//------------------------------//
// Stories 
// Story: CMC: The Next Generation 
// by DisneyFanatic23 
//------------------------------//

"So if you're in Anugypt,
And you see a crocodile,
Give him whatever you want,
Just don't give him a smile."

The class laughed and applauded, making Raspberry grin as she lowered the piece of paper in her hoof.

"Well done as always, Raspberry," Cheerilee said, patting her on the back. "Very creative and humorous."

"Aw, it was nothing," Raspberry said with a blush. "I just wanted to find out how many words I could rhyme with 'crocodile.'"

"Well, you wrote it out beautifully. A+, as usual. You may sit back down."

Raspberry skipped back to her seat. As she sat down, Lemon Drop whispered to her.

"You write such good poems. Mine was lousy."

"No, it wasn't," Raspberry said, nudging his shoulder playfully. "You just need to make the lines less clunky, and not focus so much on the rhyme. In fact, not all poems have to even rhyme."

Lemon Drop bit his lip as he stared down at his poem. "Work on it with me after school?"

Before Raspberry could answer, Mrs. Cheerilee spoke. "Excellent work on your poetry assignments, my little ponies! Now, since this Wednesday is Hearts and Hooves Day, I thought we'd make our next writing assignment something special. Since Hearts and Hooves Day has to do with love, I want you all to write a one-to-two-page report on how your parents met!"

The foals murmured amongst each other. Lemon Drop raised his hoof.

"Yes, Lemon Drop?" Mrs. Cheerilee said.

"Should I write about my birth parents or my adoptive parents?" he asked.

"Whichever you choose, sweetie. You can even write about both, if you'd like." Raspberry raised her hoof. "Yes, Raspberry?"

"Um," Raspberry said, biting her lip, "does this mean," she pointed to her sister, "Blueberry, Cherry and I all have to write the same story?"

"Yes, Raspberry." The teacher gave her a small smile. "But I still expect your reports to be unique. After all, some of the greatest stories we hear have been told multiple times, but are different each time, because every pony has their own unique way of telling it."

The bell rang and foals leaped excitedly out of their desks.

"Remember, children," Mrs. Cheerilee shouted over the noise. "Your reports are due Hearts and Hooves Day and will be read during our party! Oh, and don't forget to bring your gifts for your classmates!"

As the Cutie Mark Crusaders—including Lemon Drop, for he was still an honorary member even though he had received his cutie mark—filed out of the schoolhouse, they chatted excitedly about their reports.

"The story of how my mom and dad met is awesome!" Prism exclaimed. "First, Mom saved Dad and the rest of the Wonderbolts at the Best Young Flyers' Competition with her sonic rainboom! But Dad didn't really start noticing her until the Grand Galloping Gala, when she saved his pie from being smushed!" She snickered. "The funniest part is Mom hates pie!"

"I know my parents didn't fall in love immediately," Gemstone said. "Daddy was with another pony when he and Mum bumped into each other. No, they really bumped into each other!" She sighed. "I just despise writing assignments."

"At least Mrs. Cheerilee gave you the option of doing an oral report instead of a written one," Prism said.

"Mommy Lyra and Mommy Bon-Bon met at a party when they were fillies and then found each other again years later," Lemon Drop said, "but I'll have to ask them if they know how my birth parents met."

"The story of our mommy and daddy meeting is just the cutest!" Cherry exclaimed.

"They actually met twice!" Blueberry said. "The first when Daddy was Cheese Sandwich, the second, as Red Shoes. Three times, if you count when Dad first saw her when they were foals."

"Either way, they instantly knew they were meant for each other!" Cherry said, throwing her hoof around Gemstone and squeezing her tight. "It was love at first laugh!"

"Well, we can't wait to hear about it," Gemstone said, gently coming out of Cherry's hold.

"Especially since we'll be hearing it three times," Prism said.

Raspberry stopped in her tracks. Lemon Drop looked back and saw her distressed expression.

"You girls go ahead," Lemon Drop said, walking back to his girlfriend. "We'll catch up."

As he stood at her side, he waited until the others were out of earshot.

"You okay?" he asked.

Raspberry nodded slowly. "I'm just…worried about the report."

"Why? You're the best writer in the whole class! Since when are you worried about a writing assignment?"

She sighed. "Since my sisters and I will be writing the exact same report."

"Not really," Lemon Drop said, putting his hoof on her shoulder. "Like I said, you're the best writer in the class. Whatever you write will be great."

His compliment made her smile, but it didn't rid her of her worry.

