It was only a few minutes that in the enchanted world of Equestria, the sun had replaced the pale moon, and with its warm light began to illuminate the splendid landscapes of which Equestria was rich. One of these magnificent landscapes was the renowned "Sweet Apples Acres" farm owned by the Apple family. And it is precisely here that the young human being Elias, together with his new pony friends, was having a rich breakfast prepared by the old mare, but still perky Granny Smith. Although he was about to embark on a long journey that had been worrying him the day before, given the urgency required by the monarch of the sun Princess Celestia, Elias's appetite had remained unchanged. The little ponies were amazed by the large appetite of the cadet since the day before he had eaten in "normal" quantity. Today, on the other hand, his appetite was comparable to that of the lively and tireless Pinkie Pie.
"Nervous hunger, Elias?" Rainbow Dash asked as she watched the cadet ravenously devour breakfast.
"Nervous hunger?" The soldier asked, confused by the question of the pony with the polychromatic hair.
"For the meeting with Princess Celestia." Rarity replied. "Surely you must be very worried given the voracity with which you are eating breakfast this morning." Elias after listening to the words of the ponies remained a few seconds in silence to observe the dishes in front.
"You are right that I am worried about the meeting with the princess." Elias said turning his gaze to the holders of the Elements of Harmony. "But this isn't nervous hunger, it's my normal appetite."
"What?" The ponies exclaimed stunned by Elias's statement.
"How is it possible? You're so skinny! How can you be so skinny if you eat practically for an army ?!" Asked a bewildered Rarity.
"I don't know ..." Elias replied, taken aback by the reaction of the white-haired pony. "Mom always says I'm a bottomless pit when it comes to eating. In fact, she always says she didn't actually adopt a child, but a battalion when it's time to eat." The cadet finished smiling at the memory of his mother's "desperation" when she had to cook.
"I'm so envious!" The white unicorn exclaimed sullenly. "All I need to do is look at the food that I become like an obese whale! How I wish I had your Elias metabolism."
"You don't need his metabolism, Rarity: you are as perfect as you are." Applejack said.
"You say that just to say Applejack."
"You know me sugarcube. You know I only tell the truth, and the truth in this case is that you are as perfect as you are." Concluded Applejack by winking at the designer.
"Flatterer." Rarity said smiling and printing a small kiss on the peasant's cheek. But this small gesture literally made everybody present eyes and mouth open, except for Elias who smiled at the scene. The newly-couple, realizing all the eyes on them, suddenly blushed, and clearing their throats they declared, very nervously, that they had a romantic relationship. After several seconds of silence all those present, except the young cadet, exclaimed a vigorous and powerful "Finally!" Even Granny Smith who was in the next room joined the choir. Applejack and Rarity were confused by the strange reaction of their friends.
"Finally?" At the same time they asked the designer and the peasant, confused by the response of those present in the room.
"The fact is that ... really you ... that is us ..." Fluttershy began stammering with the fear of saying something that could offend or irritate her friends.
"We knew there was something between the two of you but that neither of us had made the first move yet. In fact we were waiting on when you would have got together, and finally the wait is over." Finished Sunset Shimmer. "By the way, Rainbow Dash, I won. "The flaming mane unicorn added a grin to the polychromed pegasus.
"Damn you Shimmer, you and your brash luck!" Rainbow said irritated, handing coins to Sunset.
"It is a pleasure to do business with you Dash." Sunset said taking the coins with his magic.
"Wait a minute ..." began the peasant pony seeing the passage of money. "Did you bet if Rarity and I will be got together?" Asked Applejack.
"But what do you say silly. They didn't bet if you and Rarity became a couple." Pinkie Pie said with her ever-present smile. "They bet on when you and Rarity would become a couple!"
"What?" Rarity asked more confused than ever.
"As we said before, we all noticed that you two were feeling something for each other. The only thing we didn't know was when you decided to go to confession. Rainbow said you would confess either during the morning or during the afternoon." Twilight said beginning to explain the bet to the two interested parties.
"While Sunset, I have to deduce, she bet that they would declare themselves in the evening or at night. Right, Twilight?" Elias concluded by guessing the rest of the bet.
"Exactly Elias. So that's why Sunset is the winner of the bet." Applejack and Rarity were literally speechless at the end of the explanation.
"Was it so obvious that we were feeling something for each other?" Asked Applejack.
"Like a bull in the midst of a flock of sheep!" Granny Smith promptly answered as she entered the room. "and to think that once you could barely tolerate each other."
"Really?" He asked Elias, amazed by the statement of the old pony.
"Exactly my young human being. When this group was not born yet, my niece and Rarity were always on a war footing. They fought over every little nonsense. Then over time they began to tolerate each other, respect each other and eventually became friends. At one point, they took advantage of every single occasion to see each other and invented every kind of excuse to spend some time together.
"This is not true!" Said Applejack completely embarrassed.
"Do I have to remind you of all the times you had to help Rarity with her garden, when you had already been there the day before to help her? Or maybe I have to remind you when Rarity came here saying that the landscape of our farm helped her find inspiration for new clothes, but in the landscape she admired was you always one way or another? " Granny said to the new couple with their faces completely red from embarrassment.
"It looks like one of those stories that mom likes so much to read: Two people from two different social classes meet, initially they hate each other so much that they fight over every little thing and then slowly, they can't do without each other." Elias said thinking about how Applejack's relationship and Rarity looked like one of those stories he and his mother had a soft spot.
"Ok, now you can stop Granny, please. It's embarrassing." The peasant pony said with her red face and hat over her eyes to cover herself with shame.
"Haha, you do not worry my niece. I'm just glad that finally you and Rarity have decided to take this step together." Applejack's grandmother said, pinching her niece's cheek. "And fear not, I'll embarrass you just until it's time for Applebloom."
"Applebloom? What does Applebloom have to do with it now?" Asked Applejack, confused by her grandmother's statement.
"Oh nothing, it's just that I've noticed that he spends a lot of time with Filthy Rich's daughter."
"You mean Diamond Tiara? But they spend time together just for the project the school has assigned to them. Not to mention the fact that there is no good blood between Diamond Tiara and the CMC."
"Now that I think of it, sweetie Belle told me that there is something different about the relationship between them." Rarity told her girlfriend.
"What do you mean sugarcube?"
"From what my sister told me, Diamond Tiara has become more tolerant of her and of Scootaloo. But with Applebloom she always finds herself fighting." Rarity replied.
"Even Scoot told me this." Said Rainbow Dash. "She also told me that once Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara's best friend, said that during one of Tiara's outbursts against Applebloom, she complimented her on her appearance, even though she believes she didn't notice."
"Even Applebloom did the same thing." Granny Smith intervened. "One day after returning home, she began to let off steam towards Diamond Tiara, and without realizing it between insults and others, she began to compliment her without being aware of it." Despite the testimonies, Applejack was not convinced that between her sister and Diamond Tiara something could be born and while she was about to report her thoughts on the subject, someone knocked on the door of the farm.
"I think your transport has arrived." Granny said as she went to open the door. When the old pony opened the door she found herself a pony with a white coat and wearing a golden armor that asked if the holders of the harmony were ready to go. Elias and the ponies exchanged a glance of understanding, and together they set off for the carriage that awaited them outside ready to leave for Canterlot, unaware, however, that they would soon take part in an event of titanic proportions.