Summer vacation had always seemed like the thrilling doorway into adventure. No longer confined to weekends and day activities because of school, a filly could get herself lost in distant exploration or at least feel like she had. You could climb mountains, swim the depths of the seas, make your own decisions and experience the sweet taste of freedom. No more pencils, no more books, no more nothing! Just you and the horizon. Apple Bloom adjusted the ice pack underneath her butt. It was the clarion call that every filly dreamed of following. It was the Daring Do of seasons. When summer came around Apple Bloom had always been barely able to sit still from the anticipation in these last weeks. All the plans she’d make, and how hard she’d try to accomplish them. Summer was an cornucopia of limitless possibilities. She couldn’t sit still now either. It wasn’t because she was excited though, it was because she was excited. The most amazing thing about summer was that it prophesied of the future, that one day they would be free of school and every day would be like this. They could throw their hearts and souls into the wide wonderful world and take out of it whatever they wanted to put into it. They could find their dream, realize their ambitions, and finally start making a place for themselves in the way of things. Summer vacation was a taste of what it was like to be an adult, and it tasted good. Used to taste good. Apple Bloom hated becoming an adult now. “Here, drink this it’ll make you feel better,” Applejack said gently, setting down a plate with a cup of ice cold tea in it. The moon flowers that bloomed only at night were said to have miraculous soothing properties according to her sister at least, but that didn’t stop it from tasting like piss dirt. Apple Bloom upended the cup in both hooves, swallowing it as fast as she could dump it down her throat. The less she had to taste that bull pucky the better. The waves of cool relief spread from her stomach and she gave a sigh as the painful cramp that had jiggered up into her hips that morning eased itself and let her finally relax. She couldn’t deny the stuff was effective, but it was just so maddeningly unsatisfying. She still felt as itchy and achy as she had yesterday, and even with the worst of her symptoms eased the little yellow filly was a ball of fluctuating emotions and tormented physique. And the worst part about it was She could not Stop Thinking about Rumble’s penis. Of course she had to break in on the hottest kid in class, the one who made fillies blush just by being in the same room with them. He was athletic and ripped. His voice could make your heart flutter and your legs into jelly. He was a genuinely nice colt who didn’t have any hangups or revolting tendancies. He was fierce as a bee and gentle as a fly. He was just so gosh darn bucking perfect that Apple Bloom hated him to death. Diamond Tiara, that awful nightmare of a filly had gone one step too far, again, and she and Apple Bloom had descended to blows, again. You’d think a smug prissy thing like her couldn’t fight, but you’d have a hard time convincing Apple Bloom of that when she got bucked right through a wall. Granted it wasn’t the sturdiest wall just the solid ash wood of a storage shed, but holy apples could that filly buck. Apple Bloom had shook off the splintered wood that covered her after having plummeted through, ready to leap through the rough hole she created to get back in the fray when she realized that she wasn’t alone in that shed. There was Rumble, the Rumble, laying there from where Apple Bloom’s untimely entrance had caused them to hurl themselves out of harm’s way. There was Rumble... and Featherweight. Of all the colts he could have chosen... Featherweight was just about the weirdest looking colt Apple Bloom had ever set eyes upon. And Apple Bloom had set eyes upon Snips and Snails. Not only were his teeth protruding but Featherweight was skinny, not just slender. He had these long legs that made him look like some kind of spider when he was walking around, and if there’s one thing Apple Bloom never ever wanted to make her special somepony, it was spiderses. Apple Bloom was amazed that the first thing she’d noticed was their faces. She was thinking so differently now her own thoughts felt unfamiliar to her. In her current state of mind, she would have been lucky to notice they had faces at all. But the second thing she noticed is that both of them, both colts had their penis out. Not just out, but really out. Like thick and pulsing and fleshy. Featherweight was no featherweight there. His was even bigger than Rumble’s, a pale pink shaft emerging from above his lightly furred testicles. Rumble’s penis started out the exotic grey of his coat, as if the fur color had bled into his skin. It became mottled and then solid ebony in color the further up it you took your eyes. It was a strange fleshy cylinder emerging from his crotch, divided in half like Featherweight’s by a ringed ridge that was starkly visible despite the blackness, with a bulbous tip that almost seemed to be calling itself to attention. Before estrus, Apple Bloom had found it fascinating and embarassing, and felt more strongly about respecting the boys’ privacy and apologizing for interrupting them than experimenting with them and getting at that penis. She could hardly even forgive her past self for not holding Rumble down and getting a better look at that thing, getting all up close to it, maybe even smelling it. Now it was just inconceivable to do anything but want it. Because she