Apple Blooms

Gym class was always one of Apple Bloom's favorites. She knew a lot of the other girls couldn't stand it, but the physical exertion always made her feel good. And perhaps even better was the shower that came afterwards. It was like eating a succulent apple pie that she'd helped make. It was well-earned and all the sweeter for it. Today was no different, she thought with a smile as she stood under the shower spray.

When she was done she turned off the shower head and shook out her hair on her way through the shower. Several of the other girls tossed her strange glances, and she could hear low whispers as she passed, but nobody spoke up at a volume she could hear. Apple Bloom tried to ignore them, plucking her towel from the rack by the locker room entrance and drying herself off as she made her way towards her locker.

Scootaloo was already at the locker beside hers, undoing her lock and pulling it open. "Nice kicks out there, Apple Bloom. I think you kick harder than I do."

"Thanks, I just work out a lot on the farm." Apple Bloom opened her own locker and began to get dressed. "Hey, did you notice some of the girls actin' a bit weird just now?"

"Weird? Like how?"

"I dunno, they were givin' me some funny looks." Apple Bloom glanced over at Diamond Tiara surrounded by a small group of girls nearby. They were huddled close talking in hushed tones, and Apple Bloom could swear more eyes flitted toward her. "Did I do something weird out there on the field?"

"Nah, you're fine, you should just ignore them." Scootaloo slipped her shirt on comfortably. "You know better than to care what they think."

"Yeah, ah guess..." Somehow this didn't make Apple Bloom feel better, but she buried her concerns as she buckled her belt and reached for her bra. She fitted it carefully into place and reached back to pull the straps together behind her, but it felt strangely tight. No matter how hard she pulled it didn't quite come together, and it began to squeeze uncomfortably on her breasts. "Ugh, come on, not again."

"Something wrong?" Scootaloo turned to her, then lifted one eyebrow.

"My bra won't fit!" Apple Bloom protested.

"Seriously? What did you do, actually gain a cup size during gym? I know you're... er... growing fast, but that seems a bit ridiculous even for you."

"Don't ask me, I didn't choose to have it happen! Ugh, I'm gonna have to buy all new ones again now. Great. More money out the window." Apple Bloom sighed.

"Here, maybe you're doing it wrong, let me give it a shot." Scootaloo moved around behind her. Moments later the straps were taken from Apple Bloom's fingers, and the bra began to tighten sharply around her breasts while Scootaloo grunted in effort.

"Gah! Owowow!" Apple Bloom gasped in pain. "Scootaloo!"

"Almost... there..." Scootaloo groaned and tugged even harder. Apple Bloom clenched her fists and teeth against the pain as her friend pulled, determined to get this to work. Suddenly, however, Scootaloo's hands slipped and the bra shot from her torso like a rubber band, slamming into the back of Diamond Tiara's head.

"Hey!" Diamond Tiara's hand jerked back to pull the bra off her head, then turned to glare at Apple Bloom. "Seriously?"

"Aheh..." Apple Bloom blushed. "Sorry Diamond Tiara, it kinda got away from me there."

"Oh, whatever." Diamond Tiara marched up to her and flung the bra in her face. "Of course throwing those giant things around is always an accident, isn't it?"

"Excuse me?" Apple Bloom retorted. "I don't throw anything around..."

"Yeah, right." Diamond Tiara waved off her statement. "I guess when all you've got is a nice body you've got nothing else to flaunt anyway."

"Hey, that's not true at all!" Scootaloo stepped up to defend her friend. "Apple Bloom is kind and caring, way more than you've ever been or will ever be!"

"Psh, whatever." Diamond Tiara shrugged her off too as she turned to march back to her friends. "Like we care if you want to show off the only assets that make you worth anything."

Apple Bloom gripped her large bra in both hands, staring down at it worriedly as Diamond Tiara left. "Does... does everybody feel like that about me?" Apple Bloom asked.

"What? Don't be stupid, she's just being Diamond Tiara." Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "You're great Apple Bloom, and you have a lot more going for you than those." She pointed to Apple Bloom's bare chest. "Though uh... given that your bra doesn't fit, I guess you'll have to go the old-fashioned way until you can get a new one."

