//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Flower Blooms Twice // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Apple Bloom stretched slowly as she woke up, blinking her eyes in the predawn light. Getting to her hooves, she wiggled her shoulders as she felt a dull throb pass through her body. Shaking herself, she glanced up and saw a note pinned to her headboard. 'Apple Bloom, Zecora says that you can take the bandages off once you wake up. You should be fully healed. Applejack' Smiling, Apple Bloom removed the bandages that still wrapped her body. As the last one fell away, she blinked, since it felt like she was still wearing some. Remembering, she smiled and undid her ribbon. She watched in fascination as the green fire spread over her body, revealing her Changeling form. Now that she had no fear of it, she stared in fascination at the black chitin of her carapace, examining the holes in her legs. She blinked, noticing that the unlit room suddenly seemed much brighter. She smiled as she realized her natural eyes must have much better night vision then she did as a pony. She turned towards her wings and saw that there were still bandages wrapped around her left one. She unwrapped them carefully, and the dull throb she'd felt since waking faded as she freed her wing. Carefully she shook her wings out, staring at their full extension. Without thinking, she buzzed them, lifting into the air...only to immediately crash into her armoire. "Ugg...note to self: learn to fly in open space," she muttered, once more hearing the slight hissing rasp that underlay her voice. She suddenly found herself giggling. "My voice sounds funny." Turning, she opened her door and walked towards the bathroom. Stepping into the shower - not bothering to turn the lights on as she didn't need them - she noticed a new bottle, with glowing letters on it. Curious, she read them. 'Friend Apple Bloom, how do you do? This bottle I made just for you. Gainst chitin rot and membrane grime, This wash will leave you feeling sublime. -Zecora' Apple Bloom smiled. "Looks like Zecora made me some body wash." Turning on the water, she squirted some into her hoof and began to lather herself up. She giggled as water and soap passed harmlessly through the holes in her legs, leaving a tickling sensation behind. She started to sing a bit, but noticing the change her voice had on the song, she giggled. "I sound like I'm strangling a cat in here!" She blinked. "I shouldn't find that funny." Finishing her shower and washing the soap away, she quickly dried herself off. As she headed downstairs, she saw Big Macintosh approaching. "Morning, Big Brother!" she called to him. "Morning Apple Bloom," he replied with a smile. "Granny's making apple pancakes with zap apple jam for breakfast." "My favorite!" Apple Bloom called out happily, rushing down the stairs. However, her haste resonated with the rest of her body, her wings buzzed...and she slammed head first into the kitchen door. Granny Smith glanced down at her as she lay on the kitchen floor. "Ya know, Apple Bloom, it's considered good manners to open a door before going through it." Apple Bloom chuckled nervously. "Sorry Granny. I'll fix it." "After breakfast!" Granny insisted. "Yay!" Apple Bloom quickly climbed into her chair, eagerly awaiting the promised food. Applejack joined them soon after, and the family eagerly dug into the food that had been prepared. As they ate, Apple Bloom smiled at the family she knew she was lucky to have. Once breakfast was finished, Apple Bloom repaired the hole she had left in the kitchen door. She had found she was good with tools, although obviously it wasn't her special talent. Finished, she grabbed her school bag. "Well, I'm off to school!" "Apple Bloom!" Applejack called out. As Apple Bloom turned back, she saw her sister smile. "Forgetting something?" she asked, holding up the ribbon. Apple Bloom smiled sheepishly. "Oops." She sat still as Applejack tied the ribbon into her mane, and watched as the green fire cascaded over her body, turning her back into a pony. "There," Applejack said. "Now you've got your face on. Now you're ready to-" Apple Bloom suddenly gasped. "Ohmygosh! My Cutie Mark! How am I gonna explain it to Sweetie and Scoot?" Applejack blinked. "Oh...hadn't thought about that..." She looked down at the Mark. "Your special talent seems to be disguises..." "And how am I gonna tell them I discovered it without em?" Apple Bloom wailed, her eyes scrunching up. "What am I gonna say? How am I gonna explain-" "Apple Bloom," Big Macintosh interrupted. "Do you want them to know about you?" Apple Bloom looked from Big Macintosh's calm face to Applejack's shocked one and realized what he meant. "I...I don't want to lie to them...I think...yes, I want to tell em." Big Mac looked down at her calmly. "You know they might not accept you, right?" Apple Bloom gulped, then nodded. "If they can't...I'd rather know now." Big Mac nodded calmly. "In that case..." He pulled Apple Bloom's Crusader cape out and threw it over her, tying it on carefully. He settled it so that it hid her Cutie Mark from sight. "Just tell them you've got somethin you wanna talk about at the clubhouse this afternoon. I already heard that neither of them are grounded." "Big Mac, Apple Bloom..." Applejack looked worried. "Are ya sure this is a good idea?" Apple Bloom looked up at her sister. "It's now or never, Applejack...and I don't wanna lie to them. I mean, if it were you, wouldn't you wanna tell Twilight, Rainbow, and the others? ...at least, after you swore em to a Pinkie Promise, anyway?" Applejack thought for a bit. "Hmm...nah." At