//------------------------------// // Cherry Blossoms Fall Around Them // Story: Rose Blossoms // by RomanceWriter1 //------------------------------// It was evening as Rose Heart sat behind the counter of her rose shop while she wrote down the orders of different coloured roses that were to be delivered to different countries or towns. This job was much less stressful than her last job at the Ponyville Day Spa, at least she didn't have to walk around as much to tend to other ponies. She had been living in Ponyville for a short time and had made friends with Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. She had talked with the other Mane Seven before but not as much as she did with the ones she was friends with. She was much different than everypony in Ponyville but the good thing, was that everypony was used to what she was. “Hey, Rose Heart, darling, you got those beautiful blue roses that I needed for a dress?” Rarity asked as she walked through the door of the shop. “Oh... yes I do, Rarity, what is the dress for? By the way, the roses are over there.” Rose Heart replied with a smile. “It's just something I'm saving for a special occasion like a wedding or the Grand Galloping Gala.” “Aww, that's sounds very sweet, I wonder who would be the lucky mare to earn the dress." Rose Heart replied with a grin. "Well, I've got to go, darling, I have to pick Sweetie Belle from Sweet Apple Acres and get these roses into the dress. See you around!" Rarity replied with a smile, levitated ten bits out of her saddlebag onto the counter and walked out of the shop. Rose Heart scooped the bits onto her hoof and put them into the jar that she would use later to buy anything that she needed like food. Meanwhile, a stallion named Bits sat at his desk with piles of paper all over the desk with a lot of pencils, he rested his chin on his hoof with a look of exhaustion and boredom. "What to do, what to do? What should I try and invent next?" Bits said to himself in a tired voice and he sighed. "I know my other inventions did a good job but they aren't as good as Doctor Whooves'." He sighed, put down his pencil and got off his seat. "I guess a walk through town should help me clear my head." "Hey, Bits, ya got anything new?" Applejack asked with a smile. "Not yet, AJ, I'm trying to work on something new. It's becoming very difficult so I'm taking a walk." Bits replied with a reassuring smile. "Aww, that's not a problem, I can wait after ya made me that machine that could turn the apples into apple juice instead of cider." "I'm glad you're using it. Well, I'm off now, I'll see you around." Bits said as he gave AJ a hug and she smiled then walked away. Bits walked around the Everfree Forest, knowing the dangers of it but he didn't care and he wasn't a little afraid of them. He had walked around the forest as a colt and had been attacked a few times but he never got scared about them. He wondered why since he didn't feel any fear when he should've been. Suddenly, screams of terror came from behind some bushes and Bits galloped over to investigate what was going on. He peeked from behind the bushes and saw a young mare behind held down by two masked stallions. One of them had his hoof over the mare's mouth while the other was trying to grab her saddlebag as she kicked with her hind legs and tried to get her forelegs free because the other masked stallion had them trapped with his other foreleg. One of the masked stallions tried to kiss the mare but she hit him in the face with one of her hind legs and he muffled his scream of pain. Bits felt anger go through him and he jumped from behind the bushes and knocked the second masked stallion to the ground and punched him the eye with his foreleg that was a cyber leg. The eye got swollen until it turned black and purple. "Don't touch her!" Bits yelled as he stood over the stallion who looked at him with pain and looked at his eye that was a cyber eye. "Wow, dude, you look so odd with that eye and leg." the masked stallion said with a chuckled and Bits got so much anger that when he punched him again that he was knocked out but he suddenly sat up and grabbed Bits' wings and pushed on them until he heard a few cracks. Bits screamed in pain and fell to the ground Rose Heart, seeing what was going on, grew out bat wings and fangs and bit down on the other masked stallion's foreleg until she drew blood and he yelled in pain. "Ow, son of a diamond dog, you're a bat pony?!" the masked stallion said with surprise as his eyes widened when he saw her colour going paler like she was sick with the flu and her eyes bright red as blood. "Yeah, what are you going to do about it? Break my wings like what happened to him?" Rose Heart replied with anger and she gave a growl. The stallion sighed and charged at her and knocked her to the ground as he grabbed her wings and did the same thing that happened to the stallion that tried to save her. Rose Heart squealed in a high pitch of pain. Bits stared back at the mare