"Can I still come by later?" he asked. "So you can help me with my report?"

She nodded. "Sure."

Though Raspberry was certain this time she was the one who needed the help.





When the Tri-Pies got to the Party Palace and told their parents about their assignment, they heard the story of their parents' meeting for the hundred-and-twelfth time.

"And we've been together ever since!" Pinkie and Cheese finished together, wrapping their hooves around each other.

"It just keeps getting better and better every time I hear it!" Blueberry exclaimed.

"And it's so darn cute!" Cherry squeaked.

"Yeah," Raspberry mumbled with her head down. "So romantic."

Every pony turned to the seemingly depressed filly in concern.

"What's wrong, sis?" Blueberry asked.

"Yeah, you're never glum after hearing a love story," Cherry said.

"Yeah, well," Raspberry said, standing up, "you can only hear the same story so many times."

They all watched her as she trudged up the stairs.

"What's her problem?" Cherry asked.

"We should go cheer her up," Blueberry said.

"No, no!" Cheese said, holding up his hoof. "This clearly warrants a parent talk."

"Right," Pinkie said, shoving her husband to the side. "Go talk to her, Honey Pie."

"What?" Cheese said. "Why me?"

Putting her hooves on her hips, she replied, "Because it's your turn to have a heart-to-heart-parent-to-child talk."

"Me? But I did that last time!"

She shook her head. "No. I did it last time!"

"No, it was me! I talked to Blueberry and Cherry when they wouldn't accept the fact that their sister had a boyfriend!"

"Yes, but that was before the crazy election where I talked to them about putting their differences aside and just leaving well enough alone!"

"Yeah, and when that didn't work, I talked to them about the same thing!"

"He really did," Blueberry said.

"I was still the one who talked to them last," Pinkie said. "And as an egalitarian couple, we should share the burden of parenthood."

"What about that talk we had with Cherry about her crush?" Cheese asked.

"Dad, we agreed never to bring that up!" Cherry whispered, glancing anxiously at Blueberry.

"If you mean that crush on Gemstone," Blueberry said, "I already know about that."

Cherry turned to her in alarm, blushing fiercely. "What?!"

"You let it slip at Whinny Land, remember?"

"That was both of us!" Pinkie insisted. "That doesn't count!"

"What about when we talked to the triplets about spending time with their cousins?" Cheese asked.

"Still both of us. And I was the one who talked to them about the birds and the bees."

"You did?!" Cheese exclaimed, stiffening. "That wasn't in this fanfic!"

"Oh, she did, alright," Blueberry said, crossing her forelegs. "And we know exactly how Mom managed to become pregnant with us before you got married."

Color rose to the stallion's cheeks as he glared at his wife. "We'll talk about this later."

"First," Pinkie said, pushing him towards the stairs, "you need to have a talk with our daughter."

Sighing in defeat, he started going up the stairs. "Okay, but next time it's your turn to talk. And not about the birds and the bees!"

Cherry shivered. "I'm still scarred for life."

Pinkie chuckled nervously. "Maybe I should've waited a few more years."

Cheese was still shaking his head as he came to the triplets' bedroom. The door was wide open when he found Raspberry lying face-down on her bed, groaning in misery.

"According to your mother," Cheese said, sitting down beside her, "it's my turn for the heart-to-heart-parent-to-child talk, so…what's up?"

Grumbling, Raspberry turned her head towards her father. "It's this stupid writing assignment."

His eyebrows shot up. "Since when do you use the word 'stupid' and 'writing assignment' in the same sentence?"

She smothered her face into her pillow again, saying in a muffled voice, "Since my sisters and I are going to be writing the exact same report."

"Oh," Cheese Sandwich said in understanding. "I see. You think because you're going to be writing the same story, your reports are going to be exactly the same."

"But they are," Raspberry said, sitting up. "I mean…Blueberry, Cherry and I are exactly the same. We've always been. So of course our reports are going to be the same."

Cheese burst out laughing, making her turn to him in confusion.

"What's so funny?"

"Sorry!" Cheese chuckled, wiping away a tear. "It's just…you really think you and your sisters are exactly the same?"

She cocked her head. "Yeah. Since birth. You should know that, Dad."

He shook his head. "As your father, I know better than any pony, except your mother of course, that even though you three are triplets, you couldn't be any more different. And I'm not just talking about your colors. Even if you were identical, I'd still be able to tell the difference between you three."

"What do you mean?"

