ACT FOUR
By day’s end, Spike was exhausted. He had never done so much paperwork before, and even Shining Armor was beat.
“A good day’s work; I can’t thank you enough, Spike.”
“Don’t mention it… please, don’t.”
The rest of the gang arrived through the big doors, all having had a huge day themselves.
“Well, that’s the last of my pies sold.” said Applejack “Nothing left for me to do but wait it on out.”
Pinkie was still bounding like crazy and tossing more confetti around. “I’m so excited! I can’t wait for Hearts and Hooves! It’s my favorite holiday!”
“They all are your favorite.” Rainbow pointed out.
“Oh, right.”
Rarity on the other hoof was still daydreaming about that gorgeous stallion that placed his bid, and no pony had outbid him yet.
She couldn’t help but picture how wonderful their date would be on Hearts and Hooves, the day after tomorrow, all she could do was sigh heavenly, much to the chagrin of Spike.
Just then, Twilight and the others came back, and the first thing any of them saw was Cadance looking depressed.
“Uh, oh… Don’t tell me…?” said Spike.
Twilight nodded and explained what happened, which shocked the rest of her friends too.
“He’s giving up his career and moving away, just because he has a problem he refuses to admit?” asked Rainbow “…Talk about being selfish.”
Cadance sighed, “There’s nothing for it. I can’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want to, or that would make me selfish too.”
“She’s got a point,” agreed Applejack “If he wants to go, who are we to judge why?”
Pinkie nodded and then asked rather compulsively, “Can I have his guitar?”
Everyone just looked at her sternly for not having said the right thing.
“I guess that’s it then,” said Shining Armor “We’ll hire some pony else to narrate the production.”
Cadance agreed, but she didn’t feel any better. “I just really wanted Strings to be the one. I knew him all those years. He seemed like such a sweet little guy.
What’s happened to him?”
A moment of silence followed, and then Fluttershy spoke up, “Um… I think I know why.”
“What?” asked Twilight.
“What do you mean?” added Cadance.
Fluttershy chose her words carefully and asked Cadance, “We’re you and Strings ever close all the time you knew one another?”
Cadance blinked in confusion but answered, “Not really. We saw each other many times, but more like a teacher to a student.”
“Did he always act very nice when you were near him?”
“Yes, he did. He thanked me for teaching him the creativity song, and for being kind to him while others weren’t.”
Fluttershy had to ask one more question.
“Did you invite him to your wedding in Canterlot?”
“Yes, I was hoping he could play a song for Shining Armor and I to dance to, but he replied and told me he could not come, and he didn’t say why.”
She stopped and she finally started to compare things, especially how Strings looked at her when she offered to help him.
“Oh, no, it can’t be.”
Shining Armor shook his head in disbelief and looked at Fluttershy, “Are you saying that Strings is in love… with Cadance?”
Fluttershy could only nod regretfully. “He said he was in love once, and that “it wasn’t mean to be” and that Cadance couldn’t help him.
…It all makes too much sense.”
Even Twilight had to agree, “He’s in love with you, and he’s moving away to get away from you.”
No one said another after that, and Cadance was in deep shock to realize this.
Shining Armor wasn’t sure what to think from any of this.
The next day, while the other ponies had back out into the village to do their businesses, Spike and Twilight were going around hanging up posters telling of Cadance’s production opening the next day, which was Hearts and Hooves.
Twilight looked up at the palace and wondered if Cadance was doing alright.
“How can Strings do this to her like this?” she wondered.
“Ah, come on, Twilight.” said Spike “It’s not like he’s trying to ruin Cadance’s life or anything. Maybe that’s all more the reason he didn’t tell anyone.”
Twilight agreed, “But Spike, he’s just running away from his own problems, and in doing so he’s disappointing a whole bunch of ponies that still like him, admire him, and will be very upset to hear he’s quitting.”
Spike was growing really concerned, at Twilight. Whenever she spoke like this it usually meant she was getting one of her wild ideas.
This was confirmed when she gasped and jerked her head up knocking Spike off of her back, “That’s it! That’s the answer!”
“Oof..!!” groaned Spike “What are you thinking now?”
“If I can show Strings how much he’s loved here, maybe that’ll get him to change his mind about leaving. Yes!!”
