Pretend
Chapter 9
"Are you sure you want to go to school, Apple Bloom?" Applejack asked her sister for fifteenth time that morning.
"Yeah." The filly said without any energy or emotion as she put on her backpack.
"You know you can talk to me, Big Macintosh, or Granny Smith about anything. Isn't that right, Big Mac?" The mare repeated for the hundredth time since her little sister came home in tears and refused to talk about it.
"Yup." The stallion bellowed.
"I know." She said walking to the door without looking at them. Just as she was about to open the door to leave, Applejack ran forward and put her hoof on the handle before she could open. She held it there as she looked at her.
"I know you spent all night crying, Apple Bloom. I also know you don't want to talk about it, but it hurts all of us to see you suffering like this, sugarcube. If you won't tell me what's wrong for your sake, then do it for ours. Let us help you." She pleaded. The filly looked at her big sister for a moment trying to decide what to do.
"Can I tell you after school?" She asked hesitantly.
"Of course, you can, darling!" Applejack smiled.
"Eyup!"
The mare stood aside and let her sister pass without incident. After they said their goodbyes, Apple Bloom felt terrible. She only said that because she was tired of Applejack's constant badgering. Now she had to make up some lie to make her siblings feel like they were helping. She couldn't tell them the truth.
The awful truth she couldn't admit to herself, let alone anyone else. The truth that deep down she wasn't okay with Scootaloo dating Spike. She felt betrayed by her friend, even though she encouraged her to ask him out. The worst part of it all was that her own cowardice was to blame.
If she had the courage to face Spike yesterday, she'd be the one going out with him. She knew when Spike approached her yesterday that he was going to ask her out, but she put everyone else's feelings before her own and got burned because of it. The idea of going out with Spike as a couple made her even more bitter. It could have been her and she knew it.
"Hey, Apple Bloom!" She instantly recognized the voice as the last one she wanted to hear. She turned around and put on the closest thing to a smile she could muster.
"Hey, Scootaloo. Hey, Sweetie Belle." She said.
"You'll never guess who I ran into the other day?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I don't know. Who?"
"Peppermint Twist and she was looking for Spike!" The unicorn revealed.
"Yeah, but Sweetie Belle kept her busy so she didn't interrupt our date." Apple Bloom's mind suddenly focused on those last two words. Those two words made her want to scream. It was like Scootaloo was throwing her happiness in her face, even though she knew that wasn't her intention.
"Why didn't you just tell her Spike was on a date with Scootaloo?" The earth pony said with a little more anger than she intended.
"I just wanted to make sure she didn't interrupt Scootaloo's date." The unicorn said more than little hurt by Apple Bloom's outburst.
"So you lied to her? That's awful, Sweetie Belle." Apple Bloom chided the filly.
"Back off, Apple Bloom! She was just making sure Peppermint Twist didn't stalk us. She found her hiding in the bushes of Carousel Boutique looking for Spike. You can't say she wouldn't have followed Spike and me around."
"I guess we'll never know since Sweetie Belle lied to her. Maybe she would have went home. You can't say for sure she would've stalked you." The earth pony shot back. Sweetie Belle was practically on the verge of tears as Apple Bloom continued to call her out.
"Stop it, you two! We're supposed to be friends, remember?" Sweetie Belle shouted as she wiped the tears from her eyes. The two of them looked at Sweetie Belle then each other.
"I'll apologize if she does." Apple Bloom muttered.
"Why should I apologize?" Scootaloo responded.
"For treating Peppermint Twist like some crazy stalker pony, of course."
"Newsflash, Apple Bloom! She follows him around even though he already turned her down. If that's not the definition of stalker, I don't know what is."
"No more arguing! I'll apologize to Peppermint Twist personally, okay?" She said desperately trying to find a compromise.
"Fine." Apple Bloom sighed.
"I guess." Scootaloo said looking away.
