The Belle and Bloom Show

The first thing I did when waking up was throw my sheets into the wash, and then head into the shower. As I washed my mane, I imagined Sweetie Belle washing my tail, pulling on it, and messaging my dock.

A familiar warmth started in my fillyhood that had nothing to do with the shower. Remembering what Applejack said about shower settings, I pulled the showerhead down to the tub floor. I turned around and lifted my tail. The water shot upward, the tiny streams hit my intended target. I recoiled instantly. It tickled. I slid it forward and turned the showerhead a few clicks until three jets were pulsing out of the center.

Perfect. I slid it back down under me. The feeling was instant. I yelped in the sudden pleasure. I squatted, trying to get closer to the showerhead. The feeling became more intense. My breathing increased. I spread my legs as wide as the tub would allow me, trying to get one of the jets to hit the right spot. One of the jets was pulsing directly inside me. I winked repeatedly, trying to keep it inside. It felt amazing, but not what I was after. I raised my body a little. And then it hit. An electric shock went through my body as it pulsed on my nub. I only lasted a few seconds before my body tightened. My whole body shook more violently than ever before. “Oh Celestia,” I cried out as juices squirted, and my vision blurred.

Before I could catch my breath, I felt the intensity rise up again. I hadn’t moved, and it was still pulsing on the same spot. I held my breath as I came a second time, and then a third time right after. I stepped forward, panting heavily. “Three. Wow.” I braced myself against the side of the tub.

After a few minutes of recovering, I finished washing and stepped out at long last. I felt great. Maybe a little sore down there, but not enough to be distracting. I left the bathroom to find a very irritated Mac waiting outside. “You finally done in there?”

“Sorry, brother,” I said happily. He slammed the door, and a few seconds later, I heard the shower turn on.

“There you are… about time,” said Applejack as soon as I entered the kitchen.

“What?”

“Other ponies in this house need to shower too,” Applejack chided.

I laughed nervously. “Sorry.”

“If you’re going to be doing that then shower at night.” Applejack slid a plate of toast across the kitchen table. “Anyway, what’s this thing you’re doing with Sweetie Belle?”

“We’re called the Belle and Bloom Show. We're going to do different routines and songs. We’re going to write some song too.” I decided to leave out the stuff with TS. No need to worry her with that creeper.

“Sounds fun,” said Applejack. “I’ll come to your shows.”

“Even when we go to Canterlot and Manehatten?” I asked, excited.

Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you go there?”

“We can’t keep doing the same act in Ponyville. If it’s good we’ll be allowed to perform at bigger venues.”

“And just how are you going to do all this?” Applejack spoke slowly.

“The producers will determine if our show is good enough to go to those other places.”

“I see…” There was a level of danger in her voice. “And just how are you going to do that? I didn’t sign anything saying you could be in this group or tour. You’re certainly not old enough to sign anything like that.”

Uh-oh! “Ummm…” It was a good point. How was all of this supposed to work? I shrugged.

“That’s what I thought,” said Applejack. “I’ll have to talk to these producers. These music business ponies are grimy and greedy.”

And creepy. “Maybe we don’t need to do anything for the Ponyville show since it’s just a trial?” I suggested.

“I’ll look into it when I have some time. In the meantime, don’t sign anything!”

I broke eye contact under her sharp gaze. “I won’t. I won’t. I just want to sing songs with Sweetie Belle. I don’t want to do that other crap anyway.”

Applejack stood up and stretched. “Good. Well… back to it, I guess.”

When I arrived at the clubhouse, it was still pretty early. Sweetie wouldn’t be here for at least an hour, and I had no idea what Scoots was doing today; she had become very aloof as of lately. Sweetie thinks she’s hanging out with Rainbow Dash more. I think, like many at school, that she has a colt friend, and has been sneaking off to hang with him. Many of us think it’s Rumble. I knew she had a huge crush on him throughout the school year, but no one really knew who he liked. If it was true, I was a little hurt. She could at least tell us… but it was her business.

With nothing to do for a while, I plopped down on a comfy chair with a pencil and pad. I might as well start on my song. It needed to be catchy, smart, and confess how I feel for Sweetie without just saying ‘Sweetie I’m in love with you.”

