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// Chapter 8// Story: Dig Your Own Hole// by Sirius_Face//------------------------------//

-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. 
