//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven: The Crusaders of Love // Story: A Perfect World I Almost Ruined // by Metatoda42 //------------------------------// "Cutie Mark Crusaders... ASSEMBLE!!!" Apple Bloom who was just helping Applejack doing her chores looked up. She nodded at her sister and she nod back at her. She ran back into her room and took out her Saddlebag from below her bed. It is a saddlebag with a symbol of Apple on top of a symbol of Infinity. "Apple Bloom ready!" She exclaimed before running out of the house. Sweetie Bell just finished making a small card with sparkling glitters and little gems. She put the card on top of Rarity's working table before running upstairs to her room. There, she took out a small saddlebag from inside a cupboard. It is a saddlebag with a symbol of Note Block on top of a symbol of Infinity. "Sweetie Bell ready!" She exclaimed before running out of the boutique. Scootaloo soared through the air with her scooters and landed right beside a tree. She looked up and saw Rainbow Dash twirling Scootaloo's saddlebag with a smirk on her face. "Knock em dead hero.." Rainbow Dash tossed the saddlebag at her before taking off into the distance. The filly smiled and put on the the saddlebag. "Scootaloo ready!" The three of them pressed a button on the saddlebag. The Saddlebag unfolded into a purple colored costume with their respective symbol at the side of it. The costume granted them enhanced speed and power for Applebloom, additional speed and flight ability for Scootaloo, and magic amplifier for Sweetie Bell. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo soared through the sky with Sweetie Bell using her magic, while Apple Bloom jumped from roofs to roofs with her enhanced power. The citizens of Ponyville waved whenever they spot one of them. They all arrived at the same time in front of the clubhouse. "Super Filly Trio has arrived!" They opened the door, revealing Bruce Gunderson sitting in front of Pinkie Pie. "How can we help you?" They all asked at the same time. Bruce snapped his finger and the wall beside him flipped, revealing a screen beside him. "A simple problem really." He waved his hand and a picture of Pinkie Pie and a donkey appeared on the screen. "There's a donkey named Cranky Doodle Donkey. He's new in town and it is Pinkie Pie's job to befriend him and make him smile." He explained. Then Pinkie Pie jumps into explanation. "But something goes wrong!" A checklist appeared on the screen. "Meet somepony new..." A picture of pinkie pie and the donkey appeared. "Check!" "Introduce myself..." A picture of Pinkie Pie and Cranky shaking hoofs appeared. "Check" "Sing Random Songs out of nowhere..." A picture of Pinkie Pie singing appeared. "Check!" "But becoming instant best friends..." A huge X appeared on the screen. "UNCHECK!!!" "Super Fillies! You have to help me!" Pinkie Pie begged in an exaggerated manner. "I've tried everything..." She cried in a voice worthy of Rarity. "Don' worry Pinkie Pie! We'll help you!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Yeah, tell us where he lives and we'll take care of him." Scootaloo said confidently. "We would love to help a friend in need." Sweetie Bell said. "All right everypony, that's our target..." Pinkie Pie said from the rooftop. "Apple Bloom, are you in position?" Apple Bloom disguised as an apple vendor nodded. "Target's in position, fire the cannon." She watched as Cranky stopped for a moment to check on his wagon. She walked from behind the stall and intercept the donkey. "Hey mister! Do you want some apples?" She asked him. Cranky shook his head. "No kid, I'm not hungry..." He replied flatly before walking away from her. "Come on Mister! It's on the house!" She exclaimed. "Would you please try?" She looked at him with those cute and wide teary eyes. Meanwhile, Sweetie Bell who was hiding in an ally behind Cranky pushed Pinkie Pie's Party Cannon and aimed it towards the wagon. "Scootaloo, are you ready?" She asked. Scootaloo's head popped out of the cannon. "Hit it Sweetie Bell!" 'Bang' the Cannon shot and Scootaloo soared through the air. She flapped her wings as hard as she can and landed below Cranky's wagon. Using the Ninjasitter skills, she stick below the wagon. Cranky sighed and took the apple from Apple Bloom. He ate it in one bite before nodding. "Not bad, thanks." He said before walking away from her. Apple Bloom watched Scootaloo expertly sneaking into the wagon without Cranky noticing her. "All right Pinkie Pie, our spy has made it!" She exclaimed. "Now activate the Welcome Wagon, we'll take care of the rest." While Pinkie Pie is trying to cheer up the Cranky Doodle Donkey, the Cutie Mark Crusaders did a small research with a scrapbook Scootaloo found. "A flower, an old ticket, and an old menu from the gala..." Sweetie Bell muttered. She narrowed her eyes and looked at the date. It's from a long time ago. Apple Bloom took a closer look at the scrapbook. "So he must've been from the gala... No wonder he's so cranky." She muttered. "Applejack told me that the Grand Galloping Gala is the most awful celebration in Canterlot." "So, what is he doing here? And I don't think one worst night ever can make somepony that cranky." Scootaloo said. Sweetie Bell shook her head. "I don't know... we need more clues." She looked at Scootaloo. "Scootaloo, go and get more clues. In the mean time, we'll help Pinkie Pie cheer him up." She said. They all nodded before Scootaloo sneak back into the wagon. "Hey, everypony! Does anypony have a toupee?!" Pinkie Pie yelled suddenly using a microphone. "This donkey is really, really bald!" She exclaimed, causing the whole town to laugh at the said donkey. Apple Bloom sighed. "Change of plans, you go and find a toupee while Pinkie Pie and I try to cheer him up." Sweetie Bell nodded before walking away in search for a new mane. Apple Bloom hid in the corner and activated her costume. She jumped on to the roof and landed on the lamp post beside Cranky. "Citizens of Ponyville Village! It is I, one of the Super Filly." Everypony but Cranky gasped in amazement. "I am here to inform you that laughing at other ponies misfortune is not a proper way to treat a visitor." She said in a cute yet stern voice. "Now, I want you all to welcome our newcomer with open hoofs and apologize for embarrassing him." Cranky watched in disbelief as the citizens of Ponyville walked towards him with a regretful expression on their face. He couldn't believe his eyes when some of the ponies actually apologized to him. "We're sorry, please forgive us..." they all said. He nodded at them. "Apology