New Digs! [Open]

[Deleted]

What a miserable day!

The sky was overcast with a cold wind. The snow on the ground was somewhat dirty and slushy, constantly threatening to turn into sharp ice at the slightest provocation, but in the meantime, drenching any poor pony who had errands to run, and chilling them to the bone. In short, it was the kind of day where anypony who had business indoors, stayed indoors. And anypony who had business out of doors, went about their business quickly and tried to get home as soon as possible.

But this gray, gloomy day pleased Nyarai to no end. It was the perfect day to pick up a couple meals! The little filly had begun by rolling in the slushy muck to dull her coat somewhat. Of course, any pony that looked at her closely would soon see that she wasn't a normal pony, but a busy, tired, cold pony wouldn't take a second look! And it was particularly that type of pony that she was targeting today.

In her mouth, she carried a sharp bit of glass. This had been dulled on the side she carried it by, but other than that, it was a perfectly effective little tool, and almost invisible. As she walked to and fro among the ponies, she picked out ponies that seemed both in a hurry and carrying food in their saddlebags. When she saw one that seemed likely, she arranged herself in their way so that they would have to pass very closely. As she passed, she lifted her head and tilted it just so, in order to have the bit of glass kiss the seam on the bottom of one of the saddlebags, and cut the thread in multiple places. Gravity and the weight of the contents did the rest.

The pony stopped short and cried out in dismay as the bottom tore out of her saddlebag and apples, oranges, pears and carrots tumbled and spilled all over the street. Nya, ever the good filly stopped, turned, and began helping this poor pony collect her groceries. And if a couple oranges and apples were kicked... ahem... rolled out of sight, well, at least all the rest of the fruit was recovered, and stored in the other bag. The pony gratefully rewarded Nya with a pear, and hurried off. The mischievous little Zebra waited until she was well out of sight, recovered the wayward fruit, and along with the pear, stashed them in an old burlap sack she was hiding under a bush. Then she waited for the next one!~

[applebloom]

As a shivering Apple Bloom made her way across town she wondered how long this wretched day would last. It wasn't the cold temperature that depressed the little filly, and she couldn't care less about a little mud or slush. Apple Bloom didn't mind getting her hooves dirty, not even a little. What bothered her was the failed attempt at earning her cutie mark. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had made multiple efforts that day, and had gone home depressed, tired, cold, hungry, and worst of all, with their flanks as bare as they'd been that morning. Apple Bloom sighed and grabbed an apple from her bag. Her sister had demanded that she take some food with her before leaving the house that morning, and Apple Bloom had eventually given in and packed a bushel of apples. Sure, half of them were gone, as the girls had tried baking apple pie back at Sugarcube Corner (And failed miserably), and afterwards they'd drowned their sorrows in freshly squeezed apple juice.

Now she was on her way back home to Sweet Apple Acres, but she had to pick up a few things first. It was the off season for the Apple family because the apple trees didn't grow during winter. In spring Applejack and Big Mac would go take care of the trees, and in summer some of the apples would start growing. Fall was harvest season, and the Apples were crazy busy. There was also the Zap Apple harvest which had everyone in a bustle, and cider season. Winter was awful though. There wasn't much to be done as the ground was covered in a thick layer of slush or snow, so nothing grew very well. Apple Bloom was still a filly, so she could manage not working all the time, but the rest of her family wasn't particularly fond of having nothing to do all day long.

Apple Bloom trotted over to the stand selling tomatoes and dropped a couple bits in front of the clerk. "One bunch of tomatoes please!" the young filly asked politely. The stallion behind the counter placed the round vegetables in front of her and Apple Bloom quickly tossed them into her bag, proceeding to thank the pony and head over to the next stand. She took out her grocery list and mentally checked off 'Tomatoes,' then looked over the sheet of paper and nodded her head. "Let's see, what's next? Aha! Oranges!"

