//------------------------------//
// The Next Morning 
// Story: Forbidden Sugar (Cube) 
// by Alottapony94 
//------------------------------//

Applejack trotted into Applebloom’s room that morning to find that the fillies were in bed together, cuddled up, as she saw when she lifted the blanket. “Applebloom?” She called in her sister’s ear. “Huh…what…OH! Oh my gosh! Ah can explain!” She said, letting go of Dinky. “Applebloom?! That’s not the way you act around a filly!” Applejack exclaimed. “You know what? This isn’t how you usually act around a filly, but Ah like her. Ah’ll just wake her up now.” Applebloom said non-chalantly. Applejack sighed. “How do you know you like her, Applebloom? This could just be a phase, or perhaps you are playing pretend?” Applejack said dismissively, sitting on the bed next to her. 

“Ah’m not playing pretend. How do Ah know? Ah’m all nervous around her. She makes me really happy, just Ah don’t know how. My heart beats a million miles per minute just at the sight of her.” When Applejack looked in her eyes it seemed sincere and pure, but her worry for her sister in the community’s light led her to push her slightly away even when she regretted it badly, when she knew deep down that her sister was baring her soul. She hesitated before she said, “She doesn’t make you feel like that. Yer imagining it, ok sweetie?” Applejack replied softly. “No, that’s a lot of hooey! Ah’m not imagining anything! Yer just being ignorant, Ah be telling the honest truth!” Applebloom persuaded gently. 
“Don’t you twist the truth! Because of this outburst, Ah ain’t making you breakfast.” Applejack told her off conflicted and only just grappling with the situation, shutting the door louder than she meant.

“Applebloom?” A small sweet voice carried from Applebloom’s bed. “Yes, Sugacube?” She asked, looking to the owner of the voice. “Were you two arguing?” Dinky asked. “Yeah we were. Things aren’t so good between Applejack and Ah.” Applebloom explained. “Am I, in your bed?” Dinky asked, realizing were she was suddenly.
“Yes. Ah didn’t pull anything, Ah swear! In fact, Ah have no idea how we got in bed in the first place! Someone must’ve put us here.” Applebloom said confusedly. “Shame you didn’t put me here, maybe I wanted to sleep with you.” Dinky said shyly, and Applebloom looked at her like she had two heads, then she blushed replaying what she had said in her head. “Oh, sorry, I only now realize how that sounds now. I didn’t mean that I meant..um…never mind.” Dinky went bright red and avoided Applebloom’s gaze. 

“Um, do you mind showing me to the bathroom? I think I need to wash up.” Dinky mentioned after a few moments. “Sure. But don’t take too long, Ah need a scrubbing too. After Ah’m finished, sorry Ah’ll probably have to cut us up some plain boring apples, Applejack’s being a plain ol’ pain in the patootie and she won’t make us breakfast now.” Applebloom grumbled the last sentence. “That’s ok, if it’s all you can do, it’s all you can do.” Applebloom showed her the bathroom and Dinky started scrubbing, whilst Applebloom got two apples from the family supplies. But she got more as she spied the Apple Family recipe pancake mix. Things were about to get a whole lot more interesting. She grabbed cinnamon, all-spice and butter, eggs and milk for the liquid in the pancakes and got to work. She didn’t mind if her sister got mad, it wouldn’t matter anyway. She surprised herself by actually being quite a natural cook. She was kind of nervous at first remembering the cupcakes incident with Pinkie Pie, but maybe it was just that she wasn’t so good at baking but the opposite was true with cooking. It did seem to run with the family mares after all, Applejack and Granny Smith. Dinky galloped down the stairs. “What’s cooking?” She wondered out loud. “Ah made pancakes myself because Applejack wouldn’t.” Applebloom explained. “Don’t you need to wash though?” Dinky pointed out. “Don’t worry. Ah’ll just get Big Mac to take us half an hour later or something.” Applebloom said. They both dug in, eating like it was a contest. 

“Mmm…Applebloom this is great! What did you put in it?” Dinky asked. “An old family recipe pancake mix, with butter, eggs, cinnamon and sliced apples on top. Ah have no idea what’s in the old family recipe mix. Only Granny knows that. It’s passed down to eldest mare of every Apple generation, so Ah’m not ever gonna know either.” Applebloom said. “You have such a big family history.” Dinky marvelled. “Well, it’s kind of boring sometimes, and when you’re in a big farming family like mine you’re not exactly the top of the social food chain. Most little ponies and teenagers for that matter don’t care what their food comes from, they care about fads and fashion.” Applebloom replied. “I don’t know, having a nice, big family seems pretty great to me. I only know my Mom. Granny and Gramps, as she says didn’t like Mommy because of her eyes, and they shoved her out of the house when she got her cutie mark, they thought she was grown up just because of a mark on her flank. They hated her cutie mark too and teased her for it, so now she’s kind of ashamed of the bubbles on her flank and tries to hide them when she delivers mail.” Dinky said. “Ah’m sorry. Perhaps Ah do take it a bit for granted.” Applebloom said. “It’s ok.” Dinky said. 

Applebloom went to bathe and clean up very quickly, then the two little ponies trotted together with Big Mac to the schoolyard some fifteen minutes later. “Bye, now don’t you be getting into no trouble again, you hear?” Big Mac told Applebloom. “Ah know Big Mac. Ah only did something bad once.” Applebloom reminded him. “Ok, still, don’t.” Big Mac repeated and he left with a wave. “Thanks again for letting me stay the night.” Dinky thanked. “No problem.” Applebloom smiled. “I really hope it gets better with your sister.” Dinky said. “Hello Applebloom and Dinky. Your Mom will be picking you up as per usual tonight, Dinky. Applebloom, I hope you don’t mind, but some repairs around here would actually be nice. As you know this school is pretty old, your sister and brother came here too, and some of the planks have come unstuck…” Cheerilee continued explaining her problem and Applebloom happily attended to it. 

