//------------------------------//
// A Manehattan Engagement and a Sorrowful Lesson to Learn 
// Story: An old timers tale 
// by Ecthelion_Yuda 
//------------------------------//

As I remember, Ray was always a bit of a romantic, a trait not often seen in colts these days. He took me out to dinner, the theatre and for weekends away refusing to let me even pay a single bit. He was always polite and courteous to me and was ever the gentlecolt. But more than anything he seemed able to sense when things were becoming too stressful at Hidden Gem.

By the time I was 35 Hidden Gem was one of the biggest names in Equestria. Everypony knew who we were, what we did and they all probably had one of our products in their wardrobes. Of course, once your company reaches a certain level of popularity demand for your products shoots through the roof and from time to time I found myself being swamped with order forms, fashion show invitations and various other communiques. On one such day, Ray told me that he had booked a little cabin in the woods just outside of Manehattan for the weekend. No work, just pleasure. It was exactly what I needed and spending a weekend with Ray would make it all the more perfect.

I knew I could rely on Grace. I like to think that at this stage I was still relatively kind to my associates and employees. Of course I did have to make corporate decisions and there was no way that I could keep everyone in the Hidden Gem Corporation happy, but I like to think that I was fair. But I knew that Grace would be able to fill in for me for a few days so that I could go on my little holiday with Ray.

I pride myself to this day on being a respectable pony, if only in appearance. However, when Ray offered his proposition, I fear I may have replied with a touch too much enthusiasm than was becoming of me. It wasn’t as if we hadn’t been on weekends away with each other before and there were many times that we chose simply to enjoy each other’s company in the company of our hotel room, but Grace had told me that she had seen him leaving one of the nicest jewellery shops in Canterlot, with a little box.

I remember clearly my excitement at the mere prospect of getting married to Ray. Mentally, I had already started considering whom to invite, where would I get my dress from, where would we hold the reception. I knew that I had to invite everpony from Hidden Gem, Everypony important in Canterlot…no. Even now I have to stop myself from getting carried away. Ray wanted a simple wedding, nothing too flashy. A church, a priest and a small gathering of our closer friends and family.

I think it was at this point, at the ripe age of 35 that I realised just how long it had been since I had last been home. How long it had been since I saw my friends and family. I remember wondering if they would even turn up to my wedding if I had invited them, given the stranger that I had become. I’m still not completely sure that they would have. I don’t even think I could have invited them, even if I wanted to, seeing as all of them had probably moved house at least once in the 16 years I’d been away.

It occurs to me now that I know absolutely nothing of the lives of my friends. I was never made aware of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Shining Armour, Rarity, Fluttershy; I don’t know when Twilight Sparkle moved back to Canterlot to study magic in more detail with the Princess; I don’t know when Sweetie Belle got married, or Scootaloo; I don’t know how many children they had, how many grandchildren. I can feel the tears start to roll down my face, hiding in the curves and wrinkles that my extended years on this world have left me with. Their bitter saltiness as a few drops find their way to the corner of my mouth reminds me of everyone and everything that I left behind. I’ve missed so much of Everypony’s lives.

And I’ve missed most of mine as well.

Had I married Ray, would it all have been different? Had I gone home would I have been welcomed back as their prodigal daughter? There are very few things about which I am certain, but one of the few that I am is that not marrying Ray O’Sunshine was the biggest mistake of my entire dismal existence.

I remember that weekend. Such momentous occasions do not easily escape the mind, not even one as old and frail as mine. As we rode towards Manehattan in our little coach the sun was shining brightly and I could lay my head upon Ray’s solid shoulder and relax looking out at the glory of our world. The sun shone brilliantly in the sky until we reached our little cabin, which is when the weather ponies decided that we were due a torrential downpour.

Ray and I didn’t care too much though. We hadn’t really planned on leaving our rented cabin at all except to go out to dinner. But that Saturday night Ray took me out on a whim. He lead me down the busy streets of Manehattan, the cobblestones forming small rivers as the rain continued to pour down. Holding our umbrella over my head, Ray lead me back to Starswirls Tavern, the very place where we had had our first date.

We took the same seat, in our booth right next to the fireplace and told stories about that first encounter. Ray told me how he had liked me from the second he had laid his eyes on me. He told me that he knew instantly that he wanted to get to know me better. Amazingly even after seven years he could still make me blush like a little filly. I remember his usually calm and cool expression begin to contort with worry.

He slowly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small felt box. Ray slid his hind left hoof backwards and crouched down on his right so that his front hooves were displaying the box to me.

“Applebloom, I’ve known you for a long time now, and I love you more than I ever thought it was possible for one pony to love another. I know what I want for my life, and that is to have you beside me as my very special somepony, as my wife until the day I die. So Applebloom, “ I remember him almost choking on the words he was so nervous. “Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

I barely let him finish before throwing myself at him and throwing my front hooves around his neck bellowing the word yes with every fibre of my being. He hugged me back, laughing in a relieved sort of way as I hugged him tightly. Everypony in the Tavern was clapping, stomping their hooves and whistling, believing that they had witnessed one of the most glorious agreements ever to be made.

That night we enjoyed each other more than we ever had before. It was as though we were beginning to experience what rue marital bliss was going to be like. Lying on the pillow, feeling the heat of Ray beside me, his scent clinging to me like a sweet embrace and I had just become engaged. I don’t think I can recall a moment when I ever felt happier.

I have never ever believed my life to be perfect and in more recent years have believed it to be quite the opposite, but in my estimation that night was the closest I ever got. I wanted that moment, that feeling of security and absolute love to last for ever. The taste of his kiss still lingered on my lips and as I dreamt that night I could see images of our wedding, our children, our grandchildren and us, slowly growing older but always together and always happy.

But there is one thing that I have learned in this cruel dark life that I have led. It is a lesson that took me the better part of a century to learn, but it is one that I shall take to my grave. Whenever I have something or somepony good in my life, I always find a way to ruin it. My engagement was no exception.