Of Strawberries and Lemonade:
By Sam Cole
Chapter 1: 72 hours To Find True Love
Lather, rinse, repeat. Lather, rinse, repeat, Rarity anguished, tools flying around her, jewels being strung into the hair of a rather important pony, who was probably very late thanks to Rarity now.
“Rarity?” The pony in question asked, sensing the distress the white mare was feeling.
“Yes, your majesty?” Rarity hesitantly asked, afraid something else was going horribly wrong now.
“Please, calm down. And none of this majesty business. Right now, I’m just Cadence,” The princess of love chuckled, doing her part to calm her impromptu hair dresser.
“Oh of course darling. I’m just a tad high strung I guess,” Rarity mused. “It’s not everyday that I get to work on the hair of royalty after all.”
“Well, if you would like, you can do it much more often,” Cadence said. “You’re doing a great job. But there is one thing...”
“Yes Cadence?” Rarity panicked. This was it, she was sure.
“You don’t have to alienate me here. I would love a bit of conversation.”
“Oh my,” Rarity began to laugh. “Do not let me stop you then. Please, by all means, talk away.”
“Well, I don’t get to do this often, so...” Cadence blushed, and motioned Rarity closer to whisper to her. “Do you have any gossip?”
“Oh my dear, we are going to get along just swimmingly,” Rarity giggled, and began to dive into the matter with renewed fervor, relishing the Princess’s urge to swap gossip so freely. This freed up the fashionista’s nerves, and soon the royal hair was looking marvelous. That was till Cadence turned the gossip tables on her.
“So Rarity, do you have a special somepony these days?”
With a pause not lost on the regal mare, Rarity set down the hair dryer. “No, I don’t Cadence.”
“I’m sorry Rarity, I didn’t mean too-”
“No no my dear, it’s quite alright. You were just curious. Though might I ask why you are so?” Rarity inquired.
“Well, I have a new spell to try out if you want, that should help your love life,” Cadence smiled. She would never say she was happy that Rarity had nopony, but she was. “I would ask the crystal ponies here for help, but they are a bit weary of magic, after the whole Sombra thing.”
“Oh of course,” Rarity nodded, “And I would be more than happy to help you... Actually, would you mind if I asked Twilight to help as well? I know she would love the chance to play with a new spell.”
“Oh you’re good,” Cadence laughed. “Of course I’d love to have Twilight along. How about tomorrow night in Ponyville? The three of us will have a girls night out.”
“Oh that sounds marvelous darling,” Rarity laughed, and put the last finishing touch to the royal hair. “Now, you are ready to greet the games commissioner!”
The next night saw Cadence sitting in her sister’s library, explaining the plan of the night to her and Rarity. Something she was having a little too much fun planning, in all actuality.
“The spell is called Destiny Kiss. When you kiss the pony you are meant to love for the rest of your life, both parties will taste strawberries. If it’s not the one, lemonade,” Cadence explained with a smug smile. Twilight readily soaked up her every word, while Rarity had a bit more of a laugh at Cadence’s demeanor.
“Does it matter the kind of kiss?” Twilight asked, her hoof raised in the air as if in class.
“What do you mean darling?” Rarity laughed. This was all too much for her, but she was enjoying it nonetheless.
“Well, what if I just manage to get kissed on the check or hoof because the colt is really old fashioned?” Twilight argued.
“Oh. My, that is a good point, isn’t it?” Rarity suppressed her laugh, thinking the outdated thought, while romantic, was absurd.
“All of those scenarios have been dealt with, and yes, any kiss anywhere on your body will tell you the truth,” Cadence smiled. Oh, she really thought of everything, Rarity recoiled mentally.
“Does food or drink affect the spell?” Twilight pushed on, glaring at Rarity.
“They shouldn’t. The spell will overwrite any signals from outside sources. You could be eating pure lemons, and still taste only the strawberries of your true love’s kiss.”
“Excellent. How long does the spell last?” Twilight asked, and for once Rarity was wondering the same.
“I’ll give you two the max time limit of seventy two hours. Three days, that’s it, to find your special somepony. After that, it’s back to the old fashioned way,” Cadence nodded, and with that, she began charging the spell. “Just to be safe, you might want to bite down on something. This might sting a bit...”
The trio had no reservations at the club, but the very gracious hosts of Luna’s Din knew to make an exception for a princess. Rarity and Twilight had wasted no time in ordering a few drinks, and having a few too many more. Rarity had flirted with a two colts at the bar, Dark Storm the co weather captain, and Little Feather, the silversmith, and got them to both kiss her cheek, along with the bartender. And Rarity, being the sly mare she was, thoroughly enjoyed her game. But eventually, the two mares retired to their table, where Rarity was now attempting to show Twilight how to properly shoot tequila. Though both were far too drunk already to do really anything.
