Apples to Apples
By Sai Naidu
Applejack was still looking around for a pony to meet, but someone found her first.
"Hi, there!"
Applejack looked around, then looked up to see two tall ponies. She smiled up at them.
"Hi!"
"Are you a first year?" asked one of the ponies. She had a light tan coat, and her mane was streaked with all the colors of the rainbow. Her spiky bangs fell over her large light blue eyes. She had two lighter tan Pegasus wings which Applejack thought were gorgeous.
"Yes, I am," Applejack replied respectfully.
"We're eighth years," said the other pony. She was a pony with a dusty brown coat. Her mane was streaked with cinnamon and wheat colored stripes. She had a darker brown unicorn horn sprouting from through her thick mane. Applejack looked on in awe.
"We are helping in rounding up the new first years, so to speak," the first pony said. "I'm Lucky Charm, by the way."
"I'm Cinnamon Toast Crunch. But you can call my Cindy." The other pony smiled.
"Oh, I thank you kindly!" Applejack exclaimed. "I'm Applejack."
"Pleased to meet you, Applejack," Cindy smiled. "You sure are a cutie!"
Speaking of cutie….Lucky Charm's cutie mark was a rainbow in between many stars. Cindy's mark was a cinnamon roll.
"I think I see some first years already gathering," Lucky Charm said from several feet up in the air, her wings flapping majestically. She tossed her mane to one side, then landed down again.
"Whoa!" Applejack couldn't hold back her excitement.
Lucky Charm fluttered her wings a little. "What?" she asked, her eyes cast sideways. "It's nothing."
"Uh, huh," Cindy said with an eye roll. She turned to Applejack. "Anyway, come on, we'll show you there."
"Thank you." Applejack said, as she followed the two older ponies through the crowd. As they passed, Lucky Charm and Cindy said hi to many other ponies. They all looked way older than Applejack, maybe they were eighth years like Lucky Charm and Cindy? Many of them awed, and oo'ed at Applejack as she followed behind the two older ponies with a ducked head in embarrassment. She knew that no-pony was making fun of her, but still, she wasn't used to all the ultra-lavished attention.
"Hey, LC, who is that newbie?" some-pony called out. Lucky Charm turned her head, flicking her bangs as she did.
"Hey, Silver Star Rivers!" Lucky Charm called. "This is Applejack. First year."
"I can tell!" the pony Silver Stream Rivers trotted up to them. She was a dark gray unicorn, with a silver, black, white, and gray streaked mane and tail. Lucky Charm and Cindy had stopped, and Applejack patiently waited as they talked amongst themselves.
"So, how have you been, S.S. Rivers?" Cindy asked with a laugh.
"Great!" Silver Star Rivers replied. "How've you and LC been?"
"Busy," Lucky Charms sighed. "But it's all good fun."
Suddenly, a loud, voice called out, "Last call for all first years! Last call for all first years!"
Cindy and Lucky Charm exchanged shocked glances.
"Oh, my gosh, we are late! So sorry, Silver," Lucky Charm said a little sadly.
"You best be apologizin' to your little first year, LC," Silver Star said, with a look at Applejack. "See you around, first year," she said, as she trotted away.
Applejack remembered her parents telling her not to be late on her first day. She hated relying on other people to help her—she didn't want to inconvenience others, and she liked feeling of doing things herself.
"Okay, let's hurry," Lucky Charm said, a little stiffly. She took off at a brisk canter, and Applejack had to sprint to keep up with Lucky's long strides.
"Hi, Mrs. Ponysworth!" Lucky Charm smiled angelically at the old pony. Mrs. Ponysworth was indeed an old pony—her orange eyes were watery, and her coat, with orange and white splotches, was growing dull. She had an orange unicorn horn in the middle of her thin mane. Applejack composed herself and tried to appear as respectful as possible. She loved old ponies, but mean ponies scared her. She loved her old Granny Smith, but she was a whole different story.…
"Why, hello, girls, who do we have here?" Mrs. Ponysworth said in a high pitched neigh.
"It's Lucky and Cindy!" Cindy exclaimed."
"She meant the new pony, doofus," some-pony called out from faraway. Cindy narrowed her eyes, spotting the offender. She muttered a name under her breath, but Applejack didn't hear. Of course, Applejack wouldn't want to eavesdrop anyway.
"This is Applejack," Lucky Charm introduced Applejack to Mrs. Ponysworth.
"Get in line, with the ponies, please," Mrs. Ponysworth said in a bored voice.
"Huh?" Applejack asked. "Aren't we all ponies?"
"Yes, but some ponies are special, such as they have unicorn horns, or Pegasus wings," Mrs. Ponysworth said, "such as Lucky Charm and Cinnamon Toast Crunch."