Scanning the marketplace, Apple Bloom spotted one pony who seemed to have dropped her groceries. Being the helpful, rather friendly filly she was, Apple Bloom hopped on over and wondered if she could lend a hoof. The mare thanked her kindly, but mentioned that she already had a little helper. Apple Bloom looked behind her and saw another filly, though she couldn't recall ever seeing her before. There was definitely something off about her though... Her coat didn't look right, that was for sure. If a pony were to look at her closely enough they'd see faint stripes, and besides, the filly looked rather dirty. Almost as if she'd been rolling around in the muck. The thing that really caught Apple Bloom's attention though was how the filly kicked away a couple of the mare's groceries. Once the busy pony was gone, Apple Bloom stopped the filly before she could get away.

"Ah'm Apple Bloom, ah live over at Sweet Apple Acres. Ah don't mean ta bother you, but ah don't recall ever seein' you around before, and ah saw you kickin' away that mare's groceries..."

[inkie]

It was one of those days. Well, for Inkie, every day was one of those days. But more so today due to the dreadful weather. Inkie didn't really mind the cold though, in fact, the dreary day suited her quite well. It was one of those days she could just blend in, and be left to her own thoughts.

"The the trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean. O'ercome with moss and baleful mistletoe. Here never shines the sun; here nothing breeds. Unless the nightly owl or fatal crow... no wait... was it raven?"
She was passing the time on her way back from a day of cake deliveries to rehearse from one of her favorite plays. As such, her mind was not really on where she was going. She was in no rush to return to Sugarcube Corner. From what she'd heard, somepony made a huge mess of the kitchen while she was out.

As she made her way through the market, wrapped up in a bright pink scarf that she borrowed from Pinkie, she was only vaguely aware of the commotion or the two fillies who were there. She simply strained her memory, not watching where she was going. "Oh... I'll never get this line right..."

She never even saw that orange that had actually rolled off on it's own, and slipped on it, landing face-first in a snowdrift, flank hanging humoursly in the air, while her rear hooves couldn't even touch the ground. She heaved a sigh with a face-full of snow. "Figures..."

[Deleted]

Nya had just pulled herself out from under the bush she was temporarily hiding her loot under when she found herself face to face with a filly her own age. That wasn't too bad, actually Nya rather liked seeing foals her own age. She learned a lot of fun things from them. But Nya could see that this filly wasn't going to teach her something fun right now!

"Ah'm Apple Bloom, ah live over at Sweet Apple Acres. Ah don't mean ta bother you, but ah don't recall ever seein' you around before, and ah saw you kickin' away that mare's groceries..."

The filly, Apple Bloom, trailed off as though she didn't know what more to say. Nya was very surprised, and her green eyes went wide, not from fear, exactly, but some amazement, confusion, and a little concern. She wasn't quite sure what to say, either. She had done exactly that. They both knew she had. But Apple Bloom wasn't confronting her in a loud and angry kind of way. If she had done so, or if she'd been an adult, Nya would have just grabbed her stash and made a run for it, no explanation necessary. If Apple Bloom had asked her what she had been doing, in a shocked and horrified kind of way, then Nya would have adopted her time honored trick of looking small and scared and very, very hungry.

Because Apple Bloom had gone for a sort of middle-route, just stating the plain truth, Nya struggled between running away and trying to excuse her actions. "W-Well, I'm Nya. I mean, my name's Nyarai, but you can call me Nya. And.. uh..." Nya scuffed a hoof on the ground, trying to think fast. "I, um... well, yeah, I did do that. But! But! You know, I did help her, too! and, and, her other bag couldn't fit everything in it! That's probably why she gave me the pear she couldn't fit in! And besides..." Nya's voice dropped in volume and she looked at the ground. "I'm hungry." A little plain truth of her own.

Nya really didn't have the steam to work up her full, sympathy-generating, theatrical pathos- sure to melt any heart not made of stone. What Apple Bloom's reaction might have been to this, we may never know. For just at that moment, an orange that had genuinely been overlooked slipped up a teenaged mare of the gray, unexceptional color that Nya had been going for when she rolled in dirty slush, sending the teen into a snowdrift nearby! Nya leaped straight off the ground in real surprise, and hid behind Apple Bloom!

