# Dig Your Own Hole

## by Sirius_Face

### Chapters

- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8

### Chapter 1

Hnn… ah really… really should stop touchin’ ma’ self…

Apple Bloom told herself this repeatedly, a long time after she submitted to the idea that day in the first place, letting her curious hoof travel past her tummy to settle between her already stretched out hind legs. Just like her sister, Apple Bloom had a habit of being too stubborn to face the truth about herself—she really didn’t want to stop.

The second floor of the cutie mark crusader’s club house offered the most privacy. Apple Bloom knew her friends wouldn’t be arriving soon, and just knowing that had been enough to tempt her mind to wander. She couldn’t recall just how she first discovered that rubbing the special area between her hind legs could make her feel so… different. Apple Bloom hadn’t figured out yet if she even liked this feeling or not, or why it felt the way it did whenever she touched herself directly, like an itch that just wouldn’t go away, but could still be ignored, if she had to.

Leaning her back against the wall, she watched her hoof trace around her most private area, outlining the slightly pudgy shape of herself, how the fur felt softer than the rest of her, and the little bit rosy pink inside glistened faintly in the sunlight. What had Scootaloo called this again…?

“I can’t stand how Diamond Tiara thinks she so much better than us. I swear someday I’m going to buck her right in the snatch!"

The name didn’t sit right with Apple Bloom. Looking at where her smooth hoof traced gently around herelf, she couldn’t think of what it could possibly ‘snatch’ down there.

Ah really gotta stop. Ah shouldn’t even be touchin’ mahself like this.

She told herself this all the time whenever the curious itch came. Ignoring it only helped so much, and even the most innocent of things could make that itch unbearable. Bumping against the fence around her property, sitting in a certain way, even going to bed on her stomach would start queer feelings that would distract her like a fly buzzing around her head. The thought of her sister or brother ever catching her would be enough to make her stop.

But, in the clubhouse, no one would catch her.

The temporary freedom kept Apple Bloom’s hoof moving, seeking… something. She didn’t know what. Apple Bloom felt that the more she rubbed, something would happen. Something good, if she would only keep rubbing and watch with rosy cheeks and half closed eyes as her hoof continued to rub lazy circles around her puffy… snatch. Her heart thumped hard inside her chest, and the scent of something she thought was sweet started to mix with the fresh blossoms of nearby trees in the summer breeze.

That smell…

This is bad. Ah know ah should stop…but ah don’t want to, not while ah’m still-

Apple Bloom was forced to stop. From the second floor of the clubhouse, she had a bird’s eye view of the orchard, with the family barn in the distance. It was easy to see when somepony would come back, more so when she used the telescope. A flash of something white in the distance had caught her eye, giving her the push she needed to make good on her threat to stop. Pulling her hoof away, the itch came back in force, outraged at the sudden lack of attention. Apple Bloom bit her bottom lip and ignored it as she took the telescope in her hooves and aimed at the trail leading into the orchard.

Thousands of leaves blocked a clear view, but there were enough flashes of white, purple, and pink behind the trees to calm that part of her body down. There was no choice but to stop now.

Apple Bloom couldn’t be sure if she was glad or not.

“Where’s Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom asked.

She had been standing under the designated ‘thinking spot’ in the clubhouse, pretending to have spent time trying to come up with a new plan for her and her friends to get their cutie marks. When Sweetie Belle let herself in, Apple Bloom had been in the middle of pretending to write potential ideas, but dropped the pencil in her mouth when she saw the frown on Sweetie’s face.

“She’s not coming. She said she had flying lessons with Rainbow Dash and took off before I could get another word in.”

Apple Bloom felt a twitch of annoyance in her right eye. “That makes a whole month that she’s blown off crusadin’ with us! And ah ain’t seen her fly even one foot off the ground yet.”

Sweetie Belle’s frown deepened and her head hung low. “You don’t think… that…”

Apple Bloom waited, and Sweetie Belle looked as if she was afraid to say what was on her mind; the words were hard to voice and harder to even think about.

“Think what?” Apple Bloom asked, concern showing on her face.

Silence lingered in the clubhouse, and the uncertainty on Sweetie Belle’s face made Apple Bloom genuinely worried. Before another question could be asked, Sweetie forced herself to speak up, “You don’t think that maybe she doesn’t want to be our friend anymore?”

Even as Sweetie whispered her fear, Apple Bloom heard and felt the question in her heart, making her feel a brief moment of panic. She hadn’t even considered that notion. The moment passed as quickly as it came; Scootaloo still acted like their friend at school. During recess, the three were still together, sharing news and gossip and making plans for the future. Scootaloo had sat with them and contributed ideas that, until recently, she’d always followed through with. If anything, Scootaloo was the main contributor of ideas for their crusades.

Apple Bloom rubbed her hoof under her chin as she thought over the possibility. Though Scootaloo did share ideas and make plans, she realized that in the month Scoots had started her flying lessons with Rainbow Dash, she never once talked about them. Apple Bloom couldn’t recall a single detail about what Scootaloo said she was learning, or how her practice sessions would go. It wasn’t unusual for Scoots to be secretive—Apple Bloom lost count of the number of crusading ideas that Scootaloo spent days, sometimes whole weeks planning out, only to spring them on her and Sweetie Belle at the last minute—but it didn’t take a genius to see that there was a connection between her lessons with Dash and the sudden distance she kept her friends at.

“Ah don’t think that’s the case,” Apple Bloom said, walking to Sweetie Belle and giving her a reassuring smile. “Knowin’ Scoots, she’s probably keepin’ everythin’ under wraps until she can impress us with what a great flyer she’s become. Besides, I reckon Dash could be keepin’ her on a tight leash, trainin’ her hard and stuff.”

Sweetie Belle sniffled, but managed to keep her concerns at bay before they could bring her to tears as she squeaked, “She still could spend some time with us…”

Apple Bloom gave a sharp nod. “You said it. Ah say we corner her at school tomorrow, before class starts, and git down to the bottom of this. That filly is keepin’ somethin’ from us, and it doesn’t sit well with me one bit.”

“She’s late,” Sweetie Belle sighed.

Apple Bloom waited outside the school house with Sweetie Belle, keeping a sharp eye out for Scootaloo. The bell would be ringing in five minutes, and most of the students were already at their desks. Sweetie Belle looked as anxious as Apple Bloom felt inside, though today wouldn’t be the first time their friend had come rushing to school with only a minute to spare.

“That feather-brain better show her face today.”

Apple Bloom wasn’t the least bit pleased. With so little time to chat with Scootaloo before the start of the school day, it would mean a long and tedious delay in getting to the truth of what kept their fellow crusader so distant. It didn’t help Apple Bloom’s mood that she had woken that morning with the nagging itch again.

With winter setting in, Apple Bloom was reminded of how cold her home could get. Her room, especially, had always gotten very cold at night and into the early morning so much so that she swore she could sometimes see her own breathe. Her family had brought out the extra thick blankets for their beds. Aside from much needed warmth, it also gave Apple Bloom extra weight on top of her at night, making the bed sheet and blankets under her all the more noticeable, especially when she laid on her stomach. It was impossible not to rub up on the mattress, feeling the blankets mold onto her body. If she rubbed a certain way, the sheet under her would bunch up between her hind legs; the itch seemed to like that.

Sadly, there was no time in the mornings to explore that curiosity of her body, and that left Apple Bloom feeling mighty out of sorts. She never used to feel that way until her body started acting funny on her.

Standing out in the cold morning didn’t help her mood. When she noticed Sweetie Belle trying not to shiver, she frowned even more. “Sweetie, go on inside. I can wait out here for Scoots.”

Sweetie Belle looked unsure, and was about to decline when instead she sneezed.

“Maybe I better… the last thing I want is to get sick.”

Sweetie sighed and left Apple Bloom standing alone. Part of her was glad, knowing she wasn’t the best company at the moment. The cold helped her body forget about the way it felt in the morning, or back at the club house, or anytime Apple Bloom would be alone. Whatever was happening to her, the itch was becoming something that would not go away, and was starting to really bother her.

With only a couple minutes left before school would start for the day, Apple Bloom finally saw a filly approach the school. Expecting Scootaloo, Apple Bloom was about to call out but stopped when she recognized the gray coat and small horn poking out from under a thick yellow mane. A look of disappointment came over Apple Bloom’s face, one that Dinky Hooves couldn’t help but notice just as she opened her mouth to say hello to her classmate, stopping herself and failing not to look insulted.

Apple Bloom made a sheepish smile at the sudden look of rejection that came over Dinky’s face. Before the unicorn could pass her by, Apple Bloom spoke up, “Mornin’ Dinky.”

Dinky paused, made eye contact with Apple Bloom, and then quickly broke it. “Good morning,” she said softly, then waited.

Apple Bloom waited too, expecting that Dinky would say something else, but began to think that maybe Dinky was waiting for her to speak instead. Both fillies stood silently in the cold, unsure of who was supposed to make the next move. Apple Bloom realized then that she’d never spoken with Dinky before, despite all the time they had been going to Cheerliee’s class.

“Ah… don’t suppose ya happened to see Scootaloo this mornin’?”

The question felt stupid as soon as it left Apple Bloom’s mouth. Dinky was a nice pony, and the smartest filly in class, but she wasn’t the least bit social. She never talked to any pony, not even to defend herself when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would pick on her about being a blank flank or having a mom that was known to cause accidents around Ponyville. The latter had always gotten Apple Bloom angry—there was nothing as low as ridiculing another pony’s parents in her eyes.

Dinky frowned, and to Apple Bloom’s surprise, she looked nervous.

“Oh… uh… no I didn’t.” Dinky was looking everywhere but at Apple Bloom as she spoke, “She didn’t say she was coming to school today.”

That was the last response Apple Bloom had expected.

“Wut? Ya spoke to her? When?”

Before Dinky could respond, the school bell started ringing. Dinky turned to the class, seeing Miss Cheerliee approaching her desk, and bit her bottom lip.

“Sorry,” Dinky said as she rushed into the schoolhouse.

Apple Bloom blinked and slowly followed after Dinky to take her seat.

Since when does Dinky talk with mah best friend?

### Chapter 2

When the time came to have lunch, Apple Bloom couldn’t wait to approach Dinky Hooves and get some straight answers about when she had spoken to Scootaloo and how she knew her friend was skipping school today.

As the other students all dashed for the exit, Apple Bloom saw Dinky leave first, as she always sat at the back of the class. Apple Bloom approached Sweetie Belle, giving her friend a serious look that grabbed Sweetie’s full attention.

“What’s up?” Sweetie asked, “You look like you’re upset.”

“Before class started, ah heard from Dinky that Scootaloo is playing hookie.”

“Dinky said that?” Sweetie Belle squeaked as she turned to Dinky’s empty desk, looking confused, “I didn’t know she and Scoots even knew each other.”

“Ah didn’t know either. But ah say we go find out just what the class brain knows about our friend.”

The two crusaders were among the last to leave the schoolhouse and enter the yard where their classmates had spread themselves out for their lunch period. Dinky was nowhere to be seen.

“Where does she go for lunch?” Sweetie Belle asked, expecting Apple Bloom to know.

Apple Bloom had no answer. During their lunch breaks, she never paid much attention to her other classmates, least of all Dinky. She couldn’t be sure that the filly even had friends. Despite being another blank flank in the class, Apple Bloom had never once approached her to try and befriend her, let alone recruit her to join the cutie mark crusaders. Dinky was either not interested in playing, or too busy with things no student in class knew about.

“Ah ain’t got the slightest idea where she goes. But…” Apple Bloom stopped and considered who else she didn’t see out on the yard. Her look of annoyance was quickly noticed by Sweetie Belle.

“But what? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon out here neither.”

Both fillies knew what that had to mean. There was only one place for privacy out in the yard, and that was behind the schoolhouse, where the school bullies would often hang out, sometimes with a victim in tow.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stuck to the side of the schoolhouse as they approached the favorite hiding spot of their least favorite classmates and could already make out the shrill voice of Diamond Tiara.

“Thank you for understanding. I knew we could count on you, Dorky.”

As the two crusaders turned the corner, they spotted Dinky with her back against the wall, with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon invading her personal space.

“Don’t ya two varmints have anythin’ better to do than goin’ around and pickin’ on others?” Apple Bloom called out.

“Eww, I thought I smelled manure.” Silver Spoon spoke with deliberate, slow, heavy contempt as she held her hoof to her nose. “Figures the hick had to be close by.”

Diamond Tiara laughed and slipped a front leg around Dinky’s neck. “We aren’t picking on anypony, Hayseed. Isn’t that right, Dorky?”

“That’s right…” Dinky said softly, not meeting Apple Bloom’s gaze.

“In fact, Dorky here is our pal. She’s totally going to wave the charges on those damaged books we got from the library. Isn’t that right?” Diamond asked, squeezing her leg around Dinky’s neck.

“Yes Diamond…”

“Oh of all the low down dirty-” Apple Bloom started to say, before Sweetie Belle’s high pitched voice cut her off.

“Seriously? You two have more money than any pony in class, including Miss Cheerliee! And you don’t want to pay for books you damaged?”

“It’s not like they were our books to begin with. Just because we have money doesn’t mean we want to waste it.” Silver Spoon rolled her eyes, as if explaining herself to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle was beneath her.

“It’s okay… I’ll talk to the princess…” Dinky said, sounding like she just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

“See! Dorky here understands. It’s no wonder she’s the top student in class,” Diamond gave Dinky one final squeeze around the neck, then pushed her away towards Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “Come on Silver Spoon, we don’t want to waste our important lunch on the cutie mark catastrophes.”

The two bullies laughed as they walked away. Apple Bloom was fighting the urge to toss an insult back at the two smug fillies, before Sweetie Belle yelled, “It’s cutie mark crusaders! Get it right!” She got no reply, but Apple Bloom was sure that she heard more laughter before Diamond and Silver disappeared.

“I swear those two are the absolute worst,” she grumbled, before noticing that Dinky was walking away in the opposite direction. “Dinky, wait!” Apple Bloom rushed to cut her off, surprising Dinky, who backed away as her ears went flat against her head.

Apple Bloom didn’t like how Dinky seemed afraid of her, as if she had any reason to be. “Those two mules didn’t hurt ya did they?”

“Oh. No. I’m fine.”

“I still can’t believe how greedy they are with their bits,” Sweetie Belle said, looking as upset as Apple Bloom felt, only for that anger to disappear a second later. “Wait, you can wave library fees?”

Dinky met Sweetie Belle’s gaze for a second before looking away. Apple Bloom wasn’t sure if the filly had something against looking other ponies in the eye when she spoke to them, or if she really was just afraid to talk. “I can talk to the princess about it… I help her at the library after school.”

“Ya mean Princess Celestia?” Apple Bloom asked, looking utterly confused.

For the first time that day, Dinky looked shocked. “N-no?”

“Not Princess Luna?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking just as confused as Apple Bloom.

“… No. No, of course not!”

“Princess Cadence?” both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle asked at the same time.

“You two can’t be serious? I mean Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Dinky said, looking nearly horrified that the two didn’t know the only princess in Ponyville.

“Ooooh, right. Forgot about Twilight there.” Apple Bloom laughed.

“Is she the princess of books now?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking genuinely confused.

“Princess Twilight is an amazing pony. Just because she doesn’t wear her crown all the time doesn’t make her any less of a princess.” Dinky spoke for the first time with a little passion in her voice, catching Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle off guard. It felt almost as if they had offended her.

“Uh, sorry?” Sweetie Belle said, looking unsure of why Dinky of all fillies seemed to take offense with them when she had all but folded to two bullies.

“Never mind that, we need to talk to ya, Dinky. How did ya know Scoots wasn’t comin’ to school today?”

The question quickly cooled the passion behind Dinky’s eyes, and she once again started looking everywhere but at the two of them.