and he struggled to get up with sore wings and legs. He slowly walked up to the mare as she was being held down by the other stallion and she was whimpering in pain. He jumped a little at the masked stallion but the stallion punched him back and he got knocked backwards not too far away. Bits swore he felt a crack in one of his forelegs that was not the cyber leg and he felt the pain shooting up his foreleg. Rose Heart showed off her fangs to the masked stallion and said, "If I see you again, I will follow you and I will kill you." "No! Don't kill me! I don't want to be bitten by you again!" the masked stallion shouted with fear and he limped away from the two of them. Bits looked at the mare as she transformed back to her pony self but as she looked at him, her eyes widened and she started to crawl away. "No, no, no! Don't look at me or come near me! I'm a freak and I almost killed somepony! I'm a monster!" the mare squealed with fear and she desperately tried to crawl away as fast as she could until she stopped and panted with exhaustion. Bits sighed and limped over to her, his wings hurting but he tried his best to ignore it. "You're not a freak, you had to do something to stop them from doing something horrible to you and me. That was very impressive of what you did," Bits responded with a smile and she looked at him with surprise and looked like she was about to start crying. "Please don't cry, I wasn't trying to scare you or offend you." She still looked at him and she started to sob her eyes out loudly. "That's nice of you to say, I haven't been in Ponyville for that long and the first time I showed myself as a bat pony, everypony was scared of me at first but soon they got used to it. No pony has ever not been scared of me when they look at me for the first time. You're the first to do so," the mare replied with a choked voice. "My name is Rose Heart, by the way, I own the rose shop in Ponyville." "My name is Bits, I've seen your shop from my window but I had never seen you, maybe because I'm mostly in my home, trying to think of new inventions," Bits said as he shook her hoof with his cyber leg. "Let me take you to the hospital, climb onto my back." He leaned down and Rose Heart crawled onto his back and held onto him tightly with her forelegs. Bits slowly limped with Rose Heart still on his back when Fluttershy, who was flying with some song birds, had spotted them. "Oh my, Rose Heart, you look terrible!" Rose Heart looked at her friend weakly and sighed. "I'll be fine, we're going to the hospital anyway, it shouldn't be too far." Rose Heart said in a tired voice and she passed out. "Here, let me help you two, you look like you need it. Twilight Sparkle should help you out by using her magic to carry you there. You don't want to hurt your legs." Fluttershy said in a reassuring but worried voice. Pinkie Pie then popped spout of nowhere in her own Pinkie way. "Maybe after I can make you some delicious cakes with delicious frosting or chocolate milkshakes with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles and a cherry on top!" "Pinkie! Now's not the time for that, this is serious business," Rarity responded in annoyance and disgust. "Come on, darlings, let's get you to the hospital, the faster the better." Rarity and Fluttershy managed to get Twilight out of bed to help them carry Bits and Rose Heart to the hospital with her magic. They tried to ask Starlight Glimmer but she seemed too tired to do so after practising her magic with Twilight for the past week. "Somepony help! These two need some serious medical attention!" Twilight yelled as Nurse Coldheart and Nurse Sweetheart turned to them. "Do you know what happened exactly?" Nurse Coldheart asked in a disinterested and tired voice. "They look like they got attacked and it looks terrible." Fluttershy replied with a worried voice, she dropped her head down and whimpered with fear and sadness. "Come on, let's get them to the emergency room!" Doctor Horse yelled as he galloped through the double doors. Nurse Coldheart and Nurse Sweetheart pulled out two hospital beds and Bits and Rose Heart were laid on one each by Doctor Horse. The nurses pushed the hospital beds to the emergency room while all of the Mane Seven except Starlight Glimmer, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, sat down in the waiting room. "Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie! Are they alright? I heard about what was going on and decided to come along." Applejack said as she walked through the doors with Spike. "I'm sure they'll be fine, AJ. It's not like they are dying from a life threatening sickness." Spike replied and Twilight whacked him on the head. "Spike! Don't say a thing like that!" 'Sorry, I'm trying to reassure her." Spike said with a regretful voice and he dropped his head down. After a few hours, Doctor Horse walked out and everypony looked at him with question. 