[applebloom]

From her expression, Apple Bloom could see that the strange looking filly was still deciding on how to respond to Apple Bloom's... accusation, if you could call it that. She'd more just stated what she'd seen, not really accused the filly of theft. Finally the pony made up her mind and finally started sputtering out her excuse.

"W-Well, I'm Nya. I mean, my name's Nyarai, but you can call me Nya. And.. uh... I, um... well, yeah, I did do that. But! But! You know, I did help her, too! and, and, her other bag couldn't fit everything in it! That's probably why she gave me the pear she couldn't fit in! And besides... I'm hungry."

It seemed like the very last thing Nya said was the main excuse. Now, if Nyarai had been found by an adult, or even another filly, than maybe she wouldn't have been so lucky. Somehow she'd been lucky enough that Apple Bloom was the pony standing in front of her, grinning from ear to ear, not worried at all that Nya probably did this all the time. Apple Bloom was a member of the Apple family, and therefore the words "I'm hungry" meant a great big hoofshake and as much food as a little filly could possibly eat. That was exactly what Nya got.

Quickly a smile formed on Apple Bloom's face. "Hungry? Well why didn't ya say so?" At this point Apple Bloom grabbed Nya's hoof and shook it as hard as she could. (Much like the hoofshake Applejack gave Twilight at their first meeting.) Then she continued to open her saddlebag and pull out a bag of apples. "If ya wanted food, you coulda jus' asked, ya know. Ah don't mi-" The excited filly was cut off when a certain grey mare flew into the air and landed in a pile of slush, all due to tripping over an orange which Nya had obviously missed. Apple Bloom was sure she recognized that mare from somewhere... Hadn't she seen her around Sugarcube Corner recently? She was about ready to head over and help the grey pony out of the snow when she realized that Nya had jumped behind her.

"We should go on over an' help her, don't ya think? Ah mean it is our fault she tripped over that orange in the first place." Apple Bloom ran over to the mare and grabbed onto her tail. With a few tugs Apple Bloom managed to flip the grey mare over. After spitting out a few glops of snow, the pony faced her and Apple Bloom immediately recognized her. Applejack had told her all about Pinkie grey sister coming to town, and the whole party thing. "Well howdy there, Ah'm Apple Bloom, and this here is Nya. We just ran in ta each other a second ago, and Ah think it might be our fault ya tripped over that orange. Anyways, you're Pinkie's sister, right? Ah know cause Applejack, that's mah big sister, told me all 'bout ya. She said you're a bit on the gloomy side, but Ah think it's okay for somepony to have a bit of a rough day every once in awhile. You should pro'bly get outta that snow, it's mighty cold out here. If ya like Ah'll help ya with anythin'. Applejack says it's nice ta be nice, and Ah always listen ta mah big sis." If Apple Bloom was aware that she was rambling on and on and that it was probably best to just let the pony be, she didn't show it. She just kept on spouting words like she was a hose that had been building up a huge bunch of water for days. Finally Apple Bloom closed her big mouth for good and stepped away to give the pony some space.

[Deleted]

[[Just an OOC note for people reading this. Inkie hasn't responded to this in a month, or our PM, so I'm going to write her out as best I can.]]

Inkie Pie gave herself a little shake to help get the snow off her coat. With a sigh, she looked first at the hole in the snow she'd made, then at the little fillies. "It's fine, and so am I." she said flatly. "If somepony's going to trip and fall in the snow, I suppose it might as well be me. I'm used to it." At Apple Bloom's suggestion that she should go inside and get out of the snow, she nodded.

"If I'm lucky," she remarked, "I might just get the flu instead of pneumonia. " With that cheerful remark, the filly gave herself one last shake, suggested that the two foals should take care in the cold themselves, and headed towards Sugarcube Corner.

---

Nya had helped Apple Bloom pull the filly out of the snowbank by pulling on Apple Bloom's tail, thus helping the foal pull harder...but after that, she had remained more in the background, standing behind her new friend, and letting her do all the talking, except during the later part of Apple's ramble, when Nya had edged over to the guilty orange and quietly added it to her stash.