“She… she was at the library on Sunday. We didn’t talk much. She was with Rainbow Dash, checking out some books.”

The bit of news shocked Apple Bloom more than it did Sweetie.

“Ya mean to tell me she was at the library yesterday studyin’?”

“I guess Rainbow Dash is training her really hard,” Sweetie said, though she looked relieved to have her fear put to rest.

“Sort of?” Dinky said, looking uncomfortable. “Rainbow Dash was talking in private with the princess. Scootaloo was… checking out some books. I helped her. We started talking and she mentioned something about skipping class.”

“Why the hay would she do a dumb thing like that?” Apple Bloom asked.

Dinky hesitated. “I don’t know. Um, sorry. I can’t help. I need to go now.”

Before Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle could get a word in, Dinky took off.

“Did… did she seem like she was really nervous to talk to us?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Did we come off as scary?”

“No, I reckon it’s something else.” Apple Bloom rubbed her chin with her hoof, thinking that, before the day was out, she would be talking with Dinky again. That filly is as bad a liar as mah sister. She knows somethin’ else about Scootaloo, and ah intend to find out what.

“Mmmrr Rainbow…”

Scootaloo stretched her legs, pressing her back against the warm chest of Rainbow Dash. She lowered her head enough to allow her mentor better access to the back of her neck, where Dash’s lips were busy planting kiss after hungry kiss.

Mmmm, somepony woke up horny again.

Scootaloo wasn’t complaining. A late afternoon nap was only bested by a late afternoon fuck, both of which were easy to come by when spending time with the coolest pegasus in Equestria. As Rainbow lifted a wing over Scootaloo, adding warmth to the blankets already over them, Scoots felt her own wings pressing on her mentors chest, forcing her to turn around just in time for a kiss to her nose. She chuckled, quickly tilting her head up to meet Dash’s next kiss with her lips partly opened, ready to let her tongue meet Dash’s lips as well.

She had been trained well. There was no need to pause and ask questions, or to consider other things, like the fact that she was supposed to be in school learning something she’d only forget at the end of the day. Like her mentor, Scootaloo was learning to live in the moment, taking action first and asking questions later. The only question that needed to be asked would be, “Wanna do it again?”

Staying under the heavy blankets, Dash and Scootaloo moved fast. Kisses came quickly, hooves moving over their bodies in practiced motion, knowing every curve and nook of each other, where to squeeze and where to rub. When their tongues met, it was brief and playful, teasing even. Tongue play, especially, was something that Scootaloo had developed a specific liking for. Rainbow Dash called it a fetish, Scootaloo called it amazing.

Knowing how much her young charge loved working with her tongue, Rainbow Dash moved fast to let Scootaloo show off her skill. What had started with wake-up kisses and snuggles escalated into position shifts, blankets pulled away and caused a rush of heated trapped musk from both ponies to escape around them.

Scootaloo only had time to moan before several things happened at once. Her vision was quickly obscured by Dash’s hindquarters coming closer and closer to her face, bringing back that delicious musk that made her mouth water for a taste. Lower down her body, Dash’s surprisingly smooth hooves had opened her up, the edges teasing over the pink pearl that made Scootaloo squirm and squeal.

All she could see was her mentor’s most private parts, surrounded by damp, matted down fur. Rainbow was winking and hot for her. All for her. They were treats sweeter than any candy on Nightmare Night, and better presents than anything she could ever get on Hearth’s Warming Eve. Scootaloo pushed her face harder between Dash’s thighs, lips to lips, filling her up with tongue and moaning for more of Dash to drink.

It never took long with Dash. Scootaloo got her wish in a sudden wave that crashed around her mouth and nose, hitting the back of her throat and running over her eyes and mane. A shower of love, or lust; as if the two were really different.

She wasn’t done. Dash’s hoof continued to rub and tease, spreading slippery juices, staining the bed under them, until a sudden pinch from both hooves on her clit made Scootaloo scream into Dash’s sopping sex.

Scootaloo was panting after Rainbow Dash’s flank lifted from her face, every nerve of her body alive with hot pleasure as she stared up at the wet and perfect slit of her mentor, dripping a little cum on her face still. Face-sitting was one of the newest fetishes Dash had gotten into, and it was quickly becoming one of Scootaloo’s favorites.

As she recovered, Rainbow Dash was busy licking up fresh foal cum from around her hoof while admiring the impressive wet spot Scootaloo had made on her sheets. “I swear, kid, I never get tired of seeing you cum. It’s just so awesome.”

The statement brought a swell of pride in Scootaloo, making her grin and laugh with pure joy.

Scootaloo was glad she had been able to stay in Rainbow Dash’s home for the night. Both ponies had agreed to brush off their responsibilities this one time. The only reason Scootaloo could see getting out of bed would be to use the little fillies room or to get some food; she was more than content to spend the rest of the day between Rainbow Dash’s haunches.

Rainbow Dash rolled off Scootaloo, ruffling her feathers as she got comfortable on satin sheets. Scootaloo eyed those impressive feathers with a little envy.

“I never get tired of cumming for you,” Scootaloo said as she turned to lay on her side. The movement made her giggle as her whole body felt extra sensitive. “Wanna do it again?”

“Not for me; with me.” Rainbow Dash corrected as she let out a yawn. “There’s a difference, Squirt. And it’s an important difference. And of course I want to do it again, but later today. We have some things we need to do first.”

Scootaloo looked as if she wasn’t sure where Rainbow Dash was going with this. Coming down from her afterglow made it a little harder for deep thinking. “Okay, but how’s it different? I’m cumming either way,” she laughed. Dash chuckled as she turned to lay facing Scootaloo, pulling the filly close with one of her amazing wings.

“Tell me something, kiddo. How often do you clop?”

The question should have been embarrassing for Scootaloo, or anypony with a sense of shame. Lucky for her, Scootaloo had been taught to toss shame out the window.

“Every evening when I go to bed I guess. When I’m not with you.”

“Heh, same here. Did the orgasm you just had feel as good as the orgasms you have by yourself?”

Scootaloo considered the question while she snuggled up against Rainbow’s warm chest, nuzzling her with her with a cum-stained cheek, “No? I mean, they feel good and all, but when I’m with you, they feel different.”

“Kinda like you’re flying?” Dash asked.

Scootaloo felt her heart skip a beat, something she always used to think was silly romantic nonsense until it started happening to her. “Yeah. I always feel like I’m flying when you make me cum.”

Rainbow Dash nuzzled Scootaloo’s head, taking a moment to smell the sweetness in her mane mixed with the musk of her fresh cum. “But it’s not always the same when you do it yourself. Know why? Cause it’s more special with somepony you care about. Don’t get me wrong, sex is fun and an orgasm will always feel good, unless your partner is just plain bad. But if you want it to feel special, then you got to care about the pony you do it with.”

Scootaloo could hear Dash speaking the way she would when something serious was on her mind. It was a tone that didn’t have the playful ring to it or the cockiness that she admired most about her mentor.

“I think I understand. But, you already know I care about you. You’re the most awesome pony in Equestria.”

“Well duh, of course I am,” Rainbow laughed. “But not every sex partner you have is going to be as good to fuck as I am.”

That statement made Scootaloo push away from Dash, wanting to see her face and be sure that she heard right. “But, you’re the only pony I would ever want to fuck,” she said, even as the once dirty and taboo word rolled off her tongue like the most natural thing in the world.

Rainbow Dash just smiled, stretched, and rolled to the edge of the bed. She sat up to stretch her wings. “I feel like waffles. With some whipped cream and strawberries. Sound good to you, Squirt?”

“Uh, yeah. But Rainbow, what did you mean about me having other sex partners?”

Rainbow Dash smiled happily and quickly took a lick of Scootaloo’s cheek, tasting some of her own cum in Scoot’s fur, “Well, what if I told you that we aren’t the only ponies in Ponyville banging like rabbits behind closed doors? What if I told you one of your classmates is learning how to be a big pony like you?”

### Chapter 3

“Class, I am very pleased that we have all finished reading The Prince and the Pauper! I know it was a little more complex than the average reading assignment I would normally give you, but I can tell by your faces that you all handled it well.”

Had Miss Cheerilee paid a little more attention to all her students, particularly Apple Bloom, she would have seen that not all of them were as excited as she was, or even paying as much attention as she would have liked.

Apple Bloom couldn’t help being distracted.

Waiting for class to end was tough on any student who had other, more important things to do with the day. Apple Bloom was only half paying attention to Miss Cheerilee’s lecture on the recent reading assignment. Taking another glance at the clock above the teacher’s desk, she let out a little sigh at seeing there were still ten long minutes left before she could leave.

Ten minutes before she could corner Dinky Hooves and get to the bottom of what she was keeping secret about Scootaloo.

It must be somethin’ important. Ah can’t understand why she’d be so secretive when she knows how close Sweetie and ah are to Scoots.

Chewing on the pencil in her mouth, Apple Bloom began to wonder about Scootaloo herself. It was only an assumption that she and Dinky were friends, and if they were then that was great because it meant their little group could be bigger. Being a blank flank, Dinky would fit right in.

Except, she couldn’t see how Scootaloo could be friends with Dinky; the two fillies had nothing in common.

As Miss Cheerilee provided background noise, Apple Bloom started to list the places she and her friends would hang out on paper, giving the illusion that she was following along with the lecture and taking notes. Not including the several places they had traveled for crusading adventures, the list of locations were pretty small: Carousel Boutique, Fluttershy’s cottage, the edge of the Everfree Forest, the clubhouse, and Golden Oak’s Library.

Apple Bloom circled the last place on her list. Scootaloo was supposedly visiting the library more often now, if Dinky was to be believed. And Dinky herself seemed to visit there plenty of times, perhaps even working over there for Twilight.

Ah don’t think ah’ve ever seen Dinky at the library, ever.

Looking over her list of clues, she wrote Dinky’s name and drew a line from it to the library, with a question mark between the two. She drew a dotted line between Dinky’s name and Scootaloo’s name, with two more question marks. The library was the only logical link between Scootaloo and Dinky.

Chewing again on her pencil, Apple Bloom crossed off her notes with mild annoyance.

Ah’m makin’ too much of this. Dinky might not talk here at school, but if she’s workin’ at the library now, ah bet Sweetie Belle and ah can get her to talk there, on her turf, where she’s more comfortable. And even if she doesn’t talk still, there’s a good chance Scootaloo will show up, and ah can talk to her direct and find out why she’s been too busy for her best friends!

Apple Bloom smiled to herself, her plan feeling perfect to her as she leaned back in her seat.

“Apple Bloom?” Miss Cheerilee asked, casting a knowing look to her surprised student. “Can you share with the class what you felt was one of the major themes of the story?”

“Huh? Uh…” Apple Bloom started to say, her attention brought back to the classroom in full force as she shrank under the stern eyes of her teacher. Taking a quick look at the board, Apple Bloom worked up a response and thanked her lucky stars that she had read the story over the weekend like she was suppose to. “Fairness? Ya know, how when the prince and pauper switched places and all, the prince got to see how hard it was bein’ poor.”

Cheerilee waited a breath, eyes still on Apple Bloom, before she put on her signature smile that often came when one of her students proved to not only read the material for homework, but remembered it as well.

“Excellent. That’s a very important insight to make, but there is a single word that can sum up what you mean, Apple Bloom. Does anypony happen to know what word I’m referring to?”

In an instant, Sweetie Belle’s hoof went up, with a barely contained squeal of excitement at knowing the right answer to a question. “Equality?”

“Very good Sweetie Belle! I see somepony has been taking her vocabulary lessons seriously. You just earned yourself an extra credit point on our next vocabulary test.”

Sweetie Belle beamed with pride. Apple Bloom gave a smile to her friend, then noticed for the first time that day that Sweetie Belle’s hooves had a glossy shine to them.

It was a simple thing, something she normally wouldn’t have given a second thought or even a first glance -at- had the light not reflected just enough off her friend’s hooves for Apple Bloom to have noticed the way they shined. Stealing a few quick glances while Miss Cheerliee continued the lesson, Apple Bloom could see that Sweetie’s hooves had been hooficured to a smoothed, polished finish.

Apple Bloom imaged how a hoof like that would feel tracing over the fur on the inside of her thighs.

No sooner had the thought come to mind than she banished it, her cheeks turning a slight shade of red. Not now! Ah can’t be thinkin’ about that stuff now!

Looking away from Sweetie only made her attention go to her own hooves. Though she washed them before leaving home, she could see where dirt had left stains that would need a hard scrubbing to remove, a common enough sight for a farm pony who spent the better part of the day working the fields. Her hooves were also a little rough, the edges dry, and she certainly couldn’t make sunlight reflect off them.

Would it feel even better if I took better care of my hooves?

Apple Bloom wanted to ignore the mental question, but her eyes stayed on her hooves. The rough sides often felt too hard on her sensitive place, which was always part of the reason why, when she did give in to the strange feeling that warmed her nethers and demanded she rub them, she always did it slow and gentle.

Eventually, they’d get just wet enough to feel smoother on her.

Thinking over it more, she thought of her bed and the warm linen sheets that Applejack would sometimes tuck in around her before saying goodnight. They were very soft, and when the itch inevitably came, as it did every night it seemed, rubbing on those sheets and her mattress could feel better than her own hoof. A lot better.

No! Gotta stop thinkin’ bout this-

It was too late, and Apple Bloom became very still at her desk. The itch was there, throbbing, just a little. Enough to be noticed—enough to make her squeeze her thighs together as discretely as she could. The hoof she had been inspecting felt drawn to the center of that itch, but she purposefully put both front legs on the desk, where they would behave.

Why is this happenin’ to me? I shouldn’ even be thinkin’ bout this at school, or at all! Touchin’ down there is—

“—Wrong.”

Apple Bloom froze, her heart tightening like a vice before she turned to look at who had spoken as she returned her attention to the class. To her surprise, she saw to her right the usually sleepy and unattentive Snails looking wide awake and serious. Other students in the class had also stopped what they were doing to turn in their desks, casting looks of surprise at Snails.

Taking a look to the back of the class, Dinky Hooves was the only student who not only didn’t seem surprised by Snails speaking up in class; she hadn’t even bothered to look up from her desk. Miss Cheerilee also didn’t seem the least bit surprised.

“Well, there really are no wrong answers to how a pony can interpret a piece of literature, but please elaborate on why you disagree with Silver Spoon’s claim that the pauper was happy to be the prince.”

Apple Bloom turned her attention back to her neighbor, seeing Snails shrink a little to find himself the focus of the entire class. She took a quick glance to where Silver Spoon sat next to Diamond Tiara, one row from the back. The look Silver gave Snails could have curled the back of his mane.

“Um… well… it’s just…” Snails sputtered, and looked to be sweating. Apple Bloom’s heart went out to him. He almost never spoke in class and it wasn’t exactly a secret that everypony else thought he was slow. To see him speak up and actually have an opinion on a lesson was the very thing Apple Bloom needed to get her attention off the annoying need to rub between her thighs.

“It’s just… he couldn’t be happy because he wasn’t being himself. I know the pauper was away from his bad father and got treated like royalty, but he was forced to pretend to be somepony he wasn’t.”

There was a pregnant pause before Snails spoke again, and it struck Apple Bloom that his normally dopey sounding voice sounded softer, more emotional.

“How can anypony be happy if they can’t be who they are?”

No pony spoke. Snails sank a little in his chair, looking to Apple Bloom as if he wanted to melt into the floor.

“That…” Miss Cheerilee started to say, as if she needed time to gather her thoughts, “that is a very deep and profound observation, Snails. I’m really very glad that you brought this up. And I will say that you and Silver Spoon both have valid points. The pauper started off poor and carefree, making do with what he had, only to become rich and isolated.”