'Is Rose Heart going to be alright?" Fluttershy asked with worry. "Is Bits going to be alright as well?" Applejack asked with the same tone of voice as Fluttershy's. "Don't worry, they are both going to be fine, their wings have been bandaged up and they should be healed in a few months, in the meantime, they shouldn't try and use them until then or else the injuries could get worse." Doctor Horse said with a reassuring smile. "Their forelegs are fine as well, once they are discharged, they'll have to be in a wheelchair for a few months as well." Nurse Coldheart said in the same tone of voice she was using before and she walked away. It was the next day that Bits woke up, sore and dizzy in something soft and a monitor beeping. He looked around and noticed that he was in a hospital room on a hospital bed and Rose Heart was near beside him in another hospital bed, sleeping. His wings hurt like lava as did his forelegs. Rose Heart's wings and forelegs were bandaged up as were his. The door opened and Nurse Sweetheart walked in with a tray on her head that was with some food and drink. "Alright, Bits, here is some food that a friend gave to me for you. They contain apple juice, apples and peanut butter and apple pie." The nurse leaned her head forward and pushed the tray gently so it landed softly onto the table beside the bed. Bits tried to reach over and grab the apple juice but pain shot up his back like it had when the attack in the Everfree Forest happened. "Aww, you can't eat like that, I almost forgot. Let me get your friends to help you." "Thanks..." Bits responded in a tired and pained voice. Applejack, Spike, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie walked into the room with looks of relief o their faces and Rarity was levitating a bouquet of flowers in front of her and she set them on the table. "I'm so glad that ya are okay." Applejack said with pride and she gave Bits a soft hug, so that she didn't hurt his wings or back. "Thanks, AJ. Rarity, Twilight, can you help me eat my food? I'm so hungry and I can't even reach to eat because my wings and foreleg hurt." Bits complained in pain. "Sure, darling, I'll help you out," Rarity responded with a cheerful voice. She levitated the plate of apples and peanut butter onto the bed and made sure it was at the distance where he could bend his head and munch on the delicious treats. "There you go, would you like to drink your apple juice now?" Bits nodded slowly and Rarity gave him the glass and tilted it gently so that he could easily drink it without choking. As soon as he was done, he bent his head down gently and munched on the apples and peanut butter. Once he finished, he gave a smile to Applejack who looked at him with proudness. They heard rustling coming from Rose Heart's hospital bed and saw her sitting up as she rubbed her head with the foreleg that wasn't injured in the attack. "Rose Heart! You're awake!" Pinkie Pie squealed with excitement that she jumped up and down. "I sure am and I hurt so much," Rose Heart responded in an angered and pained voice. She looked over at Bits and smiled. "You're awake as well? That was some scary experience, huh?" "It sure was but I'm glad that it's over and we're going to be okay. Thanks, everypony, for helping us get to the hospital in time." Bits replied in a tired voice and he gave a smile. "But you must hurt after carrying me a long distance." "Nope, you were light as a feather." Rose Heart looked away slightly and blushed a little. No pony had ever said anything like she was pretty or light as a feather. After a few months, Bits and Rose Heart could get out of their wheelchairs and walk again, they went back to their normal jobs and routines. They started to spend more time together, getting treats at Sugarcube Corner or going to each other's houses to have a cup of coffee or tea and have a nice chat. One day, Rose Heart was distracted at her job when Pinkie Pie asked her for some pink roses and she didn't give a response as she stared down at her counter. "Hey, Rose Heart!" Rose Heart snapped her head up with her eyes widened and she quickly put away a sheet of paper into a drawer. Pinkie Pie stood there with a confused and questionable face. "Oh! Umm... uhh... what do you need, Pinkie? Pink roses?" Rose Heart exclaimed in surprise and panic at the same time. "Darling, what's the matter, you don't seem like yourself?" Rarity asked with worry. "Nothing!" Rose Heart shouted, still in panic and she looked at her drawer slightly. She opened it and grabbed the piece of paper to throw it into the bin beside her but Rarity took it out and unfolded it. There was a big pink heart and the words "B + RH" written inside it and Rarity gave a squeal. "You have a crush!" "Why do you say that?" Rose Heart asked with frightened widened eyes. "I... just like them as a friend that's all." "Yeah, right, why have both your initials in a heart with an arrow through it?" Pinkie Pie said in a teasing voice. "And who is the lucky stallion beginning with B?" Rose Heart blushed fiercely and she sighed. "Okay, it's