Nya never wasted an opportunity to get food. There were just some days when you couldn't get any at all, and when that happened, you remembered every missed opportunity with double the hunger. Nya called the feeling, 'The ghost of food that might have been.' and hated it more than anything else.

When it was just the two of them again, Nya looked at Apple Bloom hopefully and wondered about the bag of apples. The filly had been about to hand it over when they'd been interrupted, and now the moment was just a little awkward, even for her. She didn't want to ask, because it didn't seem like the right thing to do. Though Nya did many a naughty thing, she generally didn't do them to ponies she liked, and she found she already liked Apple Bloom.

"Your Sister sounds nice," Nya commented, as a way, she hoped, to get Apple Bloom talking again. "And the name Sweet Apple Acres sounds nice too. What is it? is it your house? Your house has a name?" Nya thought that her house must be very big. It was her experience that only really really big houses, castles and mansions, had names. Nya had never actually seen a farm before!

[applebloom]

Inkie Pie bade Apple Bloom and Nya a good day and set off for Sugarcube Corner, leaving the pair of fillies to continue their previous conversation. Apple Bloom enthusiastically waved goodbye to Inkie and turned back to Nya, a huge smile plastered on her face. She recalled what she'd been saying before the Inkie-Pie-in-the-snow accident, and immediately pulled out the bag of apples once again. "Here ya go!" The zebra seemed to glow at the prospect of food, and the bag was snatched from Apple Bloom's hoof before she could say "You're Welcome." It made the little filly happy to make another pony smile like that, because there was no greater joy in life than making other ponies happy.

"Your sister sounds nice, and the name Sweet Apple Acres sounds nice too. What is it? is it your house? Your house has a name?

Sweet Apple Acres wasn't particularly fancy in any way, and it never struck Apple Bloom as odd that she lived on a farm. She loved the apple orchard, as any member of the Apple family would. (That's a lot of ponies, if you've ever met the Apple family.) She loved her family especially, and she couldn't imagine what it felt like not to have her brother, sister, and granny supporting her no matter how often she and her friends made a right mess of things. (Which was fairly often, considering the things the Cutie Mark Crusaders got themselves into.) Of course, for a short second Apple Bloom wondered if Nya thought her home was strange, being a farm in all, but quickly waved off the idea. "Yeah, Applejack's one of the friendliest ponies ya'll will ever meet. Course, she's not nearly as friendly as Pinkie Pie, but Ah don' think anypony's as friendly as Pinkie Pie, so she doesn't really count. As for Sweet Apple Acres, yeah, Ah live there. It's jus' Applejack, Big Mac, Granny Smith, and me, so Ah s'pose it's pretty big. Ah could never live anywhere else though, cause the farm's jus' the best place in all of Equestria!"

After explaining all this, Apple Bloom glanced in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres and remembered she was supposed to be shopping for some things, followed by a quick return to the house. But she didn't want to be impolite and ask Nya to leave! Besides, she enjoyed this filly's company. She thought for a second, and finally made up her mind to ask Nya if she'd like to accompany her while she grabbed a few more things. Maybe Nya would even come meet her family! Anypony that was hungry was welcome with the Apples, who were especially well known for their 'Southern Hospitality.' Fixing her saddlebag, Apple Bloom asked, "Listen Nya, Ah've got tons more stuff to buy. Do ya wanna come help me? Ah can teach you to pick out the best fruit! Mah sister taught me how ta see if the food's gone bad or not. And if ya want, ya'll can come over ta Sweet Apple Acres with me and get some hot cocoa, cause that's always great on a cold day!" Apple Bloom stared at Nya hopefully. Shopping for groceries would be so much less dull if she were with a friend.

[Deleted]

Nya gleefully added the other fruit to the apples Apple Bloom had given her, since the bag that went with it was nicer than the one she had been using. Looking it over, Nya decided that she now had enough fruit, with generous eating, for two days, maybe two and a half. Apple Bloom's apples made up the most of the loot, and the zebra foal couldnt help wondering about a filly who could so easily give away so many apples without a single worry! She was getting the idea that her new friend must be very, very wealthy!