wanted it. Bad. Every time she thought of it, something in her tummy all the way up to her labia just cried out in a feeling of exquisite need. And she couldn’t stop thinking about it! “Do you think you’ll be up for school?” Applejack asked her gently. Big Mac had made himself seriously scarce the moment he heard about estrus. It was out of consideration for Applejack, to keep her from being tempted, but now that Apple Bloom knew how it felt, she wasn’t sure that it mattered if Big Mac was present or not. She couldn’t possibly feel any more tempted than she did right now! She’d even go goo eyed and baby talk a colt, if it would just ease up this estrus a little bit. “Apple Bloom?” Applejack nudged her gently. Apple Bloom jerked her head up, and said, “Huh? Wh–oh yeah. Yeah I can go to school.” What she wanted to say was she couldn’t not go to school, because that’s where the colts were, and she needed a colt, and fast. For what, she didn’t know. All she knew is that her body was yelling at her nonstop to get closer to them and buck the consequences. Because Rumble’s penis was... darnit she was doing it again! Apple Bloom shoved off the table, leaving the half melted ice pack where she sat, then walked tensely up the stairs to go get her school stuff. With her bow hastily slapped on and her saddlebags in place, she was ready as she would ever be. She couldn’t even remember what they’d eaten for breakfast. What was wrong with her? “Okay Applejack, ah’m headed out,” she said in a dull voice. “Likewise, sis,” Applejack said back to her. “Estrus ain’t gonna stop them trees from needing bucking.” “Ah can still do my chores,” Apple Bloom said insistently, “Ah just, ah’m fine I just can’t stop thinkin’ you know like,” “Yeah I know,” Applejack conceded. “But that’s cuz you were sittin’ around mopin about it. Get moving and I guarantee you’ll feel better.” “But then ah gotta actually see him!” Apple Bloom shouted. She blushed head to toe then and covered her mouth with her hooves. “Oh, it’s a certain him, huh?” Applejack said testily. “No,” said Apple Bloom, “It’s just he’s the only one I y’know, seen seen.” “Oh. Golly,” Applejack said flatly, blushing in less than fond rememberance. The evening that Apple Bloom had seen Rumble’s penis was one that neither of them wanted particularly to recall.

“An’ there was a thing sticking out of their hips, like they were wearin’ a tube or a stuffed sock or a something,”

“Apple Bloom”

“An’ they also had these bobble things hangin’ there I thought they were doin some kind of crotch dressup but that sounded silly so,

“Apple Bloom”

“So I just smiled awkwardly and said ‘hey there, sorry about that’ and they were just looking at me and one of their things started shakin up and down

“Apple Bloom that’s his penis.”

“...”

“Don’t worry, lil sis,” Applejack nickered, “I think you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to get hung up on a colt when he ain’t around than when he is.” “What? Why would that be?” Apple Bloom squinted at her sister. “Because you can imagine whatever you want, so it’s always gonna be more temptin in your imagination than if it’s out there in the real world.” “Tea’s ready!” Granny shouted, cantering from the kitchen with a thermos with cup balanced on her nose. She dropped the thermos into Apple Bloom’s saddlebag, giving the filly a hug that made her want to cry. She sniffled, pulling away from Granny as surprised about herself as Granny was. “Augh! Stupid estrus!” Apple Bloom shouted at herself hotly. She blushed then and smiled awkwardly saying, “S-sorry ah’m goin really thanks so much Granny.” Then she just gallopped out the door like her life depended on it. “...land sakes,” Applejack said after Apple Bloom was gone. “Seems a bit much for her very first estrus.” “She’ll be okay, Applejack,” Granny said patting her on the flank. “Sometimes season does come on hard on a filly like this, but remember she just ain’t used to it. I’m sure it looks worse than it is. You remember your first estrus?” “That’s what ah’m worried about,” Applejack muttered bitterly, donning her hat and walking out the door to the fields. Apple Bloom slowed as she approached the school house. A dread gripped her as she realized she was going to have to own up to her friends being in estrus too. There was no mistaking what had been going on with Sweetie and Scootaloo when she’d last seen them. Small comfort was her experience with the relaxing Moon tea, and the knowledge of where to find fresh ice packs at school. She didn’t want to know how they were faring though, because honestly it’d just break her heart to see them suffering the way she was. Her groin was just an unsalvagable mess because she kept leaking and the more she did the more she actually started to enjoy it. How having a hot squishy slippery crotch was supposed to be enjoyable Apple Bloom couldn’t fathom, and yet here she was, happily wiggling her butt to smear it around all over herself whenever she wasn’t paying attention. It was like she was about to masturbate, but it was all the time. And then she saw Sweetie Belle, out there by the school house doors. The little unicorn was there waiting for Apple Bloom before going in, just like she always did. Apple Bloom approached her almost fearfully, and Sweetie’s ears went down when she saw Apple Bloom, a pinkish white hoof raising nervously. They stood there awkwardly a moment, before Apple Bloom kicked the ground and said, “So... estrus, huh?” “Yeah...” Sweetie said, looking away. “Pretty ...intense, huh?” “I didn’t think it would be this