Family
It was early in the afternoon when Apple Bloom had finally shown herself in the kitchen. She was still suffering the effects of an all night drinking binge. Unlike the typical hangover, this one was less pounding headache and more upset stomach. She was both ravenously hungry and physically repulsed by foods at the same time.
Apple Bloom was warmly greeted by Cheerliee as the mare busied herself at the oven. Her offer of a bowl of porridge was quickly shot down, but eventually she managed to convince Bloom to choke down some tea and buttered toast. Cheerilee let her eat in silence, but once she was finished, she came and sat next to Apple Bloom.
“So how was it last night? Applejack was pretty upset with you coming home in the state you were in last night.”
Bloom facehoofed. “Umm, that bad?” she asked sheepishly.
“Well, you weren’t completely drunk. But you did completely miss dinner, and when you finally showed up, you were wearing Applejack’s hat and humming to yourself while smelling of wine.” Cheerilee rubbed her eyes. “If I were still your teacher, I’d have more than a few words to say to you. But I know you’re a young woman. It’s not my place to say anything …”
Well great. Cheerilee was disappointed with her. All those years of her as a sister rather than a teacher, but Apple Bloom still hated the feeling of Cheerilee saying she was disappointed.
“Where are AJ and Big Mac?” Applebloom asked sheepishly.
Cheerilee stretched and yawned. “Well, Applejack was still mad, but Big Mac convinced her to let you sleep in, since this was the first time you’d done this. They done all our work for you already, and they finished their own about an hour ago. Big Mac should be checking books out at the library and Applejack said she was going to visit Fluttershy.”
Apple Bloom sighed in relief. She wouldn’t have to face those two just quite yet. “Ah guess ah lucked out then, huh?” Cheerilee raised an eyebrow at that statement, but said no more, only sipping on her tea. “Listen, Ah think Ah’m going to head on out for a while, clear my head. I’m still a little hung over.”
“Is this about you and the other members of the CMC?” Apple Bloom froze in her tracks, halfway out of her chair. “I’m not blind you know. I’ve known you three as long as you’ve known each other, and it’s clear to me something is going on between you. Was last night something to do with it?”
Bloom wanted to quickly deny this, but she knew that was a lie. Her feelings for Rarity had affected her relationship with Sweetie, she had slowly drawn away from her best friend. And due to the slowly forming rift between them, her other best friend Scoots was troubled.
“Kinda. Partly.”
“Apple Bloom.” Cheerilee reached out and put her hoof over Bloom’s leg. “If you ever need to talk, know that I’m there for you. I’m part of your family, you can trust me.”
“Your family is more understanding than you think. After all, isn't there two ponies in your family who you know will never judge you, and will always accept you?”
Perhaps not Cheerilee, but …. there were some other family members she could tell. Ones she knew would keep a secret from AJ and Big Mac.
“Ah’ll work on it. But first, Ah’m heading to the Apple Scrumpy Bar.”
Cheerilee looks shocked. “What?!? You’re going back to a bar already???”
“Yeah, and don’t tell AJ or Mac! I’ll be back soon, Ah promise. Just gotta swing by Sugar Cube Corner first.” Before Cheerilee could protest or get up to stop her, Apple Bloom was out the door.
In a quiet corner of Ponyville sat a small bar. Since Ponyville was a quiet town it didn't have many nightclubs or bars, and this one was the only one that had opened up in town in recent years. Being a weekday, the club was pretty empty. A group of 4 stallions knocked back beers while talking about sport, and the usual group of students were scattered about the bar, most of them from Canterlot colleges in town for the cheap drinks during the week.
The owner sat behind the bar, polishing glasses. A cocktail glass filled with green liquid graced her flank, standing out nicely against her brown fur. Her pink hair matched the fur of the pony who had been shoved into the seat in-front of her.
"So cuz, any reason why you burst in the door dragging Pinkie behind you?" asked Babs.
"Yeah, I was just in the middle of baking. What's so important that it couldn't wait? Ohhhhh! Is it a surprise party?"
“Sorry, no party this time. Just wanted to make sure you were here Pinkie. Ah needed to talk to both of you,” said Apple Bloom, sweating. “Gimme a vodka appletini, shaken, not stirred.”
While Babs wasn’t sure about giving her cousin alcohol while she already looked a little drunk, her natural bartender instinct kicked in and soon a glass found it’s way to under Apple Bloom’s nose, complete with a slice of cox’s apple on the side as a garnish.
Babs watched as her cousin downed the glass in one swift gulp, which was out of the ordinary to say the least. Bloom rarely drank, and when she did, she was often the sensible one who sipped at the same drink throughout the night.
“Pinkie, Babs,” she began. “Y’all are mah kin, an’ Ah got something Ah need to get out. Ah'm not gonna beat about the bushel. Ah'll get right to the point. Ah should just spit it right out! So here it is! This is the thing!"
"APPLE BLOOM! Get to the point!"
Apple Bloom recoiled as her cousin shouted at her. "Eh heh, sorry." Pinkie placed a reassuring hoof on Bloom's shoulder, and Babs poured her another drink. "Ok. Deep breath." Apple Bloom drew in a long deep breath, then spat it out. "Ah'm a filly fooler."
......
"Well, ain't y'all gonna say something?" asked Apple Bloom, breaking the silence.
"After all that fuss, I was expecting something much worse." Bloom blinked at Babs, a little thrown off. "Hey, I'm an Apple-kin, but I'm not like that. I know what the family will say when they find out. But you know me better than that cuz. I ain't gonna judge you. As long as you're happy, I'm happy."
