Chapter 1
This story was a special request by firewolf27, owner and creator of character Sapphire Snow. This story is best read while listening to the Genki Rockets song Make Believe, which I do not claim ownership of. Enjoy!
Wind rushed through Spark Storm's mane. Tree branches flew under him as he jumped from tree to tree. Pine needles got stuck in his mane, and pricked his sides, but he didn't care. He was free, and he wouldn't trade this life for any other.
A dark shadow passed over him, garnering his attention. He looked up as he sailed wide from one tree to another, just barely making out the white form over him. Sapphire Snow, the gorgeous dancer Pegasus that he had admired and adored all of his life since meeting her. The two of them, upon being reunited in Canterlot, had flirted with the idea of being together. They had been children, of course, but the fact that they loved each other was obvious.
Still, Sapphire had had to go away for training for leadership to one day take over the Fighters. Of course, when she came back from that, there had been some trouble, but that was for another story.
Spark Storm glided down to the ground and landed in the snow, a dead target thanks for his dark coloring. Sapphire followed suit. If it wasn't for her blue mane, tail and eyes, she might very well have disappeared against the backdrop of white snow.
Sapphire smiled at her old friend, almost shyly. Now this got Spark thinking. Sapphire? Shy? Ever since they were children, she was brazen, almost rough. She said what she wanted, she got into fights and almost always won them, thanks to her flexible dexterity and insane agility. So Sapphire? Shy? Something was up.
The white Pegasus, now 16, a year older than Spark, lightly batted at the snow before looking back up at Spark.
"Uh, Sapphire? What's up? You look like you've got something on your mind."
"...Maybe." She said, looking off into the trees. She sighed and bridged the gap between them quickly. Now that she was so close, Spark could see the telltale signs that she'd been crying. He immediately frowned and reached up with a hoof to brush at her cheeks. Sapphire sighed and leaned into his hoof. Ever since she had come home, she just wanted to be close to him. However, ever since he left the Fighters group, seeing him had been less of an everyday thing. She had responsibilities, and he...well, he had his freedom. He still patrolled the borders of Equestria, he still protected Ponyville, and he still helped the Fighters whenever they asked him to, but it wasn't the same without him, especially not for Sapphire.
Sapphire Snow eased her head straight once more to look Spark in the eyes. The intensity of her stare, that and the fact that their noses were nearly touching made him blush. Finally, she spoke. "Spark Storm, what do you think of marriage?"
The question caught him completely off guard. What was it with everypony constantly putting him in situations where he had to tell them he was just a kid? But then, Sapphire had never said anything like this before. From what he remembered, she just wanted to be near him, and he just wanted to be near her. Is this what his freedom had cost them? A chance at a normal life, where you lost the chance to take things slowly?
Sapphire could see the gears turning in her boyfriend's head. She sighed again and brought a hoof up the side of his head a little harder than she actually meant to. "Why do you keep over-analyzing everything! It's just a quest-oh forget it, just forget I said anything..." She turned and felt herself stopped as one of his wings snapped out in front of her to halt her departure.
"Take it easy!" He said, retracting his wing as she turned to glare at him. "You didn't even give me a chance to say anything."
"Because I know what you're going to say, and I'd rather not be here when you shut me down, thank you very much..." She turned her head away from him. She knew she was overreacting, but sometimes she wanted him to help her, even when she didn't want his help, if that made any sense.
Spark rolled his eyes and drew closer, reaching up with a hoof to her chin to pull her face back to his.
"Look, I don't know what to say about marriage. I mean, c'mon, we're still kids, Sapphire..."
"And how many times have you used that argument? We're not getting any more normal, Spark Storm. We're both monster hunters. You're a Pegasus that'll never fly and you're your own back-up generator." Spark was amused at this analogy, but remained quiet. His girlfriend was on a roll. "I'm a dancing rough-house Fighter and leader of a bunch of other societal throw-backs that nopony wants." She started pacing back and forth in front of him. "Face it, Spark Storm, our lives aren't going to get any more normal than this."
"...So?"
She stopped pacing and looked him in the eye, a silent pleading look there, nearly hidden. "...So what about marriage?"
Spark Storm sighed and looked down at his hooves. Sapphire closed her eyes and felt her heart tighten painfully.
"Do not do that."
Sapphire blinked her eyes open and glared at him. "Don't do what?"
"That thing you do when you're too impatient to wait for my answer and you torture yourself with all that pent-up anxiety you've already got going."
Sapphire shifted from side to side uncomfortably. Sometimes she hated how well he knew her. "...Shut up."
Spark laughed quietly and looked back up at Sapphire Snow, then shrugged.
She stared at him accusingly. "What is that?"
"That's my answer."
She frowned and approached Spark angrily. "Care to elaborate?"
Spark Storm shrugged once more, but he smiled warmly and gave her a half lidded stare that made her blush. She hoof'd at the snow timidly, an act that only occurred when she felt shy, also something that only happened when Spark flirted with her.
"It means, whatever. I'm not that big on marriage. I mean, it's just some ceremony where some "important" pony says that we're married. That and a certificate that also says 'you're married'. I dunno, it just doesn't really make sense to me."
Sapphire's good feelings immediately dropped out of her heart and fell into a cold chill in her stomach. She turned away from him and started walking away.
Quite suddenly he was in front of her. She gasped and started walking backwards from him, but he rushed to her and pulled her in close, wrapping her up in his forelegs and wings. She blushed deeply as she glared at him. "Spark, what are you doing? You just-"
She lost her words and her anger as he kissed her deeply. Her anger and anxiety forced itself out through several tears that fell into the snow. As Spark pulled away from her, his long feathers brushed her cheeks to take away her tears. "Only you, Sapphire Snow."
"Wh...what?"
"Only you. If I ever marry, it'll be you. Anytime, anywhere. Only if it's you."
Sapphire Snow stared at her boyfriend as new tears fell down her cheeks. Her heart pounded in her chest. Finally, she melted into his forelegs, her head tucked under his chin. "Oh, Spark Storm...thank you..."
The two stayed like that far into the evening, even as the chill winter night gave way to the bright moon.