He wrapped a hoof around his daughter. "Ever since you were born, you and your sisters were in perfect sync. You'd cry together, you'd eat together, you'd poop together." He cringed. "Not my favorite part of fatherhood." Then he smiled. "But there were times where you'd deviate from each other. Playtime especially.

"When we put you in your little playroom, Blueberry always went straight for the board books, Cherry would try climbing the furniture and you would start digging in the crayon box and draw crazily on the walls. Even now when you're older, no matter how inseparable you are, you all have different interests.

"I've seen you girls go to the library and bring home different books. I've seen you order different milkshakes at Sugar Cube Corner. Just last month after your Whinny Land trip, Sweetie Belle told me how you didn't go with your sisters to the Haunted Stable so you could help Gemstone with a crazy matchmaking scheme. Let's not forget the fact that you started dating way before your sisters."

Raspberry blushed slightly at that.

"You all have different skills," Cheese continued. "Blueberry has her photographic memory, Cherry is almost as fast a party cannon shooter as your mother, and you, Raspberry, I've read your stories and poems for class, and I don't need to see the grades to know that you're an excellent writer. Now, it wouldn't be fair as a father to say you're better than your sisters, but your tone and style is definitely unique from theirs. You could take the names off the papers and I'd be able to tell which of you wrote what."

Raspberry huffed. "You're just saying that because you're our dad."

"Maybe," he said with a shrug. "But get real. Who knows you girls better than me? Other than your mom, of course."

Smiling, Raspberry gave her father a hug. "Thanks, Dad. Still, because we always go in alphabetical order for reports, mine's gonna be last, so every pony would've heard the story twice already by the time I get to read mine."

"Hey," Cheese said, ruffling her mane, "you never get tired of hearing our story, do you?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then you've got nothing to worry about."

She sighed sadly. "I hope not."





My moms met when they were fillies. They're not my real moms since I was adopted, but I know them better so I decided to write this report about them. They met at a party in Ponyville while Mommy Bon-Bon and Mommy Lyra were both on vacation. Then they met again years later. Mommy Lyra moved to Ponyville first, then Mommy Bon-Bon. They met at a park bench. They were best friends until their friend Derpy locked them in a closet so they could confess their feelings for each other. They got married and adopted me. The End.

Raspberry put down the paper and stared at Lemon Drop, who was sitting across from her on her bedroom floor. He noticed her frown immediately.

"Just give it to me straight," he said, hanging his head. "It stinks."

"It's…a good start," Raspberry said. "I mean you've got the main points down. You've just got to weave them together in a way that the story flows better. You get what I'm saying?"

He shook his head. "Not really."

"Okay," she said, pointing to the top of the page. "You can't just list a bunch of events. You gotta connect them with one underlying theme. In other words, you gotta consider what your story's about."

"It's about my moms meeting and falling in love."

"Yes, but what makes their love story any different from every other love story in the world? It doesn't have to be groundbreaking. You just gotta think about what the story means to you."

Rubbing his chin, Lemon Drop took the paper back to read it over. "But what if I don't know?"

"Hey," she said with a shrug, "sometimes I don't even know what my story's about until the fifteenth draft. At some point, the whole thing just clicks."

"Well," he said, examining the report, "I suppose if my moms hadn't met, I would've stayed an orphan."

"Okay, good. What else?"

"I don't know." He scratched his head. "They met at a party. I guess if that party hadn't happened, they wouldn't have…"

Then he looked up at Raspberry with wide eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"I…just remembered something I didn't remember before."

"What?" She leaned forward in anticipation. "What?!"

He smirked. "I'll tell you later."

She pouted as she sat back in disappointment.

"So how's your story coming along?" Lemon Drop asked.

Sighing, he showed him a blank page. "I just don't know where to begin."

"Still thinking about how you'll sound like your sisters?"

She nodded slowly.

"Well…I don't think you're completely like your sisters."

She looked up at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean…I'm dating you, aren't I? If you were all exactly the same, wouldn't I be dating all three of you?"

Raspberry couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of him dating all three of them at once. "I suppose not." Then she frowned. "Still, I can't think of a unique angle to this assignment."

"Well…what's your story about?"

As she pondered, she stared at the blank sheet and tugged on her mane. "Daddy first saw Mommy when they were foals, at a party she threw which led him to becoming a party pony too, and then years later they competed to see who could party more, and then they met again while Dad was in disguise at another party…"

Lemon Drop laughed. "Doesn't really sound like they knew they were meant for each other right away."

