A Bell's Core Sound

Filly Finder Fliers. I'd never heard of them before, maybe they were a new squad? Before I could ask anything, Scootaloo woke up.

     "Hey, what's with the racket? I'm trying to get some sle- OMIGOSH Rainbow Dash!" My first thought was that Scootaloo was hallucinating.

     "Hey guys! How'd you manage to get down there? We've been looking for you all night!" Yelled a rugged, feminine voice. As I looked up, I realized that Rainbow Dash was in fact the Pegasus at the head of the squad. I thought she was a weather Pegasus. Apparently, Scootaloo had the same thought.

     "Rainbow Dash, aren't you a weather Pegasus? No-Not like this job isn't cool as well though!" Scootaloo was obviously kicking herself at the thought of insulting her idol. "I'm just curious is all."

     "Yeah, my boss put me into this district because he was afraid I would 'brutally mutilate flight school students'. Who would even think of something so sick? It's almost as bad as putting two ponies in a compromising situation to make them fall madly  in love."

     Somewhere far away, a pink mare sneezed.

     "Anyway guys, you need to get back home. Your families have been worried sick. Rarity has been bawling her eyes out, and Applejack has kicked over a few trees in frustration." Had they really done that to their families within a night? The full sentence caught up with me for a second.

Applejack has kicked over a few trees in frustration

Kicked over a few trees in frustration

Few trees in frustration

Frustration

     Oh no.

     "And then ya go an drive ONE OF OUR CARTS without permission, AND GO INTO THE EVERFREE FOREST?! Applebloom, ah'm extremely disappointed in ya. Ya should know better by now!" I winced at every word my older sister doled out.

     When Rainbow and her crew came, they brought a carriage to bring the crusaders back. Since Sweet Apple Acres was closest to our location, I had gotten dropped off first. I snuck into my house, and didn't see anyone around. Trying to be sneaky, I went towards the kitchen for a glass of water. Immediately, Applejack jumped out and started lecturing me.

     "And furthermore, ah cant trust ya with yer own friends without ya nearly killin yerself!"

     My mind started to wander, as any child's did when they were bored with a conversation. Let's review what happened in the forest. I woke up, Sweetie was on me, my face burned, we cuddled, she becomes a philosopher, we sleep, now we're here. What was interesting about that... That burning! What was that? Why did I feel it when I was with Sweetie Belle? Why am I being shaken violently? Applejack was shaking my shoulders.

     "Applebloom! Ya weren't listenin, were ya?" Applejack sighed, "Look, ah know ya don't like ta listen to me, but can you at least do something for me? Don't ever do that again." Then, Applejack did something unexpected. She broke down into tears, and embraced me warmly. She smelled like delicious apple pie, calming my nerves. After a few minutes, she collected herself.

     "L-look Applebloom. Ya know our parents are not with us anymore, and ya know how they went. A-ah just don't want it happening ta y-you..." Her voice was still quivering, but she wasn't crying anymore. Even though I knew it happened, I still didn't like being reminded of my parent's death.

     One day, my mom and dad were hiking in the forest, when a strange rat-like creature attacked them and stole their light source. It left them to die in the Everfree without any light. My father didn't make it, but my mom got home. She was so stricken with grief by my father's death, she hung herself after telling the story.

     Before I could have gone down that dark road in my memories, the door opened and Fluttershy walked in. She was about to talk when he saw me and jumped back. Very timidly, she crept over to Applejack. Raising her hoof, she whispered something to her and braced herself. Applejack became crimson red and nodded. Fluttershy smiled, waved at me and bolted out of the room.

     "Hey Applejack," Applejack was chuckling to herself before her ears perked up at my voice. "Why did yer face turn red? What's that?" Obviously, my question mortified my older sister. Did she not know she did that?

     "Uhmm, well Applebloom... That's called blushing. It happens when ya get a wee bit embarrassed." Since I was a filly, I needed more answers.

     "Then why did you just blush at Fluttershy? OH! I know! She must have told a real funny joke, right sis?" Applejack was visibly sweating. It didn't take Twilight to know she was hiding something.

     "Uh, yeah. A joke. Anyway, why do ya want to know what that is Sugar?" It was Applejack's turn to ask questions. Well, if the reason this 'blushing' happens is because of a joke, then what harm can it cause?

     "It happens when I'm around Sweetie Belle. But wait, that's weird. It didn't happen because of a joke, it was because she was on top of me. Why's that?" Applejack just stared at her in shock. Shaking her head, she just said to go to play with the girls, she needed to talk to somepony. I walked to the clubhouse by myself, catching Applejack trotting in the direction of Carasoul Boutique.

     When I arrived at the clubhouse, there was no one there. I quickly realized that the other girls would probably be grounded. Sighing, I just sat down at our 'Cutie Mark Crusader Artist' corner. Looking back, we had some really bad ideas didn't we? I picked up a few colors and started drawing randomly. I thought about a lot of things, like why is Princess Celestia a princess if there is no queen? Why are they called unicorns, and not unihorns? Is there night on the moon?

