//------------------------------//
// It Comes Full Circle 
// Story: Star-Crossed Lovers 
// by ShootingStar81 
//------------------------------//

     A small bell jingled softly but clearly as the door to Carousel Boutique opened.  Through the door passed a yellow pegasus, easily mistakable for Fluttershy, were it not for the brown mixed in with the pink of her hair.  Well, that, and this particular mare sported a cutie mark of a painter's pallet and brush, a much more defining difference from the other shy pegasus.  Aside from this, she was unadorned, lending the idea of a simple demeanor.

Her shy manner, still in line with Fluttershy, showed as she cast her gaze about the shop.  She seemed as if worried that the jingle of the bell might draw unwanted attention, but her surveillance showed that there were no other ponies in the shop.  Well, no pony save for Rarity, who appeared from around the corner.  Sporting her red-framed glasses and a measuring tape around her shoulders, it was clear the fashionista had been working on something.

"Ah, Autumn Breeze!  I was hoping you would stop by today," she began, the pegasus crouching down defensively, a somewhat alarmed expression on her face.

"Wh...why would you hope to see me?" she queried, her voice surprisingly as sweet as Star had described it to be the previous night.  Well, now that she thought about it, anyway.  Shaking her head, Rarity sported the most genuine smile she could manage, hoping to carry her end of the plan.

"Well, it's Hearts and Hooves day, you know, and I've been working on a few new ideas to go with it," she began, motioning for the pegasus to follow her as she made her way back around the corner.  While she looked perhaps a bit taken aback, Autumn had become familiar enough with Rarity not to be as shy around her.  As such, she followed her around the corner, albeit, a bit cautiously.

As she rounded the bend, she could see Rarity standing alongside a dress form, upon which was, apparently, her latest creation.  While Rarity beamed with pride, even Autumn found herself a bit in awe at the fashionista's skill.  The dress itself was a medium purple hue with a flower print across it.  Along with this was black trim work, gemstones that could possibly be amethysts, and what appeared to be pearl beading between them.  The ensemble was complete with matching earrings and accessories befitting a Victorian-style outfit.

"That is...impressive, Rarity,"  she offered in comment, not usually one to do much speaking, but wanting to at least show a level of appreciation for the unicorn's work.  It truly was impressive, after all, with such fine detail placed upon it.  Of course, from what she had seen of her work before, such skill was hardly a surprise for Rarity.

"It is, isn't it?" she replied in her usual manner, perhaps a tad smug, though this was not too uncommon for her when she accomplished something fashion related.  Autumn couldn't help but smile despite it, though it was wiped clean off of her face with her next comment.  "Oh, and did I mention it's yours?"

Autumn went wide-eyed with shock, tensing up as she often did when her 'flee' instinct kicked in.  "M...mine?" She glanced left, then right, as if to be sure that she wasn't addressing anypony else.  "A-are you sure?  That's quite an ensemble to just...just give away like that, don't you think?"

"Oh, come now.   Does a pony need a reason to dote upon a new friend?  Besides, this is my life, darling.  It's hardly overwhelming for me, as far as achievements go.  Do go on and try it on, hmm?"  Rarity, of course, hardly afforded the pegasus a chance to respond, ushering her behind a changing screen, using her magic to bring the dress with her as they went in spite of the attempts at protest from Autumn.

Much to Rarity's credit, she had the mare fitted in a manner of moments, dressed to the nines, as it were.  With a squeal of delight, she almost quivered with excitement, pulling aside a full-body mirror so that Autumn could see herself.  "Well, darling?  What do you think?  A fine ensemble, if I do say so myself."

While she was a bit overwhelmed by the sudden approach Rarity had taken, and the apparent and sporadic  generosity she was being shown, she couldn't deny that the dress looked amazing once she saw it in the mirror.  She even smiled, and not just that small, shy one she usually bore.  No, this was a lot more genuine.  "Oh Rarity, it's lovely.  Is it really mine...?"

Rarity tsked softly, casting her hair aside as only she could do.  "But of course!  I thought you could do with a welcoming gift, seeing as you've been in Ponyville almost a month now.  And on such an auspicious day as Hearts and Hooves?  Why, you'll have the stallions fawning over you, darling!"