Sweetie Belle had managed to defuse the situation, but the tension continued to linger as they walked to school. The unicorn began to feel like this was her fault. If she had told Twist the truth, Apple Bloom wouldn't have gotten mad and there wouldn't have been a fight. She didn't know if it would make things right, but it was worth a shot.
"At least things couldn't get worse," She thought to herself when Apple Bloom noticed something from afar.
"Who's that filly with Snails? She looks so familiar." She asked. Sweetie Belle looked up and couldn't believe what she saw.
"Is that…? I think that's Peppermint Twist. Sweetie Belle said Rarity gave her a makeover, but she looks like an entirely different pony." Scootaloo remarked.
"That's what you're worried about! Why is she so close to Snails? She's supposed to like Spike! Snails isn't Spike!" Sweetie Belle said panicking.
"Maybe she moved on. I told you she wasn't stalking him." Apple Bloom said to Scootaloo.
"Don't you think it's strange that Peppermint Twist who had a huge crush on Spike suddenly likes Snails?" Scootaloo asked.
"Maybe she had a change of heart. What do you think Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom said only to realize the filly was already walking towards them.
"So I was wondering if you were doing anything after school, Snails?" Peppermint Twist said delicately circling the center of his chest with her hoof. The colt had been like putty in her hooves ever since she started talking him up. It was a lot easier to get back in his good graces than she thought. A smile and some innocent physical contact had all but turned the colt from a sad sack to a gullible dope ready to do whatever she asked.
"Hey, guys! I just wanted to remind Peppermint Twist that Rarity wants her to come over right away after school. So what are you two doing?" Sweetie Belle said awkwardly injecting herself into their conversation.
"I know Sweetie Belle. It was yesterday." She said annoyed at her interference. "I was just going to ask Snails if he'd like to come to my debut."
"Ha! As if we'd come watch you strut around in fancy clothes, we got better things to do. Right, buddy?" Snips said nudging his pal.
"I'd love to." The colt sighed happily.
"Oh, Snails! You've made me the happiest filly in all of Equestria!" She said hugging him. Snips and Sweetie Belle watched equal parts disbelief and disgust as a the colt followed her into the classroom with a big, goofy grin crossed the his face.
"What the hay is going on?" Sweetie Belle asked trying to process the scene in front of her.
"Your guess is as good as mine. We're walking to school and find Twist crying against a tree. Next thing I know she's all over Snails and he's back to being his big dopey self again." Snips explained.
"You don't sound happy about it." Sweetie Belle noticed.
"Who do you think made him all depressed in the first place? It was all Twist and Spike's fault."
"What do you mean?"
Sweetie Belle gave her full attention to Snips as he told her about everything from meeting Spike and Twist on the way to the post office to Snails running off in tears after talking to her. The filly found herself particularly mad at Spike for trying to dump Twist on Snails. Even if she was stalking him, it was no reason to involve Snails. As far as she was concerned, the dragon was chief to blame for Snails' depression.
"So why is she hanging around Snails now?"
"She's probably trying to make Spike jealous, but I don't think that'll work. He'd probably be happy to see her with some other guy."
"Especially since Scootaloo and Spike are a couple now." The remark caught Snips completely by surprised.
"Wait a minute! Spike and Scootaloo are going out! Does Peppermint Twist know?" Snips asked.
"No, she doesn't and I'm not so sure we should tell her."
"Why not? I'd love to see her totally flip out."
"Think about it, Snips. If Peppermint Twist really is crazy about Spike, what do you think will happen to Snails?"
"She'll probably dump him and go after Spike directly."
"If Snails was depressed the first time because of Twist's rejection,"
"It'll destroy him all over again." Snips said sad at the thought of his best buddy even more heartbroken than before.
"Exactly! I don't want Snails to get hurt anymore."
"But she's going to find out and dump him eventually. What are we supposed to do?"
"I don't know. I just don't want to see him get hurt anymore." Sweetie Belle sighed. Snips looked at the filly and it finally hit him. She actually cared about Snails. It gave Snips the perfect idea.