bad,” Sweetie mumbled. Apple Bloom gave Sweetie Belle a gentle hug, fighting herself against just sweeping the unicorn off her feet and uh... yeah stupid estrus. “Wish ah had good news,” Apple Bloom said, “But if it helps, mah sister said this was a real bad estrus, on account of the longer summer. It ain’t always... this.” “I have a crush on Button,” Sweetie said hurriedly. Apple Bloom blinked, then gaped, “What?? Since when?” “Since he came here,” Sweetie said, “He’s just so...” That Button colt transfered to Ponyville elementary some months ago, after his old school got Crushed and Destroyed by a rampaging giant mole. He wasn’t horrible, Apple Bloom supposed. Sweetie Belle had sure taken a shine to him. Made sense she’d have eyes for him with how often they’d been hanging out with those fancy new vidya game things. “Why are you telling me this now?” she asked Sweetie Belle, still looking around for Scootaloo but there was no sign of the filly. “Because I can’t stop thinking about him!” she whispered tensely. “He’s going to be in class!” “Isn’t that a good thing?” Apple Bloom said puzzled, “You want to be close to him, right?” “I can’t,” she insisted tearfully, “I need to stop. It’s scaring me. Are you not just dying of estrus?” Apple Bloom paused to think, and her groin promptly started melting again. “Great now ah’m thinking about it,” she grumbled, shifting so it’d hit the ground instead of getting all over her legs. “You seemed pretty okay,” Sweetie observed in a curious tone. “Yeah I–” Apple Bloom paused again, “I guess ah was!” she declared in dawning realization. “Mah sister is a veritable genius!” She held Sweetie nose to nose, saying, “Okay, the trick is that you think of him more when he ain’t around, so you ain’t gonna get any worse by when he is around. So just keep movin’ and make sure he’s there out in front of you, and you won’t get so hung up on it in your head.” “I guess that makes sense,” Sweetie nodded. “Sure does,” Apple Bloom nodded, “Mah sister would never lie about something like that.” “Well hello to you guys too,” came a grumpy yet familiar voice from the ground. So Scootaloo wasn’t looking so good. Instead of roaring up on her scooter full of sound and fury, she had just quietly crawled up to them unseen, slumped so low she was actually belly down on the ground. “You don’t... look so good, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle observed. “You think you can kill me with that horn of yours?” came Scootaloo’s raspy reply. “That’s all I came here for. Make it quick, okay?” “What???” Sweetie Belle exclaimed with a triple digit squeak. “I’m kidding Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo said unconvincingly, lurching to her hooves, hunched toward the ground. That was almost better though, because when she lifted her head she was bleary and bloodshot eyed and looking absolutely resigned to never being happy again. “Seriously though,” Scootaloo said tiredly, “I think I might be dying. I don’t know what this is but I couldn’t even sleep last night, and everything feels awful and my, my–” she hung her head down in a defeated pose again and said, “My crotch kept oozing everywhere. I think I might have an infection. It just would not stop coming out, and I’m hallucinating about about colts I think.” She hugged both of them emotionally one after the other and said, “So I wanted to come to school just to see you guys one more time before I die, and also Rumble.” “Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said somewhere between outraged and horrified, “Didn’t your parents mention anything about estrus last night?” “Did yours?” Scootaloo cut back coldly. It pierced Apple Bloom like a knife through her heart. That was something Diamond Tiara was supposed to say. Hearing Scootaloo saying it just hurt Apple Bloom far more than her lack of parents did. She was supposed to be her friend! And she said it so blithely too, as if Scootaloo hadn’t even realized what she was saying, and was paling noticeably and narrowing her pupils stammering out “I-I-I-b-b-did-didn’t-I-uh-I-didn’t” Oh. “You meant my family,” Apple Bloom prompted. “Yes!” Scootaloo said like she was grabbing a lifeline in a sea storm. “Yes did your family mention anything about—wait, estrus?” “Now that ah think on it ah actually figured it out on mah own,” Apple Bloom mused, “But mah sister was complaining about her estrus, so yeah they did.” “This is estrus?!” Scootaloo exclaimed. Wind rustled through the trees. The other two stared at her unbelievingly. “Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said carefully, “Did your parents really just not tell you that this was” the school bell rang. “Welp, there’s the bell,” Scootaloo said chipperly, shifting on her hooves, “Was going to stay home sick in bed but I guess I’m fine so now that I’m here I might as well attend class, so thanks guys nice talking to you two!” Then she darted into the school house, probably to try to keep Apple Bloom from seeing that bright red blush on her face that was kind of obvious. “Well I’m not thinking about Button now,” lied the shocked Sweetie Belle looking after Scootaloo, while also telling the truth. “Let’s just get to class,” Apple Bloom suggested, “We can talk this out later when we got time.” Class was an absolute disaster. The first problem was when Cheerilee announced that since estrus had come so early, they had brought in a cooler that you could get ice packs from, and the resulting stampede almost knocked it over as every filly tried to get one at once. And Apple Bloom’s dear sister