The Flower Blooms Twice
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo staggered away from their latest attempt at getting their Cutie Marks - Cutie Mark Crusaders Forest Rangers. In this attempt, they had charged headlong yet again into the Everfree Forest, fully intent on plotting the entire thing on a map. They had gone in with everything they thought they would need - scroll, quills, compass, water, and snacks.
Unfortunately, things had started to go wrong almost immediately, mostly due to how they had divided the responsibilities. Sweetie Belle had the map and compass, and her drawing skills proved to leave quite a bit to be desired as far as providing reliable navigation. The food, as gathered by Scootaloo, had been open in their wheelbarrow, which had drawn hungry critters - including parasprites - in swarms, and had to be abandoned. And Apple Bloom, who had brought the drinks, had gone to the wrong casks and filled their canteens with aging cider. This resulted in the three fillies wandering around the Everfree Forest hungry, slightly tipsy, and with no idea where they were going. Thankfully, though, they managed to avoid a good portion of the more dangerous hazards of the Forest, such as Poison Joke, blood lilies, manticores, hydras, bottomless bogs, tangle trees, and the Rodents of Unusual Size - which Scootaloo was certain were real, despite what everypony else said. Unfortunately, they weren't so lucky when it came to the more mundane dangers, such as pitfalls, ravines, cliffs, rockslides, and deadfalls.
As such, all three fillies had their share of bumps, bruises, scrapes, and cuts as they exited the Everfree Forest. "Well, let's never do that again," Scootaloo said with finality. "Whose dumb idea was that, anyway?"
"Yours," Sweetie Belle pointed out.
"Oh...right..." Scootaloo rubbed the back of her head nervously, wincing as she found yet another bump. "Well, at least we made it back, right?" She glanced at her flank, then sighed. "No Cutie Mark though."
Sweetie Belle checked her own flank. "None for me either." She glanced over. "What about you, Apple Bloom?"
Apple Bloom had remained silent the entire time since exiting the Forest. She looked quite a mess, with her fair share of visible injuries. Her ribbon, however, showed no signs of damage whatsoever. She blinked. "Wha?" She glanced over to Sweetie Belle. "Cutie...oh." She looked towards her flank. "No...none for me..." She suddenly winced. "Oww..."
Scootaloo walked over. "You okay? Where does it hurt?"
Apple Bloom continued to wince in pain. "My...my shoulder..."
Scootaloo glanced at her friend. "Doesn't look like there's an injury." She carelessly prodded the indicated area.
"OW!" Apple Bloom yelped. "That HURTS!"
Scootaloo jumped back. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Sweetie Belle rushed to Apple Bloom's side. "Can you walk?"
"I...I think so..." Apple Bloom tried to take a step, but her entire body was shaking. The pain in her shoulder felt like a burning brand lancing into her spine, and from there to her brain.
Scootaloo ducked back into the woods, coming out with her scooter and the - somewhat worse for wear - wheelbarrow. "Load her in!" she said, hitching them up and getting on.
Sweetie Belle carefully shifted Apple Bloom into the wheelbarrow. Scootaloo then motored her wings, getting some good speed but keeping her velocity low enough so as to not jostle Apple Bloom. Sweetie ran alongside the scooter, keeping an eye on Apple Bloom and demonstrating a respectable acceleration and stamina. Apple Bloom focused on breathing through the pain, keeping her eyes open.
Before long, they reached Sweet Apple Acres. "Applejack!" Scootaloo called out. "Apple Bloom's hurt!"
"What in tarnation?" Applejack called back, racing over. "Where in the hay have you three been? You said you were going crusading this morning!"
"We...we were going to be Forest Rangers..." Sweetie Belle stammered out.
"What?" Applejack demanded in shock. "You three are...why I...Rrgh!" She shook her head in frustration. "Big Mac, take these two home so their sisters can take care of them. Make sure they know what they've been up to.
Sweetie Belle hung her head. She was not looking forward to Rarity's lecture about ladylike behavior, the dangers of the Everfree, and overall recklessness in general.
Scootaloo looked up defiantly. She wasn't too worried about what Rainbow would say to her...at least, not compared to her main worry right now. "But what about Apple Bloom? She's hurt, and-"
"I'll take care of her," Applejack said calmly. "Don't you worry none about that. Now git on home, you two!"
As Big Mac walked the two fillies towards their homes and caretakers, Applejack brought Apple Bloom inside the big barn. "So tell me, sugarcube, where does it hurt?"
"All over," Apple Bloom said softly, "but mostly my left shoulder. It feels like fire on my spine."
Applejack looked at her in concern, glancing towards the area. "I don't see nothing," she said softly, reaching a hoof forward.
"Please don't touch!" Apple Bloom begged. "That makes it hurt worse."
Applejack stared at her sister softly. "Apple Bloom, I need to check something, and I need you to do something for me, alright?"
"I-if I can..."
"I just need ya to close your eyes, and keep em closed until I say so."
Apple Bloom nodded. "Okay, I can do that." She closed her eyes, glad she didn't have to fight to keep them open anymore.