"Yeah, I guess..." With a blush Apple Bloom reached for her shirt and slid it on. She was suddenly keenly aware of how filled out her shirt really was, especially without a bra holding her breasts back. They seemed to sway and ripple with every motion. She really wasn't even sure how she had never noticed before. "I dunno, maybe I should go home and get one of Applejack's..."

"In the middle of the school day? There isn't time, and besides, you're fine." Scootaloo slipped a companionable arm around Apple Bloom's shoulders and turned to lead her out of the locker room. "You're an amazing girl for way more reasons than just your hot body."

"Did you just call me hot?"

"It's an objective fact. Anyway, my next class is Algebra, so I'll catch up with you after school!"

"Yeah, of course. Catch you later, Scoots." Apple Bloom waved after her friend, then turned to make her way to her next class.

Apple Bloom walked through the school hallways after gym, feeling the heat stinging her cheeks. It felt like half of the students she passed were looking at her. She tried to shake her head and tell herself she was being silly, they were not staring at her... but the thought kept creeping back to her.

"Those are totally fake," she heard one voice whisper from the crowd, followed by airy giggles. "Can you imagine being that shallow?"

"Not even a bra? Geeze, what a show-off." Another whisper came from the crowd.

"Glad I have a personality and don't have to rely on my boobs to get attention."

"She's gonna have so much back-pain later in life, and it serves her right."

Apple Bloom wrapped her arms over her breasts and picked up her pace, hurrying to her locker and prying it open quickly with one hand. She was grateful for a short reason to bury her front in her locker as she pulled out her book. She took a few extra moments to steady herself before slamming the locker shut, and nearly jumping out of her skin when she saw a boy approaching from behind the door.

"Whoa! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you!" Tender Taps held up his hands with a defensive smile. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, ah'm okay." Apple Bloom forced a smile onto her lips. "I've just been having kind of a weird day today. How're you?"

"Ah, you know, same old same old." Tender cocked his head curiously as he stared at her. "You look... a little bit different today."

"Do I...?" Apple Bloom gulped.

"Yeah... I can't quite put my finger on it." Tender Taps stared at her curiously, then his eyes swept down her body briefly. She could see his eyes sparkle slightly as they settled on her chest. Apple Bloom glanced down nervously, her face feeling uncomfortably hot. "You, uh... you... you look good, though..."

"Uh..." Apple Bloom coughed awkwardly into one hand as her other arm tried to slide discreetly in front of her chest. "Thank you, Tender Taps..."

"Yeah..." Tender's eyes moved back to Apple Bloom's with a bright smile, his own cheeks more deeply flushed. "I-uh... I was actually wondering if you were busy after school... we could, you know..." His eyes drifted downward. He shook his head, almost visibly jerking his eyes upwards again. "Get dinner. Go out and get some dinner with me. I mean you could, if you want to... go with me... out to dinner..."

"Oh..." Apple Bloom blushed. It wasn't the first time he had asked her out, they had gone out and had a really good time on several occasions. But something about the way he was looking at her was making her nervous. "I'm sorry, Tender, I just... promised I would go straight home after school today. Farm work y'know."

"Oh of course! I totally understand." Tender backed away from her casually, though she could still see his eyes flicking down to her chest a couple more times. "We'll... we'll just have to go out tomorrow. Or not. Or, y'know, whenever is you good... I mean good for you."

"Yeah, thanks... I'll let you know." Apple Bloom waved after him until he finally seemed to jerk his eyes away from her and walk somewhat stiffly away from her down the hallway.

Her own face felt like it was boiling as she whirled to rush down the hallway to her next class with her book clutched tightly to her chest with both arms. Somehow she managed to make it through the rest of the day, rushing from class to class as quickly as possible with her arms around her. She raced out of the school the moment the bell rang, making a straight line to Big Mac's truck out in the parking lot and leaping in before her siblings even arrived.

"Apple Bloom?" Applejack looked back at her curiously as she climbed in the passenger's seat. "Are you okay back there?"

"I'm fine..." Apple Bloom retorted curtly.

