sight." Zecora explained with a very serious face in what she said made everyone gasp in never imagining such a thing to happen, "Tough Apple, would you show us the mark of that we speak?" The girl asked nicely for this stallion to show his mark on his flank.

"Sure, but what's 'de difference now fro'..." As Tough Apple was responding, he stood up to turn around to show off the side of his flank, but... "HOLY MACARONI! MAH CUTIE MARK," Tough Apple screamed out in shock as he finally took notice of...something happening.

True to his words, everyone in the room saw that Tough Apple's Cutie Mark of some rotten apple was magically glowing. Then what happened afterwards, was that it faded away from the stallion's flank. This made a lot of confusing faces as that's never supposed to happen. But then what happened next was that Tough's flank glowed with a Cutie Mark appearing in its place, but...different. It is now a red apple with an arrow through it right in the middle of a heart. The rest stared in shock & unbelievable reaction, Tough Apple was given a new Cutie Mark.

"Wooh, that's a new thing I wasn't expecting! How'd Tough get a New Cutie Mark?" Spike responded a bit astounded and asked how this was possible.

"Because his feelings were replaced with new positive feelings of not self doubt from there, whatever remains of what Tough Apple was all the time is changed to fit his new perspective in life." Zecora explained through her little riddles basically saying that with Tough Apple changing his ways for the better, it's also reshaped his Cutie Mark to fit his appearance now.

"Shoot, 'dis here Cutie Mark seems more nicer than mah old way, Ah like it!" Tough Apple responded with a smile, as he stared at this new marvel on his flank, "Hmmmppakaah!" Then to many that were delicate & polite ladies, they stared in shock when this stallion stretched his neck to kiss happily on his new flank.

"Eeew, please wash that mouth off before you touch any other pony with them lips!" Rarity cringed at the thought of now being near a pony that hasn't clean their mouth from where it's been.

"Hehe, sorry," Tough Apple chuckled sheepishly, guess he should have thought of that before getting lost in the moment.

"Wow; that was almost like pin the tail on the donkey, except it was you and you pin yourself, but still...neat!" Pinkie Pie was stating out the stuff she saw and smiled with her cheery side in finding that display was something of a game, but in a new lighting.

"Pinkie Pie, you are so random at times." Rainbow Dash shook her head in seeing that once again her friend can be random at times.

The party continues on and things have gotten better, besides Diamond getting into trouble. Tough laughs as he plays with the Cake twins who rode on his back like...well, like a horse.

"Yeehaw, ride 'em, kiddies!" Tough exclaims as the twin foals have a time of their life.

Some parts include Tough helping some points out with their games, carrying stuff, etc. One time, a falling piano that Derpy's movers was holding slip out of their hooves, but he caught it in time, almost getting flattened in the progress.

"Sorry!" Derpy exclaims to Tough who smiles a bit.

"No problem! Just an accident," Tough exclaims as he smiles the feeling off to help them.

"Hey Tough," Rainbow taunts as she throws mud right at Tough. The stallion shakes it off and glances at the Pegasus pony whose is near the mud with some ponies. "Wanna make something of it?"

"Oh, y'all asked fer it!" Tough said as he glared at Rainbow with a devilish smirk.

Tough drops the piano and lunges at Rainbow. The ponies cheers as some of them fight in the mud.

Feathermay laughs while lunging at Tough, joining in. The couple laughs and smiles at each other.

"Whoa! I hope they don't kiss." Nyx said in amusement. "That would take a weird way of getting the mud right out of your mouth."

"Tell me about it." Spike remarks in agreement.

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

A while later into the party, Tough is singing another one of his songs to many crowds gathering to hear him play and sing. Twilight and her friends smile.

"I think we learned a lesson as well as Tough here." Twilight said thoughtfully. "One must always try to control one's temper. Applejack; did you and the Apples learn anything?"

"Shucks, we sure did!" Applejack said happily.

"And that is?" Twilight ask Applejack curiously.

"Never give up on a relative even if one does got a bad temper...an' it's best not 'ta keep him out o' family events because if yew keep doing so, he would feel only an' neglectful." Applejack explains her lesson to Twilight.

"Ah agree!" Apple Bloom said happily.

Fluttershy adds, "I think big bro Tough learned that one can learn from one's past mistakes to move on in the present. I think we got Zecora to thank for teaching Tough that one."

"I think I learn of one huge lesson too." Pinkie Pie comments as Tough is hugged by Feathermay. "Cheese from Neighway is really, REALLY stinky!"