Bloom reached over and hugged her cousin. At least one member of the CMC knew now.
"What about you Pinkie? You're my cousin too."
"Well yeah, but I'm not really an Apple, I'm a Pie first and foremost. And Nana Pie raised us so we'd never judge a pony by who they loved. Not even Maud when she went through that phase where she dated a boulder for a week."
Apple Bloom wanted to be shocked by this news, but frankly she'd met Maud once. "Thanks Pinkie. Ah guess it was silly of me worrying about you accepting me. You love everybody." She gave Pinkie a hug.
"Yeppers I do. And if I was going to not like you because you were gay, I'd have stopped liking you ages ago."
Apple Bloom jumped out her seat. "Wait, you mean you knew?"
"Well yeah, didn't everybody?" asked Pinkie innocently.
"NNNOOOOO!!!!!" yelled Bloom frustratedly.
A few of the bar patrons looked over at the trio, wondering what the conversation was about, but a quick glare from Babs suddenly caused everyone to be more interested in the contents of their glasses.
"Oh, sorry, I thought everypony new, which was why I never mentioned it. I could tell because I have gaydar."
"You're gay Pinkie?" asked Babs.
"No." She pulled out a small metal box with a spinning dish rotating at the top and a light on the side. "I bought this from Flim and Flam." She held it towards Apple Bloom, and it beeped quietly while the light flashed white and the dish spun rapidly, then as she moved it towards Babs Seed the dish spun slower and the light now flashed red.
Babs looked doubtful. "Pinkie, I'm pretty sure you can't judge sexuality based on what a gaydar made by the Flimflam brothers says."
The pink mare simply smiled and shook her head at this. "Nonsense. Forty percent of the time, it works one hundred percent of the time. Or was it supposed to be sixty?"
Babs leaned over the bar, looking annoyed. "Pinkie, that doesn't even ..."
"It's Rarity. I'm in love with Rarity" interrupted Apple Bloom.
There was a loud crashing as the gaydar dropped to the floor, followed shortly by Pinkie's jaw.
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"
"You broke both Pinkie's gaydar and her brain. Sweetie's big sis? That stuck up unicorn, really?"
Apple Bloom tried to argue that Rarity wasn't as stuck up as Babs thought, but she was interrupted by Pinkie's high pitched squealing.
"Eeeeeekkkkk! Best! News! Everrrrrrr! I can't believe Apple Bloom has fallen for none other thmph Rwtthy!" Pinkie had trouble saying the last part as two hooves found their way into her mouth. A few patrons glanced over, but soon lost interest.
"Pinkie, I'm pretty sure this isn't news Apple Bloom wants public, especially not for a bunch of strangers to overhear in bar." Babs removed her hoof from Pinkie's mouth.
Apple Bloom removed hers. "Yeah Pinkie! C'mon. Now Pinkie promise me you won't tell anyone."
The party pony nodded happily. "Okie dokie! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She completed the ritual with the corresponding motions that they all knew too well. With that settled, and Pinkie now more in control of herself, the trio eased up a little. They each had a drink and leaned in closer, to continue their conversation in quiet.
'This is awesome,' whispered Pinkie in an ecstatic tone. 'Two of my best friends! When you two get together, it's gonna be the best I'm-so-glad-you-two-are-dating party ever!'
Babs felt it was up to her to try and reign in the out-of-control party-pony. 'Calm your jets there Pinkie. Just 'cos Bloom here fell for Rarity doesn't mean she feels the same way. Is she even a filly fooler? I always remember Sweetie telling me she was boy crazy.' She looked over to her cousin to check, and the sad looked on her face was a pretty clear answer.
'Yeah, Rarity is straight. As much as Ah wanna, Ah ain't really got a shot at her.' Bloom smiled sadly. 'Still, even if I can't have her, just talking about it helps me feel a little better.'
'Whoa whoa whoa!' said Pinkie, waving her arms frantically. 'Now which of us is getting carried away here? And here's a hint; not me, you two. It's way too early to throw in the towel. You can't give up on here without trying! And you're also wrong about Rarity.'
'Wait a minute, what do you mean wrong about Rarity?' asked Bloom.
'Well I mean sure, she isn't gay, but that doesn't mean she's straight!'
Apple Bloom looked a little lost, but Babs picked it up straight away. A grin started to spread across her face as she realized. 'You're saying what I think you're saying, ain't you Pinkie?'
'Wait, what?' asked Bloom.
'Yeppers! Rarity is bisexual! So Apple Bloom totally needs to try and court her!'
The realization hit Apple Bloom full force. 'Ah have a chance? Ah have a chance! Consarn it, now Ah wish that date we made was a proper one.'
'You made a date with Rarity?'
'Well, more like a girls night out. It was suppose ta be me an AJ, Rarity and Sweets, and of course Scoots and Dash. She says the six of us don't hang out as much as we used to.'
As Apple Bloom told Pinkie about the conversation with Rarity and the planned outing in Canterlot, wheels began to turn in Babs brain. 'Perhaps we can help you out more Apple Bloom. Maybe we can make it so you can get a proper date with Rarity. And if it goes well, you can ask her out, tell her how you feel.'
Apple Bloom loooked a bit worried. 'Ah dunno ... what about Applejack? And Ah don't think Ah'd be comfortable flirting with Rarity infront of her sister either.'
'You leave that to me and Pinkie,' Babs assured her cousin. Luckily neither me or Pinks is the Element of Honesty. Ok, here's what we do...'