//------------------------------//
// To Support an Apple 
// Story: Growth of the CMC: For Better or Worse 
// by PrinceUniversa 
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To Support an Apple
 

One week after the conversation between the two fillies and Cheerilee, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were becoming more and more distant. They would seclude themselves in their own homes away from the eyes of their family and friends. They would still go outside from time to time but also would try to shy away from their friends. Their feelings for one another here have not been resolved and may soon shatter their friendship.

In the home of the Apple family, Apple Bloom laid down on her bed looking at the ceiling. She was not called upon to do some duties so she was left alone in her room. Staring at the ceiling has allowed Apple Bloom to think about the feelings she gained for both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. When did these feelings started to appear? Last she recalled, they never had these before. When they looked at each other, it never came to them. But after getting their cutie marks, now these feelings are starting to surface. Just what is going on? She put her head on the pillow trying to get her thoughts straight. A knock came at her door interrupting her thoughts. She let a sigh before responding when whoever was in front of her door knocked a second time, “Ah’m coming!” She got out of her bed and went to open the door. She reached for the doorknob and turned only to find Applejack in front of the door, “Applejack? Is there some duties Ah should be attending to?”

The elder sister shook her head and looked at her younger sister with concern, “Apple Bloom, is something botherin’ ya with yer friends?”

Apple Bloom took a step back from the question. She mentally sapped herself from making that one step back. Knowing her sister, she saw that and now was more concerned about her. She let out a sigh of defeat as she looked at her, “Ah… guess ya could say it like that. Why are ya asking?”

“Because Ah’m yer sis Apple Bloom, and Ah’m mighty concerned ‘bout ya.” That was partially the truth. Ever since she saw her not hanging out with her friends lately, something was bothering Applejack about them splitting apart. Both her friends Rainbow Dash and Rarity bought up this issue with her as well and all three could not help but be concerned about it. Of course, they all thought that it was just something trivial and that it would heal overtime. After three weeks and seeing them still keeping away from each other, her worries were beginning to overwhelm her. 

On the fourth week, Applejack got a visit from both Twilight and Cheerilee and they confirmed her worries. Cheerilee had devised a setup that could bring the three back together while Twilight explained what was bothering them for so long. To hear that the three had feelings for each other elicited nothing but a hat lifting in the air by itself showing her surprise from the Apple farmer. Applejack was very shocked from hearing this revelation yet found it all hard to believe. She wanted to hear this from Apple Bloom before she started believing in Twilight’s words. 

After all of that, she decided to do what Cheerilee suggested to bring them back together. They left her and went to see Rainbow Dash and Rarity and tell them the news as well. Applejack was looking at her sister seeing the turmoil she was going through with this. She was sad that she did not help Apple Bloom when she needed her the most yet she was not surprised that she was stubborn to not ask her. She was very determined to see her back with her friends, “Tell me, what’s botherin’ ya so much that ya can’t chat with yer friends?”

Apple Bloom looked away from her sister. She did not want to tell her that she had feelings for her two friends. She knew that if she kept this silence up, it would not be long before Applejack knows what was troubling her. Yet she wished her sister did not need to know about this. She looked at Applejack who was very concerned for her sake, “Do Ah really have t’ tell ya sis?”

Applejack let out a sigh, “Yes Apple Bloom, ‘cause ya know that sooner or later Ah’m going t’ find out what’s bothin’ ya. No questions asked.” The younger sibling looked at the window seeing her friends’ clubhouse. She wanted to be with them once again without all this looming over their heads but they were so conflicted on how to handle this they couldn’t help but separate. She felt a hoof on her shoulder as she was thinking. She turned to see Applejack doing so with a smile, “Ya worried about yer friends an’ that’s understandable, but ya also need t’ face whatever troubles ya head on, ya know what Ah mean l’il sis?”

Apple Bloom suddenly felt a rush of tears escaping her as she hugged her elder sister tightly. She felt Applejack’s hoof gently rubbing her head as the fearful tears continue to stream down her face, “Ah know sis… Ah’m just very afraid ‘bout this whole thing goin’ on with the three o’ us.”

“Shh, Ah know Apple Bloom. Ah can see it with mah own eyes that yer havin’ trouble, just let them feelings go.” She continued to gently stroke her little sister’s head as she felt her tears going down her coat. This release from Apple Bloom continued on for long yet Applejack did not care for time. She was here to help her sister in her time of need and she was not leaving her side. By the time her sister stopped crying, she felt it was good time to confirm what she heard from Cheerilee. She wanted to not bring up the topic though and let Apple Bloom answer it for her, “So Apple Bloom…” She saw her younger sibling looking at her, her ears perking from the question coming forth, “Let me ask ya again, what’s troubling ya t’ not chat with yer friends?”

Apple Bloom initially looked away at first possibly trying to muster the courage to tell her about her hidden feelings. Before long, she looked at her elder sister with a hint of a blush on her face, “It’s uh… me and mah friends… kind o’ have… feelings fer one another.” She was rubbing her right foreleg with her left hoof in embarrassment from now speaking this with her elder sister.

Hearing those words straight from her younger sister’s mouth, Applejack looked at her sister checking to see if she was telling the truth regardless of the obvious stuttering. Seeing only signs of her being embarrassed about this whole thing was enough to tell the elder sibling that she was telling the truth. This prompted Applejack to let a few tears of her own fall from her eyes. Her crying did not escape the attention of Apple Bloom as now she was concerned, “Applejack, why are ya crying?”

The elder sister was sniffling as she was wiping the tears off her eyes, “Ah sorry Apple Bloom, Ah’m just s’ proud t’ see ya grow up s’ fast, ya know what Ah mean?”

That only made the younger sibling confused then Applejack had in mind, “But ya said that Ah was all grown up when Ah wore that dress an’ came with ya t’ the Grand Galloping Gala with mah friends. Why are ya repeating what ya said with me before?”

The elder sister let out a small chuckle hearing this from her younger sister no less, “That was something completely different Apple Bloom, yes Ah did say that before but this…” Her tears were beginning to well up in her eyes again as she looked at her sibling, “This is more joyous than me gettin’ a medal in an Iron Pony Competition.” She hugged her sister this time to let know that she was proud, “Ah’m s’ proud o’ ya l’il sis…”

To hear that her elder sister was actually proud of her having feelings for her own friends no less, it made Apple Bloom shed a few more tears. This time they were of joy as she returned the hug, “Thanks sis.”

Both let each other hug for awhile as they did not want to let go of each other for so long. Eventually, they did let go each other as they wiped their sister’s tears off. Now that Applejack knew that Cheerilee was telling the truth, she decided to enact what the fuchsia mare had in plan, “Say Apple Bloom, how ‘bout we go t’ the gazebo an’ make a picnic there?”

The younger sibling’s eyes almost glimmered as she looked at her, “Can we go there now!?”

Applejack let a small laugh escape as she cuddled her sister’s head, “No can do Apple Bloom, least not today…” She was being pouty as she looked away. Another chuckle escaped from her as she wrpped a foreleg around Apple Bloom, “Tell ya what l‘il sis, how ‘bout we go there on Hearts and Hooves Day? Ah’m not busy during that time s’ Ah can spare some time t’ play and eat with ya. Sounds good?” Apple Bloom was jumping around the bed like crazy and before long left her room to be outside. A smile formed on the Apple farmer’s face seeing that she managed to lighten up her day. She looked past the gazebo seeing both the boutique and Rainbow’s home. She couldn’t help but wonder how their conversations were going, “Ah wonder if they managed t’ have a l’il chat with them?” She would have to chat with them when Hearts and Hooves Day comes.