“No! Bad Twilight. Here,” Rarity laughed heartily. If she had the slightest clue how unladylike she was acting tonight, the mare would be appalled.
“I got this,” Twilight slurred back. “Lick salt, drink... drink, suck lime!”
“But ya- you!” Rarity corrected slapping her hoof on her thigh. “You need to grab the lime out of somepony else’s mouth though. That’s the fun part,” Rarity snorted drunkenly. Cadence was beside herself with laughter, wishing she had a camera.
“Any luck you two?” Cadence asked, reminding them they did have homework of sorts here.
“Lemonade, all night,” Rarity slurred with a pout, making a drunken Twilight reach over and pat her back.
“At least you’re getting the kissy... kiss... that part done,” Twilight complained. “I must be ugly, no pony wants to kiss me.”
“You’re not ugly at all Twilight,” Rarity hushed her with a hoof. “You’re just not doing it right.”
“What? What does that mean? What am I doing wrong?”
“You need to make them want it more than you my dear,” Rarity dutifully informed. “Here, I call this one the pout. Always works. First, you take their hooves like I have yours. Then, you look down at the floor, and pout just a little.”
Twilight was absorbed in this right now, she just wanted to reach out and hug Rarity, the poor girl looked so sad.
“You then look up at them slowly, sigh, and look back down. They will grab- yes the chin, good job Twilight,” Rarity muttered as Twilight took over. The pout was sold as Rarity’s fail safe kiss getter, and a sober Rarity would have thought of that before this happened. But alas, tequila is a tricky drink to put it mildly. Twilight puckered up, and pulled the white mare into a rather sloppy kiss right then and there. It was over in a split second, both mare’s slipping almost to the floor in a state of pure inebriation. Cadence though looked ready to pop, as she literally bounced.
“Well? What’s the verdict?”
“Lemonade,” Rarity muttered, wide eyed at her friends actions.
“It’s really tasty lemonade though,” Twilight snorted and began to laugh, then abruptly stopped. “I don’t feel so good...”
“Twilight, are you okay?” Cadence asked, more than a little worried at the sudden change.
“I’m drunk,” Twilight said to the floor.
“Twilight, do you know what you just did?” Cadence asked, looking very concerned.
With a pause to think, slowly Twilight turned to her friend, realizing what had just happened. “Rarity, did we just-”
“No. You kissed me Twilight. It was not mutual,” Rarity shot back at her lavender friend. “Come on, you need to go home now.”
“What? No, I’m having fun,” Twilight pouted.
“Go home Twilight, you’re drunk,” Rarity slurred, playfully pushing the mare next to her. “I’m so sorry Twilight. You’re not drunk. You’re amazing! I love you Twilight. And you Cadence!”
“Okay, you two are gone,” Cadence laughed hard, “Let’s go home.”
“No!” Twilight pouted again. “I like it here!”
“Twilight, you have books at home,” Cadence informed the bookish mare.
“... Home. Now. I want my books!” Twilight demanded, and continued to do until she was tucked into bed by the Crystal Princess that night, stopping only to kiss a certain dragon on the forehead as she wished him good night.
They say a hangover is penance for the fun of the night before. If this was true, Twilight had a very good night of it, and though she was up and about as she took Cadence to the train station, her mind never left one topic.
“So I’ll see you again soon, okay,” Cadence asked, trying to meet Twilight’s bloodshot eyes, but the bookish mare kept her head down.
“Yeah, of course Cadence,” Twilight smiled. “Thank you for the fun night. And the comics for Spike.”
“It’s not a problem Sis,” Cadence laughed. “Do you remember what happened last night?”
“Not in the slightest,” Twilight lied with a very convincing smile. “And I would rather keep it that way. If you’re asking that question, it means I was being unbearable.”
“Just a bit,” Cadence laughed. “Well, I have to get home. Let me know how the spell works out for you two, okay?”
“Will do,” Twilight smiled, waving goodbye as Cadence boarded the train and rolled out of the station, leaving the lavender mare to her thoughts once more as she went home. I can’t believe I did that last night. Me, the smartest pony in Ponyville, getting so drunk that I kissed my best friend! What the hay was that?! And the taste! Cadence never said it would last that damned long! I hope Rarity was too drunk to remember what happened...
Upon reaching her home though, the lavender mare quickly found out she was not the only pony with thoughts of last night keeping her about right now. “Hello darling,” Rarity smiled nervously, holding a small box in her magic. “Would you mind if I come in for a bit?”
