Apple Bloom strained as she delivered her fifth payload. Grumbling to herself she retrieved the strap-on brush and started working on a small stain.
Why do ponies feel the need to wear stupid stockings anyway? she thought as she picked up another garment by the hem and tossed it into the washtub.
There was no school and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had gone off on holiday...separately. With no school projects and no crusaders club house to keep her occupied Apple Bloom had graciously offered to help out with the laundry. It was an offer she now very much regretted having made.
When I said help out, I didn't mean do it all by myself, she grumbled.
But she was stuck with it, there was a massive amount of apple bucking to be done this week and the rest of the Apples had taken her up on her offer with such massive enthusiasm that she felt duty bound to carry out whatever task was assigned. There was no question of Granny Smith doing anything that amounted to physical labour.
She had to drain the tub of water when it got too dirty and refill it with fresh piping hot water.
As she looked at the wet draped clothes over the edge she wondered if there was a way to make her task a little easier. Casting her eyes about she saw the massive box of soap powder, both Applejack and Granny Smith said to only use so much powder per gallon of water or there would be diminishing returns.
She didn't see why more soap wouldn't be more effective and cleaner, more soap = cleaner shinier = better, so with that flawless logic she dumped about half the powder into the tub.
The water foamed easily with a minimal amount of stirring, a huge mound of bubbles rose up and big ones were released into the air. Apple Bloom looked at this with satisfaction as she scrubbed the clothing on the washboard, as she attacked it with the brush even more foam came from the clothing and she removed the sudsy socks to one side.
Exhausted and panting from the exertion, she rested on the side of the tub, there was a dull pain in her muscles, an ache she could feel. She had been working all day, around the farm as well as in the laundry, the barn was full of haydust which she was now covered in. She now had dirty sweaty matted hair and just wanted to wash it all away. She could really really use a bath.
She stared at the wash tub in front of her.
She couldn't could she? It was a tub for clothes after all, not ponykind. She stared at it nervously wondering if she should take the plunge.
Ahh to hay with it, it was a tub filled with hot water and soap, what was the difference? The clothing would not appreciate the high temperature she had maintained or the extra soapy goodness she had put in there, it was dumb fabric. Who needed clothes? Well the towel she was washing could serve as an impromptu pillow. Resolutely she clambered in and stood on all fours in the tub for about three seconds.
Then the heat hit her.
She gasped, dipping a hoof into water as hot as this was one thing, being immersed was something else.
It scalded all over her body especially her legs. The heat was too much to take all at once. It was starting to become painful and it almost overwhelmed her.
"Aah! Aah!" she cried, as she danced about trying to distract herself from the sensation.
Just as she was about to leap out to try and recover from her perceived folly the sensation changed. It became a buzzing sensation as her nerves were numbed by the heat. She sat down cautiously, her body had adjusted to the temperature.
As the tingling subsided she could just feel the powerful heat and the wetness.
"Ooh," she said out loud. This was incredibly relaxing. She moved to the side of the tub and slowly lowered herself in till she was lying down, her head propped up comfortably against the washboard.
Breathe in......breathe out......breathe easily. The heat worked into her, relaxing and soothing every muscle. She breathed out, releasing the aches and cares of the day. She unwound, feeling floppy in the water.
The steam rose from the water, she didn't want to move. She could...feel her legs melt and relax, she let them go completely like seaweed in the tide. Apple Bloom sighed in contentment as a tremendous wave of heat and pleasure coursed through her. The water soaked into her mane and fur, cleaning her.
She sank a little deeper until the water was up to her ears, burning a little at first, then she moaned a little as the warmth and pleasure spread through her jaw and head.
Closing her eyes as the heat penetrated to her core, she breathed very slowly and deeply enjoying the new blissful sensations that washed over her.
This was so wonderful, she should have tried it earlier. What a thrill it would be to get Scoots and Sweetie Belle on...
Apple Blooms' eyes opened.
She hadn't seen her fellow crusaders for a few weeks. She had been kept busy on the farm and hadn't had the urge to visit the clubhouse. She experienced mainly boredom and frustration but as she looked at the soapy tub realising there was room for three fillies in there she recognised that two important threads in the fabric of her life were missing.
Staring at the bubbles she saw one with a purple tinge of light which reminded her of Scootaloos mane. Staring at the bubble she pictured Scootaloo and...
_________________________________________________________________________________________
"You got a problem with blank flanks?"
Horrified gasps were heard through sugarcube corner, very loudly As Apple Bloom had knocked over the music player.
"I said, you got a problem with blank flanks!"
A small plucky looking orange filly came out from under the table. Frowning, she stuck her leg out daring somepony to challenge her.
"The problem is she's like totally not special," said the arrogant Silver Spoon.
"No it means she's full of potential," said a unicorn filly who joined Apple Bloom by her side. The orange pegasus stood on her other side, wings outstretched making Apple Bloom feel protected and supported.
...
"Yeah and she's not stuck being stuck up like you two."
