Apple Jewel paced back and forth in her bedroom with her two best friends watching on in concern.
"I really thought that they fell in love the moment they met. At least, that's what it sounded like to me…" Jewel voiced out.
Fire Spark told her, "Just calm down, we'll figure some way of how to handle this."
She stopped to face him, "How? I thought the whole point of me doing this was so I can find someone to love the way my parents found each other, but if they had been hiding these little details from me and my brother all this time then what chance do I have finding true love among thirty-five strangers?!"
Screwball declared, "She's got a point there."
Fire scowled, "That's not helping."
Jewel went back to pacing.
"Well how was I suppose to know you never told them about how you two truly met?!" Discord crossed his arms in defense.
Everyone had gone for the evening except for Twilight, Discord, Spike, and Applejack as they were suppose to be going over how the public announcement would go but it ended up turning into a fight instead.
Applejack retorted, "We didn't want them to think that their parents didn't like each other when that wasn't the case!"
Spike added, "We told them we married for love not peace."
Twilight motioned, "They have a point, Flash and I both agreed to never speak of our supposed banishment to Fire because we didn't want him to think poorly of Spike, Ember, and the royal dragon family in general. He is a prince after all and will need to be without biases when he takes over for me one day."
"Well at least I don't have to keep secrets from my kid." he stuck out his tongue childishly.
They scowled at him until Twilight sighed, "Look, just don't reveal anymore flashbacks that could give away something to our children."
"Oh, you mean like this?" he smirked before snapping his fingers and a moving picture showed Spike and Sunset kissing in that dark corner.
The couple gaped and flushed in embarrassment while shouting out, "Hey!"
Spike shouted, "Discord, put that away!"
AJ agreed while using her hoof to shield her eyes, "Yeah! That's somethin' I rather forget, thank you very much!"
Her husband muttered guiltily, "Something we rather both forget…"
"Oh, very well." Discord snapped again and the picture disappeared.
"Look, if you don't behave, I won't let you be Master of Ceremonies."
"You cut me to the quick, Twilight!" he pouted, "Alright, I'll be good."
Spike proclaimed, "And no more embarrassing pictures!"
"Fine… I swear, you're all killjoys."
They just rolled their eyes at him.
The day of the public announcement had come. And everyone in Ponyville was gathering at the Castle of Friendship in the middle of the large foyer. The princesses, Dragon Lord Ember, and her son: Prince Asher was there as well. Pear Jam and Gemstone were walking around greeting ponies before coming across Asher. The dragon resembled his mother greatly except he was more buff and had a nose horn like his grandfather. Pear said to him.
"Hello, cousin! Had a nice flight from Dragonia?"
"It wasn't bad. We had a couple of wind currents to overcome but we got though it like we dragons always do."
"Good to hear." Gem commented.
Asher nodded and inquired, "So where's our chosen selector at?"
Jam answered, "Jewel's upstairs getting ready with our parents. Uncle Discord will be announcing them in as the last couple of the Selection."
"How is Jewel feeling about all of this?"
"As well as you expect. The only reason she decided to go along with it was so she could find love the way our parents did."
"Would it be okay if I went up to wish her luck?"
Pear shrugged, "I don't see the harm in it as long as you hurry before they make the big announcement."
Asher flapped his wings and flew up to the stair balcony and looked around the hallway.
At the end of the hall, Jewel was dressed in a long sea green dress with sequins at the bottom. Beside her, her parents were equally as dressed up with Applejack wearing a dark brown gown and Spike wearing a black tux. Crowns were also on the top of their heads and Spike held a small tiara in his claws as he addressed their daughter.
"This crown was wore by all the past dragon princesses. Ember wore this before she became Dragon Lord, now, I bestow it upon you." he slowly placed the tiara on her head.
Jewel found herself looking in the mirror, feeling stun at her reflection.
Applejack wrapped an arm around her, "Oh, sugar cube… you look so beautiful and so grown up…"
Spike had to wipe a tear away, "You do, honey, you really do…"
Her own tears threaten to escape as she started to feel so overwhelm by all of this. But before she could shed a tear she saw a familiar face and ran to him, "Asher!" giving him a hug and exclaimed, "I thought you weren't coming!"
"And miss the chance of seeing my favorite cousin finding a husband out of thirty-five colts?"
"Har-har."
"All the same, I'm glad to see you…" he smiled at her.
She smiled back, "Yeah… me too… it just wouldn't have been as much fun without you here."
Spike came up to them and cleared his throat, "As wonderful as it is seeing you two get together like the cousins you are, we have to get going now."
Apple Jewel slowly separated from Asher but for some strange reason she didn't want to leave his side. But she quickly put her thoughts aside as she followed behind her parents.
Everyone stood around in a large crowd as they faced the castle stairway, just then the lights dimmed leaving only a single spotlight on the stairs just as a loud voiceover said.
"Mares and gentlecolts, please give it up for your host with the most, DISCOOOOORD!"
