Black Pony of the Family
is a My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic story written by Jussonic, and set in his universe of stories.
While working at Sweet Apple Acres to pay for the apples he ate as the Demon Pony, Ben Mare sees some commotion caused by a purple coated, green maned pony. After Ben comments on his attitude, Applejack decides to tell him a story...
A while ago, her cousin, Tough Apple, came to Ponyville for a visit; Tough was the "black pony" of the Apple family, due to his Hair-Trigger Temper and generally nasty demeanor. But, thanks to a little help from Fluttershy & a pegasus named Feathermay, Tough would learn what it was like to be nice and make friends.
The character of Tough Apple previously made an Early-Bird Cameo in the author's Rainbow Dash E-mails series before his formal introduction in this one.
This story contains the following tropes:
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Tough & Feathermay's relationship, at least at first.
- Berserk Button: Pretty much everything is this for Tough, but his biggest ones are insulting Apple Bloom (as Diamond Tiara & Silver Spoon learned the hard way) and touching or damaging "Joe".
- Beware the Nice Ones: When a delivery pony refuses to tell the Mane six who he delivered an Equestrian devil to, Fluttershy, who views Tough as a surrogate big brother, gives him the Stare, which forces him to talk (and also leaves him shaken up).
- Also, the Equestrian devil really shouldn't have messed with Rarity and Pinkie...
- Also, when Diamond taunts Apple Bloom about Tough having to leave Ponyville due to the Equestrian devil she sent after him,the little filly goes ballistic,and would've beaten the horse apples out of her if Applejack hadn't pulled her off.
- Brief Accent Imitation: During their first meeting, Feathermay mocks Tough by making fun of his Southern accent.
- Call-Forward: Since the story, (minus the framing device), takes place before Curse of the Demon Pony, Twilight's loneliness and pining for Ben is mentioned a few times.
- Canon Immigrant: While not an official work, Jus takes several recolors of the Mane cast from the toyline and makes them major characters here.
- Character Exaggeration: Diamond's normal meanness is taken Up To Eleven here, with her wanting revenge on Tough for embarrassing her (usually, she settles for picking on little fillies, not their relatives).
- Companion Cube: Tough's banjo Joe, who he treats as a friend. touching or damaging him in anyway is not a wise idea.
- Continuity Nod: The bulk of the story is set after the events of "Family Appreciation Day."
- Pinkie uses her "welcome wagon" and sings her "welcome song" from "A Friend in Deed" to welcome the restaurant ponies. She attempts to do so for Tough as well, but Feathermay's teasing causes him to smash it in anger.
- Applejack loss of sleep, thanks to Tough's loud snoring, is compared to what happened to her in Applebuck Season."
- The Pegasus bullies from Sonic Rainboom & The Cutie Mark Chronicles show up to mock Fluttershy, and learn why that's a bad idea when Tough Apple is around.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: During his argument with Feathermay, Tough tells her that he thinks she's cute and wants to kiss her. After everypony else responds in stunned silence, Tough runs off in embarrassment.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Yes, Tough did ride Diamond & Silver up the flagpole by their underwear, but does that mean she had to buy an Equestrian devil to provoke Tough into a rampage so he'd be kicked out of town?.
- Also, said flagpole incident is treated as such, and nearly costs the Apples their business with Filthy Rich.
- Dude, Not Funny!: In-Universe example; after being humiliated, Diamond says she wishes all blank flanks would be exterminated, with Silver Spoon telling her that death is nothing to joke about.
- Expy: Tough Apple is basically Fuzzy Lumpkins as a pony! complete with shotgun, talking about people staying off his property, and a banjo named Joe.
- Likewise, Feathermay's personality is based on that of Julayla Beryl, the Author Avatar of one of the author's friends, who he always uses as a love interest for Fuzzy. Her calling Tough "green mane head" is a reference to Julayla teasingly calling Fuzzy "deli (sic) bob head."
- Framing Device: Applejack telling Ben the story of Tough coming to Ponyville in the present.
- Freudian Excuse: Tough claims that being bullied as a colt is what lead to his current anger problems. Becomes rather
Hilarious in Hindsight when the show actually created a canonical cousin for AJ with the same problem. - Hair-Trigger Temper: Tough's main problem, and why his family wants nothing to do with him. He gets better.
- Hidden Depths: Who would've thought the cranky pony was a great singer?
- Hypocritical Humor: When a panicked Apple Bloom runs in and warns of the dire news ahead, Applejack assures her not to worry, as they can handle anything. Then, once she tells her about the letter saying Tough is coming to town, AJ immediately begins panicking, even repeating what Apple Bloom said earlier ("worst thing ta happen to our family!").
- Insult to Rocks: After AJ mentions that listening to Tough snore is "like sleeping with a bull", Pinkie replies "oh, don't say that...you may offend the bull."
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Tough, but thanks to the Mane six (especially Fluttershy), and his family, he eventually loses the "jerk" part (unless you're a bully, like Diamond Tiara). Feathermay is an example as well.
- Lampshade Hanging: Applejack points out that Feathermay and the other restaurant ponies look like her & her friends, just with different colors/cutie marks. Tough himself also lampshades this, calling Feathermay a "Rainbow ripoff."
- Like Brother and Sister: Tough sees Fluttershy like a surrogate sister, and is very protective of her, as the Pegasus bullies learned the hard way.
- Morality Pet: While Tough isn't evil, Fluttershy acts as this to him, as he's willing to behave himself and not fly into a rage when she's around.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Tough has this reaction after he beats up the Pegasus bullies and throws them in a trash can when they mock Fluttershy. The other ponies try to make him feel better, by saying he was only helping Fluttershy, but Tough is convinced he'll never overcome his rage and leaves to contemplate.
- Not Me This Time: After a rampage throughout Ponyville, Tough is chastised by several ponies, including those he befriended, for his actions, though he claims he only did it because of a little creature who broke his banjo. He's right, but few ponies believe him, based on his past behavior.
- Not What It Looks Like: The Mane Six & the restaurant ponies see what looks like Tough choking Fluttershy and quickly chew him out. Turns out, Fluttershy was actually choking on a cupcake, and Tough was helping her.
- Punny Names: Tough comes from "New Neighlans."
- Also, the restaurant ponies have cheese from "Neighway." Its smell ends up attracting a sandworm that attacks Ponyville.
- Unstoppable Rage: Tough once he gets mad (which is often); it was originally said that Granny Smith was the only one who could stop his rampages, but later, Fluttershy is able to as well.
- Apple Bloom almost had this after Diamond taunted her one too many times about Tough; fortunately, Twilight & Applejack broke it up.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Applejack is given this by her friends, for her and the rest of the Apples not inviting Tough to their reunions due to his behavior, which ended up only making him act worse.
- Also, AJ calls Twilight out at the end of the story, claiming she basically treats Spike as a slave and barely lets him go on any of their adventures.
- Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises: Applejack's reaction when Apple Bloom tells her Tough is coming to visit.