Of course, these words seemed only to bring a sudden sense of dread to the pegasus, who crouched down as if in fear at those words.  Her face said it all; she was almost terrified at the thought of so much attention.  "Oh, I-I-I...I don't think I can..."  she stammered, trying to find any excuse to be free of that outcome.  

Rarity was quick to alleviate this effort, almost shoving her toward the door.  "Now now dear, don't be so shy!  It's unbecoming, you know!  And how will you meet anypony special with an attitude like that?"  She tsked again when Autumn made to object, her efforts at using her front hooves to brake proving fruitless as she was shoved toward, and then out of, the door.  "None of that, darling, just go out and enjoy yourself today!  Who knows, maybe you'll make a new friend!"

While initially stone still when she was shoved out the door, realization struck her just then, and it showed on her face as she glanced back at Rarity.  For her part, the white unicorn managed her most convincing smile, at which the pegasus just raised an eyebrow, before Rarity waved to her.  "Do enjoy yourself, and try to have some fun.  You'll see all of us out there eventually, I'm sure."  This she said whilst closing the door, disappearing within her shop.  Autumn spared one more suspicious glance at the boutique before she slowly began to head into town, dressed rather elaborately now.

For her part, in spite of her nervous nature, Autumn managed to make her way into Ponyville without much trouble, although Rarity was proving at least marginally correct; even if other ponies weren't approaching, a lot of eyes were on her.  This kept her nervous enough that, with her head down, she failed to notice another yellow pegasus following from above, who looked almost as nervous as she did.

Oh, I hope this works, Fluttershy thought to herself from her vantage point above.  Rarity's part in the plan had worked so far; she had the dress on, and was so shy and nervous with it that she didn't seem to notice the activities of the remaining friends as they set the rest of the plan in motion.  As Autumn approached the town square, it was time to set the next part in motion, Fluttershy waving at a group of ponies just outside of Autumn's view.

As Autumn trotted into the open area of the town square, she immediately noticed a trio of younger fillies apparently chatting with Applejack.  The younger group appeared to be none other than the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Applejack appeared to be hitched to a cart that was currently absent of a load.  Though she was oft a shy pony, curiosity got the better of her as she slowly approached the group, ears perked forward as she tried to make out what was going on.

"Aw, c'mon sis, it's us!  Can'tcha just make an exception for us?" came the all too familiar voice of Apple Bloom.  One could hardly miss that accent at most any distance, which was enough to make the shy pony smile.

"Nope," Applejack replied, sounding very much like the pair's brother for a moment, and prompting a disappointed 'aww' from the trio.  "Nothn' doin', little sis.  Rules say y'gotta ride with a grown-up pony, an' I can't go breakn' 'em just fer you an' yer friends, 'else ponies think we play favorites."

"So now what?" Apple Bloom asked dejectedly as the three sat down, glancing between each other.   Autumn wasn't that far off at this point, and was starting to gather what was going on.  It would seem they were offering wagon rides today, which in the idea of a couple riding, didn't seem so far off for Hearts and Hooves day.  Of course, if the Crusaders wanted a ride, that could potentially be a disaster.  No wonder Applejack wouldn't bend on that rule!

As she mused to herself, Scootaloo spotted her, and the little pegasus' face lit up as it did when she got an idea.  With a grand, open mouthed grin on her face, she zipped over to the other pegasus, leaving Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looking at each other, confusion evident.

"Autumn Breeze!"  Scootaloo said excitedly, almost bouncing in place as she buzzed her wings.  "Wouldja be willing to ride with us, huh?  We wanted to go on a ride with Applejack, but she says we can't without an older pony!  Well, you're an older pony, and you don't look to be all that busy, so...."  She trailed off, offering her best grin, the other two following suit as they caught on to Scootaloo's plan.

For her part, Autumn gave them an incredulous look, mostly for being called an 'older pony'.  Of course, it might otherwise seem suspicious that they couldn't get any other pony to go with them, or perhaps any number of other possibilities, but either she didn't think of them, or didn't care.  Eventually, she gave them a  sheepish smile and a nod.  "S-sure.  I'll go with you.  I suppose it won't hurt."