Then minutes in, however, and I haven’t even written a single word. I couldn’t think of a new tune to save my life. Everything I started to think about, I asked myself ‘what if she doesn’t like it?’ Or ‘what if she doesn’t get it?’ “What if I never finish this song I can’t even start?” I asked aloud. “What if the sky falls? Or if the sun stops—that’s it!” I knew exactly what I was going to write.

What if I was made for you and what if I ain’t one of them fools just playing around? you were made for me?
What if I ain’t one of them fools just fooling around? playing some game?
What if I just pulled you close, and kiss you? what if I just leaned in
And the stars line up and it’s our last first kiss?

You say what if I hurt you? What if I leave you?
What if the sky falls or the sun stops burning?
We could worry about them what ifs till we all go crazy the world stops turnin.
Maybe I should just kiss you. Or I could kiss you. What if you liked it?
Well we ain’t never gonna know unless we try it.

Well… it was a start. I had no idea what the tune would be, but I liked the idea. “I’ll have to thank AJ later for inspiring this song.”

Sweetie Belle had arrived just as I was making a few more revisions. I quickly tried to put the pad away without her seeing. Unfortunately that was the first thing she saw. “What’s that?” She pointed at the notepad I was hastily trying to stuff out of her sight

“Oh it’s nothing yet. Just a song I’m working on.”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes lit up. “Ooh can I see?”

My face went red. “Not yet. It’s not ready.”

“Maybe I can help.”

I shook my head. “It’s a surprise… for later.”

Sweetie Belle looked slightly dejected. “I look forward to seeing it when it’s done.”

“Is Scootaloo coming over today?” It felt strange asking someone else if someone were coming over to my place, but Sweetie Belle was usually in the know when it came to who was going where. But to my dismay she shrugged.

“She didn’t say anything yesterday.”

“No…” I agreed. “Well if she turns up, cool. If not… I guess we’ll try and find her tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“We have to figure out a routine and practice it, and our songs and everything.”

Sweetie Belle made a nonchalaunt gesture. “I can write a script quickly. I don’t think we should write our own song for the first show. We just need to agree on a song, or two, and some dance routine for it.”

“Ya make it sound so easy,” I said sarcastically. To me that was more than a day worth of work, careful planning, and practice. Sweetie Belle might be forgetting that I haven’t had any dance instruction like she had.

The next hour or so we spent talking about overall themes and styles. We went from small venue jazz lounge singers to big stadium pop ballads. But Sweetie insisted the Belle and Bloom show should be more than just singing song; it was a ‘show’ after all, she had said. We eventually decided to do something Sweetie Belle called a vaudeville; it was a mixture of everything. I never heard of it before, but she made it sound great.

“Now, every show will have a theme. Every show will have a few acts, and a song. Maybe two.” And on she went breaking down every step to granular level. She took time to explain everything, write things down, and pantimaine everything she was talking about. It was really cute to watch.

“And on stage right we could set up—what?” asked Sweetie Belle slightly irritated seeing me smile at her. “Why are you looking at me that way?”

“You’re just so—it’s nothing.” I waved a hoof through the air as if that would dismiss her question.

“I’m just what?” she asked, a little defensive sounding.

“I haven’t seen you work so intent on something for a while… it’s just...cute.” The last word I blurted out without meaning to. I just hate when that happens.

Sweetie Belle’s cheeks turned a shade of red. “How is that cute?” she asked, slightly outraged. Which of course made her even more adorable.

I shrugged choking down a laugh. My face had grown quite hot. I just told Sweetie Belle she was cute to her face. To her face! I wanted to jump from the clubhouse.

“Right… moving on, let’s pick a theme.”

“Theme!” I exclaimed, glad to change the subject. “Yes, theme. What a great idea.”

Sweetie Belle eyed me suspiciously. “Are you alright?”

I continued to blush hard. The more I tried to suppress it, the worse it got. “Great.”

Right…” Sweetie Belle said slowly. “So themes… this is a vaudeville which can be a variety of show themes and acts. Hmmm.”