The bell above the school house rang at the moment. The sound of chairs and hooves scraping over the floor was enough to drown out the soft curse from Cheerilee as she spoke up loud enough to make sure her students could hear before they could flee. “Don’t forget there is a test tomorrow! You can bring one page of notes! Snails I need you to stay after for your make up quiz.”

Apple Bloom was one of the many students who already had her saddle bags on her, ready to leave and set out for what she really needed to do. Looking to the back of the class once again, she was shocked to see that Dinky was already missing from her desk.

Oh no! She ain’t escapin’ me!

In her rush to find Dinky, Apple Bloom spotted Sweetie Belle reaching the door first, waiting off to the side as students eagerly trotted out towards freedom.

“Did ya see her?” Apple Bloom asked, not even waiting for a full reply before she was out the door, looking in every direction for Dinky’s yellow mane and gray coat.

“See who?” Sweetie asked as she came up to Apple Bloom’s side.

“Dinky! She must’a left soon as the bell rang. Consarn it all, ah wanted to stop her and get sum straight answers about Scootaloo.”

Apple Bloom looked genuinely upset while the rest of her class left her and Sweetie behind outside the school house. “She couldn’t have gotten far, and even if she did, ah got a hunch she’ll be at the library. We can get some answers from her there.”

“Actually, I can’t.”

Sweetie Belle gave an apologetic look to Apple Bloom before she continued, “I promised Rarity I would come straight home today. I sort of forgot about it until after lunch. Sorry, you’ll have to go to the library without me.”

Well that’s just dandy, Apple Bloom thought to herself with a hint of annoyance. “Alright then. Ah’ll be sure to let ya know what ah find out.”

“You really think Scootaloo and Dinky are hiding something?”

Yes, Apple Bloom thought, but held that answer back, knowing she had no proof to back up her suspicions.

“That’s what mah gut is tellin’ me. Scootaloo likes being secretive to start with, and Dinky definitely has somethin’ to hide. You saw how she could barely look us in the eye when she was telling us about how she couldn’t help or anythin’. That filly knows somethin’ important and is too afraid to say what.”

“So… you’re going to force her to talk?” Sweetie asked.

Apple Bloom stopped to think. She had been so excited to get Dinky alone that she didn’t think about possibly making her even more reluctant to say what she knew. She grumbled and rubbed the back of her head, wondering now what she would do if Dinky really didn’t want to say anything to her.

“Well… no, ah wouldn’t make a pony do nothin’ she didn’t want to. Ah ain’t no bully. But ah’m sure ah can convince her to trust me enough to share what she knows.”

Hearing that made Sweetie Belle smile with relief. “Great. Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning for school. If you do see Scootaloo, give her a whack on the head for me?” Sweetie gave Apple Bloom a knowing wink, the both of them sharing a laugh before Sweetie left Apple Bloom’s side.

Can I trust her?

Dinky Hooves frowned as she watched Apple Bloom and Sweetie while doing what she did best—hiding in plain sight. It was no different than spying, but it also was the only way Dinky felt comfortable to even consider reaching out to Apple Bloom in the first place to tell her what she knew, and what she suspected about Scootaloo.

She might not believe me. I wouldn’t have believed it too had I not seen it with my own eyes. But if I can reach out to her… maybe I can reach out to Scootaloo too.

She sighed to herself, watching as other students in her class passed her by, never knowing she was there. It often felt too hard to make friends. Even learning from the princess of friendship herself didn’t make the process of actually befriending other ponies any easier for her. Trust was something hard to come by, more so when she knew how ponies could be so nice one moment, and then be utterly cruel when they thought your back was turned.

Maybe I can test her… make her prove that she can be trustworthy. I bet the princess would agree with me… I really want to talk to somepony about this.

It was at that moment that Dinky saw Sweetie Belle trot away from Apple Bloom, giving Dinky the chance she needed to approach her. The sounds of her classmates had gone, and only she and the farm filly were left on school grounds, with the exception of Snails, who was still in the schoolhouse with Miss Cheerilee.

Snails. Of course! Dinky smiled to herself. She knew just how to test Apple Bloom.

With her plan in mind, Dinky quietly approached Apple Bloom, trotting to catch up with her. Her heart felt heavy in her chest as she took the first step toward trusting somepony who wasn’t her mother or her princess.

“Wait, Apple Bloom!”

Apple Bloom jumped mid-trot, looking behind her in surprise. Then to her left, her right, circling around herself; she couldn’t see Dinky.

“Dinky? Hello?” Apple Bloom called out.

Oh, right…

Dinky concentrated, feeling the magic build up in her horn as it started to lift from her body. She heard Apple Bloom gasp before opening her eyes, seeing the shocked expression on her classmate. She could feel that her plan wasn’t going off in the best way possible.

“Dinky? Wut the hay? We’re you… invisible?”

Here we go.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Dinky spoke softly, looking away from Apple Bloom. “I do that… sometimes. Princess Twilight taught me how. It helps me relax.” Dinky chose not to mention that casting a spell to turn herself invisible helped her relax when being around other ponies.

“That… that’s so cool!” Apple Bloom squealed, immediately going behind Dinky, her eyes going right for the school filly’s flank. “How can that not be your special talent? No unicorn in class can do fancy magic like that!”

Dinky felt herself blushing, starting to lose her nerve to even do what she had intended, but pushed on, knowing how important this would be for herself.

“That’s not important right now,” Dinky said, forcing herself to make eye contact with Apple Bloom. “I said earlier that I couldn’t help you with Scootaloo… but I want to. I just need to know that I can trust you.”

That statement brought Apple Bloom’s full attention to Dinky as she looked concerned. “Is somethin’ wrong with Scootaloo? Ah mean, ah guess there must be if she’s startin’ to cut school and all. Whatever it is, ya can trust me.”

Dinky hesitated, almost telling Apple Bloom that she couldn’t trust her. “No. I mean, Scootaloo is happy. But if I told you why, you might not agree. You might think something completely different, in fact. So, I want you to prove you’re somepony who doesn’t judge others when they find out something they never expected could be possible.”

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow at Dinky, wondering why she would even think that Apple Bloom was the kind of pony to make judgment calls on others. “Ya don’t see a tiara on mah head, do ya?”

Dinky looked confused, eyes going up to Apple Bloom’s head, then back to her face before it dawned on her. “Oh, that was a joke.”

“Apparently not.” Apple Bloom sighed and shook her head. “Okay, so wut do ya want me to do to prove ah’m trustworthy?”

Okay, here it goes.

Dinky took a breath, bringing her hoof to her chest, mimicking the same calm breathing technique she had seen Twilight do often. Her horn began glowing, yellow magic spiraling along the grooves of her horn from the base to the point, gathering in a small star that was too bright for Apple Bloom to watch. Dinky shut her eyes as she poured double the magic she normally used, feeling the strain building in her head. She heard Apple Bloom say something, but a ringing had formed in her ears as her magic gathered and grew, demanding her full attention as she struggled to maintain the spell she was building until it was just strong enough that she released it with a sharp pop around her, blinding herself and Apple Bloom as they both disappeared.

### Chapter 4

“What the hay did ya do that for?” Apple Bloom complained as she rubbed her eyes, explosions of light behind her eyelids. She had seen plenty of unicorns cast magic before, but never once felt it actually cast on her. Her body tingled, feeling extra aware of her fur and the weight of her mane and tail. She was even more aware of the small area of fur that she wanted to rub in class, much to her embarrassment. “What’cha just do?”

When Apple Bloom opened her eyes, Dinky wasn’t standing in front of her anymore. A quick glance around showed she was no where to be seen.

“Dinky? Did ya just turn yerself invisible again?” Apple Bloom asked, feeling something was off.

She heard Dinky chuckle in front of her, and felt something wave in front of her face—no doubt a hoof that she couldn’t see.

“I did it! It really worked!” Though Apple Bloom couldn’t see Dinky, she could practically hear her smiling, overly pleased. She heard Dinky jumping excitedly, watching as the grass in front of her was repeatedly crushed, seemingly by nothing. “I wasn’t sure I could do it but I did! Oh wow, the princess will be so impressed with me!”

Is this really Dinky ah’m hearing?

Though the voice was the same, the tone had completely changed. Dinky sounded much more lively and excited, almost carefree in a way that reminded Apple Bloom of Pinkie Pie.

“Just how in the hay is this suppose to prove ah’m trustwor-?” Apple Bloom stopped short, reaching out with a hoof to get a feel for where Dinky was, only to see nothing there.

Stretching her leg out, there was no sign of it. Looking down, she didn’t see her chest, or any part of her body. Panic set in.

“Dinky? What did ya do to me?!”

“Relax,” Dinky laughed, “I know it’s a little scary the first time, but calm down. You’re invisible now too. Try shutting your eyes and focusing just on your body. That’s a trick the princess had me do when I first turned invisible.”

Apple Bloom did as Dinky said, shutting her eyes once more as she laid on the grass, not wanting to move. Surprisingly, it was helping her calm down. The fear of no longer seeing her legs on the ground passed slowly as she felt them under her. Opening her eyes slowly, it became easier to accept that her body was still whole, even though she couldn’t see it.

“Feeling better now?” Dinky asked, sounding calmer, though Apple Bloom flinched as Dinky’s voice came right beside her.

“Sorta. It’s weird… why the hay did ya do this?”

“So I can trust you,” Dinky said, tossing her tail over Apple Bloom’s. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you before. And don’t worry, the spell only lasts an hour. But I can take it off if it really bothers you. I needed to make us both invisible though.”

“Why?”

“Because we can’t let Miss Cheerilee and Snails know we’re watching them.”

Apple Bloom felt confused, still not feeling ready to get up and try standing. “Ah don’t get it.”

“I need to know you can keep secrets,” Dinky spoke slow but serious. It sounded to Apple Bloom like she was frowning. “Someponies… they act like they can be trustworthy, but the moment you turn your back they show how they really feel. When they think they’re alone, they show their true selves.”

“Ya mean, ya go around and spy on other ponies?”

“No! I mean, I observe. A lot of ponies in town talk bad about my mom, but when they see me or her around, they pretend to be nice. I like knowing who my mom’s friends really are.”

It was still taking Apple Bloom time to accept not seeing her body anymore while still knowing it was there, but hearing Dinky speak gave her something else to focus on. She couldn’t blame Dinky for being protective of Ponyville’s notorious mailmare. In fact, the desire to protect one’s family was something Apple Bloom knew plenty about. She could easily see herself doing the same thing if she had suspicions somepony was secretly bad mouthing one of her kin.

“So… ya do this a lot?”

Dinky chuckled, but it lacked any humor. “That isn’t really important. Do you feel okay enough to stand up now? I’ll keep my tail on yours so you know I’m near by. We just need to walk to an open window to see Miss Cheerilee and Snails.”

“Ah think ah feel okay to walk, but why do we have to spy on them?”

Apple Bloom could feel Dinky standing up again. “Would you think any less of Snails if you knew his darkest secret?”

Apple Bloom frowned at that thought, “It ain’t mah business to know his secrets.”

Dinky didn’t respond right away, but when she did, she sounded sad. “Sometimes we can’t help knowing what we know. You’re right though, a pony should be entitled to keep their secrets—well, secret. That’s why I’m trusting you to keep what you find out about Snails a secret.”

“What if ah don’t want to know what he’s talkin’ to Miss Cheerilee about?”

“Well…” Dinky started and paused, waiting a while to choose her words carefully. “Then, you don’t want to know about what Scootaloo is keeping to herself. Her secret is similar to Snails’. And I can’t say more than that without showing you just what is happening in the schoolhouse right now.”

The more Dinky tried to explain the situation, the more it helped Apple Bloom focus on getting over not being able to see her body. She felt confident enough to stand up without her legs getting shaky. Whatever was going on sounded scary and serious to Apple Bloom, as if Snails’ was doing something wrong.

Wait, it can’t be wrong or bad. Not if Miss Cheerilee knows what Snails’ secret is.

“What I can say,” Dinky continued, “Is that, even though I know what the secret is, I don’t think it’s bad. It’s not hurting anypony, and I don’t think any less of Snails for it. In fact, I think she’s braver than I could ever hope to be.”

Despite Dinky’s claim, Apple Bloom didn’t like the idea of snooping. It was dishonest, and if she had learned anything from her sister, it was that honesty was often the best policy.

“Wait a minute.” Apple Bloom realized she had heard Dinky call Snails a she. “Wuddya mean she? You mean Miss Cheerilee?”

“Well…” Apple Bloom felt Dinky give her tail a gentle pull. “If you want to know, just follow where I lead you. If you feel you can really be a good friend, and keep an important secret safe in your heart, than I’ll tell you what I know about Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash.”

Temptation was pulling Apple Bloom towards the schoolhouse. She was curious now, and though she still didn’t like the idea of spying on Snails, Dinky’s comment about good friends echoed in her mind. She wasn’t exactly a good friend of Snails, she hardly knew anything about him, but the last thing she would ever be was a pony who gossiped about others. Whatever Snails was keeping to himself, she would keep his secret safe—maybe she'd have an easier time being friendly towards him.

“Ah… ah guess,” Apple Bloom said. She started walking slowly in the direction she felt Dinky pull her, each step becoming easier to take. The whole feeling of being invisible was starting to feel natural. Apple Bloom thought of all the times she wanted privacy, and how useful turning invisible would have been when she had her itch. She’d never have to worry about her sister or brother, or—Celestia forbid—her granny, catching her touching that place.

“And don’t worry, the spell only lasts an hour.”

Apple Bloom’s heart sped up. An hour of being invisible… she could do anything without being caught. Anything.

Her body tensed, and she nearly missed a step. The itch was coming back, faster than normal.

“Okay,” Dinky whispered, just as they approached a slightly open window, “Remember, they can’t see us. Miss Cheerilee sometimes looks back to the windows to be sure the coast is clear, but she and Snails will never know we’re here. Just don’t speak, and we’ll be fine.”

Apple Bloom nodded, forgetting that Dinky couldn’t see her. She had nearly forgotten about Snails while thinking about what she could get away with while being invisible. Those thoughts were quickly banished when she approached the window to see Snails sitting on a stool at the head of the class, facing rows of empty desks. Miss Cheerilee stood behind him, brushing his mane.

Wut the hay?

“Your mane is growing out nicely. I think in a few more weeks we can try braiding it, and playing with some new mane styles. I have some ribbon that we can try braiding into your mane as well that would really compliment your favorite eyeshadow.”

Miss Cheerilee took a quick look out the window of her schoolhouse, making sure no ponies were walking by. She reminded herself that she would need to see Big Mac soon to get the curtain rod replaced. While she was happy for any excuse to see the big red stallion, it was just a shame that she couldn’t have gotten it fixed sooner.

“I’d like that,” Snails said, his normally dull voice sounding softer. “Do you think… maybe we could try what we talked about soon?”

Cheerilee paused, frowning with the brush handle still in her mouth.

“It’s just,” Snails went on, “I want to. I really do. It’s not getting easier, having to pretend all the time, letting everypony think I’m just a slow-witted colt. Everyday I lie to Snips and Pipsqueak and everypony else—it’s just getting harder to do.”

Snails pulled away from Cheerilee, enough to turn around and face his teacher. “I want to be the real me. I want... to be pretty.”

Seeing the pain in Snails’ eyes made Cheerilee bite down harder on the brush handle. She set it on her desk, taking another look outside the window, glad to see the field was still empty.

She took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly. Snails turned away, knowing a rejection was coming from the only pony he could be himself around.

“It’s too risky to wear a dress in Ponyville…”

It wasn’t the answer either of them wanted, but they both knew it was true. As accepting as Ponyville could be, there wasn’t a single pony in the whole town like Snails. And as much as Cheerilee wanted to help her student, she was also fearful of the ridicule and bullying that would come if Snails ‘came out of the stable.’

“Next week, I have a substitute teacher coming from Trottingham. I’ll be going to Manehanttan. I need to use the vacation time I’ve been building up. I’ll be gone for a whole week.”