Bits. I developed a crush on him on the day of the attack. I helped out because I was in danger and I was to help him after he got his wings broken." "This is so romantic! You should confess to him tomorrow under the cherry blossom tree that was planted outside Sweet Apple Acres. It's fully grown now and it's one of the most romantic places to confess your love." Rarity said with a squeal and she looked like she was going to faint but she managed to not to do so. The next day, Bits got a letter from Derpy, who gave him a wink and smile. "Looks like it has a heart on it. You've got yourself a lucky mare." Derpy responded with a laugh then she flew away to deliver the other letters or parcels. Bits rolled his eyes and laughed, he walked to his desk, held the letter with one hoof and used his mouth to pick up the letter opener and open the letter. It read: "Meet me under the cherry blossom tree at Sweet Apple Acres. Signed, a mysterious mare." Bits trotted out of his house and to behind Sweet Apple Acres, looking majestic and beautiful as ever as it always did everyday on a sunny day. "Hey! Ya wanting to buy some apples?" Applejack asked as she carried a basket of apples, red and green. "Nope, not today, AJ, I am going to the cherry blossom tree for a mare. I'm going to start wondering who it could be, I hope it is somepony that I know." Bits replied with a smile and Applejack just gave him a wink then walked back into the barn. Bits started to walk towards the hill and saw a figure, shining in the sun under the cherry blossom tree as the petals fell around them. As he walked closer, he noticed that there was something familiar. They had a long mane and tail but their wings looked like bat wings. "Rose Heart, is that you?" Bits asked the figure and they turned around. It was Rose Heart! "You're the one that wrote the letter?" 'Ye...ah. I did. Strange huh?" Rose Heart responded shakily and shyly, she blushed a little. Bits chuckled and walked up to her and they looked into each other's eyes, the spark that had happened between started to get more electricity in them than ever. Their hearts pounded in their chests as if they had finished a relay race. "You look... lovely. The sun really makes you shine." "I... wrote that letter because... because-" Rose Heart sighed shakily. "I like you, a lot even! I've had feelings for you ever since we met in the Everfree." Bits stood froze, his eyes widened and he blinked them fast as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. She was in love with him? "I... I...I, also have feelings for you. I had wanted to tell you all those times we were spending time together but I was too nervous that I couldn't find my voice and I was afraid you would gallop away from me," Bits responded in a panicky voice. "Also because I have a cyber leg and a cyber eye." "I don't care about that. It matters what you are like, not what you look like." "But, can I kiss you when you are in bat form?" Bits asked with curiosity. "No! That might not be a good idea! I could accidentally bit you and you would draw out blood!" Rose Heart yelled in fright. "Oh, for the love of-" Without thinking, Rose Heart wrapped her forelegs around him and kissed him on the mouth which got his eyes widen and his heart pounding faster. He kissed her back and she had the same feeling. The petals of the cherry blossoms fell around them, the sun made them shine brightly and the wind blew softly and made Rose Heart's mane sway in the air like ocean waves hitting against the bottom of a cliff. They stopped kissed, looked into each other's eyes as they saw their own reflections in them. They then chuckled a little and shared a hug. "So... you're not freaked out that I have a cyber leg and eye?" Bits said with a teasing voice and he gave her a look. "And you're not freaked out that I am a bat pony with wings and fangs?" Rose Heart responded with the same voice and the two of them laughed and walked home together as their friends cheered them on. "Oh, you look so beautiful, darling!" Rarity squealed as Rose Heart stood in front of a long mirror with the dress that Rarity had made. It had blue roses on the hem, the rest of the dress was decorated with blue sapphires that would have the sub beam off it and give it some sparkle. Her mane was tied and decorated with sapphires like what Rarity had done to Princess Cadence's mane on the day that Miss Harshwhinny had come to inspect the Crystal Empire for the Equestria Games. "You are going to make Bits faint once he sees you." "Thanks so much, Rarity, you're the greatest friend ever." Rose Heart said with a big grin and hugged her unicorn friend. It was six months ago that Bits had proposed to her. They were at Sugarcube Corner to get a nice milkshake and said that he had a surprise for her. She drank her milkshake and once it was done, she saw a diamond ring at the bottom of her glass, Bits said that he told Pinkie Pie to put it in and thought that this would be a good way to surprise