Chapter Five

Laron took a moment to compose himself before he began his tale. Applejack sat next to him, waiting patiently with her foreleg draped around the pegasus.

"It was only a little more than a year ago. A month or two, I think. It's kind of hard keeping track of the days when you don't have a calender. Anyways, my parents and I had lived in Ponyville my whole life, and we didn't always have a lot of money. They always tried their best, but unfortunately, it was never really enough. My father never got to spend a lot of time with me; he was always out working. On top of working on the weather patrol all day, he had to take up a second job. He never told me what it was, though. I was really young, so I didn't think anything of it. Looking back on it, I think it was for the best I didn't know."

"My mother would always try to keep a cheery attitude, even when she was spending all day cleaning up the house, usually from some kind of mess I made. But, as time went on, her cheery attitude diminished until her smiles were seldom seen anymore. I know now that she was worried about our money problems. It didn't help that she started drinking around the house. I think she just didn't want to bother trying anymore. She would just seem tired all the time; lying on the couch, passed out with a bottle in her hand."

Pulling all these old thoughts and memories from the back of his mind was difficult for Laron. He could feel his own words breaking down into blubbering as tears started forming around his eyes. The only thing keeping him continuing was the constant embrace of the farm pony next to him, wiping away his tears with a hoof, and gently stroking his mane as she listened. It was all she could do to keep him calm as he spoke.

"They never told me what was going on. I was too young to understand anyways. It was terrifying, though. Seeing the two most important ponies you know drifting away from you. They never spoke to me anymore. I was just there. They were doing all this for me, because of me, and it was killing them. My father never had time to play anymore, and my mother was always too drunk. I couldn't play with other kids either; either their parents wouldn't let them because of their opinion of my parents, or because the other fillies and colts would mock me because my family was poor."

"One day I stayed up really late, waiting for my father too get home. My mother didn't argue of course, she was deep into a half finished bottle of Chardonnay at the time; I had always had to put myself to bed. So when my father finally came through the door, I run up to him. I can still remember his tired, drained expression when he looked at me. I told him I was sorry that he and mother were working so hard because of me. I asked him if there was anything I could do to help him. He just looked down at me and smiled, before walking off to bed."

"The next day, my parents got me up early that morning. They told me we were going on a little trip. I was so excited at the time, but that excitement quickly drained away when we got to our destination. It was an old, badly damaged building. Just the look of that place made my skin crawl. My parents' faces were solemn and joyless; they wouldn't even look me in the eye. Then I read the letters on the front door of the building. 'Ponyville Orphanage'. I cried."

He took a pause for a few minutes. His throat kept closing up. He couldn't physically keep talking, he had been rendered inconsolable by the painful memories that had come flooding back to him. Applejack didn't seem to mind. She seemed to understand, and just let the foal cry into her coat for a few minutes. After he had seemed to settle down enough, she nudged his chin upwards, to meet their eyes.

"What do ya say we pick this up some other time, sugarcube? We got a long day tomorrow, an' ah don't wanna see ya tired cuz' ah been keepin' ya up all hours of the night." Still her voice carried such a reassuring tone to it. He really did feel tired, too. He could tell her the rest of the story some other time. It had at least felt somewhat better, being able to get that off his chest.

He laid his head back onto the soft couch, though it was now uncomfortably soaked with tears. Applejack brought herself up off the couch and draped a blanket over the little blue pegasus. The sight of him curled up on the couch, chest rising and falling as he slowly slipping back into his dreams was just too adorable of a sight for the mare not to carry a big, beaming smile. She lowered her head to his ear, whispering a good night to him before turning to head back up the stairs.

"Applejack?" She turned back around. Laron was now sitting on his haunches, looking directly at Applejack.

"Yeah, what's the matter?" She trotted back over to him. He's not about tah start cryin' again, is he? Ah don't think mah heart can take the sight ah that much longer. She thought.

"You're not gonna tell anypony about this, are you?" He looked up to her with big, pleading eyes. How could she say no to that? It didn't look no different than when Applebloom did it, either.

"Don't ya worry. It'll be just between us. Nah you get some sleep, y'hear?" She ran a hoof through the foal's hair, messing it up.

"Um, actually... I was wondering if- I mean, could I maybe-" His rambling went on for a few minutes before Applejack put a hoof to his mouth. When he finally stopped speaking muffled words into her hoof, she released it.

"Could I just sleep with you? Just for tonight, I mean?" At first, she was hesitant when he said that. The last time he had been up in her room, he was making off with a bag of her bits. But things are different now, right? She thought to herself, still mulling over her decision in her head.

"Sure. C'mon. Just s'long as it's only fer tonight." She'd never forget the elated look on his face at that moment.

---

Laron felt nudging against his sides. He groaned, pulling the covers over his head. This bed is way too comfy to get out of.

"C'mon, get up! Ah told ya it was gonna be a long day tomorrow, an' I meant it! Now get up!" That was not the the same, caring voice he got last night. This Applejack's voice had force behind it. Before he knew it, she had pulled the sheets off of the bed, and he came crashing down onto the floor. Regaining his bearings, Laron brought himself to his feet, and slowly his vision returned to him. He looked up at Applejack, who had a look of irritation on her face.