Therefore, when Apple Bloom asked the little Zebra if she would come along and help her do some shopping, and even offered to show her how to pick out the best fruit and then have some cocoa at the end, Nya agreed instantly! She was unlikely to get more loot than she'd already gotten, and anyway, using the same trick too often made ponies suspicious

Nya pulled the bag closed and set it on her back. The fruit settled on one side or the other of the little Zebra, creating a balanced and comfortable load. "Nya would like very much to go with Apple Bloom!" she finally announced. Then she added, with a genuinely shy smile. "Nya likes Apple Bloom. She wants to walk and talk with her a while, and maybe see Sweet Apple Acres. Nya has never seen a farm before. What is it like?"

[applebloom]

The bag of fruit Apple Bloom had given Nya was now overflowing, and Apple Bloom wondered if one filly could eat all of that before it spoiled. Course, Nya looked so hungry, she'd probably eat it anyways. Even the thought of this made Apple Bloom sad, because food had never really been a problem for her. If she was hungry she could easily run out to the orchard and eat a random apple that had fallen off the tree early. That or run down to storage and grab something. And sometimes, in the wintertime, Apple Bloom would go to Sugarcube Corner and order something which would every so often be free of charge due to the Apple family's generous contribution of apples to the shop.

Apple Bloom watched as Nya adjusted the load she was carrying. It seemed awful heavy, and Apple Bloom wondered if she should lend a hoof. Then the little zebra replied to the earth filly's suggestion. "Nya would like very much to go with Apple Bloom! Nya likes Apple Bloom. She wants to walk and talk with her a while, and maybe see Sweet Apple Acres. Nya has never seen a farm before. What is it like?"

Apple Bloom noticed that Nyarai talked strangely too. She'd only ever met one zebra: Zecora, and she always talked in rhymes. Did all zebras talk differently? More importantly, would it be rude to ask? Apple Bloom didn't want to offend her new friend by asking this, but she couldn't help but be curious about the little filly speaking to her in third person, the way she'd read things in books. Eventually, she decided against it, just in case. She wouldn't want to hurt Nya's feelings, now would she? Instead, Apple Bloom decided to answer Nya's question. "Livin' on a farm... it's great! Sometimes it gets real busy though, cause we've got a lot to do in the fall and summer. Applejack and Big Mac do most of the apple bucking, cause you gotta be strong to do that, but I help sometimes. Course, I normally just catch all the apples that fall. Then there's the sheep to take care of, and the jam to make. Don't even get me started on cider and zapapple season, those are absolutely crazy!" Apple Bloom recalled last cider season and chuckled. That's whah ya don' question us Apples, Flim and Flam.

The pair of fillies made their way from shop to shop, with Apple Bloom pointing out what was good, and what was lousy and spoiled rotten. They finally came to one cart that was selling lettuce. Sometimes the shopkeeper didn't play fair, Apple Bloom knew that, and she warily eyed her last five bits. She needed every last one, and refused to pay more than a bit for one bunch. "Here ya go, sir!" She dropped the bit on the counter and wondered if he would argue. Course, there was no time to wait around. "Run now, or he'll raise the price!" Apple Bloom hissed to her friend and quickly waved to the shopkeeper before dashing off. She giggled once she'd come to a halt at the complete other side of the marketplace. No way would the shopkeeper leave his post and miss a large amount of ponies willing to pay him just to chase after her.

[Deleted]

Indeed, Nya could easily eat all of that before it spoiled. Mostly because it was all she would have. When you calculated two apples per meal, and nothing else- you'd still go through a dozen in two days. But even if they spoiled, Nya could and would still eat them. She liked good food, but she never turned down the bad until it was really inedible.

And that was part of the reason why Nya was surprisingly sturdy, given her light frame and small size. She was thin, but wiry and quick. Though Apple Bloom might have worried about Nya's cargo being too much, Nya wasn't much hindered by it at all. It didn't even stop the zebra foal from prancing here, there, and everywhere as they walked together. Nya liked to look at everything, and in particular, was always on the lookout for something she might find useful. Even so, she still had no trouble keeping up with her new friend and listening to her talk. One thing she already liked about Apple Bloom: She had a lot of interesting things to say, and said them!

