“Do you think today will be the day?” Sweetie asked Apple Bloom as the two of them walked through the apple fields, Sweetie talking her friend’s ear off while she was trying to buck apples off the trees.
Apple Bloom reared up and kicked the tree with her hind legs. She wasn’t a bucking queen like her sister, but years of practice had added up. Sweetie was made to carry the basket, lazily trying to catch the falling fruit as her mind drifted away from the task.
“You’ve been sayin’ that all week. Ever since that show, you’ve come here every day asking me what ah think.”
“Well it’s not like I’m gonna stay at home. Rarity asked me to leave the house for the week so she can put the finishing touches on her dresses in peace.”
“That mare gets crazy when it comes to dresses. She used to run Spike ragged when he acted as her assistant.”
“Yeah, it’s not like-”
“Incoming!” Apple Bloom interrupted her, trying to get her back on task for what she had volunteered to do.
Sweetie didn’t catch many, but at least her magic made it easy to clean up what she missed. She collected the rest of the apples. “A bit more warning would be nice.”
“You may not be busy, but AJ’s got me on a quota. So help out or no crusader sleepover next week.”
Sweetie made quick work of the remaining fallen apples as she continued. Though the sleepover threat was on her mind, the dragon was far more present.
“Anyways, she never treated him kindly. He was just blinded by beauty, or whatever he saw in my sister.”
“Yer right about that much. She is pretty hot. ‘Nother buck coming up.”
Sweetie does better to catch this bunch than before. “We’re talking about my situation here. Not Rarity.”
“Okay okay, Jeez. I get it. Incoming.” Apple Bloom pauses as she kicks the next tree, letting Sweetie do her part before continuing. “How I see it, if he doesn’t ask today, then yer probably gonna have to be the one to show up and set him straight. Once this weekend passes, who knows what’ll happen.”
“It wouldn’t be so bad. It’s just a bit more time to wait.”
“And what if the invite is for when you’re at work. What are you gonna tell him then?”
Apple Bloom’s concern hung in the air, as a Sweetie too wrapped up in her own concerns began to consider just what it might mean for something like that to happen. Maybe nothing, maybe everything. She could get found out still and upset Spike, if not lose her job. That would be a huge risk.
Sweetie Belle finally stopped talking as she picked up the remaining apples and threw them into the basket.
Up and down the row of trees, apples fell from the sky. The two crusaders worked until their flying companion found them. “Hey, I’m here and ready to work… Why’s the mood so low?”
“It’s nothing, just thinking,” Sweetie says as she pulls a bucket free and levitates it to Scootaloo. “The faster we get this done, the faster I can get home and see if Spike has invited me somewhere.”
***
Spike sat at the dining table once again, facing down Trixie and Starlight. It had been days since they pulled their little stunt and finally, Spike was willing to talk to them rather than just ignoring them, giving them the same silent treatment a petulant child would give.
“You’ve got to understand Spike, I was just trying to help you out.”
“So was I. The Great and Powerful Trixie suggests-”
Starlight magically forced her lover’s mouth shut before she could finish her speech. “Maybe don’t worry about what Trixie says. One step at a time.”
“Okay, then what is that first step?” Spike presses the bite-sized gems on his plate back and forth, staring at them as if peering through a crystal ball hoping his future would be displayed in front of him. Something that Starlight had specifically said she would not do for him considering their past experience with time magic.
“Well, the first step is exactly what I said on that radio show. You’re working yourself up over what is likely nothing. I saw you both at your welcome home party, the long stares as the night dwindled away. You two will be fine, and if not a couple, then you’ll still be friends. I mean, you’ve known her longer than you’ve known me after all, and feelings won’t get in the way of friendship.”
“Is this about to turn into one of Twilight's friendship lectures?” Spike acts flippant, but is invested in what his pseudo-big sister has to say.
Starlight laughs, “No, no. Maybe. I did have to relearn a lot of this stuff for myself. Maybe it rubbed off. But I think you’ve got this Spike.”
Trixie raises a hoof, looking her marefriend in the eyes innocently as she silently requests another chance to speak. Reluctantly, the magical aura dissipated. “Rejection is part of life. Even the great and powerful Trixie had some failed loves before I met Starlight.” She places a hoof on starlight’s, leaning in close to her companion.
Both listeners were surprised by Trixie’s genuine attempt at assisting, not used to it from the mare. However, she still undercut it moments later, continuing, “And if things don’t go well with Sweetie, then there’s a spot for you in our be-”
The aura returns as she is forced to be quiet, a smirk on her face as she relaxes, cuddling into Starlight.
Spike rested his chin on the table letting out a small bout of flame as he took it all in. He knew that both of the mares were right. And even if they weren’t then he would turn back to his favourite radio station and ask for comfort and support from Lady Luxury. Things would be fine… maybe.
“I guess you’re both right. I have nothing to really lose from this date. So much to gain too.” Spike shoveled the remaining gemstones into his mouth, packing as many in as he could before chewing them as fast as he could. “I’m gonna go ask her right now. I know exactly what I’m gonna do.”
Spike got up and rushed out of the room, barreling back towards his room, however he caught himself just as he was about to leave the room. He turned back to the couple sitting at the table. “Actually, I could use your help if you wouldn’t mind…”
***
The three Crusaders sat on the Apple farmhouse’s porch, each with a glass of juice as they looked over the field of freshly plucked trees, their wagon load of produce stowed in the barn until Granny and Applejack could go through and examine them.
Celestia’s sun was still high in the sky, but they could all feel the subtle chill in the air, the afternoon slowly cooling down for what was sure to be a crisp early autumn night.
