“So, should we split up?” Apple Bloom suggested, taking a quick glance around the area they were in. So far no sign of Emerald or Azure. “Ah don’t see them anywhere.”
“It’d probably be the best idea, to cover more ground,” Sweetie Belle replied, slowly scanning the area. “I don’t see them either; but yeah, we should split up.”
“Alright, you’ll search that side of Ponyville,” Apple Bloom began, raising her hoof and pointing it to her right, “and I’ll take this side,” she shifted her leg to the opposite direction.
“Sounds like a plan. Good luck.” Sweetie Belle embraced the farmer filly in a gentle hug, before dashing off into… the wrong direction.
“Wrong way, Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom shouted. Sweetie Belle felt her face warming up slightly as she turned around and gingerly trotted off into the other direction.
“H-Hehe… I meant this way,” Sweetie Belle muttered in embarrassment.
“Yup, that’s my friend alright,” Apple Bloom whispered, dashing off in the correct direction.
Sweetie Belle dashed through many crowds of ponies, each crowd littered with unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies alike. She eventually got turned around by accident in one of the crowds, making her run into the wall of Sugar Cube Corner. She yelped loudly, falling over on her back and clutching her head tightly.
“Gosh, are you alright?” a familiar voice asked. As soon as Sweetie Belle looked in the voice’s direction, it turned out to be none other than Azure Shadow. The purple-haired filly had one of her eyes covered with her mane, and a satchel wrapped around her waist. The Pegasus filly reached out to her and gripped her hoof, picking her up from the ground.
“Azure! You’re the exact filly that I’ve been looking for!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed loudly, Azure shying away a tiny bit from the sudden outburst.
“Oh… really?” Azure replied shyly, clopping the ground lightly with her white furred hoof. “Why were you looking for me specifically?”
“Well, I wanted to ask you something,” Sweetie Belle began, leaning closer to the filly standing before her. “Do you have a date to the dance yet?” The sudden question made Azure jump, her face beginning to heat up rapidly as she breathed a tad bit heavier than usual.
“W-Well um… n-no I don’t,” Azure replied quietly, taking a deep breath from time to time to calm down. “Why d-do you ask, Sweetie Belle…?” she asked, moving her hoof to the well-knitted and stitched satchel, fiddling around with its contents.
“Well...let’s go inside first and discuss it,” Sweetie Belle suggested, receiving a gentle nod from Azure as the pegasus filly pulled out a water bottle. “What’s that for?”
“Oh… it’s something I drink anytime I’m stressed; s-sometimes though I drink a little too much…” Azure explained, chuckling lightly as she took a light chug from the bottle. “Let’s go inside then.” Azure moved the water bottle back to her satchel and closed it back. Both the unicorn and the pegasus trotted into the SCC, one more eager than the other.
“This booth, over here,” Sweetie Belle told her friend, pointing over to a freshly cleaned table, seemingly just washed a few minutes ago. They both plopped themselves on the seats, the cushions sinking slightly as they sat.
“Alright… what else do you want to ask, Sweetie Belle?” Azure asked, unlatching the satchel strap and placing it onto the cushioned chair next to her.
“Well, since you said you didn’t have a date,” Sweetie Belle began, chuckling lightly at the thought, “actually, before I ask my real question; how don’t you have a date? You’re so sweet and gentle, plus you’re adorable; I would’ve thought every colt would’ve been crowding around you just for a chance to date you.”
“Well… E-Everypony that asked me out I rejected…” Azure replied quietly, ducking her head slightly in preperation for an outburst.
“Wh… wha… What!?” Sweetie Belle shouted. “Why would you do that?! I need an answer!” the unicorn demanded, determined flames outlining her eyes.
“Well… I just don’t really want a date…” Azure replied.
“Wait wha--” Sweetie Belle was at a loss for words, for Fullmoon she could understand why he wouldn’t wanna go, but Azure Shadow of all ponies? “Why not?”
“Dancing with a colt just really isn’t for me, I’d rather spend my time with Fluttershy taking care of the animals, or--” Azure’s eyes turned a wolfish yellow, “hunting animals, hehehehe.” Her eyes slowly faded back to their normal blue color.
“Well, I guess you don’t need to know that Fullmoon is still available.” Sweetie Belle smirked, about to hop off of the seat until--
“Wait, Fullmoon is still available?!” Azure shouted loudly, getting some funny looks from the ponies in the other booths and seats.