The audience cheered as the draconequus in a flashy golden suit made his appearance with a poof! He called out, "Heellloo Equestria! Long time no see! Now some of you might be asking, why is Discord broadcasting all around Equestria if the Selection is officially over? Well, I'm here to tell you… IT'S NOT!"
A gasp came from the Ponyvillens.
"That's right! It's coming back, baby! Only this time, it's not a dragon prince that will be doing the choosing this time 'round…" he wiggled his brows.
There were confused noises coming from the crowd.
"But before we get to that, let us help educate our younger viewers who never even heard of a Selection! Okay, kids, it's time for a little documentary!" he pulled down a screen from nowhere and the film started to reel before it began. There was cheery music while the pictures were playing in black and white with a narrator saying.
"One thousand years ago, there was a war between dragons and ponies called the Great Fire War. The war lasted for many years, and as such the royal sisters, Celestia and Luna in their wisdom sought peace with the dragons. They met with Dragon Lord Flamethrower and offered him many gems. But the great dragon refused and requested that a pony servant would come to serve the dragons, and only then would peace be made. But the sisters were disgusted by such a notion and refused as well. Meanwhile, a young dragon prince named Matchstick had just met and fallen in love with a pony mare named Brambleberry. The mare had also fallen in love with him and the two were happy together. Their happiness was short-lived however when their countries found out about them and it would seem that the war would go on forever until the leaders decided that the two should get married to bring peace between the nations.
After their wedding, a treaty was made that the youngest prince of the dragon line would have a selection of thirty-five mares to choose from to take on as a wife and keep peace between our lands. So over the years, we had many dragon princes choosing a bride… the first being Prince Firestorm and his wife, Princess Ginger. Then came Prince Wildfire and Princess Éclair, Prince Burn and Princess Tulip, Prince Smother and Princess Peppercorn, Prince Kindle and Princess Brie, Prince Flicker and Princess Morning Glory, Prince Charcoal and Princess Angelica Root, Prince Brand and Princess Sugar Plum, Prince Cinder and Princess Periwinkle, Prince Fume and Princess Catnip, Prince Clinker and Princess Ambrosia, Prince Soot and Princess Tiger Lily, and of course, Prince Poker and Princess Rosemary."
Discord got rid of the screen and addressed the audience again, "But as the older generation knows, there was another couple from the Selection after Poker and Rosemary, give up for Prince Spike and Princess Applejack!"
Loud cheers came over the crowd as Discord moved to the side revealing Spike and AJ going down the steps. She whispered to her husband, "Did he have to use the titles? We don't exactly live like royalty…"
He whispered back, "Just give this to him…" when they stopped at the bottom of the stairs they waved to the ponies.
Discord floated to them, "So why don't we tell our audiences here and at home what you two lovebirds have been up to since your wedding?"
Spike said, "Well we've been living here in Ponyville raising our family."
Applejack added in, "All the while, we've been making the best apple products for all of Equestria to enjoy."
Discord proclaimed, "Right you are! And speaking of family…" he faced the audience again, "It just happens that our couple here had twin dragon-pony hybrids and that one of them is eligible right at this moment! You're in luck gentlecolts, because this year's selector happens to be… Princess Apple Jewel!"
At the sound of her name, she knew that was her cue and she appeared at the top of the stairway before slowly making her way down with a bright smile on her face. There were collective awes all around her.
On one side of the room was Twilight and the girls with their families as they admired Jewel. Rarity uttered, "I knew the dress would look gorgeous on her!"
Screwball was smiling for her friend until she saw her other friend was gawking a lot making her giggle and had to close his mouth. She whispered, "She looks beautiful doesn't she?"
Fire could only nod in a dumbfounded way.
Discord said, "So! There you have it, our first female-run Selection has officially begun. Starting tomorrow, forms will be sent to every town and city of Equestria. So to all you stallions out there, you may fill out a form and send back here to see if your name will get randomly drawn with the other thirty-four suitors competing. So, I wish you all good luck and this is Discord the Master of Ceremonies signing off!"
Once the hype died down around them, the families and the princesses with Ember and Asher gathered together. Applejack, Spike, and Jewel were able discard their crowns with AJ being able to put her hat back on.
Hail Storm voiced out, "So how many colts you think are going to sign up for this?"
"Good question," said Celestia, "But we'll have to wait and see what the answer will be."
"But when the forms do come back how are we going to randomly draw them?" Twilight asked.
Luna proclaimed, "There is one way…" she magically summoned a very old-looking goblet and a lit a fire inside it only it was blue. "This goblet will help chose from the many stallions wishing to enter."
Twilight took the goblet with her magic and summoned a stand to put it on the middle of the foyer. "Looks like we're ready for whatever comes next."
While the others around her agreed, there was one that was feeling unsure. Apple Jewel may have agreed to this but that doesn't mean she was ready for her life to change completely.
What have I gotten myself into…?