Applejack proved herself an absolute snake by lying through her teeth about being around boys. Soon as Apple Bloom knew that colts were right across the room from her, it was all she could do to keep from just going up and sticking her nose in their business. Their usual smell had just gotten so gosh darn good she could swear they smelled like hay bacon now. Apple Bloom was ashamed that she was one of the fillies that the teacher had to physically push aside. Cheerilee had to tell Apple Bloom to take her seat and no sniffing, when she was one of the fillies surrounding the few colts in class, who had to cluster together in a defensive circle like Apple Bloom was outright attacking them!. Estrus was supposed to make a mare absolutely boy-crazy, and Apple Bloom didn’t expect she was any exception. She sure could understand why, given the events of the first ten minutes of class. She should’ve realized right away that the smoky boy smell was part of the temptation, and she wasn’t just smelling them out of curiosity because she thought they smelled different. She was smelling them because she herself was different. She couldn’t even think with this heated burning in her groin! Apple Bloom didn’t know how she was going to deal with her body pushing her towards boys every chance it got. She’d have to be watching out for even the most innocent little thing. And she still could not stop thinking about that thing hanging from his groin. Rumble’s. It wasn’t– it was hiding away today in class, and she couldn’t find a single penis to look at. She meant that one time before, that one time that kept appearing in big neon letters in her head. Rumble’s groin wasn’t even visible under the desk and what glimpses she had gotten revealed nothing but that mysterious darker skinned sack. It was just a cylinder that boys had, what was so special about it? Just like a carrot or a squash or something. Apple Bloom was trying to figure just what it was she found so fascinating about it. Why was it sort of bulgy toward the tip? And what was with that ring there? It was hard to get right without drawing the rest of him so she was drawing his splayed legs. She couldn’t figure out the mottling though, just drawing circles didn’t do it. “And that concludes our lesson for this morning,” Cheerilee’s voice filtered through Apple Bloom’s ears. Her head snapped up as she focused on the plum colored mare. “Enjoy your recess,” Cheerilee continued, “And remember to stay away from colts this summer, just like a big pony!” Apple Bloom looked down at her notes in horror. She hadn’t gotten a third of the way into the lesson before her pencil trailed off and the rest of the page was just covered with lovingly rendered, carefully drawn—she shut her notebook frantically, looking around to see if anypony saw. The other students were starting to shuffle off to first break though. Not even Diamond and Silver were paying Apple Bloom no mind. They seemed distracted enough themselves. With a quiet groan, Apple Bloom swung out of the desk onto fours, turning to get the ice pack she’d been sitting on, and when her teeth closed on it she realized that the ice in the bag was completely melted, nothing but water inside. “Dith ah do thath?” she said to herself in something between disgust and admiration. Her groin was hot, but she didn’t realize her groin was that hot. With a head toss she got the bag back inside the cooler to re-solidify, not the first filly in the room to have done so. Before she left she turned to the teacher who was working on something at her desk. “Ah’m sorry Miss Cheerilee,” Apple Bloom said sincerely. “What was that?” Cheerilee said, lifting her head up to see Apple Bloom, “Something the matter?” Apple Bloom just couldn’t admit she hadn’t been paying attention, though. She tried, but all she ended up saying was, “I–uh— never mind, Miss Cheerilee. Ah’m just... y’know” And then she just awkwardly walked out the building. The teacher didn’t press her for more, and had a look in her eyes like she understood on some level what Apple Bloom was trying to say. “How about a sneaking cutie mark?” Scootaloo suggested, creeping about the interior of the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse, in what she probably thought was stealth. “Why would we want a sneaking cutie mark?” Sweetie said skeptically. “Because then we could sneak into ponies’ rooms and stuff!” Scootaloo replied excitedly. “You mean, sneaking into a boy’s room?” Apple Bloom said raising a critical eyebrow. “Uh–buh–well, it could be for other things too!” Scootaloo protested. “We’re not going to sneak into any boy’s room,” Sweetie Belle cut her down flatly. Sweetie being adamantly opposed to any boy related anything, trying to be a good filly and stay with the sun’s grace no doubt. But she was even more insistent than Apple Bloom; it was weird! “How about a... examination cutie mark?” Apple Bloom suggested. “Examination?” Sweetie Belle asked. The three of them were on the center of the clubhouse. They usually lounged on some pillows and beanbags they managed to drag over here, but today they were avoiding anything that might soak up moisture. The sunlight had the place lit up prettily and would have been a great day if the three of them weren’t looking so beat. “Yeah, like we could tell ponies if they’re healthy, by examinin’ their bodies,” Apple Bloom explained. “You mean examining their boy bodies?” Scootaloo shot back. “No!” lied Apple Bloom, blushing up a storm. Some time near the end of first break Sweetie was flat on her back, even Apple Bloom’s