The ponies laugh some more as the party goes on. One thing's for sure, Tough will be living in Ponyville for who knows how long.

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

"Okay, so Tough has been cleared, most of you like him again, and he got a filly-friend." Ben in the present said to Applejack. "But that doesn't explain the shack."

"The story is almost over, Ben." Twilight assures her colt-friend with a smile. "Just give Applejack time to finish."

"O' course." Applejack said as she clears her throat. "Now then, three days after 'de party, Tough made a decision..."

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

The Apples got a big surprise when they saw that Tough Apple has got his things and is heading off.

"Well, Ah am outta here." Tough said with a grunt.

"Tough, are yew leaving?" Applejack ask Tough, getting a bit worried.

"Eeyup! No need fer me 'ta hang around here anymore."

"But...but..." Apple Bloom begins to say. "What about everything we did? How yew are now a good pony liked by most o' 'de town an' Feathermay? Are yew..."

"Whoa, whoa, Apple Bloom! Ah said Ah was leaving but not Ponyville!" Tough insists to his family, much to their surprise, "Eeyup! Ah done found me a place near 'de edge o' de' Everfree Forest so Ah am moving there."

"Oh, right, right." Applejack said with a sigh of relief. "Ah was done worried fer a moment. Just glad 'yew..."

"Why are you bringing your peashooter?" Granny Smith ask Tough puzzled as she saw his gun on his back. "I thought you weren't going to use that thing anymore."

"Wha, yew kidding? Ah need it 'ta keep vermints away fro' mah property! Ah may change but Ah done got property issues!" Tough laughed to his family who looks at him oddly. "But no worries. Fro' now on, Ah will only shoot pests who trespass...an' release mah temper on those who deserve it!"

"Yer're a weird one, Cousin Tough Apple." Applejack chuckles as she and the family hugs him. "Don't change too mcuh, yew hear?"

"Yeah, Ah done got a date wit' Feathermay tonight. Just bring mah things over 'ta mah place, yew hear?"

"Tough, you never change." Big Macintosh said with a chuckle. "That's a done good thing."

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

In the present, Applejack smiles as she said, "The End. 'Dat's how Tough Apple came 'ta live in Ponyville an' in 'dat there shack. Sure, he gits on our nerves an' lose his temper...but on 'de plus side, mah cousin only does so on ponies who deserve it like Diamond."

"Hey cous, yew telling mah story," Tough Apple ask his cousin curiously. "Sorry, but it was interesting, Ah have 'ta listen."

"'Dat's okay, Tough. Glad 'ta have some extra audience."

"Hey, Tough. If you have a new cutie mark now, why is your cutie mark the same as it is that time ago?" Ben ask Tough puzzled as he points to the cutie mark that looks the same at the start of the story.

"What? Oh shoot!" Tough groans as he quickly wipes off his cutie mark. To Ben and Phobos's surprise, it now looks like his new one in the story, "Got stew all over it again; 'Dat sometimes happen."

"Oh, well, that solves it."

"I find it hard to believe that this is the same pony whose is a loose cannon when his temper is released." Phobos said in amusement.

Just then a familiar filly came by, smirking as she taunts Tough, "Hey, it's the blank flank's dumb cousin. Ha ha ha! A freak living near a freak forest; you sure fit in well there! Whatcha going to do; Hit me; I heard you stop doing stuff like that now; Ha ha ha ha!"

Diamond finish the candy that she's eating and toss it onto Tough's porch then trots away arrogantly. Nyx smirks while saying, "Wait for it..."

Suddenly Tough's eyes narrows...then he jumps up and lands a while behind her. Diamond gasps as the stallion exclaims, "Wrong-o! Ah only release 'de ponies o' war on those who asked for it...like yew!" The filly screams and run off with Tough chasing her. "Come on, little bossy! Ah done got a flag pole wit' yer name on it!"

The ones watching laugh madly; Diamond is going to get what's coming to her again once more.

Once the ponies and dragon calms down, Applejack ask Twilight, "Where's Spike, Twi; Ah haven't seen 'de little critter."

Twilight explains, "Oh, he's at home sorting out the library."

"Really; Then how com' nopony's helpin him, like Nyx or Phobos?"

"Because Spike's my number 1 assistant; He's supposed to do these sorts of things."

Applejack under her breath remarks, "Talk about slave labour..."

"WHAT?" Twilight snaps at Applejack, not pleased with that comment.

