I had the whole walk back to Sweet Apple Acres to think. I hated thinkin' these days. Seemed like all I could think on was how everythin' was changin', and none of it seemed like a good thing. Scoot would be leavin' at the end of the summer, and all Sweetie wanted to talk about were boys and gettin' her first heat. Talkin' 'bout colts was fine, but really, there's only so many things ya' could say 'bout 'em, and sometimes it seemed like she'd change her mind 'bout which one she liked just so she had a new set of things to say.
And as to talkin' 'bout gettin' our first heat, that was the last thing I wanted to talk 'bout. I couldn't even see how she was lookin' forward to it, it all sounded awful. First ya' go plumb crazy and wanna mate with anythin', then ya' got colts sniffin' at ya' and nippin' ya'. It was like Celestia made it so somethin' embarassin' was bound to happen!
I made my way to the farmhouse. It woulda been nice if bein' home meant I didn't havta think anymore 'bout things changin'. But soon as I walked in, that went out the window.
“Heya kid,” Rainbow Dash said, sittin' in the kitchen while AJ was makin' dinner. I kinda glared at her.
“Hey little sis! How was school today?”
“It was fine. Scoot wasn't there. She, uh. . .” I blushed some, and wished it was just Applejack there. This was one’a the reasons I hated her datin' Rainbow Dash, if it was just AJ, I coulda just said Scoot got her first heat.
“Is something wrong with Scoot?” Rainbow Dash butted in.
“No. Nothin's wrong with her. She's a mare now,” I said. I thought it sounded silly to say it that way, but kinda more polite.
“Ooh! Fire's lit, huh?” Rainbow Dash grinned. I glared at her again.
“Well good for her,” Applejack said. She was facin' away from me and Rainbow Dash. “I guess it wasn't bad?”
“Nah, she's fine.”
“I told ya'. Scoot's went okay, and yours is gonna go okay too. Are ya' feelin' better about it now?”
“No.” I rolled my eyes. “There's still 'bout a million things that could go bad!”
“Yeah.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Like, did you know manticores can smell a filly going through first heat? It's their favorite snack. They'll stalk out of the Everfree Forest looking for them.”
I stared at her, and my eyes went wide. Nopony told me that before. The farm went right up against the Everfree Forest!
“Rainbow Dash!” AJ scolded her.
Rainbow Dash fell over laughin'. “Gotcha! That was awesome!”
I turned around and started to stomp off. I had no idea why Applejack put up with her, but it didn't mean I hadta.
“Apple Bloom, wait,” Rainbow Dash called, and I stopped.
She walked over and wrapped a wing 'round me. “There are no heat sniffing manticores, okay? There's nothing to be afraid of. It's happened to all of us, and we all survived.”
“I'm goin' to my room,” I said, shruggin' off her wing. I stomped upstairs and slammed the door.
I pulled out my homework and tried to get it done, but I couldn't even think of that. That dumb pegasus made me so mad. She was always hangin' 'round Applejack, and she always made jokes and teased 'bout serious stuff. The worst part was, AJ seemed to like her bein' here.
I couldn't even talk about it with my friends, 'cause Scoot got mad if I said anythin' bad 'bout Rainbow Dash. At first, I tried to tell her that it was different when she was around all the time and messin' stuff up, but Scoot just said I was jealous that AJ was spendin' so much time with her, and we had a fight. I wouldn't have minded AJ spendin' time with somepony who was nicer. 'Course, they'd haveta be really nice.
I was in my room 'bout a half an hour when somepony knocked on the door.
“Apple Bloom? Can I come in?” AJ called.
“Yeah,” I said, and she opened the door and came on in.
“You wanna come on down for supper?”
“Nope.”
“Dash left, sugarcube.”
“Okay then,” I said, but I didn't move from the bed.
She walked over and hopped up in the bed next to me, makin' herself comfortable. “You wanna talk, little sis? You can tell me why you got a problem with Dash all of a sudden. I thought ya' thought she was cool.”
“I don't got a problem with Rainbow Dash.” I snuggled against her. “I just don't get why she's gotta be here all the time.”
“Well, we like bein' 'round each other, and it's kinda hard for me to go to her place.” AJ smiled.
I sighed.
“And she likes you too,” she said, givin' me a nuzzle. “She likes bein' round the family, bein' as she don't got much of her own.”
“She's got a funny way of showin' it.”
“I'm sorry 'bout that, sugarcube. I gave her an ear full, believe me. But. . . ya' might be a bit too sensitive 'bout that. She was only teasin'.”
“Teasin' bout the worst thing that's ever gonna happen in my life.”
Applejack tried not to laugh and pulled me close. “It ain't gonna be the worst thing that's gonna happen. Or if it is, I guess you're one lucky pony.”
She was wrong, and I knew it. “What if it starts when I'm at school, AJ? What if one of the colts nips me and I pop my tail? I'd never live it down, I'd have’ta move to the other side of the world!”
“If it comes on when you're at school, Miss Cheerilee'll send somepony for me, and I'll be right there. She won't let none of the colts near ya', I promise.”
“What if it's so strong it hurts?” I asked. Miss Cheerilee said that hardly ever happened, but I was sure it'd happen to me.
“We'll get ya' in a cool bath, that'll make it better right away. Sugarcube, every grown-up mare's been through this same thing. I know it's kinda scary, but it ain't worth all this fuss.”
I was quiet a real long time, then I said, “I ain't ready for it.”
“I know, Apple Bloom.” She stroked my mane with her hoof. “It just all comes anyhow, no matter if anypony's ready or not. But ya' know, it all goes as quick as it comes. One day soon, you'll be a grown mare and you'll be wonderin' how it all happened so fast.”
“I don't wanna be a grown mare. I wanna stay a filly.”
I could hear her smilin' as she said, “And here I remember where ya' couldn't wait to grow up.”
“I didn't know then how bad it was gonna be. Somepony shoulda told me.”
“It ain't bad, there's lots of fun stuff 'bout growin' up.”
“Name somethin'.”
“Ya' get to make new friends, and ya' get to go fun places. . .”
“I want my old friends, and I want 'em right here. Nopony I ever meet is gonna be as good.” I knew that was true. I'd never have friends as good as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
“You don't know that, sugarcube. Why, when I was your age, I didn't even know most of my friends. Your friends are always gonna be special to ya, but ya never know if there're ponies who're just as special that you ain't met.”
“Good. I can stay a filly and never worry 'bout meetin' anypony as annoyin' as Rainbow Dash.” I knew that was low, but I couldn't help it.
“Apple Bloom,” AJ said, soundin' kinda annoyed. “First, if I'd never met Dash, Equestria woulda been destroyed a couple times over.”
I sighed. There wasn't much I coulda said to that.
“And second, you're actin' like a baby foal right now.” She got up out of the bed and started to the door. “There's just no reasonin' with you.”
“That's cause I'm right.”
“Well, you can be right all ya' want, but you still gotta grow up,” AJ said as she walked outta the room.
I sighed again. There wasn't much I coulda said to that, either.