bow was drooping and Scootaloo just had her forehead against the floor. Scootaloo’s next suggestion was, “How about a not boys cutie mark?” “This is hopeless,” Apple Bloom huffed. “We might as well not even be trying to get our cutie marks,” “I’m not really in the mood to get a cutie mark anyway,” Scootaloo said morosely. “What?!” Sweetie Belle said, lifting her head up to look at Scootaloo in shock. “Never thought I’d hear those words,” Apple Bloom said bemusedly, looking at her own thigh, its even yellow fur as blank as the day she was born. And just a little further around her buttocks, was that tremendous heated itch. “She’s right though,” admitted Apple Bloom, looking at Sweetie pleadingly. “Before we try to get cutie marks on our butt we gotta do something about what’s going on behind our butt. Ah can’t even think about what I’d want on my hindquarters with what ah’m feelin under mah tail.” Sweetie Belle sat up, looking at her own tail sticking out between her legs. It was a good deal more obvious than usual that she was a female pony. At the center of the matted fur where sweat transitioned to gooey girl stuff, her labia were more pronounced, puffing out like some kind of fleshy flower between her legs, a hint of pink peeking from within the white furred mons. Almost as if the other two weren’t even there Sweetie reached down with a hoof, prodding at it and sucking in a sudden hissed breath. “Careful, Sweetie!” Apple Bloom shouted, “You can’t touch it!” “I know,” Sweetie whimpered, “But it’s just–” “Remember the prayer, right?” “The what?” Scootaloo said. “Don’t tell me your mom never had to do the prayer, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom grumbled at her. “Oh, that!” Scootaloo said rolling to her side and bracing her head on a hoof, “Right, right.” “Dear Princess Celestia,” Sweetie Belle recited, standing up and concentrating, “Give me strength to never stray f-from my...” “From your beauty, grace and light,” Apple Bloom prompted. “Thanks...” Sweetie said unhappily. “I–I don’t really know it.” “It’s okay Sweetie,” Apple Bloom said walking over to her and gently nosing her cheek, “You just ain’t had to use it before. The next part starts with ‘Give me strength to keep away’” Apple Bloom helped Sweetie through the prayer. It was sad how many ponies didn’t seem to know about it, but it had been drummed into Apple Bloom good as one of the oldest Apple Family Traditions. That and she had lived many years through Applejack reciting it religiously throughout her estrus period. Once Sweetie Belle said the entire thing she did look calmer, and she wasn’t trying to masturbate right in front of them. Just to be sure, Apple Bloom made sure Scootaloo knew it too, even though Scootaloo laughed at the idea and said she wouldn’t need anything like that. “Look, maybe we can just you know... do our crusadin’ about how to fix estrus, since we can’t do it about cutie marks,” Apple Bloom suggested. “Stuff you can say to make it easier and stuff, and even boy stuff I mean but you know, just to make it easier not to do anything.” “I suppose that would be okay... but you can’t let any colts trick you into being with them!” Sweetie said, planting her hooves and leaning forward for emphasis. “Don’t worry Sweetie,” Scootaloo said checking out her own hoof casually, “The only colt who could do that to me is Rumble, and you know about him right?” “I wonder if he’s thinking about colts now,” Sweetie Belle mused distantly. “L-let’s stay on track here,” Apple Bloom demanded reluctantly, “So what do we got, ice packs, Moon Tea, and...” “No masturbating while in heat,” Scootaloo prompted. “Right, that. And...” Sweetie sighed. “That leaves us right where we started,” she pouted. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo shared a look, but neither could think of something to comfort the sad unicorn with. “I reckon we should get back,” Apple Bloom said, looking at the angle of the sunlight coming in through the window. It was early and they hadn’t done anything cutie mark related or otherwise, but she just wanted to get the day over with at this point, and it seemed like the others shared her opinion. They left the clubhouse, and Scootaloo went on ahead while Apple Bloom trotted with Sweetie to keep their blood pumping, one of a very painfully few ways to keep the blood from flushing up a certain part of their bodies. Lunch seemed to help a bit too. What Apple Bloom was feeling in her pelvis was so similar to hunger that she hadn’t even realized her stomach was hungry. So she downed her apple and hay biscuits in apple butter with gusto, drank heaps of water, and felt a little less of an edge when she went through afternoon break. By dedicatedly staring away from all the cute boys in class, and all the uncute boys in class because she did not want to think what she thought when thinking about those Snips and Snails colts... Apple Bloom managed to pay attention to the lesson enough to write down what the teacher was saying. And second break, the three of them actually managed to have some fun climbing around on that jungle gym down by the Ponyville park. Sure it was a bit heated and frenetic since they could never relax because as soon as they relaxed they were feeling that burning itch in their nethers, and rubbing on things in untoward looking ways, but it was... fun. And there was green barley nut casserole for dinner. All in all it wasn’t a totally terrible day. Apple Bloom almost forgot reaching for the dish of sweet grassy goodness when her sister cautioned her and pushed her hoof