accepted, now leave me alone." He said grumpily. He looked up and noticed that the mysterious filly has already disappeared. "No, no please, let us make it up to you!" One of the ponies said. "Yeah! You should go to my restaurant!" Another one said. "Or go to the spa! You need a complete makeover!" Another pony said. When Cranky realized it, it was already too late. All of the ponies in the vicinity starts dragging him away towards a spa nearby. Pinkie Pie led the crowds and opened the spa door for him. "Ladies, this is a spa emergency. Cranky needs help, STAT." She exclaimed. After a few minutes of serious brushes and extreme bathing, Cranky walked out of the spa sparkling new. He looked at Pinkie Pie and all citizens of Ponyville in complete and utter annoyance. "Thank you, now leave me alone..." He said before walking away from them. The rest of the Ponyville citizens turn around and go about their business. Pinkie Pie however, is not satisfied. She took out her walkie talkie with an intense expression on her face. "Sweetie Bell, is the package ready?" She asked. "The Package is Airborne, ETA forty seconds." Sweetie Bell replied from with what sounds like the wind howling around her. Pinkie Pie looked up and saw Bruce Gunderson flying through the air holding Sweetie Bell in his right hand and a package in another. He dropped her from the sky right above Cranky and saluted at her before flying away into the distance. Sweetie Bell fell from the sky with her costume. She held the package behind her with her magic. She landed gracefully in front of Cranky thanks to her magic and gave the package to the donkey. "A sign of apology from the Super Fillies." She said before disappearing in a flash of light. The Donkey opened the package in confusion and saw a bottle of potion inside it. He shrugged and threw it into his wagon before continuing his journey. "Pinkie Pie! You have to make him drink it. It's a mane grow potion from Zecora." Sweetie Bell exclaimed from the walkie talkie. Pinkie Pie quickly ran towards the donkey. "Hey! Cranky! Aren't you going to drink that?" She asked him. "It's a gift from the Super Fillies, you should really try it." Cranky sighed and stopped in his tracks. "If I drink it, promise me you'll leave me alone?" He asked, taking the cap off before taking a sip from the potion. His eyes widened when an unfamiliar sensation could be felt on his head. "My mane! My beautiful mane!" He exclaimed in disbelief. Pinkie Pie watched the donkey intently, hoping that he'll crack a smile. However, the donkey just thank her before heading back towards his new home. "Scootaloo! Did you find anything?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I need more time!" A shuffling sound could be heard from the Walkie Talkie. "Wait, meet me at his house with Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom. I have a plan." She said. With the power that defies all logic and common sense, Pinkie Pie appeared inside Cranky's phonograph. Scaring the daylights out of a certain donkey. "Hey! Whatcha doing there, ol' buddy ol' pal?" She exclaimed with that cheerful smirk on her face. "What's it look like?" Cranky snapped angrily. "Looks like a yard sale." She took out Cranky's snow globe out of nowhere. "I'll give you two bits for this!" She exclaimed, jiggling the snow globe in excitement. Cranky sighed in frustration and grabbed the snow globe out of her hoofs. "I'm not selling kid, I'm unpacking!" He said, getting more and more pissed as the time goes on. Meanwhile, outside the house, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are looking at a certain scrapbook. "I overheard him talking about a certain someone he's looking for." Scootaloo explained. "Maybe it's like a..." She held back an urge to vomit. "A love story?" "Oh my Celestia you're right!!" Sweetie Bell exclaimed in excitement. "It's like what happened in the romance novels Rarity loves to read. About the journey to find a long lost love..." She explained. "Come on everypony! Let's go find his long lost love." Apple Bloom exclaimed while everypony else cheered and followed her lead. "Wait, gotta return this." She picked up the book and knocked on the door. Cranky opened the door tiredly. "What do you want?" "Here, you dropped you book Mister." She said, putting the book in front of Cranky's hoof. "Thanks..." He muttered before closing the door to deal with the pink menace inside his house. "Huh, that's odd..." Bruce muttered from inside his workshop. Twilight looked over his shoulder and saw Bruce looking at a radar on his table. "What is it Bruce, are you tracking something?" She asked, looking at the multiple dots appearing and disappearing all over Ponyville. "Yeah, I put a tracker on Pinkie Pie and..." He picked up the radar and show it to Twilight. "This... whatever this is happen." He muttered. Twilight watched in amusement as Pinkie Pie's signature flickered all over Ponyville. It even appeared at two places at once. "That's Pinkie Pie for you. Trust me, I've given up trying to explain her years ago..." She said, remembering that one time she tried to make sense of her Pinkie Sense. Bruce nodded understandingly. "I know, just that things like this makes me wonder... What are the limits of her powers? Can she be called a reality warper? A toon-force master? Or is her powers tied to rule of funny?" He said to himself more than to Twilight. "Relax Bruce, not everything is supposed to be explained." She said comfortingly. "Besides, don't you have a cutie mark to experiment?" She pointed at the jar of Compass Cutie Mark sitting on his working table. Bruce sighed and opened the jar. "You're right..." He took out the Cutie Mark and smirked. "Here, catch." He slapped the Cutie Mark on Twilight's Cutie Mark and took out his clipboard. Twilight narrowed her eyes and sighed. "Ain't that just great... Shoulda' seen that one comin'..." She muttered in a thick country accent. "What in the hay happened to mah voice? Bruce! Take off this dang Cutie Mark this instant!" She exclaimed. Bruce just laugh and took out his video camera. "Nope!" He exclaimed with a mischievous smirk on his face. "Come on girl it's for science!" He added. After a few hours of running around all across Equestria, Cranky had enough. He went back into his house, slammed the door close and took a deep breath. "Just leave me alone!" He cried, wanting nothing more but to get the Pink Menace out of his hair. He locked the door, then he blocked the door with a sofa, block the sofa with a cupboard, and blocked the chimney with a drawer. He exhaled a breath of relief and dropped down to the floor. A knocking sound came from the door and Cranky gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Cranky? It's me again. I understand that you don't wanna be my friend or accept my apology... Before I leave you alone forever, I have something to at least try to make up for ruining your book." Pinkie Pie said in genuine regret. "No, I don't want it, kid! Anything you would give me is sure to lead to some sort of disaster!" He ranted grumpily. Another voice came from behind the door. Only this time, much softer and less annoying. "Goodness, you really are cranky." Cranky's eyes widened in disbelief. He moved the furnitures away and opened the door. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Pinkie Pie and the three mysterious fillies surrounding a certain someone he has been looking for his whole life. He slowly walked towards her in disbelief. "It can't be... Is it really you?" He whispered. "It can and it is." Matilda replied, smiling at the old donkey in front of her. "Matilda! But how?" Cranky asked. The female donkey smiled and motioned at the ponies surrounding her. "Pinkie, and of course our local heroes." Matilda replied, causing the Fillies and Pinkie Pie smiled proudly at him. Cranky shook his head in disbelief. "B-but I never told any of you about her!" He exclaimed. Scootaloo smiled and walked towards him. "I've been hiding in your wagon since you came here!" She said. "I've seen all of the souvenirs you collected as you travel all around the world looking for her. Then you mentioned about trying to find a long lost friend." She explained. Pinkie Pie hopped in to explanation. "I also saw your scrapbook, and I know I've seen something similar! It was also inside Matilda's scrapbook!" Then, Sweetie Bell walked towards him with a smile on her face. "Also, Matilda's the only donkey around. So chances are, she is the one you've been looking for." Sweetie Bell added. Cranky smiled at them with a thankful expression on his face. He looked at Matilda and stared at each other deep in the eyes. Soon, a huge blissful smile appeared on the donkey's face, making Pinkie Pie explode in victory. "Mission Success Crusaders!!!" They all exclaimed at the same time. The Crusaders has finally mastered the art of Love Detective Apple Bloom gained the perk: Love Aura. She can emit an aura of love that brings joy to anypony's heart. Scootaloo gained the perk: Spy Master She can now turn invisible as long as she has love in her heart. Sweetie Bell gained the perk: Hidden Love. She can now see hidden positive feelings inside anypony's heart. "We leveled up!" They exclaimed. The next day is the Hearts and Hooves day. The CMC plus the protector of Equestria sat inside the clubhouse. They were all making a huge card for one of their favorite teachers. "Hmm... I just don' think it's quite finished..." Apple Bloom muttered, looking at the huge masterpiece in front of them. Sweetie Bell nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. If it's for Miss Cheerilee, it needs to be perfect. Hearts and Hooves Day only comes once a year, after all." She took a closer look at the giant card, trying to find any faults in there. "I say we add a little more ribbons." Scootaloo suggested, picking up a hooful of ribbons from a corner. Sweetie Bell nodded and some laces floated towards the card. "Mm-hmm, yeah, yeah. And just a tiny bit more lace." She said. Apple Bloom pressed her paint covered hoof to the card. "A few more hoof-prints." She said, dancing on top of the letter with her hoofs. "Glitters!" Scootaloo picked up a bucket of glitters. "It could definitely use more glitters!" She poured down the glitters all over the letter. Meanwhile, Bruce was sitting a few feet beside them with a huge pile of cards surrounding him. "Girls, don't use all the glitters. We still need 86 cards." Bruce said, folding a piece of paper into a card. "Besides, I'm sure Mrs. Cheerilee would appreciate anything you give her." The Crusaders nodded and decided to improvise with colorful paper leftover. They spread the paper all over the huge letter and took a step back to admire their work. It is a gigantic heart-shaped letter the size of a carpet. It has a huge picture of Cheerilee and colorful paper flowers surrounding it. It sparkled in beautiful multicolored lights and a small rainbow could be seen on each side of it. "Now that'll show Miss Cheerilee how much we care about her. Just have to get it to the Hearts and Hooves party at school." Apple Bloom said proudly. They picked up the letter and looked at the entrance of the clubhouse. It was then that they realized that the entrance is much smaller than the letter they made. They looked at Bruce for a little help. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Bruce asked, pointing at a huge pile of unfinished letters beside him. "Help me with these and I'll open up the clubhouse." The CMC smiled sheepishly before they all walked towards him and helped him make those numerous letters. "You think this is enough?" Bruce asked while sprinkling some glitters into the paper. Apple Bloom slipped a small card into the letter. "Of course it's enough! We've made millions of letters." She said in a very exaggerated manner. The human sighed and put a finished letter to the pile beside him. "First of all it's not millions, it's barely two thousands." Bruce deadpanned. "Second of all, we have no idea how much is the general population of Ponyville." Then he shrugged. "But hey, it's your idea not mine." Sweetie Bell just smiled optimistically. "I'm sure it's enough. Every citizens of Ponyville will realize just how much their heroes care about them." She said. The next day, the Citizens of Ponyville were given a pleasant surprise from their local heores. Two of the Super Fillies and the Protector of Equestria soared through the sky, each one of them rained down hundreds upon hundreds of Hearts and Hooves day letters. The Mare Do Well and one of the Super Fillies jumped from roof to roofs. Each one of them gave out dozens of letters to the houses of everypony in the village. This way, everypony is guaranteed to get one; even those who were in the hospital gets one. Inside each and every single one of those letters are cheerful quotes that can warm the heart of everypony. Such as, 'It's a beautiful day to be happy' or 'Be so happy that when everypony look at you they'll be happy too'. or cute little jokes like 'When you fall I will always be there to catch you - the ground' or 'When nothing goes right... go left.' There's also some inspirational quotes like. 'Be a good pony but don't waste time trying to prove it' or 'Difficult roads sometimes lead to Wonderful locations' or something epic like. 