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// Cookies Make Everything Better 
// Story: Just One Chance 
// by ndisfoshiz 
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             I can’t believe I lied to them again! Applebloom thought, I hate lying to my best friends but they can’t know about Snips and I. Applebloom sat under the tree near the lake as she waited for Snips. She tapped her back hooves anxiously, looking in every direction she could, trying to forget the lie she told Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.
 “More chores? Seriously?” Scootaloo asked.
“Zap apple season is over! Shouldn’t your chore list be shorter now?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“You’d think it would, but no. We have to help the trees recuperate so they can get their old apples back,” Applebloom explained.
“We can help if you want,” Sweetie Belle offered.
“Nah, we don’t need that much help and really I’m just doing finishing touches to them. Gotta go, bye!” Applebloom said as she walked away from the other two.
Where is he! Applebloom yelled in her head. Just then she heard rustling behind her. She got up immediately and looked at her reflection in the lake water. She quickly fixed her bow and waited to see who was causing the rustling. He’s finally here! Applebloom thought as a big smile appeared on her face. Her face drew to a frown as she realized it was just Winona wandering among the apple trees again. Applebloom sighed and sat back down.
“I thought you would be happier to see me,” Snips said appearing on the other side of the tree.
“Oh, Snips, you’re….you’re here,” Applebloom said nervously, “did any pony see you?”
“Nope! Took a different way here,” Snips said reaching into his saddle bag and pulling out something with his magic, “would you like a cookie? They’re just sugar cookies but-“
“SURE!” Applebloom smiled excitedly. Sugar cookies were Applebloom’s favorite cookies. They were so simple yet so delicious. She took two from Snips’s bag and took a big bite of one. “How did you know these are my favorite?”
“I didn’t they were the only cookies we had at my house,” Snips said, “you know Applebloom I don’t know much about you.” 
Applebloom finished eating her cookies and decided she wanted to go swimming. “Well, I’ll start with this fact about me. I like to SWIIIIIIIIM!” she screamed as she swung from the swing Big Mac made out of some rope and an old piece of wood. She splashed into the lake and began to feel the gentle caress of the water around her body as she swam to the surface. Once she was above water she looked at Snips. He was soaked. I must have splashed harder then I thought, Applebloom thought. She began to laugh at the sight of wet Snips.
“Oh, so that’s how you wanna play huh?” Snips said climbing onto the swing, “well then, I should probably come in too!” Snips jumped onto the swing and swung. He jumped and landed in the water just a few feet from Applebloom. His splash was bigger then Applebloom’s. The splash soaked her. She shook out her mane quickly and watched Snips surface from the beneath the water. He shook the excess water from his mane and looked at Applebloom.
“Oh, so you like a little competition?” Applebloom asked.
“You could say that,” Snips replied.
The two pony friends continued to jump off the swing and into the water to see who could get the best splash. After about five rounds, the two became tired and rested under the shade of the tree. Snips and Applebloom enjoyed another one of Snips’s uncle’s sparkling water concoctions. This time the flavor was strawberry, and it was delicious! The strawberry gave a good touch of sweetness to the bubbly water. Applebloom then started to explain the business proposal of working with his uncle and her family to make zap apple sparkling water. 
“I’ve had your zap apples and they’re amazing, why don’t you just do cider instead?” Snips asked.
“One, cider season is over by that time, and two the zap apples are too sweet for the cider and the two flavors don’t mix well at all!” Applebloom explained, “With the sparkling water, I think we’d be able to show the flavor without overdoing the flavor.”
“I’ll have to talk to my uncle, see if he can come and work something out with your family. How many zap apples do you still have and how long do they last before going bad?”
“We have about 50 of them left, they normally last us forever, they don’t really go bad.”
“Good, we’ll need them. I’ll send some to my uncle and have him do some trial and error. He’ll need at least 10 of them.”
“I’ll give them to you as soon as I can,” Applebloom said, “in the meantime, I’m gonna eat your last cookie.” Applebloom grabbed the last sugar cookie out of Snips’s bag and ran with it.