Though she couldn’t see Snails’ face, Cheerilee could tell he was frowning. Her heart was racing as she pushed past her fears and doubts; if she didn’t do this now, she would hate herself for it later.

“I plan on traveling with my niece.”

Snails began trembling a little. Cheerilee could sense he’d start crying soon.

“I… um…” Cheerilee paused.

Taking this next step was harder than Cheerilee imaged it would be. She loved her students dearly, even the ones that gave her a hard time. And while she wanted to help Snails any way she could, she couldn’t ignore there were liabilities that came with what she was planning.

Yet, when she heard Snails sniffle, she swore she could hear his—her—heart start to break, and those risks were pushed aside by the reality of her student’s seemingly hopeless situation.

“I was hoping you’d be willing to pretend to be my niece for that week.”

Snails’ head shot up in surprise, and she quickly turned to look back at Cheerilee, who was facing the window with a small, nervous smile on her face.

“As… your niece?”

“I understand this is more than what we had talked about, more than just wearing the clothes you’ve been wanting to wear, and certainly a step up from wearing makeup. And you would miss a week of school, but I plan to make up for that by teaching you what I know of Manehattan while we’re on that trip—like a field trip. Plus, next week the sub would be introducing the plays of Neighspeare, and I never really cared for his work.”

Cheerilee rambled a little longer, the nervousness making her start to tremble. There was little to no chance that anypony would know her in a big city like Manehattan, and even less of a chance that anypony would know Snails. It would be the ideal place to visit and pretend to be somepony else.

Seeing the hope blooming inside of Snails’ eyes, Cheerilee felt a surge of courage fill her heart, and mentally corrected herself; everyday Snails was pretending to be somepony she wasn't.

“You really mean it, Cheerilee? You would… you would do that for me?”

Cheerilee gave a small nod with a nervous smile.

“You need to understand…” Cheerilee started, and looked away, struggling with something she was always so eager to do. Helping her students wasn’t just a teacher’s duty, it was a passion. Snails’ situation was just a little more demanding, and a hundred times more complex. “What I’m proposing we do, it has to be between us… for now. You’re still very young Snails, and you still have a lot of growing up to do. You have a lot of time to live before you really learn about yourself and the kind of pony you are. I’m not saying this to tell you you’re wrong about who you are, I’m saying that you need more time and experience… to come into the mare you were born to be.”

Snails gasped, fresh tears streaming down her face as she threw her hooves around Cheerilee’s neck.

“I have some spare clothes from when I was your age to go with the dress you have. They’re a little dated, but I don’t think that will be an issue. We’ll need to also think of a name for you, just to be safe.”

Snails sniffled and rubbed her hoof over her snout before she tried speaking. “I thought of… some names.”

“Pretty names?” Cheerilee asked, smiling a little more.

“I think so. It’s hard to choose. I came up with Sequins, Tinsel, and... Glitter.”

Wut? Ah… ah don’t understand wut ah’m seein’ or hearin’.

It was a small miracle that Apple Bloom had been able to keep quiet as she watched the scene unfold between Miss Cheerilee and Snails. Her itch had been completely forgotten as she watched the two share their moment in the empty classroom. Every time Cheerilee turned to face the window, Apple Bloom flinched and wanted to duck, forgetting that she was completely invisible.

And thank goodness for that, because her mouth had been hanging open for a while.

“Come on,” she heard Dinky whisper, nearly forgetting the other filly was still with her. “We’ve seen enough.”

Apple Bloom felt Dinky tug her by the tail. She slowly started to follow in the direction Dinky was leading her, taking a few looks behind her, still trying to understand what she had spied on.

Heading for the playground, Apple Bloom didn’t wait for Dinky to stop before launching into questions.

“Wut was that? Snails thinks he’s a filly? And Miss Cheerilee is just going along with it?”

“She doesn’t think she’s a filly. She is a filly, just born in the wrong body.” Dinky spoke softly, stopping just by a large slide, far enough from the schoolhouse that there was no risk of being overheard when Cheerilee and Snails would eventually head outside. “Have you ever heard of transgender?”

“Uhhh…”

“I guess that’s a no,” Dinky sighed. “Look, Snails is one of those rare ponies that wholeheartedly believes they were born in the wrong body. It’s rare, and sadly for Snails, there’s no other pony in Ponyville like her. I don’t know how long she’s been keeping this to herself, but I do know that Miss Cheerilee has been helping her through this for the last two months.”

“Ah still don’t git it.” Apple Bloom had pulled her tail away from Dinky’s, pacing back and forth as she struggled to make sense of what she was being told. “Snails is a boy. That’s as plain as day!”

“This is exactly why Snails is keeping it a secret from everypony else. She wouldn’t want to be bullied by ponies who don’t understand. Can you imagine if Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon found out that Snails wishes she was born a filly? Can you imagine how confused and upset Snips and Pipsqueak would be if their best friend suddenly told them this?”

“This just doesn’t make a lick of sense!” Apple Bloom yelled.

Dinky didn’t respond right away, but when she did speak, it was with a cold calmness. “So, you hate Snails now?”

The question, particularly the word ‘hate,’ struck Apple Bloom like a slap to the face. “N-no… no, ah don’t hate Snails. Ah just don’t understand why he thinks he should be a filly.”

“We don’t have to understand it, we just have to accept it. If we don’t, we risk pushing somepony special away, making her feel isolated and wrong. You saw how hopeful Snails looked when Miss Cheerilee offered to take them both to Manehattan, and you must have heard how desperate Snails sounded when she talked about how she hates lying to her friends about who she is. All of that raw emotion is hurting Snails right now because she’s afraid of what would happen if other ponies knew the truth. If you had a secret that you didn’t want anypony to know about no matter what, then you’d understand at least a little of what she’s going through.”

Apple Bloom groaned, rubbing her head as she felt a headache starting to come on. She did in fact have a secret that she wouldn’t want to tell anypony else. Before she could think of how to respond, Dinky pressed on.

“Are you going to tell anypony what you saw today?”

“No! Ah’d never gossip like that… shoot, no pony would believe me anyways. Ah never wanted to know this about Snails in the first place! How does invading his privacy like that have anything to do with Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash? If ya tell me that Scootaloo wants to be a colt, then I know you’re full of horseapples!”

“It’s not like that,” Dinky said slowly. “It's like this. Scootaloo and Snails, they both have one very important thing in common: honesty. They are both brave enough to accept being the kind of ponies they are, even though they have to hide that from their friends… I wish I had the courage to be brave like them." Dinky paused, wondering if she was getting through to Apple Bloom at all. When all she saw was a look of irritation on the farm filly's face, she felt the heavy weight of failure pushing her ears and head down. "Well, since you will keep Snails’ secret, then I’ll tell you about Scootaloo.”

“Finally…” Apple Bloom muttered to herself.

“I saw Scootaloo kissing Rainbow Dash in the library last weekend, with her tongue.”

### Chapter 5

Had Apple Bloom been visible, Dinky would have shrunk back at the look of disgust aimed at her.

Had it been anypony else, Apple Bloom would have called them a liar to their face, and even pushed them down for spreading nasty rumors about her closest friends. With Dinky, it was different. Dinky spoke like an adult, or at least like the kind of filly who spent more hours reading books without pictures instead of talking with her peers. It was easy for anypony to simply agree with what she said based on how she said it.

At that moment, Dinky sounded envious.

“Well,” Apple Bloom said, speaking roughly, as she began to turn away, “ah guess ah know why nopony in class talks to ya much.”

“Huh?” she heard Dinky say, but was already walking away from her. “I’m not lying! I saw them!”

“First of all,” Apple Bloom raised her voice, “ah know Scootaloo really likes Rainbow Dash, but ta kiss her? Fillies and mares do not kiss on the mouth. And nopony kisses with tongues! That just don’t make any sense.”

At that moment, Dinky’s invisibility spell on herself flickered. Apple Bloom saw Dinky’s body appear in a flash, only to disappear the moment after. The quick look she saw on Dinky’s face was full of confusion.

“Doesn’t make… are you being serious?” Dinky asked, and once more, her body flicked into view, the spell on her seeming to strain under stress.

“Ah feel like ah’m the only pony here who has been serious about anythin’. First, ya get me to invade Snails’ privacy for somethin’ that sounds like a whole lot of nonsense to me, and now ya want to get me to believe mah best friend is puttin’ her tongue in her favorite pony’s mouth? Those would be fightin’ words if ya were any pony else, and don’t just think it’s because ah can’t see-”

Apple Bloom stopped short. Dinky’s spell cracked around her body like the shattering of glass. Dinky quickly reappeared whole and very much visible, looking over her body in shock. Apple Bloom noticed how Dinky’s legs were trembling.

“My spell?! It must be the stress… this has never happened before. Wait, Apple Bloom? Are you still here? Where are you now?”

Dinky not only looked less confident than she had before, Apple Bloom could hear the fear in her tone as she spoke. All the confidence she spoke with seemed to disappear along with her spell.

“Ah’m still standin’ right in front of ya.”

Dinky looked directly at where she heard Apple Bloom, but her gaze shifted from left to right without a focus for her to settle on. “I know it might sound hard to believe right now. Let me start from the beginning about what I saw. I think you will understand better once you hear just what happened yesterday.”

Dinky woke up in discomfort. Her neck was sore, mouth dry, and her back legs ached something fierce. She slowly raised her head from the book she had used as a pillow, though she could not recall when she fell asleep.

It was not the first time this had happened.

Twilight Sparkle had told her once that she suspected Dinky could take naps easier at the library than at her home. Believing Dinky to be a fellow bibliophile, Twilight theorized that an overwhelming sense of calmness and security could result in spontaneous soporific reactions to an already tense mind. Surrounded by books made Dinky feel calm and at peace, enough to take naps without her noticing she was getting tired. Twilight had spoken to her about falling asleep during her studies before:

It could also mean you are under a lot of stress when you are not at the library. You are still just a filly, try not to worry so much over the things you cannot control. I know it is easy for me to say that, but I see you make the same mistakes I did at your age. It is a hard habit to break, but speaking from experience, you will be happier if you do not hold on so tightly to the things that worry you. In addition, you do not have to apologize for falling asleep during your studies; I still use books as pillows too every now and then, even if I don’t mean to!

“Princess Twilight?” Dinky called out, rubbing the back of her neck and noticing how sore her flank felt, no doubt a sign of having sat for too long. She looked around the small, mostly empty private reading room to find she was alone. She could not even recall when she had entered the room, or what she had tried to study. The windows were open, letting in a breeze and showing Dinky where the sun now sat in the sky—it was getting close to dinnertime, her mom would be coming to pick her up soon.

She was about to call out for her princess again when she noticed a pitcher of ice water on the table and a single glass. Both items were a safe distance from the magic theory book Dinky assumed she had been reading. The empty glass sat on top of an open letter, signed by Twilight and written out to her.

A practiced burst of magic quickly put both the glass and letter in an aura of sparkling yellow magic. Dinky raised the glass and brought the letter up for her to read. A quick glance to the pitcher of water encased it in her magic next, lifting it to pour Dinky a much-needed drink.

To my faithful student, Dinky read, and felt a shiver go down her back, unaware of how she squeezed her back legs together to hear that phrase in her mind, spoken in Twilight’s motherly voice. It was her secret pleasure to hear Twilight call her ‘my faithful student’.

To my faithful student,

Your mother ran into Spike Spike ran into your mother this afternoon and informed him that there was an emergency at work that would make her stay longer, perhaps well into midnight. She is fine, but asked if you could spend the night with me at the library. Spike agreed for me (and I am SO happy to have you over). I would have told you myself, but I did not want to wake you. By the time you read this, Spike and I will be out getting groceries; he has offered to make us a special dinner tonight.

The library is closed, but you are not alone. Rainbow Dash crashed came to visit to read the latest autobiography of A.K. Yearling, and she agreed to stay until Spike and I return.

I know I might seem too old to you for this, and it will be just the two of us, but how do you feel about treating this as a sleepover party? No ‘Princess’ Twilight, just plain old Twilight Sparkle and her good friend Dinky Hooves, sharing a bed and telling stories (no scary stories I promise), playing some truth or dare, maybe even a pillow fight?

In the meantime, try practicing your invisibility spell while I am gone. You have been making great progress with that spell, more so than I would have guessed a filly your age could manage. Remember it is important to keep the flow of magic stea-

Spike is telling me to hurry, and I suppose my letter is getting a little long. I will see you soon.

Yours Always,

Twilight Sparkle

Princess of Friendship

Dinky's drowsiness was instantly gone after reading Twilight’s letter. She even forgot the stiffness in her body as she reread the letter, squealing at the idea of having dinner and a sleepover with her princess!

Part of her could not help feeling a little bad. She would not be able to see her mom that night, and the selfish part of Dinky was relieved, if only a little. Her mother worked too hard, and Dinky often took it upon herself to get dinner ready for her, as well as take care of the chores around the house, believing she was doing her part in taking care of her mom. All the practice she had with cooking would come in use tonight; it would be another way to show off her skills and impress her princess.

Moving away from the table, Dinky briefly wondered if she should inform Rainbow Dash that she was awake now. She hesitated, wondering if she really needed to. She had seen Rainbow all around town, or at least heard her speaking loud and boastful. She had never actually spoken to the Element of Loyalty before, and something about her nature did not make Dinky feel inclined to make introductions.

On the other hand, maybe, indirect introductions would be better.

The princess did suggest that I practice that spell more. I bet Rainbow Dash is really different when she thinks no one is watching.

Dinky shut her eyes and summoned a swell of magic in her horn that left her feeling slightly light headed and dizzy. Her magic felt heavy but strong, reminding her of a river current. It was unstoppable, but only needed a little direction for the purpose she needed. The glow in her horn built, and then started to spill down her body like liquid gold, coating her all over in warmth. She could feel even the tips of her mane and tail bathed in her magic, which was the sign she needed to cease her silent spell. Her horn dimmed, along with the glow on her body. As it dimmed, she raised a hoof up to her face, watching the shape of it diminish, until it was no longer there.

It was getting easier and easier to become invisible.

“Awesome!” Dinky smiled, checking to make sure she was invisible, “Now, Let’s see what the real Rainbow Dash is like when she thinks no one is watching.”

Stepping out into the main floor of the library, Dinky did not have to try hard to find out where Rainbow Dash was. She heard the faraway sounds of giggles coming in the direction of Twilight’s open bedroom, along with the squeaks of bedsprings.

Wait, what is going on? It sounds like there is somepony else besides Rainbow Dash here.

Dinky moved quietly towards the stairs and the bed squeaks became louder. She froze as a voice that was certainly not Rainbow Dash’s suddenly spoke up.

“We’re going to wake her.”

I’ve heard that voice before…

“She’s pretty far away, Squirt. But if you really want us to be quiet, we better do something about your mouth.”

“Rainbow D-”

Her curiosity piqued, Dinky reached the head of the stairs, eyes opening wide at the sight of Rainbow Dash lying on Twilight’s bed, holding Scootaloo on top of her. They were kissing, with their tongues.

Kissing was a gentle way of saying it. Dinky had not seen many other ponies around town in a lip lock, but she had read plenty of adult books that described kissing as one of the most passionate things two ponies could do. The sight before her put those books to shame.

Scootaloo looked like she was leading the kiss, her front legs wrapped around Dash, resting under her head. She kept her eyes closed as she pressed the kiss forward, moaning into Dash’s mouth. Dash in turn had Scootaloo wrapped in her wings, making a blanket of feathers around the filly. Even from the distance she kept, Dinky could see their tongues quickly swirling inside their mouths.

Louder squeaks from the bed pulled Dinky’s attention away from the kiss. Under Rainbow Dash’s wings, Dinky could see Scootaloo rocking her hips, as if she was making lazy thrusts against the older pony. Dash grinned under the kiss, her front legs moving over Scootaloo’s body where her wings did not cover, and began rubbing circles over Scootaloo’s blank flank.

