Changing Seasons

Changing Seasons
By Wayward Pony

"Special Feelings"
Part 1, Chapter 1

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo raced towards the Acres, with Sweetie Belle not too far behind.

"Come on, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom shouted through the warm country air.

"Keep up, slowpoke!" yipped Scootaloo. "You're making me wish I'd brought my wagon and scooter!"

"C-coming!" Sweetie Belle shouted from behind the two, panting. "You two are running so fast!"

Sweetie Belle lagged a good fifteen feet behind and was slowly losing ground. The farm house stood a mere half mile away. Normally she could make the run from Ponyville, but today... today, they weren't even out of Ponyville and she was sweating profusely.

She hadn't told any of her friends, she hadn't even told Rarity, but when she got up that morning she wasn't feeling very well. She couldn't explain what was wrong exactly, but that was why she'd decided to keep her mouth shut. It was Saturday, the Crusaders had the long weekend off school and they were going to have a sleepover at the Acres. If Sweetie Belle said she wasn't feeling well, that meant no sleep over, and she was really looking forward to this... so were Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

So, how wasn't she feeling well? Aside from the sweating and the panting, she'd had a stomach ache since late last night. She figured it must've been what she had for lunch; her mom had made her lunch instead of giving her a few bits to buy it, and she never liked her mom's cooking... she'd learned herself and improved it, after all. She was sure it was what she had eaten.

Even though her tummy ached, she still managed act happy... even while running. Her stomach felt so tight and bloated when she ran, like she'd soon have to go to the bathroom. She'd tried twice before leaving the house and just sat, doubled over while groaning. Eventually it went away and she left. It was back now.

The house was in sight. Applejack was outside in the bright sun bucking apples. She smiled and waved as the Crusaders passed her, noticing Sweetie Belle was lagging behind. She shook her head.

Poor thing's out of shape, she thought, turning around to buck the tree. Ah guess Rarity's love for bon-bons must be genetic!

Applejack felt bad having even thought that, as filly-hood obesity was no laughing matter. Still, looking at Sweetie Belle run, Applejack couldn't help but notice her round tummy looked a little more round than she remembered.

* * *

The three had made it to the Clubhouse. Sweetie Belle was of course last inside. The three Crusaders sat on the floor; Apple Bloom took role and Scootaloo played the drums, signifying the start of an official meeting. Sweetie Belle's head hurt as Scootaloo went to her extended drum solo, but she knew better than to interrupt. Scootaloo was having too much fun, even if it hurt more than usual. Must've meant Scoots was getting better.

It was time for the meeting to begin. In their maroon cloaks, The Cutie Mark Crusaders discussed the largest item on their agenda -- getting their Cutie Marks. It was time for them to lay out what they would be doing for the rest of the day. Time and time again, to every suggestion made, Sweetie Belle always had something to say right back...

"How 'bout Cutie Mark Crusader Kayakers!" Apple Bloom suggested.

"We'd need to rent canoes," Sweetie Belle grumbled. "They're expensive."

"I said kayaks," replied Apple Bloom, rolling her eyes. "But yer right... it's twenty bits just ta rent one fer an hour!"

"How 'bout Cutie Mark Crusader Magicians!" suggested Scootaloo.

"Where are we going to get a rabbit?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"We could borrow Angel!" replied Scootaloo. "I'm totally sure Fluttershy would be cool with that."

"There are times I'd like to make him disappear," said Apple Bloom, with a devilish smirk. "For a long while!"

"Me too," replied Scootaloo with a giggle.

"But we don't have any black capes or magic wands," said Sweetie Belle.

"We could make some!" replied Scootaloo.

"That we could..." Apple Bloom rubbed her chin. "Or we could wait 'til next week on this one, 'cause I get ma allowance then!"

"A magic act is pretty impractical without proper magic wands," said Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo nodded.

It went on, and on...

"How 'bout Cutie Mark Crusader Deep Sea Divers!"

"Remember what happened last time we went into Ponyville pond? We got chased by a squid."

"It was an octopus!"

"I didn't bother looking."

"Me neither."

"How 'bout Cutie Mark Crusader..."

* * *

After an hour's debate, the Cutie Mark Crusaders emerged from their clubhouse. It wasn't quite lunch time, and they had one idea: The Cutie Mark Crusader... bruised apple picker-uppers? (yay!) It was one of the few ideas all three of them found practical, even though Apple Bloom did it anyway a couple times a week. Scootaloo had had a few ideas other ideas -- one of the best being the Cutie Mark Crusader Kite Fliers -- but they'd have to leave the Acres on account of so many trees, so Sweetie Belle just said she didn't want to. It wasn't lunch time and she'd already had enough running for one day. Picking up apples was her idea... it was quiet, it was outside, and it was in a familiar setting; all unadventurous things that would appeal to the young filly at this time, even if she didn't know why.

Apple Bloom was okay with it... for now. She and Scootaloo were happy to be out of the Clubhouse. Sweetie Belle was acting like a real stick in the mud; neither Apple Bloom or Scootaloo even had to say that. They let her walk a few steps behind them while looking at each other, then back at her, almost as if saying "what's with her today?" They didn't know... and even though she was acting funny, they still loved her. For all the love they felt they didn't notice, however, that Sweetie Belle had stopped almost twenty feet behind them, staring at an Apple Family member.

Sweetie couldn't explain why... she couldn't explain what was different, but for some giddy reason Big Mac looked really cool today. He must've come out while they were in the Clubhouse. It had been a week or so since the filly had seen him, something must've happened during that time to make him look so nice. Sweetie Belle watched him bucking apples with just one leg. He didn't need to use any force on the skinnier trees, but when he got to the fatter trees, he squatted down and used both powerful, muscular legs... and the apples just poured down like rain. Sweetie Belle hugged her own sides, giggling at the sight. She felt her heart with her hooves... it was beating quite a bit quicker than it normally does.

