//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Brewing Romances // Story: My Little Pony: Draconic Lovers // by RobtheMorpherPony //------------------------------// Twilight and Flash Sentry were at Ponyville's Hayburger joint. "I'm so glad to have a day like today where there's nothing that desires my direct attention." Twilight said. "Heh. It helps that every pony is still recovering from what we witnessed back at the Changeling HIve." Flash Sentry said. "You mean watching Wildson Mondoli and the tyrant Chrysalis turn to dust before our very eyes?" Twilight asked. "Yeah. That." Flash said. "Ever feel like things can get hectic sometimes around Ponyville? Because ever since transferring here, there hasn't been many off days." "Did you seriously think I was joking about there being a monster attack every week?" Twilight asked. "Actually, I'm half-glad there is one. At least then, things don't get too mundane around here." Flash said. "Then again, the last week in particular has been totally insane." "Well to be fair, all of Equestria got affected by Chrysalis's plot of kidnapping every pony possible." Twilight said. "...True that." Flash said. "What do you say after we finish eating, we spend some time outside the castle for the rest of the day if possible?" Twilight smiled. "I think I'd like that." Twilight said. "Never really been much for dogs." White Flame said. "I don't outright hate them, but I do know I've never been a dog person." "Yeah, we know. Your much more of a snake person." Scootaloo said. "Seriously going to miss Carol scaring the pants out of the foals who didn't know." Diamond Tiara said. "...It's so wierd, I sometimes really expect her to just slither up to me right about now and make me scream 'SNAKE!' at the top of my lungs." "I just...I really don't know if I can replace Carol. She's just...too near and dear to my heart." White Flame said. "And if you ask me, that's okay. It makes Carol that much more unique." Diamond Tiara said. "Whoa. Hold the phone. Did Diamond Tiara just say something that's both good and actually profound?" Scootaloo asked. "...Hey! Now that's just rude." Diamond Tiara said. "Ya really didn't need to go there, Scoots." Apple Bloom said. Scootaloo wilted. "...I'm now expecting my adoptive mother Rainbow Dash to swoop in and grill me, or Smolder grills me. One of the two." Scootaloo said. "...Smolder grilling every pony because of something like what you just did, does seem to be a re-accuring pattern huh?" Silver Spoon asked. "But part of me wonders if she's going to lecture some pony else today." "...What, you mean Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Exactly." Silver Spoon said. "...Why do I want to agree with that?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I don't know why I want to, but I do." Back with Twilight and Flash, the two ponies were enjoying the nice weather outside; having a nice time together just in general. Eventually, the sun began to set, so, the two ponies were soon heading back inside the castle, where they saw Spike trying to use smelling salts on a fainted Smolder. "...Mind telling me what exactly happened to her?" Twilight asked. "So, funny story, Smolder was all good and ready to give Rarity a lecture because of the way she was treating Sweetie Belle, only for Sweetie Belle to give her a realization by solving a cutie mark problem involving a pony viewing a grown up dog as the same puppy he grew up with and not really doing anything more grown up with said dog." Spike said. "As soon as Sweetie Belle sent the message home to the colt, Rarity realized her own mistake, and the two went to do something more grown-up together. And I think it broke Smolder." Twilight just laughed. "...What's so funny about what Spike just said?" Flash asked. "Oh nothing really. It's just nice to know that despite how things are changing around Ponyville, that some things are remaining the same, such as Smolder wanting to give some pony a lecture." Twilight said. "I guess that is a fair point. Sad thing is, this time Smolder had her job done for her and I don't think she is able to process that right now." Flash said. "Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same." Twilight said. "Thanks for letting me and my nephew stay over while the house gets rebuilt. Ugh...this is the first time I wasn't careful with my blacksmithing since I was White Flame's age." White Flame's uncle said. "It's no big deal, really." Applejack said. "Besides, I wanted to talk to you about White Flame. As it's pretty obvious that he's getting serious with Apple Bloom, and they ain't kids no more." "Oi, tell me about it. And before you bring it up, I always did suspect that White Flame had more knowledge in him then he let on around the house." White Flame's Uncle said. "But I'm more surprised that you want to talk about this, and not you know, Apple Bloom's actual mother." Applejack suddenly gained a grim look. "Oh...oh did I just bring up a sore subject? I'm guessing Apple Bloom's mother is dead, huh?" The uncle backed off. "Not...really. More like assumed dead. She and pa have been gone for goin' on ten years now." Applejack said. "And with this much time having passed, I ain't expecting them to show up." "...Makes me wonder if they got caught up in something major. Buck, I'd wager they may even be imprisoned by some evil tyrant or something." Whtie Flame's uncle said. "Part of me hopes that, if they are still alive, they have some sort of explination. Apple Bloom was still in diapers when they vanished." Applejack said. "...Oof. I can't imagine how that feels. Maybe that's why she's connecting so well with White Flame. Sure, White Flame has new parents now, but...from everything he has told me...it's easy to see that his past life still has value to him." White Flame's uncle said. "...That's a mighty fair point. White Flame and Apple Bloom...two ponies united by the loss of the ones they knew: White Flame's social status that created Zanth, and Apple Bloom's parents." Applejack said. Meanwhile...in an uknown location, the camera was viewing two trees in the Everfree Forest for some reason. And it was viewing these two trees for quite some time as night began to fall across Equestria.