"So Mrs. Mender came in at that moment and saw what had happened, she took one look around at what had happened to the classroom and walked back out muttering something about having picked the wrong career choice," a Pegasus mare with a grey-white coat and purple mane said as she finished telling a story to her friends. "So I'm just standing there, half covered in goop and I have no idea what's going on."
"How exactly did you get that much whipped cream into the classroom Purple?" One of her friends, a Unicorn with a pink coat and a yellow mane with a red streak through it asked as she tried not to laugh. "I mean that sounds a bit unlikely to me."
"Oh, I know a pony," Purple Heart said with a chuckle. "Besides, she had it coming, who makes a class read Sea Gull's Travels over Hearth's Warming Break? Its ridiculous."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," a blue Pegasus mare with a blonde mane said with a chuckle as she shook her head. "Though I never flooded their classroom with whipped cream, how'd you even get away with that?"
"I played dumb, trust me, they never even suspected me," Purple Heart said with a laugh as she looked over at the pink Unicorn. "What about you Ruby, do you have any stories about dealing with troublesome teachers?"
"Huh? Oh, not really," Ruby said with a shrug as she looked around, they were seated at a table together outside of a malt and shake shop in Canterlot. "I was just wondering where that waitress was with our order."
"Who knows, I'm sure everything is fine," an earth pony mare with a long dark blue mane commented and chuckled lightly. "Come on, lets just try and have some fun, we don't really have to worry about anything today at least."
Ruby Shield smiled a little as she looked between her friends, it was actually nice to be able to just relax a little. She had recently been made a general in the Royal Equestrian Army, not that there was much need for that since Equestria had been at peace for the most part.
She looked at the pink Earth Pony mare with the blue mane who gave her a smile, Star Spark had been her best friend for years and she had the uncanny ability to tell when something was bothering her. She didn't want to admit it, but she was more nervous about everything than she let on, sure her talent was defending ponies who needed it, but was she really in a position to do what she needed to do with the military?
It wasn't that she wasn't good at being a soldier, she was very good at it, but sometimes it felt like she was missing something in her life. She took a deep breath and looked around at her friends who were still talking and laughing, maybe there was something more she could do.
"Sorry four the wait, your waiter before just ended his shift, here you all are," a new voice said as a chocolate malt was placed in front of Ruby off of a tray that was being levitated by a green magical aura. "Lets see, you had the chocolate..."
Ruby didn't hear the rest of what she said because at that moment she decided to look up at the waitress. She was a yellow Unicorn mare with magenta eyes and a green mane with a yellow streak in it, she was dressed in a white apron and had a cute smile as she passed out the remaining drinks to Ruby's friends.
Ruby blushed a little when she realized she was staring at the mare, but she was the most beautiful pony she had ever laid eyes on. It was hard to explain but she had already fallen head over heels for this mare even if she had just met her. She hadn't ever really thought she might fall in love, especially not with another mare, so this had caught her a bit off guard and she had no idea what to say.
"Can I get anything else for you?" The mare asked with that same smile on her face as she looked at Ruby with sparkling magenta eyes.
"Umm, no, I'm good," Ruby finally said as her friends started to drink their shakes. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome," the waitress said with a slight bow before she trotted off with the tray, humming a happy tune to herself.
Ruby couldn't help but watch her go, trying to remain conspicuous about it at least, she didn't want to be caught staring at a mare's flanks by her friends.
Unfortunately for her Star Spark was a lot more perceptive than she would've liked and noticed it right away. She smiled broadly and gave her friends a wink before looking at Ruby again.
"So that waitress is pretty cute huh?"
"Was she? I didn't notice," Ruby said as she took a drink of her malt and tried to hide the blush on her face. "I mean she was okay I guess..."
"You're a terrible liar, you know that?" Purple Heart said with a smirk and a shake of her head as she looked at Star Spark who just giggled a little. "A blind pony could tell you were staring at her back there."
"Okay, so maybe she is a little cute..." Ruby admitted with a blush. "But I can't ask her out, she'd never be interested in a pony like me."
"Are you kidding? I could see the look on her face, I think she was checking you out a little," Star said with a giggle as Ruby just blushed more. "Come on Red, what do you have to lose by at least trying? She's a cutie, and you clearly have some sort of feelings for her or you wouldn't be blushing redder than the coats your unit wears."
Ruby just stammered a bit, she wasn't sure what to say to that to be honest. It was certainly true that she had felt an attraction to the waitress, but she didn't even know her name, what would she say? Was she going to be able to talk to her at all? How could she even feel this way about a pony she didn't know anything about?
"I honestly don't know what to do," Ruby finally managed to say. "I mean its not that I wouldn't mind trying to ask her out, but what would I even say? Where would we go? What if she doesn't feel the same way?"
"Well if she doesn't, there's plenty of fish in the sea," Soprano, a Unicorn mare with a purple coat and mane said as she took another sip of her milkshake. "I mean you're quite the catch if you ask me, if I was into mares I'd totally date you."
"Very funny Soprano," Ruby said with a shake of her head. "I don't really know what to do, I've, never really tried asking anypony out before you know?"
"Its not that hard, besides the worst that can happen is they say no," Star Spark said. "Well, no the worse that can happen is they have a tough boyfriend who comes and beats you up..."
"You're not helping!" Ruby said with a shocked look on her face, why would her friend even suggest that? "That's not funny."
"Ruby, calm down, that's not going to happen," Purple said with a roll of her eyes. "Star, try not to discourage her from pursuing this, you're not helping."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Star said with a shake of her head before she looked at Ruby again. "Look, Ruby I've been your best friend for how long now?"
"Since we were fillies."
"Have I ever steered you wrong before?"
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Ruby asked as she raised an eyebrow at her best friend. "Because I'm pretty sure I can name several times you've steered me wrong."
