Changing Seasons

"Ain't Actin' Right"
Part 1, Chapter 2

About a half hour passed in the orchard. The fillies had had enough apples in a matter of minutes, but they stayed because they were all having fun. The trio had actually helped the two farm ponies. Scootaloo picked up the most, but... still no cutie mark. Apple Bloom and Applejack talked while the two of them repaired a wagon wheel, Apple Bloom having had enough of apples after just a couple. Sweetie Belle kept her eyes on Big Mac for a while, then when he left, she laid down by a tree and watched him vanish over the hill. Applejack talked to her sister, but kept an eye on Sweetie Belle at the same time. She recognized the way the filly was laying... half on her back, forelegs in.

It can't be, she thought, staring at the little filly. She ain't even ten yet!

Once the wagon was fixed, Applejack and Apple Bloom loaded it up. Everything was about set.

"Apple Bloom, Scootaloo," said Applejack. "Y'all get back to the Clubhouse... make some new plans for the day."

"What about Sweetie Belle?" asked Scootaloo.

"She'll be along... Ah just want to talk with her fer a moment."

Apple Bloom looked to Scootaloo, Scootaloo to Apple Bloom. The two fillies shrugged, then headed for the Clubhouse at the opposite end of the Acres.

* * *

Applejack had seen a few signs something was different about Sweetie Belle -- slightly swollen belly, lethargy, the way she was staring at her brother, and now... this. The way she was laying on the ground, young as she was, was unmistakably... inviting in the most inappropriate ways. Applejack wanted to be sure before she acted, though.

"Hey Sweetie Belle," she said, sitting in the grass by the filly. "How ya'll doing today?"

"I'm fine," mumbled the filly in a low voice.

Applejack eyeballed the little unicorn's stomach.

"How's yer tummy?" she asked.

"It's a lil achy, but I'm okay!" replied the filly. "Really! I just ate something funny yesterday."

Applejack nodded, gears turning in her head.

"Sweetie Belle," she said, calmly. "Ah couldn't help but notice the way you were looking at Big Mac."

"He's really cool," she said, in a distant-sounding voice. "I like him."

"Some might call him handsome," Applejack laughed. "Ah know Ah would! Ain't nothing wrong with that."

Sweetie Belle blushed, playing with her hooves.

"I'm getting uncomfortable," she said, matter-of-factly. "Talking about this with a grown-up feels, well kinda icky..."

Applejack's smile quickly faded.

"Alright," she got up and stretched. "You just let me know if yer tummy feels any worse, okay? Either me or Big Mac'll take you home."

On the word Big Mac, Sweetie Belle's head turned towards Applejack.

"No, I'm okay... really!"

The farm pony walked off, towards the farm house.

"Get to the Clubhouse, Sweetie... Ah'm sure Apple Bloom and Scootaloo miss ya."

After Applejack faded from view, Sweetie Belle slowly hauled herself up off the ground and cantered off to the clubhouse.

* * *

During the walk Sweetie Belle learned that her tummy had gotten a lot worse, but as long as she was sitting, she was okay. Soon she was at the Clubhouse... laying on her side while Apple Bloom and Scootaloo came up with new ideas. She felt very hot, but not like it was hot in the Clubhouse... or like she had a fever.

She sat silently, holding her tummy, waiting for the ache to go away. She didn't contribute anything this time and soon enough the two the fillies were really excited.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders -- yay!" their two voices thundered.

Sweetie Belle smiled as the two bolted out of the Clubhouse. She walked behind them.

Sure enough, Applejack and Big Mac were out again and saw the fillies running... and Sweetie Belle lagging behind, even more than before.

"Sweetie Belle!" Applejack bellowed. "C'mere!"

Sweetie Belle stopped, looking in the farm pony's direction.

"But I have to keep up with them! Can it wait until later?"

"Ee-nope!"

"I'll catch up with you girls," Sweetie Belle said as she slowly walked in the direction of the two ponies.

Applejack took a good look at her as she approached... very, very slowly.

"Sweetie Belle," Applejack said as the filly came within feet of her. "You're lagging behind your friends... it ain't like you. You're always so hyper."

"I'll be okay, Applejack," she protested. "Seriously!"

The two ponies looked at each other and nodded.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle," Applejack said. "Ah reckon you might need to go home. Ah think something's going on with ya and yer better off with Rarity when it happens."

"What?" Sweetie blinked her eyes, proceeding to sit on the ground in front of the two adult ponies. "No... y- you just don't want me around."

"That ain't true," replied the farm pony. "You're welcome at the Acres anytime. We'll even have a sleepover in a couple weeks to make up for this one."

Sweetie Belle crossed her forelegs and scowled, looking at the tree beside herself through misty eyes. It got more and more blurry, until Applejack noticed the tears falling to the ground.

"Aww, hey... don't do that now. Ah know you're disappointed and Ah completely understand."

"Lemme stay 'til Ah get sick then," Sweetie Belle mumbled, mocking Applejack's accent. "N-not like I'm going to or anything."

The farm pony chose to ignore it.

"You're goin' home and that is final," she said, firmly. "It ain't an easy decision to make, but you might be thanking me next sleepover for this."

"What're you talking about, Applejack?" Sweetie Belle said, through her teeth. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Ain't my place to say," replied the orange pony. "When it happens to Apple Bloom, Ah know I'll want her here. Wouldn't you want 'er here, too, Big Mac?"

The large red farm pony took in some air through his nostrils. Again, it looked cool to Sweetie Belle in a way she couldn't exactly describe... intense, fantastic. She wanted to be really close to him when he did that. The stallion chose to ignore Sweetie's expression, nodding to his sister as she looked over at him in a way that answered more than just the question she had asked... not that Sweetie Belle would have known.

"We're right to do this," he said, calmly, taking another breath through his nose. "Ah can smell trouble a-brewin'."

"Then it's settled!"

"You hate me," Sweetie Belle pouted, again looking at the dirt while rubbing her aching lower stomach. "This always happens... big ponies want me to go away just when they start talking about interesting things or start being really interesting."

"Trust us, Sweetie Belle," assured Applejack. "We don't hate you. It- it's for the best, really. Big Mac'll be leaving in a few minutes. He's got a delivery goin' right past the Boutique and you can ride in the cart. Don't worry about your friends. I'll talk to 'em for ya."

Applejack noticed the small filly's head whip upwards on the words Big Mac. The stallion had already started his trip towards the barn to get the cart. As he walked off, Sweetie couldn't help admiring him... even from a distance, even his backside which normally looked really icky, seemed really nice.