"I guess not. I mean Mom hated Dad when they met, downright jealous of him! She didn't even notice him the first time. If you think about it, it took several meetings before they actually…"

She trailed off, her eyes becoming bigger than Lemon Drop had ever seen them.

"Razz?" he asked in concern.

"Sorry, Lemony!" she exclaimed, hastily pushing him out of the room. "I've just had a huge brainstorm!"

As she slammed the door on him, Lemon Drop smiled proudly. "That's my girl."





Hearts and Hooves Day arrived. Every pony was eager to open their boxes to read their cards, but first Mrs. Cheerilee had the students read their reports. As each foal went up, Raspberry became more and more nervous.

"And so," Gemstone said, pointing to a poster bearing of pictures of her parents, "in Mummy, Daddy found a true equal. She was refined, but independent and clever, and he was the kind, courteous stallion she'd always dreamed of finding. And they continue to be equals to this day, as Mummy runs her chain of boutiques, and Daddy runs Ponyville, all while taking care of their two beautiful fillies together. That's why I believe the keys to a happy marriage are equality and mutual respect."

The class applauded, Cherry clapping the loudest.

"Very well done, Gemstone," Cheerilee said, making a note on her clipboard. "And I love the visual aid you provided. A+!"

Gemstone squealed in delight as she skipped back to her seat.

"Great job," Prism whispered as her friend sat down beside her.

"I have you to thank for being my test audience," Gemstone replied.

"Prism, you're next!" Mrs. Cheerilee called.

Raspberry tapped her hoof on her desk as Prism read her report. She tried listening, but she was still thinking about how good Gemstone's was. It really was, for she had tied all the events together with a solid theme and had established the relationship of her parents very well. She only hoped her report was just as good.

"And then Mom swooped in and rescued Dad!" Prism exclaimed, making swooping motions with her hoof. "Again! And she would keep saving him for many times to come! Like that time she got cold hooves the night before their wedding and she had to save him from choking on chopsticks!"

When Prism was finished and the class clapped, Raspberry entangled her back hooves. It was almost Blueberry's turn. Next would be Cherry's, then hers.

What if my story's not unique enough? What if the class gets bored with the story before they hear mine? What if I look like a copycat?!

"Lemon Drop?" Mrs. Cheerilee said. "Are you ready?"

Lemon Drop nodded shyly as he stood up from his desk. Raspberry tried to shake her nerves off.

Now's not the time to worry. You've gotta relax and support your boyfriend the way he supports you.

When Lemon Drop got to the front of the classroom, he locked eyes with Raspberry. She tried giving him an encouraging smile, but thanks to her anxiousness, it came out all crooked. Nevertheless, Lemon Drop grinned in return and took a deep breath.

"It's funny how fate can work in mysterious ways," he began in a calm, clear voice. "My birth parents died when I was very little, but I was lucky to be adopted by two wonderful mares I'm proud to call my moms. If it hadn't been for them, I'd still be in that orphanage, all alone. But the more I hear their story, the more I realize that my moms are not the only ones I have to thank for my adoption."

Raspberry cocked her head curiously. This draft was way different from his first one.

"First of all, I have my moms' friend Derpy to thank, for if she hadn't locked them in a closet, they wouldn't have confessed their true feelings for each other."

The class giggled.

"But the pony I really have to thank was some pony who would play an even bigger role in my life. For without her, my moms wouldn't have even met in the first place." He looked back at his paper. "Even though my moms didn't really become friends until they were adults, they first met when they were foals. Both of them were on vacation with their families in Ponyville, and there was a party going on in town, thrown by the resident party planner."

Raspberry straightened up in her seat, staring at him in bewilderment.

"Pinkie Pie was her name, also known as," he said, locking eyes with Raspberry again, "the future mom of the most influential pony in my life."

Raspberry blinked, her jaw dropping. Lemon Drop simply smiled.

"Raspberry Strudel Pie is more than just my girlfriend. She's my best friend, the one who always sticks by me when I'm in a jam, who never gives up on me. That's how my moms feel about each other, and I only hope that someday, my relationship with Raspberry can be just as strong, for although we didn't know it, we shared a connection before we were even born." He lowered his paper. "The End."

Raspberry was slow to join the applause. She was too stunned to speed up her hooves.

"That was beautiful, Lemon Drop!" Cheerilee said. "Your best work yet! You connected your parents' relationship to your current one, which made it all the more personal! A+!"

As Lemon Drop sat back down, he looked over at his girlfriend. "So what did you…?"