back. “O-oh right,” Apple Bloom said to Applejack, closing her eyes and putting her forehooves together. “Dear Princess Celestia,” Granny Smith intoned in a practiced but reverent manner, “Thank you for this meal. Thank you for the bountiful harvests that yer shinin rays give us. Thank you for fillin’ their leaves with light and warmin’ the ground so they may grow. Thank you for the birds who sing to you in the mornin and the frogs who sing to you in the night. Thank you for givin us a place ter stand and a light ter see by, that we may always know the right path to take and never lose our way in darkness.” “Your faithful subjects,” she finished. “Your faithful subjects,” everypony at the table repeated. Apple Bloom cracked an eye open. “Okay young’n,” Granny Smith said to her with a smile, “Git fillin up that belly o yers!” Apple Bloom was all too willing to dig in with gusto. Applejack tucked Apple Bloom in that night, it was so sweet of her. Cradled in her soft sheets, with the night wind soothing through the window, Apple Bloom thought about her day and her body, and about school and boys. She thought about Rumble’s penis, and how worked up she’d gotten when he was close enough to touch, but how it had distracted her from thinking about it, making her sister sort of both right and wrong. She thought about her friends, wondering if Scootaloo’s weird parents were giving her the right advice with how they’d misdirected her about estrus and all. But not even Apple Bloom’s thoughts, nor her labia, could keep her from falling swiftly into slumber. With all the extra running around she’d been doing, she was plum beat, and soon was blowing Z’s and dreaming about flying. When the morning dawned, Apple Bloom woke slowly, blinking bleary eyes and rubbing at them. She didn’t even remember the day before until she stretched out lazily to reach her hair ribbon, and that made her crotch flare with desire. Apple Bloom squirmed up into a sitting position, her hoof shaking as she tried not to touch her quivering mound. She had to lean back look up at the ceiling and recite the prayer before she even thought she could confidently stand on her own. And when she pulled back the sheets she had to grimace. Her girl stuff was all over the place down there. She had to face the facts. It hadn’t just been a bad dream after all. Apple Bloom was in heat. Apple Bloom, in heat. Something she never could see herself being in, and there she was feeling it just like her big sister. It really hit home when she came down the stairs to get an ice packe, and found Applejack already sitting on one. The older pony gave her a sympathetic look like an old war veteran gives the untried rookie, and for once Apple Bloom could give her a sympathetic look back. She had always understood that Applejack went through a lot of pain and distress this time of year and she always felt bad for her, but now Apple Bloom’s own groin was hot and swollen and it just wouldn’t go away, so when she looked at how her sister was sitting, it was something she could identify with not just worry about from afar. Not to say it was a good thing. School had been a nightmare again. Sweetie Belle was taking to her Moon tea like a fish to water. She literally couldn’t even so much as catch a boy in her sights before she went for another gulp. Apple Bloom was more reluctant to take the stuff, mostly because it just tasted terrible, but also because she was feeling so spacy when that stuff fumbled around in her gut. Scootaloo was just trying to tough it out. Apple Bloom tried to share her tea as she wasn’t guzzling it all, but Scootaloo shook her head and said she didn’t need it. You could tell she was struggling but, well, she wasn’t obsessing over boys the way some fillies were, and Apple Bloom respected her decision if she really wasn’t feeling it all that much. When the weekend started, Apple Bloom was just about ready to keel over and die if it’d give her some relief. Walking, running, nothing she did seemed to make her feel any less eager to rub herself until she was shaking and clenching, and every accidental stroke of her sensitive flesh just made the firm physique of the colts in her class seem like something she just wanted to lean against and rub on. It was the last weekend before summer vacation, and it was supposed to be impossible to enjoy because you’re worried about tests, and because you’re dying with excitement about the 2 month long weekend that followed it. It’s not supposed to be impossible to enjoy because you’re constantly fighting the urge to rub your groin everywhere. She was leaking out fluid so readily and just at a hint of arousal that she was having to stop at every watering trough in town, and her friends were no exception either. Apple Bloom was walking that way with her friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle that morning, and they all were just too weary from dealing with their nethers to talk to each other. Just walking silently, thinking about maybe going for another ice cream, just for the quick relief of an air conditioned parlor. They didn’t sell Moon Tea ice cream, as that would be downright horrible, but Apple Bloom almost started craving something like that. Something like how she wanted to just follow after the boys when she saw them, but held back because it was the path to darkness that she shalt not travel. Other fillies weren’t nearly as scrupulous as she was, and Apple Bloom was about ready to die of jealousy every time she saw a gaggle of fillies who’d managed to track down a colt accosting