That got Scootaloo to break the kiss, letting out a surprisingly high-pitched moan that made Dinky’s knees buckle.

“Thought you wanted us to keep quiet?” Rainbow Dash asked playfully.

“I can’t keep quiet if your hooves are going to be touching me there,” Scootaloo complained, taking a moment to lick her lips. It sounded to Dinky that Scootaloo was not really complaining at all.

She also could not name the look that came over Dash’s face, “Where should my hooves be touching you then?”

Dash pulled her wings away, resting them on the bed and allowing Dinky to see her classmate’s wings stiffly raised up. Having read anatomy books, Dinky knew just what it meant for a Pegasus to have their wings raised so prominently.

“I think we both know the answer to that question.”

Dinky found herself agreeing with Scootaloo, her eyes still on the filly’s flank. Rainbow Dash’s hooves had not moved away nor had they stopped rubbing circles over her.

“Hey Squirt? Are you winking back there?”

Dinky heard herself gasp, but luckily, Scoots and Dash had not noticed. Though she wanted to get a look for herself, she could not take another step past the stairs, fearful that even the slightest movement would give her position away.

“Y-yeah… I am. Are you?” Scootaloo asked, sounding to Dinky as if she was beginning to breathe heavy.

“Hmmm,” Dash gave Scootaloo a thoughtful look, her hooves still rubbing in circles. “I might soon. Guess that means we better call it quits here.”

“What?!” Scootaloo yelled, looking outraged.

“Sorry Squirt, but think about it,” Dash gave Scootaloo an apologetic smile, bringing a hoof up to caress the filly’s pouting cheeks. “If we go flying now, I think Princess Star Butt is going to wonder why her bedspread is soaked.”

S-Star Butt? How dare she! Dinky clenched her teeth, surprised and upset that one of her princess’ close friends would call her names behind her back. Joking or not, it struck Dinky as a low blow, and got her legs to start moving again.

She carefully walked back down the stairs, ignoring whatever Scootaloo brought up about flying, which Dinky herself did not understand and was now too upset to care about. Heading back to the room she had done her studying in, she let the invisibility spell dissipate around her, then took the door to the private reading room in her magic, opening and then slamming it shut with a loud bang.

She could hear the two ponies suddenly scramble to pull away from each other, and Dinky allowed herself a small smile at having put an end to their time alone.

“And that’s how it happened,” Dinky said, sitting on the grass, no longer trying to spot just where Apple Bloom was standing. “Five minutes later the Princess and Spike came back to the library. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo stayed for dinner. It was after dinner that Scootaloo tried to make conversation with me, but I could not really look her in the eye after what I saw. I could still… smell her. She asked me if I could recommend any easy reading manuals on flying, and told her I could get her one when she came to school today; that was when she told me she wouldn’t be at school.”

Apple Bloom had remained quiet throughout Dinky’s detailed account of yesterday, and while she was ready to dismiss it completely, she now found herself questioning how believable the details were. Certain parts of Dinky’s story struck her as being hard to lie about.

“Apple Bloom? I’m sorry, I know it must be hard to believe, but everything I said is true.”

“Really?” Apple Bloom found herself asking in a cold tone. “Ya sneak around and spy on other ponies, how can ah be expected to trust ya?”

Dinky’s ears pressed against her head and she let out a sigh before thinking of how to respond to that. “I guess that is fair. I won’t deny that I have some, bad habits. I’m not a trusting pony. I’ve seen and heard too much to be very trusting of anypony. The ways ponies act when they think they're alone versus when they are in front of you, it’s like night and day sometimes.

“But still,” Dinky continued, “It’s for that reason that I hate liars. I would never resort to lying. Everything I’ve said is true.”

Apple Bloom did not respond right away. There were things she was still trying to work out from what Dinky had told her, things that had her more disturbed than she realized. “Ya said ya heard Dash mention somethin’ about flyin’?”

Dinky nodded, “I didn’t think too much of it before, but yes, she definitely said, ‘If we go flying now’. I have a feeling I know what that phrase really meant.”

“W-what do ya think it meant?”

“Well… given that Scootaloo was already on top of Rainbow Dash at the time, and the part about winking, it’s safe to assume they were going to have sex.”

“No.” Apple Bloom shook her head and stood up, turning away from Dinky. “That’s impossible. Ah might not know much about… that, but ah know it’s for makin’ babies only.”

“Only?” Dinky stood up, hearing Apple Bloom sound as if she was going to walk away. “That might be its main purpose, but sex is also for pleasure. In fact, it’s mostly for pleasure.”

Pleasure?

Apple Bloom banished the thought. “But they’re both girls. They ain’t got… ya know. All the right… parts.”

Dinky blushed a little, “No. They do not. But that doesn’t matter because—”

Wait, don’t tell me…!

“—they can use their hooves to pleasure themselves. It’s basic masturbation.”

### Chapter 6

Inside the crusader’s clubhouse, Apple Bloom often felt like she was in a second home. A lot of hard work directly from her own hooves had gone into its creation, making it a safe haven for her and her friends to hangout and plan their adventures. It was ideal in nearly every sense of the word, but it could do nothing to help with how she felt at that moment.

“Basic masturbation.”

The statement echoed in Apple Bloom’s head. Dinky had said other things to her after dropping that bombshell, but Apple Bloom could not recall much after that. She had made a quick comment about needing to leave before galloping away as quickly as she could, deaf to the Dinky’s calls of concern.

“Basic masturbation.”

Basic… that word haunted her. Basic things were easy, simple to figure out. There was nothing basic about the temptation to hoof herself. It felt too complicated to accept that all this time, the weird itch she would get between her hind legs, the funny feeling that stirred in her tummy whenever she touched herself, and the strange sense that she was doing something wrong all along, came from ‘basic masturbation’.

Apple Bloom rested against the far wall of the clubhouse, knowing well that she would have most of the day alone. She needed the time to make sense of what she had learned. Sweetie Belle would be with Rarity for most of the day. As for Scootaloo…

“I have a feeling I know what that phrase really meant.”

Apple Bloom groaned, laying on the floor and resting her head on her front legs. It all made sense now why Scootaloo spent so much time away. It was the last thing she would have expected to find out, and even now, she still had trouble believing it.

“All this time, Scoots has been… doin’ that, with Rainbow Dash?”

Apple Bloom had never thought of kissing another pony before. Her goodnight kisses from Applejack were nice, as were the ones she would get from her granny. The entire act of kissing was nice, basic, but not that special by itself. It felt nice…

“In fact, it’s mostly for pleasure.”

That was what everything, from her confusion and fear of her own actions, to her best friend staying away all boiled down to. It bothered Apple Bloom greatly. She understood a little about sex. It was impossible not to learn something when she lived on a farm and cared for animals. Sex was the absolute last thing Apple Bloom would ever think to try, and for good reason; she was too young to have babies.

“Mostly for pleasure…” Apple Bloom sighed to herself. “So, when ah touch mahself with mah hoof… ah’m masturbatin’ cause it feels good? Then, why do ah feel so wrong when ah do it?”

Even saying the word masturbation felt wrong to Apple Bloom. She was not fully sure what masturbation really meant, only that it was like sex, and it involved using hooves. Dinky had made that more or less clear. Despite wanting to get away from her as quickly as she could, Apple Bloom wished she had stayed behind and asked a few more questions.

She snorted in disgust at the idea upon reflection.

It still felt wrong. If Dinky was telling the truth, Scootaloo should not have been doing that kind of thing with Rainbow Dash to begin with. It was wrong for Scootaloo to go around telling her friends she was out having flying lessons when she was doing anything but flying.

The lie hurt more than she would have guessed. Apple Bloom and her friends never kept secrets from each other. They were crusaders, as close as sisters—they were practically a second family in her eyes. They shared everything from laughter to tears to dreams and fears. Now, it seemed to Apple Bloom that sex for pleasure was keeping one of her important friends away.

“Does it really feel that good for Scootaloo to up and ditch me and Sweetie?” Apple Bloom wondered.

Part of her already knew the answer, but still could not believe it. The times she let her hoof slip between her back legs felt good, but it was also gross and weird. She could not imagine skipping out to see her friends just so she could be alone to touch herself.

Scoots ain’t doing that stuff alone though…

If Rainbow Dash was doing things like that, was it really so bad?

Apple Bloom began to wonder if her feelings towards her secret were wrong. Still under the effects of Dinky’s invisibility spell, she remembered her first reactions had been thinking that she could touch herself without fear of anypony seeing. Far away in the clubhouse, her sister and brother would never see or hear her. Still, Apple Bloom tried to keep as quiet as a mouse whenever the itch started to feel too strong from all her rubbing. There was always a chance of a random visit, and then how would she explain herself to Applejack or Big Mac—especially Big Mac!

Now, at least for the time being, there was no chance of that happening.

What did Dinky say she saw Rainbow Dash doin’ to Scootaloo? Rubbin’ her flank?

Apple Bloom did not move. She did not want to move, but temptation nagged at her like a fly buzzing around her head. Dinky said the invisibility spell would only last an hour, but having watched her get stressed out showed the spell could be broken early. Apple Bloom decided it was not worth the risk.

… It wasn’t.

…

“Horse apples…” Apple Bloom muttered to herself as she moved to rest on her back. The clubhouse did not have much in the way of furniture outside of a small table and set of chairs, none of which she wanted to use now. A couch would have been nice, even a single pillow for her neck. Apple Bloom tried to get comfortable on the stiff wooden floor, feeling confident at not seeing herself belly up and stretched out like she wanted to be seen.

Pausing for a few more seconds, Apple Bloom lowered her hooves and started to rub nervous circles over her flank.

Ah guess that feels nice?

Without being able to see what she was doing, Apple Bloom’s other sense were heightened. The fur around her embarrassingly blank flank felt softer than the rest of her coat. Her hooves felt rough from her farm chores, creating a strange contrast of discomfort and pleasure. She thought of Scootaloo being in her position, with Rainbow Dash’s hooves on her.

Rainbow Dash probably has smooth hooves too. She almost never stays on the ground for long. Maybe as smooth as Sweetie Belle’s?

That thought made her hooves stop. Does Sweetie Belle do this too?

The answer had to be no. Heck no, even. Apple Bloom had a hard time picturing Sweetie Belle on her back with her hind legs splayed open, showing her most private parts off as if it was nothing, just like she was doing at that moment, making adorable little squeaks whenever the pleasure felt—

Eenope! Not going there!

…

… What would that hoof feel like… down there?

If Rainbow Dash was doing this to Scootaloo, and Scoots liked it enough to hold off even crusading with her friends, it had to feel amazing. It would only take a little touch to find out for sure.

Though she could not see it, Apple Bloom’s hoof knew where to go. Her right hoof rubbed over the inside of her thighs, making its way between her hind legs. The tip of her hoof shyly starting rubbing once it made contact with her warm mound, moving slightly from bottom to top until it hit a tiny bump that made Apple Bloom squeal.

What was that?!

Even after pulling her hoof away in fright, she could still feel the shockwave that struck her after touching that unknown area. She had rubbed herself plenty of times but always in short motions. Being unable to see her body had allowed her to rub more of that area than she ever dared before.

Her heart racing, Apple Bloom tried it again, moving cautiously. Her mound buzzed with growing pleasure whenever her hoof rubbed too close to that certain spot. She pulled her hoof back, feeling how plump that area was, how it seemed extra soft compared to the rest of her body. It almost felt like she was tickling herself. She rubbed again, a little firmer this time, and once more bumped into something that made her gasp sharply. It was intense, almost painfully so.

It… does feel good.

Apple Bloom’s hoof started moving slow, making short traces up and down her warm slit. Not being able to see her body helped her focus on the sensations she was creating. She stared at the ceiling, breathing through her mouth as the mental image of Scootaloo on a bed came to her mind, and legs spread just like her, with a curious hoof finding a strange bump to rub.

Dinky said she heard Scootaloo moan. Ah can’t even begin to imagine what Scootaloo moanin’ would sound like.

Her hoof started rubbing faster, feeling the heat begin to become stronger. That was always the first sign. Apple Bloom decided to change up her rubbing from up and down to slow circles over what felt to her like lips, feeling the growing pleasure spike.

She wanted to close her legs. It was scary, because the more Apple Bloom rubbed herself, the better it felt, and the less she wanted to stop. Despite having a whole list of reasons why she should not have been doing this, the longer it went on, the more those reasons became less and less important. That was always the second sign. Knowing better did not seem to matter to her body’s needs. Apple Bloom started breathing a little faster, lifting her head up to look down at herself.

Of course, there was nothing for her to see to make her feel ashamed.

Smiling slightly, Apple Bloom rubbed harder. Just a little. Just enough, according to her body.

This is… masturbation?

The word still felt weird and ugly to think of, let alone say aloud. Apple Bloom reminded herself that, according to Dinky, this was also how two mares had sex. She thought about what it would be like to rub her hoof in circles between the hind legs of another mare.

Scootaloo once again came to mind.

This is what Rainbow Dash is doin’ to Scootaloo.

That idea was hard to imagine. Rainbow’s hoof would have to be bigger than Scootaloo’s, bigger than Apple Blooms hoof for sure. It would cover her more, rub over herself completely, maybe even constantly touching—

Another moan jumped out from between Apple Bloom’s lips as she rubbed over that certain area again. The sensation made her pull her hoof back once more.

Though her body was still invisible, Apple Bloom could see a thin string of wetness held in midair, moving a little in time with her hoof before it snapped off.

It was the third and last sign for Apple Bloom, and it would always be around this time that she would make herself quit. She did not understand why that area would get, in her mind, slimy. A strange musk would start to make its presence known soon. Apple Bloom never went much farther than that.

This time, Apple Bloom would not stop.

She gingerly brought her hoof back down onto herself, spreading some of the wetness that had formed seemingly on nothing. The downy fur around her marehood felt matted down as she spread the growing wetness on her more. Her hoof slid over herself easier, making the pleasure under her start build. She was getting slippery, and there was no longer any denying the obvious truth.

“This feels really good…”

Saying the words aloud made the butterflies in Apple Bloom’s stomach storm inside her. It did feel good, like being in Scootaloo’s wagon as it went down a steep hill, her stomach rising up to her chest.

It was then that she felt herself squeeze under her hoof. She had not meant to do that, and she was not sure how she had even managed it.

Is it… winkin’?

Apple Bloom’s hoof went back to rubbing up and down. She remembered Dinky mentioning that Rainbow Dash had asked Scootaloo if she had been winking. At the time, it had sounded like nonsense to Apple Bloom. Now, like so many other things, she began to understand what was happening to her.

Ah don’t think ah can stop this time…

As her hoof moved, her hips began to do the same. She pushed back against the pressure of her hoof, feeling her juices start to leak out from her slit and run under her bottom. Apple Bloom made a sigh of happiness, catching whiff of the musk she was making. It was not that bad at all.

Boldly, Apple Bloom rubbed faster. The little bump she had touched before throbbed, but she held back from touching it directly. It was too intense to handle, and she had no desire to break away from the slow build of excitement inside her. Her breathing became heavier.

A little grunt escaped her mouth when she pushed on her hoof, just as her hoof pushed back. The more pressure on her, the better she seemed to feel. She could see Scootaloo making time to do this as much as she could with Rainbow Dash. She could even see Sweetie Belle doing this with her smooth, polished hooves.

Those thoughts stuck with Apple Bloom as the minutes passed. Images of her friends replaced with herself in various situations, from kissing with tongues to touching with hooves. She focused on those fantasies, so much so that Apple Bloom never noticed when Dinky’s spell wore off, leaving her body fully displayed for the world to see.