'Throw me to the Timberwolves and I will return leading the pack' Finally to a lucky view, there's a hidden ten bits inside the letter. An advice of generosity could be find inside each and everyone of them. Such as, 'A poor yet generous pony is worth more than rich but stingy ponies' or 'A cheerful smile from your friends worth more than the bits inside this letter' or maybe something classic like. 'Bits cannot buy happiness' Soon, the Citizens of Ponyville are smiling and laughing at one another. They shared the quotes and letters they got with each other. Those lucky few who got some money, wasted no time giving it to their friends; spreading the message of love and generosity to the whole town. Between the 2050 letters that rained down from the sky, a single letter flew through the sky and landed on a certain pony's head. "Oh, how nice of them." Cheerilee commented. She walked into the Ponyville Schoolhouse and sat on her desk. She opened the letter, revealing a small card with a picture of apple on one side and a quote in the other. "A good teacher doesn't go easy on their student, a good teacher makes them a better ponies." She read the letter. "This gives me an idea..." Aura the light purple filly stood from her seat and walked to the front of the class. "Do what is right, not what is easy." She read the letter she got from the heroes. "Does that mean I always have to do the right thing Mrs. Cheerilee?" She asked her teacher. Mrs. Cheerilee smiled when she heard that. "That is correct everypony, sometimes you have to do the right thing and not the easy thing. Remember, hard work and dedications are the key to success." She looked Aura with a proud smile on her face. "Excellent Aura, you can go back to your seat." Aura walked back to her seat. "Button Mash, please come forward and read your letter." Cheerilee said. Button Mash, the brown earth pony colt stood from his seat and walked to the front of the class with a letter in his mouth. "They told me I couldn't, that's why I did it." He read the letter. "I don't get it..." He muttered. "Class, what that letter was trying to say is that just because somepony told you that you cannot do something, doesn't mean you can't. You have to take it as a challenge and prove that you can do anything if you set your mind into it." She explained. "Oh these letters are amazing... You can go back now Button Mash." Button Mash walked back to his seat. "Diamond Tiara, please step forward and read your letter." Mrs. Cheerilee said. Diamond Tiara stood from her seat and walked towards Mrs. Cheerilee with a smug look on her face. "I got the perfect letter that shows who I really am." She opened her letter and took out ten bits out of it. "Ten Bits, a sign that I am a precious person." Mrs. Cheerilee sighed patiently and pointed at the letter. "Diamond Tiara, you still have to read the letter." She reminded her. Diamond Tiara narrowed her eyes and took out the letter. "We make living by what we get, but we make life by what we give..." She dropped the letter and looked away. "What is this letter talking about? It's stupid!" She exclaimed. "Diamond Tiara, perhaps this letter is telling you to stop being a s- excuse me..." Again, Cheerilee took a deep breath to control herself. "Perhaps this letter is reminding you the importance of sharing and giving. While it's true that you make living by what you get, life would be meaningless without somepony for you to give." Tiara was about to say something, but Cheerilee held up her hoofs to stop her. "I am not done yet." She said sternly. "You need to start thinking about others more than yourself. All bits in the world couldn't buy happiness, but a single friend can bring a smile even in your most darkest days." She explained. "Those bits you earned, how long will it stays in your hoofs? Probably not until tomorrow. But your friends? They will be right by your side until the very end." Then Cheerilee stood from her seat and looked at Diamond Tiara with a trademark disapproving glare. "Now ask yourself, which is more precious? Your money or your friends?" She asked in finality. Diamond Tiara looked back and saw all students jeering at her from their seat. She tried to put on a confident face, but humiliated in front of the class put a toll on her. Her eyes welled up and she looked down in shame. "Everypony that's enough!" A familiar voice yelled from the crowds. "Just because Mrs. Cheerilee chided Diamond Tiara in front of the class, doesn't mean that you are any better than her!" Diamond Tiara looked up and saw her best friend Silver Spoon standing on top of the table with a letter in her hoof. "I don't care if Mrs. Cheerilee says that my friend is selfish or ignorant! I don't care if my letter is basically telling to stop being a mindless follower! Diamond Tiara is my friend and I will not stand by and let her being humiliated by the whole class!" She ranted in a very uncharacteristic manner. Just like that, the whole class fell silent. Diamond Tiara walked towards Silver Spoon with a thankful expression on her face. "Silver Spoon..." She took out her letter and poured the ten bits on Silver Spoon's table. "You're more precious than all the money my father can give me..." Mrs. Cheerilee watched the interaction between two of her most frustrating students with tears of joy trickling down her face. She took out her letter from under her desk and held it close to her chest. She couldn't believe just how much change a couple of letters could bring into her life. "Dating tips? Aren't you too young for those kinds of stuffs?" Bruce asked incredulously. Apple Bloom shook her head. "No! It's for Mrs. Cheerilee, we're taking her out on a romantic date with my brother." She explained. "We need your help to set up a perfect date for them." "Ah... Now that make sense." Bruce muttered in conclusion. "Well, I do have some ideas... But most of them includes rigged roller coaster rides which I have no time to build and horror movies too disturbing for anypony to watch." He said. "But yeah, sure a romantic picnic sounds like a plan. Just don't drug them with any potion. It never ends well." With that, Bruce and the Crusaders prepared a nice picnic in the middle of the park. For one reason after another it feels eerily familiar to Bruce's first week of being in this world. But he shook off the thoughts and put a couple glass of apple juice on the picnic blanket. "There they are... Get down everypony!