     After about ten minutes, I came back to reality, I noticed I had drawn a beautifully made eye. It was exact down to the last detail. The one problem though was that it wasn't my eye. It was Sweetie Belle's. I was just basking in the glory of my creation, when I heard the clubhouse door opening. Quickly turning, I came eye to eye with Scootaloo.

     "Huh? Applebloom? What're you doing here, I thought you would've been grounded for like, a year! Hey, what's that?" Losing her mind track, she noticed my drawing. "Is that Sweetie's eye? Cool." I blushed. I thought it was probably because I was embarrassed she liked my drawing skills.

     "Thanks. Ah don't really know how I did it, it was mostly just my hooves drawing. Anyway, mah sis just told me to go to the clubhouse while she thought of something. Something to do with my blushing ah believe." With those last words, Scootaloo's eyes opened. If I knew what she was thinking, I wouldn't have asked further. "What, do ah have somethin on mah face?"

     "Applebloom, when do you blush?" Her voice sounded intrigued. A little bit too intrigued for comfort.

     "Around Sweetie? Scoots, why do you have that smirk on yer face?" Scootaloo had the smuggest grin on her face during the first sentence. It unnerved me to my very core.

     "I think someone's in looooove." Scootaloo drew out the last word on purpose. I knew she was talking baloney, I couldn't love Sweetie Belle. She was too good of a friend.

     "Quit jokin Scoots, ah don't want to hear yer bad fanfics."

     Somewhere far away, a bad black and green OC sneezed.

     "I'm not kidding Bloom, I think you might like Sweetie Belle. Like, like like." I wouldn't listen to her, it was nothing but blasphemy. I wouldn't love a friend, and that was that.

     "Scoots, I'm going home. See you tomorrow." Scootaloo tried to stop me, but I just ran towards the barn.

     When I got home, Rarity and Applejack were talking at the table. Upon hearing the door opening, Rarity turned her head.

     "Ah, Applebloom! Just who we wanted to see! Come over here, sit down. You've nothing to be afraid of darling!" Rarity seemed... off. As I sat down, Applejack turned to me.

     "So Applebloom, why don't ya tell us about yer lil' crush?" You could hear a pin drop in the room. I had no idea what she meant by crush. I didn't love anyone, not in that way! Sensing my confusion, Applejack just chuckled. "Sugar, ah know ya like Sweetie Belle, ya were kinda obvious. Sides, ah asked Rarity about it and she's here ta help. Ain't that great?"

     "Young love, such a beautiful thing..." Rarity sighed as she lost herself in thought. I didn't hear anything of what they said. I wouldn't believe the fact that I was in love. Who were they talking about? Which colt in my class did I say I liked? Pipsqueak? Rumble? Snips? Oh gosh, please don't say I said Snips. Rarity spoke up once more, "Now, how're we going to get Sweetie Belle to like you? Also, if she rejects you it's okay, there are plenty of seaponies in the sea."

     ...What? I didn't believe my ears for a minute, then I just started shouting.

     "Ah am NOT in love with Sweetie Belle! She's a good friend and nothing more! Applejack looked scared at my outburst, but Rarity just chuckled and waved a hoof.

     "Applebloom, how would you describe Scootaloo?"The question caught me a off guard, I thought we were talking about Sweetie Belle.

     "Wha? Umm, cool ah guess? She's athletic too." When I finished, Rarity just bombarded me with another question.

     "Now, describe Sweetie Belle." I couldn't tell what she was playing at, but I went along with it.

     "Sweetie Belle? Well she's nice, kind, adorable, has an AMAZING voice, have you heard her sing? Anyway, she's brave, calm, funny, char-" I was cut off by Rarity's high-pitched giggle. "What? What's so funny..." I was a bit hurt that Rarity was laughing at me, she was my friend after all. Rarity waved her hoof as if to say 'Don't worry about it'.

     My voice cracked in a mix of embarassment and hatred. "W-why are ya laughing?" I didn't understand. Was she making fun of me for answering her questions?

     With that hoof-wave, she just kept chuckling. She was really annoying me. I didn't understand why she was laughing at a little helpless filly! After a minute of my rage boiling, Applejack finally spoke up.

     "Ah think what Rarity was trying ta say," Applejack threw Rarity a dirty look, "was that ya described Sweetie Belle in a much more broad and loving light than Scoots. That means ya've been thinkin bout her more, right?" It finally dawned on me, I had been thinking about Sweetie Belle a lot.

    My voice was dry. I barely choked out four words. "What should I do?" I felt two warm presences against my body, realizing that the fully grown mares were hugging me tightly with warm smiles in their muzzles. They told me that Celestia would give me the sign when it was time. Little did I know that would happen soon.

     "And then I woke up and Rainbow Dash was there! It was so cool! And then I obviously had to be aweso-" Scootaloo was going on about her 'amazingly epic journey into the Everfree'. In her version, I became hydra-bait while Sweetie Belle saved me valiantly.

     To this day I'm trying to find out if she was insinuating something.

     While Scootaloo was talking to Featherweight about her journey, Sweetie Belle and I were just walking and talking, when we came upon a poster.

Ponyville Elementary School Dance

     I thanked Celestia for the sign.