//------------------------------//
// The Reflection 
// Story: Love is in Bloom 
// by theNDinspector 
//------------------------------//

	Apple Bloom was hard at work in the woodshop.  The smell of sawdust and various paints and other finishes filled the air.  Accustomed to this shop and its smell after years of working as an apprentice, she was working on her final project—proving that she was ready to be a master carpenter.

Her mentor, Wood Frame, watched the young mare work.  Apple Bloom was making some final measurements and last-minute adjustments to the pieces before she would apply the wood-finish and assemble all the pieces into the final product.  She had the choice to use paint, wood-stain, or a clear-coat.  Personally, he hoped that she would use one of the latter two.  Paint was a good finish, especially for houses and other items, but there were many more projects that looked better with the grain of the wood visible—displaying its natural beauty.

However, Wood Frame could not suggest which one she should use.  This was her project.  She had to make all of the decisions and do all of the work.  All he could do was to approve her design and consult throughout the process.  He could even show her how to do certain things, but only on test pieces of wood—most of which he had already done over the years.  Apple Bloom was on her own.

Wood Frame retreated to his office, thinking about the young mare in the shop.  Her mane was tied back, but not with a pink bow—it had been made clear on her first day that it was a safety hazard.  However, she had stopped wearing it even outside of the workshop as well.  Part of this was because they used to belong to her mother and—having been worn throughout fillyhood—had become very old and fragile.  Also, many of said bows were ruined thanks to Apple Bloom’s nephew, who had an insatiable appetite for ribbons.  The once common sight of a yellow earth-pony with a pink bow in her light-red mane had now become a rarity.  Wood Frame missed the sight.

Wood Frame had grown very fond of Apple Bloom.  In truth, he was only a few years older than she was.  They were both in Ponyville Elementary—although it was his last year there when she first started school—and he had already been in his own apprenticeship for a few years when she was attending Ponyville High.  So he didn’t see much of her until she started coming to the shop to get wood to work with and see the various machinery…and a certain brown stallion with a wooden-house frame cutie mark.

It was a complete shock when she had asked him to be her mentor.  He had only just finished his own apprenticeship a couple of years previous, but was technically able to do it.  It was also common practice in the apprenticeship programs that the student would board with the master in his, or her, own home.  However, Apple Bloom came back a couple of days later—after having told her family of her apprenticeship—and said that some changes needed to be made.  She still wanted to be his apprentice, but she would still live in her own home at Sweet Apple Acres.  She had said something about her sister not being able to handle too much change.

Wood Frame understood these wishes and obliged.  He was also very relieved.  It just seemed that two young, single ponies that were supposed to be in a teacher/student relationship, both living under the same roof, was a recipe for disaster.  However, due to her almost constant presence at the shop, Wood Frame felt a strange attachment to the young mare.

Apple Bloom had shown great progress throughout the years.  Wood Frame had seen many carpenters, both young and old, able to produce work at varying levels of quality and passion, but none quite like Apple Bloom.  She had the uncanny ability to be able to take any material, no matter the quality, and turn it into something magnificent.  She also put extreme care into her work, much like the farmer in her would to her crop.  

Wood Frame started to notice this after Applejack came to the shop one day for a visit, and showed him some pictures of Apple Blooms various projects as a filly.  One particularly shocking project was that of an old treehouse—that was so beat up that it looked like it needed to be condemned—in one picture, and the other showing the same treehouse, but completely rejuvenated—just like new.  Wood Frame could hardly believe it, much like those “Before and After” pictures of many diet fads.  However, on closer inspection, he could see that the first picture was indeed of older quality than the second, and slightly worn.  Also, the young filly in the first was clearly Applejack, while the one in the second was Apple Bloom.

However, they weren’t always on good terms in their relationship as master and apprentice.  One particular instance happened when two of Apple Bloom’s friends came by for a visit: one of them, Equestria’s most renowned stuntponies, and the other a singer of rising fame.  Somehow, their visit resulted in utter chaos around the shop.  Thankfully, nopony was hurt beyond a few bruises and a couple of scratches, but a very important table was completely decimated.  

Wood Frame was furious because the project had taken the better part of a month to work on, and was to be picked up the next day.  Apple Bloom said she could fix it, which he obliged and left the shop—being too angry to focus on anything.  After cooling down for a couple of hours, he returned, only to have his blood-pressure rise again.  He saw…well…he wasn’t sure what it was.  It looked like one of those modern-art projects that made little sense to him.  But at least those were done that way on purpose.

“Ah’ don’t get it,” Apple Bloom had said, bewildered.  “How is it that Ah’m training to be a professional carpenter, and yet, when we work ta`gether, we still can’t fix a table?”

It had taken Wood Frame every single ounce of persuasion that he had to prevent losing Diamond Tiara’s business and convince her to give them another month to create a second table—at a discount.  She reluctantly agreed, only on the condition that Apple Bloom was to have no hoof in the process whatsoever, and that she and her friends were not permitted, under any circumstance, to be allowed anywhere near the final product.  Silence prevailed in the shop for the next several weeks.

Wood Frame sighed.  That instance was long behind them, and everything forgiven.  He fumbled with one of the drawers to his desk, thinking about Apple Bloom.

“Would it be proper?” he thought.  “I’m her mentor, after all, but she’ll be finishing that soon.  Should I ask her?”

“Woody?”  Apple Bloom asked from the open door, using the nickname he had asked her not to call him—but secretly liked.  “Ah’m done for the night.  Do yah’ want me to close up shop?”

“Now’s your chance Woody.”

“No,” he said, ignoring his thoughts.  “You can go on home; I’ll take care of it tonight.”

“Okay, see yah’ tomorrow,” Apple Bloom said, turning to leave.

“YOU FOOL!”  Wood Frame scolded himself.  “That was your chance!  WHY DIDN’T YOU TAKE IT?”

He sat there for a few moments, rubbing his forehead.  After taking a few deep breaths, he calmed down.

“It’s probably better this way,” he thought.  “She really needs to focus on that project.  Maybe after the evaluation…”