She felt Applejack undoing her ribbon - her mother's ribbon, the one she was never supposed to take off. "Sis?"
"Don't worry none, sugarcube, I know what I'm doing."
Apple Bloom knew she could trust her sister, so she quieted. As the ribbon was pulled out of her mane, however, she felt a strange sensation pass over her body. "Applejack?" she asked, but her voice sounded strange.
"Shh," Applejack said quietly. "Don't talk, sugarcube." Applejack suddenly gasped. "Winona, go fetch Zecora!" Winona barked, and there was the sound of running paws. "She's headed for the forest by the edge of the farm, not pacing herself...Zecora must be close."
Applebloom tried to follow what her sister was saying, but without opening her eyes or speaking she wasn't sure what was going on. Besides that, her body still felt weird. The pain in her shoulder was a bit less, though.
She felt Applejack's hoof on her shoulder, just above where most of the pain was. "Don't worry none, Apple Bloom, Zecora'll be here soon, and she'll fix you up just right."
"I will be here very soon, to help my good friend Apple Bloom," Zecora said from behind Applejack.
"Zecora!" Applejack said happily. "Look, I know this looks kind of bad-"
"Not so bad, don't be sad." Apple Bloom felt Zecora's gentle hooves on her, around the source of the pain. "Injuries like this I can quickly fix. No pain will she feel while her body heals." She paused, and her tone towards Applejack became serious. "But after this through park walk, you and I must have a talk."
"Gotcha," Applejack replied.
Apple Bloom was confused. She didn't know what the big ponies were talking about. However, as she was about to ask, Zecora suddenly grabbed the part of her that hurt the most and yanked. Apple Bloom meant to scream in pain, but what came out of her mouth was instead a volcanic hiss.
"Take it easy, young Apple Bloom. The pain will end very soon."
Apple Bloom struggled to accept that advice through the pain, while at the same time trying to keep her eyes closed as Applejack had instructed. She felt Zecora applying her medicine's, and the pain slowly subsided to a dull throb. Zecora then began treating her other injuries.
After a time, Apple Bloom felt her sister retying the bow in her mane. Another shudder passed over her body, and she felt normal again. "Okay, Apple Bloom, you can open your eyes now."
Apple Bloom opened her eyes. She saw bandages wrapped around her legs and trunk. She glanced over at Zecora. "What was it? How'd I get hurt so bad?"
Zecora shook her head. "It was not as bad as your belief was led. But for now, you should get to bed."
"Zecora's right, sugarcube," Applejack said calmly. "You get to bed now. I'll bring you up some supper later."
Apple Bloom nodded, crawling up the stairs towards her room. However, as she climbed into bed, she found she couldn't sleep. What had happened? What had caused that pain? How had Zecora fixed it? And what had happened to her when Applejack undid Maw's ribbon, and why did she have to keep her eyes closed for that part?
Crawling out of bed, she walked over to her mirror, seeing the ribbon sitting where it always sat in her mane, tied up in a pretty bow. It was Maw's ribbon. Applejack said that as long as she wore it, Maw would protect her, so she was to never take it off for anything. She'd been wearing it for as long as she could remember. Her every memory had her wearing it...but no matter how she struggled, she had no memories of Maw. And whenever she'd asked, Applejack had sidestepped the question, Big Mac had fallen in deep thought until the question was forgotten, and Granny Smith would tell her, "You look just like her," before sidelining into an unrelated tangent.
It was too much for the filly. She had to know. Reaching up, she took hold of one end of the ribbon. "I'm sorry, Maw," she whispered. "I still love you." She pulled.
The ribbon untied itself and fell to the side...and green fire passed over Apple Bloom's body. She stared into her reflection in shock. Black insectoid carapace, small horn, solid brown eyes that glittered with reflected light, insect wings, and those holes in her body...
"I'm...I'm a Changeling..." she whispered, a hissing echo under her normal voice. She stared at her reflection. She wanted to cry, but no tears came. Taking a closer look, she saw that her left wing was wrapped in bandages, still slightly swollen. "So...so that was the cause of the pain..." She sank to the floor of her room, feeling her world crash around her, and let out slow, choked sobs, wishing that tears would fall.
Sometime later - she wasn't sure how long - she heard her door open. "Apple Bloom," Applejack said calmly, "I brought you yer supper. You awake-" There was a pause, followed by a sigh. There was a clatter of a tray followed by hoof falls. Then Applejack lay down besides Apple Bloom, wrapping one foreleg around her. "Want to talk about it?"
Apple Bloom blinked up at the pony beside her. "Wha...Applejack, I'm a Changeling!"
Applejack raised her eyebrow. "And?"
"I'm a...I'm a love eating monster that feeds on ponies, the worst thing to ever-" She was interrupted as Applejack stuffed her hoof into her mouth.
"Listen, nopony gets to talk about my little sister like that, not even her, got it?"
Apple Bloom nodded. When the hoof was removed from her mouth, she looked up at Applejack, confused. "But...but Changelings replace loved ones. Am I...a replacement?"