When she did look away from the ceiling, she could only blush deeper than she already was at the sight of her blossoming marehood. She was winking noticeably now, so wet that she seemed to shine a little from the sunlight outside.

It was an amazing sight for Scootaloo and Dinky to walk in on when they entered the clubhouse at that moment.

### Chapter 7

-Earlier-

“I should kick your flank,” Scootaloo glared at Dinky Hooves, seething with outrage at what she had just been told.

“I said I was sorry! I didn’t know you were there until I got to the stairway. I wasn’t trying to spy on you and Rainbow Dash. I just wanted to see what she would do when she thought she was alone.”

“That’s called spying!”

Dinky shrank back, blushing hotly but knowing she was stuck. After rushing back to the library to find Scootaloo and tell her about Apple Bloom running off upset, she knew she had to confess about her spying, and what she knew about Scootaloo and Dash.

“I wasn’t going to tell anypony! Apple Bloom cornered me at school and it slipped that I had spoken to you yesterday. She and Sweetie Belle didn’t know what you were doing and thought it was strange that I knew you wouldn’t be coming to school.”

“You could have lied!” Scootaloo yelled, her heart racing in her chest at the thought of her friends knowing what Dash was doing with her, worried sick at the thought of them getting her mentor in trouble if they told anypony else.

“Not if I wanted to be her friend!” Dinky shot back, catching Scootaloo momentarily off guard by the unexpected response.

“You? But you never talk to anypony in class. You don’t even play with anypony else during recess. Since when have you wanted to be friends?”

Dinky felt trapped, wishing she could turn invisible at that moment and simply disappear from the entire situation she had gotten herself into. “I’ve... always wanted to be friends with you guys. But I just… I don’t know how. It’s just hard for me, okay? I don’t really know how to make friends. I never thought I would need to. I have my mom and the princess and they make me happy. But then I saw you with Rainbow Dash and… I couldn’t stop thinking about you two, and how happy you both were. I… I got jealous!”

Scootaloo blinked, unsure how to respond to that confession. Dinky was looking everywhere but at her, shame weighing down her head. A scary thought crossed Scootaloo’s mind at that moment, “You… wait, you mean you’re interested in Rainbow Dash too?!”

“Eww no!” Dinky looked thoroughly grossed out at the mere idea of Scootaloo’s question. “It’s just as I said,” Dinky sighed, hating that she would have to explain herself bit by humiliating bit. “I’m jealous of how happy you are with Rainbow Dash. I want to feel the same way too. Not with her, but with somepony else who I care deeply for. I was never going to tell anypony what I saw. I—more than anypony else—know how awful it is to spread rumors.”

Dinky paused, taking a breath to finally confess her honest feelings, “If anything, it made me want to be friends with you even more, because I was hoping I could… learn from you. But I didn’t have the guts to approach you directly. Then Apple Bloom came to me and we started to talk a little… It was like I suddenly had an opening to make a friend for the first time since magic kindergarten. But I screwed it up and now I’ve upset her, and the thought of your friendship with her suddenly getting rocky because of me was too much guilt to handle.”

Scootaloo watched Dinky carefully, judging if what she was being told was true or not. Rainbow Dash’s words from earlier in the day came back to her at that moment:

What if I told you one of your classmates is learning how to be a big pony like you?

She didn’t know all the details, and it didn’t seem to her like Dinky was exactly a ‘big pony’ like she thought of herself. Rainbow Dash had taught her big ponies aren’t ashamed of what they like, and Dinky couldn’t be any more ashamed of herself at the moment.

“You’re jealous of me and Dash and what we got… because you want the same thing with Twilight?”

Dinky held her breath and her cheeks grew hot, a brighter shade of red rising up from under her grey coat.

“Well?” Scootaloo asked again, taking a step closer to the trembling filly.

“Yes.” Dinky licked her dry lips and spoke a little louder. “Yes, I want to be with Princess Twilight the same way you are with Rainbow Dash. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about and wondering, ‘Why can’t that be the two of us?’ She’s just so amazing! And beautiful! And smart! I mean, watching the way Rainbow Dash held you and spoke to you, the look she had in her eyes for you and just you… if that could be me and the princess… and she’s so smart… I bet she could teach me so much more.”

Dinky stopped once she noticed the look Scootaloo was giving her. But now all the cards were on the table, and Dinky felt better about it. In fact, she had been dying to tell somepony how she felt for her mentor, and the chance to finally do it left her feeling free, like a weight had been taken off her back.

Neither filly spoke after that, and the silence lingered in the empty library for a short time until Dinky broke it was a nervous laugh. “I’ve never said it out loud before. I want to be the princess’ special somepony. I can’t describe how wonderful it feels when she gives me a hug, or praises me, or wraps her wings around me…”

Scootaloo couldn’t hold back a small smirk at that statement. “Yeah, wing hugs are the best…”

“Totally.” Dinky smiled a little more.

Scootaloo started thinking of several things at once. If Rainbow Dash had in fact been talking about Dinky, how did she know? Did she want her to help Dinky? And did Twilight have any clue about Dinky’s crush?

Those questions would have to wait. If Apple Bloom had run off upset from what she now knew, the most important thing was to make sure she didn’t squeal about it to somepony who could get Dash into trouble.

“Alright, I’m still mad at you for spying on us, but we can’t deal with that now. We have to find Apple Bloom, talk to her, and make sure she doesn’t tell anypony about me and Dash.”

“We? You want me to go too?” Dinky asked, clearly not liking the idea of confronting Apple Bloom again. She didn’t think she had enough energy to cast her invisibility spell for a third time in one day.

“You have to come! If you’re honest about wanting to be friends, then you need to trot up and be a friend right now. Friends admit when they make a mistake and they ask for forgiveness.”

Dinky looked unsure, but knew in her heart that Scootaloo was right. She also knew if she turned back now, there would be no hope of achieving her desire to make friends, and Dinky didn’t think she could face the princess of friendship with that kind of cowardice hanging over her head.

“Alright… I’ll do it. But how do we even find Apple Bloom? I don’t know where she went, and she could still be under my invisibility spell. We would never be able to find her, even if we knew where to look.”

Scootaloo was already on the move, making Dinky rush to catch up with her as they exited the library. “I know where she’s at. There’s only one place she would go if she was really upset. I just hope that when we find her she doesn’t start screaming at me.”

-Present-

Apple Bloom screamed, flipping onto her stomach like a scared cat, her tail wrapping around her like a security blanket as she shrunk herself into the tiniest ball she could manage. Her eyes were shut tight, as if willing Scootaloo and Dinky not to be in the clubhouse to see just how she had been nearly hoof deep in herself.

Dinky nearly screamed as well, barely managing to hold it back with clenched teeth. In front of her, Scootaloo was wide-eyed, mouth hanging open as it took her brain some time to process what she had just seen her best friend doing. It had only been for a couple of seconds, but the sight of Apple Bloom on her back with her hind legs spread wide and inviting was not something Scootaloo would forget anytime soon.

“What the hay are you doing here?!” Apple Bloom yelled, her face hidden behind her fluffy red tail.

The outburst woke Scootaloo up. Despite how scared Dinky now was, Scootaloo was smiling rather big; suddenly the fear of Apple Bloom leaking out important information wasn’t so concerning anymore, “I didn’t know you like clopping in the clubhouse.”

Apple Bloom’s response was to whine loudly, still hiding her face. “Ah… wasn’t doin’ anythin’!”

“You were masturbating,” Dinky pointed out, the words coming out of her mouth before her brain could even register just how stupid she was to point out the obvious. Her observation earned her a chilling glare from Apple Bloom that made Dinky’s blood run cold.

“What is she doin’ here?! She ain’t even a crusader!”

Dinky’s ears pressed against her head as she stepped back, fear and shame all slamming into her like an unstoppable tide. A dozen different doubts in her heart all started shouting at her about how foolish she was to even attempt to befriend anypony. She would have run at that moment had Scootaloo not stepped in front of Dinky, shielding her from the death glare of her friend.

“Hold on, Apple Bloom! Dinky came to find me. She said you…”

Just as Scootaloo’s courage had started to gather up, it deflated at the thought of Apple Bloom’s angry glare being aimed at her. She almost chickened out, but knew she couldn’t. Dash wouldn’t want her to.

“She said she told you about me and Dash.”

Apple Bloom moved her tail away from her face, just enough to properly look at Scootaloo. “So it is true? You and Dash really are… doin’ that kind of stuff?”

Scootaloo didn’t hesitate, even as her heart raced in her chest. “Dash and I… we’re close. I always wanted her to be my real big sister, but now she’s more than that. And I love it!”

Apple Bloom gave Scootaloo a shocked look at the bold declaration. She noticed Dinky looked just as shocked. However, where Apple Bloom felt outrage, Dinky looked excited and eager to hear more.

“Love it? What’s to love? You’re a filly and she’s a mare! We ain’t suppose to be doin’ that kind of thing unless it’s with our special somepony. And we certainly have to be older, too!”

“Who says?” Scootaloo asked

“Wha? That’s… that’s just the rules!”

“Says who?” Scootaloo asked again. Before Apple Bloom could answer though, Scootaloo pushed through, walking up to Apple Bloom as she spoke. “I just said I loved it. I’m not hurt, I’m not acting any different than I normally do. What Dash and I do together, it’s the greatest! I mean, I’ve never felt so good in my life, like I’m melting on a cloud or floating on air. Sex is the best thing ever!”

“Is that why you’ve been ditching me and Sweetie?” Apple Bloom yelled, standing up to face Scootaloo eye to eye, making her friend flinch back. “Is sex better than your friends?”

Scootaloo didn’t respond right away. In the corner, Dinky wished she could leave. She was glad the attention wasn’t on her, but knew she couldn’t just leave in the middle of all this, not when it was her intention to not mess up Apple Bloom’s friendship with Scootaloo. “You don’t know what it’s like…”

She hadn’t spoken very loud, but it was enough to catch Apple Bloom’s attention. “Don’t tell me you’re havin’ sex with Rainbow Dash too!”

“Eww gross!” Dinky said, earning a glare from Scootaloo. “I haven’t had sex with anypony. But I know what Scootaloo is talking about. It’s not just about the sex, it’s about what happens at the end...”

“The end?” both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo asked. Neither filly seemed to understand what Dinky had meant, until it dawned on Scootaloo what came at the end of sex.

“Oh. I don’t know, getting to the end is pretty amazing too,” Scootaloo chuckled.

“What end?”

“An orgasm,” Dinky explained, “the physical and emotional sensation experienced at the peak of sexual excitement. Or the most intense feeling in the world. Or just… cumming.”

“Coming where?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Different kind of coming,” Scootaloo said, bringing Apple Bloom’s attention back to her. “And Dinky’s right. It’s… it’s hard to put into words just how awesome it is. It’s honestly kind of… addicting. I wasn’t ditching you and Sweetie because I didn’t want to hang out with you guys anymore. You’re my best friends, I would never want to stop seeing you guys. But I guess I was being shortsighted.”

“You were also lyin’ to us. You told us you were havin’ flyin’ lessons with Dash.”

“It wasn’t a total lie. I mean… it feels like I’m flying whenever Rainbow Dash makes me cum. It’s the greatest feeling in the world, and she’ll give me that feeling whenever I ask. It’s just… so awesome.”

“Come where? I still don’t get it!” Apple Bloom groaned, rubbing her hoof over her face in frustration.

“But weren’t you just trying to cum earlier, before Scootaloo and I came into your clubhouse?” Dinky asked.

“Yeah! You’re making it sound like you don’t even know what an orgasm is,” Scootaloo added.

Apple Bloom paused, recalling earlier and the position she had been in when the two fillies arrived. She also recalled all the other times she had that feeling between her hind legs, and how she could never understand what it meant or why it made her want to touch herself so much. If the end result was supposed to be as amazing as Scootaloo and Dinky made it out to be…

Then why does it feel so scary? Apple Bloom thought to herself.

“Ah don’t think ah’ve had one of those… orgasms before.” Apple Bloom finally admitted. “Up until now, I didn’t even know what one was.”

“Really?” Scootaloo’s eyes went wide in surprise, “But when we got here, you were clopping pretty hard.”

“Yah keep makin’ up words that ah swear mean somethin’ else…” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Ah just… started doin’ that. Yah know…” she looked at Dinky again, and felt uncomfortable saying anymore.

Dinky’s ears flattened to her head, feeling that she was unwanted here. She couldn’t blame Apple Bloom though, this was an embarrassing thing to talk about with anypony, let alone somepony Apple Bloom didn’t yet consider a friend. She thought for a minute how Princess Twilight would handle a situation where she needed to make a connection and establish trust.

The answer was easy; trust came from sharing. “I started mas… er, clopping, just a couple of months ago,” Dinky admitted, “I didn’t understand it either at first. It started with a dream I had about the princess, about how she was testing my levitation magic. Dreams are supposed to be subconscious thoughts and feelings that manifest in our sleep… somewhere deep down, I wanted the princess to… have sex with me. And she did, a lot…”

Dinky was blushing brightly, recalling the way in which she remembered dreaming about Twilight taking advantage of her, touching her, praising her for being a squirter…

Scootaloo smirked, “Never would have thought an egghead like you could be so kinky.”

“You’re not the only one allowed to be kinky,” Dinky shot back, then turned to Apple Bloom, who looked more than a little unsure at the both of them. “After I woke up from that dream, I had this strange feeling, well, down there. It ached a lot, and when I went to touch it, my hoof was wet and slippery. After that I started rubbing, and it was weird at first, but it just got better and better. Like an itch, only it didn’t feel annoying or bad. Strange, a little scary too because… well… I was getting really wet, and I didn’t want to stop. I could… smell myself too. Then it happened.”

“What… what happened?” Apple Bloom asked, her cheeks showing just as much blush as Dinky’s after having listened to the filly list off all the things she had started feeling.

“I had my first orgasm,” Dinky said simply, though she spoke with a small smile. “I guess it wasn’t so scary at the end. In my dream, I had an orgasm, or two. I sorta had an idea of what would happen. It really was amazing. I had never felt so good before… even though I was a mess at the end.”

“How messy?” Scootaloo asked shamelessly. “Like, so wet it felt like you squirted?”

Dinky was taken aback by the question and almost didn’t answer, yet she couldn’t help but want to share, given how much she had already admitted. “Yes… at least it felt like that. I never watch it happen… most of the time I have to shut my eyes because it’s just so intense. But I do need to, um, lay on a towel if I ever want to… clop.”

Scootaloo laughed, but not in a mocking way. “Rainbow Dash says my right hind leg twitches when I cum. And I squirt too, so I know what a mess it can be. Totally worth it though, and Dash just loves it.”

“In my dreams, the princess always praises me when I do it…” Dinky admitted, feeling more and more open to talking about this. She was also smiling more too; there was a connection being made between her and the fillies she always wanted to be friends with.

“This all sounds crazy…” Apple Bloom sighed, sitting on the floor and looking unsure. The things Scootaloo and Dinky were talking about didn’t make sense and didn’t sound enjoyable at all. If anything, they sounded gross to her.

“It’s not,” Scootaloo said, sitting by Apple Bloom’s side, and grateful to see her friend didn’t try and move away from her. “It really is awesome, and for me, it’s awesome to do this with Rainbow Dash. It feels special, and she makes me feel special because it’s our own private secret. Well, it was a secret, at least.”

Dinky sat down on the floor as well, looking away as Scootaloo gave her a knowing look.

“But now you know—” Scootaloo continued, “—well, you and Dinky. Dinky says she won’t tell anypony else and I believe her, because she understands where I’m coming from. If she’s lucky, maybe Twilight will notice how she feels too. But, Apple Bloom, you have to promise me you won’t tell anypony else either.”

Apple Bloom turned to face Scootaloo, feeling her heart tighten up at what Scootaloo was asking of her. “Ah reckon that includes Sweetie, too? Yah want me to start keepin’ secrets from our best friend?”

