The next morning, Apple Bloom was delivering a bushel of apples to the Cakes all while humming a happy tune. Last night had been one of best nights of her life! Even though it's only been a couple of months since she started dating Pip, she had never felt this strongly in love before. Yes, one could argue that her and Tender Taps were just as strongly in love and at the time it was fairly certain they were but now… She made a lovingly sigh as she gave Mrs. Cake the apples.
The baker commented with a smile, "Well, it seems someone is a very good mood, any reason?"
AB made a girlish giggle, "It's just…" then she squealed out, "Pip and I admitted our love for each other!"
Mrs. Cake gasped before proclaiming, "Congratulations!"
Apple Bloom tittered, "Thank you." then she noticed the Nightmare Night decorations set up around the shop and said, "I see the twins have been busy decorating for Nightmare Night that's tomorrow."
The baker replied, "Oh, they have been and they're so excited because this will be the first time they get to go trick or treating."
The young cowgirl exclaimed, "That is excitin'! I'm so happy for them. Hey, they should stop by my family's corn maze as well!"
Mrs. Cake shook her head, "I don't think they're ready for that. It might be too scary for them."
"Hm, I guess I see your point. We do like to liven things up so the maze doesn't get boring. For example, I had this awesome idea of me, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle performing Nightmare Night songs on stage after ponies get done in the maze. We've been rehearsing every chance we got between meeting with clients and doing our own thing."
"That sounds amazing, I wish you girls luck."
"Thanks, we'll need it. That reminds me, I have to meet with them in an hour so we can rehearse one more time before tomorrow night. Bye!" she rushed out of the building only to end up bumping into some pony! She fell on her tush and slowly composed herself as she shouted, "Sorry! I didn't see you there!"
"Apple Bloom?"
She froze at that voice and slowly she looked up to see… "Tender…?"
He smiled warmly at her, "Yeah, it's me…"
She could feel herself gapping and uttered, "But I thought…"
He explained, "I took some vacation time and came back for a visit. I was hoping to see you again… I… I've missed you…" he looked at her with sad eyes that made her heart drop.
"I… I missed you too…" she confessed.
His eyes seem to have lit up at those words before he slightly frown, "I hear you have a new coltfriend…"
Apple Bloom stiffened as she sputtered, "H-how did you find out about that?!"
"I heard it from someone and I didn't want to believe it but the look on your face says it all…"
She lowered her head in sadness and started, "Tender… I'm sorry, but… when you left, I knew I had to move on but I was at for loss of how to do that until Pip came my way… He just made me feel so alive again…"
"Pip? As in Pipsqueak? That's who you're dating?!"
"Don't be so surprised, I've known Pip as long as I've known you…"
"Yeah… I guess that explains how you managed to find a new boyfriend so quickly after our breakup and it wasn't even that long ago…"
"Believe me, I never wanted to hurt you but as long as we weren't together anymore what else was I supposed to do?" tears began to well in her eyes, "You told me you were going to move to Manehattan permanently and that meant leaving Ponyville forever!" with the her tears flowing down now she ran from him and ran all the way back home.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were hanging by their old tree house waiting for Apple Bloom so they could rehearse for tomorrow when suddenly they heard loud sobbing and turned to see a crying Apple Bloom running straight for the farmhouse. They quickly went after her to see her going to her bedroom and shutting the door behind her.
They could hear her uncontrollable bawling through the door, making them exchange troubling looks. Sweetie knocked on the door and sung out, "Chiquitita, tell me what's wrong…"
Scootaloo sang in, "I have never seen such sorrow…"
They both sang, "In your eyes… and the performance is tomorrow…" Sweetie slowly opened the door for them to see Apple Bloom weeping on her bed with her pillows close to her face as they gently approached her.
Sweetie vocalized, "How I hate to see you like this…"
Scootaloo, "There is no way you can deny it…"
They sat on the bed rubbing their friend's back and head making her slightly sit up so they could attend to her as Sweetie sung, "I can see that you're oh so sad, so quiet…"
Sweetie magically handed her tissues to blow in while Scoots helped fix her mane and bow that got messed up as they sang, "Chiquitita, tell me the truth… I'm a shoulder you can cry on… Your best friend… I'm the one you must rely on… You were always sure of yourself… Now I see you've broken a feather…" Scootaloo showed off her feathers for emphasis as they kept singing, "I hope we can patch it up together… Chiquitita… You and I know… How the heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leavin'… You'll be dancin' once again and the pain will end… You will have no time for grievin'… Chiquitita… You and I cry… But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you… Let me hear you sing once more… Like you did before… Sing a new song… Chiquitita…"
Apple Bloom was still releasing some tears but she was feeling a lot calmer now as she softly sang out, "Try once more… like I did before… sing a new song… Chiquitita…" With a deep breath she said outright, "Tender Taps is back…"
The other two crusaders shouted out, "WHAT?!"
"Yeah, I ran into him this morning after making my deliver to Mrs. Cake. He told me he was on vacation and he wanted to come for a visit."
Scootaloo asked, "Does he know about you and Pip?"
"He does. He somehow heard about me having a new coltfriend, and I had to tell him it was Pip." then she shouted, "Oh, why did this have to happen now?! Pip and I had just confessed our love for each other and now-"
"YOU HAVE?!" her friends squealed in delight.
"Yes, we have, but that's beside the point right now! With Tender back in town it's going to feel really awkward to date Pip."