Applejack and Big Mac exchanged a glance, but didn't say anything more as Big Mac started the truck and turned toward Sweet Apple Acres on the edge of town.

Once they arrived Apple Bloom jumped out of the car and moved to rush inside, but Applejack called after her. "Don't forget we got some wood to chop tonight! I expect you out here to help us ASAP!"

Apple Bloom waved behind her before slipping into her room and slamming the door, leaning against it. She glared down at her own chest with a soft growl. "Stupid boobs... wish I didn't have to deal with you anymore... hmph..." She marched across the room, sliding on an airy white tank top that did absolutely nothing to conceal the offending body parts. She slipped on a pink sweater over it in the hopes of looking at least a bit more decent. Looking in the mirror, she could still see her breasts through the cloth, so she grabbed a thin jacket from her closet and zipped it tightly up before marching back out front, where the others were already waiting with axes.

"Apple Bloom?" Apple Jack looked over in surprise, plopping her axe down on the grass. She was now wearing a light tank top of her own, which was already soaked with sweat. "What are you doin'? It's the middle of summer, you're gonna overheat wearin' that."

"Yyyup," Big Macintosh agreed, topless himself.

"I'm fine." Apple Bloom approached the third wood pile and plucked her own axe from the grass with practiced ease. Her two older siblings exchanged another worried glance, but Apple Bloom just ignored them, setting up one of the smaller logs before winding up to split it cleanly in half with a mighty grunt.

She tried to focus on cutting the wood before her. Setting up a log, chopping it down. Setting it up, chopping it down. Setting it up, chopping it down. She had gotten pretty good at it since Applejack had started making her do it a few years back, and she barely even got tired anymore after almost forty-five minutes of it. Today, however, she had to fight off an odd sense of wooziness as she hefted her axe overhead.

She shook her head as she tightened her grip on the axe handle and brought it down, splitting the wood cleanly down the center, just the way her sister had taught her. She jerked on the axe handle, but suddenly it felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. She grunted and tried again, but the axe remained fastened firmly to the stump.

"Apple Bloom?" Applejack's voice sounded like it was coming from far away as Apple Bloom blinked slowly. "Apple Bloom!"

It felt like a blink, but when she opened her eyes she found herself lying on the living room couch. She could still feel the sweat coating her body, and there was a cold washrag draped over her forehead.

"There you are, sugar." Applejack smiled and reached up to press the rag tighter to her forehead. "Don't you try to move, you might feel a bit sick."

"What happened?" Apple Bloom asked.

"You didn't listen to me." Applejack chuckled and shook her head. "Why'd ya have to go and learn to be as stubborn as me?"

"Puh..." Apple Bloom glanced down, realizing that her coat and sweater were missing. She blushed and tried to discreetly hide herself with both arms, but Applejack's eyes caught everything, as they always did.

"I think I see the problem." Applejack smiled kindly up at her face.

"You do...?"

"Sure." Applejack ran the cold washrag down around her neck and the top of her chest. "Wasn't that long ago that I was your age, you know. Did somethin' happen at school today? Was it a boy makin' lewd comments or some girl makin' mean ones?"

"A bit of both, I guess. My bra stopped fittin'..." Apple Bloom blushed. "So I had to spend the rest of the day without it. It was like everybody was treatin' me differently. Boys were lookin' at me more, and girls were makin' comments about me. Sayin' I was shallow or some kind of showoff... I never intended to show off, I didn't even ask for these!"

"I know, you don't gotta tell me." Applejack sighed as she dipped the washrag in a bowl of water and carefully placed it across Apple Bloom's forehead again. "Don't pay them any mind, Apple Bloom. Some people don't know how to feel better about themselves without tearin' down someone they're jealous of."

"That's so stupid..." Apple Bloom grunted. "I've always tried to do right by everybody I can, but because I'm in shape and my breasts didn't stop growin' suddenly I'm shallow and selfish?"

"What matters is that you know it ain't true, and that the people who love you know it ain't true." Applejack took her hand comfortingly, pulling it away from her chest. "So don't you let them make you ashamed, no matter what your body looks like now or what it looks like later. Someone who talks like that ain't someone worth worryin' about. You hear me?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Apple Bloom sighed. "Does that mean I just gotta get used to everybody starin' at them?"