Scootaloo looked unsure. She knew their track record for keeping secrets wasn’t the best, but she wasn’t sure she wanted Sweetie Belle to know something this important. Sweetie Belle was the most innocent of the group.

“She should know,” Dinky said, getting the attention of both fillies. “She is your best friend, after all. You should trust her. Besides, you’re the cutiemark crusaders, three of the most bestest friends in Ponyville. You guys are the model of what friendship can be. Something like this shouldn’t break up your friendship.”

That got Apple Bloom’s attention. The thought of not having Scootaloo as a friend anymore was terrifying. She could see in Scootaloo’s eyes, too, that the same thought was running through her head.

“Ah was just scared yah didn’t want to be our friend anymore,” Apple Bloom admitted.

“Of course I do! I shouldn’t have been staying away so much. I guess I should have trusted you guys more. But you have to admit, it would have been really awkward to just come to the clubhouse one day and tell you and Sweetie that Rainbow Dash and I scratch each other’s itch.”

“You’re goin’ to have to talk plain if yah expect me to keep up.”

“Okay, deal. So… you’re not mad or anything?”

Apple Bloom hesitated, taking in everything she had been told. It wasn’t long before she nodded her head and gave Scootaloo a hug. “Ah don’t understand everything, but ah reckon it’s not as important as knowing mah best friend is still mah best friend.”

Scootaloo hugged back tight, a big smile stretching across her face. “We’re best friends for life! Nothing is ever going to change that.”

In the corner of her eye, Scoots noticed Dinky looking happy for them both, but still kept her distance from the two.

Scootaloo wasn’t going to have any of that. “We owe you some thanks too, Dinky.”

“We do?” Apple Bloom asked, seeing Dinky look just as surprised as she felt.

“Totally. If not for her, you still wouldn’t know about me and Dash. I might not even be here right now, leaving you and Sweetie to keep guessing why I was away.”

Apple Bloom gave Scootaloo’s statement some thought, knowing she was right, but still not liking it. Even if things worked out the way Scootaloo said, it wasn’t because Dinky had meant for any of that to happen. The guilty look on the unicorn’s face confirmed as much to Apple Bloom.

Dinky could feel what Apple Bloom was thinking, but also knew that Scootaloo was giving her a chance to set things right. After confessing her feelings about her mentor, it didn’t feel as scary to be honest with a few other things too. “I don’t think you owe me anything. The princess of friendship might be my mentor, but I don’t really know anything about how to make friends, let alone being a good friend. I know it starts with trust, and that’s kind of hard for me to get with other ponies. That’s why I wanted to meet up with you after school, Apple Bloom. I wanted to know if I could trust you, and I know now that I can. You can trust me when I say I’ll keep Scootaloo’s secret to myself. I just hope I can earn your trust too, by being a good friend.”

It wasn’t what Apple Bloom expected to hear, but it made her smile a little, despite herself. She had to admit, based on her own experiences with her friends over time, that friends bring out the best in each other. She was willing to bet that they could bring out the best in Dinky with a little of the magic that is friendship.

“No hard feelings, then?” Dinky asked, reaching a hoof out to Apple Bloom.

“Ah guess not,” Apple Bloom said, bumping hooves with Dinky.

Scootaloo grinned big, happy that feelings were being mended and her secret would be safe with ponies she could trust. “If you really want to make it up to Apple Bloom, then you should turn her invisible again so she can finish clopping.”

It was a tease of course, but the comment brought fierce blushes to both Apple Bloom and Dinky. The young unicorn muttered something about not having the magic to cast that spell for the rest of the day, whereas Apple Bloom gave Scootaloo a gentle shove.

“Not likely. After you two walked in, ah don’t think ah’ll ever try that in the clubhouse again. Or ever, for that matter.”

“Don’t be like that,” Scootaloo said, smiling coyly at her fellow crusader, “you looked like you were enjoying it a lot. And if you’ve never cum before, then you really don’t know what you’re missing.”

Apple Bloom groaned, not wanting to remember how she was acting before Scootaloo and Dinky walked in on her in the clubhouse. She had never been that out of control with herself. Or that into what she was doing to herself.

“Well, the mood has kind of passed, honestly. In fact, ah think ah’ve been scared straight, thanks to you two.”

That didn’t sit well with Scootaloo. She turned to Dinky, thinking something over and giving the unicorn a serious look, before turning that look to Apple Bloom. “You still think clopping is something bad, even after what Dinky and I told you?” Scootaloo asked. The disappointment in her tone was impossible to miss. “Clopping is one of the best things ever, next to sex I mean. And me and Dinky will prove it to you.”

“Wh-what?” Apple Bloom looked shocked, turning to Dinky who looked almost frightened at what Scootaloo was saying.

“Just what I said. We’ll show you clopping is great. All you’ll have to do is watch. Dash and I do it all the time! Just sit back and watch me and Dinky clopping, and you’ll see just how awesome it really is.”

Crazy ideas were a common occurrence as a Cutiemark Crusader. Taking on the cape meant shouldering the knowledge that questionable and sometimes crazy things could and often did happen, all in the name of self discovery and finding one’s destiny in life. A noble cause to be sure.

As Apple Bloom lay on her back, sandwiched between Dinky Hooves and Scootaloo in the tiny second floor of the clubhouse, she wondered if this was the pinnacle of crazy.

She still hadn’t been sure how Scootaloo had talked her into it. Most if not all the ‘out-there’ ideas for crusading came from her, but this was not an attempt to get their cutiemarks. Even if it was, Apple Bloom couldn’t begin to imagine what kind cutiemark in touching herself would look like, and she had no desire to find out.

“Ah must have lost my marbles. Ah can’t believe ah’m doin’ this...” Apple Bloom sighed, staring at the ceiling purposefully. She didn’t think she could look either filly in the eye at that moment.

Her tail curled up to rest on her belly, hiding a part of her that she had never even thought about hiding until recently. To her left, Dinky did the same while chewing on her bottom lip. She was nervous, but willing, and Apple Bloom still couldn’t be sure why.

To right was a shameless Scootaloo, comfortably on her back with her hind legs open. One of her hooves was already rubbing slowly over her stomach as she too kept her eyes on the ceiling.

“Just relax,” Scootaloo said, taking a deep breath through her nose and releasing it slowly from her mouth. “We’ll follow the rules, go at our own pace, and enjoy ourselves.”

The rules were Apple Bloom’s suggest, and they were suggestions at best. They would not look at each other, they’d keep their hooves to themselves, and most importantly, they were sworn to absolute secrecy. Scootaloo could not tell Rainbow Dash a word of anything that would or would not happen in the clubhouse.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” Dinky added softly, hugging her tail in the same self-conscious manner as Apple Bloom, “You’re not the only one.”

How Dinky had agreed to this was still baffling to Apple Bloom. She had originally been just as against Scootaloo’s idea, only to be persuaded by the same argument from Scootaloo that Apple Bloom had, until that moment, never questioned: I’m your best friend, would I ever let you down?

What followed after were promises of pleasure, the likes of which Scootaloo assured Apple Bloom had been denying herself for too long for no good reason. For Dinky, she could be able to make a more personal connection than she could have ever hoped for. According to Scootaloo, she had nothing to lose and everything to gain. For all her booksmarts, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but feel that Dinky had little common sense when she finally agreed.

“We’ve done crazier things together,” Scootaloo pointed out, squirming on the floor to find a comfortable spot. “This time at least we won’t get covered in tree sap. So lets start already! Are you ready to go, Dinky?”

“Y-yes,” Dinky said, squeezing her tail to herself a little tighter, “I think so, at least.”

“Ready, Apply Bloom?”

“Ah can’t believe ah’m doin’ this…”

“Great, I’ll start us off then!” Scootaloo’s grin was as big as it could get as she jumped into the lead, closing her eyes and telling her friends to do the same.

“Okay, I’m going to tell you guys about my first time ever with Rainbow Dash, and how amazing and awesome it was. Remember, keep your eyes closed so you can picture everything I say!”

Apple Bloom considered backing out of the whole deal, but in the end submitted to closing her eyes along with Dinky. She understood Scootaloo wanting to help, but her feather-brain idea was too out there for her to accept. It would never work.

“It all began when Rainbow Dash saved my life, when I nearly fell off the waterfall during the camping trip with to Rainbow Falls. Well, not nearly, I did fall. I was swimming as hard as I could, flapping my wings just to keep my head above water. I was cold, colder than I ever felt before in my life.”

Apple Bloom opened her eyes at that. She turned to face Scootaloo, who still had her own eyes closed as she retold the story of the camping trip the crusaders took with their sisters. She knew about this story already, only not from Scootaloo’s point of view on how she very nearly died.

“When I fell off the edge,” Scootaloo continued, showing no signs of noticing Apple Bloom watching her, “All I could do was scream. I mean, I tried to scream. Water was getting in my mouth and up my nose. The sound of all that water crashing around me was louder than my screams for help. But she still heard me.”

Scootaloo paused and took a few deep breaths. Her front legs were resting on top of her stomach, her hind legs squeezed close together. Apple Bloom let her eyes drift between Scootaloo’s legs, watching as her best friend started to slowly rub her thighs together. It was not unlike the same thing Apple Bloom would do herself.

“I never saw her. One moment there’s all this icy water pushing me down, roaring in my ears. Then the next moment I’m being held by her, tight to her chest where I can hear her heart beating hard and strong. I can still hear it when I close my eyes and focus. I won’t forget what it sounds like when it’s beating that way, because when she fucks me, when I cum with her and we’re holding each other, her heart beats just like it did when she saved my life.”

By her side, Dinky gasped. Apple Bloom noticed how her eyes were shut tight, a small frown on her face. No doubt she was visualizing everything Scootaloo was saying. It seemed to Apple Bloom that Dinky was holding her tail even tighter now.

“It was a couple of days after the camping trip that I went to see Dash alone. I couldn’t forget how amazing it felt to be held by her. I wanted to thank her, I mean, really thank her. I didn’t care what it would take or what it would cost. When I told her I needed to talk to her, she flew me to her home, and the first thing she asked me was if I was still having nightmares. She thought that maybe her scary stories had really done a number on me, that I was still being a scaredy pony.

“That’s when I knew I wanted to be different in her eyes. I didn’t want her to see me all the time as a kid… as some pony that needed to be saved all the time or reassured about everything. So I told her just that. Well, I told her a lot of things. No matter what it would take, I wanted to be as strong, powerful, and awesome as her. I would do anything. I told her all that, and when I spilled my heart out to her, said three words to me that would change my life forever.”

It wasn’t until Scootaloo paused that Apple Bloom realized she had been holding her breath. What she was hearing was all new to her, and the way Scootaloo spoke about her confession left her impressed. She leaned a little closer, eager to hear Scootaloo continue her story.

“Close your eyes.”

Apple Bloom pulled her head back, thinking she had been caught. Scootaloo didn’t move, her eyes still closed. Even Dinky had been staying silent and still, clinging to her tail.

“I did, not knowing what was going to happen,” Scootaloo explained. “I closed my eyes and felt her take my head in her hooves, tilting my head up slowly. I didn’t know what she was doing at first. I knew she was getting closer because I could smell sweet rain water from her mane. A second later, and she was kissing me.”

Scootaloo paused again, letting out the tiniest of moans, recalling with perfect clarity how her first kiss went. She didn’t notice that Apple Bloom was watching her so intently, following her hooves as they started rubbing the inside her thighs.

“Her lips are the softest things ever. Softer than clouds. She kissed me really softly too, like she wasn’t sure how I would take it. But I wanted more. My heart was beating fast like my wings, and when she pulled away to look at me, I asked her not to stop. She didn’t, for a long time afterwards.”

Apple Bloom felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she watched Scootaloo’s hoof start to move higher up her thighs, until she was shamelessly rubbing over the gentle swell of her sex. There was no looking away from the display of her best friend rubbing herself in the same curious way that Apple Bloom had come to mistrust so much. Unlike herself, there was no hesitation in Scootaloo, only happy murmurs and a growing smile.

“What happened next?” Dinky spoke up, keeping her eyes closed. Apple Bloom noticed the unicorn was trembling a little, as if she were cold, until she noticed Dinky’s hips were squirming. The way Dinky held her tail to her, it suddenly seemed as if Dinky was pressing herself against that tail, even starting to grind on it.

Is she… rubbin’ up on her own tail? Ah didn’t even know a pony could do that.

It was impossible for Apple Bloom not to feel a tingle travel down her spine at the sight of Scootaloo and Dinky. That small tingle lingered and began to grow, bringing the same kind of excitement that Apple Bloom often got when seeing her friends do something fun and wanting very much to join in with them.

At the moment, her hoof was all for joining in on the fun, and it was getting harder to hold it back.

“After she kissed me… Mmmmm,” Scootaloo started again, though it looked to Apple Bloom like she was having to really focus on her story. Her hoof moved at a slow pace, met with the eager thrusts of her hips as she shamelessly clopped, perhaps even knowing that Apple Bloom was watching her. “Actually, I’ll tell the rest after Dinky shares one of her dreams with us.”

“M-my dreams? Oh…”

Apple Bloom tore her attention away from Scootaloo to Dinky, seeing that she had stopped rubbing up on her tail, but kept her eyes closed. It dawned on Apple Bloom that if Dinky couldn’t see what she and Scootaloo were doing, it might have felt to her like being invisible. It certainly explained why Dinky was even going this far with them, and why she was still willing to go further.

“I… I had a dream once, with the princess and me, in the library…”

The excitement in Apple Bloom’s body was getting hotter, happening faster than normal either because her friends were clopping at her side or because her own clopping had been cut short. As Dinky started her story, Apple Bloom leaned back, accepting what was going to happen, and letting her hoof reach down to stroke over her hind legs as she had seen Scootaloo do to herself.

“I was balancing books with my magic… doing levitation practices. They were thick books, and heavy, and I was starting to sweat from the strain. I was about to let them drop, when the princess came up beside me. It was just the two of us, and she started... rubbing her wing tip over my back, petting me like a kitty. She was telling me I was doing good, and to keep it up for ten seconds more.”

Dinky paused, and though Apple Bloom was laying back down, she had her head turned to Dinky, watching the little unicorn’s blush grow brighter on her face. The story so far had sounded very tame compared to Scootaloo’s, but she could see that for Dinky at least, it was taking major effort for her to go through with this story.

“I could tell… just from the tone of her voice, and the smile on her face, that she was going to reward me if I did good. She kept petting my back, and the tips of her wings would slide down all the way… all the way to my flank. My horn was getting hot, and I tried to keep the stack of books steady. She was counting down, but when she did… she rubbed her wing tips in circles over me… where my cutiemark would be. Every rotation was a slow second. I couldn’t turn my head to look at her, but I could feel her eyes on me, and her magic, lifting my tail up.”

Beside Apple Bloom, Scootaloo made a small groan. She was rubbing still, spreading wetness over herself that matted down her fur. Turning back to Dinky, Apple Bloom saw her she smile more as she continued her story.

“I knew what she was doing, but I kept going. I wanted to make her proud. I kept up my magic, fighting through the heat in my horn and the throbbing in my head. I was throbbing… kind of everywhere at that point… and when the princess counted down to ten, I dropped my books. My magic stopped, and my horn felt like it was buzzing. I sorta collapsed… sorta. My front legs and my head where down on the floor… but the princess… she was holding me up by my rear.”

“Face down, ass up?” Scootaloo asked, bringing to mind a clear picture of that very position for Dinky in Apple Bloom’s mind, but with Dinky’s bashful face looking back behind her, shyly offering herself up. The perverted imagery made Apple Bloom’s hoove move higher up, where it needed to be, though she was still holding back from rubbing herself like Scootaloo was doing.