him with little restraint or care. Sweetie was walking with them even though she’d set aside this weekend to play with her new friend Button. Apple Bloom didn’t really warm to him too much. For an earth pony he was a huge wimp, and she didn’t really get what was so great about those moving picture machines that he played games on. Apple Bloom’s idea of a game was getting smacked with a ball getting kicked at high velocity as you throw your body in defense of the goal, you know, physical. And between her Scootaloo and Sweetie, the unicorn really was the odd one out among them. So Apple Bloom was glad Sweetie’d found a friend who could share her more... abstract interests. A friend that ever since estrus started Sweetie had just about ditched cold. So the three of them were walking together aimlessly, just looking for a distraction, and any weekend plans they had were just about ruined. Apple Bloom thrashed her tail angrily, unable to deal with this weird bubbly fire that felt like it was going deep inside her hips, unable to deal with how it was ruining all their lives, and for what? Just a natural part of growing up, they said. Don’t worry about it until you’re older, they said. Luteinizing activated preparturation preparation, Twilight Sparkle said. No matter what they said, it was just dumb and stupid, and she felt horrible and just wanted it to end already. And this was only the third day! How was she ever going to last the entire month? Four weeks of misery. Apple Bloom couldn’t even wrap her head around the sheer amount of time she was going to have to feel like this. Maybe a head injury could put her out for a couple weeks. No, too risky. She wouldn’t want to lose any brain cells. Speaking of losing brain cells, who should come over the hill, but Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon? Tiara was berefit of her usual retinue, with the exception of Silver who stuck to her like mold on bread. Even the fillies Diamond bullied into following her were quick to drop her like a hot poker when they had their own groins to deal with it seems. And that was worse in a way, because when Diamond was getting ignored, that made Diamond mad, and when Diamond was mad, that made her make a beeline for the first victims she spotted. Namely the three of them. “Well well well, look who we have here?” Diamond said with the sweetest smile and the most acidic voice you ever heard come out of a pony. “It’s the Cootie Mark Crusaders,” Silver taunted, giving Diamond a sideways smile that you would only think to see between two fast friends who had stood together through times of trouble thick and thin closer than family to each other. Diamond ignored it. “It’s the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Scootaloo corrected angrily. They were already laughing though, louder than Scootaloo could shout at them or make herself heard. “Just ignore ‘em Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said tiredly. She had learned one thing about these two in her years of knowing them, and that’s there’s no point in arguing with them not any more than you argue with a brick. “Oooh look who’s being a big mare here,” Silver complimented slyly, circling beside them and making Sweetie Belle back up right up against Apple Bloom. “These blanks can’t be mares,” Diamond said in fake disbelief, “They can’t even stop peeing on the ground like little foals!” “It ain’t–” Apple Bloom had to check between her legs to be sure, snapping her head back and saying, “It ain’t pee! Ain’t you fillies ever heard of estrus?” “What’s this estrus she’s talking about?” Diamond asked Silver, turning her back to the Crusaders and swishing her exquisitely groomed lavender white tail aside. “Oh it’s just something that babies have to do,” Silver counseled her dear friend, swishing her own glimmering tail in the other direction and bumping hindquarters with Diamond. Their words weren’t what got to the three so much as their actions and their state of being. “No way...” Scootaloo stared. “What?” Apple Bloom blinked unbelievingly. “How?!” Sweetie Belle demanded. “How did you do it?” she yelled rushing forward to stick her nose in the faces of the bullies. “Tell me!” she shrieked shrilly. It was about then that Sweetie Belle noticed that all five of them were staring at her in shock. She scrunched her muzzle angrily, rearing up and pushing away Diamond in the chest with an “Ehnn!” Then she just trotted a few steps away and broke into a gallop running back over the hill the way they came. “Oooo,” Silver said in complete and total repentance, “Looks like, somepony doesn’t want to know the secret.” “You’re just a bunch of snakes!” Apple Bloom said to the two angrily. “You really think we’re gonna fall for your tricks?” “Yeah!” Scootaloo said beside Apple Bloom, “You’re just pulling some sort of dirty trick!” “Moi? Dirty?” Diamond said aghast, a manicured hoof across her velvety chest. “It’s no trick,” Silver said smugly, “Every filly who’s not like, a little baby blank knows how to get rid of the heat.” “Maybe if they beg we’ll tell them,” Diamond smeared a less than loving smile on her face. “Ah ain’t beggin!” Apple Bloom said definitively, but her words made her chest flutter and she had to say, “Ah–ah won’t beg because you’re just lying. There ain’t no way to get rid of heat,” a lot less certainly. “If your heads weren’t as empty as your rumps maybe you’d have figured it out,” Diamond said with a titter, “Do me and Silver Spoon look like we’re in heat?” And as those two awful fillies stood there, aglow with health and