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. Everypony but Scootaloo hid behind a bush, while the Filly Pegasus just used one of her perks to turn invisible. She watched as Cheerilee and Big Mac 'spoke' to each other, which mostly consist of Cheerilee asking a question and Big Mac responded with 'eeyup' or 'nnope'. "We're losing them." She whispered to her friends. "Bruce, where's your plan B?" She asked again. The human smirked and stood from the bush, revealing himself to the couple. He boldly walked towards them with a smirk on his face. "Hey, Cheerilee, Big Mac. Listen, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo came to me asking for a dating tip. They are pretty determined to turn you into a couple, so humor them maybe?" He asked them. Cheerilee chuckled when she heard that. "Oh aren't they just adorable. Sure, why not. I mean, he's not half bad..." She said, taking a closer look at the red stallion in front of her. "Not bad at all..." Bruce walked back to the bush and saw Apple Bloom gasping for breath. "Really? Love Aura?" He asked in disbelief. Sweetie Bell walked towards the couple and looked at them intently. "They're in love!" She exclaimed. "Apple Bloom's love aura showed them their love for each other." The CMC cheered in victory before leaving their teacher/brother for their much needed privacy. "Good work girls, who knew being straight forward makes everything much easier?" Bruce said, walking away from the park with a laid-back expression on his face. "Well I got nothing better to do now, so I'll just follow you around." "WAIT!" Sweetie Bell cried. "You also don't have a special somepony?" She asked in disbelief. Bruce narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Umm, you do realize that I'm the only human in all Equestria right?" He asked them. That grin on Sweetie Bell's face made him took a step back in fear. "Look girls, I understand your enthusiasm, but seriously, I am not interested in anyone!" Sweetie Bell took a step towards him. "What about Twilight?" She asked innocently. "Oh no, no, no! Princess Celestia's gonna kill me! No, the READERS are gonna kill me!" Bruce held up his hand defensively. "No girls, seriously I can't!" He exclaimed. "What do you mean? I'm sure the readers won't mind." Apple Bloom said in confusion. "Do you see any OC x Twilight pairing on the summary?" Bruce asked. "No, because there's not supposed to be a pairing!" Then he threw his hands up. "And I'm sure she already has an official pairing." He added. "Aww come on Bruce! Don't you like Twilight?" Sweetie Bell asked. "I mean you are perfect with each other. You're smart, cool, and heroic!" "No! The last thing I need is a romance drama in my life." An evil grin spread across Apple Bloom's face. She held her hoof over her earpiece and opened her mouth. Bruce's eyes widened and he held out his hand with a panicked look on his face. "Oh you little..." "TWILIGHT!!! HELP US!!!" She yelled with all her might. 'bzzt' Twilight appeared in a flash of light, fully garbed in her Battle Armor. She looked around in panic and realized that the only one who looked like he needs help is Bruce Gunderson. "What is it Apple Bloom? You almost scared me..." She muttered, thinking that there's an actual emergency. "You know I was in the middle of cooking with Fluttershy right?" Sweetie Bell who is still grinning like a mad filly looked at Twilight. "Bruce likes you..." She whispered. "He really likes you." "Don't listen to them, it's just an elaborate prank." Bruce lied smoothly. Twilight blinked owlishly and looked at Sweetie Bell. "You know I can detect love!" She said with a couple of puppy dog eyes. Twilight blinked again and looked back at Bruce. "She can detect all kinds of love, even my love towards all of my friends." Bruce said, with both of his hands inside of his pocket. "Besides, shouldn't you be with Fluttershy now?" Twilight sighed and nodded. "You're right..." She looked at the crusaders with a disapproving look on her face. "Crusaders, you should've known better than this." She disappeared in a flash of light before Sweetie Bell can say anything. Bruce folded his arms in front of his chest. "Yep, you should've known better than challenging me." He said with a smug smirk on his face. He unfolded his wings and soared back towards the cabin, leaving the Crusaders alone to mull on their defeats. "Well... You win some you lose some..." Sweetie Bell muttered in defeat. Meanwhile, Bruce just arrived to Fluttershy's Cabin. A scent of sweet fruits and freshly baked cakes welcomed him as he opened the door. "Hi everypony! I'm home!" He walked towards the kitchen and saw Fluttershy preparing a bowl of fruit salad and Twilight decorating a small cake with whipped creams and fruits. "Hi Bruce! You're just in time." Twilight said. Fluttershy put an empty plate on the table. "Hello Bruce, Twilight just helped me make some food for dinner." Fluttershy said. "Her magic is almost as wonderful as your hands." Bruce shrugged and sat on the table. "Well, we still have a few hours before sun down. In the mean time, do you get your letters?" Bruce asked. Fluttershy nodded and showed him her letter. "Yes, it's beautiful." She opened the letter and read it. "A strong pony stood up for herself. But a stronger pony stood up for others as well." She said. Twilight smiled after hearing that. "You know what that means right?" She asked the Pegasus. "I guess it's telling me to stand up for myself." She said with an amused expression on her face. "Did you write this especially for me Bruce?" She asked the human. Bruce shook his head. "Nope, you getting that particular letter is the work of Laser Guided Karma." He took out a letter from his pocket. "This is the last letter, let's see what it says." He opened the letter and read the content. "There's only one happiness in life. To love and be loved." Bruce read the letter. "So true, but why do I get this letter anyway?" He muttered to himself. A mischievous smile appeared on Twilight's face. "Maybe it has something to do with what the Crusaders told me." She said. "So, was it just a prank?" Bruce just shrugged in response. "Well, as a dimensional traveller, it is unwise for me to get attached with anyone." He replied. "Besides, I don't think you're interested in me..." He narrowed his eyes and looked at Twilight with an uncertain look on his face. "You're not interested in me right?" Twilight sighed and nodded. "Perhaps... You've been a good friend and I've never had a Stallion or a Man as a best friend before." She said uncertainly. "Spike doesn't count." She added. "Besides, I thought there's something going on between you and Fluttershy?" She asked again. The Pegasus gasped when she heard