"Wow," she said under her breath. Sweetie Belle said no more than that. Her voice said it all.

"Come on, Sweetie Belle!" shouted Scootaloo once they realized she was standing still now almost thirty feet from them. "What's the hold up?"

Both Crusaders turned around and stared at her.

"I- ... I'll be right there," Sweetie Belle said, shaking her head and trotting in their direction. "I just never realized how strong your brother is, Apple Bloom. He's really cool!"

Apple Bloom smirked.

"Ah always do feel safe with Big Mac around," she said. "He once bucked a Timber Wolf into more than two hundred-fifty pieces jus' for setting one paw on the Acres!"

"Cool!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "Did the pieces come back together?"

"How should Ah know," said Apple Bloom, her smile fading a bit as she watched Sweetie Belle walk. "Ah wasn't there... Granny told me when Ah came home from school."

Sweetie Belle continued to look at Big Mac as the farm pony wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. She imagined him kicking that wolf, pieces flying everywhere like apples... so strong. His blond mane blew through the wind as he stood before the defeated tree, much like he probably stood in front of the defeated wolf and smirked.

"Sweetie Belle!" snapped Apple Bloom. "If yer not careful you're gunna walk right into that tree!"

Sweetie Belle snapped back to reality. She was a few feet from smashing into a pretty thin apple tree. She imagined Big Mac would have no problem shaking all the apples out of it as she stepped around it.

"Do you think we're liable to get some good bruised apples where Big Mac is bucking?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Applejack could probably point them out!"

"Ah reckon on both counts," replied Apple Bloom. "But we're not doin' this for very long. It doesn't sound very... fun."

Scootaloo nodded.

"Anything to get our Cutie Marks, though," the pegasus filly added, polishing her flank.

"Anything to get yers," Apple Bloom rolled her eyes as she led the fillies over to Big Mac.

To Sweetie Belle, the time it took from veering in his direction to actually getting there seemed longer than expected. Everything seemed to slow down. She didn't know why, but heading over to Big Mac felt right. It also felt really embarrassing, so she kept in the back of the group... again.

* * *

Big Mac didn't even look up as the three maroon-cloaked fillies came near him.

"We're just gunna pick up the bad apples off the ground, if that's okay with you," Apple Bloom said with a smile.

"Ee-yup!" replied Big Mac, loading up a wagon with the first of two big baskets of apples.

"Not too many with bad spots this time around," said Applejack, looking at the ground. "They're good enough to make a pie for desert tonight! Collect 'em and I'll set 'em aside just fer that."

"Cool!" Scootaloo said, bending over and picking up two forelegs full of bruised apples off the ground.

"Sweetie Belle thinks we might get our Cutie Marks doing this," Apple Bloom continued, picking up an apple as Big Mac set aside a small, metal basket and opened it up. "Ya know, what Ah do twice a week on this farm."

Applejack shrugged, motioning for Scootaloo to dump all her apples the basket.

"Who's to say this ain't Scootaloo's talent? Everypony deserves a chance at tryin' something new!"

Apple Bloom looked down at Scootaloo's bare flank.

"It ain't," she remarked, as Scootaloo looked down to confirm what Apple Bloom had just seen.

"You'll still get your pie," replied the farm pony with a laugh. "How 'bout Sweetie Belle?"

The two looked over at the small unicorn, who hadn't opened her mouth, much less picked up a single apple. She approached Big Mac slowly, timidly... blushing, smiling. Closer and closer she got... feeling this funny tightness in her chest and along her lower tummy.

She watched him set up the last two baskets beneath the tree and take a breath. He noticed she was looking and smiled warmly at her before kicking the tree almost full force with both legs. The explosive force caused the thick tree trunk to vibrate violently, most of the apples falling perfectly into the buckets, all except for a few... which fell directly on Sweetie Belle's horn, face, and back.

"Ouch!" she cried.

Applejack, concerned the little filly had been hurt being hit by so many falling apples, immediately took two steps in her direction. Apple Bloom got ready to take a step as well, while Scootaloo was looking to make sure everything was alright. Big Mac put his hoof up, causing all ponies to stop dead in their tracks and sigh.

Sweetie Belle swayed back and forth on her hooves, holding the sides of her head. She knew something had happened. She could hazard a guess, but she couldn't see due to the apple guts all over her face. Groaning in frustration, she tried to wipe away the moist bits of pulp when she felt a hoof on her shoulder.

"Shhh..." a deep voice commanded. "Ah gotcha. Yer alright."

Slowly the pierced apple was removed from the young unicorn's horn. Her eyes were wiped clean with a soft rag with more care than Rarity was known to show when Sweetie Belle got dirty.

"Okay. You can open yer peepers now."

The ivory unicorn opened her eyes and saw the two green eyes of Big Mac staring back. She stood there for a moment, smiling. The farm pony nodded, then waited for Sweetie Belle to say she was okay.... when he realized the cat had her tongue, he bit his lip, looking over at his two sisters, then back at the filly.

"Ya alright?" he asked point-blank.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Uh-huh!"

"Ya... dun need anything more?"

"Nope!"

Big Mac pressed his two lips together. This was getting awkward.

"What'd ya say, Sweetie Belle?" asked Applejack.

"Thank you." the small filly said in a tiny voice.

Again, Big Mac looked at Applejack, then back at the filly, a quizzical look on his face. The mare put a hoof to her mouth and laughed.

"Sweetie Belle," she said. "You are too much! Come over here 'n pick up an apple or two with your friends, or else ya get no desert!"

Sweetie Belle did as Applejack asked, walking over and picking up a couple bruised apples... not exactly looking at what she was doing.