Laughter, and the two bullies fumed and complained. The orange filly introduced herself as Scootaloo. She had totally wiped the floor with the bullies, being brave and even taking the mick out of their silly turns of phrase. Twilight Sparkle had lectured the two bullies but Scootaloo had lead the charge, and that first time they talked at the party.
"Now that we're friends, I mean we are all friends right?" asked Apple Bloom a little hesitantly.
"How could we not be?" Scootaloo said brightly, smiling, instant reassurance. She looked at her eyes which were bright like bubbles.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Apple Bloom stared at the mass of bubbles in the bath.
The bubbles stared back reflecting her as she reflected on the past. The next thing Scootaloo had said was that they were totally alike. Of course they weren't though. Scootaloo was a little headstrong and fiercer than she was. She would have divebombed straight into the bath/washtub as soon as she'd had the idea sending water all over the place. They could be playfully throwing soap suds at each other.
She had been so strong and assertive that day. Quick to assure her that yes! they were friends even as Apple Bloom had been slightly unsure. Apple Bloom wondered as her mind wandered, had she ever thanked Scootaloo for being there for her? Told her that it meant a great deal to her? They had hung around together of course and played games and talked, but had she ever placed two hooves on her shoulders and said "You're important to me." She didn't think she had.
Sweetie Belle would have taken some persuading to get in and would have gotten in one limb at a time very slowly. Then she would be completely chilled out, but would probably fuss a little at getting soap in her face. She was more fragile and sometimes a little more like her big sister than she would admit to.
Ah, her sister, that reminded Apple Bloom of something, it was around here somewhere but she really really didn't want to get out of the tub to go and get it. It was warm and comfortable and she was now quite wet.
Slightly frustrated she leaned back and looked at the bubbles. Hundreds and thousands of Apple Blooms looked back at her. Some were big and some were small. They moved as she moved. She could see them do everything except blink. She blinked rapidly, trying to catch them out and see if one of the bubbles had a slower response time.
She sent a leg through the mass of bubbles, launching lots of Apple Blooms into the air. She pulled one of the larger ones out balancing it on her hoof. She contemplated her alter ego for a bit and then brought her hooves together, making it disappear.
That brought something to mind, a phrase she'd overheard Twilight Sparkle saying in a discussion at the library with somepony. She had talked about collapsing the quantum waveform.
Collapsing the quantum waveform. Where was quantum? Would the activity need waterskis? At any rate it sounded like fun.
Were the bubbles windows? Maybe thousands of Apple Blooms were observing her, even as she looked at their miniature forms, just as one bubble had been the window to a memory. Ahh but to all of them she would be the bubble.
All the Apple Blooms looked at her expectantly as if waiting for her to take action.
She decided to get out of the bath, staying in there on her own was making her too introspective and making her think words that she shouldn't know like 'introspective.'
Looking bedraggled and dripping wet, Apple Bloom decided that she should look for the thing from Sweetie Belles sister. She should hurry up about it as being soaked as she was she would get cold very very quickly and that was nasty. Several displaced bubbles floated around the room.
She clopped quickly over to some boxes and miscellaneous bric-a-brac in the left corner of the room. She picked out one particular box and started sifting through the various soaps and other odd things and then laid her hooves on what she was looking for.
A large fancy glass bottle with a pump action squirter, almost filled up with a sheeny purple liquid. It was decorated with molded glass grapes at the base and twirling glass vines that coiled around the neck and caught the light. The big label stamped on the front said "The Mane Effect: Ultra conditioner and moisturiser." Attached to the neck of the bottle with a piece of string was a label.
The label, which was written on in graceful flowery writing that could only be achieved by telekinesis and a quill pen, said this,
To Applejack
For use when bathing.
Your special indulgence.
Love
Rarity
Thank goodness Applejack and Rarity got on so much better these days since the whole Twilight sleepover incident which Apple Bloom had heard about. The bond had become stronger when Sweetie Belle had tried to adopt Applejack as her sister, which Apple Bloom had witnessed. Rarity had appreciated Applejacks help in solving that little family drama.
Apple Bloom grasped the bottle delicately, turning it over in her hooves. It was heavy and had been emblazoned with Raritys' logo of piercing eyes.
She batted it between her hooves nervously, should she use it? Sure the label said to Applejack, but Applejack had placed it in the family supply box where anypony could get it and not her rather small private cupboard.
She didn't say you could use it, one of the soap bubbles seemed to say.
Well she didn't forbid you from using it either. Another bubble countered.
Apple Bloom noticed the bottle was almost full, her hard working sister really didn't have either the time or the inclination for special indulgences, it would be a great pity to let Raritys' gift go to waste.
With the cold starting to bite at her, she scurried back to the tub bottle in hoof, the bubbles following her. She placed it within easy reach of the tub so she could squirt out more of the stuff if she wanted without having to clamber out again.
She eased back into the tub, the cold evaporated quickly, she experienced the delicious heat once more.
Leaning out carefully she pumped a fair dollop of the purple liquid into her hoof. Leaning back in she brought it to her muzzle and examined it. It was not an entirely uniform colour, there were subtle stripes in it and there was a rich scent emanating from it that seemed to be mainly lavender.
