Wood Frame was starting to get nervous. Professor Keen Eye, one of the supervisors for the apprenticeship program at Canterlot University, had responded to his letter and, as expected, arrived the next week. What he wasn’t expecting was how long this evaluation was taking.
Keen Eye was closely examining every detail of the china hutch that Apple Bloom built. He examined the cherry-stained finish and the carvings on the sides of the cabinet. He then opened a few of its drawers and doors, frowned a little, and jotted some notes on a pad. He was also cross-examining Apple Bloom’s workbook and notes with some measurements of his own.
Wood Frame looked over at Apple Bloom. Celestia only knows what was going through the young mare’s mind. Or maybe only Luna did, since she could enter ponies’ dreams at night. Wood Frame’s nerves, on the other hoof, were unraveling. This evaluation was taking longer than his did, and he had thought nothing could ever be longer than that. Apparently he was wrong.
Finally, Keen Eye walked over to them, satisfied with his examination of the china hutch.
“All right,” he said. “Now before I can give you the results, I would like to speak with both of you individually. Mr. Frame, I’ll speak with you first. Your office should suffice.”
With a pit in his stomach, Wood Frame led the professor to the small room in the corner of the shop. Keen Eye sat in what was usually his chair. Wood Frame took one of the guest chairs on the other side of the room. It felt weird being on the opposite side of his desk.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, Mr. Frame, but aren’t you a bit young to be a mentor?” Keen Eye asked.
“Yes,” Wood Frame answered. “But soon after I passed my evaluation, I applied to be a mentor in the Apprentice Program. My own mentor, Table Saw, was retiring soon. I figured that Ponyville needed a mentor in carpentry available, should one be needed.”
“And were no other mentors available?” the professor asked.
“No,” Wood Frame responded. “It’s a small town.”
Keen Eye nodded. “I see. Now, about Miss Apple Bloom, how would you describe her work and her progress while she’s been here?”
“Her work is like nothing I've ever seen,” Wood Frame said, a little too excitedly. “From day one, she has taken to this profession like a duck to water. She’s easily grasped every concept and skill I've taught her. There have been a few mishaps along the way, but overall, she has progressed farther than anypony I know.”
Keen Eye wrote something down.
“Very well, one last question then,” he finally said. “This project of hers, did you have any involvement in it whatsoever?”
“No,” Wood Frame replied. “Not beyond approving it and providing the materials.”
“Thank you, Mr. Frame,” Keen Eye said, rising from the desk and walked to the door. “That’ll be all. I’ll see your apprentice now.”
Wood Frame walked out the door Keen Eye had just opened.
***
Apple Bloom walked into her mentor’s office, now occupied by the supervisor. She felt like there were butterflies in her stomach, but she stood her ground.
“Please, take a seat Miss Bloom,” Keen Eye said.
Apple Bloom took the familiar position in front of the desk. Professor Keen Eye was silent for a minute, looking through his notes. The anticipation was killing her.
Finally, the stallion behind the desk spoke. “Now, before I tell you the results of your project, Miss Bloom, I would like to ask you a couple of hypothetical questions. They will not affect your grade in any way, but it would be most beneficial to you if you answer truthfully. Can you do that?”
“Yes,” Apple Bloom stated confidently. Being the sister to the Element of Honesty had certainly rubbed off on her.
“Excellent,” Keen Eye said, putting his front hooves together. “Now, if I should give you a failing grade—and remember, this is hypothetical—but if you should fail, and choose to not pursue this career, what would you do?”
Apple Bloom felt a like a stone had just been dropped in her stomach now. She had never thought of that possibility, or what she would do if it should happen.
“But the answer’s obvious, isn’t it?” She thought.
“Well,” Apple Bloom began. “Ah’ guess Ah’ would continue to say with mah’ family on Sweet Apple Acres. Ah’ can still help with the farm work, and there is always stuff that needs to be fixed or built around there.”
Keen Eye thought over her response for a moment, and then nodded.
“Very well, next question,” he said. “If you pass this evaluation, and you had the choice to go anywhere in Equestria to be a master carpenter, where would you go and why?”
Apple Bloom took even longer to process this question and what she would do, if given this possibility.
“Ah’…Ah’ really can’t imagine mah’self outside of Ponyville,” she finally said. “This is mah’ home! Nearly everything Ah’ know an’ love is here. How could Ah’ possibly leave?”
Keen Eye was silent as he processed the young mare before him. She wasn’t looking at him anymore. Her ears drooped, and he could hear her faint sniffling.
“When I return to Canterlot,” he started, “I’ll be submitting documentation of your work to the university, which will then send copies all throughout Equestria. There’ll be many places looking for talented, new carpenters. Promise me that you’ll at least think about it.”
Apple Bloom looked up, slowly putting together what he was implying.
“Yah’ mean…” she asked.
“Yes,” Keen Eye stated. “Congratulations, Miss Apple Bloom, you are now officially a master carpenter.”
***
Wood Frame was pacing at the far end of the shop, worried about what was happening in his office. He had the utmost confidence in Apple Bloom. But for some reason, Professor Keen Eye’s demeanor had shattered all of that confidence and replaced it with dread.
“What is going on in there?” He wondered.
As if in answer to his unspoken demand, the door opened and two ponies walked out. Apple Bloom was beaming, with a smile that practically extended to her ears.
“She passed!” Relief washed over him, as if a heavy weight he had been carrying for miles was suddenly lifted.
Professor Keen Eye said something about taking pictures of the china hutch and making copies of all of Apple blooms notes from past projects to submit to Canterlot University, where they would be sent to potential employers. But Wood Frame wasn’t paying much attention. He was too caught up in the moment.
When Keen Eye returned to the office to make those copies, Apple Bloom suddenly embraced her now-former mentor. She even started leaning in to kiss him, but when she realized what she was doing, she backed off. Awkwardly, she let go, blushing over what she nearly did.
“Ask her now! Do it now!”
“You should probably go home and tell your family,” Wood Frame said. “I’m certain that I can take care of things here.”
“Okay,” Apple Bloom said, still excited that she had passed. She then left the shop, leaving Wood Frame alone in the work room.
“Why can’t you ask her?” He scolded himself, yet again.
Regaining his composure, “Well, this is a big deal. Let’s not clutter up the day with something else on her mind.”