The next morning the crusaders had to get up extra early to prepare for the day. As they dragged themselves downstairs they chattered about their plans.
"Mom and Dad will be here in a few hours!" Sweetie Belle said happily, sitting in a chair at the table.
"We're going to the park, and then out for lunch!" Rarity smiled down at her sister, passing out breakfast items. Apple Bloom sat quietly, ignoring the concerned look she got from Rarity.
"Our party starts at two." Scootaloo said around a mouth full of food, "I don't really need to be there until noon, though!"
It was quiet for a minute until Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom, who was practically hiding in her cereal bowl. A rough night of sleeping and nightmares had taken their toll on the poor filly.
"What about you, Apple Bloom?" The orange filly questioned, "What does the Apple Family do for Mother's Day?"
Apple Bloom hated that question. It wasn't a fair one. What did they do? All they could, of course! But, what was that?
"Well, Applejack makes Granny's favorite fritters and pies. We more or less get the day off, too, 'cause not much work gets done." She didn't want to admit why not much work got done, though. Mother's Day was always an... Off day. It drove a wedge in between one of the tightest knit families in Ponyville-maybe even Equestria.
"That's it?" Sweetie asked, "That's all you do? No party, no going out, nothing?"
Apple Bloom shook her head, keeping her chin up. That was how it always had been. Sure, she was a little jealous sometimes, watching other fillies and colts celebrating, but really it was hard to miss something you never had. She felt a cold chill in her chest but refused to acknowledge it.
Everyone was silent, and Rarity kept casting glances at her sister. Soon she said, "Well girls, Sweetie and I's parents should be here in another few hours. Why don't you three go out and say hello to the ponies around town?"
The fillies excitedly hurried out, unsure of where they were going but knowing it was a new day and a new adventure.
"Hey Apple Bloom," Sweetie started, "Why don't you guys celebrate more?"
"Yeah! Everyone else thinks Mother's day is a big deal!"
"Well, Ah guess it's 'cus we don't really have a reason to celebrate more. We don't have a Ma, so we can't spend time with her, y'know?"
"Oh, yeah... That makes sense." Sweetie furrowed her brow slightly but kept walking.
"No it doesn't!" Scootaloo scoffed. "What about Applejack? Ain't she like your mom?"
"What?! Applejack? But she's ma sister! She can't be ma Ma!" Even though those were the exact thoughts Apple Bloom had thought about last night, the filly felt a bit ashamed admitting it. She couldn't impose on her sister like that! It was bad enough the mare had practically raised her as her own, she probably didn't need Apple Bloom rubbing it in.
"I said she was like a mom. She takes care of you, and she raised you, right?"
"Weeeellll, yeah... I s'pose so." Apple Bloom thought about it. "But... How can she be my Ma and my sister?" The whole thing seemed surreal. Applejack was Applejack, right? And Applejack was her sister.
"Well, she's like... Your sister by blood, because that's how you two were born, but like your mom because she raised you and loved you like one. I think." Sweetie squeaked, furrowing her brows as she thought.
"Don't hurt yourself." Scootaloo snickered, earning a kick from Apple Bloom.
"Well, why don't we ask someone else, then?" Sweetie smiled, motioning around them at the ponies walking about.
"Ask them what?" Apple Bloom questioned, unsure about getting others involved with her issue.
"Ask them what a mother is, duh." Scootaloo rolled her eyes. Apple Bloom was just about to ask her friends to drop the issue when-
"I know what a mother is!" The trio nearly jumped out of their hides as a voice screeched right behind them.
"PINKIE!"
"C'mon, fillies, let's go back to Sugar Cube Corner, and I'll tell you what a mother is!" The pink mare said cheerfully, oblivious to the stares she got.
"Might as well." Sweetie whispered to the other two, and Scootaloo groaned as they were led away. Apple Bloom's ears drooped as she began to think more and more about Applejack. She highly doubted Pinkie's 'knowledge' would help her situation.