"Okay, I deserved that," Star said with a shake of her head. "But seriously Ruby, you've been so focused on your work with the REA you haven't really had a chance to live your life. This could be your chance to be happy and have a somewhat normal life, what do you say? It wouldn't hurt to at least try."
Ruby thought for a long moment, maybe she was right. She had always felt like there was something missing from her life, what if this worked out? She didn't really have anything to lose, she might as well at least try and talk to the cute waitress, right?
"Okay, I'll try and talk to her," she finally relented.
"Yes, now go talk to her!" Star said with a big smile which made Ruby's eyes go wide.
"Wait, you mean right now?" She asked, her blush was back in full force.
"Well of course silly, there's no time like the present!"
"I swear, you're going to be the death of me..." Ruby said with a shake of her head as she finished her malt and got up, she had to figure out what she was going to say and how she was going to say it.
"So, who wants to take bets on how long she takes to talk to her?" Silver asked as she looked at her friends.
00000
Ruby stood out of the way as she looked around the shop for the waitress from before, she felt more nervous than anything else especially now that she was actually in the shop.
"Well, umm... I know we just met and stuff, but I thought you were cute and... no, that doesn't sound right," Ruby said with a groan as she tried to think of what she was going to say to the mare now that she was in here. "I was just in the area and, well, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out with me sometime. Wait, of course I was in the area, she just served me and my friends drinks..."
She groaned and facehooved at her own inability to talk to this mare, what was she going to say? How was she going to say it? She was going to blow her chance to talk to the mare and it was all her fault!
"I can't do this... I'm going back outside..." Ruby said to herself and turned to open the door.
Only to run into a familiar looking yellow mare as she was opening the door, sending them both sprawling on the floor with Ruby on top looking down at the waitress.
"Sorry, sorry!" Ruby said with a blush as she managed to get to her hooves and offered a hoof to the mare. "I didn't mean to... I mean, I didn't see you there!"
"Its fine," the waitress said with a smile as she picked up her tray. "Thankfully I wasn't carrying anything, but you sure know how to sweep a mare off her feet soldier."
"Really sorry about that..." Ruby said as she blushed more and helped the waitress dust herself off. "I, umm..."
"Is everything okay? You seem a little nervous about something," the waitress said as she tilted her head a little and looked at Ruby curiously.
"Oh, its, umm, nothing," Ruby said with a blush. "I was wondering if... umm... what's your name?"
"Well, that's a funny way to word it, but its Lemon Lime," Lemon Lime said with the same cute smile as she looked at Ruby. "Can I help you with anything?"
"Well, I was thinking... would... umm..." Ruby started to say as she just shook her head. "Oh never mind... I'll just go back outside..."
She started to the door again when she felt a hoof be placed on her wither, she cringed a little, was this Lemon Lime's angry boyfriend wanting to beat her up? She turned to see the waitress mare looking at her with a smile.
"Hey, I'm going to be off work in an hour, there's a really nice place just up the street, maybe we can go there for a late lunch together?" She asked with a smile and a light blush on her face.
"I'd like that a lot," Ruby said as she put on her best smile. "See you in an hour then?"
"See you then," Lemon said with a smile then looked at her again. "I didn't catch your name cutie."
"Its Ruby, but everypony calls me Red," Ruby said with a smile as she headed out of the shop, she was happier than she had been in awhile.
00000
"I didn't blink did I?" Lemon Lime asked as she rubbed her eyes, it was two years after their first date and the two of them had just finished getting married. Lemon was dressed in a beautiful white wedding dress while Ruby was dressed in her dress uniform. "I don't want to blink and ruin my wedding picture... is my mane okay?"
"You were fine Lemon, you looked beautiful," Ruby said with a smile as she gently nuzzled her new wife. "Don't worry about it."
"I know, I know, I just can't believe we're finally married," Lemon said with a smile as she nuzzled back. "You look beautiful too Ruby."
Ruby smiled and blushed a little, she had a hard time believing it herself to be honest. They had been married by Princess Celestia herself and all their closest friends and family, plus the Redcoats had been there, it had been a beautiful ceremony and now they were heading out to the airship belonging to Star Spark for the reception.
It had been the happiest two years of Ruby's life, she had found a wonderful mare who loved her for who she is and she loved her back just as much.
She couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with this amazing mare.
"Come on, here's the happy couple," Star said as they climbed aboard the airship and it started to take off. "You two were great up there, see, I told you there was nothing to worry about."
"You told me the worst that could happen is she had a large boyfriend..." Ruby said with a facehoof.
"Yes, but that didn't happen did it?" Star said with a laugh as the party was now in full swing. "Come on you two, lets have some fun."
Ruby and Lemon just laughed as they joined the festivities. As it started to get dark they cut the cake and performed the usual dances. As the night started to come to a close though, it was time for one last thing, the fireworks.
Ruby and Lemon took a spot at the forecastle away from the rest of the party, they wanted to watch them together just the two of them. Ruby smiled and placed her hoof on her wife's.
"I feel like the luckiest mare in Equestria tonight," she said with a smile as she gently nuzzled Lemon. "Today was amazing."
"I know right, I never would've imagined that my wedding would be done by Celestia herself," Lemon said with a smile as she rested her head on Ruby's withers. "That was wonderful."
"Yeah, it really was," Ruby said with a soft sigh as she wrapped her foreleg around Lemon. "It was perfect, I couldn't ask for a better wedding, or a better wife."
"Me neither," Lemon said with a nod. "Whatever the future holds for us, we're going to face it together, right?"
"Right, together," Ruby said as she leaned in and kissed Lemon on the lips as the fireworks started, but the two mares hardly noticed. It was as if they were the only two ponies in the world, and they wouldn't have it any other way.