She sprang forward, cutting him off with a hug. Grinning, Lemon Drop hugged her back. There were a few "aw's" and "ew's" from the class.

"Isn't that sweet?" Cheerilee said, wiping away a tear. "Next up is Blueberry Pie!"

"Uh-oh," Raspberry murmured, pulling away from Lemon Drop.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "They won't be the same."

Blueberry bounded to the front and cleared her throat. "The first time Mom and Dad met, they were foals. Dad had run away from home and came to Ponyville where little Mom was throwing a party. She didn't see him, but he saw her, and he was inspired to become a party planner too. Years later, they met again while Mom was planning Aunt Rainbow Dash's birth-aversary."

Prism raised her hoof proudly.

"Dad had been led there by his Cheesy Sense, and wanted to plan the party too. Mom challenged him to a Goof Off, but when she saw Auntie Rainbow wasn't having fun, she forfeited, but then Dad apologized and they decided to plan the party together. Mom and Dad wrote letters to each other, until Dad started disguising himself as Red Shoes to run away from an ex-girlfriend who was really just trying to give his scarf back. He performed a party in Ponyville as a clown slash magician, and Mom was there. They started going out, but Mom figured out it was him right away. When Mom got pregnant with me and my sisters—it was not the stork, by the way—Dad immediately proposed! And they've been living happily ever after ever since!"

As the class clapped, Raspberry scrunched her muzzle. "Huh."

"What's wrong?" Lemon Drop asked.

"Nothing, just," she said, turning to him, "that wasn't anything like I wrote at all."

"Good job, Blueberry," Cheerilee said. "That's quite a story, although a bit heavy on the telling and not enough showing. B+."

"Sweet!" Blueberry said, shooting her hooves up as she hopped back to her seat.

"Cherry, you're next."

Cherry bounced up to the front and pulled her report out of her mane.

"The Story of How My Mom and Dad Met!" she read aloud. "It was obvious my parents were going to get together, because they're both super-duper party ponies who love to make ponies laugh and smile and get crazy together! All the times they met were at a party first when they were foals next when they were grown-ups and third when Daddy was running from the law." She snorted. "Just kidding he was running from his crazy ex-girlfriend who wasn't so crazy and looked a lot like Mom.

"Anyway, all those times they instantly knew they were meant for each other because they had so much in common I mean why wouldn't they get together you'd have to be crazy not to ship them! Good thing Mom knew Dad was really Dad right away otherwise he would've lied to his one true love all his life and then their whole marriage would've been a lie and then our family would've been a lie even if he didn't tell us his real name for the longest time. But it's a good thing she found out otherwise they wouldn't have had that night of passion and then got married so we wouldn't be born out of wedlock!"

A few foals murmured in confusion, while some foals like the other two Tri-Pies and Kicks nodded knowingly.

"Err, thank you, Cherry, for that," Cheerilee stammered, "honest approach. Although there were quite a few run-on sentences, and some points where you went off track. I'll give you a B."

"Okay!" Cherry chimed, jumping back to her desk.

"Raspberry, are you ready?"

Kicks grumbled in the back. "Do we have to hear that story again?"

"Now, Kicks…"

"It is the same story," Raspberry said, picking up her paper, "but I didn't write it the way my sisters did. It's different, I swear."

Cheerilee smiled. "I'm sure it is, Raspberry. Why don't you come up and share your version of the story?"

Biting her lip, Raspberry stood up from her seat and walked nervously to the front. She locked gaze with Lemon Drop, who mouthed, "You got this."

Closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath, she began. "My mom and dad have told me the story of how they met a hundred and twelve times, but for some reason, I never get tired of it. It wasn't until recently that I realized why.

"Each time I hear the story, something changes. Whether it's a small detail my parents suddenly remember, or the order of events. The most significant change was when my dad finally revealed that he'd been some pony else this whole time, and that there was a whole lot more to the story than they had let on before.

"Their very first meeting wasn't really a meeting at all. Dad, a shy, friendless little colt, ran away from his home in Manehattan to find his place in the world. He stumbled into Ponyville one afternoon by chance where a big celebration was taking place. He was entranced by the music, the cheer, the laughter, the smiles on every pony's faces.

"And then he saw her, the source of all that cheer. A young, pink filly with hair like cotton candy. There she was, standing on a beach ball, juggling rubber chickens, the most exuberant pony he'd ever laid eyes on. That moment, he was inspired to spread the same amount of cheer to every pony, just the way she did.