"Listen, Sweetie Belle. If there's one thing I know about Snails, he has a one track mind. All we got to do is get him on the right track."
"Wha?" She asked confused.
"If some other filly took Twist's place, it wouldn't matter what she did to him."
"Wait, you don't think I could-" The filly said blushing profusely.
"You like him, don't you?"
"I… I do. But he wouldn't talk to me before." She admitted.
"You didn't have his best friend backing you up. Just listen to me and Twist won't stand a chance."
"Really?"
"I know Snails better than anyone. Besides the alternative is letting Twist get her way."
"We can't let that happen." Sweetie Belle said. As much as she wanted to be with Snails, she'd be happy as long as Twist didn't get her way.
Peppermint Twist was being treated like a celebrity by her classmates. Her new look had garnered her more attention than ever. Colts and fillies alike flocked around her in awe of her radical new transformation.
"I hardly recognized you, Twist. What happened?" Apple Bloom asked.
"I owe it all to Sweetie Belle and her sister, Rarity. It was all their idea."
"She's so modest. Rarity asked her to model for her after class." Snails said causing the crowd to ooh and aww.
"So you're going to be a model?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Yeah, but to be honest I'm really nervous about it."
"She might even become a famous pony if they really like her." Snails explained.
"Can I get your autograph?" A filly asked causing a number of other ponies to make their own requests. While the rest of the class was trying to get Twist's autograph, there were two ponies who were less than pleased to see the formerly geeky earth pony as the center of attention.
"I can't believe it. Look at them falling over themselves to get that dork's autograph. It's absolutely disgusting." Diamond Tiara said glaring at the filly from afar.
"If they knew what she did to you, they wouldn't be treating her so well." Silver Spoon said causing Diamond Tiara to rub her chin. The mark had long since healed, but the memories of it were as strong as ever.
"We should do something, Diamond Tiara! You can't tell me you aren't bothered by what happened." Silver Spoon said trying to fire up her friend.
"It's over, Silver Spoon. Let it go." Diamond Tiara told her. The filly watched her friend suffer through a terrible depression after the incident with Peppermint Twist. She had hoped that with time her friend would return to herself and come up with some nasty revenge. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The once proud and confident filly who spoke her mind without fear was a shell of her former self.
To make matters worse, it was partly her fault. If she had done something when her friend called out to her, she might've been able to save her friend. Diamond Tiara never called her out on her inability to act but it bothered her all the same. She felt like she had betrayed her trust by failing to help her when she needed it the most.
The worst part of it all was Peppermint Twist who seemed happier than ever. The nerdy earth pony's happiness seemed to mirror Diamond Tiara's fall in to depression. Every time Twist smiled, it felt like another insult to her friend. Now she was talking about being a model and being treated like an actual celebrity by the rest of the class. She couldn't stand for this any longer.
If Diamond Tiara wouldn't act, she needed to take the initiative and enact her own brand of vengeance. If she could take Peppermint Twist down, it might return her friend to her old self. Luckily, she knew Peppermint Twist's one weakness. Peppermint Twist would suffer for what she did. The same way she made Diamond Tiara suffer. As the bell rang, Miss Cheerilee walked in.
"Alright, everypony. Get to your seats. You heard the bell." The class groaned collectively in disappointment as they reluctantly walked back to their seats. As Cheerilee stood at the front of the class, she noticed a new face among her foals.
"Oh, I didn't know we were getting a new student." She said looking at the somewhat familiar filly. The class chuckled at the teacher's faux pas.
"That's not a new student, Miss Cheerilee. It's Peppermint Twist!" Apple Bloom clarified to the mare's surprise.
"Oh, I see. Could I speak to you outside for a moment, Twist?" She asked.
"Okay." She said as she wondered what her teacher wanted. The two of them stepped as the class whispered to each other.
"I want everyone to study quietly until I get back." She told them as she and Twist walked outside.
"Is something wrong, Miss Cheerilee?" The filly asked.
"That's what I wanted to ask you. This is such a radical transformation for you. May I ask why you'd change yourself?"
