As Sweetie-Belle finished their story, Locomotion could only smile warmly at the mental image of Fluttershy and Big Macintosh basking lovingly in each other's company. “Aww, how sweet,” he cooed. “I never realised Fluttershy could be so romantic – or Big Mac, for that matter.”
“Yeah, yo' tellin' me,” agreed Apple Bloom heartily. “He an' Fluttershy spent the rest o' the day with each other after that, an' when he came home that evenin', firs' thing he did was to thank me an' Sweetie-Belle an' Scoot fo' how we'd helped him build up the courage he needed to ask her to be his very special somepony.”
“And those two have been seeing each other ever since,” added Sweetie-Belle. “They've both been taking it pretty slowly, but they've really grown on each other since that first date, and they've even considered getting married someday.”
“Well, having had feelings for each other for as long as those two, who wouldn't?” quipped Locomotion. “I tell you what though, girls,” he added, “that was some story you just told me – and there was I thinking that I had unwittingly played Cupid once with an old friend of mine!”
“Oh yeah!” giggled Sweetie-Belle. “I remember that too!” and the three friends laughed heartily at the memory.
At this point, Locomotion's face took on a somewhat mischievous expression. “Actually, girls,” he remarked suggestively, “now you come to mention dating and such, there's something that's just occurred to me...”
“What's that?” asked Sweetie-Belle curiously.
“...how Apple Bloom and Featherweight are doing at the moment.”
Apple Bloom stared dubiously at the red-furred railway enthusiast, cocking her head in confusion. “What do ya mean, 'how me an' Featherweight are doin' at the moment?'” she quizzed.
“Oh...you know – same reason I'd ask how your brother's getting on with a certain canary-yellow Pegasus,” replied Locomotion innocently.
This didn't seem to sit well with the yellow-coated farm filly though. “What the hay are ya talkin' about?!” she burst out. “Ah ain't been goin' out with nopony, least of a' Featherweight!”
“Oh really?” chortled Locomotion, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. “Then how come you keep glancing in his direction whenever he happens to be nearby, particularly at recess?”
“Because...because Ah'm just worried about how skinny he is, that's all!” protested Apple Bloom.
But from the mad blush on the flustered young farm filly's face, Locomotion could tell there was far more to those “worrisome” glances than she was letting on. “So you definitely don't like him then?” he asked with a disbelieving smirk.
“Well...Ah do la'k him, yes, but as a friend!” insisted Apple Bloom. “'Sides, it's Chip Mint Ah've got mah eye on, not Featherweight!”
Locomotion shook his head in amusement. “You've got your eye on a colt who's too afraid to even look you in the eye the way you keep stalking him? Honestly, I dunno how you Apples do it, but in a real-life scenario, that's the perfect means of losing a coltfriend...”
“FOREVER!!!” The three foals looked towards the window, startled, only to find Pinkie Pie glaring intimidatingly at nothing in particular from within a nearby flowerpot.
“Seriously though,” went on Locomotion, “if Chip Mint doesn't want to be with you, then he doesn't want to be with you – simple as that. You can stalk him all you want, but it won't help you win him over.”
“Ah can't help it!” whined Apple Bloom pathetically. “He's so cute!”
“Featherweight's pretty cute,” pointed out Sweetie-Belle earnestly.
“And unlike Chip Mint, he's probably more than happy to return your affections for him,” added Locomotion. “I mean, if you think about it, he may be pretty, er...scrawny, but he's still a kind and considerate little fella, pretty sympathetic towards those who still don't have their Cutie Marks, not unlike me...”
Sweetie-Belle smiled broadly. “That's our Loco!” she chirped.
Apple Bloom didn't reply; she just groaned and buried her face in her hooves as they listened to yet another of Locomotion's monologues!