Her shout made every pony nearby turn to face her in shock. She blushed and apologized, and then she went off.
“Hey! Wait for me!” called Spike as he jogged to catch up with her.
Meanwhile, Rarity was still daydreaming about that dreamy stallion who gave her the top bid in her auction.
Applejack, Pinkie and Rainbow had nothing to do and were hanging out with her.
Pinkie yawned, “This isn’t much fun at all. I wish I hadn’t used up all my confetti already.”
“I should’ve baked more pies.” sighed Applejack.
Rarity sighed heavenly, “I should have ended the auction last night. Then I’d be on the date of my dreams.”
“Yeah, well, you didn’t.” teased Rainbow “And there’s a long go before sundown. Anyone could outbid that guy.”
Rarity scoffed at the thought. “Not that I mean any disrespect, but I doubt there is any other pony that has or is willing to pay such an amount.”
“Ah-Choo!” some-pony sneezed.
Rarity turned and saw a very nerdy pony-- glasses, braces, lisp, runny nose, awkward stance—placing a bid of his own.
“Hi…” he said in his geeky voice.
Rarity looked at the list and gasped. Now his bid was at the top!
The nerd rubbed his nose rather grossly with his limb. “I don’t get out much, so I’ve savd up a lot.”
Then he went off leaving Rarity aghast. “No! No, No, No…! This cannot be!!”
Rainbow couldn’t help but chuckle. “Just imagine how “romantic” your date will be with him.”
Pinkie and Applejack couldn’t help but laugh at Rarity’s predicament either.
“Shouldn’t we be helping her?” Pinkie whispered.
Much as Applejack knew better, “I think we should let it ride for a bit. It’ll teach her a lesson about thinking things through before acting.”
Rarity was in distress!
Twilight had rushed to Strings home where she found moving ponies loading all his things into big moving trailers to take to a locker he had rented before settling into his new home—wherever it was was anyone’s guess.
“Strings!” Twilight called.
Strings gasped, “Tell me I didn’t hear that…!” but mucch to his annoyance, it was Twilight.
“I need to talk with you!”
Strings angrily leapt up into the sky and began to fly away.
“Wait!” Twilight called as she flew off after him, just as Spike came puffing and panting just in time to see he had just missed Twilight flying away.
“Hey kid…” one of the movers called “Mind lending us some help moving this stuff?”
Spike could only groan and faint.
Strings flew as fast as his wings could take him, and Twilight was gaining on him.
“Go away and leave me alone!” he bellowed.
Rather than shout to him, Twilight just kept on gaining on him, and she knew exactly where to take him.
Once she was close enough to him, she teleported them both straight to the Crystal Palace, landing right in the throne room where Cadance and Shining Armor were going over other potential narrators for her show.
“Twilight?” cried Cadance “What are you doing?”
Strings gasped at that voice, and cringed most painfully as he held his aching chest.
“What’s he doing here?” asked Shining Armor.
Strings pain had passed while Twilight explained, “I brought him here so we can all talk this over, calmly and civily.”
Strings could only groan!
Rarity was pacing back and forth nervously.
“Okay. All is not lost. I mean, there is still time for another individual to place a bid. Or I could even ask someone to place a bid.”
The other three were still watching her wallow in her stickiness.
“Face it, Rarity. You ain’t getting yourself out of this one so easy.” taunted Applejack.
“Humph!” grunted Rarity. “Some friends you are.”
Then a pretty young mare came along, wearing a pink shirt with a female emblem on it, and she reached for the clipboard.
“Huh?!” cried Rarity “Whatever are you doing?”
“What else-- placing a bid.”
It was obvious to the group that this pony was a lesbian!
“See ya, sugar.” the lady wooed and left with a flick of her mane.
Rarity shuddered, while the other three laughed their heads off.
“No! No, no, no!” snapped Rarity “That does not count!”
“Sure it does.” chuckled Pinkie “You said “Any-Pony” can place a bid.”
“Yeah,” agreed Rainbow “Besides, there’s no sign that says “Men Only.”
Applejack informed her, “You could paint yourself an unpretty color if you discriminate against us girlfriends, “Girlfriend.”
“…AAAAAAAAAAUGH!!!” wailed Rarity.