"Livin' on a farm... it's great! Sometimes it gets real busy though, cause we've got a lot to do in the fall and summer. Applejack and Big Mac do most of the apple bucking, cause you gotta be strong to do that, but I help sometimes. Course, I normally just catch all the apples that fall. Then there's the sheep to take care of, and the jam to make. Don't even get me started on cider and zapapple season, those are absolutely crazy!"[/color]

That did make Nya stop and reconsider. She had been picturing a big house like a mansion in Canterlot, with a tiny manicured lawn. But if a farm meant lots of apple trees, and sheep, then it must be a lot of land. Nya shrugged inwardly. She'd have to wait and see! As Apple Bloom led her around, and pointed out the good, the bad, and the nasty in produce, the zebra took mental notes. Though she would eat anything she still liked things that were at their best.

What was even more interesting, Nya thought, was money. She just couldn't understand how small coins of metal, however interesting to look at, could be worth the value of an apple, or a bunch of carrots. You couldn't eat them, grow them, use them to keep warm or anything besides trade them on for something else. Why would you want them? She couldn't help especially wondering this when Apple Bloom plonked down just one of the coins for a head of lettuce and then ran away! She followed without question, laughing all the while. When Apple Bloom came to a stop at a safe distance, Nya asked about it.

"How does Apple Bloom know.." Nya began, then frowned. She'd been in Equestria a long time, and she'd picked up pony language easily, but- she had a hard time framing this question. "How does Apple Bloom know how many monies she should give for a Lettuce? Or Carrots? Or ....anything? How does she know what is... fair price?"

[applebloom]

Apple Bloom had noticed that Nya wasn't one to stay still. She hopped and skipped and galloped about, and Apple Bloom loved that about her new friend. She hated all those snobby ponies that strutted around with their snouts held high like they were so much better. Even Rarity didn't act like that! A form was probably the least refined and fancy place to live, so Apple Bloom had never really cared about looking dignified. If she was going to be the epitome of uncouth, she might as well enjoy it, right? The Apples valued comfort over appearance, so Apple Bloom stuck to that. Besides, what did it matter what was on the outside if the pony was a wretched, snooty, pompous idiot on the inside? Apple Bloom thought this all before she had made a run from the lettuce stand.

After catching their breath, the pair of fillies stood there for a second, and Apple Bloom cold see a frown form on Nya's face. She seemed... confused, perhaps that was it. Finally the zebra seemed to form a sentence, though it was obvious that she was struggling. Apple Bloom wondered if she spoke some other language in which she was fluent, because then maybe she could express her thoughts properly. She also considered asking Twilight to help tutor Nya and teach her to speak more freely, without having to pause every few words and wonder what came next. It must have been difficult for Nya, having trouble speaking her mind all the time.

"How does Apple Bloom know... How does Apple Bloom know how many monies she should give for a Lettuce? Or Carrots? Or ....anything? How does she know what is... fair price?"

For a second, Apple Bloom wondered exactly how to answer this. It was a complicated thing, money. However, she thought it over and eventually thought of some sort of way to reply. "Well, store clerks all say how many bits somethin' costs, but sometimes it ain't fair. Sometimes they ask for too much. Ah mean, two bits is a lot to pay for one lousy bunch of lettuce. Honestly, I guess I just think about how much somethin' is worth. Two bits is enough for two bunches of tomatoes, but too much for one. It's... complicated. Plus, there's quality to think about. You don't wanna pay extra money for rotten food that you can't even eat, right?" At this, Apple Bloom paused. There really wasn't much else to say. She was only a filly, after all, and didn't understand money or economy very well. Sure, Apple Bloom was a bright filly, so she'd figured out some things on her own, but most of it she only knew from what her siblings had told her.