There was something that came so natural, so easy to Applebloom about carpenting. It seemed soothing to her to hit some nails on wood. But she hadn’t tried all her talents, so she couldn’t be sure if this talent could turn out to be her cutie mark yet. After all, there were so many things she could be talented at that she didn’t even know where to start! But for now, she longed to fix. And Dinky longed to read. So she headed outside to a space underneath a high, quiet tree, calmed and hushed by the birdsong from a nest in that tree and the wind weaving melodies together. It was the perfect spot. So she grabbed Lawson’s Guide and found the bookmarked page somewhere in the middle of the book. The thick, information-dense guide powered her hunger for knowledge for an hour, until a certain squeaky voice cut into her concentration. 

“Hi Dinky! What are you reading?” Sweetie Bell said. “Lawson’s Guide To the Cosmos. It’s a book about stars!” Dinky put down her book. “I forgot your cape yesterday, but I have with me now. You wanna see?” Sweetie Bell asked. “Ok.” Dinky stood up from her spot, and Sweetie Bell presented the golden silk and red cape in all it’s glory. “Ta-dah! Do you like it?” Sweetie Bell squeaked. Dinky marvelled at the cape. “Wow, this is really nice of you. Did you make it?” Dinky asked. “No, I didn’t. My big sister Rarity did. She’s great at making capes and dresses and stuff.” Sweetie Bell answered. “Sweetie Bell, are you going to say goodbye?” Rarity wondered out loud, she had been trotting behind Sweetie Bell to get to school. “Yeah, I was just about to. I was telling Dinky about your beautiful cape. It’s way better than mine were.” Sweetie Bell complimented. “Oh, darling, yours were good designs too, but the best fashion takes years of stitching and designing.” Rarity reassured her. “But I only have two years! I can’t be a teenager without a cutie mark! That would be the most embarrassing thing ever!” Sweetie Bell exclaimed.

“How do you know? I’m sure there are many teenagers who don’t have their cutie mark yet, Sweetie.” Rarity attempted comforting the filly. “What teenagers?” Sweetie Bell questioned. “Uh…um…alright perhaps I don’t know off the top of my head, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be too embarrassing. Maybe there is something else that is your special talent, hm?” Rarity hinted. “Not singing Rarity! I can’t sing in front of everyone. That would also be embarrassing!” Sweetie Bell said. “You always sing in the bath and with the girls, and you have great showmareship. I think you just need to be put on a stage, Sweetie.” Rarity told her. “I didn’t know you could sing.” Dinky added. “Oh, it’s a little hobby I like, mostly when I’m alone.” Sweetie Bell explained. “A little hobby? Sing for us now, I bet Dinky will be the judge of that.” Rarity winked assuredly. “Oh…I don’t know…” Sweetie Bell said. “Come on, please?” Dinky put on her best pleading puppy face. Sweetie Bell sighed, and looked away from her audience, hoping they wouldn’t hear too well. (If you want to listen to what Sweetie Bell sings, try this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xicsALcqoN8&feature=related   and listen from 0:13 to 0:43.)

“Old man lying by the side of the road, with the lorries rolling by, 
Blue moon sinking from the weight of the load
And the buildings scrape the sky,
Cold wind ripping down the alley at dawn
And the morning paper flies,
Dead man lying by the side of the road, 
With the daylight in his eyes, 
Don’t let it bring you down..” Sweetie Bell crooned in a sweet, slightly low and emotional tumble of words. 

“Well, it’s not that great.” Sweetie Bell kicked the ground, then looked up and was met with sparkling eyes and awed faces. “Not that great? Seriously, not that great?” Dinky exclaimed. “Well what is it then?” Sweetie Bell replied. “Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Captivating.” Rarity praised, with sparkling eyes. “What Rarity said.” Dinky agreed. “Aw, thanks.” Sweetie Bell smiled and gave Rarity and Dinky each a hug, even though she wasn’t quite sure of her skill herself. “Where did you learn that?” Dinky asked, and Rarity was about to ask the same thing. “I learnt it…by an old street singer. I gave him a couple spare bits, and he taught me the song. I don’t know where he is now though.” Sweetie Bell told the two.
“I’m sorry to cut this short, dear sister, but I need to get back to my sowing machine, I have important clients from Canterlot! They are very sophisticated, and I cannot be late on the deadline. But beautiful singing. Farewell.” Rarity said goodbye to the fillies. “Goodbye Rarity.” They said back.

“Hey guys!” Scootaloo zoomed in on her scooter, jumping up over a tree and doing a couple of flips just to show off a bit, then landing on her scooter with ease, stopping it and parking it when she was near the fillies. “Hey, you missed something great. Sweetie Bell’s singing.” Dinky said. “I’m not singing again!” Sweetie Bell exclaimed. “But you rock! Remember Fluttershy’s house?” Scootaloo replied. “Yeah, I guess that was kind of good. I don’t know if I’ll get my cutie mark from it and I don’t like singing in front of crowds.” Sweetie Bell explained. “You’ve got to practice more then. That’s how I got awesome on the scooter.” Scootaloo said. Applebloom’s repairs for the school finished just on time with everypony arriving as she was packing up. The whole class settled into their chairs, and readied themselves for another day of regular learning under the kind but firm hoof of Miss Cheerilee.**