"But I said, 'No, silly! I said alligator, not party canon!'" Pinkie busted out laughing at a joke the Crusaders didn't get. They laughed lightly, glancing at each other. "So, what were we talking about again?" Pinkie asked as they entered the bakery. She trotted behind the counter and set up some boxes as the Crusaders picked a spot to sit. Sweetie sat attentively, genuinely interested in what Pinkie had to say, Scootaloo sat slumped forward, tracing an invisible design over the table, bored as ever, and Apple Bloom sat up straight, however her mind seemed to be elsewhere.
"We were wondering, what's a mother?" Sweetie asked politely. The three were used to Pinkie's behavior, some of them were just more patient that the others.
"Right! Okay, well a mother is... She's... Well," Pinkie was having a hard time starting. What described a mother? She knew it wasn't just blood. But it wasn't just behavior, either, was it? The Crusaders wondered if the answer was really complicated enough to make Pinkie think of her words.
"Well," She began again, "A mother, a real mother, is the most wonderful pony in the world." Her tone was soft, and even Scootaloo sat forward in attention as she continued.
"She's the angel voice that tells you goodnight, and kisses your cheek and says 'sleep tight'." She nodded, more to herself than to the fillies. "Yeah. That's what a mother is." She furrowed her brow as if this was a new revelation to her.
"Can somepony have more than one mother?" Scootaloo asked, and Pinkie snapped out of her daze.
"Oh, well... I suppose so. It depends. Like, if someone is adopted, or if multiple mare's take care of them."
"What about a different family member being a mom?"
"You mean, like... An aunt or an uncle? They could take care of the pony themselves and raise it, I suppose, so... Yeah. I'd say it's possible."
The Crusaders shared a look. "Pinkie, how do you know so much?"
The mare giggled. "Well, I have a mom too, y'know! She doesn't live here, and I can't talk to her everyday, but she's still my mom. This one time I wrote a letter to her and she wrote back and said Inkie had read my letter wrong because they had her read it out loud to them but she skipped over a word and so they all thought I said I got a new party canon when really I said allig-"
"Is Mrs. Cake like your mom?"
Pinkie stared at Apple Bloom for a minute. "Mrs. Cake? Well..." She thought for a second, taping a hoof on the ground. "Well, she is a wonderful pony. And while she doesn't tuck me in she does look out for me and she calms me when I'm upset and she knows me really well and she has raised me since I was a little older than you..." Pinkie thought deeply for a minute but, not really being her style, she just grinned. "I guess she kinda is! But I already have a mom..."
"So she's like your foster mom?" Scootaloo offered, and the others looked at her. "A foster mom is like... a temporary mom when a pony's real mom can't take care of them any more. Sometimes foster moms adopt that pony, too. Since Pinkie moved here when she was a filly and Mrs. Cake took care of her..."
Pinkie smiled and nodded, "That sounds right. I guess she's like my foster mom, then!"
"Well, thanks Pinkie, but we gotta go." Sweetie said as the Crusaders left.
"Any time, girls!" She waved goodbye, grinning ecstatically until they left. Once she was alone, though, she stood there, her face strangely solemn.
"Foster mom, huh? Well, at least she knows when I say alligator and not-"
Mrs. Cake tuned out the rest of Pinkie's thoughts and smiled, heading back upstairs. She loved her little Pie, and she was grateful that Pinkie knew it.
Though... Now that she thought about it... That didn't constitute the need for a party, did it? She gulped and sweat dropped. Please, no...
:ALSO EDITED LIKE CHAPTER 1 AS OF 1/3/14:
I know Pinkie seems kinda OOC, sorry 'bout that. Her behavior will be explained later, but I'm not sure how yet. Like, a different story, or a different chapter, maybe.
Guuuuuuuuuuyyys I could use some feed back! I'm not afraid to whine about it! (Okay I am, but still.)