that. "Wh-what? N-no! Th-there's nothing going on between me and Bruce..." Fluttershy stuttered nervously. "I-I mean, not that I don't like him. J-just that I..." She buried her head under her hoof in embarrassment. It finally clicked to the human that both of the mares in front of him could and might be attracted to him. "Well!" Bruce exclaimed. "Isn't this just an interesting turn of events." He declared sarcastically. "What's next? Rainbow Dash proposing her undying love to me?" He said, tactlessly tempting fate. Sure enough, fate answered his challenge. A knocking sound came from the door and Fluttershy took it as an opportunity to distract herself. The Pegasus stood from her seat and hurriedly walked to the front door. She opened it, revealing Rainbow Dash standing in front of a door with a nervous look on her face. "Hello Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?" Fluttershy asked kindly. RD gave Fluttershy a nervous smile. "Hey Fluttershy, is Bruce around? I need to talk to him." She looked behind Fluttershy's shoulder. "Is he home?" Fluttershy smiled and welcomed her into the cabin. "He's inside with Twilight. Come in, we have fruits and cakes." She said, happy to have another one of her friends visiting her cabin. Bruce watched in a mixture of shock and confusion when RD walked nervously towards him. The problem being, RD is never nervous. "Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?" He asked her warily. RD looked down and drag her hoof across the floor. "Umm, you know... Just visiting a friend during hearts and hooves day." She replied casually. "So, uh... Any plans for tomorrow?" She asked. Bruce took a deep breath before shrugging. He decided that maybe there's no harm in a small date. 'The hell with it... When life gives you lemonades...' He thought to himself. "Well I do have some things to do tomorrow, but nothing too important. Why?" He asked easily. RD looked like she was about to explode in excitement. "Great!" She shouted, then she smiled sheepishly. "I mean, do you want to come with me for the Wonderbolts tournament in Cloudsdale?" She asked with a hopeful smile on her face. Bruce nodded in agreement. "Sure, the Wonderbolts sure sound awesome. When's the competition?" He asked, curious about these celebrities RD is so hyped about. "Well, the tournament isn't until late afternoon. But I can take you through a tour around Cloudsdale if you want." RD replied. "Oh and you should definitely bring your Pegasus Might armor. The Wonderbolts sure gonna love it." Meanwhile, Twilight and Fluttershy watched the interaction between the human and the Pegasus in disbelief. They couldn't believe how easy it is for Rainbow Dash to practically asked Bruce out without hesitation. Bruce even cancelled all of his plans for tomorrow just to get out with the Rainbow Pegasus. "Umm Bruce, what about your research about Magic Teleportation?" Twilight said suddenly. "Yes, and our animal taming lessons?" Fluttershy asked. Bruce smirked and waved the off. "Nah, they can wait. A Wonderbolt competition doesn't came around every day." Then he smirked. "Besides, I'm pretty sure these Wonderbolts gonna be impressed by a live Cosmic Rainboom performance." A huge grin appeared in RD's face when she heard that. "Oh yes! Tomorrow's gonna be the awesomest day ever!!!" She yelled. "The Wonderbolts gonna be so impressed by my performance that they will have no choice but to add me to their ranks." Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Bruce, are you sure? The Cosmic Rainbbom is pretty dangerous." She said in concern. "Naw don't worry Sparkles! I just intalled a new braking system. I haven't tested it but I'm sure it'll be just fine." Bruce explained easily. The next day... Twilight and Fluttershy hopped down from the hot air balloon to the fluffy terrain of Cloudsdale. They looked around warily, looking for a certain Pegasus/Human couple. "Now where are they..." Twilight muttered with a binocular floating in front of her eyes. "I swear, they better not do anything stupid." Fluttershy sighed at her. "Twilight, are you jealous?" She asked her. The Unicorn paused for a second and shook her head. "No, what are you talking about?" She said in denial. Then she noticed Bruce and RD flying towards a huge building in the distance. "There! They're heading for the weather factory." She grabbed Fluttershy with her magic and start dragging her. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Bruce were standing in front of the Entrance of the Weather Factory. "So, what is it do you want to show me Rainbow Dash?" Bruce asked. "And what the heck is a Weather Factory?" He added. RD smiled and opened the huge entrance for Bruce. "Come on, I'll show you." Then she smirked. "And yes we are trespassing." She added, knowing for a fact that Bruce has no qualms about breaking the rules now and again. Bruce smirked back and entered the weather factory. Rainbow Dash grabbed a couple of workers hat hanging on the wall and acts as a tour guide for Bruce. "Look, I know nothing about this factory, so just act like you understand what I say okay?" RD reminded him. They walked into the main room and RD showed him many sights around the factory while providing him with minimum information. "This is where we make the clouds." Rainbow Dash pointed at a huge tank filled with water. "That's where we manufacture our snowflakes." She pointed at a few scientist tinkering around with snowflakes. "And that's where we contain our lightning bolts." RD pointed at some jars with actual lightning bolts inside of it. "Wow... Just wow... So you control every weather here in Ponyville?" Bruce asked in amazement. Then he moved his head closer to her ears. "By the way, if you can get me some of those lightning bolts and those research papers; I can make some pretty cool addition to your armor." Bruce whispered. "Like what?" Rainbow Dash whispered back. Curious about how Bruce gonna make her super awesome armor even more awesome. "Say... how about Lightning Rifles?" Bruce asked, causing Rainbow Dash to grin in excitement. "I'll take that as a yes. Now, I will distract the workers while you try to get them papers and bolts." He whispered before looking back at all the workers around him. 'Extreme BS mode activate.' Bruce waved at the workers around him. "Greetings everypony, I am Bruce Gunderson the protector of equestria. I am here to visit and observe how the weather is made to better help me in protecting Equestria." Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash sneaked towards the jars of lightning. She grabbed one of the jar and looked around. The workers in the factory doesn't seem to notice her. They were all distracted by Bruce's improvised speech. She took the chance and grabbed five more jars of lightning. Then she walked towards a desk nearby with a bunch of papers stacked all over it. An exhausted grey Pegasus was sleeping on top of it. She sighed and gently moved the grey Pegasus away from the papers. "Wait a second..." She looked at Bruce confidently dealing with all of the workers in the factory. "I got to be just like him!" She patted the back of the Pegasus's back. "Ahem." She coughed, the sleeping worker woke up and saw Rainbow Dash looking at him with a flat expression on her face. "Have you been sleeping on your job?" The Pegasus looked at Rainbow Dash with a hint of fear in his eyes. "P-pardon ma'am, I was just tired that's all..." He said, still a bit drowsy. "Tired? Tired!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "You are a Weather Pony, you are responsible for the well-being of thousands of ponies." She pointed at Bruce giving a speech about Peace and Harmony in the middle of the room. "You see that? That's the Protector of Equestria. He's here to check our performance, what do you think will happen if he saw you sleeping on the job?" The poor Pegasus's eyes widened in fear. He dropped down in front of Rainbow Dash. "N-no please! I will lose my job! I worked so hard to get here, please just give me another chance!" He begged. Rainbow Dash's expression softened. "Okay, don't cry, I won't report you." She said, feeling that she might've gone a little bit too far. "But could you get me some papers about those lightning jars over there?" She asked him. The worker Pegasus hurriedly picked up a bunch of papers and gave it to her. "Here, take it all. Thank you ma'am. I will return to my work." He said before picking up a few more paperwork to do. Rainbow Dash smirked and put everything into her saddlebag. "Wow... Is this how Bruce feels like everyday? Now wonder he's so cool." She muttered to herself. "He can make everypony do whatever he wants!" She walked back towards the human and realized that all of the workers are taking notes on everything he says. "-and season control, we can use the power of weather to help protect peace and harmony all across Equestria." Bruce ended his bullspeech and the workers applauded in amazement. "Thank You, it's been a pleasant visit. I am very satisfied by your works here, just one tiny little issue I like to point out." The workers stepped closer towards him. "There's an issue with the security in this place. Please make sure that every workers have registered ID's and magic scanners should be installed to stop any unauthorized personnel from walking in." Then he smirked. "We don't want anypony sabotage the most crucial part of the Ecosystem right?" All of the workers shook their heads. "Good, now if you'll excuse us. It is time for us to leave. Good Day Mares and Gentlestallions!" He said before he and Rainbow Dash left the building with a victorious smirk on their faces. "Did you get them?" Bruce asked when they are far enough from the factory. RD smirked and took out a jar of lightning from her saddlebag. They smiled and fist/hoof bumped each other. "Yeah!" They exclaimed at their successful heist/research. Meanwhile, Twilight and Fluttershy watched everything unfolds from behind the window. The unicorn gritted her teeth in annoyance at the sight of two of her friends stealing lightnings from the factory. "Oh they are so gonna regret this..." Twilight muttered to herself. "Come on Fluttershy, we're going to the tournament." Twilight said in annoyance. Her horn glows bright and Fluttershy found herself being levitated away from the factory. "Do you have a ticket?" Fluttershy asked. 'poof' The Unicorn dropped the pegasus to the soft clouds below. "Aww..." She muttered. The Unicorn rubbed her chin in deep thought. "I guess it wouldn't hurt if I use my magic..." She muttered to herself. Fluttershy and Twilight sat on one of the back seats of the competition. She watched the human and the pegasus sitting on the seats a couple rows in front of them. "Just look at them..." Twilight muttered, watching Bruce and Rainbow Dash share a huge bag of popcorn together. "Going around stealing stuff just for fun..." "But we stole those tickets..." Fluttershy pointed out. The Unicorn ignored her and took out a binocular from below the seat. She watched Bruce and RD closely, trying to decipher their mouth movement. "They're talking about the race... Spitfire winning... So.. Sonic." Twilight dropped the binocular in shock. "Sonic Rainboom! They're actually going to perform the Sonic Rainboom!" Fluttershy took a closer look and saw Bruce and RD laughing at one another. "Maybe they were just talking about what happened in the past?" She asked. "And I thought Rainbow Dash have mastered the Sonic Rainboom." She added. Meanwhile at the lower seats, Bruce was just telling Rainbow Dash about his plans for the lightning bolts. "just don't get trigger happy all right?" Bruce said, looking at the jar on his hand. "By the way, how powerful are these things anyway?" He asked RD. Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I dunno, I just picked them randomly. Maybe you can find something on those papers." She replied. "Oh! It's the final lap!" She exclaimed. Bruce and RD watched as four of the Wonderbolts zipped pass them in flash. "Dude!" Bruce said in awe. "How are they not making Sonic Rainboom right now? That's faster than our dives!" He said. "That's because their costumes minimize almost all air friction. That way they will the be able to perform the fastest, most super cool stunts without problems." Rainbow Dash explained. "By the way, are we going to perform the Cosmic Rainboom?" She asked him with a hint of nervousness in her voice. Bruce thought about it for a second. "Well... How about we experiment a bit..." He looked at the huge stadium in front of him. "I wonder if we can make two Sonic Rainboom that spirals one another. That way, it'll make a heart shape, you know to celebrate Heart and Hooves day." Bruce said. Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. "Yeah! That'll be much better than pulling of a Cosmic Rainboom. " She said. "But when and how are we going to perform it?" RD asked. "And now a Final Tribute from The Protector of Equestria and the Greatest Flyer from Ponyville Village!" The announcer yelled out, making Rainbow Dash stood frozen in shock. "Please Welcome, Bruce Gunderson and Rainbow Dash!" "H-here? In-in front of everypony?" RD asked in disbelief. "This isn't the part of the plan!" She put both of her hoofs in front of her face. "My life is ruined!" She cried. Bruce grabbed her hoof and moved it away from her face. He looked at her with a comforting smile on his face. "Hey, come on now RD! When we made that Cosmic Rainboom I know that you are not just any Pegasus. You are a Legend, and it is time to show the world who you truly are." He held up his hand and stood from his seat. "Come on girl, this will go down in history!" Rainbow Dash smiled and stood from her seat. They flew to the middle of the arena and the whole arena cheered at them. "Let's see, there's The Wonderbolts, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna watching us..." Bruce said, looking at the VIP all around them. "I really hope the rest get my message..." Bruce muttured to himself. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna erected a barrier that protects all ponies in the arena. They nodded at them to begin the performance. "Okay, you go west, I go east. We'll cross each other in the middle of the arena and boom. Got it?" Bruce explained in a very lay man's fashion. Rainbow Dash saluted at him before moving to action. Rainbow Dash flew to the end of the arena as fast as she can. She stopped right in front of the barrier the princess erected and flew up to the sky. When she's high a enough, she did a back flip and dived down to the other end of the arena. She noticed Bruce diving down in front of her and he raised his hand with a smirk on his face. Rainbow Dash smiled and raised her hoof. 'Clap' the fist/hoof bumped with each other and 'BOOOOM' A Double Sonic Rainboom of Epic Proportions formed in the sides of the arena. It grew larger and larger until it crossed each other; forming into a beautiful heart shape if viewed from a certain angle. In a matter of seconds, the crowd goes wild. Never have anypony in history ever seen such an incredible feat. Bruce and Rainbow Dash glide down to the center of the arena with a huge smile on their faces. The citizens of Cloudsdale applauded them in a awe and amazement. They watched in disbelief when the Wonderbolts flew towards them with a proud smile on their faces. "Protector of Equestria..." The Wonderbolts bowed down towards Bruce. Then they looked at the Pegasus, standing beside him with a nervous smile on her face. "Rainbow Dash, right?" Spitfire said. The Blue Pegasus just nodded in excitement. "Yes." She said, barely stopping herself from shouting like a rabid fan girl. "Did I do good?" She asked again nervously. The Wonderbolts chuckled at her. "No Rainbow Dash that wasn't just good, that was Wonderful..." Spitfire paused for a second at the look everypony gave him. "Sorry, I couldn't resist." She added. Rainbow Dash would've fainted if it not for the fact that fainting means plummeting down a hundred feet from the sky. "By the way, Bruce told us that you've been wanting to join us for a while now. Saying that it's been your long life dream." Spitfire asked. RD nodded vigorously. "Oh my gosh! Yes!" She exclaimed in excitement. Spitfire shook her head at RD's child-like enthusiasm. "I'm afraid it'll took more than just skills and talents to become a Wonderbolt. It also took dedication and hardwork." Then she smirked. "Plus there's a history test you'll have to pass if you want to join us. Trust me, it's much harder than it sounds." "So, are you up for it?" Spitfire asked finally. "YESS!!!" RD yelled, hoping that this is all not just a dream. "Well, see you later then." With that, the Wonderbolts flew away from them. "I'll remember you kid. Rainbow Dash, the Greatest Flyer in Ponyville." Spitfire said before she and the rest of the Wonderbolts flew back to the spectator's seat. It was almost dawn, soon the day would be over. Bruce and Rainbow Dash spent the last of their day sitting on a cloud above Ponyville; watching the sunset with a smile on their face. "Well, not as bad as I thought it would be..." Bruce commented in relief. "I expected some kind of calamity to happen and ruin everything." He said. Rainbow Dash sighed and looked at Bruce wistfully. "Bruce, I have a confession to make." She said. "And no it's not just a love confession." Bruce nodded patiently. "Go on..." He said. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. "Well, you see... This was all just a trick that me and the Crusaders played. I overheard your conversation with Sweetie Bell and I thought I could hang out with you to make Twilight jealous." She explained. "But then, Twilight did nothing to stop us. She didn't follow us to Cloudsdale, she didn't ask anyone to keep an eye on us, she didn't even watch our performance!" Rainbow Dash smirked and chuckled in mirth. "She has no idea what she's missing out. Today was the awesomest day ever. I stole lightning bolts, I watched the Wonderbolts, we performed an epic stunt, and the Wonderbolts praised me!" "So I thought to myself..." She paused for a second and looked at Bruce with a nervous smile on her face. "Since Twilight doesn't seem to be interested in you..." RD sighed and took a deep breath. "Are you interested in me? Or do I have to win you somehow?" Bruce was speechless. He expected this of course, but he still haven't think of anything to say. "Well Rainbow Dash, you don't have to become my Special Somepony to have an awesome day like this." Rainbow Dash looked at him in confusion. "Besides, can you explain the difference between the love of two best friends and two lovers? The difference is that the love between best friends can be shared. But love between two lovers cannot be shared." He explained. Rainbow Dash nodded understandingly. "So, it doesn't matter if I'm your special somepony or not?" She asked. "Nope." Bruce replied easily. "You're still my best friend and being my best friend is probably the same as being my special somepony." RD smiled and hugged him. "Thanks for the awesome day you gave me. I owe you a lot..." She said. Bruce put a hand over Rainbow Dash's mane. "Anything for a friend." He said comfortingly. "Come on Fluttershy, let's go home..." Twilight said with a peaceful smile on her face. "Let's give them some privacy." She jumped down from the tree and put the binoculars to her saddlebag. Fluttershy floated down beside her with a relieved expression on her face. "So, you're not jealous anymore?" She asked the unicorn. Twilight shook her head. "No, Bruce's right. It doesn't matter if he's my special somepony or not. In the end he's still my best friend." She said. "Besides, don't you think it's weird if a human and a pony ever get together?" She added. With that, they left the two best friends alone to enjoy the last day of the Awesomest Day Ever.