With a 'yay' from the trio, all three of them hopped aboard the wagon, prompting Applejack to shoot them an annoyed glance, eyebrow raised.  "Thought I told you three tha....oh."  She stopped mid-sentence upon seeing Autumn approach, bedecked in quite the outfit as she did.  "So ah see they roped y'all into this, huh?"  She asked instead, question aimed at the pegasus.  She just smiled sweetly in reply.

"Looks that way, doesn't it?"  she replied in that sweet voice of hers, stepping up into the back of the wagon.   She gingerly took a seat, mostly intent on not ruining the dress simply because she flopped down.  For their part, the Crusaders seemed rather excited, though she wasn't wholly sure why.  As much time as they spent at Sweet Apple Acres, a ride like this couldn't be all that new.

"Fancy dress y'all got there.  Y'all paid Rarity a visit today, eh?"  Applejack continued before she picked up to a trot, apparently spending little effort in getting the cart moving.  For any not familiar with it, her strength was impressive.

Face flushing in reply, Autumn bowed her head shyly.  "Yes..." she managed in a quiet tone, getting all of them to glance her way, which didn't seem to help any.  Of course, in her mind, at least the ride would prove a bit of security against so many eyes following her, perhaps a bit of relief given to that thought.  Sighing softly, she moved to lay down in the back of the cart, crossing her forelegs as she watched the three fillies, who seemed to be enjoying themselves perhaps a bit too much.

"Where exactly are we headed?" she finally asked, just as the thought crossed her mind.  Applejack just spared her a sidelong glance, grin evident on her face.

"Now that'd be a surprise, wouldn't it?"  Autumn blinked at that, as it seemed rather cryptic coming from an otherwise straightforward pony.  This prompted her to sit up enough to see further out.  It appeared they were heading outside of town at this point, just as the sun was going down, too.  A moment or so longer, and she had determined they were heading in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.  While that meant, typically, a small crowd, if even that, she couldn't help but wonder what was going on now.  This was starting to seem like a setup, but for what she wasn't sure, and it made her a tad nervous.

Nervous or not, in this particular dress, she wasn't going to be flying anywhere, and she privately wondered if that was by design.  Of course, none of them gave any clear indication of that, which made her a little more nervous, more that she didn't know what was going on than out of any fear.  It's not like they'd do anything bad to somepony.

As her thoughts wandered, they apparently reached their destination, Applejack bringing the wagon to a stop near the gazebo.  "Here we are!"  she announced, which was enough to snap the pegasus from her reverie.  Glancing around, she noticed the Crusaders hopping out of the cart before she made to follow, albeit, she stepped down as gingerly as she always did.  

Surveying her surroundings more carefully, she noticed that the gazebo itself was spruced up, an array of decorations befitting Hearts and Hooves day adorning the structure.  When she glanced over to give Applejack a wary look, she noticed the mare was now missing, having fled whilst she was looking around.  Sporting an annoyed look, she slowly made her way toward the gazebo.  This was definitely some kind of setup...

Sighing wearily, she could only imagine who might have put them up to this.  To some extent, she dreaded the outcome.  She never wanted to seem rude or indifferent, but she typically didn't care much for the various stallions that had spoken to her, and she imagined this wouldn't be any different.  Hearts and Hooves day had always been awkward for her, and it hadn't changed since she'd become a mare.  Something was just...never right.

As she reached the gazebo, however, she was immediately greeted by the so-called mane six; Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle, gathered in a semi-circle just outside of it.  With them was the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and all eyes were on her, which made her fidget nervously, a small chuckle escaping her.  "Er...what's this about...?"

Without a word, the group parted, revealing a familiar blonde-maned, purple-hued pony.  He sported a mini-tuxedo, complete with bow-tie, and looked far better groomed than was usual for him.  While she gained a surprised look, he smiled and slowly approached, all eyes on the pair as he took that risk he had been so loathe to try before.  It's now or never, the colt mused to himself, just before he took a deep breath.

"Sorry to have set this all in motion, but...I wanted this to be just right," he began, a nervous touch to his voice.  For her part, Autumn was quiet and expressionless, watching the stallion with cautious regard.  Swallowing against a lump in his throat, he continued.  "I...I never forgot about you, back in Manehattan.  That first day we met, on the hill outside of the city?  That was a very special day to me, one I've never forgotten.  I remembered it even when I moved here, and my only regret now was that I never found you again, never said goodbye..."

Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath, working hard to maintain his composure.  Everypony else watched in such silence that it was easy to forget they were there.  "You helped me find myself when no pony else could.  Thanks to you, I found my cutie mark that next night, when we set off the fireworks for the Summer Sun Celebration.  In hindsight, it made things that much more special to me, and so..."

Pausing one last time, he struggled to keep himself talking.  Risk or not, this was hard!  "Autumn Breeze, I wanted to know if...if you would be my very special somepony this Hearts and Hooves day..."  He smiled nervously at the end of that, looking so nervous in fact that one would imagine he was about to pass out.  All eyes moved to the pegasus at that point, waiting with bated breath for her reply.

Somehow, the pegasus made no show of emotion, keeping almost stone-faced through it all.  As Star finished, she took a half-step forward, and with a deep breath, spoke in that tone that made the stallion visibly shiver, a goofy grin on his face.  "You know, I always wondered what happened to you back then, Shooting Star.  After you left so excitedly, I never did see you again.  Or, perhaps in a way, I did."

Smiling softly, she looked up to the sky, his eyes following her gaze with a touch of confusion.  "I did see the fireworks the next night.  It was such an amazing sight, I had to try to paint it.  I had always dabbled in art, but this...I had to try."  She spared a backward glance when she spoke, eyeing her own cutie mark, or rather, where it would be were the dress not obstructing it.  "I found my own special talent that day, too."

Star's expression became one of awe as she smiled sheepishly, ducking her head shyly.  "Seems we helped each other back then, and we just didn't know it."  Having said this, she trotted the last few steps between them, looking all the more sheepish as she brought her muzzle up alongside his ear, her voice barely above a whisper.  "And...Star...I would love to be your very special somepony."

For a moment, the stallion just looked stunned, creating a bit of worry in the group of friends.  However, his expression quickly shifted to a grin so broad, it looked as though it might break his face!  "Yes...yes...she, she said yes!"  He suddenly exclaimed, Autumn taking a step back as she ducked her head down, face reddened with embarrassment.

The gathered friends, even the Cutie Mark Crusaders, cheered at his announcement.  So their efforts had paid off after all.  It was then that they all moved in to congratulate the pair.  Having put up with Star's antics, it was good to see something come of his nervous energy.

'Toldja it'd be worth it!"  Rainbow Dash exclaimed, nudging the stallion with her elbow.  He could only manage a sheepish grin in reply, though he looked as though nothing in the world could bring him down at that point.

"I do hope you learned not to make a simple problem into something bigger than it needs to be," Twilight commented, offering the pair a smile as she did so.  Star just nodded in reply, stepping around so as to stand alongside Autumn, wherein he touched his nose to hers.

"I sure did, Twilight.  Thanks for that little lesson...and thank you all for your help!  I couldn't have done this without you!"  This brought a small cheer from the gathered group, and a shy bow from the new couple at the attention they were getting.

"Wait, what about the fireworks?"  Rarity suddenly chimed in, bringing all eyes on her.  "How are we going to have a display if he's out here?  Weren't they supposed to start soon?"  She bore a rather concerned look, as if it was something she was actually looking forward to.  Star just chuckled in reply.

"Oh, I have some ponies on that..."

As if on cue, there was a sharp whistle, followed by several more as the first few rockets shot into the air from the town square.  Even on the outskirts of Ponyville as they were, it was impossible to miss the display as explosions of blue, green and red lit the sky in spectacular patterns and arrays.

Following the initial launches, a much sharper whistle came as a rocket large enough to be visible streaked upwards.  This one didn't simply explode, instead sending of trails of color in it's wake as it went, and in a spectacular detonation, created a bright image of not an arrow, but a shooting star passing through a heart.  With such a spectacular display of fireworks artistry, there was no longer any doubt that Shooting Star was definitely the pony to see for events such as this.

While everypony watched the spectacular display as it continued on, Star leaned in close enough to place a kiss on the mare's cheek, just as he had years before.  Wordlessly, the two drew close together, Autumn stretching her wing across his back as they did so, the two snuggling up together.

This day just couldn't get any better.