Applejack laughed. "Well they sure ain't goin' anywhere. It's gonna happen."

"Great... so Tender Tap's never gonna stop looking at them again, huh? Or any other boy."

Applejack smirked. "Did he say anything rude to you? Make you uncomfortable?"

"Not really... he asked me out to dinner, he just kept starin' at my breasts... it was a bit weird..."

Applejack chuckled. "Aw, don't hold it against him too badly. A boy that age is gonna look whether he wants to or not." Applejack smiled. "From my experience, once he gets used to 'em he'll put his focus back where it should be... or you can just leave him, if he stops respecting you. It's up to how he makes you feel."

"Bein' hot is so complicated..."

"Bein' human is complicated," Applejack assured her swiftly. "Hot, ugly, tall, short, boy, girl, it don't really matter none. We all got our lives to deal with, and all of it comes with its own baggage. You don't wanna know some of the situations Rainbow Dash has told me about over the years. What matters is that you make the best of what you got, no matter what it is, and don't let anybody tell you that what you got is worth less than what they got."

"Okay, Applejack." Apple Bloom smiled. "I'll try to keep it in mind."

"Great. And my second life lesson of the day is don't layer in the middle of summer if you don't wanna pass out, for goodness' sake."

Apple Bloom laughed lightly. "Yeah, I think I've learned that lesson pretty well."

"Glad to hear it." Applejack patted her arm before standing up. "You stay here a bit longer, I'm gonna go help Big Mac finish up the wood cutting, then we can figure out somethin' for dinner. Maybe after that we can go bra shopping."

"Okay, thanks Applejack." Apple Bloomed opened her arms to her big sister, who accepted the warm hug with a pat on her back, then turned to head outside to help their big brother.

***

The next day, Apple Bloom was at her locker once again, ignoring the droning comments from the other students around her. She decided to wear one of her old shirts, though after Apple Bloom had recovered she and Applejack had gone out later in the evening for some new bras. She felt a lot less nervous wearing it, less exposed to the rest of the world somehow. Despite what Applejack had said, the idea of everyone else just staring at her still made her feel just a bit nervous.

"Hey, Apple Bloom?" Apple Bloom looked up in surprise at a light tap on her shoulder, then turned to find Tender Taps standing behind her with a slightly nervous smile on his lips.

"Hey, Tender Taps." Apple Bloom smiled back as she turned fully towards him.

"I just wanted to apologize if I was being stupid yesterday." Tender rubbed the back of his neck nervously. His eyes flicked rapidly down to her chest again before he blinked and looked back up. "I don't mean to be rude, I just... I don't know what got into me, it's like you're just so... beautiful, but I don't want you to think that's, you know... all I care about and-"

"Tender." Apple Bloom put a gentle hand on his arm. "I know that ain't all you care about... and I'm sorry I acted so weird yesterday too. It wasn't you personally, it was just me noticing something I never noticed before."

"Really? Like what?"

"Oh, nothin' you need to worry about..." Apple Bloom smiled. He smiled back, his eyes remaining solidly locked onto hers, for the time being at least. "Hey, do you think I could take you up on that dinner tonight?"

"Really? I mean yeah, of course you can." Tender smiled back and opened his arms to step toward her, but he halted before he reached her, looking down at her chest again. "I-uh..."

Apple Bloom stepped forward to give him a hug. She couldn't suppress a soft giggle when she felt him stiffen slightly as his arms closed around her with a soft squeak from his throat. "This is... nice..." He breathed unsteadily.

"Yeah, it really is." Apple Bloom pulled back after a moment and took his hand. "Come on, let's walk to our next class together."

"That sounds like fun." Apple Bloom knocked her locker closed and turned to head down the hallway with him, clutching his hand tightly in hers. She ignored the occasional wry glare that came her way from some of the girls leaning against lockers, and especially the look of venom she got from Diamond Tiara.

None of them mattered. One of the few people who mattered was the one she was pulling along with her, and he was happy with her.

He was happy with all of her.