Both older ponies stood straighter, ruffling their manes.
"Okay, ma'am," Applejack answered Mrs. Ponysworth, and turned around, sliding into the pony line.
"Hey, like, watch it!" some-pony snarled.
Applejack jumped back in surprise. It was a young pony, about Applejack's age, with a light purple coat, curly turquoise-and-purple mane, and glaring turquoise eyes, outlined in black, eyelashes thickened, and light green shades above her eyes. There was another pony right behind her, with a sky blue coat, royal purple and turquoise mane, and light purple eyes, decorated in the same way.
"Don't you, like, know anything?" the second pony asked in a disparaging tone.
"You can't, like, just get in front of us," the first pony sniffed. "Get in the, like, back of the line!"
"You, like, deserve that place," the second pony said with animosity.
Applejack widened her eyes in hurt. She spun around and galloped away. Well, then, Applejack thought in optimism, I guess I'm not being friends with them!
"Hey, you, come 'ere!"
Applejack located the voice, and trotted towards it. It was a light blue Pegasus pony with a rainbow colored mane. She had bright blue eyes, and a bold smile.
"You don't want to get involved with those girls. They are such losers," the pony said.
"Really? Them?" Applejack asked. "They think they rule the school!"
"Right," the blue pony said. "Think."
"Well, what are their names?" Applejack asked.
"The purple one is Lavender," the blue pony said. "The blue one is Turquoise."
"Lavender and Turquoise," Appljack repeated. "Those are mighty fine names."
The blue pony snorted. "Really? They are really boring, to me."
"Hey…" Applejack said slowly. "You are a Pegasus pony! Why are you in the Earth pony line…"
The blue pony snorted again. "Really? Rules? Who cares about those?"
Then the blue pony looked up to see the old pony, Mrs. Ponysworth, trotting down the lines with a scowl on her face. "Gotta dash," the blue pony said. "See ya!"
And quicker than lightning, the Pegasus pony sped away, sending behind a whoosh of cool air that blew Applejack's hair back.
"Isn't that pony something?"
Applejack turned around to see another pony behind her.
"I'm Stella," the pony said. This pony was midnight black, with a bright yellow mane that fell around her pink eyes. "What's your name?
"Yeah, really," Applejack said. "I'm Applejack."
"Nice name," Stella smiled. "But Rainbowdash is right. You are really better off without those ponies."
"Who?" Applejack asked, tilting her head.
"My dear Stella means Lavender and Turquoise," a new voice said from behind. Applejack turned around again and saw another pony yet again. At least I'm meeting new ponies, Applejack thought in delight.
"But of course, any-pony who wants to be any-pony is going to want to be friends with Lavender and Turquoise." The pony who spoke was a light green pony, with a pink and yellow streaked mane. It was straight and sleek. The pony's eyes were decorated in the same way as Lavender's and Turquoise's except for the fact that her eye-shade was light purple.
"Really?" Applejack asked. "Now, why is that?"
"Uh, obviously! Are you completely unaware of the system here?" the pony asked.
"I guess so," Applejack replied modestly. "I'm new here."
"Well, obviously!" the new pony exclaimed. "You are going to have to get a new demeanor, decorum, attitude, aiii!" she shrieked, "everything!"
"Now, really, Fern Fiona," Stella said, disapprovingly. "Is that any way to treat a new pony?"
"Oh, yes!" Fern Fiona cried. "I am helping you, darling!"
"Um, Fern Fiona," Applejack relied, cautiously, "I do appreciate the offer, but I'm sure I won't be needing any of your help."
"OH, for goodness gracious!" Fern Fiona cried. "Whatever shall we do with you, darling?"
Wow, this pony is really over-dramatic, Applejack thought, with an arched eyebrow. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you then."
"Uh, yes, of course you will! We will probably be in all of your classes…" Stella laughed.
"Oh, this is all the better!" Fern Fiona cried again.
Applejack sighed, holding back a scowl. I can't believe this…Is this pony for real?
"Ponies, can you please hurry up?" Mrs. Ponysworth cried, her voice a great difference from all the young ponies Applejack had been hearing for a while now. "And stop all this nonsense!" Mrs. Ponysworth yelled.
"Oops, we'd better get going!" Stella said.
"Oh, yes, we must be leaving now! We wouldn't want to be late, of all things! Oh, good gracious! Noooo!"
Applejack rolled her eyes. Well, at least she was meeting different kinds of ponies. She smiled, and trotted after her two new friends. Maybe she would get used to Fern Fiona's ways. They might even become best friends! Applejack smiled at the thought, and prepared herself to start the day.