Applejack frowned. "Hoo doggy, you do ask the complicated questions, don'tcha?" She shook her head. "How about we just skip straight to the simple answers and see how much more you need to know?"
"Uhh...okay."
Applejack cleared her throat. "Well, you remember when I told you the story of how I got my Cutie Mark?" When Apple Bloom nodded, she continued. "Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. I didn't leave because I didn't like the farm or anything like that. Granny Smith thought it would be better for me to live with Aunt and Uncle Orange so I'd have parental role models growing up, after Maw and Paw passed on. But I hated Manehatten, so I came back, guided by the Rainbow." She smiled. "It wasn't long after that you showed up on our doorstep."
Apple Bloom listened attentively, trying to follow the story and find her answers.
Applejack smiled. "You were just a teeny little black ball with dark brown eyes, barely bigger than a minute. We didn't know what you were, but we decided to take care of you." She chuckled. "Found you in the cabbage patch, we did, and since there's all those old stories ponies tell their kids about children turning up there-"
"You mean they aren't true?" Apple Bloom asked suddenly, attempting a sad, disillusioned face. However, she couldn't manage to keep it straight.
Applejack smirked. "Anyway, we figured maybe there was some truth to it after all. So we decided to take care of you. Now, we had a few keepsakes from Maw and Paw - my hat and your bow, specifically." She touched the Stetson she always wore. "Since I was Daddy's little girl, Big Mac decided I should get the hat...but there was no way in Tartarus he was gonna wear a ribbon. So when you showed up, we tied the ribbon in your mane." She chuckled. "Imagine our surprise when you turned into an almost exact replica of Maw at that age."
Apple Bloom's eyes widened in shock.
"We took that as a sign that Maw wanted us to take care of you, so cousin Apple Thesis did some legal paper juggling, calling in a few favors, and managed to drum you up a birth certificate." Applejack smiled. "It's nice having a lawyer in the family, ain't it?" She glanced down. "Course, after learning what I have about Changelings - and realizing you are one - I'm guessing your shape change magic interacted with something left over of Maw in her ribbon. Granny said it was like Apple Flower had come back to us, and then she said something about the rarest flowers blooming twice. Didn't know what it meant, but that's how we named you Apple Bloom."
Apple Bloom listened to all of this, taking it all in. "Then...then I'm not an Apple?" she asked, feeling cracks in her heart.
Applejack pulled her into a tight hug. "Bloom, you may not have been born into the Apple Family in the traditional way, but you are an Apple. I suppose if somepony wanted to pick at nits, they could say you were adopted...but we made you one of us, and you learning that shouldn't change nothing."
"But I'm-" Apple Bloom paused. "How much of the family...knows?"
Applejack smiled. "Everypony older than you. Outside the family, now it's only Zecora."
"They all knew?" Apple Bloom asked, shocked. "That I was...a Changeling?"
"They all knew you weren't born a pony, but that didn't matter none to them. After the invasion when we learned what you were, we just closed ranks around ya, like the family always does to protect our own." She nuzzled Apple Bloom. "Didn't change how we saw you one iota."
Apple Bloom smiled, nuzzling her sister back. "I'm lucky I've got you for a big sister, Applejack." She winced as a strange burning sensation erupted on her flank. "Owowow!"
"Apple Bloom, what's wrong?"
"My flank! It hurts!"
Applejack stared for a moment. "Put Maw's ribbon back on."
"Huh? But-" As the pain got worse, Apple Bloom stopped arguing, quickly tying the ribbon.
The green fire once more passed over her body, and she appeared as she normally did. The burning sensation on her flank was gone...but a glittering light was plainly visible. The light then faded, leaving behind an image of an apple...wearing an eye mask.
Apple Bloom stared. "W...wha...how..."
Applejack chuckled. "Well hooee, look who just got their Cutie Mark, sugarcube."
Apple Bloom's eyes widened as she gasped. "I did! I got my Cutie Mark!" She began bouncing happily around Applejack crying, "Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!"
Applejack chuckled happily. "Now take a good long look at that mark, Apple Bloom...and let that keep the doubts away. You are an Apple." She pulled her into a tight hug. "You are my sister."
Letting a few joyful tears fall, Apple Bloom nuzzled her big sister. "I'll remember," she said happily.
Applejack nodded. "Now eat your supper and get to bed. You're still recovering from today, and getting a Cutie Mark doesn't mean you get to stay up all night."
Apple Bloom nodded, rapidly devouring her supper before bouncing into bed. Chuckling, Applejack tucked her in. "Goodnight sis," she said, kissing her on the forehead.
"G'night, Applejack," Apple Bloom replied, closing her eyes.
As Applejack left the room, closing the door and turning off the lights, Apple Bloom thought back on the events of the day. There was a lot she couldn't really make sense of, and she knew she would have to address it all sooner or later. She also knew she'd have to think about what her apparent ancestry would mean to her future. However, one thing easily overshadowed everything else...she finally had her Cutie Mark!
Unable to help herself, she began to bounce up and down on the bed. "Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes-"
"BED MEANS SLEEP!" Applejack shouted up the stairs.
Apple Bloom immediately dove back under the covers, smiling happily.