“Y-yes. She praised me… said I was the best student she could hope for… and she started kissing me…”

“Where?” Scootaloo demanded, a little roughness in her tone as her hoof moved a little faster.

“My plot,” Dinky spoke breathlessly, with a little thrust of her hips as she started to grind on her tail once again. “The princess… in my dreams… she really likes it back there… she said I deserved a special reward because… because I was studying while in heat. She said I was already wet and… winking, back there. I felt her kisses, one after the other, leading down to where she said I was dripping on her floor. I could feel her hot breath on me. I couldn’t move, I didn’t want to move, I wanted her to keep going and not stop and to press her lips harder on me and kisssssss!”

Dinky tensed up, her eyes squeezing tight. Apple Bloom hadn’t noticed right away, but Dinky had placed her hoof over herself, above the base of her tail.

“Did you just cum?” Scootaloo asked, breathing a little heavy next to Apple Bloom. The farm filly suddenly became very aware of how excited Scootaloo and Dinky were, and how she felt herself catching up. She hadn’t even noticed when her own hoof moved to start rubbing directly over her puffy sex, and how it felt like she couldn’t pull it back this time.

“N-no, I think I rubbed too much on my clit.”

“Feeling good over there, Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo asked with a giggle in her voice.

If Scootaloo had been expecting a snarky comment back, she was disappointed by the distracted tone of Apple Bloom’s voice. “Kinda… a little…”

Apple Bloom saw Scootaloo smile more at that as she got into a steady rhythm of rubbing and grinding on her hoof. “Me too… tell us what happened next, Dinky.”

“The dream got fuzzy after that. The princess was kissing me a lot… I could hear each kiss, but they felt so strong, like shocks…” Dinky paused again, needing to catch her breath. Apple Bloom watched as Dinky had gone from shyly touching herself to full on rubbing under her tail in small, quick circles. Whereas Scootaloo was being rougher with herself, making occasional soft grunts, Dinky was moving fast and beginning to whimper from the relentless attention of her fantasy-fueled hoof. Apple Bloom wasn’t sure who to mimic, settling for speeding her own hoof up a little more from it’s slow exploring touches, and applying more pressure around the swelling numb she had discovered earlier.

Her efforts were rewarded with more wetness clinging to her hoof. She could see she wasn’t the only one getting wet.

“She was saying things to me. Or at me. It’s hard to remember now, but it felt like she was saying… dirty things. I remember feeling shocked at first, but if the princess was saying those things, they had to be true. It’s hard to remember much after that.”

Dinky was panting at this point. Apple Bloom felt her heart race to see the filly look the same way she had felt during all those times alone when she would touch herself and wonder why it felt so good. Seeing that she wasn’t the only one who could be swept up in pleasure made her not want to stop. In fact, stopping herself had been the last thing on Apple Bloom’s mind.

“That sounds hot. Dash loves talking dirty with me,” Scootaloo added.

“What happened after Dash started kissin’ you?” Apple Bloom asked as she finally closed her eyes, being better able to picture herself in Dinky’s position. It wasn’t Twilight she imagined planting shock-kisses on her flank though. That role was instead filled by Dinky herself, with Scootaloo watching the both them, ready to tell the rest of her story with a smug look on her face, sitting with her hind legs spread well apart for Apple Bloom

The mental image made Apple Bloom moan for her friends.

Scootaloo was happy to jump right in, “After she kissed me all over, I started kissing her back. I got to find a spot on her throat that makes her giggle when I kiss it, just under the right side of her jaw. I nuzzled her chest, where she’s really soft, and kissed my way down her tummy. I could feel her hooves on my head, guiding me down lower and lower, until I was between her thighs.”

As Scootaloo spoke, Apple Bloom imagined it all happening to to her. Rainbow Dash was replaced by Scoots in her mind, kissing from her throat down her chest and stomach until she was staring at the slick, winking sex of her best friend, seeing how it had opened up for her, how swollen her clit had gotten, dripping with juices that caused Apple Bloom to take a deep, longing breath.

“I didn’t wait for her to tell me what I already knew I needed to do. I kissed all over Dash’s pussy, just like Twilight must have kissed over yours, Dinky.”

Dinky’s only response was to whimper louder. Apple Bloom kept her eyes closed, but she could imagine the unicorn filly rubbing herself faster, and her wanting to catch up.

“I couldn’t stop. Dash… she tastes so good. And she was moaning really loud, in a way I didn’t know she could moan. I was totally in control of her. If I kissed hard enough, she trembled. And if I was too gentle, she’d tell me to go faster, harder, but she would always sound out of breath. I wasn’t the little filly that needed to depend on her for help anymore. She was depending on me… calling out for my name…”

Apple Bloom waited to hear more, but all she heard was Scootaloo’s heavy breathing mixed with Dinky’s whimpers. She couldn’t be sure if the heavy breathing and whimpering was actually coming from her.

“Guys… I think I’m getting close,” Scootaloo warned as she started to grunt from applying even more pressure to herself. Apple Bloom could picture Scoot’s hoof thoroughly soaked, fetlocks matted around her hoof, a small puddle on the floor under her.

“M-me too... “ Dinky was squeaking now, just like Sweetie Belle often did whenever she got super excited for anything. In her mind, Scootaloo was replaced with Dinky, hugging her tail with one leg while her hoof stayed busy, rubbing is fast circles under hips that rocked with eagerness.

The mental image changed again. Suddenly it was Apple Bloom seeing herself, hugging her tail and rubbing herself fast. She became the one whimpering, making a puddle on the floor and unable, unwilling, to stop herself. The fear that always seemed to creep up whenever she let the pleasure take this much control over her wasn’t being felt this time. With her friends at her side equally as helpless as she was, Apple Bloom didn’t want to stop. She was coming to the edge of an abyss that had always scared her before, but as Scootaloo and Dinky edged closer with her, the fear of jumping in and being swallowed by the sensations burning inside her were gone.

Her body seemed to understand; it can only get better.

If Scootaloo or Dinky said anything to her, Apple Bloom didn’t hear them. Her body seized up without warning as she mentally made the jump into an abyss of raw pleasure that made her see an explosion of color behind her eyelids. She was aware of her body moving, her hips bucking into the air. Every hair of her yellow coat became five times as sensitive to touch, making the simple act of laying on the floor too much to handle. She was falling forever, but forever was only as long as it took to hear her name being called.

Apple Bloom opened her eyes, spilling tears she didn’t know she had. She couldn’t move without feeling like she wanted to laugh. Her limbs felt heavy as lead, a slight chill coming over her, letting her know she was coated in sweat. She was vaguely aware of drooling on herself.

Next to her, Dinky was curled up, catching her breath. Her hoof had stopped, and she looked as if she were ready to sleep. Scootaloo was resting with a leg behind her head, and her messy hoof being licked clean. She turned to Apple Bloom with a lazy, content smile. “Does it feel like you were flying?”

Apple Bloom licked her dry lips, smiling slowly back at Scootaloo, but needing time before she felt like she could speak, “It felt like I was falling. Falling into a hole that never ended, and it was awesome.”

### Chapter 8

-The day after-

“Ya best be comin’ now, Apple Bloom!”

Ah wish ah was… Apple Bloom sighed to herself as she slid her saddlebags on and hurried to the front door, where Applejack stood with a brown lunch bag in her mouth. If the mare noticed that her little sister looked less than perky that morning, she didn’t mention it after slipping the homemade lunch in Apple Bloom’s saddlebags.

“Have trouble sleepin’? Yer normally up earlier than this.”

Apple Bloom shook her head before giving Applejack a kiss on the cheek on her way out the door. “Maybe a little, but I’m fine. I’ll see ya later!”

“Don’t forget we’re we workin’ the market stall tomorrow! I’ll need yer help gettin’ the apples ready!” Applejack called out as her little sister trotted off to school. Apple Bloom gave Applejack a wave and waited until she was out of sight of Sweet Apple Acres before slowing down. The smile she had left Applejack with was quickly replaced with an annoyed frown.

Ah knew it. Ain’t no way ah can clop in the mornings. And ah can’t clop at night on account of me being too loud… wish ah could control that better. Bet ah could with practice, if ah can ever get time to practice.

It was a frustrating problem to have, but one she had expected. Her experience at the clubhouse with Scootaloo and Dinky left Apple Bloom free of her fear in touching herself, but had replaced that fear with craving.

Walking among the normal, everyday sights and sounds of Ponyville on her way to school, Apple Bloom now saw potential places to go to, when she couldn’t go to the clubhouse at least. It shocked her at first to even consider clopping outside of home, away from Sweet Apple Acres no less, but the shock of Scootaloo and Dinky discovering her made the clubhouse feel unsafe for that kind of activity. And if the clubhouse was a no go, and her home was a no go, there weren’t many options left.

Ah could always do it out here… just, behind some bushes, maybe?

That thought came and went with the breeze, making Apple Bloom snort in frustration. She knew what her real options were, she just didn’t want to admit to them.

Scootaloo had been the first to offer, after she and Dinky helped clean up their respective messes in the clubhouse. She had also been the first to point out to Apple Bloom the potential problem of finding a place to enjoy her new found love for clopping, and like any good friend, offered her help.

“You’re welcome to join me and Rainbow Dash!”

It was more likely that Apple Bloom would start liking grapefruit over apples.

There was no fooling herself to risk even entertaining the notion that she would ever consider joining in with Scootaloo on the things she did with Dash. From just the little she had heard, she couldn’t imagine wanting somepony else to touch her in that way, let alone use their mouth on her. Despite Scootaloo’s insistence that sex was even better than clopping, Apple Bloom had told her she simply wasn’t ready.

It had been a shock when Dinky bashfully offered her home up as a place for Apple Bloom to rub out some relief, “Momma doesn’t come home from work until a couple hours after school lets out. And my big sister has a job that keeps her busy too, so it’s just me at the house. I’m almost never there because I spend so much time at the library with the princess, but, I’ve never had a friend come over before.”

It had been an interesting prospect, one that Apple Bloom said she would at least consider, even though it seemed unlikely she would ever take up Dinky’s offer. She was still on the fence about Dinky as somepony she would want to be as close with as she was with her fellow crusaders. She didn’t feel as if she knew truly who Dinky was, but Apple Bloom did know that being around friends often revealed a pony’s true nature. She was willing to give Dinky the chance; it would be impossible not to after having clopped along side her the day before.

Whatever the future held for her and Dinky Hooves, Apple Bloom’s immediate concern was Scootaloo.

Knowin’ that featherbrain, she’ll probably try to talk me into joining her and Dash again, instead of talkin’ bout what we really need to work out.

Apple Bloom wondered how long it would take Sweetie Belle to notice she and Scootaloo were hiding something from her. Despite Scootaloo’s wholehearted enthusiasm for Apple Bloom to join in on the lewd fun she was having with Dash, she still shied away from telling Sweetie Belle what they were doing. It wasn’t completely hard to understand, as Sweetie was the most innocent of the group, and there was a real risk of upsetting, even alienating her from them. Or even worse, having her squeal to Rarity about what Dash was doing with a filly.

Even still, Apple Bloom was dead against the idea of keeping secrets from her best friend.

As the schoolhouse slowly came into view, and other fillies and colts started to appear around her, Apple Bloom began to wonder just how many of them did what she had just discovered, and how many, if any, were ‘big ponies’ as Scootaloo called herself.

As she scanned the familiar faces, not seeing Scootaloo, Dinky, or Sweetie Belle anywhere, she stopped after seeing one face that brought up a whole new set of concerns she hadn’t even realized she had.

Snails…

The colt, or filly perhaps, was standing alone at the school gates, a purple scarf wrapped around his neck as he, or she, Apple Bloom couldn’t be sure, seemed to be on the look out for somepony.

Apple Bloom thought back to the encounter she had watched between Snails and Miss Cheerilee, and the secret she didn’t want to know. It shined Snails in a new light that made Apple Bloom unsure of how to even approach her classmate, let alone start talking to him, or her.

As other ponies past her by, Apple Bloom noticed not a one so much as bothered to say hello as they walked past Snails. It wasn’t too surprising, as Snails often acting like the class clown, sometimes even appearing down right stupid, along with Snips. There hadn’t been a trace of the Snails she knew in class when she spied on the Snails who weeped to their teacher about wanting simply to be pretty.

Apple Bloom made a face, pouting her lips as she kept looking at Snails. While she couldn’t begin to really understand where Snails was coming from, there was something she could see clear as day; Snails was putting up a front to the class, pretending to act and think a certain way around them. Snails was, simply put a liar.

Horseapples… Apple Bloom couldn’t abide liars. Any pony who felt scared to hide who they really were bothered Apple Bloom in a way she hadn’t expected to feel, and she didn’t want to see Snails lying anymore.

Apple Bloom trotted up to Snails with a sudden sense of determination. Her classmate had yet to notice the yellow earth filly until she was mere feet away, startling Snails.

“Howdy there, Snails.”

Apple Bloom’s grin looked just the same as it would to Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle, but to a pony like Snails, it was something a little more special. She thought she saw a look of confusion in Snails’ eyes, and another emotion she couldn’t quite name, before he gave her an even bigger, goofy smile, filled with tightly clenched teeth. It looked and even felt fake and forced.

“Oh hey Apple Bloom. Didcha happen to see Dinky anywhere?”

Apple Bloom blinked, not expecting that kind of question. Thoughts of the clubhouse came rushing to the forefront of Apple Bloom’s mind, with Dinky curled up by her side as she basked in the afterglow of an orgasm, and the puddle of her own cum spreading under her.

“N-no, can’t say ah saw her today,” Apple Bloom said, trying to fight back the blush that wanted to creep over her cheeks, “Why do ya ask?”

“She let me borrow her scarf a couple of days ago. I kept meaning to give it back but it always slipped my mind. I need to give it back to her today before I leave.”

There’s my openin’.

“Her scarf… ya mean the one you’re wearin’ right now? Gosh, ah thought it was yours. It looks good on ya. It’s mighty pretty.”

Snail’s goofy smile faltered at that, looking at Apple Bloom with a sense of being on guard. “It’s what?”

“Ya going on a trip?” Apple Bloom asked, sidestepping the question.

While she wasn’t the best sales pony in the world, or even among her family, Apple Bloom knew something about business when it came to getting ponies comfortable around her to speak and act honest. Applejack called it customer service, making the client feel special, important, and more willing to buy what you had to sell. She might not have been trying to sell Snails anything, but she was trying to get something out of him, or her.

“Er, yeah. I’m, uh… going on a family trip. With my aunt.”

Apple Bloom put up another smile, and didn’t give Snails the chance to say anymore. “Is that why ya cut your mane?”

“No? I didn’t cut it?”

“Hmm, could’ve sworn ya done it up different, like ya wanted to look your best for your upcomin’ trip. Or maybe it’s the scarf. You look different. Ah like it.”

Apple Bloom’s grin grew a little bigger as she saw Snail’s normally dumb and clueless look crack to reveal an honest, albeit shy smile under a gentle blush. Before she could say anymore, Apple Bloom heard her name being called out. Both she and Snails turned to see Sweetie Belle heading up to the school gates, waving to her. Scootaloo walked by her side, taking a moment to wave as well.

It’s a start, but ah guess ah’ll work on this a little more later. Ah got time, Apple Bloom thought as she waved back. Before heading up to her friends, she turned back to Snails, her smile still there, bright and honest.

“Anywho, ah hope ya have a mighty fine time on your trip. With your aunt. Too bad you have to give up the scarf though. Purple is a pretty good color for ya.”

Before Snails could have the chance to say anything in response, Apple Bloom trotted out to meet her friends. As excited as she was to get a chance to talk before the start of class, she knew there were still issues to be worked out, problems that would need smoothing over, and secrets that needed to be shared with the ponies she loved and trusted the most.

Apple Bloom hadn’t gotten far enough to have missed Snails saying 'thank you' in a voice that sounded as pretty as the scarf around her neck.