“Hey, I had dibs on it!” Snips screamed. He got up and began to chase her around the lake. The two playfully taunted each other and laughed together. Snips finally caught up to her and grabbed her by her back onto her stomach with his front hooves. The two ponies went tumbling until Applebloom was on her back with Snips on top of her. Applebloom still had the cookie in her hoof. The two began to wrestle for it. Applebloom reached her leg up as far as she could so Snips couldn’t reach. Snips pushed himself forward until Applebloom’s hoof was close enough to reach it himself. He reached for the cookie and broke it in half.
“Ha! I got it!” he said teasing Applebloom.
“Ha! Joke’s on you I got the bigger piece,” Applebloom acknowledged. 
The two ponies ate their separate halves of the cookie once Snips got off of Applebloom. They sat closer than they had before as they rested from their little game of chase. 
“Sugar cookies make me hyper,” Applebloom quietly.
“Really? I didn’t notice,” Snips said making her laugh.
“I also really like looking at the clouds. Somedays Rainbow Dash will make clouds appear over Sweet Apple Acres just for me,” Applebloom continued, “I also wear this bow because it was the first present Big Mac ever gave me.”
She looked over at Snips, “Go on,” he said.
“I also have a big family, my favorite cousin is my cousin Babs from Manehattan. We didn’t get along at first but now we get so excited when we see each other. My favorite old cousin is Braeburn, he lives in Appleloosa. He reminds me a lot of Applejack, they’re both hard workers and love what they do.”
“Your family seems nice. I hope I get to meet them,” Snips added.
“Wanna know something else?” She said rolling onto her side looking at him, “I’ve never owned any jewelry before you gave me this.”
Applebloom held up her right front hoof. There was the charm bracelet Snips had given her, hanging just a couple inches above the bottom of her hoof. 
“You like it?” Snips asked.
“I love it, it’s beautiful,” Applebloom answered.
“Just like you,” Snips replied. 
Applebloom looked into Snips’s eyes. She saw the happiness in his eyes as he smiled at her. She felt relaxed. She felt like she could see passion and happiness just by looking into his eyes. 
“I don’t understand,” she said.
“What’s wrong?” Snips asked.
“I feel like I don’t have to hide anything from you. You accept me for who I am, and yet I’m scared to tell any pony about us.”
“Applebloom,” Snips said, “you think I’m not scared? I don’t want ponies saying things like ‘she feels bad for you’ or ‘you’re the practice pony’ to me. I’m just as scared as you are but as long as I have you I don’t care.” 
Snips began to lean towards Applebloom as if he were going to kiss her. Applebloom closed her eyes and tilted her head sideways whispering “Me too.” She wanted it. She wanted to be kissed, not by any pony but Snips. She actually genuinely liked him and wanted to be his filly-friend. Oh, Snips, she thought.
“Ahem!” a voice said from behind the two little ponies. It was Applejack. 
“Sis!” Applebloom yelled “What in the sweet name of Celestia do you want!”
“Sorry, sugar cube, but Snips your mom is here. She’s waiting for you.”
“Oh Celestia! Applebloom I have to go, I’ll see you tomorrow,” He said Kissing her forehead and stumbling to his hooves to grab his saddle bag. As soon as he got up he was gone. Applebloom’s special some pony had left Sweet Apple Acres. She began to cry.
“Applebloom, are you ok?” Applejack asked.
“No, I was about to kiss him,” she cried, “Applejack I like him! I actually like him!”
“Aw Applebloom,” Applejack said putting Applebloom onto her back to carry her, “go ahead and cry while I take you home. 
Applebloom continued to cry until the sun had set behind the horizon. I can’t believe it, I was about to have my first kiss and now it’s ruined! Applebloom thought, I like him, I actually like him! I, Applebloom, like Snips. 
Applebloom didn’t come out of her room the rest of the night. She just wanted to be left alone. That night before she fell asleep, she heard a voice say you won’t feel like this for long Applebloom. She didn’t know who the voice was but just went with it and fell asleep.