"Did you see how I acted in front of her!? It was so embarassing. . ." Caramel depressingly said. He and his cousin, Big Macintosh, were out in the lovely summer weather, eating recently bought cupcakes outside of Sugarcube Corner.
"Lil' cous', stop beating yerself up over that. She probably didn't even notice a thing! I doubt it was that bad." A concerned Big Mac said. Caramel had been like a little brother to Big Mac since he had grown up in a household full of mares, ever since the tragedy of losing both his parents, Sweet Apple and Tangelo, many distant moons ago.
Caramel had felt compelled to be there for Big Mac since he was now destined with to take on the big role of keeping order in Sweet Apple Acres. With his two younger sisters Applejack and Applebloom and there aging grandma Granny Smith.
“Big Mac, You should have just seen me. I slipped over my own two hooves and landed in the punch bowl. Then all the appetizers went flying of the table and Derpy’s muffins covered her, muzzle to tail. I ran out of there before it could have gotten worse!” cried a distressed Caramel.
“Eeyup! That is a pretty bad! I am sure Carrot Top will forgive you after smoldering her in blueberry muffins. I am not sure if Derpy will. You ruined her precious muffins!” said Big Mac in a joking manner hoping to cheer up his frantic cousin. But it didn’t work; Caramel was still a hot mess.
“Thanks for trying to help but my love life is more complicated than Daring Doo trying to get the sapphire statue back from Amuzoto,” said a disappointed Caramel as he put down his Zap Apple cupcake. “I am such a nerd! Carrot Top would never date a guy who still reads the Daring Doo novels that are meant for 10 year old colts and fillys.”
“Oh, Caramel! Don’t keep putting yourself done! I wish you would talk to Rainbow Dash. She is one of the biggest Daring Doo fan in Ponyville. She could be a special somepony to you!” nudged Big Mac to Caramel.
“OH so called mister matchmaker, then how come you became the one mare’s special somepony! Huh!” replied Caramel in a joking manner to Big Mac. The memory popped into Caramel’s head. Last year around this time, Caramel’s youngest cousin Applebloom and her friends Sweetie Bell and Skootaloo tried a love potion to get their schoolteacher Cheerilee to fall in love with Big Mac. It worked but lets just say a little too well. Caramel started to chuckle at the memory.
“Now that is the Caramel I know! I honestly have no idea why you even get all worked around mares. I have never noticed you having trouble talking to Applejack and she is the same age as Carrot Top. Is there something you are not telling me? You still not over that pegasus?” Big Mac knew he had to bring it up sometime in the near future and this moment seemed perfect.
“Can we please just talk about it later. And with Rainbow Dash, isn’t she like engaged to Skylight Heart colt? Remember?”
“Eeyup. I remember when Sky and RD first met. I had never seen Rainbow that happy in my life I had never seen her girly in my life. Not even in front of the Wonderbolts!"
The Wonderbolts are the greatest flyers in the entire wide world of Equestria. It is very hard to get into the elite team of star power athletes. Only the best of the best can enter. The Wonderbolts had been Rainbow's idols ever sense she was a little filly. The whole dream of even joining was because Rainbow Dash had found out that her aunt, Surprise was part of it. Rainbow had been trying for years. Skylight had never had the guts to try but he felt something this year telling him too. Fate brought them together.
Caramel yearned for what happened to Skylight to happen to him. He and Skylight actually grew up right next door to each other in Fillydelphia. Skylight would seem shy but after you got to know him, he is a party animal! Caramel, on the other hoof, was a total klutz and hated going to social events! Caramel even at a young age loved reading. He loved the feeling of escape from the world he felt was cruel. It was his safe haven. Surprisingly it was Skylight was the one who suggested the idea for Caramel to start reading the Daring Doo series.
Caramel missed how he and Skylight had grown slowly apart over the years mainly because Caramel had to move to Ponyville to help Big Mac and company with just recently loosing Sweet Apple and Tangelo.
“Thanks for talking to me Big Mac. It really helps!” Pleaded Caramel but he was not a good pony at hiding his sadness and Big Mac could tell he didn’t mean it but he just shrugged it off.
“Eeyup! Any time!” Smiled a happy Big Mac as a sad Caramel galloped away. Big Mac thought to himself if there would be anyway for him to help but he knew Caramel had to do some things on his own no matter how much Big Mac didn’t want too.
***
Caramel plodded through Ponyville , he looked up and saw a young couple sharing a dandelion sandwich. Their eyes were gleaming like stars. Eyes met and hooves touched as if it were a fairy tale. How Caramel wished for that feeling of excitement. Caramel trotted through Ponyville not even bothering to look up. Then just like that Caramel had tripped over his own two hooves into a pile of dirt. With tears streaming down his eyes Caramel ran of in disgust. He didn’t even look back to see if anyone had seen. Caramel didn’t even hear the sound of a familiar mare trying to get his attention.
“Caramel wait!! You dropped you dropped your toy!!” Yelled Carrot Top from a distance. Looking down in front of her cream hoofs stood a hoof stitched Daring Doo doll. The little button on the left eye was already loose and the flank looked chewed. Carrot Top gave a little smile to the doll.
***
She had known Caramel sense the first day of school when both were only five. Caramel would always carry around his Daring Doo toy in his blue newly stitched saddlebag. Granny Smith had given it to him for coming to the farm to help the family after the disaster. Behind him trotted Big Mac who even at eight was intimating to look at. Both colts trotted in with heads high and Big Mac’s shiny new Macintosh cutie mark gleaming on his Jonathan red apple flank.
Behind the colts was a young Applejack. The young filly had seen more death in one summer than most had seen in a year. Guilt cringed the small filly’s heart. She blamed herself for her parents’ death.
“If only I had not gone into that raggedy old barn to look for Woona!! Maybe I wouldn’t had knocked over the fireworks with my clumsy tale and get Mamma and Papa to come in after me just to get me and Woona out and then die!?” Applejack whispered to herself. A familiar face met Applejack’s eyes.
“Darling are you ok?!” Asked a concerned Rarity. Rarity and her family lived close to the farm and gave the grief sickened family a home to live in while there old one was under repair. Rarity hated her best friend curse every time she would here young Applebloom cry because she was confused on where her parents were.
"I'm just fine,Sugarcube!" Pleaded Applejack.
"Ok Darling." Said a concerned Rarity. She watched as her best friend trot behind her brother and cousin.
Caramel looked behind his flank to see if Applejack was still walking behind. There his eyes came upon a peach filly with elegant curly hair. She didn't notice him but he sure noticed her. His heart was beating faster than pinkie pie on a sugar high. "Whatever it takes, I will get to know her."