It’s really just another day at Canterlot High School, like so many before it. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and the campus is full of teens. Case in point: Applebloom, who is waiting under one of the shady trees for Applejack and Big Macintosh to wrap things up with their friends. But even though some things remain the same, some are also different. Very different.

“Hey AB! Can I borrow your brother for a little bit?”

Applebloom’s cheeks puff out a bit as the familiar voice tears her away from her homework and she looks up. And up, and up, and up, until finally she finds her way to Scootaloo’s face. The two girls exchange smiles and the redhead has to ask, “I don’t know, did you get taller since yesterday?”

Scootaloo’s face shifts into a full on grin as she holds her hands out a little from her body and does a few quick twists of her hips, looking down at her feet the whole while. “Do you think so too? I woke up this morning and noticed that practically every pair of shorts I tried on was just clinging to my thighs!”

“Uh, it was a joke, Scoots. You weren’t supposed to take it seriously,” Applebloom sighs as her friend continues to look herself over. After Scootaloo settles down, the youngest Apple stands up and gives the girl a serious look. Or she tries to, as it’s rather hard to seem in control of a situation when she only comes up to Scootaloo’s chest. “Now I know you’re excited about this bloomin of yours, me and Sweetie are too-” a lie if there ever was one; Applebloom hated that there were now such physical differences between her and one of her best friends “-but we’re a little concerned about you too.”

“Oh puh-leeze,” Scootaloo scoffs, rolling her eyes. “What’s there to be worried about? I’m just a little taller than before, that’s all.” Applebloom raises an eyebrow and directs her gaze towards Scootaloo’s chest. The purple-haired teen stares in confusion for a moment before looking down and adopting an embarrassed, but proud smile. She even goes so far as to push herself forward a bit, causing her breasts to squish together and look even larger. “Well, there’s the boobs too, but that’s it, right?”

“It’s not just you being tall or having b-breasts now,” Applebloom stumbles around the awkward word, “there’s a whole bunch of little things too!”

Scoot’s face scrunches up with her frown. “Like what?”

“Well, for one, you’re all show-offy now-” the farmgirl begins, but is quickly shut down by her friend

“What? I’ve always like to show-off, especially when I’m doing some awesome tricks!”

While true, that wasn’t what Applebloom meant at all. Sputtering, the redhead tries to clarify her point. “Yeah, that’s true, but I was thinking more about how, y’know, you’re walking around with your top unzipped? Or wearing more makeup?”

“Nothing wrong with showing off the goods,” Scootaloo grins, popping her hands onto her hips and pushing her chest out with pride. Applebloom swears she can see the zipper of her top slide down a few more teeth, exposing more of Scoot’s soft, feminine flesh to the world. “Besides, it’s not like a little cleavage or lipstick ever hurt anybody, so what’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is-!” Applebloom catches her tongue before she spills the beans. She and Sweetie Belle had talked about this; they would come to Scootaloo together and have a heart-to-heart about how she made them feel small when the three of them were together, figuratively and literally. But even a quick stop isn’t enough from rousing her friend’s curiosity.

“What’s the big deal, AB?”

As her friend stares down at her, Applebloom wrestles with what to say. After a moment, she squares her shoulders and looks up at Scootaloo. “The big deal is that you’ve changed.” The tall girl huffs and rolls her eyes, making Applebloom double down, “It’s true though! Lately it kind of feels like you’re trying to be around Big Mac just a much as you are me.” She pauses, a frown deepening across her face. “And you’re always asking me if you can hang out with him too.”

“Well, yeah,” Scootaloo laughs, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, “I know things are a little different, but you’re still my friend. I just thought it would be easier on both of us if I asked your permission to hang out with your brother, make things a little less weird?”

“Seeing your friend hanging all over your brother is never not going to be weird.”

There’s a brief silence as Scootaloo looks thoughtful. Then she smirks and takes a step forward. “Oh, I get it. You’re jealous.”

“AM NOT!” Applebloom says, far too quickly and with her eyes bulging out of her head as she puts some distance between the two of them.

“You’re so jealous, like, Apple Jelly!” Scootaloo moves closer again, but when Applebloom takes a step back, she runs into the tree. With fleeing failing, she simply gulps as her larger friend closes the gap.

Placing a hand beside Applebloom’s head, Scootaloo leans forward until she’s eye-level with her friend. “Listen AB, like I said, I don’t want things to be weird between us. You and Sweetie are still my best friends, you know that, right?” The redhead nods, trying very hard not to look down Scoot’s shirt to the healthy amount of cleavage on display. Scootaloo smiles. “Good, because I wouldn’t want you to think I was choosing Mac over either of you, it’s just I’ve been really wanting some guy company, and your brother’s the biggest guy I know.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Applebloom finally mutters. “It’s just weird to see one of your friends and your brother spending time together.”

“Don’t you worry about that, okay?” Scootaloo pushes herself away from the tree and begins to walk away. She waves to her friend, adding, “You’ll understand what I mean soon enough, I’m sure!”

Scootaloo breaks into a jog and disappears back inside the building leaving a breathless Bloom still leaning against the tree. Staring up at the bit of blue between the leaves, she has to wonder what her friend meant by that last statement.