Apple Bloom mentally checked off lettuce and tried to remember the last thing she had to purchase. They'd gotten a lot so far, enough to almost completely fill the filly's saddlebag. All they had left was oranges and a loaf of bread, and that wouldn't be too difficult. The oranges were actually right in front of her, so it wouldn't be a problem at all. "Alright, all we have left on the list is some oranges and a nice, warm loaf of bread from the bakery. And then we can go to the farm and have some hot cocoa- oh!" It was at this point that Apple Bloom recalled finishing the last of their hot cocoa powder the night before. They'd have to stop by Sugarcube Corner and pick some up. She hoped Nya wouldn't mind the extra stop, she seemed so eager to see Sweet Apple Acres.

"Ah hope ya don't mind the extra stop, but we can't just conjure up two mugs of hot chocolate from thin air. Or maybe Twilight, that's the unicorn that lives in the big tree, can, but Ah certainly can't." Apple Bloom chatted happily as she picked up the bushel of oranges and swept them into her bag. As they merrily trotted along to the stand that sold bread (freshly cut and just delivered from the bakery), Apple Bloom wondered if Nya had ever actually met Twilight, or Pinkie, or any of the other ponies in town. This thought led to one other: where did Nya go when the day was through? Where did she sleep and store all the food she salvaged? It was more than one question, but they all centered around one idea, and Apple Bloom was mighty curious about it all, but she held her tongue, in the hopes that all would be revealed in time.

[Deleted]

As she listened to Apple Bloom's remarks on how store clerks weren't always fair, Nya had to nod in complete agreement, though she was pretty sure lack of fairness was just something that came with all adults. "Nya thinks that learning how much things are worth must be like learning a new skill. A pony has to try using it to really get used to it." she replied. Then she giggled. "Nya will probably never learn about moneys good because she wont never have any." It might have been a sad statement, but Nya didn't seem to care at all!

"Alright, all we have left on the list is some oranges and a nice, warm loaf of bread from the bakery. And then we can go to the farm and have some hot cocoa- oh! Ah hope ya don't mind the extra stop, but we can't just conjure up two mugs of hot chocolate from thin air. Or maybe Twilight, that's the unicorn that lives in the big tree, can, but Ah certainly can't."

"Nya's seen some ponies doing magic, but never a fun spell like that! It would be a good spell to have. Magic would be fun to work. Some zebras has magic, even without horns." the little Zebra foal mused about it for a moment, tapping her chin with a hoof. "Nya doesn't know if those zebras is born with it, or if they learns it when they grows up. If Nya could have any spell... Or maybe a pair of wings. Which would Apple Bloom prefer? Wings or magic?"

[applebloom]

Nya nodded as Apple Bloom rambled on about money and store clerks, and the earth pony wondered if such a topic was boring. It certainly bored other fillies, but then, Nya wasn't any regular filly. She was a zebra, and Apple Bloom had come to understand over some time that zebras were not completely different from ponies, but definitely could be considered unique. Like Zecora, for example. Unlike most ponies that tread as far from the forest as possible, Zecora had found shelter there. She made strange potions and brews, and even seemed to do magic sometimes. Not unicorn magic, of course, but still powerful and... fascinating, if you asked Apple Bloom.

"Nya thinks that learning how much things are worth must be like learning a new skill. A pony has to try using it to really get used to it. Nya will probably never learn about moneys good because she wont never have any."

It was sad, but for some reason Apple Bloom didn't seem to feel sympathy for the filly that had spoken these words. Perhaps it was because Nya seemed so cheerful, as though she didn't mind her lack of money. Unlike many of the adult ponies who constantly complained about bits, Nya would probably have given it very little thought. It was different, in a good way. "Aw, but Ah'm not nearly as interested in money as some folk. All they ever do is blab on and on about bits and such, it' so silly!" The filly giggled as she recalled Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara, and how they only cared about bits. When Filthy Rich came to their class one day, a foal yawned really loud when he started talking about economy in Equestria. It was the most interesting thing that had happened all day.