"Oh, I didn't do this. I'm helping Rarity out. She asked me to model for her."
"So it wasn't your idea?"
"No, ma'am."
"So you know there was nothing wrong with the way you were before?" She asked.
"Huh?"
"I just want you to know that you don't have to change yourself to impress others. It's always better that you be accepted for what's on the inside rather than what's on the outside." Miss Cheerilee told her.
"I understand, ma'am." The filly didn't care what anyone thought. She was only out to impress one person. His approval was all she desired and there was no change too radical to get it. Everyone and everything was just a tool to get closer to Spike.
At the Library
Twilight sat across the table from her assistant watching him. He seemed to be even crankier than usual ever since he woke up. The dragon sat there staring at his cereal with a frustrated expression and drumming his fingers against the table. His shoulders occasionally twitching.
"Are you alright, Spike? You seem a little wound up."
"I'm fine. What's it to you?" Spike snapped at her.
"I was just asking. You don't have to bite my head off." She said levitating her bowl and carrying it to the sink. As she walked, Spike found himself occasionally eyeing the mare's hindquarter. Twilight put her bowl away and noticed his stare.
"Do I have something on my cutie mark?" She asked as she inspected the area. Spike immediately adverted his gaze and felt bad for even looking at her. Ever since he woke up, he felt all pent up and antsy. The fact that he was looking at Twilight meant he was desperate enough to make Twilight seem sexy.
"Ugh, I should have gotten a blowjob or something from Twist, yesterday." He thought to himself.
"There's nothing on my cutie mark, Spike. What were you looking at?" Twilight asked.
"Nothing, your tail just looks different." He lied.
"Really? I didn't do anything special to it." She said shaking her tail in front of him. Spike groaned as more dirty thoughts about the mare filled his mind.
"You're definitely acting strange, Spike? Do you have a fever or something?" She said walking over to him.
"No, stay away from me." Spike said looking away.
"At least, let me feel your forehead." She said leaning in close and attempting to place a hoof on his head.
"I said no!" Spike waved his arms wildly keeping her from making contact. The mare backed off and glared at him.
"Fine! I'm just trying to see if you're alright. Why are you being so difficult?" Twilight asked angered by his standoffish behavior.
"I'm just feeling anxious. It's a dragon thing. You wouldn't understand." Spike honestly had no idea if it was a dragon thing or not. He just really knew that he had never felt this horny in his entire life.
"Aww, I know what'll cheer you up. A hug!" She said sitting on her back legs and opening her arms to him.
"I really don't want a hug." Spike said crossing his arms.
"Nonsense! It always make you feel better. I'm hugging you whether you like it or not, mister." She said using her magic to pick him up and pull him towards her.
"No, I don't want a hug!" Spike said struggling helplessly in the air. Twilight wrapped her hooves around the dragon pushing him against her soft stomach fur.
"See, this isn't so bad. Don't you feel a lot better?" She asked holding his body against hers.
"N-No, let me go." Spike said unintentionally enjoying how comfortable and warm she was. He felt that familiar sensation building between his legs as Twilight continued to hold him.
"I'm not letting go till you turn that frown upside down. Huh? You feel a little warmer than usual. Are you sure you're alright?" She asked as he continued to fight the hug, but his resistance made her hug even tighter and he was quickly running out of time before Twilight would feel something they'd both regret.
"I'm serious! Let me go!" Spike said digging his claws into her side.
"Ow! What was that about?" She said releasing him. The dragon didn't stick around to explain himself as he ran to the bathroom and locked the door.
"Fine! Be that way! I was just trying to make you feel better." She shouted. Spike was too busy stepping into a cold shower to listen. He never felt like this before. He had no idea what was going on inside of him, but it made him hornier than ever. He had never need to get laid so bad in his entire life. As he stepped into the shower, the ice cold stream provided some relief, but he still felt restless.
"I can't go on another play date with Scootaloo. I have to seal the deal …today!" He said with a determined yellow glint in his eyes.
