"This is the best idea EVER!" Pippi shouted as she bounced around. As she bounced in her excitement, her saddlebags were jostled and sent apples scattering all over the ground. "I sure wish I'd thought of it!" Scootaloo flew down and scooped up the rolling fruit, and returned them to her pink friend.
"Keep cool, Pippi. And you DID. It's you're idea, remember?"
Pippi paused and she said, "Oh yeah! Well, it's still a great idea! A surprise party for Applebloom!"
"Are these enough apples for the party?" Tommy asked softly as she walked to her friends, her own saddlebags heavy with the various apples.
"Almost! We've got enough for apple pies, apple jam, caramel apples, apple fritters, apple crisps, and triple-sweet-apple-cake!" Pippi cheered the last dish out. It was in fact her own creation, inspired by their farming friend. "Now we just need the Apples to eat the apples!"
Tommy and Scootaloo gave Pippi a confused, and rather worried, expression.
"Her family, sillies!" Pippi elaborated. This caused her friends to make relieved sounds and all three giggled.
At that moment, Annika came to join them, walking over from the Apple's barn. "Pippi, we're done with the decorations. Sweetie Belle's outdone herself, this time."
"She's always outdoing herself," Scootaloo said. "It's what she does."
"GREAT!" Pippi declared. She slipped her bags off, and headed for the farm house.
"Pippi, the barn's that way," Annika called.
"I'm not going to the barn!" Pippi replied. "I'm going to get Applebloom! It's PARTY TIME! WOOHOO!"
Pippi bounced and skipped her way to the Apple's house, making her way upstairs. They had been told by Big Macintosh that Applebloom had been asleep, and while Pippi would normally want to be quieter with her friend resting, she wanted to get the party started. It was a special day for Applebloom, after all! Birthdays come around just once a year, and if anyone deserved to not work on their own birthday party, it was Applebloom- who worked hard all the time.
When she reached Applebloom's room, Pippi stopped her bouncing, and knocked on the door.
"Applebloom! It's ME! Pippi! Can I see you for a sec?" She heard nothing. Was she not loud enough? She tried again. "Applebloom! I NEED TO TALK TO YOUUUU!" she sang the last syllables out, but after a moment's silence, there came no answer. She tried playing her kazoo. Tried banging cymbals outside. She even got out her tuba and blew on it as hard as she could. Nothing. Not a peep. She pushed at the door, and moaned.
"Come ON! APPLE JAAAAA-AAAAH!" the door gave way easily and she fell with a 'thud' on the floor. After getting up, Pippi looked around, and that was when she saw the familiar shape of her friend, under the blankets of her bed, and… a light? She walked over to the side of the bed, and lifted up the sheet.
"HI!" she called.
Applebloom screamed in shock, dropping her flashlight and her book.
"Whatcha doin?"
"COD SARN IT Pippi!" Applebloom yelled. "Don't scare me like that!"
"I was just coming to see… What's that?" Pippi reached for the book, which Applebloom tried to snatch back.
"Gimme that! It's private!"
"Private? It's just a book," Pippi replied. She looked at the cover, and then looked at Applebloom. What was her friend doing with this book?
"Applebloom?…Why are…?"
"Oh," Applebloom said, pulling her hat down over her face in shame. "Don't… I know it's not right for somepony like me to read that sorta thing but… I can't help it! It's my favorite! I'm sorry but it-"
"Why are you sorry?" Pippi asked her. "The Falbella is a GREAT book! I love how Pinto finds the magic horse-shoe that makes him invisible and faces the dragon Smokering! It's the BEST!"
"But," Applebloom, "It's a foal's book."
"So?" Pippi asked her. "It's still good! And you shouldn't feel bad for loving it, even as a grown up. There's no shame in reading what you like. If somepony doesn't like it, they shouldn't read it!"
Applebloom smiled at the pink pony and laughed. "You're right, Pippi." The blonde-maned pony slipped out of bed, and walked around to take back her favorite book. "My mom and dad used to read me this here book when I was a foal, and I'll never stop lovin' it. Who cares what anypony else says?" She put the book on a shelf, along with her flashlight. "Now what did you need me for, Pippi?"
"OH! Right! Come on! I found something in the barn that you need to see!" she said, leading Applebloom out of the room.
This was going to be a birthday that Applebloom would treasure for a long, long time.
