//------------------------------// // Mistletoe // Story: Give them a push // by Aurora_Glow //------------------------------// "Can we save a few cupcakes for Mommy and Auntie Twilight?" Flurry asked with a mouth full of frosting. "Oh course Flurry," Starlight said. "They should get to taste your wonderful baked goods as well." Starlight's own muzzle was also covered in frosting. Sunburst laughed when he saw. "Umm Starlight? You have a little something..." Sunburst said, pointing at Starlight's mouth. Starlight tried wiping her mouth with her hoof, but was unsuccessful. "Here, let me," Sunburst said, levitating a towel over and wiping the frosting away. He stopped mid-wipe, realizing what he was doing. The two ponies stared into each other's eyes, turning red. They stayed in their position, not moving a single hair. Starlight recovered first. "Thank you," she said hastily, leaning back a bit. Sunburst, still red in the face, could only nod and put the towel away. Flurry watched the exchange with interest. It seemed as though Starlight and Sunburst had gotten even closer. But why aren't they kissing yet? she wondered. The ponies Mommy helps always kiss in the end. I'll have to try harder... The little filly stared at her half-eaten cupcake as if it would give her answers. Suddenly, it came to her. Mommy and Daddy always kiss under a green plant when it's Hearth's Warming Eve, she thought. "Auntie Starlight taught me conjuration earlier. If I conjure up a green plant, maybe they'll kiss!" "Ready to head to the library Flurry?" Starlight asked. "I think we have a bit more time to read before your Mommy comes to pick you up." Flurry nodded, and the three ponies got off their seats. Flurry waited till Sunburst and Starlight were a bit ahead of her, and with a little blast of magic, she managed to conjure up a little branch with green leaves. Hmm... Flurry thought. This doesn't really look like the ones Mommy and Daddy kiss under... Oh well. It'll probably work just fine. She sneakily levitated the branch above the doorway and hung it there. Now, all she had to do was wait... Sunburst and Starlight were about to pass the doorway when Sunburst realized something strange. "Umm Starlight? What's a mint plant doing above the door?" he asked uncertainly. Starlight looked up, and sure enough, there was a branch of a mint plant hanging right above the entrance of the kitchen. Starlight raised her eyebrow in confusion. "I have no idea," she answered truthfully. "But I should get rid of it. Twilight doesn't like things out of place." With a blast of her horn, the mint branch was gone. Behind them, Flurry pouted slightly. Turns out she conjured up the wrong plant. Well, she has one more chance to do it at the entrance of the library. But she'll have to hurry. "Uncle Sunburst, Auntie Starlight, I'll meet you at the library!" she exclaimed, before rushing towards her destination with all her might, disappearing from view. Sunburst and Starlight looked at each other before shrugging. Fillies were hard to understand. Flurry hurried to the entrance of the library. Once she arrived, she opened the door and closed her eyes in concentration. What did the plant look like? It had a bunch of little leaves, and little red berries, she thought. Auntie Starlight said that the spell works better if I think of the name as well. Mommy called the plant a mistle... mistletail? Mistletomb? No wait I got it! It's called a mistletoe! Flurry cast the spell again, and to her delight, the plant that appeared before her was exactly like the ones she had seen before. She quickly put it above the doorway again and ran inside the library. Flurry grabbed a book from the bookshelf so it seemed like she was occupied. To her luck, she had grabbed Cinderella, one of her favorite stories. Hoofsteps echoed in the hallway. Sunburst and Starlight had arrived. "Is that a... mistletoe?" Flurry heard Starlight ask uncertainly. She looked up from her book, happy to see Sunburst and Starlight standing underneath the plant. Both of them were blushing again. Sunburst gulped. "Well... it... it isn't Hearths Warming, so I... I don't think we have to kiss. Right?" he stammered frantically. "R... right," replied Starlight, who had suddenly became very interested in the carpet designs of the castle. "Lets ju... just go in..." Sunburst didn't notice, but there was a hint of despair in Starlight's voice. Oh forget it, Starlight thought. What were you thinking... Why would he want to kiss you... I'll just get rid of this thing... Starlight powered up her horn, and the mistletoe was gone in a flash. Unbeknownst to Starlight, Sunburst was wrapped up in his own thoughts regarding his own feelings. Should... should I have kissed her? Maybe I should have taken the chance... he thought. But she didn't even look at me! She got rid of the mistletoe just now! Who am I kidding. I'll never have a chance with her... Flurry watched the whole scene, scowling. She was getting fed up. So far, nothing, absolutely nothing had worked. Maybe she'll just have to force them to admit their feelings. How did her mommy make it look so easy? Now she was never going to impress her mommy now! Sunburst and Starlight walked up to Flurry. "Enjoying your book Flurry?" Sunburst asked. Flurry nodded absentmindly, too busy coming up with a new plan. Sunburst and Starlight just took it as a sign that Flurry was too caught up in her book, and went over to the couch. The two each grabbed a book and began reading from opposite sides of the couch. Sunburst shifted over slightly, as did Starlight. They didn't realize what they were doing. Somehow, someway, the two ended up being in the middle of the couch together, bodies touching. Starlight, noticing what had happened, flushed. "I'm sorry," she said moving away. Sunburst said the same, and he moved slightly away as well. And just like that, there was a gap between the two ponies again. At the same time, Flurry, who had long since became uninterested in her storybook, frowned. She's had enough. "That's it! I've had enough!" she yelled, standing up and closing her book shut. Sunburst and Starlight looked at her, shocked at the outburst. "You two are going to admit your feelings to each other, and you're going to do it now! You're gonna do what Auntie Applejack taught me to do. Be honest!" Flurry continued, scowling. Her horn glowed, and soon a yellow bubble was formed around the confused Sunburst and surprised Starlight. They were trapped.