Chapter 11 – Decisions and Doubts
Apple Bloom woke up the next day feeling entirely out of sorts. Her lack of a good night’s sleep had left her body tired and her mind in a hazy fog. That past night she was bombarded by questions that swam in her mind ever since she became a mare. These questions were subdued for a while, but after the events of Market Day they broke free.
All of the questions related to this day: the day that Zecora was going to have the antidote ready for her to change back to a filly. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she wondered if even wanted to be a filly or stay as a mare. As a filly, she was able to go to school and play with her filly and colt friends. As a mare, however, she felt like ponies recognized her more and took her more seriously. This was clearly seen during Market Day when many ponies were talking to her on an even level rather than talking at her when she was a mare. Furthermore, the ponies overlooked the fact that she didn’t have a cutie mark.
Aside from her wrestling with this important decision, she was thinking about all the others in her life that were important to her and how they would react. She wondered about her friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, about Zecora and Cheerilee, about Big Macintosh and Granny Smith, and especially her sister Applejack. If she stayed a mare, would they treat her like the same Apple Bloom they all knew, or would things change?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a light rapping on the door.
“Apple Bloom,” Applejack’s voice was heard, “Are you up? Zecora’s going to be comin’ to the house in two hours with her potion for you.”
“Ah’m up,” Apple Bloom said with a hint of sadness.
“Hey, are you ok,” the orange mare said, her sister’s distress not lost on her, “Cah ah’ come in?”
“Sure,” the yellow mare said still staring at the mirror.
“Apple Bloom, you look like you didn’t sleep a wink last night. What’s wrong?”
“I was just thinking’ ‘bout things, ‘bout you know, me being what a mare an’ all.”
“You’re wonderin’ if you actually want to change back to a filly, right,” Applejack said.
“Yeah. I mean it’s great bein’ a filly an’ all. Ah’ can play, go to school, an’ be with mah friends. But then there’s bein’ a mare too. Ah’m seen differently as one. Ponies talk to me differently. They treat me like ah’m not just some silly filly but that ah’ matter more.”
The last thing Apple Bloom said struck her sister in the heart like a bolt of lightning.
“Are you sayin’ that you don’ think that ah’ treat you like you matter?”
“Well, no, yes, ooohhh ah’ don’ know anymore!”
With that the yellow mare flopped on her bed in frustration. Applejack sat on the bed and gently stroked her sister’s mane.
“Apple Bloom, when you’re a filly, ponies will treat you differently that if you’re a mare. They see a filly as nice an’ all, but they know that a filly hasn’t had the experience in life that most mares an’ stallions do. Mares basically treat other mares the same because they’re the same age. They understand each other. Now ah’ and the rest of the family know you better. We know that you should be taken seriously an’ should be treated as an equal member. So, no matter what happens in the rest of Ponyville or even Equestria, you matter to us.”
Applejack’s brightened up Apple Bloom as she sat up next to her sister and gave her a big hug. She knew that here family had love and cared for her, and that was enough.
“So, what should ah’ do about whether to be a mare still or a filly, sis?”
“Well, the decision is up to you sis, and no matter what ah’ an’ the rest of the family will stand by you. But in my opinion, ah’ think you should become a filly again. Bein’ a filly is a magical time learnin’ an’ playin’ an’ makin’ friends. It’s also a time where you git to find out who you really are an’ what you want to do with yer life. Ah’ personally wouldn’t want to skip those years fer anythin’, not ever fer a cutie mark. Plus ah’ want to see you grow up, Apple Bloom an’ experience it with you.”
Apple Bloom spent several minutes silent and in thought as she considered Applejack’s words.
“Ok. Ah’ll do it. Ah’ll become a filly again.”
“Well alright then,” Applejack said as she got up off the bed, “is that yer final decision?”
“Yes it is,” Apple Bloom said confidently.
“Alright, well ah’ll let you git ready an’ ah’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast before Zecora comes.”
Apple Bloom got up off the bed and paused one more time at the mirror looking at her mare like body. She let out a sigh, and then surprisingly felt a hoof on her shoulder.
“Ah’ know this is tough,” Applejack said, “makin’ a big change like this, but ah’ want you to remember what you look like as a mare, because this is what you’ll look like again sooner than you think.”
“Thanks, sis,” Apple Bloom said, giving Applejack a hug before starting her routing to get ready for the day and her upcoming change back to being a filly.