her siblings shocked expressions, she smiled. "I wouldn't swear em to anything before hoof. I trust em too much for that." She nuzzled Apple Bloom. "Guess you trust your friends just as much, huh?" At Apple Bloom's eager nod, Applejack chuckled. "Alright, alright. Off to school with ya." Smiling, Apple Bloom hugged them both before rushing off to school. Once there, she saw Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo waiting for her. They ran up to her. "Apple Bloom! You're okay!" They piled onto her in a group hug, and she hugged them back happily. "I'm just fine! Applejack sent Winona for Zecora, and she fixed me up right as rain." She smiled. "Let's meet up at the clubhouse after school, okay? There’s somethin I gotta talk to you both about." They both looked at her, surprised, but nodded. "Well if it isn't the Blank Flanks!" Diamond Tiara called out, coming up to them. "Still playing your silly games hoping to get your Cutie Marks?" "Back off Diamond Tiara!" Scootaloo snapped. "We don't need your bile over here." Diamond Tiara smiled wider. "You three might as well give up. You'll never get your Cutie Marks." Apple Bloom had to mightily resist the urge to pull back her cape to show her just how wrong she was. "C'mon girls, let's get inside." She and her friends went into school, taking their seats as class started. Apple Bloom found her mind wandering as class went on, trying to figure out how her talk with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom later that day would go. 'Sweetie, Scoot...I kinda got to tell you, I got my Cutie Mark. I don't want this to change anything between us. I still want us to be friends, and I still wanna Crusade with you both. But...there's something else I gotta tell ya, and I'm afraid you might hate me. See, I'm a-' "Apple Bloom?" "Changeling!" Apple Bloom found herself shouting out, blinking in shock. "That's right," Cheerilee said happily. "The creatures who attacked Canterlot during Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's wedding are called Changelings. I guess I shouldn't be surprised you know that, Apple Bloom, given that you were there. Today, we will be covering what little is known about Changelings, their magic, nature, and abilities." Putting thoughts of later that day from her mind - and getting past the relief at her close save - Apple Bloom focused on the lesson. This might actually be useful, considering she was a Changeling who knew next to nothing about her own abilities. If nothing else, it would make an excellent starting point for experimentation. -------------- Apple Bloom raced back to the farm, hoping to reach the clubhouse soon so that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle didn't wait too long. As she ran, she thought about the lesson. While there hadn't been anything useful as far as utilizing Changeling magic - nopony knew how that worked, except that it worked differently from unicorn or alicorn spell casting - she did learn a bit about Changeling flight. Apparently, the closest other flying creature example was a dragonfly, which moved its wings in the same way to maintain stable flight altitude, using body movements to effect speed and trajectory. A larger though less accurate example was hummingbird flight, which was the same way Scootaloo used her wings to accelerate her scooter. Unfortunately, nopony knew anything about how a Changeling changed form, the one lesson that would have been most useful for her, just in case her ribbon ever came off accidentally. Sighing, she hoped Sweetie and Scoot would accept her. If they did, they could probably help her cover for any accidents. If not...accidents were the least of her worries, really. Reaching the clubhouse, she climbed up the steps and through the door. Seeing her friends were already there, she smiled. "Hope I didn't keep you both waiting long." Scootaloo shrugged. "Nah, not too long." Sweetie smiled. "Besides, we really want to hear your important news." Apple Bloom nodded. "Alright," she said quietly. "I definitely wanted to talk to you both about this in private, anyway. I...guess there's really only one way to go about it..." She took off her Crusader cape and turned side on to them. Her friends both gasped. "Apple Bloom!" Sweetie cried happily. "You got your Cutie Mark!" "That's so awesome!" Scootaloo said in eagerness, clapping her hooves. Apple Bloom smiled. She'd been half afraid they'd get upset, that she had earned her Cutie Mark without them. She had severely underestimated her friends, it seemed. "So what's your special talent?" Scootaloo asked. Apple Bloom blinked. "I...I don't really know." They both stared at her. "How can you not know?" Sweetie asked, confused. "Yeah," Scootaloo piped in. "What were you doing when it showed up?" Apple Bloom swallowed. 'Moment of truth,' she thought to herself. "Well," she said, reaching up to her ribbon, "it showed up when I discovered - and accepted - something about myself." Sweetie blinked in confusion. "Some sort of self-realization moment?" she asked. Apple Bloom nodded. "So wait, you've got a philosophy Cutie Mark?" Scootaloo asked. "Your special talent is to know yourself? Talk about lame." Apple Bloom giggled. "Actually...I think it has more to do with WHAT I discovered and accepted." "Oh," Scootaloo replied. "And what's that?" 'Now or never,' Apple Bloom thought. "This," she said, pulling the ribbon from her mane. The green fire flared over her body, revealing her natural form. As her friends stared at her in shock, she swallowed convulsively. 'Please Celestia, Luna, even Discord...don't let this be a terrible mistake...'