Scootaloo questioned, "But why? If Tender is your ex-coltfriend there's no shame in you dating your current coltfriend."
Apple Bloom rubbed her leg as she admitted, "But you see, girls, when I bumped into Tender again it felt like it did before we broke up… I… I was happy seeing him again that I wonder if we could…"
Both Sweetie and Scootaloo had wide eyes and gawked.
"I know, it's foolish thinkin' like this… right?"
They exchanged unsure looks not sure how to reply.
Sugar Belle was tending to the farm's vegetable garden when she noticed a figure next to her and exclaimed, "Oh! Sour Grape, I didn't know you were here."
Sour softly chuckled, "My apologies, I didn't mean to disturb you."
"It's fine, if you're looking for Big Mac or Applejack or Apple Bloom they're busy with delivers right now but if you want you can wait until they return."
"I didn't come here to see them, I came to see you."
Sugar looked on in confusion, "Oh?"
"Yes, I was just curious how a sweet pony like you isn't a mother yet."
The young mare blushed and admitted in embarrassment, "It's not that I don't want children, I hope to have foals someday, and I know Mac is looking forward to the day we have them but I hate disappointing him like that."
"Oh, but surely he doesn't want you to be unhappy with your decision."
"We had this talk last night with him telling me that. He wants only my happiness but I feel I'm deniding him his happiness because of that…" she started singing, "A perfect life, the kind you dream of, waits for me, and yet, and yet? I can't shut out the sense of dread, this haunting doubt… I found a colt who truly loves me, I love him, and yet, and yet… On this bright day, a shadow falls across my way… I should hate myself for these irrational ideas, I should pull myself together, cast away my fears… Part of me is saying I'll soon be where I belong… Part of me is saying, something's wrong… A perfect life, the kind you dream of waits for me, and yet, and yet… I fear I might be sailing into endless night… Part of me is saying I'll soon be where I belong…. Part of me is saying, something's wrong… A perfect life, the kind you dream of, waits for me… and yet, and yet… I fear I might be sailing into endless night… We'll soon have a perfect life… And yet, and yet, and yet…"
Sour Grape levitated a bottle of red liquid to Sugar Belle.
"What's that?" the young unicorn asked to which the older unicorn replied.
"This is a special potion that allows the drinker to be free of their fears…"
Sugar exclaimed in excitement, "It does?!"
"Oh, yes, I've had to use on one or two occasions but I figure you could use it more than me right now."
"Oh, thank you! Thank you!"
Sour magically uncorked the bottle and the liquid turned into a gas with it swirling around Sugar Belle's face before absorbing into her eyes. Sugar rubbed her eyes not realizing they turned a shade darker.
"Are you sure it will work?" she asked feeling more unsure than ever.
"Trust me, it will." she started to leave while putting the potion back in her pouch, "I must go now, but it was wonderful seeing you, dear, and tell your husband and his sisters I said 'hi'."
"I will, and thank you again for the potion."
"You're quite welcome." she replied sweetly before walking away with an evil smirk on her face.
Two down and one to go…
Spike and Applejack looked over the many wedding rings at the jewelry store. The clerk was presenting them with all sorts of rings but Applejack was uncertain about them.
Spike said, "We've been at this for almost an hour, AJ, what's wrong with these rings?"
She voiced, "They all seem a little too grand for my tastes…"
"But rings are supposed to be grand. Just like the engagement ring you're wearing around your neck."
The clerk mentioned, "I remember that ring, I sold it to you for over a 1,000 bits."
Applejack gawked at her fiancé and held up her ring, "You bought this for that much?!"
Spike smiled at her, uttering, "And it was worth every penny."
She kept gawking till she turned to the clerk and demanded, "Give me your highest price gem."
It was Spike's turn to gawk and shouted, "Are you crazy?!"
She smirked back, "I am crazy, crazy in love with you…" she bopped his nose. "And don't think of just keeping it because it's worth a lot of money, you are dragon and should eat it like all dragons do."
"Applejack… are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I'm not your wife yet but once I am, I want to give you only the best I can offer."
He slowly smirked and took her hooves while saying, "And as your future husband, I want to give you the best that I can offer…"
By then the clerk came back with a very large diamond! Applejack paid up with a huge sack of coins as she gave her love the gem.
Spike drooled at the sight and was about to eat it whole till a thought came to him. "I got a better idea for this gem."
They were on the outskirts of Ponyville and found Maud Pie's underground home. They saw her excavading for more gems. She turned to them.
Emotionlessly, she greeted them, "Hey."
Spike said, "Hey, Maud, listen we have a favor to ask you." he held up the diamond, "Do you think you can make this into wedding rings?"
Maud stood there with a blank expression as she said, "Sure. I like the idea of couples starting their life together with rings especially made for them."
Applejack smiled, "Great. Thanks Maud."
Maud took the diamond and examined it, "I'll need a couple of weeks."
Spike gestured, "That's fine, we still have lots to do before our wedding."
Maud nodded.
They were back in Ponyville exchanging loving looks with Applejack saying, "Always the romantic, uh?"
"Hey, when you bought that gem I didn't like the idea of it going down in my stomach. You got it out of love and so it should represent our love for each other when we're exchanging rings at the ceremony."
She nuzzled up to him as he wrapped an arm around her while they were walking on that they didn't notice Sour Grape giving them a menacing stare.