something else, with the flash Apple Bloom had seen of their unsmeary, unslimy puffy but not swollen, nor flushed nor reddened genitals, Apple Bloom had to admit it was an awfully good trick if it was one. “Why should we even care?” Scootaloo spat bitterly, “You’re not going to tell us!” “Are you going to beg~?” Silver asked fluttering her eyes sweetly. “What do you want?” Apple Bloom said suspiciously, “Why are you even telling us this? If you want something just say so, and the answer is no!” “So rude,” Silver pouted, strutting away with poise and grace. “I guess we won’t tell them then,” Diamond said smugly strutting next to her, “That you can get rid of estrus with just your own hooves.” Silver gasped, and looked at her, exclaiming, “I thought you weren’t going to say!” “Wellll looks like the cat’s out of the bag then,” Diamond replied, wiggling her not inflamed hips tauntingly. “You caint use your hooves,” Apple Bloom asserted, “That’s canoodling! They specifically tell you not to!” “I guess they didn’t pay attention in school,” Scootaloo said turning her head aside in what might have been an attempt to mimick their mocking tones. “You two are like, such foals,” Silver said rolling her eyes in resigned exasperation. “You think they taught you everything?” Diamond rolled her eyes in sympathy with Silver, “Everything except the parts that they conveniently left out. Why would they tell you the secret, if they didn’t want you to do it?” “Mah sister specifically said you can only get rid of estrus when you marry a stallion.” “And you believed her?” Diamond said with a laugh that made Apple Bloom just want to kick that smiling face until it stopped being one. “She’s just like all our parents,” Silver Spoon lamented, “They just don’t want you to know the secret, because,” “It’s ‘forbidden’” the two of them sneered out simultaneously. “Haven’t you ever done it before?” Diamond said admonishingly. She put her own hoof between her legs, massaging and tugging at her nether lips without any concern in the world. “Don’t tell me it doesn’t make you feel better.” she purred. “They just don’t want you to feel better.” “Yeah, but now you’re not supposed to!” Scootaloo declared, “Because... estrus...” “Well fine, do what they tell you then,” Silver Spoon said flicking Scootaloo in the nose with her tail and walking away just a little too fast for the pegasus to respond to it. She and Diamond were walking away now while the two Crusaders just stood there dumbfounded. “I’m sure going to be enjoying this summer,” Diamond told her friend as if in casual conversation, “Instead of wallowing away in misery.” “I bet they won’t even try it out,” Silver snickered. “Their loss!” the two fillies called out behind them loudly. A moment passed and Sweetie Belle’s voice came from behind some bushes saying, “Ugh, I thought they would never leave.” “They were lying, right?” Scootaloo asked Apple Bloom. “Of course they were!” Apple Bloom said without conviction. “Of course they were. I know I really want to use mah hoof, but that’s the evil in us! There’s only one right path, and that path is marriage, not hoofin’ yourself! Mah sister specifically said it wouldn’t go well! She ain’t a liar!” “I’m sorry I got mad...” Sweetie said in a defeated tone, “I really thought that maybe they did know.” “Ah don’t know how they pulled off that trick,” Apple Bloom said, “But you listen to my sister and the grownups like Miss Twilight they know what they’re talking about. And they ain’t snakes like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.” The three of them started walking forward again then, because standing still just made you want to do it until your labia fell off. “Still, maybe just a little touching...” Scootaloo said hungrily, “I mean, why would we want to do it so bad, if it wouldn’t help? Why would I keep– why would there be evil in us at all?” Apple Bloom looked back at Scootaloo, saying, “Well it’s...” she stopped walking, looking off into the distance, then down at the dirt path on which their hooves trod. “Ah don’t rightly know, but if there weren’t evil in us then we wouldn’t have estrus, so the evidence is there plain as day.” “I just want to feel better...” Sweetie said miserably. She started crying then, and Apple Bloom pulled her into a hug, saying, “It’s OK Sweetie! It’s... we’ll make it through this somehow...” Not even Scootaloo seemed convinced that Apple Bloom was still saying the truth there. Apple Bloom didn’t feel convinced of it herself. Those two fillies the three of them faced off against wouldn’t help a lemming jump off a cliff, so they couldn’t be telling the truth, but how were they lying? Were they trying to psyche them out by expecting not to be trusted? Were they telling the truth, expecting to be taken as liars? When they parted ways for lunch time, Apple Bloom looked at the farmhouse she was approaching and hesitated. She rubbed her hips together, and her moist vulva just ached with satisfaction at just that. Her hoof could do so much more. Maybe she could even orgasm. Apple Bloom loved the feeling after an orgasm, and it seemed like just the thing her body was looking for. But then why would they tell her not to? Why was her body telling her that what Diamond Tiara said was true, and what Apple Bloom’s own sister had taught her... was a lie?
I tried not to copy and paste anything. If the early parts are too similar to that other story, please let me know. Sometimes it’s just really hard to improve on even a pretty terrible story. It certainly had some deliciously luscious phrases in it.