Inner Demons: 10 Years

by Azure Sandora

Second Year

The Wedding: 9 years remaining

Ugh... it was exhausting preparing for a wedding. It took an entire couple of months to get everything set up thanks to Rarity's involvement. She insisted on Fluttershy having the best, so they had the nicest reserved area for a nice outside wedding. Pinkie Pie wanted to invite all of her friends, so since that meant almost everypony in Ponyville, it took a while not only handing out invitations, but to also find a space big enough.

Poor Macintosh was getting nervous as well. Apple Bloom had never seen him like this. He was really happy, but at the same time it was clear that he was really tense by the whole thing.

Apple Bloom wanted to help with the wedding, but she refused to be the flower girl, so instead she and Sweetie Belle were helping hand out the invitations. They had just finished giving Lyra and Bon Bon their invitations and were now walking through the park.

"Have ya seen Miss Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom asked.

"It's like she's a completely different pony," Sweetie Belle said, "The last time she came over, I heard someone talking really fast like they were excited, and I thought it was Rarity."

"It wus Fluttershy?"

Sweetie Belle nodded, "I couldn't believe it. Thankfully she's still the same overall, she's just a lot more open."

"This new Fluttershy is gonna take sum gettin used to," Apple Bloom said.

"So is Macintosh going to move in with her, or is she going to move into Sweet Apple Acres?" Sweetie Belle asked. All Apple Bloom could do was shrug.

"Honestly, Ah don't know. It's gonna be weird with jus' me, Applejack, and Granny Smith, but Ah can't see Miss Fluttershy movin inta Sweet Apple Acres. Well, either way they'll be close. It'll be nice, havin Miss Fluttershy as a sister-in-law. Whut about Rarity an' Spike? Any news on those two?"

"Ugh, why did you have to mention them?" Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, "I think those two enjoy making ponies guess. Last night, Spike came over, and I'll give you three guesses as to what they did."

Apple Bloom was wide eyed, "Did ya hear 'em?"

"Thankfully, no, but the following morning they were at the breakfast table talking about "how wonderful dinner was"," Sweetie Belle shuddered, "They thought they were being slick, but I knew exactly what they were talking about."

Apple Bloom couldn't help but laugh, "At least they're happy, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Sweetie Belle looked down a bit, "I don't know what's wrong with me, Apple Bloom. Sometimes my heart starts racing a bit, and I want to do... things..."

That made Apple Bloom stop, "Whut sort of things?"

"I don't know," Sweetie Belle stopped and looked down, "But I still feel a bit like how I felt when I was an adult last year. I think some part of me still wants to be beautiful."

"Sweetie Belle, yer beautiful now," Apple Bloom said.

"No Apple Bloom, I'm cute now," Sweetie Belle said darkly, "I don't turn heads anymore, I can't woo a stallion with my voice anymore, I have all of these feelings that I just don't know what to do with, and I feel like I'm going to go crazy."

Apple Bloom felt really guilty hearing that. She and Scootaloo were both going through the same issues as Sweetie Belle, being stuck in a child's body with powerful adult urges. Scootaloo herself had gotten into a few fights in school because of it, and she was always looking at her magical bike (salvaged from Tartarus) probably counting the days when she could ride it again.

The thing that hurt Apple Bloom though was that it was her decision to go back to being children. She knew that it was the best choice, yet it still hurt knowing the amount of pain her friends were in.

"Sweetie Belle, Ah'm sorry," Apple Bloom said looking down, "If Ah had known that it would hurt ya'll as much as it is right now..."

"Apple Bloom, I still think you made the right decision," Sweetie Belle said, "It wasn't time for us to be adults yet. Besides, this is all my fault anyway. I sold myself to Twilight that day, and thanks to that, I hurt my sister, I attacked a Princess, I hurt my best friend, if this is my punishment, then okay. I'll take it like an... adult if you would."

After laughing a bit, Apple Bloom looked at Sweetie Belle with a smile, "You've grown up, Sweetie Belle."

"Please, don't say things like that," Sweetie Belle said laughing, "It make it hard to be a kid again."

They continued their walk. After a while Sweetie Belle looked over to Apple Bloom.

"Something I want to ask you," she began, "How are you holding up? Is it just as hard for you as it is for us?"

"Honestly Belle," Apple Bloom said looking up, "If it's not just as, it's harder."