"What did I do now?" He made no attempt to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

"Ah spent the last five minutes trying to wake ya, that's what. Yer a real heavy sleeper, ya know."

Runs in the family. He thought, but quickly shook away the thought. It wouldn't do him or anypony any good to have him stuck in a funk all day thinking about- That smell? Where in Equestria is that coming from? He ran past Applejack, down the stairs and into the kitchen. The smell that had been wafting through the air had been a delicious stack of pancakes being prepared by Granny Smith. His mouth watered at the very sight. Now this is worth getting up for.

---

After breakfast, Applejack had given Laron his task for the day. She gave him a few bits with a specific direction of DO NOT RUN OFF WITH THESE, to head into town with and pick up some flour from Sugarcube Corner. Of course, his legs froze up for a moment when she had told him this. He couldn't just tell her about his latest attempt to steal from the sweets shop, so he just nodded and went on his way. How he would handle things when he got there though, he hadn't a clue.

On his way, Laron found himself passing by the schoolhouse, and through the chain link fence, he could see little fillies and colts frolicking about. How is it they are always out playing when I walk by? Do they never have class? The thought disappeared when he spotted a familiar orange filly, talking and laughing with Applebloom and a white filly he did not recognize. Remembering the last time he had seen Scootaloo had not ended them on the best of speaking terms, it decided now as the most convenient time to fix any problems between them.

"Scootaloo!" He yelled, trying to grab the orange filly's attention. Her ears seemed to perk up at the mention of her name, but when she turned her head to see who was calling her, her smile disappeared, replaces with a grimace at the the pony on the other side of the fence. She turned back around, and continued to talk to her friends, who continued to glance back at him. He felt a heavy weight in his stomach. Would she really not even give him a chance?

"Hey, Scootaloo!" He called again. This time, her friends trotted over to him, with Scootaloo following in tow. Applebloom was the first to address him.

"Heya! What're ya doin' here?" Applebloom at least seemed happy to seem him.

"Oh, Applejack sent me to get flour from Sugarcube Corner. I was just passing by." Laron smiled at each of the three fillies on the other side of the fence. Scootaloo however, turned away when his gaze rested upon her.

"Um, if you two wouldn't mind though, I kind of need to talk to Scootaloo for a minute." Her friends looked over to Scootaloo, who was trying and failing to hide her face. They turned to each other and shrugged before walking off.

"What." Scootaloo spoke in bitter, flat tone. She clearly wasn't in the mood to talk.

"I wanted to know why you won't talk to me? I mean, sure, I stole from ponies, and that's bad and all, but i'm making up for it!" The desperation was evident in Laron's voice.

"I- I don't think I should be talking to you." The orange filly still wouldn't look at him. If only this stupid fence weren't in the way, he thought.

"So that's it then? You're just going to ignore me like every other pony? Fine. I guess it was stupid of me to think I actually made a friend anyway." Laron walked began galloping away, tears welling up in his eyes, fogging his vision. He hoped to Celestia that any second now, he'd hear Scootaloo calling after him. He was left disappointed.

By the time he got to Sugarcube Corner, he had long since calmed down. He tried to hold back any nasty thoughts toward Scootaloo, he still held onto a bit of hope that she might forgive him at some point. He just had to wait, was all. For now, he had to focus on getting flour. How was he going to do that, exactly? Likely Mrs. Cake wouldn't even let him in the shop. But what about that pink mare from before? Didn't she say she worked here? If he was lucky, it would be her behind the counter in the sweets shop.

He pushed open the front door, and immediately regretted it. Buck. Right in front of him was Mrs. Cake.

"Well, don't we have some nerve showing up here again." Her words stung.

He swallowed his nervous thoughts before responding. "I can pay this time. I just need flour."

The teal mare raised an eyebrow at the statement. Did she actually believe him?

"A likely story." Nevermind. She didn't seem interested in letting him into the shop, regardless.

"Can I please just buy the flour and leave? I promise I won't cause any trouble." He tried to put on his best innocent look, a talent he had developed in his time on the streets.

Mrs.Cake stood there for a moment, probing him with her glare. I'm sure it'll be fine, just as long as she doesn't go reaching for her rolling pin again. The thought did little to ease his conscience.

"Very well. Right this way."

---

Laron exited the shop, dragging the bag of flour behind him. He was rather glad he was once again welcome in the confectionery store. Looking at the bag of flour, a realization suddenly occurred to him. "How the hay am I supposed to carry this all the way to the farm!?" He spoke to nopony in particular. The bag was almost twice his size, and at least three times as heavy. It was going to be a long trip back. By the time I pass the school again, Applebloom will probably be done. Maybe I can get her to help me bring it back. I wouldn't mind having her as company much, either.

Why in Equestria did I just think that? Next Chapter: Chapter Six Estimated time remaining: 20 Minutes