“All I’m saying is that if every day you hang out around apples, working with apples, and are named after apples, maybe you should be a bit more adventurous than apple juice.” Scootaloo retorts as she slurps down the last drops in the bottom of the glass.
“It’s not like ah’ve never had other juice before, but this is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying anything else. We literally make it in the house.” Apple Bloom defends her choice in drink, but even she was ready for a bit of a change. Maybe she could convince AJ to get something a tad fancier next time they closed up shop in the market.
The two went back and forth debating the ideal juice for a while as Sweetie just stared into her amber drink. She had gotten through the harvest, but that was only half the day gone. There was another half still left to go, and if nothing happened before then, things would only get more and more risky of blowing her secret identity.
Her mind drifts to and fro, wondering if she had done or said something wrong before. Maybe it wasn’t even Spike who she was giving advice to. Starlight called in to offer advice, but then she never got a response from the caller or heard his conclusion. Surely if it was just Spike, then Starlight wouldn’t need to call in to give her advice to him, when he literally is down the hall from her.
She was so distracted that she didn’t even notice that the other two had stopped chatting and instead watched as a grown-up, purple dragon strolled down the long path to the farmhouse.
“Hey, SB.” Scootaloo flicked her friend with her wing to break Sweetie out of her delirium. “Get your eyes off the drink. There’s someone coming.”
Sweetie was so worked up about the idea of it potentially being the one dragon she waited the week for that the cider was a more hopeful sight, compared to ruining the dream of the dragon she loved coming to whisk her away. It was her sister, probably. Rarity come to drag her back to the boutique to do some menial task, or Vinyl here to collect her for a meeting she had forgotten about. Or maybe Twilight, come to break the bad news to Sweetie that spike died, or something equally tragic. The thought of Spike was far more acceptable than the potential heartbreak of breaking her gaze with her glass.
Scootaloo began waving her wing between the magically held glass and her friend’s face just to force her out of it.
There he stood. A mature dragon. Just slightly taller than her and with a pair of powerful wings tucked closely to his back. Purple and Green scales that would be worth more than diamonds to her. The one she couldn’t help but feel bad for acting as a puppet master towards. Spike walked past the gate to Sweet Apple Acres, waving to the crusaders while walking up the path.
“Spike! Heyyy…” Sweetie Belle was so excited and so nervous that her magic dissipated, forcing Scootaloo to dive for the glass while Sweetie awkwardly called out to the approaching drake. “What uh… What brings you down to the farm?”
“We just finished with today’s harvest. Freshest apples you could ever get. Maybe even with a special discount for one lucky customer.” Apple Bloom quickly added.
“Hey girls. I think I’m good for apples, I just finished lunch with Starlight and Trixie. It’s great being back in town with them, but Trixie can be a bit much for me.” Spike finished the journey up the drive, leaning up against one of the posts holding up the veranda. “I’m actually here because Rarity told me Sweetie would be here.”
“Really?” Scootaloo answers, covering up the stunning revelation Sweetie was having. This would be her moment. This would be where he asked her out. She wasn’t ready. She needed time. She was just thinking about how she wanted Spike’s proposal but now wasn’t the time. She hadn’t even showered after working in the fields all day. Scootaloo continued, “Must’ve been rough seeing her again, seeing that she wasn’t at your welcome home party. Also, you know…”
“Yeah, it uh, wasn’t great.” Spike sheepishly admits, using a claw to scratch the back of his head, where his soft back spikes met his spine. “I’ll save you all the details, but I’m not here to live in the past. I’m past that part of my life now, and here to prove it. Sweetie, do you want to go on a date tonight? Meet me at the cinema at 6. Okay bye.”
Spike didn’t even leave time for the paralyzed mare to respond, shooting up into the air while giving the time he wanted them to meet up. Sweetie just stood there, admiring the dragon while her mind felt like it turned to mush. By the time Sweetie came to her senses, the dragon was out of sight, on his way back to the castle.
“Yes.” Sweetie mumbles while staring at the direction Spike disappeared. She was so quiet that her friends barely heard her, certainly not spike either. But with a deep breath, she shouted “Yes! I’ll see you there!”
The two other mares on the porch couldn’t help but giggle as the third member of their club did more to embarrass herself than anything the pair would do. “Ya really are just a filly in love, aren’t ‘cha?”
“Shut up Apple Bloom.”
“You’re right, it’s more like Winona when she fell in love with that Timber wolf. Puppy Love?
“Quit it.” Sweetie protests as Apple Bloom wraps a hoof around Sweetie.
“We wouldn’t have to do this if you weren’t so embarrassed by this all. Can you show you’re a virgin any more?” Apple Bloom jokes as she begins to walk the white filly off of the farm. “Now shut up and follow me. We’re takin’ you to the spa. Lotus and Aloe will doll you up, and you’re gonna look perfect fer yer date tonight.”
“We?” Scootaloo confusedly asks as she gulps down the left over apple juice that didn’t spill from Sweetie’s cup.
“Yes we. Yer comin’ too. Ah can still cancel the sleepover ya know.”
Scootaloo places both glasses she held onto a table and bolts to join her companions. “Yep. I’m in. Spa Time.”
***
Spike beat his wings faster than he ever had. He could barely hold himself together once he saw her. Sweetie was just, so, so, so beautiful to him. There wasn’t a thing he could see other than her stellar smile or marvelous eyes.
He’d probably embarrassed himself as much as when he had to admit to Rarity he was looking for her sister. He just had to trust in the advice Lady Luxury gave him. The advice Starlight and Trixie gave him. Trust in the plan that he had been formulating ever since his welcome home party.
Tonight would be magical.