//------------------------------//
// The Questioning Filly 
// Story: Sky Blossom 
// by SnoringDragonProductions 
//------------------------------//

 “Apple Bloom?” Apple Jack asked with a tip of her hat. Her green eyes darkened for a moment when she noticed the reluctance on the filly’s face.
“But Apple Jack, the Crusaders and I are going bungee jumpin’ today to earn our cutie marks!” Apple Bloom whined.
“Didn’t y’all already try that?” Apple Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes… but we thought we could try it again?” The young filly said uncertainly. 
“Look sugarcube, you are not going to get a bungee jumping cutie mark.” Apple Jack said gently. “But right now Sky Blossom needs you. Isn’t it more important to help ponies in need?”
“Well, I guess so. I just really wanted a cutie mark.” Apple Bloom said slowly.
“You’ll get it when the time is right. Now, how ‘bout you keep Sky Blossom entertained by tellin’ her about your friends. Maybe she can tell you how she got her cutie mark.”  Apple Jack suggested as she walked away. Granny Smith and Big Macintosh followed her out of the room. Granny Smith ruffled Apple Bloom’s hair before departing. 
Sky Blossom studied the small filly in front of her for a few moments before shyly looking away. Her stomach twisted at the thought of her ruining the poor filly’s afternoon. When she remembered Apple Jack’s departing words her stomach twisted even worse. She had no idea how she was supposed to say she got her cutie mark or even how ponies got them. Did they appear at a certain age? That couldn’t be right because Apple Bloom had said that she and her friends were trying to get theirs. Did you have to do a certain thing for them to come? When they did come, was it a wild affair or a simple appearance? Sky Blossom covered her head with her aching hoof to numb the pain. She noticed faintly that her hair was being brushed.
“You sure do have pretty hair Sky Blossom. All those large curls and stuff.” Apple Bloom said as she raked a brush through her patient’s hair. “I do like my mane, but I always did wish it was a bit fancier.” 
The pale filly placed down the brush once the tangles had been removed from Sky Blossom’s green mane. She turned to the smiling pony and continued talking. “My friend Sweetie Belle’s mane is amazin’ because it has two different colors and curls in it. Your’s is more like waves than curls.”
“That sounds lovely.” Sky Blossom said softly as she smiled at the filly. 
“You sure are quiet. Even quieter than Fluttershy. She is one of ma sister’s friends.” Apple Bloom said as she sat down next to the pegasus. “It’s all right to talk louder.”
“Oh, sorry.” Sky Blossom chose her next words carefully. If she probed a little she might be able to figure out more about a cutie mark before Apple Bloom had a chance to ask her about hers. ‘Carefully, you don’t want to say too much.’ She thought as she began to speak.
Sky Blossom gave Apple Bloom a smile to put the filly at ease before continuing. “How long have you been trying to get your cutie mark?”
“Quite a while now. But we’ll get it soon!” Apple Bloom said excitedly. 
“What do you want your to be?” Sky Blossom pried.
“I really don’t care what it is as long as it is there. We tried comedy, chicken herding, scuba diving, everything we can think of.” The filly said as she straightened her bow.
‘So a cutie mark can be different things. They are experimenting to see what theirs is. If they tried all that and they still haven’t got it then it then it must be a specific thing. They just need to figure it out.’ Sky Blossom thought with a grin. ‘Now what is the criteria?’
“Your sister seems to think that bungee jumping is not it. How come?” She asked slyly.
“She keeps tellin’ me that it will come when the time is right and that when I am true to myself I’ll know and blah, blah, blah. But I want it and I want it now!” Apple Bloom pressed her face closer to Sky Blossom’s to emphasize the fact that she wanted her cutie mark desperately.
“I’m sure it will come when the time is right.” Sky Blossom said reassuringly. She tried to move to pat the filly on the head but winced as dismissed the idea when he aching body protested. Instead she settled on giving her a small smile.
“Hey, Sky Blossom?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Yes?” Sky Blossom felt her stomach tighten as she guessed what the question would be.
“How did you get your cutie mark?” The pale yellow filly asked the older, pale yellow mare.
“Well, I… um.” Sky Blossom struggled to force herself to not revert back to her usual manner of answering with either a yes or a no. Her lips began to lock together as her body instinctively stopped her from answering. Her mind seemed to scream at her over and over again that it would be better if she said nothing. Things were always better when she said nothing. 
Her light blue eyes widened as she realized that this time things would not be better. If she did not give a convincing answer Apple Bloom would get suspicious and tell her family who in turn would tell the others. The last thing she needed was more fuel for Rainbow Dash’s suspicious fire.
‘Come on, where is that voice?’ Sky Blossom thought quickly. Deep down in the part of her mind that rejected logical reasoning, she hoped that simply thinking would be enough to summon him to her aid.
“I was a small filly, about your age.” Sky Blossom began. She hoped that the fact that she had to wait as long as Apple Bloom for her cutie mark would set the filly off guard and have her not be so critical of the story.
“You were?” Apple Bloom’s eyes widened with pleasure.
“Yes.” Sky Blossom answered. ‘Where are you? I need help!’ She silently pleaded.
“Did someone call?” A silk voice answered softly. 
Sky Blossom’s eyes widened with relief when she noticed that Apple Bloom did not stir at the arrival of the strange voice. Once again, she was the only one who could hear him.
A vase suddenly fell from a table in the corner. It’s contents spilled all over the floor. Apple Bloom looked over and moaned loudly. She slowly got up and began to walk over the mess of dirt and flowers.  She gave Sky Blossom an apologetic look before hurrying away to clean.
“Did you do that?” Sky Blossom asked.
“My, my, aren’t we clever?” The voice mocked her.
“I know that was a stupid question. I just need you to listen.” Sky Blossom whispered fiercely. She wondered for a moment why it was easier for her to talk to the voice than to anyone else. She imagined that it was because she could not see him. Her stomach fluttered strangely when she felt the voice caress her ears. 
“What is it?” The voice said softly.
“Apple Bloom wants to know how I got my cutie mark. What do I tell her?” Sky Blossom’s eyes followed the little filly’s movements.
“I can’t be your foal-sitter forever. There are some things that you have to do on your own.” The voice seemed to be floating around her as it spoke. “Don’t you even know what a cutie mark is?”
“I know what it is.” Sky Blossom began. “But-“
“Then make something up. Improvise!” The voice floated down slowly until it was directly in front of Sky Blossom.
The mare looked away quickly, imagining someone looking directly into her face. She sighed and began to talk quieter than she had. “I need your help. You helped me when I almost fell. You helped me when I needed to say where I was from. Will you help me now?”
“How do you know I won’t spoon fed you bad information?” The voice asked with a chuckle.
“I don’t know…” Sky Blossom looked up and gazed directly into where she assumed his eyes would be. “But I trust that you won’t.”
“Never trust me.” The voice replied. He thought for a moment before continuing.