"Nya's seen some ponies doing magic, but never a fun spell like that! It would be a good spell to have. Magic would be fun to work. Some zebras has magic, even without horns. Nya doesn't know if those zebras is born with it, or if they learns it when they grows up. If Nya could have any spell... Or maybe a pair of wings. Which would Apple Bloom prefer? Wings or magic?"

Immediately Apple Bloom started thinking about how great it would be if Nya met Zecora. She was sure that Nya would find the older zebra and her enchantments and potions fascinating, as she seemed to have an interest in magic already. Maybe Zecora could teach Nyarai a few interesting spells! "Ya'll should meet a friend of mine. Her names Zecora, and she's a zebra too, only she looks a bit different. She talks in rhyme all the time, and she makes all these cool potions. Maybe ya could come along the next time Ah visit her," Apple Bloom suggested.

To be honest, Apple Bloom didn't really know what she'd rather have, magic or wings. If she took either, it would ruin the dynamic of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but no pony really cared about that. However, that didn't make choosing one any easier. Flying seemed like so much fun, but magic was terribly useful. Besides, it'd be cool to have either. However, it seemed as though magic required much more crazy work, and mastering it was very difficult. So Apple Bloom supposed she'd take wings, as they were far more interesting, and pegasi all seemed to be more... free than unicorns and earth ponies. Besides, if Apple Bloom had wings, she could go to Cloudsdale. Scootaloo told her that it was amazing, but Apple Bloom was highly unlikely to ever see it for herself. In the end, Apple Bloom decided that she much preferred wings to magic.

"Ah s'pose Ah'd take wings over magic. They give a pony so much more freedom, and it seems awful fun, flying around in the air. Ya'll should see Rainbow Dash, shes the fastest flyer in all of Equestria, but she hasn't made it into the Wonderbolts yet. Ah think the sooner they take her, the better." At this point Apple Bloom noticed she'd gone off topic, and quickly went back to the topic she was supposed to be chatting about."Anyways, magic's real difficult, and it takes a ton of studying to even get close to performing the more fun spells. Ah jus' don't have the patience for that, ya know?

[Deleted]

The zebra filly giggled too, when Apple Bloom remarked how silly some ponies got over bits, even though she didn't know about Diamond Tiara. She had seen similar examples, many in fact, in Canterlot. Nya wondered why it was. Even if you considered the way bits might represent all the comfortable things you could buy with them, what good was that if you hoarded them all and never spent them? Or if you were so busy working hard to get more of them that you forgot to enjoy all the good things you had? She was so happy that Apple Bloom seemed to have the same good sense as she did, to laugh at it.

Mention of another Zebra, when Apple bloom brought it up, caught Nya's attention pretty quickly. "Nya has heard something mentioned of another Zebra," she admitted, for Shady Daze had lightly touched on 'A pony that looks like you, but with darker stripes' "But Nya has never met them, or met anypony that knows them well. Zecora? It doesn't sound like a name from Nya's people, but there are lots of different Zebra peoples. And Zecora knows magic? Nya would like to meet her sometime!" Nya announced this with sincere cheer. Meeting another Zebra foal would be like coming across an old friend, completely by surprise!

Come to think of it, Apple Bloom knew a lot of ponies, didn't she? Nya quickly thought over all the names she remembered her new friend talking about, trying to memorize them. Apple Bloom lived on a farm with her sister Applejack, one of the friendliest ponies you could meet, and ...Bic Mag... was that it? it kind of sounded right, and kind of didn't... and Granny Smith. Pinkie Pie was the friendliest-est pony in Equestria, and Rainbow Dash was a pegasus and the fastest flier. Twilight was the unicorn who lived in the great tree house. Zecora was a zebra who did magic! Convinced that she had committed these names to memory, Nya felt satisfied.

"Nya doesnt know what she would like better when it comes to wings or magic." the zebra admitted cheerfully, prancing alongside Apple Bloom. "Magic sounds better, but it does seem like lots and lots of work. Wings seem easy, and flying looks lotsa fun, doesn't it? But if you has magics, maybe you can also have the wings. Nya has seen a unicorn with wings once, from far away. She was dark and tall and had a BIG flow-y mane and tail, with sparkles."