“Not at all,” Twilight nodded, opening the door for her and her friend. Her heart raced, and her head swam. Was this what Twilight thought it was?
“How’s your head today?” Rarity asked politely.
“Been better. Yours?”
“About the same. But what’s bothering me is what happened last night,” Rarity sighed, setting down the box.
“W-What’s up? And what’s with the box?”
“I brought over some fresh strawberries,” Rarity forced herself to say, “Seeing as that we both need to be reminded what they taste like.”
“You noticed that too, huh?” Twilight said, crestfallen. It was that after all.
“Yes darling, I noticed.”
“So what does this mean for us now,” Twilight managed, though she found the words much heavier than she would have thought.
“I have no idea,” Rarity sighed, letting her self drop to the floor. “I don’t know how to say this Twilight, but I don’t love you.”
“Yeah,” Twilight nodded. “I’m not really into mares...”
“How convenient.” Rarity muttered. “If only you had thought of that last night, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“Hey, don’t get snarky with me,” Twilight barked back. “I don’t want to love you either!”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Rarity asked hotly.
“Well,” Twilight recoiled, realizing she was treading on thin ice, “I mean, you tend to be a bit...”
“Of a bitch?” Rarity supplied, flopping back down. She would not admit it, but it stung to know Twilight thought that of her.
“I was going to say guarded. You don’t let anypony get too close to you,” Twilight said walking over to sit next to Rarity. “I get that though. You’re on edge because so many ponies just abuse your generosity...”
“I know, and I have been trying to work on it. But it’s just been a big part of who I am for so long now...”
“I know,” Twilight cooed, rubbing Rarity’s back. “We can get through this.”
“How?” Rarity asked, looking to her friend.
“Well, we have 58 hours left now before the spell wears off. So let’s just keep trying. Maybe it was a fluke between us last night.”
“But does it still work?” Rarity asked, sitting up.
“Yes. I kissed Spike on the head last night and all I could taste was lemonade,” Twilight informed. “Hey, try giving Spike a kiss. Spike! Come here please.”
“What?!” Rarity demanded. “I can’t love Spike! I think of the poor boy as a little brother.”
“Spike has a huge crush on you though,” Twilight smiled.
“I know,” Rarity pouted. “I’ve tried to talk him down, but he’s so adamant in his love. I don’t want to hurt the little guy...”
“Well, maybe this is why. The universe loves stories like this. True love conquers all, yadda yadda.”
“Twilight, I...”
“Just try it,” Twilight pleaded.
“Well, Spike is brave and kind. And I’m sure one day he will grow into a brilliant and wonderful col- er, dragon,” Rarity reasoned. “Alright, I will try, for Spike.”
“Thank you,” Twilight whispered as Spike stepped into the room.
“What’s up Twi? Hey Rarity.”
“Spike, we have a quick test for you,” Twilight said, preferring the truth right now. “Cadence cast a spell on us that makes you taste different things if the pony you are too love for the rest of your life kisses you.”
“Really?” Spike asked, looking excited and more than able to see where this was going.
“Yes. I kissed your forehead last night when I got home, and got a negative. So now I want Rarity to try.”
“Yes! Hang on!” Spike said, trying to run to get some gum.
“That won’t be needed Spike,” Twilight assured, to Rarity’s relief and Spike’s disappointment. “All she needs to do is kiss your forehead like I did.”
“Thank you darling,” Rarity whispered as she slipped past and kissed Spike gently on the forehead.
“Lemonade!” They both cried together, and instantly Rarity felt bad for the outcome she now had to explain.
“Lemonade is good, right?!” Spike asked excitedly.
“...”
“Right?”
“I’m so sorry Spike,” Rarity sobbed, about to cry because of the look that came to Spike now. “Lemonade is a negative.”
“No. No, please no!” Spike cried, hugging Rarity tightly as Twilight painfully watched. “I don’t want it to be true!”
“I’m so sorry,” Rarity managed, hugging the poor dragon tight as well. “I wanted you to be happy, but this is for the best.”
“How?” Spike managed.
“You now know fate has other things in store for you. Better things maybe. Now you can go forward without the thought of what if holding you back.”
“But...”
“It’s not fair, and I am so so sorry about that my friend.” Rarity cried, and hugged Spike till he calmed down, never leaving him, and telling him he would always be important to her. Twilight was so proud of them both, so proud and yet so sad.
“How could you say that to him?” Twilight asked Rarity later that afternoon, as they sat around trying to think.
“Say what darling? The truth?”