She started to rub it into her chest.
She gasped for the second time that day. It was so slippery. Such wonderful sweet smoothness against her skin. She rubbed in circles with both hooves and it lathered. That felt even better, she squealed as she squeezed at the foam and her moisturised hair.
Quickly she pumped out even more of the conditioner. She applied it to her forelegs and her hair and rubbed it into her armpits for good measure. She revelled in the luxurious lather. It was an intriguing physical pleasure and she thrilled at the sensation as she rubbed herself vigorously.
Thoroughly moisturised she was as slippery as an eel and she squeezed herself running her hooves through her slick hair.
What fun it would be to use this on Sweetie Belles fluffy mane.
Splash.
There it was again, she was alone in the tub with nopony to talk to or play with.
She sighed a little wishing that at least one of her fellow crusaders was in the tub with her.
'Ho ho, its like that is it?' clamoured the bubbles 'not good enough for you are we?'
She sank deeper into the tub, being almost submerged in the water.
She really really missed her friends at this point, wishing they were there with her so she could hug them or talk to them.
"You could talk with us, "said a reflected Apple Bloom, "takes talking to your self to a whole new level."
"I wouldn't want to play with her, she was the mastermind behind sabotaging Babs' float."
"She can't leave the bath now, its too cold, she'll get ill."
That was another thing, if her sister or one of her friends was here, she could have helped rub the conditioner on her back which she couldn't reach, or help take her bow out, which was incredibly fiddly.
She took it out now, it was sopping wet, and placed it a little sadly on the floor. It would take a long time to dry.
She started thinking now, back and back to being a very small foal, and how Applejack would carefully and delicately scrub her mane. She was being looked after and what a good feeling that was.
If her friends were here now, she'd be able to sense them when they caused ripples, feel connected to them through the water. They could look after each other.
At the moment it was her and a bar of soap, and the mound of bubbles.
"Why can't you just enjoy the good things in life without worrying about that sharing nonsense?"
"You could keep that lovely shampoo all to yourself, just like we're keeping you."
"We shall, we shall, we shall keep her to ourselves."
Determined to ignore the soap opera that was playing out at the other end of the tub she shut her eyes.
Felt the heat again, it was nice but it made her sleepy...so sleepy.
She felt like yellow butter melting into toast. Unable to resist she fell asleep.
Apple Bloom didn't hear Applejack enter the room after a hard days harvesting and didn't hear the sudden intake of breath. She did feel hooves shaking her shoulder a few minutes later as she was roused from her soapy slumber.
"Huh wah?"
"Apple Bloom! There's a reason we take baths in the bathroom and not in the laundry room."
"There is? What is it?"
"It's uhh, well, lemme think. Okay, towels for one, clean towels. Lets get you out of there and into one."
She pulled Apple Bloom out of the tub and soon had her wrapped up in a thick fluffy towel.
Applejack espied the special conditioner bottle and picked it up.
"How much of this here darn thing did you use?"
"Oh please don't be mad at me Applejack. It was in the box everypony uses, I didn't use too much."
Applejack ruffled the mane of her younger sister. "Why I couldn't stay mad at you for more than half a minute. Of course I put it in everponys' box, figure it might actually get some use that way. But... didn't use too much? Half the bottles gone!"
Apple Bloom shifted uncomfortably, "It's uh, very nice. We should thank Rarity for it when we see her."
"Well if you enjoyed it then thats a good thing... oh my."
"Whut?"
"Just come through and see the rest of the family, trust me come on."
Both ponies went to the living room at Sweet Apple Acres, Granny Smith and Big Mac were relaxing in there.
Applejack said "Okay take a look at this." She pulled the towel off Apple Bloom. Big Mac and Granny Smith took one look at her and burst out laughing.
"Whut?" Then Apple Bloom looked in the mirror. She had used so much conditioner it had turned her coat a light shade of pink, and the effect of the conditioner and the rubbing of the towel had made it fluff out like a powder puff.
"Oh my," said Applejack, trying to restrain her laughter, "you just need a fake horn and you'd look like a pink fluffy unicorn."
Apple Bloom looked at her reflection in the miror and then giggled wildly. "Oh that's funny, and ah learned something while I was in the bath, uh washtub too."
"Want to write the Princess about it?"
"Ah don't want to bother her with stuff."
"She won't be bothered, the Princess takes time for each and every one of her subjects. Besides I bet she's bored out of her tiara sitting there in Canterlot Castle. So we can send your note off the next time we see Spike."
Apple Bloom agreed and penned a letter.
Dear Princess Celestia
Today I took a bath.
Uhhh apart from now being sparkly clean, I learned that the best experiences in life don't mean much unless you share em with a friend. I realised today how much my friends mean to me and that I never really told em I love em as such. I'm gonna do that when I see em again even if Scootaloo complains I'm being sappy. I also learned that bubbles can be really weird and shouldn't be faced alone.
Your loyal subject
Apple Bloom