Sweetie Belle gave Apple Bloom a sad look, sympathizing with her as she thought about the stallion she prayed was still waiting for her.

---

Apple Bloom sat by herself at the table watching everypony dance around after the wedding. She had to admit, Fluttershy did look good in her wedding dress. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were sitting at a table laughing at some joke that Pinkie Pie told, and nearby Applejack and Twilight were in a corner talking about something (it looked serious, and Twilight looked really concerned about something). Rarity and Spike were dancing together. Like Sweetie Belle said, it was too obvious that they were a couple.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were by the punch bowl talking with DJ-Pon3, who Scootaloo was ecstatic to finally meet in person. Apple Bloom would have been with them, but at some point during the service she began feeling really heavy and wanted to be alone. Watching Fluttershy walk down the aisle made Apple Bloom wonder what it would be like to wear a dress like that, and walking towards...

"I hate to say it, but it doesn't get easier," Apple Bloom heard behind her. She turned around and saw the Princess of the Night walking over to her.

"Hi Luna," Apple Bloom said sadly, "Ya mean the whole age thing?"

Luna nodded, "Until you get to an age when you can actually act on said urges, I imagine this frustration will stay with you."

"How do ya know that this is frustration?" Apple Bloom asked.

"You spent an entire week in an adult's body and got accustomed to it. I could only imagine being in a filly's body again is difficult."

Luna sat down next to Apple Bloom and wrapped a wing around her. It did comfort her a bit.

"Did ya talk to him?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Not only that, but I've been training him. He sends his regards by the way."

"Glad ta see he still thinks of me," Apple Bloom said with a somewhat saddened smile.

"Everything he's doing right now he does for you," Luna said, "You're all that he thinks about. I can't tell you exactly what he's doing right now, but I can tell you that he's progressing very quickly."

"Ah think Ah can figure it out," Apple Bloom said, now feeling reassured. Hopefully he would soon be able to travel through time or something. She couldn't wait to see him again. "Hey, do ya know whut Twilight and Applejack 're talkin about?"

"I'm afraid not. I think it has something to do with Tia's dreams as of late though."

"Princess Celestia's been havin weird dreams?"

"She was talking to Twilight about it a few days ago. I don't know what they were talking about, but it sounded like it was connected to last year."

"Ah hope not," Apple Bloom said, "Ah don't want a repeat of that day," but even still, she had to know. The days when she was left in the dark about anything were over.

---

"Hey, Applejack?" Apple Bloom began as they walked back to Sweet Apple Acres, "What were you an' Twilight talkin about?"

Applejack looked like she was about to dismiss it, but one look at her little sister's face told her not to try that, "Princess Celestia called Twilight over ta Canterlot a few days ago and told her sum disturbin news apparently. Ah'm hopin we ain't got nothin ta worry about, but after last year..."

"It ain't a repeat of that, is it?"

"Ah sure hope not. But ya ain't gotta worry 'bout none of that."

"Applejack-"

"Ah ain't tryin ta treat ya like a kid, Ah'm jus' tellin ya ta relax an' enjoy life. The world ain't gonna end tomorrow, an' ya ain't a fighter no more. Fer now, just focus on bein a kid. After last year, ya earned it."

"Ah guess yer right..." Apple Bloom said defeated. It wasn't like anypony knew what was really going to happen. Apple Bloom had her whole life ahead of her, so she could focus on other things.

Like how she was going to go on without Lezard by her side.

Author's Note:

This chapter is short, so I'll post the one after it as well, since both of them are short.

Comments

[Pegasister1209]

Oh gosh. It must be terrible having adult urges when you look like ,or are, 10 years old. *shudders*

[Paleb05]

Second Year: 9 Years Left
The Wedding of Big Macintosh and Fluttershy

[Epic Brony 4 Life]

2376975
Oddly enough, that reminds me of the movie "Orphan", where a forty-something year old women has a disease that gives her the body of a ten-year. She looses it, and murders anyone who doesn't treat her as an adult.

[Norshep]

Ugh my gosh! I have been reading the inner demons arc and just finished F.O.T. and now moved on to this. With the amount of hints dropped about the special meeting between Celestia and twilight I can't hold my anticipation to Start Inner Demons 2. Stop being such a good writer

[Azure Sandora]

3215520 NO!!!!! I won't stop! I'll be an even BETTER writer actually!!!!

MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!

[Golden Fang Ryu Shenron]

FlutterMac for the win!