“That he had to take his fate. You’re challenging yours right now. It’s a bit hypocritical is all.” Twilight huffed.
“I’m fighting mine because neither of us wants it,” Rarity hissed back.
“...”
“I am correct, no?” Rarity asked, perplexed by her friends behavior.
“No, you’re right,” Twilight dismissed. “I just hadn’t actually thought about it. Us, together I mean.”
“Oh. Well, of course. It would never work between us,” Rarity nodded, though her voice lacked the same fire it had moments ago. I never actually thought about it either...
“So I think our best bet is to date anypony that asks us out right now,” Twilight filled in, a little scared about where the conversation was heading.
“Yes, of course,” Rarity hastily agreed. “Where should we start?”
As if in answer to her question, a knock rang out through the library, shortly followed by a happy, if not slightly nervous looking Applejack.
“Howdy y’all. Ah was hoping to get to talk with Rarity,” Applejack smiled, and she was not alone as the white mare smiled for her friend.
“Of course-” Rarity began.
“She’d be happy to!” Twilight blurted out.
“Excuse me?” Both other mares asked.
“Twilight, can I talk to you really fast?” Rarity asked, and nearly dragged the lavender mare into the kitchen. “What the hay are you doing?”
“Applejack asked you out!” Twilight squealed in a whisper.
“What? Me and Applejack? That’s absurd,” Rarity argued, and hoped it would stay at that.
“Why? You two would make a cute couple,” Twilight smiled.
“No.”
“Just give it a try,” Twilight began to beg.
“No. I don’t have any feelings for Applejack. Well, like that,” Rarity corrected herself.
“I’m the alternative,” Twilight growled with a smile. When Rarity didn’t instantly reply, it gave Twilight a start. “Rarity?”
“I’m thinking,” The white mare said honestly. “I don’t like mares, but if I did...”
Twilight felt a sudden catch in her chest. What was her friend doing?
“It’s nothing dear,” Rarity dismissed, looking a little distant. “But it just feels wrong. Like there is something not quite right with loving Applejack that way.”
“Oh. Well, just hear her out then. Who knows,” Twilight reasoned.
“Yes, of course,” Rarity nodded, and trotted out to Applejack again. “What did you have in mind Applejack?”
“Could we talk, back at my place? Ah got sumthing to show ya.”
“Of course,” Rarity nodded as Applejack lead the way, leaving Twilight behind.
After ten minutes though, Twilight gave chase to her two friends, wanting to know what was happening, or so she told herself.
“So you wanted to show me a photo album?” Rarity asked as she sat down in Applejack’s living room, and the work pony brought over a thick tome of family memories, though this one looked much fancier than any of the others from the shelf it had come from.
“Yep. Ah found my Aunt and Uncle Orange’s photo album here, and saw sumthing you need to see fer yerself.” Applejack informed her friend, taking a seat next to the white mare. She flipped the cover, and pointed at one of the first pictures. An early family photo of Aunt Orange and- Oh.
“Is that my...?” Rarity asked as she squinted to make out the old photo.
“Yeah, that’s yer mom with my Aunt. Yer mom was adopted, wasn’t she?” Applejack asked kindly.
“Yes, she was. She still talks to her sister, and we visit them once a year, but I never would have thought my Aunt Clementine was your aunt as well,” Rarity said, suppressing a laugh. “This explains their visit to the house during your family reunion. Oh my word.”
“Ah don’t expect ya to become an Apple yerself Rarity, heck Aunt Clementine married into the family herself, but yer kin. So I just wanted to say welcome to the family if ya want,” Applejack smiled.
“Oh darling, of course. I would love to be an Apple. Thank you so much,” Rarity said as she hugged her long lost cousin for the first time, instead of just her friend. They spent a while longer looking through the album, laughing at the new discovery of the shared family. That was till a noise interrupted them.
“The heck is that? Sounds like a squirrel choking on a peanut,” Applejack muttered, looking out the window.
“How do you know what that sounds like?” Rarity asked.
“Long day at Fluttershy’s once.”
“Ah. I’ll just check on that noise, see if I can help the poor critter out,” Rarity said crossing to the window. But as she opened it, she was instantly hushed by a lavender hoof.
“Shh. I’m here to see how things are going,” Twilight whispered up to Rarity from where she sat crouched just below the window.
“Twilight? Was that sound you?” Rarity whispered back.
“It was a signal,” Twilight argued.
“It sounded like a dying squirrel,” Rarity giggled. “But thank you for wanting to check in on me. But we were so very far off.”
“Oh?”
“Turns out I’m part Apple family,” Rarity explained.
