When Things Change [Deleted]

The morning started off like that of any summer day for Apple Bloom. The birds chirping while Winona barked at them, but today wasn't any normal summer morning. No, today was special for little Apple Bloom.

She darted towards the door when it swung open

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" the Apple family shouted with delight. "Y'all old timers actually remembered!" Apple Bloom shouted.

"How could we forget?" Applejack questioned her, "you're probably the only thing keepin' me sane right now."

"Eeyup," Big Mac said as calm as usual.

They went downstairs to see a towering apple cake on the kitchen table. "Your brother and ah made this cake for you." Apple Bloom went from excited to stern, " the cake looks good, but couldn't ya have used pears instead?"

The Apples stood silent, A smile formed on Apple Bloom's face, "ah'm kiddin'." The Apple family broke out laughing.

An hour passed when a knock was heard at the door. "Must be yur friends," AJ assumed. A marshmallow-colored filly and an orange pegasus walked in to the kitchen, "could've saved some for us," the pegasus said.

"Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom was excited to see them. "Lookin' for these?" Apple Bloom opened the family ice box to reveal two slices of cake reserved for them.A magical, green aura surrounded one of the plates and Scootaloo went to grab the other  one. The two ate in silence, "And, Applejack does it again, baking the best sweets around." Sweetie Belle broke the silence

"Damn right she does," Scootaloo blurts out.

"Happy Birthday by the way," the two say in unison.

The trio head out to the scooter with the attached wagon on the back. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom put their helmets on, but Scootaloo is trying to find hers. "Where is it?!" Scootaloo was getting frustrated. Sweetie Belle took advantage of this opportunity, "I think it's somewhere over there," pointing in a random direction. Scootaloo went in the pointed direction. Apple Bloom stared at her flank anxiously, a flaming scooter was seemingly glued to her sides.

"When are you going to make a move?" Sweetie Belle asked, refocusing her attention on the real world, "you know she's clueless."

"Ah know that," Apple Bloom almost mumbled, "it's just, what if she doesn't feel the same way as me?" Apple Bloom asked, getting teary eyed.

"Okay, even if she said no, she wouldn't try to hurt you, would she?" "I don't see her saying no to an amazing filly like you anyway," Sweetie Belle said in her in gentlest voice, Apple Bloom smiled at those uplifting words, "plus, if Scootaloo hurt you in anyway, Applejack would probably kick her ass."

This got Apple Bloom to chuckle. She liked Sweetie Belle for this. Whenever she felt sad, defeated, or just crushed, Sweetie Belle would always be there to literally talk her into a good mood. A quarter note sharp resides on her flanks, she could put her power words into lyrics if she wanted. Apple Bloom had a blank flank still.

"You lovebirds find my helmet?" Scootaloo stood over them, waiting for a response, nothing."Cool, because AJ found my helmet while you two were talking about Celestia knows what." They rode to Sugarcube Corner. "How does it feel to be twelve?" The two asked Apple Bloom in unison, "we've gotta stop doing that," they both said together.

The moment they walked into Sugarcube Corner. "So ah was thinkin'," Apple Bloom was directing the attention to Scootaloo, but Pinkie Pie started seating them, "they're busy upstairs," is all she would respond with when the cakes were asked about. There sitting with them was Spike, a grey pegasus colt, and a lavender unicorn who looked younger than the other foals there. She looks familiar, Apple Bloom thought.

"Dinky, Dinky Doo," the young unicorn spoke up. "Happy Birthday."

"Hey Rumble," Scootaloo simply said.

"What's up, Scootaloo?" The colt responded.

"We're celebrating her birthday," Scootaloo answered.

"Apple Bloom," the yellow earth pony blurted out, "ah'm Apple Bloom."

"Well Happy Birthday, Apple Bloom," he said excitedly, "nice to meet a friend of Scootaloo's."

They started small talk until Pinkie got to their table to take their orders.

        "Vanilla," Sweetie Belle answered.

        "Chocolate shake," Scootaloo said, in a cool tone. Apple Bloom bit her tounge.

        The other three ordered quickly. "And what would you like, birthday filly?" Pinkie asked the yellow filly.

        "The pink one," Apple Bloom gently responded. Pinkie went to place the orders. Apple Bloom sat there awkwardly next to Scootaloo, then asked, "are you two, like, dating?"

"No! He is way out of my league."

"What a relief because ah thought for a second-" She froze, realizing she was just about to spill out her emotions in front of the love of her life.

Pinkie came back with the shakes. "Here, here, here, and here you all are." "Except you, Apple Bloom!" It wasn't like Pinkie Pie to just not serve somepony what they ordered. She walked away, staring at her. "What was that all about?" Scootaloo looked freaked out. Sweetie Belle smirked at the two of them. "What?" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo harmonically asked. Apple Bloom blushed.

Pinkie Pie came back in with a huge, pink milkshake, "I call this, Filli Vanilli!"

"All for me?!" The flabbergasted earth pony shouted.

"Mind if I have some?" An orange pegasus asked, "I'll get a new straw."

"Ah thought you didn't like the, um, pink one."

"I don't, my throat is just really dry, but I already finished my shake," Apple Bloom fantasized about something very disturbing, yet strangely arousing.

"Ah, um, ah guess," Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at her. "Sure"

Scootaloo didn't think anything of it, but Apple Bloom's face was redder than the Macintosh apples on the orchard. Pinkie Pie snuck in a quick picture of the nervous Apple Bloom and stuck it in a scrapbook.

It was dusk and Scootaloo was walking Apple Bloom home. When they got there Apple Bloom opened up, "maybe you can stay the night here."

"I would love to, but I gotta get home before my mom beats me harder than she already does."

There was a long silence between them. "Alright," was all Apple Bloom could get out.

"See ya some other time, and really, I hope you had a good birthday," Then she rode off.

"It would be better if I could protect you from her," Apple Bloom whispered softly.

Apple Bloom glumly trudged up the stairs and into bed early. If only I could protect you, were the words in her mind.

When Scootaloo walked in through her front door, her mom's voice like nails on a chalk board was there to "greet" her, "where have you been, it's 6:00 PM?!"

"It was my friend's birthday, so I hung out with her."

"Without running this by me?!"

"You don't even care about me!" "You just want me for child welfare!"

Scootaloo galloped to her room in anger and slammed the door. "Screw you, whore," she spoke in a soft voice.

         There was a long moment of silence.

"Scootaloo!!" Her mom yelled. Scootaloo walked in, "what the hell do you want?!" Her mother was enraged.