"Dad traveled all Equestria, doing just what he'd vowed, until chance brought him back to Ponyville, back to her, his super-duper party pony. He wanted to impress her, show her how much he'd inspired her, but instead she was plagued with jealousy and challenged him for the title of Ultimate Super-Duper Party Planner.

"There was no telling who would've won, had she not chosen friendship over her pride. Before she could leave Ponyville in shame, he ran to stop her and told her the truth. Touched by his story, she agreed to work with him instead of against him, and together they created a party to top all parties.

"Unfortunately, the call of other parties bade him to go, but he left her his special rubber chicken friend as a memento of his visit. Years passed, and their admiration for each other grew over time, until chance brought them together again. Although Dad was pretending to be some pony else, Mom was not so easily fooled. Even though he was a different pony, their feelings for each other had not changed."

Raspberry paused a moment to look up at the class. "Each time my parents met, it was the same, but different. Each time was at a party, but each time, they were different ponies. Dad was a shy colt, then a zany party planner wanting to impress his muse, then a zany clown slash magician running from his fears instead of facing them. Mom didn't notice him at first, then she hated him, until finally, she welcomed him with opened hooves.

"If you think about it, relationships are a lot like stories. They are never the same every time you read or hear them, but always changing." She smiled at Lemon Drop. "You're always learning new things about the pony you're with." She glanced at her sisters. "You might look at your relationship at a different angle, but the feelings remain the same."

She looked back at the class. "And as you listen to the story over and over, your thoughts on it will change, but you will never grow tired of it, just like my Mom and Dad never grow tired of each other." She placed the paper behind her back. "Thank you."

There was a moment of silence. Raspberry gulped, thinking that she had failed in her task.

Then the room erupted in applause.

"Bravo, bravo!" Gemstone shouted, standing up.

"That was even better than mine!" Cherry exclaimed, clapping her hooves rapidly.

Blueberry sniffed as tears came to her eyes. "That was the most beautiful version yet!"

"I knew you could do it, Razz!" Lemon Drop cheered.

"Read it again, read it again!" Kicks called from the back.

As Raspberry looked around the room and heard their praises, her heart pounded with pride. They liked it! They really liked it!

She'd done it. She'd taken a story the class had already heard twice and made it different. According to her sisters, she had made it better! The class even wanted her to read it again!

The best part was: she loved it! She had created something that every pony liked, and she loved it! She was different from her sisters! And that was okay. They had their talents, and she had hers.

Suddenly, the applause stopped and every pony's eyes became wide.

"No way!" Prism shouted, standing up from her desk.

Raspberry looked around the room in confusion. Gemstone put her hoof to her mouth, Kicks' jaw dropped, while Lemon Drop wore a big smile. Some foals murmured while others pointed and a few uttered "oohs" and "ah's."

"What's every pony looking at?" Raspberry asked.

"It's your cutie mark, sis!" Blueberry exclaimed.

Raspberry stiffened. "What?!"

"Look!" Cherry cried, pointing.

Twisting her head around, Raspberry looked down at her flank and gasped. There it was. Her cutie mark.

And she laughed, wondering why it hadn't occurred to her sooner.

The image was of two yellow pencils bent to form a heart, their tips connecting at the inverted point. Inside the pencil heart was a raspberry.

"You're a writer!" Lemon Drop said.

"I'm a writer," Raspberry said, jumping up and down. "I'm a writer!"

"Of love stories, no less!" Blueberry exclaimed.

"You did it, sis!" Cherry shouted.

"I'm a writer!" Raspberry cheered, still bouncing. "I'm a writer! I'm a writer!"

"Congratulations, Raspberry!" Cheerilee shouted, attempting to be heard over her excitement. "You certainly went above and beyond expecta—"

"I'm a writer, I'm a writer!"

"Okay, calm down now and—"

Just then, Raspberry grabbed Lemon Drop and gave him a huge smack on the lips.

"Gross!" grumbled Gruffle, the filly-hating colt from the second row.

"This is all thanks to you, my Lemony Drop!" Raspberry said, squeezing her coltfriend hard. "You were such a big help! I'm a writer, I can't believe it! I'm a writer! I'm a wr—"

Cheerilee's hoof on her shoulder cut her off. "Um, Raspberry? We still have three more reports to hear."

Blushing, Raspberry returned to her seat, but not before sending Lemon Drop a wink.

"I think that report warrants an A+. Kicks, you're up next."

"Aw," Kicks groaned. "Now how am I gonna top that?!"

With a chuckle, Lemon Drop gently took Raspberry's hoof beneath her desk, which made her giggle too.