“What if we did a different theme every time?” I asked, mostly hoping to keep the conversation moving away from me and my stupid mouth.

Sweetie Belle raised her eyes slightly, and then nodded. “That’s actually not a bad idea…” She didn’t say anything for a minute as she thought it over. “Yeah. That could work. Apple Bloom, you’re a genius! This is what we need. Skits that match the songs, and to keep us from doing the same old routine, we simply change the themes.”

“Yeah… that’s exactly what I was thinking,” I said with mock confidence. Sweetie Belle grinned.

“We could do several shows. If TS doesn’t like a theme, we could just remove it.” Sweetie Belle seemed to be talking to herself more than me. I groaned internally at hearing TS being brought into this thing. “I think we should do gypsies and traveling shows as our first one. I know the perfect song.”

“Can we make some country fit into it?” I asked.

Sweetie Belle thought it over for a little. “I think we can do an old frontier song and make it work… Yes! That’s it! You’re the legendary Apple Bloom who tamed the wild frontier, and I’m the filly born in the wagon of a traveling show.”

“Let’s open on a song, and then do a comedy routine, and then close out on another song,” I suggested.

Sweetie Belle nodded. She was standing up and tracing out complex dance steps. Her movements were smooth. She moved with the grace and precision of an ice dancer “Okay, that will work. Now you try!”

I copied the dance best I could, but I was all left hooves. Sweetie gave me a simpler dance, and said I would stand center stage and pantomime a lasso. A motion she made me repeat several times. I could work a lasso like the next rancher, but I couldn't work the stage. Everything I did had to be done slower and bigger. Sweetie assured me that from a distance it would look right.

We spent the rest of the morning working out our blocking, and some lines we’d say. We broke for lunch in the house where AJ gave us sandwiches, and she gave me a few sneaky winks and smirks. I couldn’t roll my eyes since she was doing this behind Sweetie. I’ll get her back later!

After lunch we met up outside the clubhouse, where Sweetie wanted to practice singing. We recited some tongue twisters, and sang a few scales to warm up.

“Let’s begin with that song you sang yesterday before we get into the ones we want to do for our first show,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Clementine?”

“Yeah that one. Sing from ‘oh my darling.’”

“Oh my darling. Oh my—”

I was cut off immediately by Sweetie Belle. “No. Not from here,” she pointed at her mouth, “from here.” She pointed at her stomach.

I started again but was cut off before even hitting the second word. “Sing ‘oh’ and hold it,” she said briskly.

As I sang out, she stood really close to me hugging me over my back. Except she put her forehooves on my stomach and pushed: hard. The air was pushed out of me, and the volume of the note I was holding increased ten-fold. “There. Again!” she commanded.

I rubbed where she pushed against me. She was still embracing me, which felt really nice. I took a breath and sang out harder, pushing from my diaphragm. The note sounded loud. Sweetie only pushed a little on me that time.

“Okay, form the chorus. Sing like you mean it. Sing like you want some pony a thousand feet away to hear you.”

I had no idea if any pony, let alone me, could sing like that, but I nodded. Sweetie gave us a four count, and then we sang.

“Oh my darling, oh my darling, Clementine!
“You are gone and lost forever. Dreadful sorry, Clementine.”

Sweetie Belle’s voice completely overpowered mine on the second part of the chorus. It wasn’t until she pushed on me that I was able to match her volume.

“Not bad,” Sweetie said. She released her embrace around me. “Remember to project. And don’t rush. The slower you sing, the better your audience and understand you. Also music accompaniment will really help you keep time. I really do love that soft twang in your singing voice. I think we’re on our way to making an awesome show.”

I couldn’t help but feel excited. Sweetie liked my voice. I liked how we sounded together.

We practiced Clementine a few more times, and then we moved on to practicing our actual songs. The songs were fun, but Sweetie was a stickler for timing: something I haven't quite mastered. By evening, I was confident we sounded great. I had the songs memorized. The dances were works in progress, and so were the jokes we were supposed to tell. It was a lot harder work than I thought possible. But I wasn’t complaining; I got a whole day alone with Sweetie Belle. I even got a hug… kinda out of it. I couldn’t have asked for a better day.