My Very Best Friend

She reluctant walks towards the orchard, wishing to finish this as soon as possible. She is greeted by a strong and friendly yellow hoof and a melodious singing voice:

“How´ya do Miss Twilight?! Mah name is Applebloom and ´ere in Sweet Apple Acres we love tah make new acquaintances. Now come over and met the rest of the family. Here´s Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart aaaaaand Granny Smith! Up and at´em Granny, we have company!”

And she shoves an apple down her throat and she coughs.

“Ah said yah already part of the family!”

And this is what family does?

*******

Twilight Sparkle stops drinking her cider to start laughing like a maniac. She can´t stop the laughter nor she wants to.

“What´ so funny, Miss Sparkle? Did Pinkie put some laughing powder on yah again?”

For a second she sees an orange mare with a blonde mane, freckles on her face and three red shiny apples on her flank.. She seems friendly but Twilight doesn't knows her so she backs down. But the illusion is gone and back is the familiar face of her yellow coated, red mane, no freckles and an apple bloom with a hammer crossing it for a Cutie Mark.

“No, I was just remembering the day we first met, Applebloom.”

“And ah can´ be more grateful tah the Princess for that day. Have ah never met yah ah and the other girls ah would have lost mah farm today to those slimy Flim Flam scammers!”

And Applebloom sits down next to her, adjusting her hat to cover from the Princess´ sun. Twilight takes a good look at her friends and smiles. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow are teasing Rumble. Fluttershy is casually chatting to Sweetie Belle while Spike keeps looking dreamy at the unicorn. But then her eyes stumble a lonely little figure. A small orange pegasus.

Twilight can´t remember her name but she knows that look. She had seen that look before, like if something was missing. She had seen that look on Princess Luna as she raises the sun every morning and the moon every afternoon like she waited for another pony to be by her side; she had seen that look on Cadence when she looked at an empty street like she waited for somepony to show up; and she had seen that look on the mirror, when she wakes up early in the morning, feeling a hole inside of her.

Feeling that something is missing.

“Horsehoes and Saddles! What ´ave you so quiet, Twilight?”

Twilight takes a good look at that smiling face and ask one question.

“Applebloom, you ever feel like if something is missing?”

“Well, ah think ah have lost mah favorite hammer. Ah hope those Snips and Snail rascals aren´ tha blame ´cause if not ah gave them one ´ell of a bucking!”

Twilight can´t help but laugh again. What was she worrying about? There´s nothing wrong with the world.

“Applebloom...” and she raises her cup of cider. “You are the apple bloom inside my heart.”

“Wa-wa-what? Where do that came from?!” she asks, making her face match her mane.

“I´m just saying you are my very best friend.”

“Schmucks, miss Twilight yah one heck of a strange pony!”

And Applebloom finished her drink before anypony sees she´s blushing like a school filly and Twilight laughs some more and below a statue in the Royal Garden, a pink pony snores and sleeps, dreaming another dream, one she will told her daddy when he wakes up.

(Cue huge crack in a wall!)