“Yeah, that’s precisely why I wanted to find you in the first place. I was wondering if you would want to take him to the da--” A loud shush coming from Azure made Sweetie Belle’s mouth close.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes!” Azure yelled excitedly, bouncing around happily until she realized what she was doing. She calmed down quickly, her face warming up as a bright pink blush formed on her cheeks. “I-I mean, yeah, I’d like to take him to the dance.” The subtle yet informative response made Sweetie Belle grin brightly, a 1-Up sound playing in her head.
“Dang it Button, you got that sound stuck in my head,” Sweetie Belle thought, grabbing Azure’s hoof and shaking it rapidly. “Well that’s great! I still need confirmation from Apple Bloom, who is getting ahold of Emerald Skye, and Fullmoon for confirmation on the date. If things work out right, you may just have the colt of your dreams.” Azure’s face and eyes lit up, her being the one shaking the unicorn’s hoof rapidly.
“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Azure repeated over and over, before finally letting go of her tight grip on Sweetie Belle’s hoof.
“Heh heh, no problem… ow…” Sweetie Belle replied, rubbing her hoof lightly. “I’ll see you later then, Azure, hope things turn out well!” she shouted as she trotted out the door, Azure waving goodbye in an excited manner. “Alright… hopefully Emerald Skye denies the request, then Azure Moon will become a reality.” Sweetie Belle snickered, trotting off happily.
Apple Bloom wasn’t having much luck finding Emerald Skye, from one side of town to the other, she was nowhere to be seen. Eventually, she gave up, trotting slowly back to Sweet Apple Acres and plopping herself under the cool shade of one of their apple trees. She let out a heavy sigh. “Moon, Ah’ve failed ya,” she muttered. A sudden bonk on the head took her out of the sad trance she was in, letting out a loud yelp as she jumped out from the shade.
“Oh, did I hit you?” A voice chuckled from above, a Changeling’s head popping out from the leaves, munching on an apple.
“Yes ya did! What did ya hit me with?!” Apple Bloom demanded, steam practically fuming from her ears.
“An apple, simple as that. Don’t need to get your flank in a bunch,” Emerald replied, laughing at the steaming filly in front of her. She jumped down from the apple tree, stretching lightly as she trotted over to the farmer filly. “How did you fail Fullmoon, if I may ask?”
“Oh… Ah was just trying to-- Wait! You’re the filly Ah’ve been looking fer, Ah gotta ask you something!” Apple Bloom shouted, smiling brightly from the realization.
“If you’re asking me to the dance, then no, I don’t date fillies,” Emerald replied nonchalantly, drooping her eyelids halfway down.
“No, no, no, Ah already got a date. Ah was wanting to ask if you had a date to the dance?” Apple Bloom said, only getting Emerald rolling her eyes as a response. “I’m gonna assume… no then?”
“What do you think? Who would want to date me? I’m a Changeling, one of the only ones that didn't become whatever the heck they are now. I still need to feed on love, why would anyone love me?!” Emerald replied loudly, birds shooting out of the apple trees around them in terror.
“A-Ah…” Apple Bloom backed away a tiny bit, “A-Ah was just gonna ask if you’d be interested in… takin’ Fullmoon to the dance?” she muttered.
“Wait, Fullmoon? How does he not have a date?” Emerald asked in a normal tone, seeming like the outburst had never happened.
“Oh, Ah wonder why, maybe it’s because he’s too shy, or how about he’s a Wolfpony,” Apple Bloom sarcastically said, groaning.
“Sure, I wouldn’t mind going with him,” Emerald replied with a blank stare, her bug-like wings fluttering quickly. Apple Bloom took note of this, grinning in a slightly evil way.
“Perfect… hehehehe,” Apple Bloom muttered maniacally, gaining a similar voice to Discord for a split second. “Perfect! Meet up at the clubhouse an hour before the dance, got it?!”
“Uhh, sure,” Emerald said, weirded out by the way she was acting, “I’ll be there.”
“Great! Talk to ya later, Em!” Apple Bloom shouted, scurrying off in a hurry. “Perfect! Emerald Moon is comin’ to fruition. Now if Azure Shadow denies the question, everything will be perfect!” She laughed maniacally once more, galloping over to the clubhouse.