“Oh? How?” Twilight whispered.
“My mother is adopted darling,” Rarity smiled to the crouching mare.
“Rarity? What’s goin on over here?” Applejack asked as she came over to the window, and looked down to Twilight. “Late on a friendship report again Twi?”
“Har har. No, I was...” Twilight began, but found she soon had no idea of where to go from here.
Rarity looked around the inside of the house, and instantly spotted her reprieve, a picture of a familiar and hard working stallion. “She was here to see Big Macintosh.”
“I was?” Twilight jerked back, a bit shocked.
“Yes darling, you were. You wanted to know if he had a crush on you,” Rarity smiled. Revenge was hers for Twilight trying to set her up.
“Well why didn’t ya just say so!” Applejack smiled. “Big Mac! Ya got company! Come around the door next time Twilight,” Applejack laughed as she trotted into the house to find her brother. Twilight was guiltily lead into the home, and made to talk with an equally nervous Big Mac about there ever being a them. Rarity and Applejack seemed to be loving the exchange.
“Soooo Big Mac, working hard lately?” Twilight nervously asked.
“Eeyup.”
“Do- Do you like it?”
“Eeyup.”
Twilight was out of conversation ideas, and turned to Rarity for help, but found the white mare looked pensive for just a moment. No, surely it was just a trick of the eyes. Rarity wanted Twilight to love somepony else, didn’t she?
“Oh horsefeathers,” Applejack snorted. “Big Mac, Twi wants to know if ya have feelings for her?”
“Nope.”
“There, easy enough. I can take that. Sorry to embarrass you Mac.” Twilight offered.
“Now hold yer horses,” Applejack snorted. “Big Mac, ya need to quit being so darn shy. Ya never know if Twi here might be the one.”
Big Mac said all he needed to with his stare at the moment, a look of ‘Really?’ passed across his face.
“Oh just try it,” Applejack snorted back. “Ya owe me fer not talkin about-” She never got to finish as Big Mac jumped forward and planted a kiss on Twilight’s cheek.
“No spark,” He defiantly stated, then licked his lips. “Lemonade?”
“New face cream product,” Twilight lied. She was relieved beyond words, and surprised to see Rarity was as well.
“Well, ya did more than Ah ever thought ya would Mac. Sorry fer the spot of trouble Twi,” Applejack said, showing her blushing friends out.
“It’s no trouble Applejack. Thank you,” Twilight said as she hugged the work pony goodbye. “Hey, what did your brother mean by no spark?”
“Oh, that. Old Apple family belief. Ya would know if there’s something there at the first kiss, or so Granny Smith says.” Applejack dismissed.
“Do you really believe that?” Rarity asked, thinking it sounded a bit familiar. Almost like a new spell they had heard of recently.
Applejack smiled, and reached out and kissed Twilight on the cheek as well, making the poor mare blush again. “No spark... Holy hay Big Mac was right. You do taste like lemonade Twi.”
“I told you,” Twilight laughed, and said her peace as she left with Rarity into the early evening. After a few minutes of silence though, Twilight could take it no longer. “Rarity?”
“Hmm? Yes Twilight?”
“Do you- do you believe in that spark Applejack was talking about?” Twilight asked.
“I think our new spell was a bit of a hoax my dear. I think Cadence found it in the library there and just modified it a touch.”
“Yeah, I was thinking that too...” Twilight muttered to herself. “But it would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
“So very nice,” Rarity agreed, looking up to the first few stars brave enough to poke out into the night sky, and coming to a stop along the path. “Why do you ask darling?”
“No reason,” Twilight lied.
“... Twilight?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think you could ever love another mare?” Rarity asked, still looking to the stars above.
“...Maybe,” Twilight nodded, her gaze on her white friend right now.
“Maybe. Hmm,” Rarity nodded before looking back down. “Anypony you date would be a lucky one, Twilight.”
“Thanks,” Twilight blushed. “So, I was wondering...”
“Yes?”
“Well, we’ve both kissed someone else now. Maybe the spell is fixed,” Twilight shrugged, and began to study her hooves. “Maybe we should give it another try...”
“I don’t see why not,” Rarity shrugged as she leaned forward and kissed Twilight on the forehead much as she had Spike. But this time there was a subtle difference. Maybe Twilight imagined it, or maybe Rarity really did take an extra second to pull her head back from her friend’s. “Still strawberries.”
“Yeah, I can taste that,” Twilight smiled, still looking to her hooves. “Thanks Rarity.”
“Not a problem my dear,” Rarity said in her velvet voice. “Come on Twilight, tomorrow is another day.”
“Yeah.”