"Actually, Twilight, i think she has a point." Ben said in concern to his filly-friend. "We all know you like Spike, but you hardly let him on these sort of adventures with you and the others. From what Nyx has told me, you haven't let him go to Gummy's birthday simply because the library was a mess and Nyx was home, but you told her not to help."

"And I haven't heard you call him your friend in a long time." Nyx adds in agreement.

"Are you saying I treat him like a slave?" Twilight demands to the group more than she asked.

"No, no, no. We're just saying it seems that way." Phobos insists to Twilight in concern.

"Okay, first off, Nyx wasn't even around yet when Gummy's party happened so how will she know."

"Oh, right." Applejack and Nyx said at once, both sheepishly. Twilight hasn't met her alicorn daughter until after the Gala and before Discord.

"Second, I do call him my friend, just not all the time." Twilight explains seriously. "And third, just because I rarely let Spike on my adventures, that don't mean I treat him like a slave. He is either too sick to go, we get into some arguments that I banned him from going or I didn't want him to get hurt!"

"Oh, like when you girls were looking for Applejack one time?" Ben asks Twilight with an arch of her eyeball. The purple unicorn went silent. "Look, we ain't saying that you don't care for Spike. I'm saying that you should remember one of the lessons of Applejack's story. If you keep Spike out of too many adventures or some non-dangerous ones, he may end up bitter and alone."

"Kinda like how Tough was." Phobos adds.

Twilight pauses as she looks down, thinking about what was said.

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

Back at the library, Twilight, Ben, Nyx and Phobos came home. The purple unicorn smiles at Spike sleeping a bit after a hard day's work.

"I think I will let Spike sleep this out. Phobos, can you write?" Twilight ask Phobos gently.

"Sure do!" Phobos exclaims as he pick up some paper and a quill. "Ready."

"Ahem. 'Dear Princess Celestia. Ben, Nyx, Phobos and I have listened to a story about Applejack's cousin Tough Apple. Of all the lessons in it, I remember one important one: never keep the one who is family to you out of wonderful stuff like reunions...or adventures or your loved one will be bitter and alone. So from now, I will try to bring Spike with us unless he asked otherwise. Spike is...my only thing I have to a little brother and I hate for him...'."

Twilight sniffs a bit. Ben gave her a hanky as she blows into it while the unicorn say, "Thank you. Ahem. 'I hate for him to feel the same way that Tough used to. Your Faithful Student and Niece-in-Law Twilight Sparkle'."

Once the message is gone, Twilight gave the scroll to Owlowiscious who nods as he leaves through a window to deliver the message to Celestia. The purple unicorn uses her magic to put a blanket around Spike then kiss him on the forehead.

"I think Spike will like what you're going to do for him." Ben said as he wraps a foreleg around Twilight who smiles.

"I know..." Twilight said with a sigh as Spike slept on.

Cast list
Scott McNeil: Tough Apple
Monica Stori: Feathermay
Andrea Libman: Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Flitterheart, Daisy, Pumpkin Cake
Ashleigh Bell: Applejack, Rainbow Dash
Peter New: Big Macintosh
Michelle Creber: Apple Bloom, Cherry Pie
Tabitha St. Germain: Granny Smith, Rarity, Derpy Hooves, Mrs. Cake, Pound Cake
Tara Strong: Twilight Sparkle
Cathy Weseluck: Spike the Dragon, Mayor of Ponyville
Jason Marsden: Ben Mare
Daveigh Chase: Nyx
Chris Sanders: Phobos the Dragon
Claire Corlett: Sweetie Belle
Madeline Peters: Scootaloo
Chantal Stand: Diamond Tiara
Shannon Chan-Kent: Silver Spoon
Brian Dummond: Mr. Cake, Dumb-Bell
Laraine Newman: Roseluck
Cathy Cavadini: Firecracker Burst
E.G. Daily: Plumsweet
Nicole Oliver: Cheerilee
Kathleen Barr: Hoops
Matt Smith: Time Turner
Rob Paulsen: Delivery pony
Jim Cummings: Equestrian Devil, Sandworm
Brenda Crichlow: Zecora
With special voice appearance by
Mark Hamill: Lorcan

Author's Notes:

Looks great, eh folks? Glad to see another original fic like this done and over with; and now, time for the next MLP: FIM fic to work on. This time, it's going to be AU one and here it is.

"Coming Clean: (a short alternate ending to "Lesson Zero"): What if, instead of trying to create a friendship problem herself, Twilight pocketed her pride and simply wrote a letter to Celestia admitting that she has not been able to find a friendship problem to solve?"

Good, eh? Tell me what you folks think of it. Until next time, read, review and suggest!