her. Before he could ask her what the question was, she tackled him that made fall off his seat and she told him that she would happy to be his wife and kissed him in front everypony, even Pinkie Pie and Mr and Mrs Cake. She kissed him for what seemed like forever and she had totally forgotten that lots of ponies were watching. There were some delays happening while the wedding was being planned like the delivery of the wedding cake from Manehattan, was getting stuck with traffic and boat delays. Luckily it arrived in time and the last thing that got delayed were the blue sapphires that Rarity had ordered as they were very rare and looked nice on the dress because they shined blue and would get everypony dazzled. "Hey, the groom is ready, is the bride ready?" Fluttershy asked with a quiet voice and as soon as she stared at Rose Heart, her jaw had dropped. "You just look so beautiful! He's going to faint." "Thanks, Flutters, I can't wait to get out there and get married." Rose Heart said with a smile and Pinkie Pie popped her head through the door. "Everything is set, time for you to get out there and go with your husband to be!" Bits stood at the wedding arch that was decorated with red and white roses, looking nervous and sweating at the same time. He kept pulling at his tuxedo collar constantly and his legs shook like jelly. "What if I'm not good for her? What if I mess up the wedding vows? What if this isn't for me?" Bits asked himself all the time as Applejack stood behind and she punched him a little. "Calm down, it's starting in a few minutes. You're not getting cold hooves, are you?" "No, no, of course not! It's just such a big day and I'm nervous." A carriage arrived and some classical music played by Octavia and a group of musicians, started to play with Sweetie Belle singing with them. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo got out of the carriage and walked down the aisle with their flower baskets and they rocked them by side to side so the petals could fall to the carpet as they skipped down the aisle and Spike held the two rings on a pillow in his claws. Everypony "oohed" and Bits looked up and when he did, his jaw hung open. Rose Heart stood there in a dress covered with sapphires and roses were sewn onto the hem, her mane was in a bun like most Canterlot mares would have and a white veil covered her eyes. 'She's... she's... beautiful..." "Hey... calm down... wait until you get to the honeymoon." Applejack responded with a teasing voice, gave a wink and chuckled softly. Rose Heart walked down slowly with a smile and she had tears in her eyes as she looked at him. When she got to him, Bits took her hoof and she stood opposite him. "Mares and gentlecolts, we have come here to celebrate this beautiful wedding. These two may be very different than all of us but they do make a great couple, am I right?" Twilight said with a smile. "Rose Heart, do you take Bits to be your beloved husband?" "I do!" Rose Heart squealed with delight and she giggled. "And, Bits, do you take Rose Heart to be your wedded wife in sickness and in health until death does you apart?" Bits stood there, breathing really fast and sweat rolling down his face. "It's your turn to say it." Applejack whispered as she poked him in the hind leg. "Huh? Oh! Uhhh... I do! I most certainly do!" Bits responded quickly and he chuckled nervously with Twilight, Rose Heart and the crowd laughing along with them. "May I have the rings, Spike?" Twilight asked, Spike held up the pillow and she levitated the rings to tie them into some string. She started to put the string around Bits and Rose Heart's necks. "Now I pronounce you, husband and wife, you may kiss the..." Before Twilight could finish, Rose Heart wrapped her forelegs around Bits and kissed him deeply. The crowd clopped their hooves together and stomped the ground as they continued kissing. "Oh... well, that was unexpected." Twilight giggled slightly and walked off to be with her friends. "Alright, everypony, time to cut the wedding cake!" Rose Heart squealed as she held the knife that she was going to use and she began to cut a slice off. "Who wants a slice?" "Don't mind if I do!" Pinkie Pie squealed as she jumped high into the air, headed towards the cake and ate the whole dessert in one bit bite. Luckily the slice of cake that got cut wasn't eaten and was instead being eaten by Rose Heart who managed to get out of the way in time. After dancing in the spotlight in front of all their friends, Rose Heart and Bits trotted to the carriage that Rose Heart had come in at the start. "Rose Heart, this has to be one of the most wonderful days of my life and you made it wonderful." Bits said with a smile and gave her a gentle kiss on the mouth. "You did the same to me, Bits. Let's hope we live together until death." Rose Heart replied and she ruffled his mane. As the carriage drove away on the street, the couple shared a kiss and everypony cheered them on as confetti fell around it and the crowd.